Insertion/deletion polymorphisms(InDels)have been treated as a prospective and helpful genetic marker in the fields of forensic human identification,anthropology and population genetics for the past few years.In this ...Insertion/deletion polymorphisms(InDels)have been treated as a prospective and helpful genetic marker in the fields of forensic human identification,anthropology and population genetics for the past few years.In this study,we developed a six-dye multiplex typing system consisting of 34 autosomal InDels and Amelogenin for forensic application.The contained InDels were specifically selected for Chinese population with the MAF≥0.25 in East Asia,which do not overlap with the markers of Investigator^(■)DIPplex kit.The typing system was named as GoldeneyeTM DNA ID System 35InDel Kit,and a series of developmental validation studies including repeatability/reproducibility,concordance,accuracy,sensitivity,stability,species specificity and population genetics were conducted on this kit.We confirmed that the 35InDel kit is precise,sensitive,species specific and robust for forensic practice.Moreover,the 35InDel kit is capable of typing DNA extracted from forensic routine case-type samples as well as degraded samples and mixture samples.All markers are proved to be highly polymorphic with an average observed heterozygosity(He)of 0.4582.The combined power of discrimination(CPD)is 0.999999999999978 and the combined power of exclusion in duos(CPE_(D))and trios(CPE_(T))are 0.978837 and 0.999573,respectively,which are higher than those of the Investigator^(■)DIPplex kit.Thus,the GoldeneyeTM DNA ID System 35InDel kit is suitable for forensic human identification and could serve as a supplementary typing system for paternity testing.展开更多
This study was designed to explore the possibility of using ascitic mouse sarcoma cell line (S180) to validate the mouse tumor cell attachment assay for developmental toxicants, and to test the inhibitory effects of v...This study was designed to explore the possibility of using ascitic mouse sarcoma cell line (S180) to validate the mouse tumor cell attachment assay for developmental toxicants, and to test the inhibitory effects of various developmental toxicants. The results showed that 2 of 3 developmental toxicants under consideration, sodium pentobarbital and ethanol, significantly inhibited S180cells attachment to Concanavalin A-coaed surfaces. Inhibition was dependent on concentration, and the IC50 (the concentration tha reduced attachment by 50% ), of these 2 chemicals was 1.2×10-3mol/L and 1 .0 mol/L, respectively. Anoher developmental toxiant, hydmiortisone, did not show inhibitory activity. Two non-developmental toxicants, sodium chloride and glycine were also tested and these did not decrease attachment rates. The main results reported here were generally sindlar to those obtained with ascitic mouse ovdrian tumor cells as a model. Therefore, this study added further evidence to the conclusion that cell specificity does not lindt attachment inhibition to Con A-coated surfaces, so S180 cell may serve as an altemative cell model, especially when other cell lines are unavailable. Furthermore, after optimal validation, it can be suggested that an S180 cell attachment assay may be a candidate for a series of assays to detect developmental toxicants.展开更多
While a plethora of studies has been conducted to explore demotivation and its impact on mental health in second language(L2)education,scanty research focuses on demotivation in L2 speaking learning.Particularly,littl...While a plethora of studies has been conducted to explore demotivation and its impact on mental health in second language(L2)education,scanty research focuses on demotivation in L2 speaking learning.Particularly,little research explores the measures to quantify L2 speaking demotivation.The present two-phase study attempts to develop and validate an English Speaking Demotivation Scale(ESDS).To this end,an independent sample of 207 Chinese tertiary learners of English as a Foreign Language(EFL)participated in the development phase,and another group of 188 Chinese EFL learners was recruited for the validation of the scale.Exploratory Factor Analysis(EFA)and Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)were employed to determine the factor structure of the scale.The EFA results revealed a six-factor solution with Teacher-related Factors in Learning Spoken English(TFLSE),Interest and Valence in Learning Spoken English(IVLSE),Self-efficacy in Learning Spoken English(SELSE),Negative Peer Influence in Learning Spoken English(NPILSE),Undesirable Environment for Learning Spoken English(UELSE),and Negative Influence of Assessment and Learning Materials in speaking class(NIALM).In the validation phase,Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)was performed to validate the internal structure of the scale.The CFA results showed that the model fits the data well.Overall,the ESDS is a robust and trustworthy psychometric tool that could be utilized to examine L2 speaking demotivation.Implications for diminishing EFL learners’demotivation,lessening their aversive emotions and promoting their mental health are also discussed.展开更多
