Teaching foreign language with conversational AI: Teacher-student-AI interaction

This study investigated the usage of conversational artificial intelligence (CAI) to support learners in foreign language classrooms. It employed Google Assistant and focused on the interactions between the teacher, learners, and CAI, as well as the teacher’s collaboration with CAI. Using social network and content analyses of two 50-minute language classes and group interviews, this study revealed that the teacher and CAI played a significant role during classroom interactions. The teacher employed various talk moves to facilitate interactions between the students and CAI. There were several instances of collaboration between the teacher and CAI during classroom facilitation. This study highlights the implications of the collaboration between human teachers and CAI in classrooms for teaching foreign languages and suggests avenues for future research

Bee venom attenuates Porphyromonas gingivalis and RANKL-induced bone resorption with osteoclastogenic differentiation

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is one of the major periodontal pathogens leading to inflammation and alveolar bone resorption. Bone resorption is induced by osteoclasts, which are multinucleated giant cells. Osteoclastic bone resorption is mediated by enhanced receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) signaling. Therefore, the down-regulation of RANKL downstream signals is regarded as an effective therapeutic target in the treatment of bone loss-associated disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether purified bee venom (BV) could attenuate P. gingivalis-induced inflammatory periodontitis and RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation. Inflammatory periodontitis induced by P. gingivalis increased alveolar bone resorption and increased expression of TNF-α and IL-1β, while BV treatment resulted in decreased bone loss and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Similarly, RANKL-induced multinucleated osteoclast differentiation and osteoclast-specific gene expression, such as nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1), cathepsin K, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and integrin αvβ3 were significantly suppressed by treatment with BV. We show that BV reduces P. gingivalis-induced inflammatory bone loss-related periodontitis in vivo and RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation, activation, and function in vitro. These results suggest that BV exerts positive effects on inflammatory periodontitis associated osteoclastogenesis. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd1