bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydration status when increasing daily fluid intake with various beverages (707.8)
Authors: Tucker Matthew , Ganio Matthew , Adams J. D. , Brown Lemuel , Ridings Christian , Burchfield Jenna , Robinson Blake , McDermott Jamie , Moyen Nicole , Schreiber Brett , Washington Tyrone , Bermudez Andrea , Bennett Meredith , Buyckx Maxime
Published: June 2021

Relatively little is known about how hydration status is affected when increasing fluid ingestion with various beverages. Purpose: To investigate the hydration status of healthy, free‐living males when given varying volumes of different beverage types. Methods: 36 males (age 24±5 y; mass 75.1±11.4 kg) were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups for 2 weeks of testing: water only, water+cola, water+diet cola, or water+cola+diet cola+orange juice. Volumes of fluid were split evenly between beverages within each 24‐h treatment period. 24‐h fluid ingestion (including fluid in food) for weeks 1 and 2 was 35 and 40 ml/kg body mass, respectively. Serum osmolality (Osmserum), total body water (TBW) via bioelectrical impedance, 24‐h Osmurine and volume (Volurine) were analyzed after 24‐h of intervention. Results: Total beverage consumption independent of treatment, increased from week 1 to 2 (1721±384 to 2096±437 ml; P <.05). Independent of week there were no hydration differences between treatments (P >.05). Independent of treatment increasing fluid intake did not change TBW (43.7±5.5 vs 43.5±5.2 kg), Osmserum (292±4 vs 293±5 mOsm), Osmurine (599±221 vs 561±217 mOsm) or Volurine (1526±624 vs 1621±651 ml) (P >.05). Conclusion: Regardless of fluid volume or beverage type consumed, 24‐h hydration status did not differ. This suggests that fluid contained in various beverages is equally effective in hydrating the body.

Grant Funding Source: Funded by The Coca‐Cola Company
Hypoxia induced hERG trafficking defect leads to apoptosis: involvement of NADPH oxidase generated ROS and Hsp90 (710.2)
Authors: Vaddi Damodara , Piao Lin , Khan Shakil , Wang Ning , Prabhakar Nanduri , Nanduri Jayasri
Published: June 2021

The alpha subunit of the voltage gated human ether‐go‐go‐related (hERG) potassium channel regulates cell excitability in a broad range of cell lines. hERG channels are also expressed in a variety of cancer cells and control cell proliferation and apoptosis. Sustained hypoxia (SH) alters gating properties of hERG currents in neuroblastoma (SH‐SY5Y) cells. In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanisms underlying SH altered hERG currents in SH‐SY5Y cells. Patch‐clamp studies revealed that 4days of SH decreased hERG tail currents by 40‐50%. SH down regulated the surface expression of the fully glycosylated form (fg) of hERG protein with accumulation of the endoplasmic reticulum (cg) form. These effects were stimulus dependent and reversible. Accumulation of cg form by SH was due to impaired trafficking of hERG protein. Prolonged association with molecular chaperone Hsp90 resulting in complex oligomeric insoluble aggregates contribute to SH induced ER retention and defective trafficking. SH increased NADPHoxidase‐2 (Nox2)‐mediated ROS generation. Silencing Nox2 prevented SH‐induced degradation of fg and accumulation of cg forms. HERG downregulation by hypoxia resulted in reduced cell proliferation, altered cell cycle distribution and increase in apoptotic cells and all these effects were prevented by genetic silencing of Nox2.

Grant Funding Source: HL‐90554
A synergistic effect of TRPV1 and TRPA1 activations in vagal pulmonary C fibers (712.16)
Authors: Lin Yu‐Jung , Lin Ruei‐Lung , Khosravi Mehdi , Lee Lu‐Yuan
Published: June 2021

