A microfluidics approach towards high-throughput pathogen removal from blood using margination

Sepsis is an adverse systemic inflammatory response caused by microbial infection in blood. This paper reports a simple microfluidic approach for intrinsic, non-specific removal of both microbes and inflammatory cellular components (platelets and leukocytes) from whole blood, inspired by the invivo phenomenon of leukocyte margination. As blood flows through a narrow microchannel (20 × 20 µm), deformable red blood cells (RBCs) migrate axially to the channel centre, resulting in margination of other cell types (bacteria, platelets, and leukocytes) towards the channel sides. By using a simple cascaded channel design, the blood samples undergo a 2-stage bacteria removal in a single pass through the device, thereby allowing higher bacterial removal efficiency. As an application for sepsis treatment, we demonstrated separation of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae spiked into whole blood, achieving high removal efficiencies of ∼80% and ∼90%, respectively. Inflammatory cellular components were also depleted by >80% in the filtered blood samples which could help to modulate the host inflammatory response and potentially serve as a blood cleansing method for sepsis treatment. The developed technique offers significant advantages including high throughput (∼1 ml/h per channel) and label-free separation which allows non-specific removal of any blood-borne pathogens (bacteria and fungi). The continuous processing and collection mode could potentially enable the return of filtered blood back to the patient directly, similar to a simple and complete dialysis circuit setup. Lastly, we designed and tested a larger filtration device consisting of 6 channels in parallel (∼6 ml/h) and obtained similar filtration performances. Further multiplexing is possible by increasing channel parallelization or device stacking to achieve higher throughput comparable to convectional blood dialysis systems used in clinical settings.     

Evaluating Statistical Targets for Assembling Parallel Mixed‐Format Test Forms

Test assembly is the process of selecting items from an item pool to form one or more new test forms. Often new test forms are constructed to be parallel with an existing (or an ideal) test. Within the context of item response theory, the test information function (TIF) or the test characteristic curve (TCC) are commonly used as statistical targets to obtain this parallelism. In a recent study, Ali and van Rijn proposed combining the TIF and TCC as statistical targets, rather than using only a single statistical target. In this article, we propose two new methods using this combined approach, and compare these methods with single statistical targets for the assembly of mixed‐format tests. In addition, we introduce new criteria to evaluate the parallelism of multiple forms. The results show that single statistical targets can be problematic, while the combined targets perform better, especially in situations with increasing numbers of polytomous items. Implications of using the combined target are discussed.     

Effect of telenursing on aging perception of Iranian older adults

Background and purpose: The perception of aging is one of the independent predictors of functional disability and mortality in the aged ones, this study was conducted to compare the follow-up of a training program with the use of two in-person and telenursing methods on the perception of aging of the elderly, covered by the comprehensive health centers in Ahvaz city.

Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study involved systematic random sampling conducted on 60 elderly persons (aged 60–75 years) who were referred to in Ahvaz. A training program was conducted for all elderly persons for 3 weeks (three sessions per week), which was accompanied with 2 months of six follow-ups for the telephonic follow-up group (Tele-nursing), and two follow-ups for in-person follow-up group. The data were collected with the use of demographic form, Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), and The Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ). Elderly completed the questionnaire at the beginning of the study and 8 weeks later. The data were subsequently analyzed with SPSS software; and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.

Results: Based on the results, the mean score of perception of aging increased in the study groups after the intervention. This increase was statistically significant only in the intervention group.

Discussion and Conclusion: The telephonic follow-up was more effective on Increasing the perception of aging compared with the in-person follow-up. Therefore, using this method is recommended for the elderly.     

Renovation of Adult Education by the New Media

In most developing countries, that are confronted, as we know, with so many complex problems, no one can deny that the most important are those of education and training.     

Communicating Science to Impact Learning? A Phenomenological Inquiry into 4th and 5th Graders’ Perceptions of Science Information Sources

Rooted in science education and science communication studies, this study examines 4th and 5th grade students’ perceptions of science information sources (SIS) and their use in communicating science to students. It combines situated learning theory with uses and gratifications theory in a qualitative phenomenological analysis. Data were gathered through classroom observations and interviews in four Turkish elementary schools. Focus group interviews with 47 students and individual interviews with 17 teachers and 10 parents were conducted. Participants identified a wide range of SIS, including TV, magazines, newspapers, internet, peers, teachers, families, science centers/museums, science exhibitions, textbooks, science books, and science camps. Students reported using various SIS in school-based and non-school contexts to satisfy their cognitive, affective, personal, and social integrative needs. SIS were used for science courses, homework/project assignments, examination/test preparations, and individual science-related research. Students assessed SIS in terms of the perceived accessibility of the sources, the quality of the content, and the content presentation. In particular, some sources such as teachers, families, TV, science magazines, textbooks, and science centers/museums (“directive sources”) predictably led students to other sources such as teachers, families, internet, and science books (“directed sources”). A small number of sources crossed context boundaries, being useful in both school and out. Results shed light on the connection between science education and science communication in terms of promoting science learning.     

