bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALISIS PROFIL KEMANDIRIAN BELAJAR MAHASISWA DI PERGURUAN TINGGI
Authors: Arifin Maksum  , Ika Lestari
Published: August 2020

ABSTRAK

 

Mahasiswa memiliki pola pembelajaran yang seyogyanya berbeda dengan siswa di level sekolah. Untuk itu, kemandirian belajar perlu tumbuh dalam diri mahasiswa agar dapat mengembangkan ide-ide kreatif tanpa bantuan dosen secara penuh. Kemandirian belajar sangat menentukan media maupun model pembelajaran yang dapat diterapkan. Untuk itu, perlu dilakukan analisis profil kemandirian belajar mahasiswa di perguruan tinggi sebagai landasan dalam mempertimbangkan penggunaan model atau media pembelajaran tertentu. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan yaitu kuesioner. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Kampus E PGSD FIP UNJ selama tahun 2019. Teknik analisis data menggunakan statistik deskriptif sederhana dan analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian berupa profil kemandirian belajar yang dimiliki oleh mahasiswa PGSD FIP UNJ angkatan tahun 2017. Rekomendasi untuk penelitian masa depan diperlukan model pembelajaran yang melibatkan unsur teknologi di dalamnya sehingga dapat meningkatkan kemandirian belajar mahasiswa melalui pola pembelajaran yang mengaktifkan mahasiswa di perguruan tinggi.

 

Kata-kata kunci: kemandirian belajar, mahasiswa, pembelajaran

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

 

Students at the university have learning patterns that should be different from students at the school level. For this reason, learning independence needs to grow within students at the university in order to develop creative ideas without the full assistance of lecturers. Learning independence determines the media and instructional models that can be applied. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze the profile of students' learning independence in higher education as a basis for considering the use of certain instructional models or media. Data collection techniques used were questionnaires. The study was conducted at Campus E PGSD FIP UNJ during 2019. Data analysis techniques used simple descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. The results of the study are in the form of learning independence that is owned by PGSD FIP UNJ students in 2017. Recommendations for future research require learning models that involve elements of technology in order to increase student learning independence through learning patterns that enable students in higher education.

Key words: learning independence, students, learning
Prognostic significance of NDRG2 combined with EGFR-sensitizing mutations in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Bo , Ji Linlin , Feng Yiling , Li Xiao-Ping , Zhou Hong-Gang , Jiang Tao , Xiao Ting , Li Xiao-He , Zhang Liang , Xu Hongliang , Wang Guang-Shun , Zhang Wei-Dong
Published: August 2020

Background: N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) plays a substantial role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-sensitizing mutation could significantly improve prognosis in patients with LUAD. Here, we aimed to elucidate the prognostic value of NDRG2 combined with EGFR-sensitizing mutations in patients with LUAD. Methods: Lung parenchyma specimens obtained during surgery or CT-guide percutaneous lung puncture biopsy for the NDRG2 protein and EGFR genomic testing were obtained. Associations between NDRG2/EGFR and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with LUAD were extracted from the Tianjin First Central Hospital in China between June 2013 and June 2014. Results: The expression of NDRG2 was significantly decreased in patients with LUAD. Expressions of NDRG2 and EGFR-sensitizing mutations showed positive correlations with survival. Expression of NDRG2 and EGFR-sensitizing mutations were associated with the longer overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Advanced stages were significantly associated with low expression of NDRG2. In multivariate analysis, compared with other patients, NDRG2 (+)/EGFR (+) was independently associated with prolonged OS and PFS. Conclusion: NDRG2 combined with EGFR-sensitizing mutations might be valuable markers to evaluate the prognosis of LUAD patients.
‘I’ve got to be independent’: Views of older people on recovery following road traffic injury in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Brown Katherine , Cameron Ian D , Keay Lisa , Nguyen Ha , Dillon Lisa , Jagnoor Jagnoor , Ivers Rebecca
Published: August 2020

Background: Mild to moderate road traffic injury (RTI) in people of working age is associated with limited recovery. Less is known about RTI recovery in older age. This study explored the perspectives and factors associated with recovery and health-related quality of life following mild to moderate RTI in older age in New South Wales, Australia. Methods: A qualitative study using content analysis was undertaken. Participants aged 65 or more years were purposively selected from a larger inception cohort study of health outcomes following mild to moderate RTI conducted in New South Wales, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken at approximately 12 or 24 months post-injury. Content analysis was used to code and analyse the data, with methodological rigour obtained by double-coding and discussing findings to reach consensus. Results were reported using the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). Results: Nineteen participants were invited to participate in the study of which 12 completed interviews. Data saturation was reached at the twelfth interview. Recovery experiences were diverse. Five main themes were identified: recovery is regaining independence; injury and disability in older age; the burden of non-obvious disability; the importance of support; and positive personal approaches. Key facilitators of recovery were: regaining independence; support from family and friends; and positive personal approaches. Key barriers were: threats to independence; passive coping behaviours; non-obvious disabilities (chronic pain, psychological impacts); and reluctance to raise ongoing issues with General Practitioners. Threats to independence, especially not driving and self-care, appeared to have a more profound effect on recovery than physical functioning. Conclusion: Older people view injury as a threat to independent functioning. This is somewhat different to what younger people report. Regaining independence is key to older people’s recovery and health-related quality of life following RTI, and should be a key consideration for health professionals, services and supports working with this unique cohort. Greater efforts to help older people regain their independence following RTI are needed and can be facilitated by health professionals and appropriate service provision. Trial registration: Australia New Zealand clinical trial registry identification number ACTRN12613000889752.
Co-infection with trichomonas vaginalis increases the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3 among HPV16 positive female: a large population-based study.
Authors: Yang Mei , Li Lin , Jiang Chunfan , Qin Xiaomin , Zhou Min , Mao Xiaogang , Xing Hui
Published: August 2020

