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Participating in online communities has significant benefits to students learning in terms of students’ motivation, persistence, and learning outcomes. However, maintaining and supporting online le...

In the process of bone tissue regeneration, regulation of osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling is of great importance. Therefore, dimethyloxallyl glycine (DMOG) is loaded by nanoscale zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) to obtain a drug-loading system that can promote osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling. Characterization of the drug-loading nanoparticles (DMOG@ZIF-8) reveals that DMOG is successfully loaded into ZIF-8 by two different methods, and the DMOG@ZIF-8 is prepared using the one-pot method (OD@ZIF-8) achieves higher loading efficiency and longer release time than those prepared using the post-loading method (PD@ZIF-8). In vitro studies found that DMOG@ZIF-8 significantly enhances the migration, tube formation, and angiogenesis-related protein secretion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well as the extracellular matrix mineralization, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteogenesis-related protein secretion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Moreover, OD@ZIF-8 nanoparticles are more efficient than PD@ZIF-8 nanoparticles in induction of osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling. Then, in vivo cranial critical defect model shows that the addition of OD@ZIF-8 significantly promotes vascularized bone formation as indicated by the results including microcomputed tomographic, histological and immunofluorescence staining, and so on. Taken together, loading ZIF-8 with DMOG may be a promising solution for critical-sized bone defect reconstruction and the one-pot method is preferred in the preparation of such drug-loading system.

This paper introduces a novel approach to identify at-risk students with a focus on output interpretability through analyzing learning activities at a finer granularity on a weekly basis. Specifically, this approach converts the predicted output from the former weeks into meaningful probabilities to infer the predictions in the current week for maintaining the consecutiveness among learning activities. To demonstrate the efficacy of our model in identifying at-risk students, we compare the weekly AUCs and averaged performance (i.e., accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score) over each course with the baseline models (i.e., Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Decision Tree), respectively. Furthermore, we adopt a Top- K metric to examine the number of at-risk students that the model is able to identify with high precision during each week. Finally, the model output is interpreted through a model-agnostic interpretation approach to support instructors to make informed recommendations for students’ learning. The experimental results demonstrate the capability and interpretability of our model in identifying at-risk students in online learning settings. In addition to that our work also provides significant implications in building accountable machine learning pipelines that can be used to automatically generated individualized learning interventions while considering fairness between different learning groups.

Multimodal Learning Analytics (MMLA) has huge potential for extending the work beyond traditional learning analytics for the capabilities of leveraging multiple data modalities (e.g. physiological ...

α-Actinin1 (ACTN1), an actin cross-linking protein, is implicated in cytokinesis, cell adhesion, and cell migration. In addition, it is involved in the tumorigenesis and development of certain cancers, such as breast cancer. We explored the function of ACTN1 in gastric cancer (GC), which has largely remained unclear. High-throughput sequencing and public microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) revealed the upregulation of ACTN1 in gastric cancer with a poor prognosis. These results were further verified by western blotting (WB), Real-Time Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunohistochemistry. We constructed loss and gain of function gastric cancer cells, which revealed the effect of ACTN1 over-expression on promoting GC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and inhibited apoptosis. Mechanistic studies revealed that ACTN1 regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumorigenesis of gastric cancer via the AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin pathway, confirmed by the inhibitor of AKT MK2206. Altogether, these results demonstrated that ACTN1 could be a promising candidate for gastric cancer treatment.

Purpose The present study aimed to develop the official Chinese version of the QoR-40 (QoR-40C) and to test its reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Patients and Methods A systematic translation procedure was established and performed to develop the QoR-40C from the original English QoR-40 version. After the pilot study, 223 surgical patients were administered the QoR-40C at four time points. The validity, reliability, and responsiveness were assessed to validate the QoR-40C. Results The test-retest reliability of the QoR-40C in the morning and afternoon of the third day after surgery was 0.917 (P < 0.001). The split-half reliability for all domains was 0.938 in the morning of the third day after surgery. The median item-to-own dimension and total score of Cronbach's α for internal consistency of the QoR-40C at different assessment time points were more than 0.70. All the correlation coefficients between each subscale and the QoR-40 total score showed good correlation and were greater than those for other subscales in the morning of the third day after surgery. Furthermore, in the morning of the third day after surgery, the QoR-40C total score was moderately positively correlated with the SF-36 score (ρ = 0.575, P < 0.001), while the QoR-40C score was negatively correlated with the visual analogue scale (VAS) score (ρ = -0.299, P < 0.001). The factor loadings of each item were within the required range. A statistically significant difference was observed in the QoR-40C total scores before and after the surgery (P < 0.001) with the standardized responsive mean (SRM) of 0.51. Conclusion The QoR-40C showed good reliability, validity, and responsiveness and was appropriate to be used as a quality of life measurement questionnaire for patients after surgery in China.