Recent studies suggest that transient receptor potential ankyrin type 1 (TRPA1) channels can be activated by a number of inflammatory mediators and are largely co‐expressed with TRPV1 in a subset of vagal bronchopulmonary C‐fibers. This study was carried out to determine whether there is an interaction between these two polymodal transducers, TRPV1 and TRPA1, upon simultaneous activation. Pulmonary chemoreflex responses were compared in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing rats when intravenous injections of capsaicin (Cap, a TRPV1 activator; 0.75 µg/kg) and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC, a TRPA1 activator; 0.8‐1.2 mg/kg) were administered individually first and then in combination at 20 min intervals. The apneic ratios triggered by Cap alone and AITC alone were 2.2 ± 0.6 and 2.0 ± 0.9, respectively; intravenous injection of the combined dose (Cap + AITC) elevated the apneic ratio to 12.8 ± 2.4 which is ~255% greater than the mathematical sum of TRPV1 and TRPA1 responses (P<0.05, n=6). The synergistic effect was also observed in the study of chemoreflex responses in anesthetized mice (~450% greater than the mathematical sum of TRPV1 and TRPA1 responses, P<0.05, n=6; 1.3 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.0, and 12.3 ± 2.9 for Cap alone, AITC alone, and Cap + AITC, respectively). Furthermore, when both TRPV1 and TRPA1 were activated simultaneously, the C‐fiber responses, recorded by the single‐fiber recording technique, were markedly amplified: responses to Cap alone, AITC alone and Cap + AITC were 4.3 ± 0.5, 3.4 ± 0.8 and 27.2 ± 3.4 impulses/s, respectively (~468% greater than the mathematical sum of TRPV1 and TRPA1 responses, P<0.05, n=24). These results clearly demonstrated a positive interaction between TRPV1 and TRPA1 activations at the pulmonary C‐fiber endings. The underlying mechanism of this synergistic effect remains to be determined. (Supported by NIH grant HL96914 and DoD grant W81XWH‐10‐2‐0189).
Pulmonary hypertension is present in a rodent model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia at 21 days but not 6 months of age (715.1)
Authors: Kleinertz Aaron , Conhaim Robert , Shuster Taylor , Mahan Sidney , Eldridge Marlowe , Bates Melissa
Published: June 2021

In preterm infants, mechanical ventilation with supplemental O2 can cause bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), characterized by dysmorphic pulmonary vasculature and simplified alveoli. Although vascular cross‐sectional area is diminished, contributing to right ventricular hypertension (RVH), it is unknown whether this improves with age. We hypothesized that RVH would continue into adulthood in a rat model of BPD. Rats were exposed to 21% or 95% O2 from birth to postnatal day 8. At 21 days or 6 months of age, a fluid‐filled catheter was placed in the RV to measure RV pressure and inject 2x108 4μm fluorescent spheres. At the conclusion of the experiment, lungs were harvested, air dried, and imaged using laser scanning confocal microscopy to investigate capillary density. At 21 days, rats exposed to 95% O2 demonstrated RVH (31±5 mmHg), which was absent in both 21 day controls (16±2 mmHg, p=0.028) and 6 month old rats exposed to 95% O2 (20±10 mmHg, p=0.014). Interestingly, the density and distribution of spheres was not different between 6 month old rats exposed to 95% or 21%, suggesting that the normalization of right heart pressure by 6 months is the result of improved alveolar capillary density. Our findings indicate that children and infants with BPD may be at high risk for RVH, but that this resolves with age.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH 5R01HL115061
14‐3‐3 Isoforms bind directly exon B of the 5’UTR of human surfactant protein A2 mRNA (717.5)
Authors: Noutsios Georgios , Ghatas Paul , Bennett Stephanie , Tsotakos Nikolaos , Floros Joanna
Published: June 2021

Human surfactant protein A, an innate immunity molecule is encoded by two genes SFTPA1 (SP‐A1) and SFTPA2 (SP‐A2). The 5’ untranslated (5’UTR) splice variant of SP‐A2 (ABD), but not of SP‐A1 (AD), contains exon B (eB). eB is an enhancer for transcription and translation, and contains cis regulatory elements. Specific trans‐acting factors including 14‐3‐3, bind eB. The 14‐3‐3 protein family contains 7 isoforms some of which (ζ/δ, β/α, τ/θ, ε, γ, η) were found by mass spectroscopy to be present in eB electromobility assays (REMSA) (AJPLC MP 304:L722, 2013). Here, we investigated whether 14‐3‐3 binds directly to eB using three different approaches. i) REMSAs were performed, with either NCI‐H441 cell extracts or purified 14‐3‐3 isoforms (β, η, τ, ζ) expressed in E. coli, incubated with wild type eB‐, and random‐ RNAs. Formed complexes were analyzed with mass spectroscopy, ii) Surface Plasmon Resonance analysis (Biacore), and iii) eB RNA pull down assays. We found by REMSA that 14‐3‐3 isoforms β, τ and η but not ζ bind directly eB; these do not bind SP‐A1 (AD) that does not contain eB. Moreover, when isoform 14‐3‐3 η was tested with Biacore and pull down assays a direct binding to eB RNA was observed as with REMSA. In conclusion the 14‐3‐3 protein family affects differential regulation of SP‐A1 and SP‐A2 by binding directly to SP‐A2 mRNA.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH HL34788
Ion permeability of artificial membranes evaluated by diffusion potential and electrical resistance measurements (719.1)
Authors: Shlyonsky Vadim
Published: June 2021

