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Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have developed rapidly and become tremendously popular because of their plentiful gamification designs, such as reputation points, rewards, and goal setting. Although previous studies have mentioned a broad range of gamification designs that might influence MOOC learner engagement, most gamified MOOCs fail to meet learning objectives because of a lack of research regarding suitable game design, as well as poor rationale for or design of gamification mechanics. This study aims to explore and identify engaging gamification mechanics for MOOC learners. We conducted a focus group interview with 25 MOOC frequent users to identify 40 gamification mechanics. This study then determined the relative engagingness of these gamification mechanics by administering an online survey to 5,020 MOOC learners. The results indicated that the 10 most engaging gamification mechanics accounted for more than 50% of the engagingness. The mechanics of the Where's Wally game is extremely engaging for MOOC learners; however, they it is not been demonstrated in previous relevant studies. Finally, we discuss the top five engaging gamification mechanics and their implications.

A major number of studies have demonstrated Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) biocompatibility, bioactivity, and osteoconductivity characteristics in bone regeneration. The aim of this research was to enhance β-TCP's biocompatibility, and evaluate its physicochemical properties by argon glow discharge plasma (GDP) plasma surface treatment without modifying its surface. Treated β-TCP was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy characterization. To evaluate treated β-TCP biocompatibility and osteoblastic differentiation, water-soluble tetrazolium salts-1 (WST-1), immunofluorescence, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) were done using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The results indicated a slight enhancement of the β-TCP by GDP sputtering, which resulted in a higher Ca/P ratio (2.05) than the control. Furthermore, when compared with control β-TCP, we observed an improvement of WST-1 on all days ( p  < 0.05) as well as of ALP activity (day 7, p  < 0.05), with up-regulation of ALP, osteocalcin, and Osteoprotegerin osteogenic genes in cells cultured with the treated β-TCP. XPS and SEM results indicated that treated β-TCP’s surface was not modified. In vivo, micro-computed tomography and histomorphometric analysis indicated that the β-TCP test managed to regenerate more new bone than the untreated β-TCP and control defects at 8 weeks ( p  < 0.05). Argon GDP treatment is a viable method for removing macro and micro particles of < 7 μm in size from β-TCP bigger particles surfaces and therefore improving its biocompatibility with slight surface roughness modification, enhancing hMSCs proliferation, osteoblastic differentiation, and stimulating more new bone formation.

Tetrahymena are ciliated protists that have been used to study the effects of toxic chemicals, including anticancer drugs. In this study, we tested the inhibitory effects of six pyrimidine analogs (5-fluorouracil, floxuridine, 5’-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, 5-fluorouridine, gemcitabine, and cytarabine) on wild-type CU428 and conditional mutant NP1 Tetrahymena thermophila at room temperature and the restrictive temperature (37°C) where NP1 does not form the oral apparatus. We found that phagocytosis was not required for pyrimidine analog entry and that all tested pyrimidine analogs inhibited growth except for cytarabine. IC50 values did not significantly differ between CU428 and NP1 for the same analog at either room temperature or 37°C. To investigate the mechanism of inhibition, we used two pyrimidine bases (uracil and thymine) and three nucleosides (uridine, thymidine, and 5-methyluridine) to determine whether the inhibitory effects from the pyrimidine analogs were reversible. We found that the inhibitory effects from 5-fluorouracil could be reversed by uracil and thymine, from floxuridine could be reversed by thymidine, and from 5’-deoxy-5-fluorouridine could be reversed by uracil. None of the tested nucleobases or nucleosides could reverse the inhibitory effects of gemcitabine or 5-fluorouridine. Our results suggest that the five pyrimidine analogs act on different sites to inhibit T . thermophila growth and that nucleobases and nucleosides are metabolized differently in Tetrahymena .

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually affects older individuals. Owing to the higher incidence of root caries and missing teeth in elderly individuals, the bacteria involved in these dental concerns might potentially deteriorate their cognitive function. Altered microbiota in the oral cavity may induce neuroinflammation through migration from the oral cavity to the brain. However, the correlation between the composition of the oral microbiota and neurodegenerative disease remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated sequence to determine the relative abundance and diversity of bacterial taxa in the dental plaque of elderly patients with AD and controls. Oral samples; the DMFT index; and other clinical examination data were collected from 17 patients with AD and 18 normal elderly individuals as the control group. Patients with AD had significantly more missing teeth and higher dental plaque weight but lower microbial diversity than controls. Significantly increased numbers of Lactobacillales, Streptococcaceae, and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and a significantly decreased number of Fusobacterium were observed in patients with AD. In conclusion, using the PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing platform to survey the microbiota dysbiosis biomarkers in the oral cavity of elderly individuals could serve as a tool to identify patients with AD.

The ciliated protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans infects a wide range of marine fish and causes the highly lethal white spot disease. This parasite possesses three morphologically and physiologically distinct life stages: an infectious theront, a parasitic trophont, and an asexually reproductive tomont. In the past few years, several attempts have been made to help elucidate how C. irritans transforms from one stage to another using transcriptomic or proteomic approaches. However, there has been no research studying changes in transcription profiles between different time points of a single C. irritans life stage-the development of this parasite. Here we use RNA-seq and compare gene expression profiles of theront cells collected by 1 and 10 hrs after they emerged from tomonts. It has been shown that infectivity of theront cells declines 6-8 hours post-emergence, and we used this characteristic as a physiological marker to confirm the aging of theront cells. We identified a total of 41 upregulated and 90 downregulated genes that were differentially expressed between young and aging theront cells. Using Blast2Go to further analyze functions of these genes, we show that genes related to energy production are downregulated, but quite surprisingly many genes involved in transcription/translation processes are upregulated. We also show that expression of all nine detectable agglutination/immobilization antigen genes, with great sequence divergence, is invariably downregulated. Functions of other differentially expressed genes and indications are also discussed in our study.