Background: Evidence suggested that vaginal microbiome played a functional role in the progression of cervical lesions in female infected by HPV. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of common vaginal infection on the carcinogenicity of high risk HPV (hr-HPV). Methods: From January 15, 2017 to December 31, 2017, 310,545 female aged at least 30 years old had been recruited for cervical cancer screening from 9 clinical research centers in Central China. All the recruited participants received hr-HPV genotyping for cervical cancer screening and vaginal microenvironment test by a high vaginal swab. Colposcopy-directed biopsy was recommended for female who were infected with HPV 16 and HPV 18, and other positive hr-HPV types through test had undertaken triage using liquid-based cytology, cases with the results ≥ ASCUS among them were referred to colposcopy directly, and cervical tissues were taken for pathology examination to make clear the presence or absence of other cervical lesions.Results: Among 310,545 female, 6,067 (1.95%) were tested with positive HPV 16 and HPV 18, 18,297 (5.89%) were tested with other positive hr-HPV genotypes, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, CIN 2, CIN 3 and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) were detected in 861 cases, 377 cases, 423 cases, and 77 cases, respectively. Candida albicans and Gardnerella were not associated with the detection of cervical lesions. Positive trichomonas vaginitis (TV) was correlated with hr-HPV infection (p<0.0001). Co-infection with TV increased the risk of CIN 1 among female infected with hr-HPV (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31). Co-infection with TV increased the risk of CIN 2-3 among female infected with HPV 16 (OR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.16-2.53).Conclusions: Co-infection of TV and HPV 16 is a significant factor for the detection of cervical lesions.
Does Pregabalin change serum levels of iNOS and NO in diabetic patients with neuropathic pain?A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Memari Moosareza , Sadatamini Mirsaber , Khazaei-Poul Yalda , Joharchi Khojasteh
Published: August 2020

Background: Pregabalin (PGB) has been approved
for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP),
but the mechanism of the PGB effect in this situation is not
precisely known. Would it be via the reduction of inducible
Nitric‏ ‏Oxide ‎Synthase (iNOS) and thus the
decrease of Nitric Oxide (NO) in type 2 diabetic patients? The
current clinical trial was conducted to answer this question.
Methods: Twenty Seven diabetic patients with
DPNP>4, assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), were enrolled
in this study. They received placebo/Bd for ten days as a washout
period, then a starting dose of 75mg/Bd PGB for one week and
150mg/Bd for the next seven weeks. We took a fasting blood sample
at baseline, before starting the treatment (BT) with PBG, then one
month after the treatment (OMT), and also at the end of two months
(TMT). The iNOS and NO serum levels were measured using the ELISA
kit and the Griess method, respectively.
Results: Significant time-dependent reduction
of iNOS of serum and DPNP intensities observed (P<0.05).
However, the serum levels of NO reduced significantly in OMT
compared to BT (P<0.05), but no significant differences were
seen between OMT and TMT (P>0.05).
Conclusions: Our study revealed a direct
correlation between serum levels of iNOS and NO with the treatment
of DPNP by PGB, thus introducing a possible mechanism for
pain-relieving properties of PGB.
Trial registration: This study was approved by
the ethics committee of our University of Medical ‎Sciences,
(ethical code: IR.SBMU.MSP.REC.1395.41) and registered in our
‎Registry of Clinical Trials (at 14/03/2016) and approved in
19/07/2017, the registration number is: (IRCT2017012932277N1). The
study was conducted in the Diabetes Clinic of a teaching ‎Hospital
on 22/07/2017 till 18/03/2018.‎ We have explained the study
objectives and protocols to the subjects and obtained written
informed ‎consent before they participated in the study.‎
RoadMApp: A feasibility study for a smart travel application to improve maternal health delivery in a low resource setting in Zimbabwe
Authors: Nyati-Jokomo Zibusiso , Dabengwa Israel Mbekezeli , Makacha Liberty , Nyapwere Newton , Dube Yolisa Prudence , Chikoko Laurine , Vidler Marianne , Makanga Prestige Tatenda
Published: August 2020

