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Self-efficacy is defined as people's perceptions of their abilities to organize cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral skills and their decisions on how much effort to use to attempt the action. This exploratory sequential, mixed-methods study examined nontraditional doctoral students' perceptions on how instructional strategies helped with their self-efficacy in online statistics learning as aligned with four sources of self-efficacy (i.e., mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological reactions). The relationship between the instructional strategy used and the students' statistics self-efficacy was examined. The effective instructional strategies are discussed and recommendations provided for online statistics instructors and course designers.

Using the Theory of Social Support and the Community of Inquiry as theoretical frameworks, this qualitative study explored international students' experiences, challenges, and perceptions of online learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. By conducting three virtual focus group interviews with 18 international students, we identified four key themes that encapsulate participants' challenges and experiences of online learning: social isolation in online learning spaces, difficulties with engaging in online class discussions and activities, limited opportunities for improving English proficiency in the online setting and limited academic support from faculty and advisors. Implications for research and practice to support international students are discussed.

The existing methods for recognizing violations in the underground belt conveyor area of coal mines suffer from insufficient feature extraction and difficulty in considering time differences in behavior. It results in low accuracy in recognizing violations (such as climbing, crossing, leaning, etc.) in the area. In order to solve the above problems, a belt conveyor area violation recognition method based on multi-feature fusion for time-difference network (MFFTDN) is proposed using the ResNet50 model. The method combines multi-feature fusion with time difference to perform multi-feature fusion on behaviors in different time periods. Firstly, the short-term multi-feature fusion (STMFF) module is introduced in the second and third stages of the original ResNet50 model, which concatenates the time and features from multiple consecutive frames together. Then the method performs time-difference calculation on the fused features, that is, the feature difference between adjacent frames, to capture local action changes in a short period of time. Secondly, in the fourth stage of the original ResNet50 model, a long- term multi-feature fusion (LTMFF) module is introduced to concatenate short-term multi-features from consecutive frames, and perform time-difference calculations on features from adjacent time points to obtain long-term multi- feature of behavior. Finally, the method classifies the fused features and outputs the recognition results. The experimental results show the following points. ① The average accuracy and precision of the MFFTDN based belt conveyor area violation recognition method have increased by 8.18% and 8.47% respectively compared to the original model ResNet50. It indicates that the simultaneous use of STMFF and LTMFF modules can effectively extract multi-feature information from different time periods. ② The accuracy of this recognition method on the self built dataset of violations in the underground belt conveyor area of coal mines is 89.62%, with an average precision of 89.3% and a model parameter size of 197.2×106. ③ The Grad CAM heatmap shows that this recognition method can more effectively focus on key areas of violations and more accurately capture violations in the underground belt area of the mine.

Molecular weight and its distribution, gel content, nitrogen and phosphorus content, wet strength, Mooney viscosity, mechanical properties and aging resistance of three kinds of domestic raw natural rubber were compared with those of imported ribbed smoked sheet. The results showed that among the four kinds of natural rubber, the imported ribbed smoked sheet had the highest molecular weight with a narrower distribution, the highest nitrogen content, moderate phosphorus content and gel content, the best wet strength, the highest Mooney viscosity, and better tensile properties, but the highest compression fatigue heat generation; The product of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences had moderate molecular weight and its distribution, the highest gel content, better wet strength, the lowest Mooney viscosity, the largest elongation at break and tear strength, and the best aging resistance; The product of Hainan Natural Rubber Industry Group Co Ltd had the lowest molecular weight with a narrower distribution, lower nitrogen content, the highest phosphorus content, poor wet strength, and good aging resistance, but the shortest scorch time. The product of Yunnan Natural Rubber Industry Group Co Ltd had higher molecular weight with the widest distribution, the lowest gel content and nitrogen and phosphorus content, poor wet strength, and the worst aging resistance, but the longest scorch time and the lowest compression fatigue heat generation.

To address the challenges nontraditional adult doctoral learners face in completing dissertations online, we reflect on the effective practices utilized in an online doctoral-level educational leadership program at a public university in the United States. This paper focused on two major topics: 1) how to prepare students to write a dissertation through coursework based on the Competency-based Education (CBE) theory; and 2) how to build relationships between mentors and students writing dissertations based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. The theoretically founded practices based on CBE and CoI must be utilized in building an interactive, collaborative online learning community.

