Relationship among Self-appraisals, Others’ Actual Appraisals, and Reflected Appraisals on Primary School Teachers Teaching Ability

Convenient sampling and questionnaire survey was used to investigate the relationship among self-appraisals, others’ actual appraisals, and reflected appraisals on the teaching ability of 40 primary school teachers. The results of the study indicated that primary school teachers’ selfappraisals on teaching ability was obviously below others’ actual appraisals; generalized others had more influence on the self-appraisals of primary school teachers than specific others; primary school teachers’ reflected appraisals could influence their self-appraisals; and others’ actual appraisals could not directly influence self-appraisals. Consequently, we should pay more attention in developing the primary school teachers’ reflective ability, change the current way of teaching reflection, improve the influence of others’ actual appraisals on self-appraisals, and enhance the validity of teaching reflection

A novel decentralized economic operation in islanded AC microgrids

Droop schemes are usually applied to the control of distributed generators (DGs) in microgrids (MGs) to realize proportional power sharing. The objective might, however, not suit MGs well for economic reasons. Addressing that issue, this paper proposes an alternative droop scheme for reducing the total active generation costs (TAGC). Optimal economic operation, DGs’ capacity limitations and system stability are fully considered basing on DGs’ generation costs. The proposed scheme utilizes the frequency as a carrier to realize the decentralized economic operation of MGs without communication links. Moreover, a fitting method is applied to balance DGs’ synchronous operation and economy. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed scheme are verified through simulations and experiments

Depletion of OLFM4 gene inhibits cell growth and increases sensitization to hydrogen peroxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced-apoptosis in gastric cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) gene is a secreted glycoprotein more commonly known as the anti-apoptotic molecule GW112. OLFM4 is found to be frequently up-regulated in many types of human tumors including gastric cancer and it was believed to play significant role in the progression of gastric cancer. Although the function of OLFM4 has been indicated in many studies, recent evidence strongly suggests a cell or tissue type-dependent role of OLFM4 in cell growth and apoptosis. The aim of this study is to examine the role of gastric cancer-specific expression of OLFM4 in cell growth and apoptosis resistance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>OLFM4 expression was eliminated by RNA interference in SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells. Cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, cell cycle and apoptosis were characterized in vitro. Tumorigenicity was analyzed in vivo. The apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in response to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF α) were assessed in the presence or absence of caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The elimination of OLFM4 protein by RNA interference in SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells significantly inhibits tumorigenicity both in vitro and in vivo by induction of cell G1 arrest (all P < 0.01). OLFM4 knockdown did not trigger obvious cell apoptosis but increased H₂O₂or TNF α-induced apoptosis and caspase-3 activity (all P < 0.01). Treatment of Z-VAD-fmk attenuated caspase-3 activity and significantly reversed the H₂O₂or TNF α-induced apoptosis in OLFM4 knockdown cells (all P < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study suggests that depletion of OLFM4 significantly inhibits tumorigenicity of the gastric cancer SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells. Blocking OLFM4 expression can sensitize gastric cancer cells to H₂O₂or TNF α treatment by increasing caspase-3 dependent apoptosis. A combination strategy based on OLFM4 inhibition and anticancer drugs treatment may provide therapeutic potential in gastric cancer intervention.</p

Accuracy of lung and diaphragm ultrasound in predicting infant weaning outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundAlthough lung and diaphragm ultrasound are valuable tools for predicting weaning results in adults with MV, their relevance in children is debatable. The goal of this meta-analysis was to determine the predictive value of lung and diaphragm ultrasound in newborn weaning outcomes.MethodsFor eligible studies, the databases MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase were thoroughly searched. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS−2) method was used to evaluate the study's quality. Results were gathered for sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic curves (AUSROC). To investigate the causes of heterogeneity, subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted.ResultsA total of 11 studies were suitable for inclusion in the meta-analysis, which included 828 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of lung ultrasound (LUS) were 0.88 (95%CI, 0.85–0.90) and 0.81 (95%CI, 0.75–0.87), respectively. The DOR for diaphragmatic excursion (DE) is 13.17 (95%CI, 5.65–30.71). The AUSROC for diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) is 0.86 (95%CI, 0.82–0.89). The most sensitive and specific method is LUS. The DE and DTF were the key areas where study heterogeneity was evident.ConclusionsLung ultrasonography is an extremely accurate method for predicting weaning results in MV infants. DTF outperforms DE in terms of diaphragm ultrasound predictive power

Bis(μ-2-phenyl­quinoline-4-carboxyl­ato)bis­[aqua­(1,10-phenanthroline)(2-phenyl­quinoline-4-carboxyl­ato)manganese(II)] dihydrate

In the centrosymmetric dinuclear title complex, [Mn2(C16H10NO2)4(C12H8N2)2(H2O)2]·2H2O, the MnII cation is in a distorted octa­hedral coordination geometry defined by two N atoms from a 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, one water O atom and three O atoms from three 2-phenyl­quinoline-4-carboxyl­ate anions. A pair of 2-phenyl­quinoline-4-carboxyl­ate anions bridge two Mn cations, forming the dinuclear mol­ecule. An intra­moleculr O—H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. Inter­molecular O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds are present in the crystal structure

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Five Indoles or Indazole Amide Synthetic Cannabinoids in Suspected E-Cigarette Oil by GC-MS

