Information technology for learning: a European students' perspectiv

This study was mainly focused on European university students, in particular on their thinking about IT for learning. Participators came from different European countries and took part in a summer school this year. A total of 21 international students participated in this summer school program. They came from different European countries. The data collection includes a questionnaire survey and interview data. The data were analyzed and common opinions have been extracted. Finally, the authors of the present paper provide six conclusions and refer to university education in European countries to implement an IT integrated instruction. Researchers hope to promote the instructional quality by a well-performed way of IT integration into instruction in high education

The role of autologous bone graft in surgical treatment of hypertrophic nonunion of midshaft clavicle fractures

AbstractBackgroundThis study was conducted to evaluate the results of treating hypertrophic nonunion of mid-shaft clavicle fracture with a limited contact dynamic compression plate (LC-DCP) without autologous cancellous bone graft.MethodsFrom 1995 to 2008, 51 cases of hypertrophic nonunion of mid-shaft clavicle fracture were managed with open reduction and internal fixation by LC-DCP without bone graft involvement. Of these 51 cases, 30 had nonunion after failure of initial surgical treatment (Group 1), and 21 had nonunion after failure of conservative treatment (Group 2). Preoperative and postoperative case management were the same for both groups, with the average follow-up period being 20.4 months (range 18–36). Our study evaluated the radiographic results and functional outcomes of these cases according to the quick disability of arm, shoulder, and hand score.ResultsAll 51 cases resulted in uneventful unions. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding patient demography, cause of injury, preoperative and postoperative functional scores, length of operation, union time, and duration of hospitalization (p>0.05).ConclusionLC-DCP fixation is an effective method for treating hypertrophic nonunion of mid-shaft clavicle fracture. Local bone graft is sufficient to achieve necessary union, and autologous bone graft from other sites of the body appears unnecessary

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Mental and social function in chronic schizophrenia patients with heterogeneous clinical symptom profiles

