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Axillary lumps are common clinical presentations in surgery, which have various differential diagnoses. We encountered an unusual case of an isolated axillary mass. The patient was a young woman in her 20s with a 2 year history of right axillary swelling. Clinically, the lump measured 3 cm ×3 cm, mobile, non-tender, and there was no associated breast lump or skin changes. Our initial impression was an isolated lymphadenopathy, and further workup for tuberculosis lymphadenopathy returned negative. Ultrasound demonstrated a well circumscribed oval lesion, and fine needle aspiration could only identify a benign proliferative breast tissue. As it was increasing in size and causing discomfort, we decided for an excision biopsy for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. Intraoperatively, the lump was noted to have well defined, smooth surface along with whitish-grey appearance. The tissue surrounding it was also removed and sent for histopathological assessment. Results confirmed our diagnosis of fibroadenoma in an ectopic breast tissue.

Azygous vein aneurysm (AVA) is an infrequent entity for posterior mediastinal lesion and paratracheal mass. Usually asymptomatic, AVA is discovered during routine examination of a patient. The patho-etiology of the azygous vein aneurysm has not been fully understood till date, making it difficult to postulate the most common cause for its occurrence. Nonetheless, AVA has to be taken into consideration as a differential diagnosis for posterior mediastinal mass or right paratracheal lesion. The objective of this paper is to report a rare case of AVA and further discuss on its patho-etiology leading to the dilatation of azygous vein aneurysm.

Desmoid fibromatosis is a rare, benign, locally aggressive fibroblastic proliferation that may occur in almost any anatomical location. Due to its rarity and unpredictable clinical course, there has not been a standard guideline of treatment. We encountered a case of desmoid fibromatosis in our centre. A young lady previously fit and well was referred for a symptomatic, rapidly growing left sided abdominal mass. Otherwise, she denied any bowel related symptoms or constitutional manifestation. Imaging demonstrated a large well-defined lobulated solid-cystic mass extending from vertebral level T10 to L5, measuring 10.5 cm × 15 cm × 23 cm. The mass was in close proximity with the left adrenal gland, left kidney, pancreas and spleen. Ultrasound guided biopsy interpreted it as a fibroblastic or myelofibroblastic tumour, favouring desmoid fibromatosis. Surgery was then performed where the mass was removed along with the left adrenal gland and kidney. Post-operative care was complicated with pulmonary embolism, hospital-acquired pneumonia and pancreatitis.

School choice is expanding, but the majority of students in countries like the United States still attend the school associated with their residential address. We study assignment policies and reassignments of students, where students apply to attend a magnet school or request to transfer to another school within the public school system. Policymakers and researchers have expressed concerns that these type of reassignment programs could increase racial and socioeconomic stratification and cause an imbalance of resources across schools. We provide evidence from the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina. Our focus is on changes in racial and socioeconomic stratification across schools relative to the existing degree of stratification that exists in the district through its assignment via schools’ attendance boundaries. The reassignment programs available in this district reduce stratification in terms of race, socioeconomic status, student need, and student ability. To place our results in context, we conduct several simulations to compare the observed changes in stratification to what changes are possible. The effects on stratification are similar to what would be expected if students move between schools without regard to school composition, and the effects are small relative to the largest increases or decreases in stratification that could be expected given the volume of reassignments observed in these data. Thus, the reassignment programs we study do not increase stratification in terms of race, socioeconomic status, or student need/ability, but they also do not reduce stratification to a particularly large degree. Our results speak to school choice programs that can be characterized as controlled choice programs in which the district places constraints on moves between schools.

Micron-sized zero-valent aluminum (ZVAl), a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst in organic wastewater treatment, whose catalytic activity is limited by the dense and stable oxide layer coating on its surface. In this paper, a simple method of ball milling was exploited to pretreat inert aluminum particles with the addition of low-cost and non-toxic sodium chloride (NaCl) grains. Then the pretreated ZVAl (marked as ZVAlbm) was employed to activate molecular oxygen catalytically for phenol oxidative degradation. No induction period was observed in ZVAlbm/Air system. Meanwhile, the reaction rate and mineralization efficiency of phenol degradation had improved in contrast with the original ZVAl. The characterization results of SEM-EDS, BET, XRD and XPS revealed that the native oxide layer of ZVAlbm was destroyed and became rougher, where its surface was embedded in NaCl grains. Thus the dissolution of NaCl in aqueous solution was imagined to expose the fresh surface of ZVAlbm, facilitating the electron transfer at the interface of ZVAlbm/H2O. Moreover, the specific surface area of ZVAlbm increased for ball milling improved its surface roughness, resulting in the enhanced reactivity of ZVAlbm. The interfacial reaction mechanism was revealed that more dissolved oxygen (DO) was activated by the exposed surface of ZVAlbm to form large amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Then in-situ production of H2O2 was catalyzed by the active-surface of ZVAlbm via a Fenton-like process to generate massive OH, which was detected as the predominant active species for phenol degradation. Finally, the reusability experiment indicated that ball milling could rejuvenate the main catalytic activity of used ZVAlbm easily. In summary, ball milling provides a green and easily-operated method to promote the reactivity of inert ZVAl for its application in organic wastewater treatment.

