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The intersection of modeling and STEM practices offers a promising avenue for creating an integrated STEM curriculum. However, research on designing modeling-based STEM (m-STEM) curricula is limited, particularly concerning how the curriculum affects the learning of students with different spatial abilities. This study developed a four-round modeling cycle using highway route selection as the topic to support the development of modeling practices for learners with diverse spatial abilities. Using a mixed-method research approach, this study collected and analyzed the modeling practices of 24 Taiwanese upper elementary school students with different spatial abilities by modeling practice worksheets. Further analysis of the modeling practices was conducted on students in the top third and bottom third of spatial abilities. Qualitative data, including interviews, classroom observations, and teacher reflections, were also analyzed to identify the curriculum factors influencing learning in students with different spatial abilities. Results revealed that all students increased their modeling practices from level 1 (single factor) to level 3 (relation) as the model complexity increased, indicating the effectiveness of the m-STEM curriculum. Additionally, the curriculum improved the equity of spatial ability in modeling practices. Low-spatial ability students benefited from hands-on practices and digital tools during the modeling selection phase. In contrast, high-spatial ability students benefited from analogies and experimental thinking during the model construction phase. This study highlights the potential for m-STEM curricula to promote learning equity and provides insights into effective and inclusive design practices for STEM educators.

Objective To summarize the sociodemographic information, injury data, treatment methods and prognosis of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Guizhou Province, and to explore the treatment ideas of TBI in this area. Methods A total of 1931 patients with TBI who were diagnosed and treated in Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January 2016 to December 2018 were recruited by self⁃designed data questionnaire. The clinical data included gender, age, occupation, area of injury, cause of injury, type of injury, location of injury, severity of injury, whether the midline deviated, location of hematoma, combined injury, whether pre⁃hospital first aid, whether surgical treatment, operation time window, postoperative complications and infection during hospitalization. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) was used to evaluate the prognosis of patients. Results According to GOS score, there were 1488 cases (77.06%) with good recovery, 134 cases (6.94%) with mild disability, 101 cases (5.23%) with severe disability, 134 cases (6.94%) with vegetative survival and 74 cases (3.83%) with death. 1) Social demographic data: there were significant differences in GOS scores between different ages (F = 6.411, P = 0.000) and occupations (F = 5.446, P = 0.000). The prognosis of 46-55 years old patients was worse than that of 5-15 years old patients (t = 5.047, P = 0.000). The prognosis of self ⁃ employed workers was worse than that of preschool children (t = ⁃ 3.570, P = 0.021), students (t = ⁃ 5.050, P = 0.000) and cooks (t = ⁃ 3.763, P = 0.013). There was no significant difference in the prognosis between different genders (t = 0.123, P = 0.902). 2) Injury data: there were significant differences in the prognosis among different injury causes (F = 2.585, P = 0.017), injury sites (F = 5.314, P = 0.000) and injury severity (F = 238.321, P = 0.000). The prognosis of traffic injury was worse than that of strike injury (t = ⁃ 3.731, P = 0.004). The prognosis of basal ganglia injury was worse than that of cerebellar injury (t = ⁃ 3.340, P = 0.002). The prognosis of severe (t = 15.983, P = 0.000) and medium (t = 5.711, P = 0.000) patients was worse than that of mild, and severe patients was worse than that of the medium (t = 9.130, P = 0.000). The prognosis of no⁃Guiyang patients was worse than that of patients in Guiyang (t = ⁃ 2.231, P = 0.026). The prognosis of open injury patients was worse than that of closed injury patients (t = ⁃ 3.069, P = 0.002), subdural hematoma patients was worse than that of epidural hematoma patients (t = 4.559, P = 0.000), and the prognosis of patients with midline shift was worse than that of patients without midline shift (t = ⁃ 17.781, P = 0.000). The prognosis of patients with combined injury was worse than that of patients without combined injury (t = ⁃ 4.725, P = 0.000). 3) Treatment and complications: the prognosis of patients with pre⁃hospital first aid was worse than that without pre⁃hospital first aid (t = 4.343, P = 0.000). The prognosis of patients with surgical treatment was worse than that of patients with conservative treatment (t = ⁃ 5.506, P = 0.000). The prognosis of patients with postoperative complications was worse than that of patients without complications (t = ⁃ 15.845, P = 0.000), and the prognosis of patients with concurrent infection during hospitalization was worse than that of patients without infection (t = ⁃ 14.645, P = 0.000). While there was no significant difference in prognosis between CT examination time (t = ⁃ 1.942, P = 0.052) and operation time window (t = ⁃ 1.483, P = 0.140). Conclusions The disability rate of TBI in Guizhou Province is high. Strengthening the propaganda and education of traffic and production safety knowledge can prevent and reduce TBI. Strengthening the professional training of neurosurgeons in county⁃level hospitals can make TBI patients get timely, standardized and homogeneous treatment, and improve the prognosis. doi：10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2021.03.012

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common causative agent of nosocomial infections with a high level of resistance toward β-lactam antibiotics. Our previous study showed that TEM-1 and SHV-11 are the predominant β-lactamase-encoding genes of K. pneumoniae isolates in the Zhejiangarea, China. In this study, more clinical K. pneumoniae isolates were collected for detecting their β-lactamase-encoding gene profiles by PCR and sequencing. qRT-PCR was then performed to determine the role of cefotaxime or penicillin in low concentrations to induce the β-lactamase gene expression of K. pneumoniae isolates. Moreover, the K. pneumoniae isolates were pretreated with closantel (CLO), a histidine kinase inhibitor, before antibiotic treatment, and qRT-PCR and the β-lactamase phenotype confirmatory test were then applied to determine the effect of CLO on the expression of the β-lactamase genes. The results showed that, except for KPC-2, the 1/4 MIC cefotaxime or penicillin induced significant mRNA elevation of the TEM-1, CTX-M-14, SHV-11 and OXA-1β-lactamase genes, but this induction could be inhibited by CLO. After pretreatment withCLO,78.4~81.4%of the β-lactam-resistant isolates became sensitive and the positive rate of the β-lactamase production phenotype in the isolates was decreased from 100% to 27.1%. The data indicate thatTEM-1 (70.7%), SHV-11 (64.2%) and CTX-M-14 (40.5%) are the predominant β-lactamase genes of the K. pneumoniae isolates in Zhejiang and sublethal dosage of β-lactam antibiotics can induce the β-lactamase gene expression of K. pneumoniae through histidine kinase-mediated two-component signaling systems.

Bixasteroid (1), one new steroid together with five known compounds (2–6), were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of ethanol extract of Bixa orellana fruits. All of these known compounds were isolated from the plant for the first time. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by X-ray crystallographic data analysis as well as by the quantum chemical ECD calculations. All the isolated compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory activities. Compounds 1 and 2 showed inhibiting NO release activities in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages with the IC50 values of 4.72 ± 0.28 and 5.48 ± 1.48 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]