Preparation,Characterization and Cytotoxic Effects of Pegylated Nanoliposomal Containing Carboplatin on Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines

Carboplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent used against various malignancies such as ovarian carcinoma. The aim of this study is to improve the therapeutic efficacy of carboplatin using pegylated liposomal nanocarriers. Nanoparticles were synthesized using thin film hydration technique and characterized for shape morphology, particle size, zeta potential and drug-release properties. In the next step, A2780S and A2780CP ovarian cancer cell lines were used to determine the efficacy of nanodrug by MTT assay. The particle size and zeta potential of nanodrug were measured 244.3 ± 19.6 nm and ?22.9 ± 1.7 mV, respectively. High encapsulation capacity (78.6 ± 3.7 %) confirmed the efficiency of technique. The cytotoxicity results also showed that nanodrug compared to free drug improve the efficacy of carboplatin against both A2780S (P < 0.01) and A2780CP (P < 0.05) cell lines. In conclusion, the findings of our study suggested pegylated liposomal nanocarriers are proper for carboplatin delivery to ovarian cancer cell lines A2780S and A2780CP.     

Inhibitory control,dyadic social behavior,and mental health difficulties in preschoolers

Although inhibitory control is typically associated with positive outcomes, several theoretical frameworks suggest that too little and too much inhibitory control may be problematic. Using a longitudinal, latent variable approach, we examined whether a multi-method index of inhibitory control at Time 1 (N = 105, 52 girls, M_age = 3.50 years, 87% White) predicted observed social behavior with an unfamiliar peer and maternal report of preschoolers’ mental health difficulties at Time 2 (M_age = 4.76 years). Data collection occurred between 2017 and 2019. Inhibitory control displayed a U-shaped relation with prospective outcomes, where high and low levels of inhibitory control were associated with higher levels of avoidant social behaviors and mental health difficulties. The results are discussed in the context of under- and over-regulation in understanding individual differences in children's social behavior and mental health difficulties.     

A different result of community participation in education: an Indonesian case study of parental participation in public primary schools

Parental participation in school management is regarded as a good thing according to the rationale that local people know better and are able to be more responsive to their own needs. However, little is understood about the implications of the School Operational Support policy for community participation in education. This study investigated parental participation in the context of education decentralisation with regard to the changing situation in which the Indonesian government provides sufficient funds for school operational costs. Using a qualitative inquiry, researchers collected data through document analyses, questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders of two public primary schools in Depok, Indonesia. The study found that prior to the Free School Program, parental participation was limited to parents’ financial contribution and associated matters. However, since school was made free, parents’ involvement in school budgeting has become very limited; they are no longer engaged in the planning of allocations, and neither they nor the school committees are able to make inputs into decision making; even the functions of the school committees are limited to rubber stamping the school budget.     

The use of lysosomal enzymuria in the early detection and monitoring of the progression of diabetic nephropathy

Recent acquisitions on the early detection and monitoring of the progression of diabetic complications (nephropathy) using the techniques of enzymology (lysosomal enzymes) are reviewed. it appears that the kidney is the principal source of urinary lysosomal enzymes. Urinary samples for lysosomal enzyme determination can be either 24-hour or spot-collection. The use of synthetic substrates (4-methylumbelliferyl substrates) provides an easy, inexpensive, sensitive and highly reproducible method of lysosomal enzyme assay. It is recommended that more than one enzyme be assayed in the process. The use of fractional enzyme excretion (FEE) ratios is further recommended. The urinary lysosomal glycosidases investigated and found to be of particular diagnostic value in the early detection of diabetic nephropathy include N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (β-hexosaminidase, NAG), β-glucuronidase and β-galactosidase, with NAG being the most useful indicator. Urinary NAG can be used in monitoring the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The fluorimetric assay of lysosomal glycosidases is particuarly recommended in developing countries since it is simple, sensitive and inexpensive.     

‘They're not girly girls’: an exploration of quantitative and qualitative data on engineering and gender in higher education

Despite sustained efforts to promote engineering careers to young women, it remains the most male-dominated academic discipline in Europe. This paper will provide an overview of UK data and research on women in engineering higher education, within the context of Europe. Comparisons between data from European countries representing various regions of Europe will highlight key differences and similarities between these nations in terms of women in engineering. Also, drawing on qualitative research the paper will explore UK students’ experiences of gender, with a particular focus on the decision to study engineering and their experiences in higher education.     

Expectations,realizations, and approval of tablet computers in an educational setting

The introduction of new technologies in classrooms is often thought to offer great potential for advancing learning. In this article, we investigate the relationship between such expectations and the post-implementation evaluation of a new technology in an educational setting. Building on psychological research, we argue that (1) high expectations (ex ante) can undermine the approval ratings of new technologies (ex post); and (2) individuals’ post-implementation evaluations are more likely to exceed their expectations when they can exert power over the introduction of a new technology. We test these predictions on a sample of 750 respondents from primary and secondary schools in Flanders with and without tablet computers. Our findings are supportive of both theoretical predictions.     

Beyond item analysis: Connecting student behaviour and performance using e-assessment logs

Traditional item analyses such as classical test theory (CTT) use exam-taker responses to assessment items to approximate their difficulty and discrimination. The increased adoption by educational institutions of electronic assessment platforms (EAPs) provides new avenues for assessment analytics by capturing detailed logs of an exam-taker's journey through their exam. This paper explores how logs created by EAPs can be employed alongside exam-taker responses and CTT to gain deeper insights into exam items. In particular, we propose an approach for deriving features from exam logs for approximating item difficulty and discrimination based on exam-taker behaviour during an exam. Items for which difficulty and discrimination differ significantly between CTT analysis and our approach are flagged through outlier detection for independent academic review. We demonstrate our approach by analysing de-identified exam logs and responses to assessment items of 463 medical students enrolled in a first-year biomedical sciences course. The analysis shows that the number of times an exam-taker visits an item before selecting a final response is a strong indicator of an item's difficulty and discrimination. Scrutiny by the course instructor of the seven items identified as outliers suggests our log-based analysis can provide insights beyond what is captured by traditional item analyses.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Traditional item analysis is based on exam-taker responses to the items using mathematical and statistical models from classical test theory (CTT). The difficulty and discrimination indices thus calculated can be used to determine the effectiveness of each item and consequently the reliability of the entire exam.

What this paper adds

• Data extracted from exam logs can be used to identify exam-taker behaviours which complement classical test theory in approximating the difficulty and discrimination of an item and identifying items that may require instructor review.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Identifying the behaviours of successful exam-takers may allow us to develop effective exam-taking strategies and personal recommendations for students.
• Analysing exam logs may also provide an additional tool for identifying struggling students and items in need of revision.