A novel model of artificial membranes that provides efficient assistance in teaching the origins of diffusion potentials is proposed. These membranes are made of polycarbonate filters fixed to 12 mm plastic rings and then saturated with a mixture of creosol and n‐decane. Electrical resistance and potential difference across these membranes can be easily measured using low‐cost volt‐ohmmeter and home‐made Ag/AgCl electrodes. The advantage of the model is the lack of ionic selectivity of the membrane, which can be modified by introduction of different ionophores to the organic liquid mixture. Membrane treated with the mixture containing valinomycin generates voltages from ‐53 mV to ‐25 mV in the presence of a 10‐fold KCl gradient (in‐to‐out) and from ‐79 mV to ‐53 mV in the presence of a bi‐ionic KCl/NaCl gradient (in‐to‐out). This latter bi‐ionic gradient potential reverses to a value from +9 mV to +20 mV when monensin is present in the organic liquid mixture. Thus, the model can be build stepwise, i.e. all factors leading to the development of diffusion potentials can be introduced sequentially, helping to understand the quantitative relationships of ionic gradients and differential membrane permeability in the generation of cell electrical signals.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by FER (ULB)
Development of a novel assessment tool for higher order learning in physiology: a utility analysis (719.11)
Authors: Kibble Jonathan , Cramer Nicholas
Published: June 2021

Multiple‐choice questions (MCQs) are a gold‐standard tool for assessment of knowledge and are used in many high‐stakes standardized tests. However, MCQs are frequently criticized for lacking the ability to test higher order learning. Our objective was to develop a novel assessment to assess learning at the levels of application, evaluation and synthesis. The rubric assesses student write‐ups of clinical case problems. The method is based on the traditional doctor’s note, called “SOAP” (in our case: “Subjective and Objective Assessment of Pathophysiology/Pharmacology). Students are required to correctly identify subjective and objective findings, to ascribe pathophysiologic and pharmacologic mechanisms, and to justify a list of differential diagnoses. The study received IRB approval. Analysis was applied to de‐identified records of 80 second year medical students from three clinical case studies. Each script was double‐marked by a pair of faculty evaluators. A utility analysis was undertaken by combining numeric data with the results of faculty and student interviews. The rubric was found to display high levels of content validity and construct validity and has acceptable levels of statistical reliability. Current limitations include high time demands on expert graders and workload concerns from students. In conclusion, the novel SOAPP instrument offers potential as a method for assessing higher order learning in an authentic learning context.
Students’ perception about the use of animals during practical classes (719.15)
Authors: Rocha Maria Jose , Rochelle Ana Beatriz , Silva Ricardo Henrique
Published: June 2021

The use of vertebrate animals in teaching‐learning has been questioned since several educational alternatives are nowadays possible. The aim was to analyze the perception of undergraduate students of Pharmacy and Dental courses about using animals in practical classes for teaching.

One hundred students of each course participate of the study. The inclusion criterion was individual that had concluded the basic disciplines that use animals for teaching. They were asked to fill a questionnaire containing 15 objective and discursive questions. The data were tabulated with percentage represented in the columns. Approved by FORP Ethics Committee.

Three questions were chosen to be reported .The majority of the students of Pharmacy ( 53% ) and Dental (57%) courses answered that the animals are important and useful for their learning. The majority of Dental students (72%) reported none or light discomforts while Pharmacy students (76%) reported light to media discomforts. In relation to the questions about refusing to participate in the practical classes with animals or to be favorable to replacing them, the majority of the Pharmacy students answered they refused (52%) and were in favor of replacing (58%) while only the minority of Dental students respond similarly to the same questions (35% and 44%, respectively).