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) has been listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention as a persistent and bio-accumulative chemical. While HBCD is often present in the solid form for its low solubility, cost-effective technologies have been lacking for the degradation of solid-phase HBCD. In this work, mechanochemical (MC) destruction of high-energy ball milling was employed for direct destruction of solid-phase HBCD, where a strong reducer, microscale zero-valent aluminum (mZVAl), was used as the co-milling agent. The new mZVAl-assisted MC process achieved complete debromination and mineralization of HBCD within 3 h milling. The optimal operating parameters were determined, including the milling atmosphere, the milling speed, the mZVAl-to-HBCD molar ratio, and the ball-to-mZVAl mass ratio. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and Raman analyses revealed that the organic structures of HBCD were destroyed and organic bromine was completely converted into inorganic bromide, accompanied by the generation of amorphous and graphite carbon. Analysis of the milled samples by GC-MS demonstrated the absence of obvious organic matter after MC treatment, also indicating the complete degradation and conversion of HBCD to inorganic compounds. Further X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis indicates that the fresh surface of mZVAl was generated upon the MC treatment, and Al(0) served as a strong reducing agent (e-donor) for reductive debromination and destruction of the carbon skeleton. The mZVAl-assisted MC milling appears promising as a non-combustion approach for effective destruction and carbonization/mineralization of solid-phase HBCD or potentially other persistent organic pollutants.

Recently, mechanical ball milling (BM), a simple and green powder processing method, has been successfully applied to improve the performance of zero-valent metals (ZVMs) for efficient water treatment. However, until now BM is still regarded as a "black box" in which the processes of the solid-state reaction during activation remain unclear. In this paper, firstly, FeSO

Microscale zero-valent aluminum (mZVAl), an excellent electron donor, presents great potential in the field of water treatment. However, surface inherent oxide film impedes its development and application. High-energy ball milling is a promising approach to enhance the reactivity of mZVAl. In this study, taking nontoxic and biodegradable stearic acid (SA) as the process control agent (PCA), ball milled mZVAl (termed as mZVAlbm) was prepared and employed to activate persulfate (PS) for the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE). Firstly, the role of ball milling on the surface morphology, structure and reactivity of mZVAl was revealed by SEM, BET, XRD, XPS characterizations and H2 evolution experiments. The results demonstrated that high-energy ball milling, as a severe plastic deformation method, can partially break the native oxide film on mZVAl surface and expose fresh surfaces, thereby appreciably increasing its reactivity. Secondly, the underlying mechanisms of mZVAlbm excelling pristine mZVAl in activating PS were evaluated through TCE degradation process. In mZVAlbm/PS system, complete degradation and dechlorination of TCE were achieved and corresponding rate (kobs,TCE) increased by 96 times, while traces of TCE were removed in pristine mZVAl/PS system due to the hindrance of surface oxide film. Additionally, sulfate radical (SO4 −) and hydroxyl radical ( OH) were identified as the predominant active species. Finally, mZVAlbm surface corrosion mechanism in the presence of PS was also deeply clarified. After reaction, the corrosion products, namely Al-(hydr)oxide, precipitated on mZVAlbm surface, decreasing its reactivity, but ball milling again can easily regenerate mZVAlbm. In a word, high-energy ball milling as a pretreatment method can remarkably enhance the reactivity of mZVAl toward PS activation, achieving the rapid and efficient removal of contaminants from water.