Background: Travel time and healthcare financing are critical determinants of the provision of quality maternal health care in low resource settings. Despite the availability of pregnancy-related mHealth and smart travel applications, there is a lack of evidence on their usage to travel to health facilities for routine antenatal care and emergencies. There is a shortage of information about the feasibility of using a custom-made mobile technology that integrates smart travel and mHealth. This paper explores the feasibility of implementing a custom-made geographically enabled mobile technology-based tool (RoadMApp) to counter the adverse effects of long travel times for maternal care in Kwekwe District, Zimbabwe. Methods: We frame the paper using the first two steps (listen & plan) of the Spiral Technology Action Research (STAR model).The paper uses an exploratory case study design and Participatory Learning Approaches (PLA) with stakeholders (community members) and in-depth interviews with key informants (health care service providers, pregnant women, transport operators). 193 participants took part in the study. We conducted focus group discussions with pregnant women, women of childbearing age, men (household heads), and elderly women. The discussion questions centered on travel time, availability of transport, cellular network coverage, and perceptions of the RoadMApp application. Data were analysed thematically using Nvivo Pro 12. Results: Most parts of rural Kwekwe are far from health facilities and have an inefficient road and telecommunications network. Hence, it is hard to predict if RoadMApp will integrate into the lives of the community - especially those in rural areas. Since these issues are pillars of the design of the RoadMApp mHealth, the implementation will probably be a challenge. Conclusion: Communities are keen to embrace the RoadMApp application. However, the feasibility of implementing RoadMApp in Kwekwe District will be a challenge because of maternal health care barriers such as poor road network, poor phone network, and the high cost of transport. There is a need to investigate the social determinants of access to maternity services to inform RoadMApp implementation.
HKDC1 promotes the tumorigenesis and glycolysis in lung adenocarcinoma via regulating AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Xinyu , Shi Bowen , Zhao Yue , Lu Qijue , Fei Xiang , Lu Chaojing , Li Chunguang , Chen Hezhong
Published: August 2020

Background: Hexokinase domain component 1 (HKDC1) plays an oncogenic role in certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, liver cancer, and breast cancer. Previous bioinformatics study revealed that HKDC1 was significantly upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, its biological functions and potential mechanism in LUAD have not been studied.

Methods: We performed bioinformatics analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and a series of functional assays in vitro and in vivo to investigate the roles of HKDC1 in LUAD.

Results: We discovered that HKDC1 was highly expressed in LUAD tissues and cell lines, and the positive expression of HKDC1 was correlated with aberrant clinicopathological characteristics in LUAD patients. Furthermore, HKDC1 could serve as a prognostic predictor for LUAD patients. Overexpression of HKDC1 promoted proliferation, migration, invasion, glycolysis, EMT and tumorigenicity, whereas knockdown of HKDC1 produced the opposite functional effects. Mechanistically, HKDC1 could regulate the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway to perform its biological function.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that HKDC1 plays an oncogenic role in LUAD. Targeting this gene may provide a promising therapeutic target to delay LUAD progression.
Strengthening Retina Eye Care Services in Nepal: Retina Eye Care of Nepal project
Authors: Shrestha Arjun , Shrestha Chunu , Karki Pratap , Gurung Hara Maya , Naito Takeshi
Published: August 2020

Background: Retinal diseases are very difficult to treat. So, early diagnoses and preventions are very important. But, few eye doctors can treat patients with retinal diseases in Nepal.Retina Eye Care of Nepal (RECON) project was designed to strengthen retina eye care in Nepal. Methods: RECON was implemented from May 2016 to February 2019 in Nepal. Four Master Eye Doctors (MED) received Training of Trainers (TOT) from Tokushima University, Japan. MEDs developed training materials for different cadres of ophthalmic human resources, enhanced retina eye care facilities, and conducted retina-screening camp in Nepal. Result: Twenty ophthalmologists, 16 optometrists, 48 ophthalmic assistants and 17 ophthalmic nurses, 76 physicians and 28 health workers were trained in retina care. Eight outreach retina camps were conducted. Conclusion: The project was a novel approach to strengthen retina services in Nepal. The aim of the project was accomplished with the ultimate benefits to the needy retina patients who otherwise were going to miss the retina services.
Atherogenic index of plasma is associated with the severity of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: a case-control study
Authors: Hernández José Luis , Baldeón Cristina , López-Sundh Ana Elísabet , Ocejo-Vinyals J Gonzalo , Blanco Ricardo , González-López Marcos Antonio
Published: August 2020

Background. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with several comorbidities and vascular risk factors, such as dyslipidemia. The present study aimed to assess the possible associations between the lipid profile and atherogenic indexes and the severity of HS. Methods. This case-control study enrolled 78 HS patients and 62 healthy controls. Classic lipid profile and lipoprotein ratios, including the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), were evaluated. The severity of HS was measured by the HS Physician Global Assessment (PGA). Results. HS-patients had lower serum total cholesterol and HDL-C levels and higher AIP than the control group. AIP was positively correlated to BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, LDL-C, triglycerides, non-HDL-C, ApoB, HOMA, and hs-CRP and negatively to HDL-C and ApoA1. For the overall lipid profile, only AIP was related to a more severe HS (PGA≥3) after controlling for age, sex, BMI, insulin resistance (IR), active smoking, and statin use (r=0.268; p=0.023). Multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, BMI, IR, smoking status and statin use, showed that AIP≥0.5 was significantly associated with the severity of HS (OR, 4.38; CI 95%, 1.09-17.50; p=0.037). Conclusions. In conclusion, these results showed that AIP is significantly and independently associated with HS severity.
A Comprehensive Performance Analysis of Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark for Large Scale Data Sets Using HiBench
Authors: Ahmed Nasim , Barczak Andre L. C. , Susnjak Teo , Rashid Mohammad
Published: August 2020

