Mobile learning in higher education : Students’ acceptance of mobile learning in three top Chinese universities

Introduction: Along with the swift spread of 3G and wireless network, wireless technologies are applied in many areas, especially in education. The advent of mobile learning overcomes several limitations and barriers of traditional classroom education. As for higher education in China, mobile learning is in its infancy stage. Understanding end-users’ acceptance of mobile learning is crucial, because new technological advances cannot enhance performance if they are not accepted by end-users. This study focuses on three top Chinese universities and answers the following research questions: How do students perceive mobile devices as a learning tool incorporated in class and what are their attitudes towards mobile learning? What are the motivational factors that affect students’ acceptance of mobile learning? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to test the proposed Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in explaining students’ acceptance in three top Chinese universities. The goal of this work is to enhance the understanding of user acceptance of incorporating learning into mobile device inside and outside classes. Method: A deductive, theory-testing approach was used in this study. Eleven hypotheses were built based on a literature review and on the proposed TAM model, and were tested using primary data and literature review. Primary data was gathered via semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data collected through the questionnaire was analysed by Structural Equation Modeling. Conclusion: Through testing the proposed model, the authors found that students are positive towards mobile learning but they do not have a strong willingness to adopt it. The proposed TAM model can improve the understanding of students’ motivation by suggesting what factors are the most important in enhancing students acceptance of mobile learning

Mobile learning in higher education : Students’ acceptance of mobile learning in three top Chinese universities

Introduction: Along with the swift spread of 3G and wireless network, wireless technologies are applied in many areas, especially in education. The advent of mobile learning overcomes several limitations and barriers of traditional classroom education. As for higher education in China, mobile learning is in its infancy stage. Understanding end-users’ acceptance of mobile learning is crucial, because new technological advances cannot enhance performance if they are not accepted by end-users. This study focuses on three top Chinese universities and answers the following research questions: How do students perceive mobile devices as a learning tool incorporated in class and what are their attitudes towards mobile learning? What are the motivational factors that affect students’ acceptance of mobile learning? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to test the proposed Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in explaining students’ acceptance in three top Chinese universities. The goal of this work is to enhance the understanding of user acceptance of incorporating learning into mobile device inside and outside classes. Method: A deductive, theory-testing approach was used in this study. Eleven hypotheses were built based on a literature review and on the proposed TAM model, and were tested using primary data and literature review. Primary data was gathered via semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data collected through the questionnaire was analysed by Structural Equation Modeling. Conclusion: Through testing the proposed model, the authors found that students are positive towards mobile learning but they do not have a strong willingness to adopt it. The proposed TAM model can improve the understanding of students’ motivation by suggesting what factors are the most important in enhancing students acceptance of mobile learning

FENDRR: A pivotal, cancer-related, long non-coding RNA

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have more than 200 nucleotides and do not encode proteins. Based on numerous studies, lncRNAs have emerged as new and crucial regulators of biological function and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, especially cancers. Specific lncRNAs have been identified as novel molecular biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy. Fetal-lethal non-coding developmental regulatory RNA (FENDRR, also known as FOXF1-AS1) is a novel lncRNA that is located at chr3q13.31 and has four exons and 3099 nucleotides, and its genomic site is located at chr3q13.31. FENDRR is abnormally expressed in a variety of cancers and is significantly associated with different clinical characteristics. In addition, FENDRR has shown potential as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of FENDRR and its mechanistic role in cancer progression. We also discuss recent insights into the clinical significance of FENDRR for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment

Promising role of long non-coding RNA PCAT6 in malignancies

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a newly identified class of non-coding RNA (ncRNA), are defined as RNA molecules at least 200 nucleotides in length that are not translated into proteins. LncRNAs contribute to a wide range of biological processes and are master regulators of disease occurrence, development, and response to therapy in human malignancies. The lncRNA prostate cancer‑associated transcript 6 (PCAT6) is upregulated in various human malignancies, including lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical cancer, osteosarcoma, glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. High expression of PCAT6 is closely correlated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and poor prognosis in cancer patients, suggesting it is an oncogenic lncRNA. PCAT6 overexpression also facilitates cell proliferation, invasion, and migration while attenuating apoptosis, indicating that it might serve as a new prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for malignancies. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms, regulatory functions, and potential clinical applications of PCAT6 in cancer

Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibited Sympathetic Activation in D-Galactose-Induced Aging Rats by Upregulating Klotho and Inhibiting Inflammation in the Paraventricular Nucleus

The present study aimed to explore the central relationship between cardiovascular conditions and aging. D-galactose (D-gal) was utilized to induce an accelerated aging model and to evaluate the effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on aging-related cardiovascular risk factors and mechanisms. Eight-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were given an intraperitoneal injection of 250 mg/kg D-gal every day with or without H2S (56 μmol/kg) for 12 weeks. We found that D-gal treatment induced a noticeably aging-related increase in p16, p53 and p21 protein levels and senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining. In addition, the level of noradrenalin was increased, accompanied by enhanced blood pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity in aged rats. The greater sympathetic responses were related with the increased level of inflammation. The decreased level of klotho in the paraventricular nucleus neuron also contributed to sympathetic activation in D-gal-induced aged rats. However, the exogenous administration of H2S attenuated the sympathetic activity in aged rats, as evidenced by the decreased blood pressure, renal sympathetic nerve activity and noradrenalin level. The ameliorated cellular senescence, inflammation and heightened klotho in the paraventricular nucleus were attributed to the protective effects of H2S. The present study provides further evidence for the drug development of H2S for the prevention or treatment of the aging-associated cardiovascular diseases

Antimicrobial Activity and Action Mechanism of Thymoquinone against Bacillus cereus and Its Spores

In this study, thymoquinone (TQ), a natural active substance, was investigated for its antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, and its inhibitory effect on B. cereus in reconstituted infant formula (RIF) was evaluated. In addition, the inhibitory effect of TQ on B. cereus spore germination was explored. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of TQ against eight B. cereus strains ranged from 4.0 to 8.0 μg/mL, whereas B. cereus treated with TQ displayed a longer lag phase than the untreated control. TQ exerted a good bactericidal effect on B. cereus in Luria–Bertani broth. In addition, TQ obviously reduced the intracellular ATP concentration of B. cereus, which caused depolarization of the cell membrane, increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species level, impaired the cell morphology, and destroyed proteins or inhibited proteins synthesis. This provides a mechanism for its bacteriostatic effect. TQ also inactivated B. cereus growth in RIF. Moreover, reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction illustrated that TQ downregulated the transcription of genes related to hemolysin, non-hemolytic enterotoxin, enterotoxin, and cytotoxin K. Meanwhile, TQ displayed the ability to inhibit the germination of B. cereus spores. These findings indicate that TQ, as an effective natural antimicrobial preservative, has potential applications in controlling food contamination and foodborne diseases caused by B. cereus

Ancient cattle DNA provides novel insight into the subsistence mode transition from the late Neolithic to Bronze Age in the Nenjiang River Basin

The Honghe site (Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China) is located in the middle reaches of the Nenjiang River Basin, which situates rich cultural relics and faunal remains dating between the Neolithic and Bronze ages. The site hosts abundant bovine genus remains that are ideal for exploring the genetic history of the bovid species and the subsistence mode of the populations there. In this study, we recovered 14 mitochondrial genomes from 16 bovid samples selected for ancient DNA analysis. Phylogenetic analysis identified them as aurochs (Bos primigenius) and taurine cattle (Bos taurus), with one in eight Neolithic samples belonging to haplogroup T3, the most common type of domesticated cattle in ancient China. The remainder clustered with haplogroup C, found only in Chinese aurochs, while haplogroups C and T3 in six Bronze Age samples accounted for 50% each. Hence, it was speculated that domesticated cattle might have arisen in the middle reaches of the Nenjiang River Basin around 4000 years ago. However, the C-type aurochs remained among the essential resources for cattle production at the Angangxi people's disposal until the Bronze Age. Moreover, more T3-type taurine cattle were introduced during the Bronze Age. These domesticated cattle shared haplotypes with ancient cattle from the Northwest and Central Plains, showing close affinities, thus, reflecting frequent and extensive correlation between the middle reaches of the Nenjiang River and other region

A σ^E-Mediated Temperature Gauge Controls a Switch from LuxR-Mediated Virulence Gene Expression to Thermal Stress Adaptation in <i>Vibrio alginolyticus</i>

