473 research outputs found
Developing Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Entrepreneurship Mindsets
The demand for knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is expanding as the twenty-first century progresses. Growing K-12 STEM education has risen to the top of the priority list in many countries’ educational reform efforts. Typical contexts for giving scientific instructions should be designed around engineering design-based thematic activities rather than the other way around. Teachers’ responsibilities as designers of design-based thematic activities would also present them with numerous chances for professional development and advancement. It is claimed that introducing entrepreneurship ideas into the engineering curriculum results in improved student satisfaction, longer professional careers, and a shift in attitudes toward engineering difficulties. It allows students to enjoy themselves more and draws their attention to the possibility of self-employment
Unparticle Physics in Single Top Signals
We study the single production of top quarks in and
collisions in the context of unparticle physics through the Flavor Violating
(FV) unparticle vertices and compute the total cross sections for single top
production as functions of scale dimension d_{\U}. We find that among all,
LHC is the most promising facility to probe the unparticle physics via single
top quark production processes.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure
B \to K(K^*) missing energy in Unparticle physics
In the present work we study the effects of an unparticle \unpart as the
possible source of missing energy in the decay . We find that the dependence of the differential branching ratio on
the ()-meson's energy in the presence of the vector unparticle
operators is very distinctive from that of the SM. Moreover, in using the
existing upper bound on decays, we have
been able to put more stringent constraints on the parameters of unparticle
stuff.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
Constraints from Solar and Reactor Neutrinos on Unparticle Long-Range Forces
We have investigated the impact of long-range forces induced by unparticle
operators of scalar, vector and tensor nature coupled to fermions in the
interpretation of solar neutrinos and KamLAND data. If the unparticle couplings
to the neutrinos are mildly non-universal, such long-range forces will not
factorize out in the neutrino flavour evolution. As a consequence large
deviations from the observed standard matter-induced oscillation pattern for
solar neutrinos would be generated. In this case, severe limits can be set on
the infrared fix point scale, Lambda_u, and the new physics scale, M, as a
function of the ultraviolet (d_UV) and anomalous (d) dimension of the
unparticle operator. For a scalar unparticle, for instance, assuming the
non-universality of the lepton couplings to unparticles to be of the order of a
few per mil we find that, for d_UV=3 and d=1.1, M is constrained to be M >
O(10^9) TeV (M > O(10^10) TeV) if Lambda_u= 1 TeV (10 TeV). For given values of
Lambda_u and d, the corresponding bounds on M for vector [tensor] unparticles
are approximately 100 [3/Sqrt(Lambda_u/TeV)] times those for the scalar case.
Conversely, these results can be translated into severe constraints on
universality violation of the fermion couplings to unparticle operators with
scales which can be accessible at future colliders.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Minor changes due to precision in numerical
factors and correction in figure labels. References added. Conclusions remain
unchange
Immunofluorescence Assay for Serologic Diagnosis of SARS
We evaluated a virus-infected cell-based indirect immunofluorescence assay for detecting anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody. All confirmed SARS cases demonstrated seroconversion or fourfold rise in IgG antibody titer; no control was positive. Sensitivity and specificity of this assay were both 100%. Immunofluorescence assay can ascertain the status of SARS-CoV infection
Gauging the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Integration in Education: What the Best-Quality Meta-Analyses Tell Us
This chapter examines quantitative research in the literature of technology integration in education from the perspective of the meta-analyses of primary studies conducted from 1982 to 2015. The intent is to identify and review the best of these meta-analyses. Fifty-two meta-analyses were originally identified and evaluated for methodological quality using the Meta-Analysis Methodological Quality Review Guide (MMQRG), and the best 20 were selected and are included for review here. Some describe the effects of technology integration within specific content areas and some are more general. Technology integration in education is one of the most fluid areas of research, reflecting the incredible pace of the evolution of computer-based tools and applications. Just navigating through the vast primary empirical literature presents a real challenge to those interested in evaluating the educational effectiveness of technology. Systematic reviews in the field are numerous and quite diverse in their methodological quality, introducing potential bias in the interpretation of findings (Bernard RM, Borokhovski E, Schmid RF, Tamim RM. J Comput High Educ 26(3):183–209, 2014), thus bringing into question their applied value. This chapter identifies and reviews the best of these meta-analyses. In addition to overall statistical analyses of this collection, the findings of six of the most recent and best meta-analyses (after 2010) are summarized in more detail. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of the current findings, considers future alternatives to primary research in this area, and examines how meta-analysts might address them