國外研究顯示精神分裂症病患在臨床症狀和認知性心智功能缺損具有異質性，在國內已有研究者針對門診或急性住院的精神分裂症病患進行相關研究並已獲致相當的研究成果，但是筆者發現國內目前對於病患人數更多的住院慢性精神分裂症病患的臨床症狀的異質性、心智功能缺損特性和其社會功能等病理現象的瞭解尚不足夠，因此有必要針對上述病理現象進行完整的瞭解。在本論文中筆者設計八個個別但相關的系列研究來瞭解"不同臨床症狀剖面下的慢性精神分裂症病患的心智功能缺損特性與社會功能的關係"。這八個研究的的關係是研究一到研究四為論文的主要研究，研究三的四個預備研究是論文的次要研究，它們各別的研究目的分述如下：研究一主要目的是瞭解「慢性精神分裂症病患的臨床症狀面向和剖面」。研究二主要目的是瞭解「不同臨床症狀剖面下慢性精神分裂症病患的『認知性心智功能』的缺損特性」。3、研究三主要目的是瞭解「不同臨床症狀剖面下慢性精神分裂症病患的『社會性心智功能』的缺損特性」。為了驗證研究者所選取用來評估「社會性心智功能」的評估工具的適用性，研究者在本章做了四個預備研究，它們的研究目的分述如下：（1）預備研究一的主要目的是檢驗「國際情緒圖片系統」（International Affective Picture System, IAPS）在國內及本論文的適用性，在本研究中用以評估個案的情緒處理能力。（2）預備研究二的主要目的是編制適合國內及本研究使用的「台灣版人際反應性指標量表」（Taiwan version of International Reactivity Index, T-IRI），在本研究中用以評估個案的同理能力。（3）預備研究三的主要目的是瞭解「台灣版冷漠評估量表」（Taiwan version of Apathy Evaluation Scale, T-AES）在慢性精神分裂症病患使用的心理計量特性，在本研究中用以評估個案的動機。（4）預備研究四的主要目的是檢驗「日本人和白種人臉部表情測驗」（Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expression of Emotion, JACFEE）在國內及本論文的適用性，在本研究中用以評估個案的表情辨識能力。4、研究四主要目的是「瞭解不同臨床症狀剖面下慢性精神分裂症病患的『社會功能』影響因素」。筆者在研究一發現國內慢性精神分裂症病患的臨床症狀為五因素結構，而且以這五個臨床症狀面向可以將慢性精神分裂症病患分為明顯廣泛症狀、明顯正負性混合症狀和明顯社交退縮三種不同的症狀剖面；此外研究一也發現PANSS原量表中的負性症狀具有異質性，可以區分為兩個相互獨立的成份。筆者在研究二發現慢性精神分裂症病患的認知性心智功能缺損具有異質性，可以被區分為正常認知表現型、執行功能缺損型、記憶功能缺損型、執行與記憶功能缺損型、廣泛認知功能缺損型等五種缺損類型。同時也彌補了Kremen等人〔2004〕未能評估精神分裂症病患的視覺空間記憶的遺憾。此外，研究二支持國外研究發現精神分裂症與多種認知功能缺損有關，特別是注意力、記憶力和執行功能的看法，尤其是在不同的症狀剖面下，可以更細緻的發現明顯廣泛症狀組在處理速度和智商上也存在缺損。其次，研究二發現精神分裂症病患的持續性注意力可能伴隨其生病年數的增加逐漸變差。最後，研究二證明研究一所區分出的明顯廣泛症狀、明顯正負性混合症狀和明顯負性症狀三個臨床症狀剖面，由其認知性心智功能缺損的量和質來檢驗具有外在效度。筆者在研究三的預備研究一證明IAPS在台灣的適用性並初步建立了台灣成人常模；並且發展出能完整代表台灣常模情感空間的六類IAPS照片的評估工具。在研究三的預備研究二證明T-IRI在台灣的適用性並初步建立了台灣成人常模。在研究三的預備研究三証明TAES-S在慢性精神分裂症病患的適用性並初步建立了慢性精神分裂症病患常模。在研究三的預備研究四証明JACFEE可以適用於國內成人受試者；並且發現國內成人受試者對於害怕和生氣兩種臉部表情的判斷可能受到文化因素和群組內優勢效應的共同影響。在研究三發現筆者在本論文中建構的「社會性心智功能」具有建構效度與區辨效度；也驗證IAPS、T-IRI、TAES-S和JACFEE在慢性精神分裂症病患具有適用性；此外也發現慢性精神分裂症病患在「社會性心智功能」的缺損可能與其額葉和顳葉間的神經迴路功能失調有密切關係；最後筆者發現冷漠現象、同理關心能力和害怕表情辨識能力在精神分裂症的早期偵測上可能具有應用性以及活性症狀會干擾病患對臉部表情的辨識。筆者在研究四發現對於不同臨床症狀剖面的慢性精神分裂症病患的社會功能的影響因素並不完全相同；也發現對於慢性精神分裂症病患社會功能次向度的不同影響因素；此外筆者也發現認知性心智功能、社會性心智功能、臨床症狀和人口學變項對慢性精神分裂症病患整體社會功能的影響比重；最後筆者認為研究四可以視為以神經心理評估和認知復健做為慢性精神分裂症病患心理社會介入模式的實徵支持證據。Many studies showed schizophrenics were heterogeneous in their clinical symptoms and cognitive mental dysfunction features. In Taiwan, some researchers had studied on these pathological phenomena in outpatient or acute onset schizophrenia patients. However, for chronic inpatient schizophrenics, these pathological phenomena including clinical symptoms, mental dysfunction features, and social function are still unclear. It is necessary to do a comprehensive and serial studies understanding these pathological phenomena. In this dissertation, author designed eight serial studies for understanding mental dysfunction features and their relations to social function in chronic schizophrenics with heterogeneous clinical symptoms profiles. From Study 1 to study 4 are main studies. In study 3, author designed four preparatory studies. Their aims are as the following. 1. The aim of study 1 is for understanding symptom dimensions and their profiles in chronic schizophrenics. 2. The aim of study 2 is for understanding cognitive mental dysfunction features in chronic schizophrenics with different clinical symptom profiles. 3. The aim of study 3 is for understanding social mental dysfunction features in chronic schizophrenics with different clinical symptom profiles. For assessing social mental function, there are 4 preparatory studies which aims are as following. （1） The aim of preparatory study 1 is to testify the appropriateness of International Affective Picture System （IAPS） in adult sample of Taiwan. The IAPS is designed to assess subject’s emotion processing ability in social context. （2） The aim of preparatory study 2 is to compile and to revise the Taiwan version of International Reactivity Index （T-IRI） in adult sample of Taiwan. The T-IRI is designed to assess subject’s empathetic ability. （3） The aim of preparatory study 3 is to testify the appropriateness of Taiwan version of Apathy Evaluation Scale （T-AES） in chronic schizophrenics of Taiwan. The T-AES is designed to assess subject’s motive. （4） The aim of preparatory study 4 is to testify the appropriateness of Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expression of Emotion （JACFEE） in adult sample of Taiwan. The JACFEE is designed to assess subject’s facial recognition ability. 4. The aim of study 4 is for understanding influential factors on social function in chronic schizophrenics with different clinical symptom profiles. The results in study 1 showed there were 5 symptom dimensions in chronic schizophrenics. According these dimensions, chronic schizophrenics could be differentiated as 3 profiles including significant mixed positive and negative symptom, significant widespread symptom, and significant social withdrawal. Besides above results, study 1 found negative symptom in PANSS existing two mutually independent components. The results in study 2 showed there were heterogeneous in cognitive mental dysfunction features in chronic schizophrenics. According to these features, chronic schizophrenics could be differentiated as within normal cognitive range, executive function deficits, memory function deficits, executive with memory function deficits, and widespread cognitive deficits 5 subtypes. Meanwhile, study 2 had made up for Kremen, Seidman, Faraone, Toomey, and Tsuang（2004） study’s limitation. In addition, study 2 supported chronic schizophrenics exited impairments in multiple domains, especially in attention, memory and executive function. For significant widespread symptom group, processing speed and intellectual function also exited significant impairments. In study 3, preparatory study 1 testified the appropriateness of IAPS in adult sample of Taiwan, preparatory study 2 compiled and revised T-IRI in adult sample of Taiwan, preparatory study 3 testified the appropriateness of T-AES in chronic schizophrenics of Taiwan, preparatory study 4 testified the appropriateness of JACFEE in adult sample of Taiwan. Besides above results, preparatory study 4 found cultural factors and in-group advantage effect may influence judgment correct rate on fear and angry. In formal study, study 3 proved social mental function to have constructive and differential validity. Results showed chronic schizophrenics have deficits on their social mental function compared to normal control and these deficits may result from dysfunction on their frontal-temporal circuits. Other findings included apathy, empathetic concern and fear facial expression recognition probably having potential on early detection, and positive symptoms having negative influence on facial recognition. Finally, the results in study 4 showed there were different influential factors on social function and its subdimensions in chronic schizophrenics with different clinical symptom profiles. In addition, cognitive mental function, social mental function, clinical symptoms, and demographic variables have different weights on predictive power on social function of chronic schizophrenics. Overall, study 4 could be regarded as an empirical evidences to use neuropsychological assessment and cognitive rehabilitation as a psychosocial intervention approach in chronic schizophrenics in future.目 次 試委員會審定書………………………………………………… i謝………………………………………………………………… iii文摘要…………………………………………………………… v文摘要…………………………………………………………… iv壹章 論………………………………………………………………… 1、前言…………………………………………………………… 1、研究動機……………………………………………………… 3、研究目的……………………………………………………… 6貳章 性精神分裂症病患的臨床症狀面向和剖面研究……………… 9、前言…………………………………………………………… 9、研究對象和方法……………………………………………… 12、結果…………………………………………………………… 14、討論…………………………………………………………… 19參章 同臨床症狀剖面下慢性精神分裂症病患的認知性心智功能的損特性研究……………………………………………………… 25、前言…………………………………………………………… 25、研究對象和方法……………………………………………… 42、結果…………………………………………………………… 47、討論…………………………………………………………… 59肆章 同臨床症狀剖面下慢性精神分裂症病患的社會性心智功能的損特性研究……………………………………………………… 71、前言…………………………………………………………… 71、預備研究一：國際情緒圖片系統在台灣的適用性研究…… 75、預備研究二：台灣版人際反應性指標量表的編制………… 86、預備研究三：台灣版冷漠評估量表在慢性精神分裂症病患 使用的心理計量特性………………………… 96、預備研究四：日本人和白種人臉部表情測驗在台灣的適用 性……………………………………………… 105、正式研究對象和方法……………………………………… 117、正式研究結果………………………………………………… 119、正式研究討論………………………………………………… 134伍章 同臨床症狀剖面下慢性精神分裂症病患的社會功能影響因素究………………………………………………………………… 149、前言…………………………………………………………… 149、研究對象和方法……………………………………………… 154、結果…………………………………………………………… 155、討論…………………………………………………………… 164、綜合討論……………………………………………………… 172考文獻…………………………………………………………… 191錄…………………………………………………………… 23