Objective To establish the GC-MS qualitative and quantitative analysis methods for the synthetic cannabinoids, its main matrix and additives in suspicious electronic cigarette （e-cigarette） oil samples. Methods The e-cigarette oil samples were analyzed by GC-MS after diluted with methanol. Synthetic cannabinoids, its main matrix and additives in e-cigarette oil samples were qualitatively analyzed by the characteristic fragment ions and retention time. The synthetic cannabinoids were quantitatively analyzed by using the selective ion monitoring mode. Results The linear range of each compound in GC-MS quantitative method was 0.025-1 mg/mL, the matrix recovery rate was 94%-103%, the intra-day precision relative standard deviations （RSD） was less than 2.5%, and inter-day precision RSD was less than 4.0%. Five indoles or indazole amide synthetic cannabinoids were detected in 25 e-cigarette samples. The main matrixes of e-cigarette samples were propylene glycol and glycerol. Additives such as N,2,3-trimethyl-2-isopropyl butanamide （WS-23）, glycerol triacetate and nicotine were detected in some samples. The content range of synthetic cannabinoids in 25 e-cigarette samples was 0.05%-2.74%. Conclusion The GC-MS method for synthesizing cannabinoid, matrix and additive in e-cigarette oil samples has good selectivity, high resolution, low detection limit, and can be used for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of multiple components; The explored fragment ion fragmentation mechanism of the electron bombardment ion source of indole or indoxamide compounds helps to identify such substances or other compounds with similar structures in cases

Alterations of Serum Levels of BDNF-Related miRNAs in Patients with Depression

Depression is a serious and potentially life-threatening mental disorder with unknown etiology. Emerging evidence shows that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in the etiology of depression. Here this study was aimed to identify and characterize the roles of BDNF and its putative regulatory miRNAs in depression. First, we identified that miR-182 may be a putative miRNA that regulates BDNF levels by bioinformatic studies, and characterized the effects of miR-182 on the BDNF levels using cell-based studies, side by side with miR-132 (a known miRNA that regulates BDNF expression). We showed that treatment of miR-132 and miR-182 respectively decreased the BDNF protein levels in a human neuronal cell model, supporting the regulatory roles of miR-132 and miR-182 on the BDNF expression. Furthermore, we explored the roles of miR-132 and miR-182 on the BDNF levels in depression using human subjects by assessing their serum levels. Compared with the healthy controls, patients with depression showed lower serum BDNF levels (via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) and higher serum miR-132 and miR-182 levels (via the real-time PCR). Finally, the Pearson’s (or Spearman’s) correlation coefficient was calculated to study whether there was a relationship among the Self-Rating Depression Scale score, the serum BDNF levels, and serum BDNF-related miRNA levels. Our results revealed that there was a significant negative correlation between the SDS scores and the serum BDNF levels, and a positive correlation between the SDS scores and miR-132 levels. In addition, we found a reverse relationship between the serum BDNF levels and the miR-132/miR-182 levels in depression. Collectively, we provided evidence supporting that miR-182 is a putative BDNF-regulatory miRNA, and suggested that the serum BDNF and its related miRNAs may be utilized as important biomarkers in the diagnosis or as therapeutic targets of depression

Antibacterial Activity and Mode of Action of Mentha arvensis Ethanol Extract against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Purpose: To evaluate the antibacterial effect of ethanol extract of Mentha arvensis against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS).Methods: Disc diffusion and microdilution assays were used to evaluate the antibacterial effect of the extract by measuring the zone of inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and and minimum bacteriocidal concentration (MBC) of the extract against the test bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to evaluate the morphological changes induced by the extract in cellular membrane of the bacteria. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and protein leakage from the bacterial cells induced by the extract were also evaluated.Results: The extract showed dose-dependent growth inhibitory effects against A. baumannii with MIC and MBC of 23.5 and 72.1 μg/mL, respectively. The extract also induced potent ROS generation and protein leakage in A. baumannii bacterial cells. SEM findings revealed that the extract induced potential cellular damage which increased with increasing extract concentration.Conclusion: The ethanol extract of Mentha arvensis is a potent antibacterial agent against A. baumannii and acts by inducing lethal cellular damage to the bacterium.Keywords: Mentha arvensis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Reactive oxygen species, Antibacterial activity, Cellular membrane damag

Essential oils for the treatment of dust mites

House mites, including D. pteronyssinus and D. farina, are common causes of allergic diseases, such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, eczema, conjunctivitis and perennial rhinitis in susceptible patients. Conventional acaricides, such as benzyl benzoate, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos are effective chemicals in treating mites. However, they are usually with high drug resistance and high adverse effects on environment, human health, and non-target organisms. Recently, essential oils from different plants were found to be safe and effective alternatives for killing different types of mites. The present review summarized the essential oils from different plants. The crude essential oils from Melissa officinalis, S.lavandulifolia oil, cade oil, P. cattleianum, Patchouli oil, Horseradish oil, C. cassia, P. cablin, Manuka oil, Clove Bud oil, and the pure essential oils, such as eugenol, caryophyllene, and camphor might be good candidates for the dust mites. Further studies on biological mechanisms of the acaricidal effects of these active essential oils, and the structure-activity relationships are needed to make the functions of these drugs more clear