Study of the open education model employed at China's largest adult university

Mestrado em Ensino SuperiorEsta dissertação explora a aplicação do modelo Open Education (educação Aberta), a partir da perspectiva dos estudantes e dos professores da maior Universidade para adultos da China, Chinese Radio and TV University (Universidade Chinesa de Rádio e Televisão). Foi realizado um inquérito, por questionário auto-administrado, aplicado a 28 professores e 299 estudantes, na filial provincial, Anhui Radio and TV University. Destes foram escolhidos os que preencheram o questionário de modo completo, ou seja, 180 estudantes e 19 professores que terminaram o estudo. Os estudantes relataram que o modelo Open Education lhes permitiu atingir um nível superior de avaliação da sua própria aprendizagem, bem como melhorar a auto-aprendizagem. Infelizmente, a aplicação deste novo modelo não atingiu o efeito desejado. Este estudo tenta ainda compreender porque o efeito desejado não foi alcançado, comparando o modelo aberto da instrução com outras teorias de aprendizagem do adulto. Os resultados fornecem um guia para o desenvolvimento e melhorias incrementais ao modelo aberto da instrução ABSTRACT: This dissertation explores the application of the Open Education model from the perspectives of students and teachers employed at China’s largest adult university, Chinese Radio and TV University. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 28 teachers and 299 students in the provincial branch of Anhui Radio and TV University. Of those chosen to complete the questionnaire, 180 students and 19 teachers completed the study. Students reported that the Open Education model enabled them to hold a higher level of accountability for their own learning and to learn independently. Unfortunately, the application of the new model has not achieved the desired effect. This dissertation explores why the desired effect was not attained by comparing the Open Education model with other adult learning theories. The findings provide a guide for further development and improvement in the Open Education model

Fermions tunneling from higher-dimensional charged AdS black hole in dRGT massive gravity within modified dispersion relation

The tunneling behavior of fermions with half-integral spin from a higher dimensional charged anti-de Sitter (AdS) black hole in de Rham, Gabadadze and Tolley (dRGT) massive gravity is investigated via a modified Hamilton-Jacobi equation. The results demonstrate that the modified thermodynamic quantities not only are related to the properties of the higher dimensional charged AdS black hole in dRGT massive gravity but also depend on the parameter $\beta$, the coupling constant $\sigma$ and the mass of emitted particles $m$. In addition, the modified Hawking temperature is higher than the original temperature; hence, the effect of MDR can significantly enhance the evolution of the black hole. Besides, our results can be verified using the modified Stefan-Boltzmann law.Comment: 7 pages, corrected typo

Improved GWO Algorithm for UAV Path Planning on Crop Pest Monitoring

Agricultural information monitoring is the monitoring of the agricultural production process, and its task is to monitor the growth process of major crops systematically. When assessing the pest situation of crops in this process, the traditional satellite monitoring method has the defects of poor real-time and high operating cost, whereas the pest monitoring through Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) effectively solves the above problems, so this method is widely used. An important key issue involved in monitoring technology is path planning. In this paper, we proposed an Improved Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm, IGWO, to realize the flight path planning of UAV in crop pest monitoring. A map environment model is simulated, and information traversal is performed, then the search of feasible paths for UAV flight is carried out by the Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm (GWO). However, the algorithm search process has the defect of falling into local optimum which leading to path planning failure. To avoid such a situation, we introduced the probabilistic leap mechanism of the Simulated Annealing algorithm (SA). Besides, the convergence factor is modified with an exponential decay mode for improving the convergence rate of the algorithm. Compared with the GWO algorithm, IGWO has the 8.3%, 16.7%, 28.6% and 39.6% lower total cost of path distance on map models with precision of 15, 20, 25 and 30 respectively, and also has better path planning results in contrast to other swarm intelligence algorithms

Power Allocation for Energy-Harvesting-based Fading Cognitive Multiple Access Channels: with or without Successive Interference Cancellation

This paper considers a fading cognitive multiple access channel (CMAC), where multiple secondary users (SUs), who share the spectrum with a primary user (PU), transmit to a cognitive base station (CBS). A power station is assumed to harvest energy from the nature and then provide power to the SUs. We investigate the power allocation problems for such a CMAC to maximize the SU sum rate under the interference power constraint, the sum transmit power constraint and the peak transmit power constraint of each individual SU. In particular, two scenarios are considered: with successive interference cancellation (SIC) and without SIC. For the first scenario, the optimal power allocation algorithm is derived. For the second scenario, a heuristic algorithm is proposed. We show that the proposed algorithm with SIC outperforms the algorithm without SIC in terms of the SU sum rate, while the algorithm without SIC outperforms the algorithm with SIC in terms of the number of admitted SUs for a high sum transmit power limit and a low peak transmit power limit of each individual SU

