READING AUTHENTIC EFL TEXT USING VISUALIZATION AND ADVANCE ORGANIZERS IN A MULTIMEDIA LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The purpose of this experimental study was to compare the effects of different types of computer-generated visuals (static versus animated) and advance organizers (descriptive versus question) in enhancing comprehension and retention of a content-based lesson for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Additionally, the study investigated the interactive effect of students’ existing reading proficiency level and the above-mentioned treatments on their reading comprehension achievement. Students from two EFL reading sections (N = 115) were tested on their reading proficiency and then randomly assigned to one of four computer-based instructional modules—static visual alone, animation alone, animation plus descriptive advance organizer, and animation plus question advance organizer. Once having interacted with their respective instructional materials, students then took four criterion tests immediately afterward and again four weeks later. The results showed that the animation group outperformed the static visual group in one of the four tests, and that animation embedded with a question advance organizer had a marginal effect among the four treatments in facilitating the acquisition of L2 reading comprehension both for the immediate and the delayed posttests

Establishing reference intervals of coagulation indices based on the ACL Top 700 system for children in Southwestern Fujian, China

Abstract(#br)Background(#br)Till date, China has not issued industry standards for reference intervals (RIs) of pediatric blood coagulation indices. Here, we evaluated changes in the coagulation indices in the venous blood of healthy children aged 29 days to 12 years derived using the ACL Top 700 system and established appropriate RIs.(#br)Methods(#br)We analyzed venous blood from 1770 healthy children for five coagulation indices. RIs were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C28-A3c guideline.(#br)Results(#br)The coagulation indices were grouped by age. For prothrombin time (PT) and international normalization ratio (INR), the RIs of infants and toddlers were identical; preschool children had the same RI as school-age children. Pediatric RIs for PT and INR were slightly lower than those for adults. The RIs of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and fibrinogen (FIB) in childhood were divided into two groups by age (1 month to 1 year and 1–12 years). The RI of APTT in infants was the widest; the overall level of FIB in infants was the lowest; children’s APTT and FIB RIs were lower than those of adults. The pattern of TT values and RI trends in childhood were similar to those of APTT.(#br)Conclusions(#br)There were minor changes in the RIs of coagulation indices for children. The RIs of PT, INR, APTT, TT, and FIB must be grouped by age. The RIs of coagulation indices for children were different from those for adults; therefore, establishing separate RIs for children is necessary

Establishing reference intervals of coagulation indices based on the ACL Top 700 system for children in Southwestern Fujian, China.

BACKGROUND(#br)Till date, China has not issued industry standards for reference intervals (RIs) of pediatric blood coagulation indices. Here, we evaluated changes in the coagulation indices in the venous blood of healthy children aged 29 days to 12 years derived using the ACL Top 700 system and established appropriate RIs.(#br)METHODS(#br)We analyzed venous blood from 1770 healthy children for five coagulation indices. RIs were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C28-A3c guideline.(#br)RESULTS(#br)The coagulation indices were grouped by age. For prothrombin time (PT) and international normalization ratio (INR), the RIs of infants and toddlers were identical; preschool children had the same RI as school-age children. Pediatric RIs for PT and INR were slightly lower than those for adults. The RIs of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and fibrinogen (FIB) in childhood were divided into two groups by age (1 month to 1 year and 1-12 years). The RI of APTT in infants was the widest; the overall level of FIB in infants was the lowest; children’s APTT and FIB RIs were lower than those of adults. The pattern of TT values and RI trends in childhood were similar to those of APTT.(#br)CONCLUSIONS(#br)There were minor changes in the RIs of coagulation indices for children. The RIs of PT, INR, APTT, TT, and FIB must be grouped by age. The RIs of coagulation indices for children were different from those for adults; therefore, establishing separate RIs for children is necessary

Identification and expression analysis of two Wnt4 genes in the spotted scat ( Scatophagus argus )

Background: WNT4 is a protein that plays a crucial role in ovarian differentiation and development in mammals, with a relatively well understood function in mammalian gonadal differentiation. The role of Wnt4 in teleost fish; however, remains unclear. In the present study, cDNAs of Wnt4a and Wnt4b were cloned and characterized in the spotted scat. The expression patterns of two Wnt4 genes in the gonads at different stages of development and in fish after treatment with 17\u3b1-methyltestosterone (MT) were investigated. Results: The tissue distribution showed that Wnt4a was expressed in various tissues, including the gonads, gills, spleen, brain, and fin. Interestingly, Wnt4b not only was expressed in the gills, brain, and spleen, but also was obviously expressed in the ovary. During gonad development, Wnt4a was highly expressed in the testis at stage I and Wnt4b was mainly expressed in the ovary at stages II\u2013III. After MT treatment, the mRNA expression of Wnt4a increased significantly up to 40 d, and the transcript level of Wnt4b decreased at 20 d. Conclusions: These results suggest that Wnt4a may be involved in gonad development and plays a role in the process of spermatogonial proliferation. Our results also demonstrate that Wnt4b is not only expressed in the nervous system, but also in the ovary and it may be involved in ovary development of the spotted scat

Simultaneous quantification of 6,7-di-hydroxyligustilide and gastrodin in rat plasma by LC-MS: application to pharmacokinetic study of tianshu capsule