BACKGROUND Human platelet alloantigen (HPA) is part of the platelet membrane structure, named HPA1- 17 system. This study aimed to investigate platelet alloimmunity in the Achang and Jingpo population, ethnic minority specific, to establish a typed platelet donor data bank in Yunnan's ethnic minority areas. METHODS In this study, samples from 139 unrelated healthy cases from the Achang population, 148 cases of the Jingpo population, and 150 healthy cases from Yunnan's Han population were collected as a control. PCR-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) methods were respectively adopted to genotype HPA-1-17. The frequency of genes and genotypes was calculated separately, and the frequency distribution of alleles in the Achang population was compared with that of the Han population. RESULTS Monomorphic HPA-7-14 and HPA-16 and 17 were found in the samples from the Han population, while HPA-b was not found in any of these samples. In HPA-1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, aa homozygosity was predominant. Monomorphic HPA-7, HPA-9-14 and HPA-16 were found in the samples from the Achang population, while HPA-b was not found. In HPA-1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 17, aa homozygosity was predominant. The genotype results of the HPA-4, 7, HPA9-12, HPA14, 16-17 antigen systems in the Jingpo population were all aa, while the HPA-b was not detected. In HPA-1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 13, aa homozygosity was predominant. HPA-3, 15 showed the greatest heterozygosity among the three populations. The frequency of HPA-1a in the Achang population in Yunnan was significantly different from that in the Han population (P

The dense oxide film greatly limits the strong reducibility of micron-scale zero-valent aluminum (mZVAl), especially at near-neutral pH. In this study, we found that the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) can be greatly enhanced over a wide pH range (3.00–11.00) by mechanically activated mZVAl (MA-mZVAl), which was prepared from mZVAl by ball milling (BM) in the presence of additive NaCl. Compared with mZVAl, at initial pH 7.00, MA-mZVAl removed Cr(VI) at a roughly 292-fold faster rate. The effects of BM parameters including the amount of additive NaCl, BM speed, BM time, and BM atmosphere on Cr(VI) removal were first evaluated. Then, the Cr(VI) removal mechanism was explored by measuring the concentration of different valent chromium, monitoring the changes of water chemical parameters including DO, pH, ORP, Al ions concentration, and by ascertaining the role of Cl− in solution. Furthermore, the structure evolution of mZVAl after BM and the surface corrosion mechanism of MA-mZVAl during reaction with Cr(VI) were unveiled through the characterization by means of SEM-EDS, BET, XRD, and XPS. Based on above tests, we found that Cr(VI) was reductively removed by MA-mZVAl to form Cr(OH)3(s) precipitated on the surface of MA-mZVAl. NaCl promoted the reactivity of MA-mZVAl not in corrosion process but in BM process. The dense oxide film was destroyed by BM, and changed into a rough Al-(hydr)oxide film after corrosion. The reusability of MA-mZVAl was hindered by the formation of Al and Cr (hydr)oxide, but can be easily and completely rejuvenated by BM. Overall, BM can not only break through the bottleneck of oxide film but recover the passivated MA-mZVAl. Therefore, MA-mZVAl particles are of considerable potential for pollutants removal.