AbstractBackground Despite the widespread administration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, the impact on patients with asymptomatic to mild illness remains unclear. Here, we aimed to assess the efficacy of various vaccine doses and types on the duration of isolation duration and discharge rates, the viral shedding duration, and negative rates in asymptomatic to mild COVID-19 patients.Methods We included adult patients at the Fangcang isolation centres in Pazhou or Yongning between November and December 2022. We analysed data on basic demographics, admission details, laboratory indicators and vaccination information.Results A total of 6560 infected patients were included (3584 from Pazhou and 2976 from Yongning). Of these, 90.6% received inactivated vaccines, 3.66% received recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit vaccines and 0.91% received adenovirus vaccines. Among the 6173 vaccinated individuals, 71.9% received a booster dose. By day 9, the isolation rate reached 50% among vaccinated patients. On day 7.5, the positive rate among vaccinated individuals reached 50%.Conclusions Full vaccination was effective, with heterologous vaccines showing greater efficacy than inactivated vaccines alone. However, there was no significant difference in the vaccine protective effect 12 months after vaccination.

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework posits that a collaborative online teaching and learning process can be achieved through three interdependent dimensions of presence: cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Emotion is considered an important factor in successful online learning. This study explored non-traditional graduate students' perceived emotional presence that emerged in participants' online learning experiences. Based on quantitative and qualitative data from 45 non-traditional graduate students in the field of education, the study showed that participants demonstrated both positive emotional expressions (e.g., enjoyment and happiness) and negative expressions (e.g., frustration and disappointment) in their responses. Emotional presence ratings were found be significantly lower than cognitive, teaching, and social presence ratings. Emotions serving different functions were also identified in responses. Directed affectiveness, the recognition and sharing of emotions between students, the instructor, and peers, surfaced where participants showed a strong emotional need to make connections. Outcome emotions were also identified where participants showed emotional responses in regard to their eventual learning outcome. We also found emotional presence by itself a significant predictor of non-traditional graduate students' satisfaction with online learning. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells (hESC-derived RPE) are a promising source for cell-replacement therapy to treat retinal degenerative diseases, but research on RPE cryopreservation is limited. This study aimed to determine the best phase for RPE cryopreservation to preserve the post-thaw function and uncover the mechanism underlying RPE freezing tolerance. METHODS: hESC-derived RPE cells were cryopreserved at various time points after seeding. After thawing, the survival and attachment rates, RPE marker gene expression, apical-basal polarity, PEDF secretion, transepithelial resistance, and phagocytotic ability of post-thaw RPE cells were evaluated. RNA sequencing was performed on RPE cells at three-time points, differentially expressed genes were identified, and gene ontology, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, and protein-protein interaction analyses were used to investigate the key pathways or molecules associated with RPE cell freezing tolerance. RESULTS: RPE frozen at passage 2 day 5 (P2D5) had the highest cell viability and attachment after thawing. They also retained properly localized expression of RPE marker genes and biological functions such as PEDF secretion, high transepithelial resistance, and phagocytic ability. The RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that RPE cells at P2D5 expressed high levels of cell cycle/DNA replication and ECM binding associated genes, as well as THBS1, which may serve as a possible hub gene involved in freezing tolerance. We also confirmed that the RPE cells at P2D5 were in the exponential stage with active DNA replication. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that freezing hESC-derived RPE cells during their exponential phase results in the best post-thawing outcome in terms of cell viability and preservation of RPE cell properties and functions. The high expression levels of the cell cycle and ECM binding associated genes, particularly THBS1, may contribute to better cell recovery at this stage.

The new statistics project that the nation will become "Minority White" in 2045 where Whites will comprise 49.7% of the population. In contrast, Hispanics will comprise 24.6%, Blacks 13.1%, Asians 7.9%, and 3.8% for multiracial populations. Given such shifts in the demographic trends, a culturally inclusive curriculum design and delivery is critical for all students' success. The purpose of this pilot quantitative comparative research study was to assess Culturally Responsive Teaching Knowledge (CRT) and Culturally Responsive Educational Practices (CREP) in Texas public university faculty who teach and/or advise online Master's and/or Doctoral students of color, military students, LGBTQ students, religious minority students, and international students in Educational Administration. All respondents in this pilot research study believed Culturally Responsive Teaching was "very important". However, their self-reported ratings on knowledge of CRT were significantly lower than their value of CRT. These findings revealed the respondents recognized the importance and necessity of cultural diversity in online learning. They viewed cultural differences as assets in online courses. However, they self-perceived their own knowledge of cultural diversity in online teaching was insufficient. With the changing student demographics and increase in international students, faculty members should incorporate diverse learning activities into the online course design to promote equitable learning outcomes. These instructional methods are particularly important to the online graduate programs in the fields of Educational Administration, Instructional Administration, and Educational Leadership.