Background. ITGA5 is an adhesion molecule that integrates the intracellular structures with the extracellular matrix to perform biological functions. However, ITGA5 is highly expressed in a variety of tumors and is involved in tumor progression by promoting cell proliferation and metastasis. Nevertheless, little research has been performed on its function in gastric cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of ITGA5 in gastric cancer, focusing on the mechanism regulating the proliferation, invasion and migration. Methods. The expression of ITGA5 in gastric cancer tissues was assessed by the use of molecular bioinformatics databases and high-throughput sequencing of gastric cancer tissues from patients. Western blot, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the expression of ITGA5 in samples from gastric cancer patients and gastric cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the ITGA5 gene was silenced and overexpressed in gastric cancer cells, and the effect on proliferation, invasion, migration, and tumorigenic ability was assessed. Results. ITGA5 mRNA and protein expression were upregulated in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues from patients, and its expression was closely associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ITGA5 silencing resulted in the inhibition of proliferation, invasion, migration, and graft growth of gastric cancer cells; conversely, the overexpression resulted in the promotion of these cell functions. Our results finally showed that the effect of ITGA5 on proliferation, invasion, and migration of gastric cancer cells was performed through the activation of the FAK/AKT pathway. Conclusions. ITGA5 promotes proliferation, invasion, and migration of gastric cancer cells through the activation of FAK/AKT signaling pathway, suggesting that ITGA5 may be potentially considered as a new target in gastric cancer therapy.

Here, we wrap Co3O4 nanoparticles with nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon nanofibers (Co3O4@NGFs) as a self-standing electrode for lithium-ion batteries. In this structure, graphitic carbon acts as a composite framework that enhances conductivity, accommodates volume expansion and increases contact with the electrolyte. Meanwhile, the porosity of Co3O4@NGFs not only facilitates rapid electron transfer, but also exposes more active sites for lithium storage.

Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) is a well-known natural anthocyanin with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we explored the role and action mechanism of C3G in high glucose (HG)-induced damage of human nucleus pulposus cells (HNPCs). Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay. TUNEL assay was performed for detecting apoptotic rate. Western blot was performed to determine the expression levels of cl-caspase-3, caspase-3, Bax, Bim, collagen II, aggrecan, MMP-3, MMP-13, and ADAMTS5. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was analyzed using DCFH-DA staining. The Nrf2 was knocked down or overexpressed in HNPCs through transfection with si-Nrf2 or pcDNA3.0-Nrf2. C3G treatment (12.5, 25, and 50 μM) improved cell viability of HNPCs under HG condition. HG-induced cell apoptosis of HNPCs was attenuated by C3G with decreased apoptotic rate and relative levels of cl-caspase-3/caspase-3, Bax, and Bim. C3G treatment caused significant increase in expression levels of collagen II and aggrecan and decrease in the relative levels of MMP-3, MMP-13, and ADAMTS5. After treatment with C3G, ROS generation in HNPCs was markedly reduced. Treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reversed HG-induced cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. C3G treatment induced the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in HG-induced HNPCs. Moreover, knockdown of Nrf2 reversed the inhibitory effect of C3G on ROS production. Summarily, C3G exerted a protective effect on ROS-mediated cellular damage in HNPCs under HG condition, which was attributed to the induction of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Engineering design plays an important role in education. However, due to its open nature and complexity, providing timely support to students has been challenging using the traditional assessment m...

