A deleterious gene-by-environment interaction imposed by calcium channel blockers in Marfan syndrome

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are prescribed to patients with Marfan syndrome for prophylaxis against aortic aneurysm progression, despite limited evidence for their efficacy and safety in the disorder. Unexpectedly, Marfan mice treated with CCBs show accelerated aneurysm expansion, rupture, and premature lethality. This effect is both extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) dependent and angiotensin-II type 1 receptor (AT1R) dependent. We have identified protein kinase C beta (PKCβ) as a critical mediator of this pathway and demonstrate that the PKCβ inhibitor enzastaurin, and the clinically available anti-hypertensive agent hydralazine, both normalize aortic growth in Marfan mice, in association with reduced PKCβ and ERK1/2 activation. Furthermore, patients with Marfan syndrome and other forms of inherited thoracic aortic aneurysm taking CCBs display increased risk of aortic dissection and need for aortic surgery, compared to patients on other antihypertensive agents. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08648.00

Social Media Activity dan Customer Experience dalam Membentuk Relationship Quality

Social media activities and positive user experiences are very important for Public Relations (PR) strategy in three aspects, namely as a media for presentation, communication, and improving PR performance, where social media activities that can be in line with users' positive experiences will be able to function to show organizational identity, create communication, direct decision making and improve the organization's mutual relationship strategy with its publics. This study aims to understand the relationship between social media activity and customer experience in establishing relationship quality which is implemented in specific insurance companies through a study approach at PT Asuransi Jiwa Astra, which was later known as Astra Life. This research method uses a quantitative approach using the positivism paradigm. The research population is Astra Life's active customers and 100 respondents are assigned as a representative sample. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The results of the study indicate that Social Media Activity and Customer Experience have a positive effect in shaping Relationship Quality. The results of this study also show that Social Media Activity and Customer Experience are very strong in explaining the success of Astra Life's PR Relationship Quality strategy approach with customers so that further research can also identify Social Media Activity and Customer Experience approaches in building Relationship Quality in similar service industries in order to obtain findings. the benefits of research in the field of communication Public Relations are more diverse.</jats:p

A Content Analysis of Authentic Reading Activities in the Jordanian English Textbook Action Pack Twelve Matching the General Guidelines and General and Specific Outcomes: تحليل محتوى لاستخدام الأنشطة الواقعية لمهارة القراءة في المنهاج الأردني للصف الثاني عشر لمادة اللغة الإنجليزية وتوافقها مع الخطوط العامة والمخرجات العامة والخاصة بالمنهاج

  This study attempts to analysis the extent of using authentic reading materials in the English syllabus Action Pack Twelve used currently in Jordanian schools. Therefore, a qualitative research methodology was carried out to examine the extent in which the reading materials are authentic and if they are match with the General Guidelines and General and Specific Outcomes (GG and GSO). The findings of the analysis revealed that the reading materials of Action Pack twelve have a high degree of authenticity which was 79.50% as 31 reading texts out of 39 texts were authentic. There is a sturdy match between reading materials with the(GG and GSO).This tendency to include authentic materials stresses on the effectiveness of this approach in enriching the communicative competence of the Jordanian learners at the secondary stage which helps them to use the English language in actual contexts in the outer world. In addition, the reading materials are suitable to the learners' level and the reading activities present real life situations that are related to learners’ interests through the vast variety of interesting updating themes of the reading comprehension as well as making learner’s future use of the English language smoother in their undergraduate studies at universities.    </jats:p

الخوالف في شرح المرزوقي(421هـ) لديوان حماسة أبي تمام(231هـ)

      يختص بحثي هذا الموسوم بـ(الخوالف في شرح المرزوقي لديوان حماسة أبي تمام), بدراسة الخوالف وتتبعها في شرح المرزوقي لديوان الحماسة؛ لما لها من أهمية دلالية في اللغة العربية عامة وفي ديوان الحماسة بشكل خاص, يعالج البحث سبب تسمية بعض الموضوعات النحوية بالخوالف وضعها في باب مستقل تحت هذا المسمى, وطريقة تناول المرزوقي لها في هذا الكتاب, يهدف البحث إلى تعريف الباحثين بهذه الموضوعات من خلال عرض المرزوقي لها؛ إذ يعرض البحث تطبيق فرضية حديثة هي (موضوع الخالفة) على نص قديم (شعر) تناوله المرزوقي بتفصيله وشرحه شرحاً دلالياً نحوياً, تختص عينة البحث بأحد شروح ديوان حماسة أبي تمام المتكون من أجزاء ومادة ضخمة, وكانت وسيلة الجمع للمادة استقرائية وصفية, توصلت الدراسة إلى نتائج مهمة فيما يخص الخالفة وتطبيقها على نص يعرض شرح نصوص شعرية بطريقة لغوية , تتمثل أهم النتائج بورود معظم أنواع الخوالف في هذا الشرح , كما توصل البحث إلى أنَّ المرزوقي ذكر أهم غرض جُمِعَتْ تحته الخوالف ألا وهو تعبير جميع الخوالف وإفصاحها عن انفعال وتأثر تؤديه صيغها, كما تبين للباحثة عراقة وأصالة جذور هذا الموضوع في هذا النص القديم, توصي الباحثة بدراسة هذه الموضوعات الحديثة وتطبيقها على نصوص قديمة للاطلاع على ثراء موروثنا العريق بهذه الموضوعات.</jats:p

The Willingness of Jordanian EFL Teachers to Endure Taking Online Professional Development Programs Rather Than Face to Face: رغبة معلمي اللغة الإنجليزية في متابعة الانخراط بالتنمية المهنية عن بعد عوضا عن التعلم المباشر

This study attempts to investigate the willingness of Jordanian EFL teachers to endure taking Online Professional Development Programs (OPD) rather than face to face learning in both private and public schools. Therefore, a qualitative research methodology was carried out to examine the extent to which Jordanian EFL teachers are willing to endure taking Online Professional Development Programs (OPD) rather than face to face learning. Data were collected via online interviews with teachers through e-Learning forums as well as other means of interactive social Medias such as Zoom, Facetime and Microsoft teams during COVID-19 Pandemic in the second semester of the scholastic year 2019-2020. Ten EFL teachers were randomly chosen from forty public and private EFL school teachers to respond to the interviews. The sample consisted of ten teachers who were selected randomly for the interview. The interview content focused on two domains which are: the challenges faced teachers in online learning and the good learning practices experienced by EFL teachers during online learning regarding their experiences through the pandemic. The interviews were taking the form of semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of EFL teachers are unwilling to continue taking online professional development programs as they faced many troubles and obstacles through experiencing distant learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic as part of their first hands on experience. Two teachers showed a tendency to continue Online Professional Development Programs in parallel with face to face programs.</jats:p

Effect of Laser annealing on structural and thermoelectric properties of SnSe thin films

      This study adopted the flash evaporation technique to prepare SnSe thin films onto glass substrates kept at room temperature.  The effect of  CO2 laser annealing on the structural properties and thermoelectric characterizations of SnSe films was investigated in power annealing (10 W) at (10,15,20 Min). Morphologies and structures of the crystalline were determined using an atomic force microscope and X-ray diffraction. Power factor, electrical conductivity, and the Seebeck coefficients were determined. The results demonstrated that the power factor and the Seebeck coefficient were enhanced as the annealing time increased. When the annealing time reaches twenty minutes at 500K, the power factor and Seebeck coefficient of SnSe thin films were found to be about 6.33 μW/cm.K2 and 650 μV/K., respectively.</jats:p