In recent times Big Data analytics has got tremendous attention and it involves storing, processing, and analysing large scale datasets. The advent of distributed computing frameworks such as Hadoop and Spark offers an efficient solution to analyse vast amounts of data. Due to the availability of an application program ming interface (API) and its performance, Spark become very popular, even more popular than the MapReduce framework. Both these frameworks have more than 150 parameters and the combination of these parameters have a huge impact on cluster performance. The system default parameters help the system administrator to deploy their system applications without much effort, and they can measure their specific cluster performance with factory-set parameters. However, an open question remains: can new parameter selection improve cluster performance? In this regard, our study investigates the most impacting parameters such as input splits and shuffling, in order to compare the performance between Hadoop and Spark, using a specific cluster implemented in our department. We used a trial-and-error approach for tuning these parameters based on a large number of experiments. In order to evaluate the frameworks comparison and analysis, we select two work- loads: WordCount and TeraSort. The performance metrics are carried out based on three criteria, namely execution time, throughput, and speedup. Our experimental results revealed that both system performances heavily depends on input data size and correct parameter selection. The analysis results found, unsurprisingly, that Spark has better performance as compared to Hadoop, achieving up to 2 times speedup in WordCount workload and up to 14 times in TeraSort workloads when default parameters are replaced. Finally, we conclude that the system performance depends on different parameters configuration alternatives, and they depend on the data size.
Circadian Clock Protein PERIOD2 Suppresses the PI3K/Akt Pathway and Promotes Cisplatin Sensitivity in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Wang Zhaoxia , Li Fengyan , Wei Meiyan , Zhang Sanyuan , Wang Tong
Published: August 2020

Background Circadian clock protein PERIOD2 (PER2) acts as a tumor suppressor in cancer; however, little is known about its involvement in chemosensitivity. Methods This study aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of PER2 in ovarian cancer sensitivity to cisplatin. Overexpression and knockdown of PER2 were performed to explore its role in ovarian cancer cell sensitivity to cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. The protein levels of PI3K, AKT, caspase 3, E-cadherin, and other drug resistance-related molecules were determined in parental SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells as well as in xenograft tumor tissues. Results Compared with parental cells, SKOV3/DDP cells had dramatically decreased PER2 expression, possibly due to hypermethylation in the PER2 promoter. PER2 overexpression significantly inhibited proliferation while promoting cisplatin-induced apoptosis in SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells. In agreement, PER2-overexpressing SKOV3/DPP cells yielded significantly reduced tumor mass in cisplatin-treated mice compared with control cells. Mechanistically, PER2 overexpression remarkably reduced the protein amounts of PI3K, AKT, and MDR1, while increasing those of caspase 3 and E-cadherin in tumor tissues. Knockdown of PER2 exhibited opposite effects. PER2 overexpression also reduced the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in tumor-bearing mice before the initiation of cisplatin treatment. Conclusion This study suggests that loss of PER2 contributes to cisplatin resistance in SKOV3 cells, possibly by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway and EMT, inhibiting apoptosis, and promoting drug efflux and inflammatory responses. Overexpression of PER2 could reverse these alterations and sensitize both parental SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells to cisplatin.
Evaluation of the combined antibiotics exposure using the simulator of human intestinal microbial ecosystem (SHIME)
Authors: Liu Lei , Qi Hongmei , Suo Pengcheng , Lin Huai , Wang Siyi , Zuo Xiaojun
Published: August 2020

Background: Antibiotics are emerging toxic contaminant that have potential public health risk worldwide, which also would cause human intestinal microbial disorder and develop multiple human diseases. However, to date, the combination effects of antibiotics on human intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and related health risk are not fully understood. Moreover, there is limited information on using probiotics or synbiotics for restoration of intestinal microbiome affected by antibiotics. Therefore, this study evaluated the in vitro ability of combined effects of amoxicillin (Amx) and gentamycin (Gen), and the restoration effects of probiotics or synbiotics on ARGs as well as human disease-related pathways in the simulated human gut.Results: This study indicated that the combination exposure of Amx and Gen was confirmed to promote the increase of most ARGs and the disease-related pathways, which may be better restored by probiotics treatment. The results of the alpha diversity of the combined antibiotics exposure or the recovery microbial community showed no difference from the control. However, the beta diversity results indicated their differences, and the ascending colon sample recovered better under natural condition while the descending colon sample recovered better after probiotics treatment. Combination effects on the genetic level might attribute to microbiota shift, which were explained well by the phenomenon that Escherichia/Shigella was positively associated with the ARGs, and Klebsiella and Escherichia/Shigella were positively related to the human disease-related pathways.Conclusion: These results might be valuable to direct the future work and opened up new perspectives to address the direct effects of combine antibiotics on the intestinal microbiota and find a promising strategy to restore the antibiotics associated dysbiosis of gut microbiota.
Evaluation of Clinical Practice Settings for Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ Development of Clinical Judgment
Authors: Galante Christine
Published: August 2020