Although the majority of the students of both course answered that the animals are important and useful for their learning, the majority of Pharmacy students reported medium to light discomfort, refuses to partipate of practical classes with animals and is in favor of replacing them. These results show the necessity that the professors pursue alternatives to replace animals in practical classes.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by University of Sao Paulo
Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of a paperless curriculum at a new osteopathic medical school (719.5)
Authors: Hernandez Mark , Riggs Krista , Wright Bruce , McManus Christina , Baker S. Dennis , El‐Sawi Nehad
Published: June 2021

Our educational program is anchored in a set of guiding principles that includes active learning. Actively engaging the students is one of the goals of our biomedical sciences curriculum. The curriculum model is designed to blend the traditional classroom environment with self‐empowered student learning. The curriculum utilizes a combination of traditional lectures, flipping the classroom with designated student assignments (DSAs) and basic science correlation sessions (BSCs). Curriculum development and delivery is paperless and technology dependent. The use of technology such as the tablet Surface Pro, electronic testing, electronic textbooks/resources, attendance tracking, electronic curriculum delivery platform (LCMS), and an electronic student response system (TurningPoint) are all a crucial part of the innovations. We describe here how both traditional lectures, DSAs and BSCs have been created into a paperless curriculum. We believe students overall feel more empowered and are able to practice independent learning which is conducive towards effective use of their time. The ACOM model and unforeseen challenges and opportunities that occurred in the implementation of a fully electronic curricula are presented here.
Categories and assessment of e‐mail use in university teaching activities for 5 years (720.1)
Authors: El‐Sabban Farouk
Published: June 2021

E‐mail use is common in academic communities. University students and instructors are proficient users of e‐mail, thus incorporating e‐mail in teaching activities can benefit the education process. This technology was utilized in teaching science and non‐science courses at College for Women, Kuwait University. The course instructor sets a separate e‐mail account for each course and provides a password for students. Its purpose is for the instructor to disseminate relevant course information and materials. Students are not to use course e‐mail to communicate with their instructor or for personal use to avoid intersecting messages. Major categories of messages sent by instructor were (%): handouts (28), assignment‐related (21), notices (20), materials of interest (19). Messages from students were assignment‐related (40%) and 60% were non‐assignment related. Students who responded to a simple 15‐statement questionnaire (n = 349) indicated that e‐mail was convenient, but they preferred face‐to‐face contact with the instructor. Such sentiments were echoed in 73 of student comments. Based on the instructor’s experience, e‐mail usage in teaching activities is very convenient and has many advantages. One major benefit of e‐mail is improved student/instructor communication, a matter that has an educational value in the long run.

This work was supported by Kuwait University Research Grant No. [WF 02/12].
Team‐based learning in the gross anatomy lab improves academic performance and student attitudes towards teamwork (721.14)
Authors: Brooks William , Huitt Tiffany , Killins Anita
Published: June 2021

As the healthcare climate shifts towards increased interdisciplinary patient care, it is essential that students become accomplished at group problem solving and develop positive attitudes towards teamwork. Team‐based learning (TBL) has become a popular approach to medical education because of its ability to promote these factors. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of TBL and perceptions of teamwork among physical therapy students who were exposed to a traditional model of gross anatomy education and those who were involved in a lecture and hybrid lab experience (dissection/TBL). We surveyed students at the beginning and completion of gross anatomy as well as students who had previously completed a traditional anatomy course and found that the inclusion of TBL in the anatomy lab significantly improves student attitudes towards working with peers. Comparison of academic performance between TBL and non‐TBL students revealed that students who participated in TBL scored significantly higher on their first anatomy practical and on their head/neck written exam. When asked to rate their role in a group, a 10.5% increase in the mean rank score for problem solver resulted after the completion of the TBL‐based anatomy course. Our data indicates that TBL is an effective supplement to cadaveric dissection in the laboratory portion of gross anatomy, improving both student grades and perceptions of teamwork.
IT tools for peer review (721.21)
Authors: Layland Shannon , Schenke‐Layland Katja
Published: June 2021