Earth's presently‐active magnetic field is thought to be generated by geodynamo via convection of liquid outer core, primarily composed of Fe alloyed with Ni and light elements, for example, Si. Core thermal conductivity critically controls its thermal evolution, dynamics, and available energy (thermal vs. compositional) powering the geodynamo over Earth's history. Here we precisely measured thermal conductivity of solid Fe0.85Ni0.06Si0.09 (Fe–7wt%Ni–5wt%Si) to 148 GPa/2950 K and Fe to 155 GPa/3246 K, respectively. We show that a liquid outer core with Fe0.85Ni0.06Si0.09 has a moderate thermal conductivity of ∼73 W m−1 K−1, in the moderate zone over the previously reported broad range (∼20–250 W m−1 K−1) that includes various core compositions. Such a modest isentropic, conductive heat flow at core‐mantle boundary (CMB) (∼11 TW) is smaller than present‐day CMB heat flow (∼15 TW), suggesting a presently‐active thermally‐driven geodynamo and a maximum inner core age of ∼0.8–1.3 billion‐years.

The biocharacteristics of xenogeneic grafts make them a possible substitute for autogenous bone grafts in dental bone graft procedures. This study aimed to develop a novel porcine graft with collagen capable of generating new bone in bone defects via osteoconduction over 8 weeks of healing and to compare it with a porcine graft. The porcine collagen graft was made to undergo a cell viability test (MTT) and alkaline phosphatase assay (ALP). The surgical procedure was performed in 20 male adult New Zealand white rabbits. Four calvarial critical-size defects of 6 mm in diameter were prepared in each rabbit. The upper left defect was filled with a porcine graft of 500–1000 μm, the upper right with a porcine collagen graft, the lower left with hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate and the lower right served as the control without any filling material. The rabbits were divided and sacrificed at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after surgery. Histological and micro-CT scan results showed that the performance of the porcine collagen graft is superior for regenerating new bone. Porcine collagen graft showed cell viability and osteoblast-like cell differentiation in vitro . The results indicate that porcine collagen graft is a potential bone substitute for clinical application.

The musculoskeletal system, which comprises muscles, tendons, and bones, is an efficient tissue complex that coordinates body movement and maintains structural stability. The process of its construction into a single functional and complex organization is unclear. SRY-box containing gene 9 (Sox9) is expressed initially in pluripotent cells and subsequently in ectodermal, endodermal, and mesodermal derivatives. This study investigated how Sox9 controls the development of each component of the musculoskeletal system. Sox9 was expressed in MTJ, tendon, and bone progenitor cells at E13 and in bone at E16. We detected Sox9 expression in muscle progenitor cells using double-transgenic mice and myoblastic cell lines. However, we found no Sox9 expression in developed muscle. A decrease in Sox9 expression in muscle-associated connective tissues, tendons, and bones led to hypoplasia of the cartilage and its attachment to tendons and muscle. These results showed that switching on Sox9 expression in each component (muscle, tendon, and bone) is essential for the development of the musculoskeletal system. Sox9 is expressed in not only tendon and bone progenitor cells but also muscle progenitor cells, and it controls musculoskeletal system development.

Sapindus mukorossi seed oil is commonly used as a source for biodiesel fuel. Its phytochemical composition is similar to the extracted oil from Sapindus trifoliatus seeds, which exhibit beneficial effects for skin wound healing. Since S. mukorossi seed shows no cyanogenic property, it could be a potential candidate for the treatment of skin wounds. Thus, we evaluated the effectiveness of S. mukorossi seed oil in the treatment of skin wounds. We characterized and quantified the fatty acids and unsaponifiable fractions (including β-sitosterol and δ-tocopherol) contained in S. mukorossi seed-extracted oil by GC-MS and HPLC, respectively. Cell proliferation and migratory ability were evaluated by cell viability and scratch experiments using CCD-966SK cells treated with S. mukorossi oil. The anti-inflammatory effects of the oil were evaluated by measuring the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Antimicrobial activity tests were performed with Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans using a modified Japanese Industrial Standard procedure. Uniform artificial wounds were created on the dorsum of rats. The wounds were treated with a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/hyaluronic acid (HA)/sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel for releasing the S. mukorossi seed oil. The wound sizes were measured photographically for 12 days and were compared to wounds covered with analogous membranes containing a saline solution. Our results showed that the S. mukorossi seed oil used in this study contains abundant monounsaturated fatty acids, β-sitosterol, and δ-tocopherol. In the in vitro tests, S. mukorossi seed oil prompted cell proliferation and migration capability. Additionally, the oil had significant anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. In the in vivo animal experiments, S. mukorossi seed oil-treated wounds revealed acceleration of sequential skin wound healing events after two days of healing. The size of oil-treated wound decreased to half the size of the untreated control after eight days of healing. The results suggest that S. mukorossi seed oil could be a potential source for promoting skin wound healing.

Titanium is widely used in medical implants despite the release of heavy metal ions over long-term use. Zirconia is very close to the color of teeth; however, its biological inertness hinders bonding with bone tissue. Alkaline treatment and coatings of calcium phosphate can be used to enhance bone regeneration adjacent to dental implants. This study examined the effects of alkaline treatment, calcium phosphate coatings, and sintering, on the physical properties of implant material. Our analysis confirmed that the calcium phosphate species were octacalcium phosphate (OCP). The sintering of calcium phosphate was shown to create B-type HAP, which is highly conducive toward the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts for the facilitation of bone integration. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the room-temperature fabrication of dental implants with superhydrophilic surfaces to enhance biocompatibility.