Background: Recipients of health care in the 21st century demand excellent patient-centered care and outcomes. Leaders of health care organizations, as well as political and national organizations, have focused their attention to the readiness of newly graduated baccalaureate of science in nursing prepared nurses to care for patients. Bridging the gap from nursing science theory to professional practice remains a challenge for nursing programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the clinical learning practice settings on the individual student’s development of clinical judgment skills. Methods: This quantitative comparative pilot study evaluated the unlicensed BSN student’s ability to demonstrate safe and effective patient care before and after exposure to a clinical learning setting. This project involved applying a progressive simulation experience with a quantitative pretest (prior to clinical exposure) and posttest (after clinical exposure) to determine the impact of two nursing clinical learning models, a traditional clinical model and a dedicated education model, on individual students’ development of clinical judgment. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24. Results: Students in the dedicated education clinical learning model demonstrated statistically significant change in the pre- and post-test scores improvement in their clinical judgment competency. Conclusions: Although both clinical models provided evidence in support of student development of the professional competency of clinical judgment, there is a need to continue to evaluate the long-term impact of this model on student learning outcomes.
The Molecular Mechanism of Targeting the NF-κB Signaling Pathway to Modulate Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Infection in Sheep Based on Transcriptome Sequencing
Authors: Zhu Mengting , Liang Yanping , Wu Pei , Nan Ying , Zhang Hongmei , Zhao Zongsheng
Published: August 2020

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in Mannan-binding lectin (MBL)-mediated resistance to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (MO) pneumonia (MP), by regulating the translation of mRNAs of target genes, thereby regulating the immune response. Sheep with different MBL genotypes have different plasma MBL levels, and show varied resistance to MP. Results: Using previously constructed high-throughput sequencing and transcriptome databases, miRNA-mRNA joint analysis showed that miR-509-5p is differentially expressed. miR-509-5p target genes were predicted using bioinformatic analysis, among which TRAF6 was selected. A TRAF6 dual luciferase reporter vector was co-transfected into 293T cells and sheep respiratory mucosal epithelial cells to detect and analyze changes in luciferase activity. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the effect of miR-509-5p on the expression and regulation of TRAF6 and other genes related to the NF-κB signaling pathway. miR-509-5p mimic and miR-509-5p mimic NC were transfected into susceptible sheep respiratory mucosal epithelial cells, for MO challenge infection experiments. The expression levels of cytokines, TRAF6 and other related genes in the NF-κB pathway were analyzed by ELISA and qRT-PCR. Conclusion: The results proved that miR-509-5p targets TRAF6 to affect the expression of downstream genes and cytokines, which negatively regulates the NF-κB pathway, thereby affecting the inflammatory response.
Wandering minds, sleepy brains: lapses of attention and local sleep in wakefulness
Authors: Andrillon Thomas , Burns Angus , Mackay Teigane , Windt Jennifer , Tsuchiya Naotsugu
Published: August 2020

Attentional lapses are ubiquitous and can negatively impact performance. They correlate with mind wandering, or thoughts that are unrelated to ongoing tasks and environmental demands. In other cases, the stream of consciousness itself comes to a halt and the mind goes blank. What happens in the brain that leads to these mental states? To understand the neural mechanisms underlying attentional lapses, we cross-analyzed the behavior, subjective experience and neural activity of healthy participants performing a task. Random interruptions prompted participants to indicate whether they were task-focused, mind-wandering or mind-blanking. High-density electroencephalography revealed the occurrence of spatially and temporally localized sleep-like patterns of neural activity. This “local sleep” accompanied behavioral markers of lapses and preceded reports of mind wandering and mind blanking. Furthermore, the location of local sleep distinguished sluggish versus impulsive behaviors, mind wandering versus mind blanking. Despite contrasting cognitive profiles, attentional lapses could share a common physiological origin: the appearance of local islets of sleep within the awake brain.
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome miR-21-3p prevents renal fibrosis
Authors: Li Zongying , Cao Shuyi
Published: August 2020