Laboratory Diagnosis of SARS
The virologic test results of 415 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were examined. The peak detection rate for SARS-associated coronavirus occurred at week 2 after illness onset for respiratory specimens, at weeks 2 to 3 for stool or rectal swab specimens, and at week 4 for urine specimens. The latest stool sample that was positive by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was collected on day 75 while the patient was receiving intensive care. Tracheal aspirate and stool samples had a higher diagnostic yield (RT-PCR average positive rate for first 2 weeks: 66.7% and 56.5%, respectively). Pooled throat and nasal swabs, rectal swab, nasal swab, throat swab, and nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens provided a moderate yield (29.7%–40.0%), whereas throat washing and urine specimens showed a lower yield (17.3% and 4.5%). The collection procedures for stool and pooled nasal and throat swab specimens were the least likely to transmit infection, and the combination gave the highest yield for coronavirus detection by RT-PCR. Positive virologic test results in patient groups were associated with mechanical ventilation or death (p < 0.001), suggesting a correlation between viral load and disease severity
Integrative analyses identify modulators of response to neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitors in patients with early breast cancer
Introduction
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are a vital component of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer treatment. De novo and acquired resistance, however, is common. The aims of this study were to relate patterns of copy number aberrations to molecular and proliferative response to AIs, to study differences in the patterns of copy number aberrations between breast cancer samples pre- and post-AI neoadjuvant therapy, and to identify putative biomarkers for resistance to neoadjuvant AI therapy using an integrative analysis approach.
Methods
Samples from 84 patients derived from two neoadjuvant AI therapy trials were subjected to copy number profiling by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH, n = 84), gene expression profiling (n = 47), matched pre- and post-AI aCGH (n = 19 pairs) and Ki67-based AI-response analysis (n = 39).
Results
Integrative analysis of these datasets identified a set of nine genes that, when amplified, were associated with a poor response to AIs, and were significantly overexpressed when amplified, including CHKA, LRP5 and SAPS3. Functional validation in vitro, using cell lines with and without amplification of these genes (SUM44, MDA-MB134-VI, T47D and MCF7) and a model of acquired AI-resistance (MCF7-LTED) identified CHKA as a gene that when amplified modulates estrogen receptor (ER)-driven proliferation, ER/estrogen response element (ERE) transactivation, expression of ER-regulated genes and phosphorylation of V-AKT murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT1).
Conclusions
These data provide a rationale for investigation of the role of CHKA in further models of de novo and acquired resistance to AIs, and provide proof of concept that integrative genomic analyses can identify biologically relevant modulators of AI response
Multi-Modality Therapeutics with Potent Anti-Tumor Effects: Photochemical Internalization Enhances Delivery of the Fusion Toxin scFvMEL/rGel
BACKGROUND: There is a need for drug delivery systems (DDS) that can enhance cytosolic delivery of anti-cancer drugs trapped in the endo-lysosomal compartments. Exposure of cells to specific photosensitizers followed by light exposure (photochemical internalization, PCI) results in transfer of agents from the endocytic compartment into the cytosol. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The recombinant single-chain fusion construct scFvMEL/rGel is composed of an antibody targeting the progenitor marker HMW-MAA/NG2/MGP/gp240 and the highly effective toxin gelonin (rGel). Here we demonstrate enhanced tumor cell selectivity, cytosolic delivery and anti-tumor activity by applying PCI of scFvMEL/rGel. PCI performed by light activation of cells co-incubated with scFvMEL/rGel and the endo-lysosomal targeting photosensitizers AlPcS(2a) or TPPS(2a) resulted in enhanced cytotoxic effects against antigen-positive cell lines, while no differences in cytotoxicity between the scFvMEL/rGel and rGel were observed in antigen-negative cells. Mice bearing well-developed melanoma (A-375) xenografts (50-100 mm(3)) were treated with PCI of scFvMEL/rGel. By 30 days after injection, approximately 100% of mice in the control groups had tumors>800 mm(3). In contrast, by day 40, 50% of mice in the PCI of scFvMEL/rGel combination group had tumors<800 mm(3) with no increase in tumor size up to 110 days. PCI of scFvMEL/rGel resulted in a synergistic effect (p<0.05) and complete regression (CR) in 33% of tumor-bearing mice (n = 12). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is a unique demonstration that a non-invasive multi-modality approach combining a recombinant, targeted therapeutic such as scFvMEL/rGel and PCI act in concert to provide potent in vivo efficacy without sacrificing selectivity or enhancing toxicity. The present DDS warrants further evaluation of its clinical potential
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