Cumulative Feedback Research Articles

Quantifying Baryonic Feedback on the Warm–Hot Circumgalactic Medium in CAMELS Simulations

Abstract The baryonic physics shaping galaxy formation and evolution are complex, spanning a vast range of scales and making them challenging to model. Cosmological simulations rely on subgrid models that produce significantly different predictions. Understanding how models of stellar and active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback affect baryon behavior across different halo masses and redshifts is essential. Using the SIMBA and IllustrisTNG suites from the Cosmology and Astrophysics with MachinE Learning Simulations (CAMELS) project, we explore the effect of parameters governing the subgrid implementation of stellar and AGN feedback. We find that while IllustrisTNG shows higher cumulative feedback energy across all halos, SIMBA demonstrates a greater spread of baryons, quantified by the closure radius and circumgalactic medium (CGM) gas fraction. This suggests that feedback in SIMBA couples more effectively to baryons and drives them more efficiently within the host halo. There is evidence that the different feedback modes are highly interrelated in these subgrid models. The parameters controlling the stellar feedback efficiency significantly impact AGN feedback, as seen in the suppression of black hole mass growth and delayed activation of AGN feedback to higher-mass halos with increasing stellar feedback efficiency in both simulations. Additionally, the AGN feedback efficiency parameters affect the CGM gas fraction at low halo masses in SIMBA, hinting at complex, nonlinear interactions between the AGN and supernova feedback modes. Overall, we demonstrate that stellar and AGN feedback are intimately interwoven, especially at low redshift, due to subgrid implementation, resulting in halo property effects that might initially seem counterintuitive.

Wāhine Māia - Being bold, courageous and persistent in the face of adversity

In 2023, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology launched a pilot initiative, ‘Wāhine Māia,’ to create space for ākonga wāhine (female students) studying towards a trade programme traditionally dominated by males. Building on some early successes, in 2024 we have maintained the kaupapa Māori framework and the collaborative mahi (work), and we will continue to evolve the format. The aim is to foster student retention and success through regular wānanga (workshops), whanaungatanga (networking) and wheako (sharing experiences). Wāhine Māia is a collaborative effort co-led by individuals from the Faculty of Primary Industries, Trades and Infrastructure and Te Haeata Māori Success. Also involved are the Careers and Employability, Learning Advisors, Māori Pacific Trades Training, Marketing, and Research teams. Without the breadth of kaimahi (staff) involvement, Wāhine Māia would have been difficult to launch and sustain. At the end of 2023, the co-leads presented at the MPATLAANZ Hui-Fono, sharing the cumulative feedback from ākonga Māori after each wānanga. We presented insights shared by ākonga Māori participants with the aim to highlight how Wāhine Māia supported them to feel confident and successful in their chosen trade. In addition, we emphasised the importance of collaboration and encouraged the audience of learning advisors to consider how they might add value to existing kaupapa and/or create a similar initiative with others at their respective institutes. This paper responds to requests for a more detailed outline of the project and the approved research evaluation which supported data collection and analysis.

Barriers to social sustainability in urbanisation: a comparative multi-stakeholder perspective

Social sustainability is a key pillar of sustainable development that usually receives less focus and emphasis when compared to other environmental or economic aspects. This entails the need to address this gap, should the concept of urban sustainability be comprehensively tackled. Despite such importance, social sustainability is considered a relatively difficult pillar to measure, considering its entanglements with the concerned individuals, communities, and stakeholders. This study aimed to identify the key barriers to achieving social sustainability in the context of Jordan. It relied on the opinions of three groups of experts, including academics, practitioners, and end users to reach a comprehensive account of understanding such barriers within a multi-faceted approach. The methodology relied on the Delphi technique by identifying areas of consensus and variance in provided opinions. The Kruskal–Wallis test was then applied to identify the inter-group differences and explore the key causes for such differences. The study concluded by developing a comprehensive framework of identified barriers weighed according to their relative importance considering the provided cumulative feedback. In so doing, it represents a step towards a comprehensive model that would assist in understanding, and later enabling, the successful achievement of social sustainability in the studied local context.

Client Satisfaction With Virtual Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic at an Occupational Health Physical Therapy Clinic.