Background Prevalence of neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies(NCDLB) is low in Asian populations, which may partially reflect its diagnostic difficulty. The Mayo Fluctuations Scale, a short questionnaire that eval...Background Prevalence of neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies(NCDLB) is low in Asian populations, which may partially reflect its diagnostic difficulty. The Mayo Fluctuations Scale, a short questionnaire that evaluates cognitive fluctuation, has been shown to significantly differentiate NCDLB from Alzheimer's disease.Aim This study aimed to develop the Mayo Fluctuations Scale-Thai version and assess its validity to screen NCDLB in an elderly population.Methods The Mayo Ructuations Scale was translated into Thai. The process involved back-translation, cross-cultural adaptation, field testing of the prefinal version, as well as final adjustments. From all patients attending the Psychiatric and Memory Clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital, 135 patients accompanied by their primary caregivers were included.Caregivers were interviewed by research assistants using a four-item scale, and psychiatrists determined patients*diagnosis based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(DSM)-5 criteria. Evaluations performed by psychiatrists and research assistants were blinded.Results Seventeen participants had been diagnosed with major NCDLB. At a cut-off score of 2 or over, the Mayo Fluctuations Scale exhibited excellent performance to differentiate major NCDLB from other major neurocognitive disorders(NCDs), with a sensitivity of 94.1%and a specificity of 71.4%, and acceptable performance to differentiate mild NCDLB from other mild NCDs, with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 93.1 %.Conclusion The Mayo Fluctuations Scale-Thai version is an excellent screening tool for major NCDLB and an acceptable tool that may be used with other additional tests for mild NCDLB. The tool is practical for use in memory and psychiatric clinics. Further validation studies in participants with other specific clinical conditions are required.展开更多
Objective:The aim of this study was to develop a frailty scale for the elderly in China and to examine its reliability and validity.Methods:The method of convenient sampling was used to select 375 elderly individual...Objective:The aim of this study was to develop a frailty scale for the elderly in China and to examine its reliability and validity.Methods:The method of convenient sampling was used to select 375 elderly individuals in different communities of Tianjin,China.EuroQpl-5D was used to evaluate the criterion validity.Cronbach's αcoefficients,correlation analysis,exploratory factor analysis,criterion-related validity,and internal consistency were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale.To evaluate the test—retest reliability,30 old people were re-evaluated after 2 weeks.Results:The final version of the frailty scale(FI-35) consisted of 35 items.Eleven factors were extracted by a principal factor analysis and varimax rotation,with a cumulative contribution of 86.00%.Eleven dimensions were positively correlated(r = 0.130-0.541,P 〈 0.01).Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.952,and the alpha coefficients of 11 dimensions ranged from 0.730 to 0.992.The test-retest reliability was0.874 for the total scale.The split-half reliability of the scale was 0.808.Structural equation modeling was used to perform a confirmatory factor analysis,and various parameters were all acceptable.Conclusions:FI-35 met the requirement of scale development and showed good reliability and validity;thus,it can be used as an efficient frailty measurement tool for Chinese elderly.展开更多
With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,the research team jointly led by Porf.Liu Zaiyi(刘再毅)at Guangdong General Hospital and Prof.Tian Jie(田捷)at the Key Laboratory of Molecular Imagi...With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,the research team jointly led by Porf.Liu Zaiyi(刘再毅)at Guangdong General Hospital and Prof.Tian Jie(田捷)at the Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging,Chinese Academy of Sciences,developed a CT-based radiomics prediction model to preoperatively predict the lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer(CRC),which was published展开更多
This study reports the development and validation of an instrument,“Undergraduate STEM Educational Process Questionnaire”(USEPQ)to assess the learning experiences of STEM(science,technology,engineering and mathemati...This study reports the development and validation of an instrument,“Undergraduate STEM Educational Process Questionnaire”(USEPQ)to assess the learning experiences of STEM(science,technology,engineering and mathematics)-major undergraduates from the perspective of a conceptualized comprehensive STEM educational process framework that consists of key essentials such as course learning and instruction,educational environment,assessment methods,and unique STEM attributes.Exploration Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis performed on independent samples indicate that the finalized 9-factor,41-item USEPQ possesses a stable factor structure and sound psychometric properties.The factors of the validated scale are Classroom Instruction of Courses,Support from Faculty Members,Alternative Assessment Methods,Cooperative Learning,Resources and Service,Academic Competition,Cross-discipline Features of Program Courses,Connectedness of Program Courses,and Examination Difficulty.展开更多
基金This study was supported by grants from the National Youth Top-Notch Talent of Ten Thousand Program[grant number WRQB2019]the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Leader of Ten Thousand Program[grant number 2018RA2102],China.