The iron and steel industry is an important basic industry of national economy，which uses a large amount of water，involves a long production process，and discharges a large number of pollutants. In order to strengthen the water pollutant discharge management of iron and steel industry，the United States，Germany，the European Union and other countries（regions） and the World Bank have all formulated water pollutant discharge standards，and each standard has its own characteristics. This paper sorted out Chinese and foreign water pollutant discharge standards for iron and steel industry，compared and studied the applicable scope，pollutant items，discharge limits，determination requirements of exceeding limit and other major technical contents. Finally，in order to improve Chinese discharge standards for iron and steel industry，relevant work suggestions were put forward.

BackgroundSomatic EGFR mutations define a subset of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) that have clinical impact on NSCLC risk and outcome. However, EGFR-mutation-status is often missing in epidemiologic datasets. We developed and tested pragmatic approaches to account for EGFR-mutation-status based on variables commonly included in epidemiologic datasets and evaluated the clinical utility of these approaches.MethodsThrough analysis of the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO) epidemiologic datasets, we developed a regression model for EGFR-status; we then applied a clinical-restriction approach using the optimal cut-point, and a second epidemiologic, multiple imputation approach to ILCCO survival analyses that did and did not account for EGFR-status.ResultsOf 35,356 ILCCO patients with NSCLC, EGFR-mutation-status was available in 4,231 patients. A model regressing known EGFR-mutation-status on clinical and demographic variables achieved a concordance index of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.74-0.77) in the training and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.74-0.79) in the testing dataset. At an optimal cut-point of probability-score = 0.335, sensitivity = 69% and specificity = 72.5% for determining EGFR-wildtype status. In both restriction-based and imputation-based regression analyses of the individual roles of BMI on overall survival of patients with NSCLC, similar results were observed between overall and EGFR-mutation-negative cohort analyses of patients of all ancestries. However, our approach identified some differences: EGFR-mutated Asian patients did not incur a survival benefit from being obese, as observed in EGFR-wildtype Asian patients.ConclusionsWe introduce a pragmatic method to evaluate the potential impact of EGFR-status on epidemiological analyses of NSCLC.ImpactThe proposed method is generalizable in the common occurrence in which EGFR-status data are missing.

Transformational leadership focuses on how leaders' personalities influence interactions with followers and it champions the power of quality personal interactions in creating a harmonious work environment to effect changes on school outcomes. In their daily interaction with followers, leaders perceive and respond to the surrounding reality; their responses trigger followers' reactions and effect subsequent actions. In particular, the emotional dynamics could be either interruptive or facilitating in the communication process between the leader and the followers (Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996). In a review of the empirical research published in peer-reviewed journals between 1992-2012, Berkovich and Eyal (2015) identified three themes on the relationship of emotions and educational leadership. The three most relevant to educational leadership are: "leaders' emotional experiences and displays," "leaders' behaviors and their effects on followers' emotions," and "leaders' emotional abilities." This paper focuses on empathy and extrapolates what has been learned about empathy from research in psychology. Despite empathy being commonly valued by leaders and stakeholders in the educational leadership field, extensive research is needed in terms of how to integrate it in practices. The authors review past research on leadership styles and communication to understand empathy in the educational leadership setting. They then present the concept of empathy from different perspectives, and further discuss the considerations in integrating empathy into educational leadership practices.

In the past several decades, higher education has witnessed the exponential growth of online learning. New technology has dramatically transformed the way education is delivered compared to what takes place in the traditional classroom. It has enabled online delivery of course materials to students outside of face-to-face classroom in an asynchronous manner and provide them with self-paced flexibility. Given the abstract nature of statistics content, effectiveness of the instructional strategies and course design in online statistics instruction has become particularly important to students' learning success. In this qualitative study, the authors explored perceptions of the Educational Leadership doctoral students towards an online graduate level introductory statistic course in terms of whether the online course instructional strategies and course design helped them learn statistics. The authors assessed effectiveness of the instructional strategies and design of the online statistics course as well as students' needs, so more effective instructional strategies could be used for online statistics teaching. Students identified the PowerPoint presentations with recorded lectures to be the most useful strategy. This strategy, along with live Q&A sessions and guided practices and activities, helped to connect the textbook information and its application to the real world.