When empathy hurts: Modelling university students’ word of mouth behaviour in public vs. private universities in Syria

This study examines and compares word of mouth (WOM) behaviour among university students in Syria. To date, little is known about this important phenomenon which is surprising given the deregulated education market in Syria that allows for private universities to compete for students alongside public universities. Using a mixed methods research design and structural equation modelling, our results show faculty individualised attention and student satisfaction were found to be positively related to university image. Further, student satisfaction and university image were found to be direct sources of students’ positive WOM behaviour. We found a moderating effect of university ownership type on university image. Interestingly, we identified six themes showing how support staff empathy could be seen as a source of low student satisfaction. These were defined as deception/credibility/soft‐soapers/suspiciousness: when support staff coax something out of students; confusion/role conflict: resulting from the diverse roles played by support staff while interacting with students; unfairness: when a student notices discrimination in the level of empathy between their peers; privacy: when support staff empathy can be perceived as a kind of intrusion; self‐congratulatory: when a support staff member shows off or praises their empathy; and support staff/student ratio: when this ratio is seen to be small, the empathy effect reverses.     

Comprehensive screening and selection of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) germplasm for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage and during plant ontogeny

The okra germplasm was screened for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage and during plant ontogeny. Substantial variation existed in okra for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. An 80 mmol/L NaCl concentration was suitable for discriminating tolerant and non-tolerant okra genotypes. The pooled ranking of the genotypes, based on individual rankings for each trait (root and shoot length, germination percentage, and relative Na⁺ and K⁺) in individual NaCl concentrations, was effective for selecting tolerant genotypes. Genotypes selected at the seedling stage maintained their tolerance to NaCl during plant ontogeny, suggesting that screening of the germplasm entries and advanced breeding materials for salt tolerance at the seedling stage is effective. Among 39 okra genotypes, five were identified as the most tolerant genotypes and showed potential for use in breeding programs that focus on the development of salt-tolerant, high-yield okra cultivars.     

The INSPIRE Project: Using the ‘Unknown’ to Co-construct a Training Course on Humanistic Counselling in Afghanistan

This article details a collaborative project between the University of Strathclyde (UK) and the University of Herat (Afghanistan). The aim was to co-construct a model of training, based on humanistic approaches, in order to enhance counselling services in Afghanistan and to establish counselling training at the University of Herat. Two groups of participants received 120 h training each. In February 2014 a selected group received a further training for trainers. Strengths and limitations of this project are explored as well as its impact on the Afghan community and further developments for counselling in this context.     

Students＇ mental health： Personal and university determinants

The present study was to examine the effects of personal and university bounded factors in students mental health in north of Fars province, Iran. The effects of these factors on university students＇ psychopathology within a survey design were investigated among 300 participants--94 males and 206 females, who were selected through random sampling method and the degrees of their mental health, were measured by SCL-90-R checklist. Overall findings supported that gender, marital status, socioeconomic status as personal factors, and type of university as within university factor would influence students＇ mental health. So males, married, and students with moderate and high socioeconomic status had more significant better mental health situation than females, singles and those with low socioeconomic status. Finally, ethnicity, dormitory and non-dormitory residence, native or non-native being, discipline, school and faculty, and academic performance variables were not effective on students＇ mental health significantly. Here, it was suggested an explanatory triangle model for university students＇ mental health explanation with respect to gendered and socio-cultural contexts and their implications in clinical and educational settings.     

儿童与父母冲突--亲子互动研究的一个重要课题

目前亲子互动研究成为一个非常重要的课题。父母冲突作为考察亲子互动关系的一个重要变量,逐渐成为研究者关注的重要问题。尽管20世纪70年代以来,国外已从某些角度揭示了父母冲突与儿童发展的关系,并在一定程度上探讨了父母冲突对儿童的影响。但我国目前还没有系统的儿童与父母冲突的研究。因此,从我国的具体情况入手探讨亲子冲突对丰富和发展儿童心理学的基本理论,全面了解并有效促进儿童发展具有重要的理论和实践意义。