Social cognition and apathy between two cognitive subtypes of schizophrenia: Are there the same or different profiles?

Objective: Cognitive impairment is an essential feature of schizophrenia, and it involves a broad array of nonsocial and social cognitive domains. This study aimed to examine whether there are the same or different social cognition profiles between two cognitive subtypes of schizophrenia. Method: There were one hundred and two chronic and institutionalized patients with schizophrenia from two referral tracks. One group is “Cognitively Normal Range” (CNR) (N = 52), and another group is “Below Normal Range” (BNR) (N = 50). We assessed or collected their apathy, emotional perception judgment, facial expression judgment, and empathy by the Apathy Evaluation Scale, the International Affective Picture System, the Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expression of Emotion, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, respectively. Results: We found different impairment profiles depending on the cognitive subtypes of the patient with schizophrenia. Surprisingly, the CNR presented impairments in apathy, emotional perception judgment, facial expression judgment, and empathy and feature impairment in empathy and affective apathy. In contrast, even though the BNR had significant neurocognition impairments, they had almost intact empathy with significantly impaired cognitive apathy. Both groups' global deficit scores (GDSs) were comparable, and all reached at least a mild impairment level. Conclusions: The CNR and the BNR had similar abilities in emotional perception judgment and facial emotion recognition. They also had differentiable deficits in apathy and empathy. Our findings provide important clinical implications for neuropsychological pathology and treatment in schizophrenia