文摘Insertion/deletion polymorphisms(InDels)have been treated as a prospective and helpful genetic marker in the fields of forensic human identification,anthropology and population genetics for the past few years.In this study,we developed a six-dye multiplex typing system consisting of 34 autosomal InDels and Amelogenin for forensic application.The contained InDels were specifically selected for Chinese population with the MAF≥0.25 in East Asia,which do not overlap with the markers of Investigator^(■)DIPplex kit.The typing system was named as GoldeneyeTM DNA ID System 35InDel Kit,and a series of developmental validation studies including repeatability/reproducibility,concordance,accuracy,sensitivity,stability,species specificity and population genetics were conducted on this kit.We confirmed that the 35InDel kit is precise,sensitive,species specific and robust for forensic practice.Moreover,the 35InDel kit is capable of typing DNA extracted from forensic routine case-type samples as well as degraded samples and mixture samples.All markers are proved to be highly polymorphic with an average observed heterozygosity(He)of 0.4582.The combined power of discrimination(CPD)is 0.999999999999978 and the combined power of exclusion in duos(CPE_(D))and trios(CPE_(T))are 0.978837 and 0.999573,respectively,which are higher than those of the Investigator^(■)DIPplex kit.Thus,the GoldeneyeTM DNA ID System 35InDel kit is suitable for forensic human identification and could serve as a supplementary typing system for paternity testing.
文摘This study was designed to explore the possibility of using ascitic mouse sarcoma cell line (S180) to validate the mouse tumor cell attachment assay for developmental toxicants, and to test the inhibitory effects of various developmental toxicants. The results showed that 2 of 3 developmental toxicants under consideration, sodium pentobarbital and ethanol, significantly inhibited S180cells attachment to Concanavalin A-coaed surfaces. Inhibition was dependent on concentration, and the IC50 (the concentration tha reduced attachment by 50% ), of these 2 chemicals was 1.2×10-3mol/L and 1 .0 mol/L, respectively. Anoher developmental toxiant, hydmiortisone, did not show inhibitory activity. Two non-developmental toxicants, sodium chloride and glycine were also tested and these did not decrease attachment rates. The main results reported here were generally sindlar to those obtained with ascitic mouse ovdrian tumor cells as a model. Therefore, this study added further evidence to the conclusion that cell specificity does not lindt attachment inhibition to Con A-coated surfaces, so S180 cell may serve as an altemative cell model, especially when other cell lines are unavailable. Furthermore, after optimal validation, it can be suggested that an S180 cell attachment assay may be a candidate for a series of assays to detect developmental toxicants.
基金the Humanities and Social Sciences Project,China’s Ministry of Education(Grant Number:22YJA740016)the Key Project of Hubei Provincial Department of Education Philosophy and Social Science Research Fund(No.21ZD051)the Teaching and Research Fund of Hubei University of Technology(No.Xiao2022018).
文摘While a plethora of studies has been conducted to explore demotivation and its impact on mental health in second language(L2)education,scanty research focuses on demotivation in L2 speaking learning.Particularly,little research explores the measures to quantify L2 speaking demotivation.The present two-phase study attempts to develop and validate an English Speaking Demotivation Scale(ESDS).To this end,an independent sample of 207 Chinese tertiary learners of English as a Foreign Language(EFL)participated in the development phase,and another group of 188 Chinese EFL learners was recruited for the validation of the scale.Exploratory Factor Analysis(EFA)and Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)were employed to determine the factor structure of the scale.The EFA results revealed a six-factor solution with Teacher-related Factors in Learning Spoken English(TFLSE),Interest and Valence in Learning Spoken English(IVLSE),Self-efficacy in Learning Spoken English(SELSE),Negative Peer Influence in Learning Spoken English(NPILSE),Undesirable Environment for Learning Spoken English(UELSE),and Negative Influence of Assessment and Learning Materials in speaking class(NIALM).In the validation phase,Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)was performed to validate the internal structure of the scale.The CFA results showed that the model fits the data well.Overall,the ESDS is a robust and trustworthy psychometric tool that could be utilized to examine L2 speaking demotivation.Implications for diminishing EFL learners’demotivation,lessening their aversive emotions and promoting their mental health are also discussed.