A LC-MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of 6, 7-di-hydroxyligustilide and gastrodin in rat plasma, and which was subsequently applied in the pharmacokinetic analysis of an administration of a Chinese herbal extract containing Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Gastrodia Elata Rhizome, i.e. TianShu capsule against migraine. The analytes were separated on a Kromasil C18 column with a gradient elution program and detected without interference in the selected ion monitoring mode with positive electrospray ionization. The linear range was 0.010-10.0 μg/mL for 6,7-di-hydroxyligustilide and 0.025-25.0 μg/mL for gastrodin with the limit of quantitation of 0.01 and 0.025 μg/mL, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions for the entire validation were less than14.7 % of RSD. The pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that 6, 7-di-hydroxyligustilide and gastrodin are absorbed rapidly and reached a maximum concentration within one hour, which was consistent with the clinical requirements for the rapid relieving the symptoms of migraine.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Predictive Value of Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Blood Pressure/Heart Rate Ratio in a Chinese Subpopulation with Vasovagal Syncope

Objective: The head-up tilt test (HUTT) is widely used but is time-consuming and not cost-effective to evaluate patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS). The present study aims to verify the hypothesis that ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) and the simplistic tilt test may be potential alternatives to the HUTT. Methods: The study consecutively enrolled 360 patients who underwent the HUTT to evaluate VVS. BP), heart rate (HR), and BP/HR ratios derived from ABPM and the simplistic tilt test were evaluated to predict the presence, pattern, and stage of syncope during the HUTT. Results: Mixed response was the commonest pattern, and syncope occurred frequently with infusion of isoproterenol at a rate of 3 μg/min. During the simplistic tilt test, the cardioinhibitory group had higher tilted BP/HR ratios than the vasodepressor group, while the vasodepressor group had a faster tilted HR and a larger HR difference than the cardioinhibitory group. The higher the BP/HR ratio in the tilted position, the higher the isoproterenol dosage needed to induce a positive response. During ABPM, BP/HR ratios were significantly higher in the cardioinhibitory group than in the vasodepressor group. The higher the ABPM-derived BP, the higher the dosage of isoproterenol needed to induce syncope. There were significant correlations in BP/HR ratios between ABPM and the supine position in the vasodepressor group, while significant correlation was found only for the diastolic BP/HR ratio between ABPM and the tilted position in the cardioinhibitory group. The mixed pattern shared correlative features of the other two patterns. Conclusion: ABPM and the simplistic tilt test might be used as promising alternatives to the HUTT in VVS evaluation in clinical settings

Circulating plasma and exosome levels of the miR-320 family as a non-invasive biomarker for methamphetamine use disorder

The neurobiological mechanism underlying methamphetamine (MA) use disorder was still unclear, and no specific biomarker exists for clinical diagnosis of this disorder. Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathological process of MA addiction. The purpose of this study was to identify novel miRNAs for the diagnosis biomarkers of MA user disorder. First, members of the miR-320 family, including miR-320a-3p, miR-320b, and miR-320c, were screened and analyzed in the circulating plasma and exosomes by microarray and sequencing. Secondly, plasma miR-320 was quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in eighty-two MA patients and fifty age-gender-matched healthy controls. Meanwhile, we also analyzed exosomal miR-320 expression in thirty-nine MA patients and twenty-one age-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, the diagnostic power was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The expression of miR-320 significantly increased in plasma and exosomes of MA patients compared with healthy controls. The AUC of the ROC curves of miR-320 in plasma and exosomes of MA patients were 0.751 and 0.962, respectively. And the sensitivities of miR-320 were 0.900 and 0.846, respectively, whereas the specificities of miR-320 were 0.537 and 0.952, respectively, in plasma and exosomes in MA patients. And the increased plasma miR-320 was positively correlated with cigarette smoking, age of onset, and daily use of MA in MA patients. Finally, cardiovascular disease, synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation were predicted to be the target pathways related to miR-320. Taken together, our findings indicated that plasma and exosomal miR-320 might be used as a potential blood-based biomarker for diagnosing MA use disorder

Protein folding: Then and now

Over the past three decades the protein folding field has undergone monumental changes. Originally a purely academic question, how a protein folds has now become vital in understanding diseases and our abilities to rationally manipulate cellular life by engineering protein folding pathways. We review and contrast past and recent developments in the protein folding field. Specifically, we discuss the progress in our understanding of protein folding thermodynamics and kinetics, the properties of evasive intermediates, and unfolded states. We also discuss how some abnormalities in protein folding lead to protein aggregation and human diseases

Hospital-acquired invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with hepatic failure

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a rapid, progressive, fatal disease that occurs mostly in immunocompromised patients. Patients with severe liver disease are at a heightened risk for infections. Little is known about the clinical presentation including predisposing factors and treatment of IPA in patients with hepatic failure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Medical records of patients with hepatic failure between November 2005 and February 2007 were reviewed for lung infection. Nine medical records of definitive diagnosis of IPA and three of probable IPA were identified.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The main predisposing factors were found to be prolonged antibiotic therapy and steroid exposure. Clinical signs and radiological findings were non-specific and atypical. Timely use of caspofungin was found to reduce the mortality due to the disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A high index of suspicion is required for early IPA diagnosis in patients with hepatic failure.</p