Background: Renal fibrosis is the pathological result of excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the process of chronic kidney disease, but its mechanism is not clear. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exerts its therapeutic effect mainly through paracrine effects, such as exosome, to change the cellular microenvironment. Here, we explore the function of exosome derived MSCs in renal fibrosis.Methods: UUO model was constructed to simulate renal fibrosis in mice. Heat map and RT-PCR were used to explore the differential expression of miRNAs. RT-PCR and western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of fibrosis-associated genes and proteins in vivo and vitro. Transmission electron microscope and particle size detection were used to confirm the exosome construct. Then we forced expression of miR-21-3p in MSCs and isolated the exosomes. Then the fibrosis-associated genes and proteins were explored after exosomes injection.Results: In this study, we observed that exogenous miR-21-3p, interacted with smad2, the downstream target of miR-21-3p, which prevented renal fibrosis in UUO mice, and alleviate fibrosis in TGF-β1-induced renal tubular epithelium cells (HK-2). The extractive exosome-miR-21-3p treatment blocked renal fibrosis in UUO mice and alleviated fibrosis in TGF-β1-induced HK-2 cells and renal fibrosis mice. Conclusion: Taken together, Overexpression of miR-21-3p prevented CKD-induced renal fibrosis via exosome-mediated miR-21-3p transfer. These results suggest possible therapeutic strategies for using exosome delivery of miR-21-3p to treat complications of CKD.
Population Genetic Analysis of Plasmodium Falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein in Two Distinct Ecological Regions in Ghana
Authors: Amegashie Elikplim A , Amenga-Etego Lucas , Adobor Courage , Ogoti Peter , Mbogo Kevin , Amambua-Ngwa Alfred , Ghansah Anita
Published: August 2020

BackgroundExtensive genetic diversity in the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) is a major contributing factor to the moderate efficacy of the RTS,S/ASO1 vaccine. Understanding the extent and dynamics of PfCSP genetic diversity in different transmission settings will help to interpret the results of current RTS,S efficacy and Phase IV implementation trials conducted within and between populations in malaria endemic areas such as Ghana. MethodsPfcsp sequences were retrieved from Illumina generated paired-end short-read sequences of 101 and 131 malaria samples from children aged 6-59 months with clinical malaria presenting at health facilities in Cape Coast (on the coastal belt) and Navrongo (Guinea savannah region) respectively in Ghana. The sequences were mapped to the 3D7 reference strain genome to yield high-quality genome-wide coding sequence data. Following data filtering and quality checks to remove missing data, 220 sequences were retained and analyzed for allele frequency spectrum, genetic diversity both within host and between the populations and signatures of selection. Population genetics tools were used to determine the extent and dynamics of Pfcsp diversity in P. falciparum from the two geographically distinct locations in Ghana. ResultsPfcsp was extensively diverse at the two sites with higher transmission site, Navrongo, recording both higher within host and population level diversity. The vaccine strain C-terminal epitope of Pfcsp was found in only 5.9% and 45.7% of the Navrongo and Cape Coast sequences respectively. Amino acid variations ranging between 1 and 6 were observed in the TH2R and TH3R epitope regions of the PfCSP. Tajima’s D was negatively skewed especially for the population from Cape Coast given expected historical population expansion. On the contrary, positive Tajima’s D was observed for the Navrongo P. falciparum population, consistent with balancing selection acting on the immuno-dominant TH2R and TH3R vaccine epitopes. ConclusionThe low frequencies of Pfcsp vaccine haplotype in the populations analyzed calls for additional molecular and immuno-epidemiological studies with temporal and wider geographic sampling in endemic populations targeted for RTS,S application. These results have implications on the efficacy of the vaccine in Ghana and will inform the choice of alleles to include in future multivalent or chimeric vaccines.
Self-perceived Preparedness to Prescribe Antibiotics Among Swiss Medical Students: Results from a Cross-sectional Survey in four Swiss Universities in 2015.
Authors: Ranzani Alice , Catho Gaud , Pulcini Céline , Dyar Oliver J. , Huttner Benedikt D.
Published: August 2020

BackgroundPrevious studies have highlighted that medical students do not feel well prepared to prescribe antimicrobials. The ESCMID Study Group for Antimicrobial stewardshiP (ESGAP) conducted a survey among European medical students to assess self-reported preparedness about prudent antibiotic use and the perceived lack of education. The aim of the present study was to specifically focus on the perceptions of Swiss medical students. MethodsA cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in 2015 by ESGAP involving sixth-year medical students from Switzerland. The survey investigated self-reported preparedness on diagnosis and treatment of infections, availability and perceived usefulness of different teaching methods and the perceived need for further education on antibiotic use. “Preparedness scores” were created by calculating the percentage of students who felt sufficiently prepared on each topic. ResultsWe received responses from 137 medical students from 4 medical schools (Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich). The overall estimated response rate was 19%. Overall, 62% of Swiss students reported needing more education on antibiotics or at least on their prudent use. Teaching methods perceived as more useful were discussion of clinical cases (80.2%), clinical rotation in infectious diseases (77.0%) and small group teaching (75.0%), but the latter 2 were reported as unavailable for nearly half of the students (36.5% and 47.5%, respectively). Almost all of the students felt sufficiently prepared to recognize clinical signs of infection (99.3%), to interpret inflammation markers (94.9%) and to have sufficient knowledge of consequences of antibiotic misuse (95.5%). Less than half of them felt prepared to select the right empirical treatment without using guidelines (33.8%), to identify the need for combination therapy (39.7%) or to select the shortest adequate treatment duration (39.3%). ConclusionsMost Swiss final year medical students feel they need more education on antibiotics. Some of the teaching methods perceived as more useful by students seem still insufficiently available in Swiss medical schools. Active and interprofessional teaching activities can be a first step towards more effective education on prudent antibiotic use.
GsLTP, a Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein from Glycine soja, Enhances Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco
Authors: Fan Jinping , Liu Jingshuang , Cao Lei , Wang Jiayue , Meng Qingxue , Che Daidi
Published: August 2020