基金funded by a grant from the Faculty of MedicineRamathibodi Hospital,Mahidol University,Bangkok,Thailand
文摘Background Prevalence of neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies(NCDLB) is low in Asian populations, which may partially reflect its diagnostic difficulty. The Mayo Fluctuations Scale, a short questionnaire that evaluates cognitive fluctuation, has been shown to significantly differentiate NCDLB from Alzheimer's disease.Aim This study aimed to develop the Mayo Fluctuations Scale-Thai version and assess its validity to screen NCDLB in an elderly population.Methods The Mayo Ructuations Scale was translated into Thai. The process involved back-translation, cross-cultural adaptation, field testing of the prefinal version, as well as final adjustments. From all patients attending the Psychiatric and Memory Clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital, 135 patients accompanied by their primary caregivers were included.Caregivers were interviewed by research assistants using a four-item scale, and psychiatrists determined patients*diagnosis based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(DSM)-5 criteria. Evaluations performed by psychiatrists and research assistants were blinded.Results Seventeen participants had been diagnosed with major NCDLB. At a cut-off score of 2 or over, the Mayo Fluctuations Scale exhibited excellent performance to differentiate major NCDLB from other major neurocognitive disorders(NCDs), with a sensitivity of 94.1%and a specificity of 71.4%, and acceptable performance to differentiate mild NCDLB from other mild NCDs, with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 93.1 %.Conclusion The Mayo Fluctuations Scale-Thai version is an excellent screening tool for major NCDLB and an acceptable tool that may be used with other additional tests for mild NCDLB. The tool is practical for use in memory and psychiatric clinics. Further validation studies in participants with other specific clinical conditions are required.
基金supported by the National Social Science Foundation(No.14BSH124)
文摘Objective:The aim of this study was to develop a frailty scale for the elderly in China and to examine its reliability and validity.Methods:The method of convenient sampling was used to select 375 elderly individuals in different communities of Tianjin,China.EuroQpl-5D was used to evaluate the criterion validity.Cronbach's αcoefficients,correlation analysis,exploratory factor analysis,criterion-related validity,and internal consistency were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale.To evaluate the test—retest reliability,30 old people were re-evaluated after 2 weeks.Results:The final version of the frailty scale(FI-35) consisted of 35 items.Eleven factors were extracted by a principal factor analysis and varimax rotation,with a cumulative contribution of 86.00%.Eleven dimensions were positively correlated(r = 0.130-0.541,P 〈 0.01).Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.952,and the alpha coefficients of 11 dimensions ranged from 0.730 to 0.992.The test-retest reliability was0.874 for the total scale.The split-half reliability of the scale was 0.808.Structural equation modeling was used to perform a confirmatory factor analysis,and various parameters were all acceptable.Conclusions:FI-35 met the requirement of scale development and showed good reliability and validity;thus,it can be used as an efficient frailty measurement tool for Chinese elderly.
文摘With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,the research team jointly led by Porf.Liu Zaiyi(刘再毅)at Guangdong General Hospital and Prof.Tian Jie(田捷)at the Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging,Chinese Academy of Sciences,developed a CT-based radiomics prediction model to preoperatively predict the lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer(CRC),which was published
基金The fourth author of this paper Prof.Yipeng Tang thanks National Natural Science Foundation of China(NNSFC)for collaboratively funding the research(No.71704115).
文摘This study reports the development and validation of an instrument,“Undergraduate STEM Educational Process Questionnaire”(USEPQ)to assess the learning experiences of STEM(science,technology,engineering and mathematics)-major undergraduates from the perspective of a conceptualized comprehensive STEM educational process framework that consists of key essentials such as course learning and instruction,educational environment,assessment methods,and unique STEM attributes.Exploration Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis performed on independent samples indicate that the finalized 9-factor,41-item USEPQ possesses a stable factor structure and sound psychometric properties.The factors of the validated scale are Classroom Instruction of Courses,Support from Faculty Members,Alternative Assessment Methods,Cooperative Learning,Resources and Service,Academic Competition,Cross-discipline Features of Program Courses,Connectedness of Program Courses,and Examination Difficulty.