The purpose of this project was to determine whether clients were satisfied with their occupational health physical therapy virtual consultations and whether or not they would have preferred a face-to-face consultation instead of a virtual consultation. Clients were mailed an adapted 10-item Telehealth Satisfaction Scale (TeSS) and asked to complete and return it in a prepaid envelope. Clients who returned the TeSS were then contacted by telephone and asked whether they would have preferred a face-to-face consultation instead of a virtual consultation. Overall, clients expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their virtual occupational health physical therapy consultation (96.9%). Most clients (82.1%) stated they would have chosen virtual consultations if given the choice. The cumulative feedback from clients suggested that the benefits of virtual consultations can be sustained post COVID-19 pandemic as clients have accepted and adapted to this new approach within the occupational health physical therapy clinic.

Understanding Patient Evaluation of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB): A Standardized Patient Case on AUB for OB/GYN Clerkship Students

IntroductionThe differential diagnosis for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) among reproductive-age women is broad and includes common and life-threatening conditions. Recognition and accurate diagnosis of AUB are important but can be challenging for medical students. We developed a standardized patient (SP) encounter for medical students during their OB/GYN clerkship.MethodsWe implemented two SP encounters, on AUB and dyspareunia, that included a postencounter note and SP evaluations. Here, we describe the implementation of the SP encounter on AUB. Students received formative feedback on their interpersonal and history-taking skills, differential diagnosis, and management plan from the SP as well as OB/GYN residents and faculty. Student cumulative feedback was obtained mid-clerkship and following the clerkship. Summary statistics and qualitative data for students’ experiences are reported.ResultsSP cases were implemented at the Duke University School of Medicine with 101 second-year medical students who completed the encounter from September 2018 to July 2019. Regarding the AUB case, SPs identified students as adequate history takers, with a mean evaluation score of 3.45 (SD = 0.15) out of 5. Most students (94%) correctly identified at least one diagnosis and provided evidence. Endometrial cancer/hyperplasia (63%) and uterine leiomyoma (60%) were most likely to be identified. Regarding both SP encounters, of the 82 students (81%) completing the end-of-clerkship survey, 57% indicated that the experience enhanced their overall learning at least adequately well or better.DiscussionThe AUB case provided students with the opportunity to exercise their diagnostic and management skills.

Hydrothermal co-hydrolysis of corncob/sugarcane bagasse/Broussonetia papyrifera blends: Kinetics, thermodynamics and fermentation

Biorefinery of biomass blends can achieve sustainable development of biofuel production. Herein, three lignocellulosic wastes with significant differences in chemical composition—namely corncob (CC), sugarcane bagasse (SB), and Broussonetia papyrifera (BP)—were selected to investigate their hydrothermal co-hydrolysis kinetics and thermodynamics of different biomass blends. Activation energies of hemicellulose decomposition (Ea1, 90.59 kJ/mol) for CC/SB were lower than those for CC (126.12 kJ/mol) and CC/SB/BP (153.62 kJ/mol). BP (having a high content of nitrogen sources) loading weakened the acidic autohydrolysis of CC/SB hemicellulose, but yielded stable products as indicated by the negative entropy value for CC/SB/BP hydrolysis. Cumulative feedback inhibition occurred among different biomass, and it could be minimized by controlling the blending ratio. The highest total xylose yield was 83.64% for CC/SB with a mass ratio of 2:1. Moreover, biomass blend of CC/SB/BP enabled complete utilization of hexose, pentose and amino acids by co-production of ethanol and microalga biomass.

P064 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient services: an analysis of patient feedback of virtual outpatient clinics in a tertiary teaching centre with a focus on musculoskeletal and rheumatology services

Background/Aims Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there have been changes to NHS services to limit unnecessary patient hospital visits and comply with new social restriction rules. One of these changes has been the introduction of virtual consultations in outpatient clinics to replace traditional face to face appointments. Methods A retrospective analysis of patient feedback from adult outpatient virtual appointments in a 4-month period was collated and reviewed (May-September 2020). After an appointment, patients were sent a text message asking for feedback. The text consisted of one main question asking patients to rate their experience and a comment section. The data from this brief patient survey was obtained for all rheumatology patient responses. At the end of the text there was a link for a more comprehensive online survey which patients could fill out if they wish to provide more detailed feedback. Responses to this survey encompasses all adult outpatient specialities including musculoskeletal services. Results There were 269 responses to the detailed patient survey from various adult outpatient clinics. The most common type of virtual consultation was telephone which was the case in 79%, of which 91% of patients stated the caller was polite and 89% felt they had an opportunity to ask questions. When asked what their overall view 43% of patients stated they would not mind conducting all future appointments via telephone, 23.5% felt that in the current situation a telephone consultation was acceptable but would have preferred a face to face and 7% were completely unsatisfied. From the musculoskeletal group there were 36 responses (20 orthopaedic, 15 rheumatology and 1 musculoskeletal). 92% of patients stated they were given the opportunity to ask questions and 86% were satisfied with the advice given to them. 33% (n = 12) stated they would not mind having virtual consultations in the future even after the pandemic, but 28% stated they would have preferred a face to face consultation. There were 784 responses to the shorter patient survey via text message from rheumatology patients. When asked to rate their experience 94% (n = 739) of patients stated it was either good or very good, and only 1% said it was poor or very poor. There were largely positive comments in the feedback. Most frequent points were patients felt listened to, communication was good and virtual consultations were less stressful. Conclusion At present the use of virtual clinics seems to be well received by patients and most importantly their quality of care is not compromised. From a patient’s perspective there are many benefits and cumulative feedback so far suggests that majority of the patients are willing to adapt to this new approach to outpatient appointments both now and post-COVID-19. Disclosure S. Byravan: None. K. Sunmboye: None.

Harrodian instability in decentralized economies: an agent-based approach

Harrodian instability emerges in post-Keynesian models because of the cumulative feedback between demand and investments. This paper presents a novel approach to deal with Harrodian instability. The main contribution is methodological and lies in the different theoretical mechanism adopted to avoid unstable dynamics. While the common approach relies on aggregative investment functions, we emphasize the role of heterogeneity in expectations as a stabilization device. We introduce a small-scale agent-based version of the so-called neo-Kaleckian model. The model features a parsimonious microfoundation of investment decisions. Agents have heterogeneous expectations about demand growth and set their investment expenditures in a decentralized way. Interactions occur through demand externalities. We present results for different scenarios. First, when heterogeneity is ruled out, Harrodian instability is shown to emerge as for the aggregate model. Instead, when heterogeneity is accounted for, a stable dynamics with endogenous fluctuations arises. At the same time, in this second scenario, all the Keynesian implications are preserved, including the presence of macroeconomic paradoxes. Sensitivity analysis confirms the general robustness of our results and the logical consistency of the model.

The study of customer involved service innovation under the crowdsourcing

PurposeService innovation is a key source of competence for service enterprises. Along with the emergence of crowdsourcing platforms, consumers are frequently involved in the process of service innovation. In this paper, the authors describe the crowdsourcing ideation website—MyStarbucksIdea.com—and find the motivations of customer-involved service innovation.Design/methodology/approachUsing a rich data set obtained from the website MyStarbucksIdea.com, a dynamic structural model is proposed to illuminate the learning process of consumers.FindingsThe results indicate that initially individuals tend to underestimate the costs of the firm for implementing their ideas but overestimate the value of their ideas. By observing peer votes and feedbacks, individuals gradually learn about the true value of ideas, as well as the cost structure of the firm. Overall, the authors find that the cumulative feedback rate and the average potential of ideas will first increase and then decline.Originality/valueFirst, the previous researches concerning the crowdsourcing show that the creative implementation rate is low and the number of creative ideas decreases, and few scholars have studied the causes behind the problems. Second, the data used in this paper are true and valid, and it is difficult to obtain now. These data can provide strong empirical support for the model proposed in this paper. Third, it is relatively novel to combine the customer learning mechanism and heterogeneity theory to explain the phenomenon of reduced creativity and low implementation rate in crowdsourcing platform, and the research results can provide a reasonable reference for the construction of this industry.

Feedback from supermassive black holes transforms centrals into passive galaxies by ejecting circumgalactic gas

ABSTRACT Davies et al. established that for L* galaxies the fraction of baryons in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) is inversely correlated with the mass of their central supermassive black holes (BHs) in the EAGLE hydrodynamic simulation. The interpretation is that, over time, a more massive BH has provided more energy to transport baryons beyond the virial radius, which additionally reduces gas accretion and star formation. We continue this research by focusing on the relationship between the (1) BH masses (MBH), (2) physical and observational properties of the CGM, and (3) galaxy colours for Milky Way-mass systems. The ratio of the cumulative BH feedback energy over the gaseous halo binding energy is a strong predictor of the CGM gas content, with BHs injecting significantly higher than the binding energy resulting in gas-poor haloes. Observable tracers of the CGM, including $\rm {C\, \small{IV}}$, $\rm {O\, \small{VI}}$, and ${\rm {H\, \small{I}}}$ absorption line measurements, are found to be effective tracers of the total z ∼ 0 CGM halo mass. We use high-cadence simulation outputs to demonstrate that BH feedback pushes baryons beyond the virial radius within 100 Myr time-scales, but that CGM metal tracers take longer (0.5–2.5 Gyr) to respond. Secular evolution of galaxies results in blue, star-forming or red, passive populations depending on the cumulative feedback from BHs. The reddest quartile of galaxies with M* = 1010.2−10.7 M⊙ (median u − r = 2.28) has a CGM mass that is 2.5 times lower than the bluest quartile (u − r = 1.59). We propose observing strategies to indirectly ascertain fCGM via metal lines around galaxies with measured MBH. We predict statistically detectable declines in $\rm {C\, \small{IV}}$ and $\rm {O\, \small{VI}}$ covering fractions with increasing MBH for central galaxies with M* = 1010.2−10.7M⊙.

Sequential Decision Making With Limited Observation Capability: Application to Wireless Networks

This paper studies a generalized class of restless multi-armed bandits with hidden states and allow cumulative feedback, as opposed to the conventional instantaneous feedback. We call them lazy restless bandits (LRBs) as the events of decision making are sparser than the events of state transition. Hence, feedback after each decision event is the cumulative effect of the following state transition events. The states of arms are hidden from the decision maker and rewards for actions are state dependent. The decision maker needs to choose one arm in each decision interval, such that the long-term cumulative reward is maximized. As the states are hidden, the decision maker maintains and updates its belief about them. It is shown that LRBs admit an optimal policy which has threshold structure in belief space. The Whittle-index policy for solving the LRB problem is analyzed; indexability of LRBs is shown. Further, the closed-form index expressions are provided for two sets of special cases; for more general cases, an algorithm for index computation is provided. An extensive simulation study is presented; Whittle-index, modified Whittle-index, and myopic policies are compared. The Lagrangian relaxation of the problem provides an upper bound on the optimal value function; it is used to assess the degree of sub-optimality various policies.

Tiny Codes for Guaranteeable Delay

Future 5G systems will need to support ultra-reliable low-latency communications scenarios. From a latency-reliability viewpoint, it is inefficient to rely on average utility-based system design. Therefore, we introduce the notion of guaranteeable delay which is the average delay plus three standard deviations of the mean. We investigate the trade-off between guaranteeable delay and throughput for the point-to-point wireless erasure links with unreliable and delayed feedback, by bringing together signal flow techniques to the area of coding. We use tiny codes, i.e., sliding window by coding with just 2 packets, and design three variations of selective-repeat ARQ protocols, by building on the baseline scheme, i.e., uncoded ARQ, developed by Ausavapattanakun and Nosratinia: (i) Hybrid ARQ with soft combining at the receiver; (ii) cumulative feedback-based ARQ without rate adaptation; and (iii) coded ARQ with rate adaptation based on the cumulative feedback. Contrasting the performance of these protocols with uncoded ARQ, we demonstrate that the HARQ performs only slightly better, the cumulative feedback-based ARQ does not provide significant throughput while it has a better average delay, and the Coded ARQ can provide gains up to about 40% in terms of throughput. The Coded ARQ also provides delay guarantees, and is robust to various challenges such as imperfect and delayed feedback, burst erasures, and round-trip time fluctuations. This feature may be preferable for meeting the strict end-to-end latency and reliability requirements of the future use cases of ultra-reliable low-latency communications in 5G, such as mission-critical communications and industrial control for critical control messaging.

Multimode Precoding for Multiuser MIMO Systems With Finite Rate Feedback

In practical multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems with limited feedback, inter-user interference cannot be completely suppressed due to the channel state information quantization error, and the residual interference degrades the throughputs. In this letter, we introduce a MU-MIMO system with multimode precoding that adapts the number of served users based on the channel condition to maximize the spectral efficiency. In addition, a mode selection rule and a novel cumulative distribution function-based feedback rule are also developed for the proposed system. Simulation results show that the proposed system provides higher spectral efficiency compared to conventional limited feedback precoding systems.