Background

Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) mainly exist in plant cell walls where they make an important impact in the transport of diverse lipophilic compounds. Although the functions of several LTPS in different plant species have been identified, little is known about the biochemical and enzymatic activities of LTP family members in soybeans.
Results

Herein, GsLTP was identified from Glycine soja using soybean gene microarray expression and screened in a salt stress expressed sequence tag (EST) library. The 369 bp open reading frame (ORF) encodes a protein of 122 amino acids, and the cDNA sequence shares similarity with LTP genes in other plants such as soybean (93%) and Vigna (72%). The function of the gene was characterized in transgenic tobacco. Various physiological characteristics under different environmental stresses were investigated. We discovered that over-expression of GsLTP enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stresses.
Conclusions

Our results indicate that GsLTP plays an important role in multiple abiotic signalling pathways, and provide a theoretical basis and practical gene resource for crop breeding.
Effect of ezrin regulation by sperm-borne miR-183 on the formation of microvilli and early development of bovine embryos.
Authors: Zuo Zhenzi , Liu Xu , Wang Zheng , Qiao Fang , Wang Jingyi , Zhang Jingcheng , Zhang Yong , Qing Suzhu , Wang Yongsheng
Published: August 2020

Background: Mature sperm contain both coding and non-coding RNAs, which can be delivered into an oocyte with the sperm at fertilization. Accumulating evidence shows that these sperm-borne RNAs play crucial roles in epigenetic reprogramming, remodeling, embryonic development, and offspring phenotype. MiR-183 is highly expressed in bovine sperm, and can be delivered into oocytes during fertilization. Results: Here we used bioinformatics and luciferase assays to show that the ezrin gene, EZR, is one of the targets of miR-183 in early embryos, while gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrated their regulatory relationship. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the density of microvilli on the surface of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos was significantly higher than on in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos and was significantly reduced by injection of miR-183. EZR-siRNA injected into SCNT embryos had a similar effect. This indicated that a deficiency in sperm-borne miRNA-183 might lead to abnormal changes in microvilli by down-regulating ezrin protein. We used bioinformatics to select the proteins that worked in combination with ezrin to regulate microvilli function. Co-IP mass spectrometry and immunofluorescence identified SLC9A3R1 as the protein functioning in synergy with ezrin in early bovine embryos. Gain-of-function studies showed that miR-183 significantly improved developmental competence of SCNT embryo in terms of cleavage (76.63% vs 64.32%, p<0.05), blastocyst formation (43.75% vs 28.26%, p<0.05), apoptotic index (5.21% vs 12.64%, p<0.05), and the trophoblast ratio (32.65% vs 25.58%, p<0.05) in day 7 blastocysts. Conclusions: In conclusion, the present studies indicated that sperm-borne miR-183 might influence the formation of microvilli and embryo development by regulating expression of EZR mRNA.
Accuracy of Remote Diagnoses Using Intraoral Scans Captured in Approximate True Color: A Validation Study in Teledentistry
Authors: Steinmeier Sabrina Jenny , Wiedemeier Daniel , Hämmerle Christoph HF , Mühlemann Sven
Published: August 2020

Background: Intraoral scans provide three-dimensional images with approximate true colors, representing possible tool in teledentistry for remote screening.Aim: To evaluate the levels of agreement between scorings derived from intraoral scans (IOS) and scorings derived from clinical examinations for assessing dental and periodontal conditions. Material and Methods: The sample included 10 patients in need of a restorative treatment. Following an intraoral scan, a full-mouth dental and periodontal examination was performed and periapical radiographs were taken. The intraoral scans were transmitted from the intraoral scanner to a cloud server. Ten examiners were asked to perform dental and periodontal assessments solely based on the intraoral scans. The scans were presented to the examiners on a tablet computer using the IOS-specific viewer app. Thereafter, the periapical radiographs were added and the examiners asked to do provide a second round of assessments. The remote scoring was compared to the clinical scoring derived from the clinical examination. The time for the remote assessment was recorded. The agreement between remote and clinical scorings was then analyzed descriptively.Results: Conclusion: The remote screening was effective in detecting patients in need for a clinical examination and was time-efficient. Further improvement of the image quality of intraoral scans may allow increasing the accuracy of remote assessments.
Human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells have potential of high differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells through increased level of hepatocyte growth factor
Authors: Lee Ji-Seon , Yoon Dajeong , Yoon Dogeon , Yeo Changhwan , Chun Wook
Published: August 2020

