G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate responses to various extracellular and intracellular cues. However, the large number of GPCR genes and their substantial functional redundancy make it... Show moreG protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate responses to various extracellular and intracellular cues. However, the large number of GPCR genes and their substantial functional redundancy make it challenging to systematically dissect GPCR functions in vivo. Here, we employ a CRISPR/Cas9-based approach, disrupting 1654 GPCR-encoding genes in 284 strains and mutating 152 neuropeptide-encoding genes in 38 strains in C. elegans. These two mutant libraries enable effective deorphanization of chemoreceptors, and characterization of receptors for neuropeptides in various cellular processes. Mutating a set of closely related GPCRs in a single strain permits the assignment of functions to GPCRs with functional redundancy. Our analyses identify a neuropeptide that interacts with three receptors in hypoxia-evoked locomotory responses, unveil a collection of regulators in pathogen-induced immune responses, and define receptors for the volatile food-related odorants. These results establish our GPCR and neuropeptide mutant libraries as valuable resources for the C. elegans community to expedite studies of GPCR signaling in multiple contexts. Show less
Research indicates that knowledge sharing promotes teacher professional learning opportunities and development. However, it is yet to be known what motivates teachers in rural schools in sharing... Show moreResearch indicates that knowledge sharing promotes teacher professional learning opportunities and development. However, it is yet to be known what motivates teachers in rural schools in sharing their knowledge as they may face more challenges than teachers in urban areas when sharing. This study examined factors explaining rural teachers' sharing behavior regarding digital educational resources, both within and outside school, as posited by combining motivation theory and the integrative model of behavior prediction. Self-reported questionnaires from 709 rural teachers were collected and analyzed employing the Structural Equation Modeling. Different motivational factors were found to be related to sharing behavior within school and outside school. More specifically, internal motivation was positively and external motivation was negatively related to sharing behavior in both contexts. Moreover, sharing intention and sharing climate significantly explained teachers' sharing behavior, but only outside school. A mediation analysis using a bias-corrected bootstrapping method revealed that the effect of internal motivation on sharing intention within school was mediated through self-efficacy and attitudes whereas the effect of external motivation on sharing intention outside school was only mediated by attitudes. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how to support teachers’ sharing behavior in different contexts. Show less
Maintaining teaching quality at a high level inrural and remote areas in China can be supported by the use of digital educational resources. This study examined whichfactors explain differences in... Show moreMaintaining teaching quality at a high level inrural and remote areas in China can be supported by the use of digital educational resources. This study examined whichfactors explain differences in rural teachers' use of digital educational resources in their teaching practice inWestern China. Data were collected from 462 teachers from 25 primary and secondary schools in rural areas via aquestionnaire to gather information about teachers' use of digital educational resources, and school- andteacher-level factors that might influence this. Although various digital educational resources were utilized,electronic lesson plans and multimedia courseware played a dominant role in delivery of lessons. Results from amultilevel regression analysis revealed that no school-level factors seem to be associated with the use of digitaleducational resources. In contrast, at the teacher level, higher levels of attitudes, knowledge and skills, betterfacilitating conditions, and teachers' age and teaching experience significantly explained teachers’ use of digitaleducational resources. However, other key factors such as the intention to use, self-efficacy, and subjective normdid not explain differences in use in the rural school context. The article concludes with some practicalimplications and recommendations for further research. Show less