Microscale zero-valent aluminum (mZVAl) is prone to surface passivation due to formation of the surface Al-(hydr)oxide layer, resulting in short reactive life. To overcome this critical drawback, we developed a mechanochemical ball milling approach to modify and activate commercially available mZVAl assisted by the fragile FeSO4·7H2O crystals. SEM-EDS and XPS analyses indicated that the particle surface of the mechanochemically modified mZVAl (Fe-mZVAlbm) was not only fractured with newly formed fresh reactive surfaces, but also attached with a rough layer of Fe-oxides that were uniformly distributed on mZVAl. While pristine mZVAl failed to degrade any phenol, Fe-mZVAlbm was able to rapidly degrade 88.8% within 90 min (initial phenol = 20 mg/L, pH = 2.50, dosage = 3 g/L) under normal oxic conditions, with a pseudo first-order rate constant of 0.040 min−1 and about 70.0% of phenol mineralized in 8 h. Moreover, Fe-mZVAlbm also showed prolonged reactive life, and no significant reactivity drop was evident after six cycles of consecutive runs for phenol degradation. The much enhanced reactivity and reactive longevity of Fe-mZVAlbm are attributed to the critical roles of the surface Fe-oxides, including 1) protecting the newly exposed reactive Al0 from being oxidized by side reactions, 2) serving as an electron mediator facilitating the electron transfer from the core Al0 reservoir to the exterior surface, and 3) acting as an Fe2+ source and a heterogeneous catalyst to enable the Fenton (-like) reactions. This study provides a novel and practical approach for preparing Fe-oxides modified mZVAl with enhanced and long-lasting reactivity.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious multifactorial gastrointestinal disease which is often discovered in premature infants. Various additives have been used to prevent NEC; yet, their relative efficacy and safety remain disputed. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of 5 food additives, namely, probiotics, probiotics + fructo-oligosaccharides, pentoxifylline, arginine, and lactoferrin in preventing NEC in neonates. Methods: Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library had been searched for all eligible randomized control trials. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated for dichotomous data and mean differences with 95% credible intervals (CrIs) were estimated for continuous data. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve was used to rank efficacy and safety of the prevention methods on each endpoint. Results: A total of 27 eligible studies with 4649 preterm infants were included in this network meta-analysis (NMA), and the efficacy and safety of 5 food additives were evaluated. Probiotic and arginine exhibited better preventive efficacy compared with placebo (OR = 0.50, 95% CrIs: 0.32–0.73; OR = 0.30, 95% CrIs: 0.12–0.73, respectively). Only probiotic achieved a considerable decrease in the risk of mortality compared to placebo (OR = 0.68, 95% CrIs: 0.46–0.98). NEC patients with lactoferrin appeared to have lower incidence of sepsis than those of placebo (OR = 0.13, 95% CrIs: 0.03–0.61) or probiotic (OR = 0.18, 95% CrIs: 0.03–0.83). Conclusion: Based on this NMA, probiotics had the potential to be the most preferable additive, since it exhibited a significant superiority for NEC and mortality as well as a relatively balanced performance in safety.

In industrial fields, precise pose of a 3D object is the prerequisite of the subsequent tasks like grasping and assembly, thus many researches on accurate pose estimation of a 3D object are explored over the last decades. To get the pose of a 3D work piece from the 2D image data is a challenging task in industrial applications. This paper proposes a fully automated pose estimation system which is capable to estimate the accurate model and pose of a 3D work piece that can well match the 2D image data. This is achieved by representing the above problem as an optimization problem aiming at finding the accurate model parameters and pose parameters of work piece by minimize the difference between the real 2D image and the hypothetical 2D image that produced through the given parameters from 3D image. Due to the coupling of the unknown model and pose parameters and the discontinuity of the objective function, the above optimization problem cannot be solved through traditional optimization approaches. Hence, we utilize a heuristic optimization strategy - Differential Evolution to cope with the problem. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

This case study aimed to apply the values-engaged approach to evaluate the impact of the Self-Regulated Strategy Development writing program (SRSDP) on the Grade 5 students, including the application of writing self-regulated strategy, writing motivation, and writing performance. The participants consisted of 26 Grade 5 students from the same class. The SRSDP had been implemented for 12 weeks. During the research period, based on the core perspective of values-engaged approach to evaluation, the researchers, particularly concerned with the experience and perception of those least well-served students. The data were collected through quantitative and qualitative approaches, composing of the Scales of Writing Self-Regulated Strategy, Writing Motivation, and Writing Performance, students’ worksheets, feedback sheets, and group focused interview. Quantitative Data analyses included descriptive analysis and dependent sample t-test. Qualitative data analyses consisted of organizing data, coding data, and analyzing and interpreting data. The study found that SRSDP provided remarkable positive influences on lower-level and middle-level students’ writing performance and their application of the application of writing self-regulated strategy. SRSDP also brought wonderful writing and learning experiences to the lower-level students. Based on the findings, the conclusion and discussion were also made in the study.

Kernel grower is a novel kernel clustering method proposed recently by Camastra and Verri. It shows good performance for various data sets and compares favorably with respect to popular clustering algorithms. However, the main drawback of the method is the weak scaling ability in dealing with large data sets, which restricts its application greatly. In this paper, we propose a scaled-up kernel grower method using core-sets, which is significantly faster than the original method for large data clustering. Meanwhile, it can deal with very large data sets. Numerical experiments on benchmark data sets as well as synthetic data sets show the efficiency of the proposed method. The method is also applied to real image segmentation to illustrate its performance.