The wide application of lanthanide ion (Ln3+) doped upconversion (UC) luminescent materials in optical communication, color display, anti-counterfeiting, bioimaging, and so on have fuelled increasing demand for new host materials and rational control over the emission profiles. In this study, we serendipitous obtained the unexpected Sc/Ln codoped rare earth metal-organic frameworks (RE-MOFs) molecular alloys (MAs) based on rare earth oxalate (Ln = Yb/Tm and Yb/Ho) even though they show three different crystal structures. Moreover, the crystal structure of RE-MOFs MAs changes at varying Sc:Ln mole ratio. We achieved the corresponding Ln3+ doped Sc2O3 by pyrolysis of the RE-MOFs MAs precursor, and investigated the UC luminescence property. The codoped rare earth oxide (REO) shows characteristic blue color emission for Yb/Tm, and green color emission for Yb/Ho doped Sc2O3 microcrystals respectively. This study here provides useful theoretical information for enriching novel Ln3+ doped UC luminescent materials.

Cocrystallization may alter material physicochemical properties; thus, the strategy of forming a cocrystal is generally used to improve the material performance for practical applications. In this study, two transition-metal complex cocrystals [Zn(bpy)3]H0.5BDC·H1.5BDC·0.5bpy·3H2O (1) and [Cu2(BDC)(bpy)4]BDC·bpy·2H2O (2) have been achieved using a hydrothermal reaction, where bpy and H2BDC represent 2,2'-bipyridine and benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid, respectively. Cocrystals were characterized by microanalysis, infrared spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Cocrystal 1 contains five components and crystallizes in a monoclinic space group P21/n. The H0.5BDC1.5-, H1.5BDC0.5-, and H2O molecules construct three-dimensional H-bonding organic framework; the [Zn(bpy)3]2+ coordination cations and uncoordinated bpy molecules reside in channels, where two coordinated bpy ligands in [Zn(bpy)3]2+ and one uncoordinated bpy adopt sandwich-type alignment via π···π stacking interactions. Cocrystal 2 with four components crystallizes in a triclinic space group P-1 to form alternating layers; the binuclear [Cu2(bpy)4(BDC)]2+ cations and uncoordinated bpy molecules build the cationic layers, and the BDC2- species with disordered lattice water molecules form the anionic layers. Cocrystal 1 shows intense photoluminescence at an ambient condition with a quantum yield of 14.96% and decay time of 0.48 ns, attributed to the π* → π electron transition within phenyl/pyridyl rings, and 2 exhibits magnetic behavior of an almost isolated spin system with rather weak antiferromagnetic coupling in the [Cu2(bpy)4(BDC)]2+ cation.

Emotions have a powerful effect on learning but results regarding the nature of the impact are inconsistent and little is known about effects with young students, as participants are usually university students. This study aims to explore the emotional and cognitive dynamics of young students in both online and offline Knowledge Building. Classroom transcripts and online discourse collected for 45 grade 1 and 2 students over seven to 8 weeks were analyzed. Based on the total number of spoken and written words, the participants were classified into high- and low-participation groups. Multimodal learning analytics including speech emotion analysis, sentiment analysis, and idea improvement analysis were used in a mixed method research design incorporating co-occurrence patterns of emotions and idea improvement of students at different participation levels. High-participation students expressed significantly higher frequencies of emotions recorded as neutrality, joy, curiosity, and confidence compared to low-participation students. High-participation students were more likely to elaborate reasons, describe relationships and mechanisms surrounding ideas they explored, and to introduce new ideas and concepts into community resources. Surprise, challenge, and neutrality can be beneficial since students tended to express these emotions when producing explanation-seeking questions, new ideas, explanations, and regulation. Personalized support to students with different participation levels is proposed, to create a more discursively connected community. Future directions include collecting more diverse data to better understand students’ emotions and to provide teachers and students with real-time data to support Knowledge Building as it proceeds.

