The use of a technology-assisted and teacher-supervised online discussion platform to promote academic progress in blended embryology courses.

Background: Students' engagement with learning materials and discussions with teachers and peers before and after lectures are among the keys to the successful implementation of blended programs. Mixed results have been reported by previous studies on blended learning. This study evaluated the effectiveness of embedding a teacher-supervised online discussion platform in a blended embryology course in terms of its impact on students' capabilities to handle difficult and cognitively challenging tasks.

Effect of fucoxanthin alone and in combination with D-glucosamine hydrochloride on carrageenan/kaolin-induced experimental arthritis in rats.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of the fucoxanthin (FUCO) alone and in combination with glucosamine hydrochloride (GAH) on carrageenan/kaolin-induced inflammatory arthritis model in rats and to explore its underlying mechanisms. Joint swelling, muscle weight ratio (%), histopathological examination and scoring, and proteoglycan degradation were examined. Pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis (TNF-α) levels, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) protein expression and nitric oxide (NO) level in knee synovial tissue extract were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting analysis, and Griess reagent assay, respectively.