<div><p>In vibrios, the expression of virulence factors is often controlled by LuxR, the master quorum-sensing regulator. Here, we investigate the interplay between LuxR and σ^E, an alternative sigma factor, during the control of virulence-related gene expression and adaptations to temperature elevations in the zoonotic pathogen <i>Vibrio alginolyticus</i>. An <i>rpoE</i> null <i>V</i>. <i>alginolyticus</i> mutant was unable to adapt to various stresses and was survival-deficient in fish. In wild type <i>V</i>. <i>alginolyticus</i>, the expression of LuxR-regulated virulence factors increased as the temperature was increased from 22°C to 37°C, but mutants lacking σ^E did not respond to temperature, indicating that σ^E is critical for the temperature-dependent upregulation of virulence genes. Further analyses revealed that σ^E binds directly to -10 and -35 elements in the <i>luxR</i> promoter that drive its transcription. ChIP assays showed that σ^E binds to the promoter regions of <i>luxR</i>, <i>rpoH</i> and <i>rpoE</i> at high temperatures (e.g., 30°C and 37°C). However, at higher temperatures (42°C) that induce thermal stress, σ^E binding to the <i>luxR</i> promoter decreased, while its binding to the <i>rpoH</i> and <i>rpoE</i> promoters was unchanged. Thus, the temperature-dependent binding of σ^E to distinct promoters appears to underlie a σ^E-controlled switch between the expression of virulence genes and adaptation to thermal stress. This study illustrates how a conserved temperature response mechanism integrates into quorum-sensing circuits to regulate both virulence and stress adaptation.</p></div

The expression of Asp is controlled by temperature via an RpoE-mediated mechanism.

<p>(<b>A</b>) The activity of P_<i>asp</i>-<i>lacZ</i> in wt, Δ<i>rpoE</i>, and Δ<i>rpoS</i> strains. The strains were grown at 30°C to the exponential phase before the bacteria were shifted to various temperatures for 0, 1, and 2 h. Then, <i>β</i>-galactosidase activity was assayed. The results show the differences relative to the level of the same strain at 0 h. The results are shown as the mean ± S.D. (<i>n</i> = 3). (<b>B</b>) qRT-PCR analysis of <i>asp</i> transcription levels in wt, Δr<i>poE</i> and <i>rpoE</i>⁺ strains that were cultivated at various temperatures. The results show the differences relative to the levels observed in the wt strain that was cultured at 22°C. The results are presented as the mean ± S.D. (<i>n</i> = 3). *, <i>P</i><0.05, and **, <i>P</i><0.01, based on ANOVA comparisons. (<b>C</b>) Western blot assays showing Asp expression in the Δr<i>poE</i> and <i>rpoE</i>⁺ strains at different temperatures. RNAP was used as the loading control for the supernatants that were obtained from the same amount of cells.</p

RpoE controls Asp expression via the QS regulator LuxR.

<p>(<b>A</b>) <i>luxR</i> transcriptional assays were performed in wt and Δ<i>luxO</i> strains that were grown at different temperatures. The wt and Δ<i>luxO</i> strains that carried the P_<i>luxR</i>-<i>lacZ</i> reporter plasmid were cultured in LBS medium and assayed for <i>β</i>-galactosidase activity. The results are presented as the mean ± S.D. (<i>n</i> = 3). (<b>B</b>) Western blot assays show LuxR expression in wt, Δ<i>rpoE</i> and <i>rpoE</i>⁺ strains grown at different temperatures. Bacteria were cultured in LBS medium for 9 h and then harvested. Proteins from equal cell volumes were resolved using 12% SDS-PAGE. (<b>C</b>) Extracellular Asp activity in the <i>V</i>. <i>alginolyticus</i> strains. The bacteria were centrifuged after they were cultured in LBS medium for 9 h, and the supernatants were harvested to measure protease activity. The results are presented as the mean ± S.D. (<i>n</i> = 3). **, <i>P</i><0.01, and ***, <i>P</i><0.001, based on ANOVA comparisons. (<b>D</b>) Western blot assays were performed to analyze Asp and LuxR expression in wt and <i>rpoE-</i> and <i>luxO</i>-related mutants. pBAD33::<i>rpoE</i> was introduced into the Δ<i>rpoE</i>Δ<i>luxO</i> strain to analyze Asp and LuxR expression in the presence (+) and absence (-) of L-arabinose (Ara).</p