A long-standing and often contested issue in plant ecology is the “initial size advantage” hypothesis. Resolving the issue will clarify the roles of initial size in several areas of plant ecology. While the hypothesis has been examined several times, yielding supporting evidence for both sides of the argument, the hypothesis has rarely been tested with long-lived perennials under density stress. We tested the hypothesis based on the 2-m and 3-m spacing diameter growth data from a long-term Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) spacing trial, with relative diameter growth rate as a measure of overall competitive ability. We also determined the initial size effect duration. A two-parameter monomolecular model and nonlinear mixed-effects regression were employed to model individual tree diameter growth over a 50-year period in a retrospective and sequential manner, with initial diameter size class as the discrete fixed-effect covariate and stand age as the continuous covariate. The model's growth-rate parameter was used as a surrogate measure for relative diameter growth rate. All differences in size-class mortality rates were statistically not significant, except for two early inventories in the 3-m spacing. Survivors’ mean diameter growth efficiency decreased with increasing initial size for the first 35 years for both spacings. Consequently, the differences in mean size-class DBH narrowed quickly for both spacings, and all size classes showed a similar mean DBH after 30 years. Initial size effects in terms of growth efficiency, lasted no more than 45 years for both spacings and with respect to mortality, lasted for no longer than 30 years for the 3-m spacing. Differential growth efficiency eliminated the initial size differences and prevented the development of a “hierarchy of exploitation” in diameter distributions. For Japanese cedars in the two spacings, a larger initial size did not confer a higher competitive ability or survivorship. It was growth efficiency that determined the ultimate fate of individual trees.

In this paper, we conduct general research on the development of pattern recognition and applications on the digital music recognition and creation. Voice is the most convenient tool in human communication and exchange of basic information and the most important media, therefore, speech recognition has a very important position in multimedia technology. Speech recognition technology is a collection of acoustics, phonetics, such as the information processing and artificial intelligence, a comprehensive technology in the field of application is very wide, has been the hot topics in the study of people. The research result has been widely used in every field of human society, and the results of this study would provide great help for the audio information retrieval. Under this background, we propose the novel methods for digital music that is meaningful.

In this paper, we conduct theoretical research on the automatic music creation system based on the human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. With the rapid development of modern computer technology, the computer music software and the hardware of the agreement, the computer music has already penetrated into general music creation, production, instruments, commercial music, education, entertainment. In music education field, the use of computer music technology also has considerable development prospect. Especially music theory course in music teaching in normal colleges and universities in the use of computer music technology but a normal music professional teaching brings revolutionary role. How will the computer music technology fused into the traditional teaching mode, how to build a reasonable set of the hardware and software of the computer music teaching system is a lot of colleges and universities is a new area of exploration and practice is each care for modern music education of workers in a new topic of discussion.

In this paper, we conduct research on the Europe and the United States musical composes mode development and the influences on computer music in China. All referrals audio music system and software audio sound is provided by the electronic sound, because of the different on the basis of the electronic storage manufacturing waveform sampling, the tone can be roughly divided into the orchestra instrument timbre, national band instrument timbre, the analog electronic band instrument timbre, tone and electronic composite timbres, these timbre features fully embodies the characteristics of electronic music tone splendor. Our research integrates the Europe and the United States musical composes mode to revise the traditional computer music pattern that is innovative.

In this paper, we conduct research on modern music composition development direction under the digital and computer background. We can hear the music work, at ordinary times is the musician and sound engineer through three different stages of product created by mutual cooperation. The development of computer music has impact to the music every aspect of life, including various music creation process, cause the changes of some design principles. This change may be denied the traditional, also may be denied the traditional that is on the development of traditional principles. We integrate the concepts and principles of the digital perspective to propose our methodology on issues of computer music development that holds vital significance and meaning.

In this paper, we conduct research on the development track of the computer music and the influences on musical creation. With the advent of the new era of digital music, new music through also started the personal computer revolution. We only have one computer can onto the road of their own music and creative hobbies. Computer music software for all lovers of music, music learners and provides a broad space of infinite music workers: it more into music lovers to indulge in all sorts of wonderful music; It makes the music learners to learn all kinds of music knowledge more efficiently; It makes music workers can follow one's inclinations the use of a variety of voice quality and creative skills, produce more wonderful music works. To further development of the creation procedures, we propose the novel paradigm that will hold special meaning.

In this paper, we conduct research on the multiple intelligence theory and basic applications on the computer music creation. Music is the oldest and the most universal human and one of the art form of appeal, is a human structure to realize the thoughts and feelings through specific acoustics indispensable important form of expression and communication is an organic part of human spiritual life, it is a kind of performance art, it is an auditory art. Under this theoretical background, we use the multiple intelligence perspective as the guidance to propose the new computer music creation method that will enhance the traditional methodologies. In the future, we will combine more digital based techniques for further optimization and modification.

In this paper, we conduct research on the accurate computer music composition mode under the basic background of big data. From the perspective of music theory, in terms of micro notes jump within a certain range, will not cause discomfort, notes there are upward at the same time, the downward makes the whole piece will not boring. From the macroscopic, the nature of the chord with internal connection between motivation and motivation as support, at the same time, the whole range can maintain in a certain range, making sound effects is can let a person feel cheerful. Computer science first occupied is music in the music sound production and the propagation of position as it is mainly used for digital audio clips and automated synthesis. But there is a certain distance away from the traditional concept of composition. Therefore, our research proposes the innovative perspective to deal with the issues for achieving the better performance.

In this paper, we conduct research on digital music generating model based on the music mapping and the visualization technology. Music creation, composers in the form of the structure of the organization in following some specific development logic, conform to the aesthetic taste of the audience is widely accepted by the audience for the work of one of the important means. Overall arrangement in music works into a similar structure with the Chinese characteristics in the logic of the thinking, the contemporary Chinese composers in formal structure organization of his work is very common means of creation, show the characteristics of the structure of music works quantity is very large. Accordingly, we propose the enhanced digital music generating that will be innovative.

In this paper, we conduct research on developmental trend of computer music composition under the background of popular music and aesthetics. In the process of the Chinese modern music history, popular music communication for the selection of music ontology, the audience for popular music transmission and delivery of the music ontology selection process fully the outline of Chinese modern society people's psychology and value concept of the construction of the trajectory and people value consciousness and change. Under this historical background, we propose novel computer music composition paradigm that will enhance and optimize the musical creation procedures. KeywordsDevelopmental Trend, Computer Music, Composition, Popular Music and

The purpose of the study aimed to investigate the impacts of the SDPP (Students’ Dialogue Praxis Program) on students’ learning. SDPP was based on the perspectives and strategies of learning community (LC) advocated by Manabu Sato and LC related studies. The core concepts of SDPP included the dialogues with teaching materials, with the peers, and with oneself and majorly included three kinds of learning activities, learning by doing, collaborative learning, and reflective learning. The participants consisted of 106 eight graders from the same junior high school located in central Taiwan. Of 106 participants, 53 students who were the experimental group attending SDPP and 53 students who were the control group not taking any such intervention program. Results found that the experimental group acquired the scores from the communications survey, learning attitude survey, and critical thinking survey significantly higher than those of the control group. The study confirmed that SDPP made remarkable positive impacts on students’ communicative capability, learning attitude, and critical thinking ability. Based on the findings, the suggestions for the teachers were also made in this study.

This study aimed to apply program theory-driven evaluation to design, implement, and evaluate Geography Learning Community Program ( GLCP) and focused on investigating the impacts of GLCP on students’ communicative capability, learning attitude, and critical thinking ability. Program theory in this study was based on philosophy of Learning Community advocated by Manabu Sato, Japanese Scholar. The participants consisted of 25 eight-grade students. Based on eighth grade Geography textbook, the authors cooperatively designed 4 unit teaching materials, and implemented them for 12 weeks. During the research period, the data were collected through teaching reflection journals, classroom observations, student worksheets, student learning reflections, semi-structured interviews, communicative capability survey, learning attitude survey, and critical thinking survey. Data analyses included both qualitative and quantitative methods. Both the analyses of quantitative and qualitative data indicated that GLCP could promote student’s interpersonal relationships, learning attitudes, and students’ critical thinking abilities.

To investigate the D8/17 antigen expression of patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Guangdong province and study the antigen's characteristics.The level of D8/17 antigen expression on B lymphocytes was determined with flow cytometry assay in 96 RHD patients and 83 unaffected controls. The percentage of B-cells expressing the D8/17 antigen having more than 10% was considered to be positive. D8/17 antigen was extracted by immunoprecipitation, and the antigen characteristics was analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry.The mean percentage of B-cells expressing the D8/17 antigen was (85.36 ± 15.15)% in the RHD patients and (82.89 ± 4.55)% in the controls, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.436). Moreover, the positive rate of the D8/17 expression was 100% in either the RHD patients or the controls. The molecular weight of D8/17 antigen was found to be 40 000 - 67 000, and the purified protein was most likely to match moesin or β-actin.B-cell antigen D8/17 is not associated with RHD in Guangdong province of China. Moesin or β-actin is the most likely protein to match D8/17 antigen.