Two new Pb2+-based coordination polymers (CPs), [Pb2(HBTC)2(DMF)] (1) and [Pb(HPTC)] (2), have been synthesized under solvothermal condition; herein, H3BTC and H3PTC represent 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and 2,4,6-pyridine tricarboxylic acid, respectively. Both 1 and 2 were characterized by microanalysis, infrared spectra (IR), thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) techniques. Single-crystal structural analysis indicates that 1 and 2 show different coordination sphere around Pb2+ ions and distinct coordination frameworks. The I1O2 type three-dimensional (3D) nonporous metal–organic framework forms in 1, where the Pb2+ ion shows holo-directed coordination geometry, while the I0O2 type two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymeric layered structure forms in 2, where Pb2+ ion shows a hemidirected coordination sphere and the 6s2 lone electron pair in Pb2+ ion is stereochemically active. The two CPs emit intense and long-lasting greenish phosphorescence in air at room temper...

Science classes should support students' development of scientific argumentation. While previous studies have analyzed argumentative texts, they have overlooked the ways in which other types of representations, including images, affect the production of such texts. In addition, studies into the use of visual images in science education have offered mostly qualitative analyses. To fill these gaps in the research, this study used techniques of automated image processing to extract relevant information from student‐generated visual artifacts. Specifically, it used a series of image‐processing algorithms to automatically extract and quantify features of images created by students to serve as evidence in support of scientific arguments. Using various statistical analyses, we identified the relationships between the extracted features and the students' performance levels in constructing scientific arguments. The results revealed that the presence of water in a student's image correlated significantly with that student's claim and explanation scores and that the amount of water present in a student's image correlated significantly with that student's claim score, but not with their explanation score. These results indicate that automatic image processing can successfully identify image features that affect students' performance in scientific argumentation. Using this analysis as an example, we discuss implications for incorporating automated image processing into further research into scientific argumentation and the development of automated feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Integrins are involved in the biological process of a variety of cancers, but their importance in the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the significance of ITG gene expression in GC to evaluate its diagnosis and prognosis. Methods. GEPIA data were used to evaluate the mRNA expression of ITG genes in GC patients. The prognostic value of these genes was assessed by analyzing their mRNA expression using the Kaplan–Meier curve. The biological function of ITG genes was evaluated by GC tissue sequencing combined with GSEA bioinformatics. Based on the sequencing data, ITGA5 with the largest expression difference was selected for verification, and RT-PCR was used to verify its mRNA expression level in 40 pairs of GC and normal tissues. Results. ITG (A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A11, AE, AL, AM, AV, AX, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, and B8) was highly expressed in GC tissues, while ITGA8 was low, compared with their expression in normal tissues. RNA-seq data shows that ITG (A2, A5, A11, AV, and B1) expression was associated with poor prognosis and overall survival. In addition, combined with the results of GC tissue mRNA sequencing, it was further found that the differentially expressed genes in the ITGs genes. ITGA5 was highly expressed in GC tissues compared with its expression in normal tissues, as evaluated by qRT–PCR ( P < 0.001 ) and ROC ( P < 0.001 , AUC (95% CI) = 0.747 (0.641–0.851)), and confirmed that ITGA5 expression was a potential diagnostic marker for GC. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the signaling pathway involved in ITGA5 was mainly enriched in focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, and PI3K-AKT and was mainly involved in biological processes such as cell adhesion, extracellular matrix, and cell migration. Conclusion. This study suggested that ITGs were associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of GC and discovered the prognostic value and biological role of ITGA5 in GC. Thus, ITGA5 might be used as a potential diagnostic marker for GC.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed gastrointestinal cancer types in the world. Novel prognostic biomarkers are required to predict the progression of GC. Glutathione S-transferase Mu (GSTM) belongs to a family of phase II enzymes that have been implicated in a number of cancer types. However, the prognostic value of the GSTM genes has not been previously investigated in GC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to evaluate mRNA expression levels of GSTMs in GC tissue samples. Overall survival (OS) rates, hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated using the Cox logistic regression model and Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was performed. In addition, the KM plotter online database was used to validate mRNA expression and the prognostic value of GSMT family members in patients with GC. To predict the function of GSTM genes in these patients, several bioinformatics tools, including the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery, gene multiple association network integration algorithm, Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), nomogram and genome-wide co-expression analysis were used. In the present study, high expression of GSTM5 was indicated to be strongly associated with lower OS in patients with GC, according to the TCGA and KM plotter online databases (HR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.06-2.04, P=0.021; and HR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.42-2.01, P=1.6×10-9, respectively). The results from the GSEA and genome-wide co-expression analysis indicated that GSTM5 expression associated with several biological process terms, including 'adhesion', 'angiogenesis', 'apoptotic process', 'cell growth', 'proliferation', 'migration', 'Hedgehog signaling', 'MAPK signaling' and the 'TGF-β signaling pathway'. In conclusion, the present results indicated that GSTM5 may serve as a biomarker for GC prognosis and may be a potential therapeutic target for GC.