Inhibition of hepatocelluar carcinoma MAT2A and MAT2beta gene expressions by single and dual small interfering RNA

RNA interference (RNAi) has been successfully applied in suppression of hepatic cancer genes. In hepatocelluar carcinoma cell, one methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) isozyme, MATII was found to have two catalytic subunits which were encoded by MAT2A and MAT2β respectively. During tumorigeness of hepatocelluar carcinoma, expressions of the two genes were discovered to be increased combining with a switch of MAT (form MATI to MATII), To figure out the role played by MATII in hepatic cancer, In this study, for the first time we established a dual small interfering RNA (siRNA) expression system, which could simultaneously express two different siRNA molecules specifically targeting two genes. To test the effectiveness of this system, we applied this approach to express simultaneously two different siRNA duplexes that specifically target MAT2A and MAT2β genes of hepatocelluar carcinoma respectively in HepG2 cell. Results indicated that dual siRNA could simultaneously inhibit the expression of MAT2A and MAT2β gene by 89.5% and 97.8% respectively, In addition, dual siRNA molecules were able to significantly suppress growth of hepatocelluar carcinoma cell in vitro as well as induce apoptosis which was involved in arrest cell cycle at the G1/S checkpoint and the expressions of p21, p27 and Bax

The claudin family of proteins in human malignancy: A clinical perspective

Tight junctions, or zonula occludens, are the most apical component of the junctional complex and provide one form of cell–cell adhesion in epithelial and endothelial cells. Nearly 90% of malignant tumors are derived from the epithelium. Loss of cell–cell adhesion is one of the steps in the progression of cancer to metastasis. At least three main tight junction family proteins have been discovered: occludin, claudin, and junctional adhesion molecule (JAM). Claudins are the most important structural and functional components of tight junction integral membrane proteins, with at least 24 members in mammals. They are crucial for the paracellular flux of ions and small molecules. Overexpression or downregulation of claudins is frequently observed in epithelial-derived cancers. However, molecular mechanisms by which claudins affect tumorigenesis remain largely unknown. As the pivotal proteins in epithelial cells, altered expression and distribution of different claudins have been reported in a wide variety of human malignancies, including pancreatic, colonic, lung, ovarian, thyroid, prostate, esophageal, and breast cancers. In this review, we will give the readers an overall picture of the changes in claudin expression observed in various cancers and their mechanisms of regulation. Downregulation of claudins contributes to epithelial transformation by increasing the paracellular permeability of nutrients and growth factors to cancerous cells. In the cases of upregulation of claudin expression, the barrier function of the cancerous epithelia changes, as they often display a disorganized arrangement of tight junction strands with increased permeability to paracellular markers. Finally, we will summarize the literature suggesting that claudins may become useful biomarkers for cancer detection and diagnosis as well as possible therapeutic targets for cancer treatment

Silencing of two insulin receptor genes disrupts nymph-adult transition of alate brown citrus aphid

Insulin receptors play key roles in growth, development, and polymorphism in insects. Here, we report two insulin receptor genes (AcInR1 and AcInR2) from the brown citrus aphid, Aphis (Toxoptera) citricidus. Transcriptional analyses showed that AcInR1 increased during the nymph-adult transition in alate aphids, while AcInR2 had the highest expression level in second instar nymphs. AcInR1 is important in aphid development from fourth instar nymphs to adults as verified by dsRNA feeding mediated RNAi. The silencing of AcInR1 or/and AcInR2 produced a variety of phenotypes including adults with normal wings, malformed wings, under-developed wings, and aphids failing to develop beyond the nymphal stages. Silencing of AcInR1 or AcInR2 alone, and co-silencing of both genes, resulted in 73% or 60%, and 87% of aphids with problems in the transition from nymph to normal adult. The co-silencing of AcInR1 and AcInR2 resulted in 62% dead nymphs, but no mortality occurred by silencing of AcInR1 or AcInR2 alone. Phenotypes of adults in the dsInR1 and dsInR2 were similar. The results demonstrate that AcInR1 and AcInR2 are essential for successful nymph-adult transition in alate aphids and show that RNAi methods may be useful for the management of this pest

miR-181a increases FoxO1 acetylation and promotes granulosa cell apoptosis via SIRT1 downregulation.

Oxidative stress impairs follicular development by inducing granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis, which involves enhancement of the transcriptional activity of the pro-apoptotic factor Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1). However, the mechanism by which oxidative stress promotes FoxO1 activity is still unclear. Here, we found that miR-181a was upregulated in hydrogen peroxide (