ZPD-Based Dynamic Assessment and Collaborative L2 Vocabulary Learning

Despite growing interest in the implementation of dynamic assessment in second or foreign language learning research, few studies have attempted to incorporate the notion into real second language classrooms. This study explored the effect of cumulative Group-Dynamic Assessment on depth of vocabulary knowledge in an EFL context. To this end, 50 EFL learners were selected from a junior high school in Iran after administering the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Then, they were randomly assigned to two equal groups, namely, experimental Group-Dynamic Assessment and control Non-Dynamic Assessment. The Group-Dynamic Assessment group was instructed through interactionist cumulative Group-Dynamic Assessment procedures while the control group was taught without providing any cumulative ZPD-sensitive feedback. Before and after the instruction, a vocabulary knowledge scale (Paribakh & Wesche, 1993, 1996) was administered to measure both groups’ depth of second language vocabulary knowledge. The split-plot ANOVA results revealed that the implementation of interactionist cumulative Group-Dynamic Assessment helped the learners outperform the Non-Dynamic Assessment group on both immediate and delayed posttests. Additionally, complementary qualitative analysis showed that cumulative Group-Dynamic Assessment had both diagnostic and developmental potentials to contribute not only to individual participants but also to the whole class to increase their depth of vocabulary knowledge. The findings pointed to the use of ZPD-based collaborative frameworks in teaching second language vocabulary in meaningful contexts and thereby helping learners develop deeper word knowledge.

Reducing failures of working memory with performance feedback

Fluctuations in attentional control can lead to failures of working memory (WM), in which the subject is no better than chance at reporting items from a recent display. In three experiments, we used a whole-report measure of visual WM to examine the impact of feedback on the rate of failures. In each experiment, subjects remembered an array of colored items across a blank delay, and then reported the identity of items using a whole-report procedure. In Experiment 1, we gave subjects simple feedback about the number of items they correctly identified at the end of each trial. In Experiment 2, we gave subjects additional information about the cumulative number of items correctly identified within each block. Finally, in Experiment 3, we gave subjects weighted feedback in which poor trials resulted in lost points and consistent successful performance received "streak" points. Surprisingly, simple feedback (Exp. 1) was ineffective at improving average performance or decreasing the rate of poor-performance trials. Simple cumulative feedback (Exp. 2) modestly decreased poor-performance trials (by 7%). Weighted feedback produced the greatest benefits, decreasing the frequency of poor-performance trials by 28% relative to baseline performance. This set of results demonstrates the usefulness of whole-report WM measures for investigating the effects of feedback on WM performance. Further, we showed that only a feedback structure that specifically discouraged lapses using negative feedback led to large reductions in WM failures.

Error-resilient packet-switched mobile video telephony with channel-adaptive rateless coding and early reference picture selection

Providing high-quality video for packet-switched wireless video telephony on handheld devices is a challenging task due to packet loss, varying bandwidth, and end-to-end delay constraints. While many error resilience techniques have been proposed for video transmission over wireless channels, only a few were specifically designed for mobile video telephony. We propose a low-complexity channel-adaptive error resilience technique for packet-switched mobile video telephony, which combines rateless coding, feedback, and reference picture selection. In contrast to previous approaches, our technique uses cumulative feedback at every transmission opportunity and predicts when decoding is likely to fail so that reference picture selection can be triggered at an early stage. Experimental results for H.264 video sequences show that the proposed technique can achieve improvements of 1.64 dB in peak signal-to-noise ratio over benchmark techniques in simulated Long-Term Evolution networks.

Current therapeutic strategies of heterotopic ossification--a survey amongst orthopaedic and trauma departments in Germany.