Background: As the aging society progresses, more patients are waiting for liver transplantation. However, the function of existing bio artificial liver is insufficient. Recently, research has been focused on stem cells to regenerate damaged liver. Most of all, the obstacle to the commercialization of widely used human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) therapy is the limited supply of cells with consistent quality although most cell source of current stem cell therapy is hASCs. In this study, we attempt to differentiate human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hESC-MSCs) into hepatocyte-like cells and tested whether hESC-MSCs have a potential of liver regeneration as a source of cell therapy, considering that they have characteristics of high differentiation rates, unlimited proliferation possibility from a single colony, and homogenicity.Methods: hESC-MSCs and hASCs were cultured under condition of hepatogenic differentiation in vitro. And then various experiments including quantitative real-time PCR, immunoblotting, ELISA, immunofluorescence, Periodic acid-Schiff staining and flow cytometry analysis were performed to evaluate expression level of HGF and the extent of differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells.Results: We found that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), important for maintaining hepatocyte activity, is highly expressed in hESC-MSCs. Besides, it was confirmed that the expression of ALB, TDO2, and CYP2E1, which are the hepatocyte-specific genes when hepatogenic differentiation was performed under conditions even without HGF in hESC-MSCs, was higher than that when hASCs was differentiated into hepatocytes. Likewise, we concluded that hESC-MSCs could be well-differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells compared to hASCs through staining data.Conclusions: We propose that hESC-MSCs have a promising potential as a commercial cell therapy source to treat liver failure in view of the limited available cell sources for stem cell therapy.
An Iteration Model for Identifying Essential Proteins by Combining Comprehensive PPI Network With Biological Information
Authors: Li Shiyuan , Zhang Zhen , Li Xueyong , Tan Yihong , Wang Lei , Chen Zhiping
Published: August 2020

Background: Essential proteins have great impacts on cell survival and development, and played important roles in disease analysis and new drug design. However, since it is inefficient and costly to identify essential proteins by using biological experiments, then there is an urgent need for automated and accurate detection methods. In recent years, the recognition of essential proteins in protein interaction networks (PPI) has become a research hotspot, and many computational models for predicting essential proteins have been proposed successively.Results: In order to achieve higher prediction performance, in this paper, a new prediction model called TGSO is proposed. In TGSO, a protein aggregation degree network is constructed first by adopting the node density measurement method for complex networks. And simultaneously, a protein co-expression interactive network is constructed by combining the gene expression information with the network connectivity, and a protein co-localization interaction network is constructed based on the subcellular localization data. And then, through integrating these three kinds of newly constructed networks, a comprehensive protein-protein interaction network will be obtained. Finally, based on the homology information, scores can be calculated out iteratively for different proteins, which can be utilized to estimate the importance of proteins effectively. Moreover, in order to evaluate the identification performance of TGSO, we have compared TGSO with 13 different latest competitive methods based on three kinds of yeast databases. And experimental results show that TGSO can achieve identification accuracies of 94\%, 82\% and 72\% out of the top 1\%, 5\% and 10\% candidate proteins respectively, which are to some degree superior to these state-of-the-art competitive models. Conclusion: We constructed a comprehensive interactive network based on multi-source data to reduce the noise and errors in the initial PPI, and combined with iterative methods to improve the accuracy of necessary protein prediction, and means that TGSO may be conducive to the future development of essential protein recognition as well.
Effectiveness of a multidimensional intervention program in improving occupational musculoskeletal disorders among intensive care units nurses: a cluster controlled trial with follow-up at 3 and 6 months
Authors: Yang Shuai , Li Li , Wang Liqian , Zeng Jiaqi , Yan Bin , Li Yinglan
Published: August 2020

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). Data on occupational injuries indicate the significance of WRMDs among ICU nurses. Intervention programs have previously been developed to reduce WRMDs, but different intervention methods need to be adopted for different groups of people. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidimensional intervention program to prevent and reduce WRMDs in ICU nurses.Methods: The study was designed as a two-armed cluster controlled trial with an intervention group and a control group. The clusters were independent hospital ICUs, and the participants consisted of registered nurses. By cluster random sampling, 89 nurses from 2 ICUs were assigned to the intervention group, and 101 nurses from 2 other ICUs were assigned to the control group. A multidimensional intervention program based on previous studies was designed. This program combined improving risk perception, health behavior training, and promoting a safe working environment. The multidimensional intervention program was implemented in the intervention group, whereas the routine specialist training was implemented in the control group. Baseline and follow-up (3 and 6 months) data were collected using self-reported online questionnaires. The primary outcome was the report rate of WRMDs in the past 7 days. Secondary outcomes were risk perception, health behavior applied, and perception of a safe working environment. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 19.0. Results: A total of 190 nurses provided 3 recorded outcome measurement (intervention group N=89 (94.68%); control group N=101 (94.39%)). After 6 months, the intervention group experienced significant improvement relative to the control group in the report rate of WRMDs in the past 7 days (OR=0.512, p =0.038), risk perception (OR=0.517, p <0.001), health behavior training (OR=0.025, p <0.001), and perception of a safe working environment (OR=1.637, p =0.024). Conclusion: The multidimensional intervention program was superior to routine specialist training in preventing the occurrence of WRMDs in ICU nurses. WRMD training should include multifaceted approaches and pay increased attention to specific aspects of the departmental function.