Understanding Technology Mediated Learning in Higher Education: A Repertory Grid Approach

Given the considerable opportunities that Web 2.0 technologies are seen to present for the enhancement of learning and teaching, understanding what motivates today’s students to use this technology in their learning is crucial. Drawing from technology mediated learning (TML) and Uses and Gratifications (U&G) perspectives, this study investigates university students’ motivations for using Web 2.0 technologies in learning. The Repertory Grid Interview technique (RGT) is used to interview 16 participants and capture their technology use motivations. A grounded approach was used to resolve eleven categories of motivations: Access and Content Control, Accessibility, Communication Efficiency, Communication Mode, Communication Quality, Course Management, Information Seeking, Interaction, Learning Capability, Managing Contents, and Self-Disclosure. The findings suggest that today’s students have different motivations for using technologies when it comes to learning

Analyzing Students’ Technology Use Motivations: An Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach

Despite being more meaningful and accurate to consider student technology use motivations as a set of interactive needs and expectations, the possible underlying hierarchical relationships among motivations receive little attention. Drawn from Uses and Gratifications (U&G) approach and from Means-End Chain (MEC) theory, this study investigates how student technology use motivations can be represented as a set of interrelated and hierarchically organized elements. A set of relevant data concerning students’ technology use motivations was collected by the Repertory Grid Interview Technique (RGT) and analyzed qualitatively using content analysis. Eleven identified student technology use motivations were structured by adopting interpretive structure modeling (ISM) technique. By using Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) technique, eleven identified factors were further classified into three different types of variables: means, consequences, and ends. The findings of this study have significant theoretical and practical implications to both researchers and managers

A Typology and Hierarchical Framework of Technology Use in Digital Natives’ Learning

The technological capability of digital natives is thought to have considerable implications on the way they communicate, socialize, think and learn. Some researchers have even suggested that fundamental changes to the educational system are required to cater for the needs of this new cohort of learner, although such claims have little empirical support. In this study, we adopt a structural approach to the investigation of the digital natives’ motivations for using technologies in learning. Based on in-depth interviews with 16 digital natives, a cluster analysis was used to segment respondents into two distinct groups: independent learners and traditional learners. Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) was used to develop a hierarchical structural model of technology use motivations for each group. The results show that these two groups are driven to achieve the same learning goals by different paths. Implications are drawn for both educators and managers from both research and practical perspectives

Analysis of corrections to the eikonal approximation

Various corrections to the eikonal approximations are studied for two- and three-body nuclear collisions with the goal to extend the range of validity of this approximation to beam energies of 10 MeV/nucleon. Wallace's correction does not improve much the elastic-scattering cross sections obtained at the usual eikonal approximation. On the contrary, a semiclassical approximation that substitutes the impact parameter by a complex distance of closest approach computed with the projectile-target optical potential efficiently corrects the eikonal approximation. This opens the possibility to analyze data measured down to 10 MeV/nucleon within eikonal-like reaction models.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Frequent mutation of hypoxia-related genes in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

AIMS: Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is characterized by sustained high levels of pulmonary vascular resistance after birth with etiology unclear; Arterial blood oxygen saturation of Tibetan newborns at high latitudes is higher than that of Han newborns at low latitudes, suggesting that genetic adaptation may allow sufficient oxygen to confer Tibetan populations with resistance to pulmonary hypertension; We have previously identified genetic factors related to PPHN through candidate gene sequencing; In this study, we first performed whole exome sequencing in PPHN patients to screen for genetic-related factors. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this two-phase genetic study, we first sequenced the whole exome of 20 Tibetan PPHN patients and compared it with the published genome sequences of 50 healthy high-altitude Tibetanshypoxia-related genes, a total of 166 PPHN-related variants were found, of which 49% were from 43 hypoxia-related genes; considering many studies have shown that the differences in the genetic background between Tibet and Han are characterized by hypoxia-related genetic polymorphisms, so it is necessary to further verify whether the association between hypoxia-related variants and PPHN is independent of high-altitude life. During the validation phase, 237 hypoxia-related genes were sequenced in another 80 Han PPHN patients living in low altitude areas, including genes at the discovery stage and known hypoxia tolerance, of which 413 variants from 127 of these genes were shown to be significantly associated with PPHN.hypoxia-related genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicates that the association of hypoxia-related genes with PPHN does not depend on high-altitude life, at the same time, 21 rare mutations associated with PPHN were also found, including three rare variants of the tubulin tyrosine ligase-like family member 3 gene (TTLL3:p.E317K, TTLL3:p.P777S) and the integrin subunit alpha M gene (ITGAM:p.E1071D). These novel findings provide important information on the genetic basis of PPHN

Femoral neck system vs. cannulated screws on treating femoral neck fracture: a meta-analysis and system review

ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aimed to compare the relative safety and efficacy of cannulated compression screw (CCS) and femoral neck system (FNS) in treating patients with femoral neck fractures and to provide evidence-based medical evidence for FNS in treating femoral neck fractures.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched to collect outcomes related to femoral neck fractures treated with FNS and CCS, including time to fracture healing, incidence of non-union, incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, incidence of failure of internal fixation, rate of femoral neck shortening, Harris hip score, Barthel index, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy frequency, and complications. A meta-analysis was performed using RevManv5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration) and Stata v14.0 software.ResultsThis analysis included 21 studies involving 1,347 patients. The results showed that FNS was superior to CCS in terms of fracture healing time [mean difference (MD) = −0.75, 95% CI = (−1.04, −0.46), P < 0.05], incidence of bone non-union [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% CI = (0.29, 0.98), P = 0.04], incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head [OR = 0.49, 95% CI = (0.28, 0.86), P = 0.01], incidence of internal fixation failure [OR = 0.30, 95% CI = (0.18, 0.52), P < 0.05], rate of femoral neck shortening [OR = 0.38, 95% CI = (0.27, 0.54), P > 0.05], Harris hip score [MD = 3.31, 95% CI = (1.99, 4.63), P < 0.001], Barthel index [MD =  4.31, 95% CI = (3.02, 5.61), P < 0.05], intraoperative bleeding [MD = 14.72, 95% CI = (8.52, 20.92), P < 0.05], fluoroscopy frequency [OR = 0.53, 95% CI = (0.29, 0.98), P = 0.04], and complications [OR = 0.31, 95% CI = (0.22, 0.45), P < 0.05]. The difference between FNS and CCS in operative time was not statistically significant [MD = −2.41, 95% CI = (−6.88, 2.05), P = 0.29].ConclusionFNS treatment of femoral neck fracture can shorten the fracture healing time; reduce the incidence and translucent rate of bone non-union, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and internal fixation failure; reduce intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications; and improve hip joint function and activity. We are confident in the findings that FNS, an effective and safe procedure for internal fixation of femoral neck fractures, is superior to CCS

Glycomics: Immunoglobulin GN-glycosylation associated with mammary gland hyperplasia in women

© Copyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2020. Mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) is very common, especially among young and middle-aged women. New diagnostics and biomarkers for MGH are needed for rational clinical management and precision medicine. We report, in this study, new findings using a glycomics approach, with a focus on immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community-based population sample in Beijing, China. A total of 387 participants 40-65 years of age were enrolled in this study, including 194 women with MGH (cases) and 193 women who had no MGH (controls). IgG N-glycans were characterized in the serum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The levels of the glycan peaks (GPs) GP2, GP5, GP6, and GP7 were lower in the MGH group compared with the control group, whereas GP14 was significantly higher in the MGH group (p \u3c 0.05). A predictive model using GP5, GP21, and age was established and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed. The sensitivity and specificity of the model for MGH was 61.3% and 63.2%, respectively, likely owing to receptor mechanisms and/or inflammation regulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting on an association between IgG N-glycosylation and MGH. We suggest person-to-person variations in IgG N-glycans and their combination with multiomics biomarker strategies offer a promising avenue to identify novel diagnostics and individuals at increased risk of MGH

Association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes with juvenile myopia: A cross-sectional study based on the NHANES database

AimInflammation is involved in the development of myopia. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have vasodilating and anti-inflammatory effects, which may be involved in controlling myopia. It is of great significance to explore the relationship between n-3 PUFA intakes and juvenile myopia in order to control and alleviate myopia among teenagers through dietary intervention.MethodsSociodemographic data, information of nutrient intakes, cotinine, PUFAs, and eye refractive status of 1,128 juveniles were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database in this cross-sectional study. PUFAs contained total polyunsaturated fatty acid (TPFAs), alpha-linolenic acid, octadecatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Covariates were screened by comparison among groups of normal vision, low myopia, and high myopia. The association between n-3 PUFA intakes and the risk of juvenile myopia was evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsAmong the juveniles, 788 (70.68%) had normal vision, 299 (25.80%) had low myopia, and 41 (3.52%) had high myopia. There were significant differences in average EPA and DHA intakes among the three groups, and mean DPA and DHA intakes in the normal vision group were lower than those in the low myopia group (P < 0.05). After adjustment for age, gender, TPFAs, and cotinine, a high dietary intake of EPA (≥11 mg/1,000 kcal) in juveniles seemed to be associated with the risk of high myopia (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18–0.85), while no significant associations were identified between n-3 PUFA intakes and the risk of low myopia.ConclusionA high dietary intake of EPA may be associated with a decreased risk of high myopia among juveniles. A further prospective study is needed to validate this observation

Multifunctional, self-assembling, anionic peptide-lipid nanocomplexes for targeted siRNA delivery

Formulations of cationic liposomes and polymers readily self-assemble by electrostatic interactions with siRNA to form cationic nanoparticles which achieve efficient transfection and silencing in vitro. However, the utility of cationic formulations in vivo is limited due to rapid clearance from the circulation, due to their association with serum proteins, as well as systemic and cellular toxicity. These problems may be overcome with anionic formulations but they provide challenges of self-assembly and transfection efficiency. We have developed anionic, siRNA nanocomplexes utilizing anionic PEGylated liposomes and cationic targeting peptides that overcome these problems. Biophysical measurements indicated that at optimal ratios of components, anionic PEGylated nanocomplexes formed spherical particles and that, unlike cationic nanocomplexes, were resistant to aggregation in the presence of serum, and achieved significant gene silencing although their non-PEGylated anionic counterparts were less efficient. We have evaluated the utility of anionic nanoparticles for the treatment of neuronal diseases by administration to rat brains of siRNA to BACE1, a key enzyme involved in the formation of amyloid plaques. Silencing of BACE1 was achieved in vivo following a single injection of anionic nanoparticles by convection enhanced delivery and specificity of RNA interference verified by 5' RACE-PCR and Western blot analysis of protein