Adlay (<i>Coix lachryma-jobi</i> L. var. <i>ma-yuen</i> Stapf.) Hull Extract and Active Compounds Inhibit Proliferation of Primary Human Leiomyoma Cells and Protect against Sexual Hormone-Induced Mice Smooth Muscle Hyperproliferation

Uterine leiomyomas, also known as fibroids, are benign neoplasms of the uterus and have a high incidence rate in women of reproductive age. Hysterectomy or myomectomy is the initial treatment, but fibroids will recur if the patient is still exposed to similar risk factors. Therefore, developing new therapeutic strategies are urgently necessary. In this study, the anti-proliferation effects of each fraction of adlay seeds were evaluated in uterine leiomyomas, and we identified the potential phytochemical compounds. We found that the ethyl acetate fraction of adlay hull (AHE-ea) appeared to be highly efficient in the anti-proliferation of rat uterine leiomyoma ELT3 cells and primary human uterine leiomyoma (hUL) cells. The proliferation of primary human normal uterine smooth muscle (UtSMC) and normal uterine myometrial (hUM) cells were also suppressed by AHE-ea. Two phytosterols, stigmasterol and &#946;-sitosterol, were identified from AHE-ea fraction. Mice treated with AHE-ea and stigmasterol alone demonstrated reduced diethylstilbestrol/medroxyprogesterone 17-acetate (DES/MPA)-induced uterine myometrial hyperplasia, which is the critical step for the development of leiomyoma. Taken together, our results suggest that the AHE-ea fraction could be considered as a natural plant-based medicine in the prevention or treatment of uterine leiomyoma growth

Validation of the cognitively normal range and below normal range subtypes in chronically hospitalized patients with schizophrenia

Background: Many studies have found a substantial minority of patients whose performance puts them within the normal range of neuropsychological functioning. Recently, a study has seen the delineation of two neurocognitive subtypes of schizophrenia –‘cognitively normal range’ (CNR) and ‘below normal range’ (BNR) – based on neurocognitive performance across multiple domains. Methods: The participants were from two studies that collected neurocognitive, psychopathology and social function data between 2008 and 2015. In total the complete data from one hundred and thirty one patients of Han Chinese ethnicity with schizophrenia were collected on 21 neurocognitive indexes (assessing the domains of processing speed, attention, working memory, verbal memory, visual memory, reasoning and problem solving and IQ). Fifty-five patients of the one hundred and thirty one participants received additional ratings on their psychopathology and social functions. An exploratory graphic analysis was conducted on the neurocognitive measures for the entire sample. Difference analyses were also performed according to the aims of the study using the Independent t test, Chi-square test, and Cohen's d effect size. Results: Analyses revealed the existence of two patients subtypes. The post hoc tests showed that there were significant differences on all of their neurocognitive measures and on most of the psychopathology and social functions between the two subtypes. These two subtypes could be referred to as the CNR subtype and the BNR subtype respectively. Conclusions: There are neurocognitive subtypes of schizophrenia with differential illness characteristics comparable with the CNR and the BNR in patients of Han Chinese ethnicity with schizophrenia

Implementation of an Attention Mechanism Model for Facial Beauty Assessment Using Transfer Learning

An important consideration in medical plastic surgery is the evaluation of the patient’s facial symmetry. However, because facial attractiveness is a slightly individualized cognitive experience, it is difficult to determine face attractiveness manually. This study aimed to train a model for assessing facial attractiveness using transfer learning while also using the fine-grained image model to separate similar images by first learning features. In this case, the system can make assessments based on the input of facial photos. Thus, doctors can quickly and objectively treat patients’ scoring and save time for scoring. The transfer learning was combined with CNN, Xception, and attention mechanism models for training, using the SCUT-FBP5500 dataset for pre-training and freezing the weights as the transfer learning model. Then, we trained the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Taiwan dataset to train the model based on transfer learning. The evaluation uses the mean absolute error percentage (MAPE) value. The root mean square error (RMSE) value is used as the basis for experimental adjustment and the quantitative standard for the model’s predictive. The best model can obtain 0.50 in RMSE and 18.5% average error in MAPE. A web page was developed to infer the deep learning model to visualize the predictive model