BackgroundHeterotopic ossification (HO) is a complication after tissue trauma, fracture and surgery (i.e. total hip arthroplasty). Prophylaxis is the most effective therapy. If HO formations become symptomatic and limit patients’ quality of life, revision surgery is indicated and is usually combined with a perioperative oral prophylaxis (NSAIDs) and/or irradiation. However, a long-term use of NSAIDs can induce gastro-intestinal or cardiac side-effects and possible bony non-unions during fracture healing. Subject of this study was to assess the current status of HO prophylaxis after injuries or fractures and to evaluate current indications and strategies for excision of symptomatic HO.MethodsBetween 2013 and 2014, a questionnaire was sent to 119 orthopaedic and trauma surgery departments in Germany. Participation was voluntary and all acquired data was given anonymously.ResultsThe cumulative feedback rate was 71 %. Trauma and orthopaedic surgery departments in Germany recommend oral HO prophylaxis after acetabulum and femoral neck fractures, elbow dislocation, and fracture or dislocation of the radial head. Pain upon movement and an increasing loss of range of motion in the affected joint are considered to be clear indications for HO surgery. A partial removal of ROM-limiting HO formations was also considered important. The vast majority of all departments include perioperative oral HO prophylaxis and/or irradiation if surgical HO removal is planned. The choice and duration of NSAIDs is highly variable.ConclusionHO is of clinical significance in current traumatology and orthopaedics. Certain fractures and injuries are prone to HO, and prophylactic measures should be taken. The respondents in this survey assessed current therapeutic strategies for HO formations similarly. These concepts are in line with the literature. However, the duration of perioperative oral HO prophylaxis varied greatly among the specialist centres. This is significant as a long-term use of NSAIDs fosters a potential risk for the patients’ safety and could influence the clinical outcome. National and international guidelines need to be developed to further reduce HO rates and improve patients’ safety in trauma and orthopaedic surgery.

Distributed Compressive Sensing Based Channel Feedback Scheme for Massive Antenna Arrays with Spatial Correlation

Massive antenna array is an attractive candidate technique for future broadband wireless communications to acquire high spectrum and energy efficiency. However, such benefits can be realized only when proper channel information is available at the transmitter. Since the amount of the channel information required by the transmitter is large for massive antennas, the feedback is burdensome in practice, especially for frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, and needs normally to be reduced. In this paper a novel channel feedback reduction scheme based on the theory of distributed compressive sensing (DCS) is proposed to apply to massive antenna arrays with spatial correlation, which brings substantially reduced feedback load. Simulation results prove that the novel scheme is better than the channel feedback technique based on traditional compressive sensing (CS) in the aspects of mean square error (MSE), cumulative distributed function (CDF) performance and feedback resources saving.

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) inhibits the inflammatory response in Raw 264.7 cells and atopic dermatitis (AD) mouse model

The alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor (MC1R) is one of five G-protein coupled receptors belonging to the melanocortin subfamily, MC1R gene has been known to play a major role in regulating of fur color in mammals, and α-MSH and ACTH are endogenous nonselective agonists for MC1R. However, we found that MC1R was highly expressed in Raw 264.7 cells which were important inflammatory cells involved in the initiation of inflammatory responses. In addition, Cyclic AMP is not only a key molecule in the MC1R signal transduction pathway, but dampen innate immune-mediated responses. These intriguing biological results triggered the further conformation studies; it suggested that MC1R was very likely to be an important role in immunoregulation. In this study, we were to investigate the immunosuppressive effects of MC1R on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated Raw 264.7 cells and LPS induced vivo 2-chloro-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) model. The effects of the MC1R antagonist psoralen on pro-inflammatory cytokines and signaling pathways were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Histological analysis. Our results show a consistent and marked effect of high concentrations of MC1R antagonist psoralen increased the level of MC1R mRNA in Raw 264.7 cells by cumulative feedback regulation through preferential binding of MC1R. Moreover, as evidenced by inhibiting the LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6 and enhancing the expression level of cyclic AMP protein in vitro. In vivo study it was also observed that psoralen promoted on histopathologic changes in the skin tissue of TNCB-induced AD mice. Taken together, our results suggest that MC1R decrease the inflammation in vitro and vivo, and might be a therapeutic signaling pathway to against inflammatory diseases.

Assessment steers learning down the right road: Impact of progress testing on licensing examination performance

Although it is generally accepted that assessment steers learning, this is generally viewed as an undesirable side effect. Recent evidence suggests otherwise. Experimental studies have shown that periodic formative assessments can enhance learning over equivalent time spent in study (Roediger & Karpicke 2006). However, positive effects of assessment at a curriculum level have not been demonstrated. Progress tests are a periodic formative assessment designed to enhance learning by providing objective and cumulative feedback, and by identifying a subgroup of students who require additional remediation. McMaster adopted the progress test methods in 1992–1993, as a consequence of poor performance on a national licensing examination. This article shows the positive effect of this innovation, which amounts to an immediate increase of about one-half standard deviation in examination scores, and a consistent upward trend in performance. The immediate effect of introducing objective tests was a reduction in failure rate on the licensing examination from 19% to 4.5%. Various reasons for this improvement in performance are discussed.