Aims: This study aimed to explore the function of NKCC1 in the proliferation, migration and invasion of Gastric cancer (GC) cells. Materials and Methods: GC data extracted from the database was analyzed using molecular bioinformatics. The expression levels of NKCC1 in tissue samples from GC patients and GC cell lines were determined by Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Immunofluorescence was used to detect protein localization. The GC cell lines were transfected with NKCC1-shRNA or expression plasmid, and in vitro proliferation, invasion and migration were analyzed by the CCK8, wound healing and transwell tests. Results: The NKCC1 mRNA level was significantly increased in GC tissues than that in normal gastric tissues (P = 0.0195). This phenomenon was further confirmed by the analysis of the TCGA-GTEx database that includes 408 gastric cancer tissues and 211 normal gastric tissues (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the increased level of NKCC1 was significantly correlated with Tumor size (P = 0.039), lymphatic node metastasis (P = 0.035) and tumor stage (P = 0.034). In vitro experiments confirmed that NKCC1 expression was higher in GC cells compared to that in GES-1 cells, and was mainly localized to the cytoplasm and membrane. NKCC1 silencing inhibited GC cell proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT, whereas its overexpression had the opposite effects. Furthermore, NKCC1 overexpression upregulated and activated JNK, and the targeted inhibition of JNK by SP600125 abrogated the pro-metastatic effects of NKCC1. Conclusions: NKCC1 promotes migration and invasion of GC cells by MAPK-JNK/EMT pathway and can be a potential therapeutic target.

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Learning and participation are inseparable in online environments. To improve online learning, much effort has been devoted to encouraging online participation. However, previous research has investigated participation from a variable-based perspective, looking only for relationships between participation and other variables. Time can change and even reverse this relationship, however. Online learning is a cumulative process, but participation at several critical moments is more significant for learning than is participation at other points. To fully understand how learning unfolds over time, it is necessary to shift to a new perspective on learning. Adopting an event-based view on which the units of analysis are separate but interrelated learning events, this study investigates longitudinal patterns in online participation. Using data mining techniques for education, the study validated longitudinal patterns of participation as an accurate measure for differentiating learner performance. In addition, the first segment of this online learning experience was identified as the most critical moment in which educators should provide efficient interventions to help their learners maintain active participation. Additional design, pedagogical, and methodological implications for online teaching and facilitation practices are discussed at the end.

Discussion forums are increasingly central to massive open online courses (MOOCs), and it is vital for learners to participate in associated forum activities. Active forum participation positively ...

A series of molecular alloy based on rare earth (RE) oxalate (EuxGd1−x)2(C2O4)3(H2O)6 (abbr. as EuxGd1−x-OX, x = 0.1–0.9) were synthesized using hydrothermal reaction. The PXRD profiles of EuxGd1−x-OX (x = 0.1–0.9) match well with the simulated pattern calculated from the single crystal data of Nd2(C2O4)3(H2O)6 reported previously, indicating that the as-prepared molecular alloys are isomorphic to Nd2(C2O4)3(H2O)6. EDS and ICP measurements proved the coexistence of Eu and Gd elements in this series of alloys. The photoluminescent (PL) behaviors of EuxGd1−x-OX (x = 0.1–0.9) as well as the physical mixed RE oxalates solids were carefully studied. It is found that the PL intensity of EuxGd1−x-OX with small amount of Gd3+ ion is obviously enhanced due to reducing dipole–dipole, dipole–quadrupole or quadrupole–quadrupole interaction between emitters of Eu3+ ions as well as energy transfer from Gd3+ ion to Eu3+ ion. This study demonstrates that forming molecular alloy by introducing proper ion is an efficient strategy to get improved PL materials.