The scientific peer review process is a time‐consuming undertaking. At its best, peer review is non‐biased and qualitative. At worst, it can be destructive, slow, and hastily performed. In the current economic environment, career advancement has become more competitive with administrative decisions mostly based on a scientist’s publication record. For the public, faith in the peer review process can affect public opinion on new findings, possibly resulting in governmental policy decisions. Therefore, it is imperative that editors and reviewers strive to keep the review process as open and non‐biased as possible. Most publishers have taken the review process online, using different tools to assist editors and reviewers such as providing keyword search engines or instant access to citied articles that can be used to find similar work. A review of the currently available online publisher tools and an introduction to validation websites will be discussed, along with possible processes that may make peer reviews more transparent for authors and the general public. IT tools to help students stay up to date on recent publications will also be demonstrated.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by the Fraunhofer‐Gesellschaft [Attract 692263 to K.S.‐L.]
Crowdsourcing in medical education: a visual example using anatomical henna (721.23)
Authors: See Christopher
Published: June 2021

Introduction Crowdsourcing can be defined as; “the practice of obtaining needed ideas or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, particularly using online methods”. It has become prevalent in many modern arenas such as filmmaking and software design. However, when applied to a ‘crowd’ of medical students, it can become a rich source of ideas for pedagogical innovation. This qualitative study demonstrates the unexpected and innovative manner in which a student body generates its own learning methods through crowdsourcing.

Methods Using crowdsourcing techniques, medical students discussed gross anatomy learning objectives and submitted their own designs of learning methods through both online and small‐group offline collaborations over several months. These were incorporated onto the bodies of volunteer models in traditional Indian henna, Maori and African Tribal patterns by a henna artist.

Results 4 novel student‐derived learning methodologies were elicited; phonetic devices, visuo‐spacial devices, alpha‐numeric conversions and supra‐structure.

Discussion Using crowdsourcing to further medical education follows the paradigm of student‐centred learning by generating engagement and a sense of ownership in the student body. This study demonstrates its utility as a technique for qualitative exploration of current student learning methods.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by The Centre of Development and Resources for Students, The University of Hong Kong
Cadaver donation program and anatomy teaching at the University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil (721.5)
Authors: Jacomo Alfredo , Hojaij Flávio , Ribeiro João , Andrade Mauro , Akamatsu Flávia
Published: June 2021

Several reasons have led to progressive replacement of cadavers for anatomical models and computerized images in Anatomy courses. To obviate the scarcity and pitfalls related to the use of unclaimed bodies, a cadaver donation program was implemented in our Department. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact, benefits and problems of the program in the last decade.

A retrospective evaluation of the documents related to cadaveric donation to our department was obtained from 2002, analyzing the characteristics of the donors and the availability of cadaveric material to our courses. Additionally, we searched possible variables related to voluntary donation.

All donors were causcasians and gender distribution varied throughout the decade, mainly concerning female donors. Our cadaver donation program has been successful to maintain adequate cadaveric material for teaching and research purposes and completely replaced the use of unclaimed bodies.

Alternative methods to teach Anatomy to be valuable but their role, alone or in conjunction with traditional cadaveric dissection and prosection, still need to be established. We consider that the use of cadavers to be essential in medical graduation and a comprehensive voluntary donation program is the best alternative to achieve the educational targets without the ethical and legal problems related to the use of unclaimed bodies.
Clay modeling in applied anatomy: a cross‐sectional comparison of educational effectiveness in preclinical donor dissections, clinical clerkships, and postgraduate residency training programs (721.8)
Authors: Rosentsveyg Juliana , Patel Jasmine , Gabbur Nagaraj , Márquez Samuel
Published: June 2021

A solid anatomical knowledge base is valued as an essential constituent to lifelong learning in medicine. Clay modeling (CM) as part of a multimodal approach to learning is an inimitable didactic means for healthcare professionals to interactively and kinetically improve their fundamental understanding of clinical human anatomy. Our study assesses the effectiveness of CM as a clinical anatomy review technique for students at different stages of education. Twelve physician assistant students (PAS) and physical therapy students (PTS) and twelve first‐year medical students (MS) from anatomy at SUNY Downstate attended six weekly 150‐minute CM classes. 23 third‐year MS, four third‐year PAS, and ten postgraduate resident physicians attended a series of 2‐hour CM courses on anatomy relevant to concurrent clinical rotations. Quantitative assessment of pre and post‐test performance showed statistically significant differences within the CM group (p < 0.05) for first‐year students and residents at all levels of training. Qualitative analysis showed consistently high satisfaction among resident physicians and students when given concomitantly with anatomy dissection but not clinical rotations. While groups from all educational levels demonstrated learning, our findings show CM to be of moderate benefit to postgraduate physicians during clinical training and an overwhelmingly positive addition to preclinical anatomical education.
Peer feedback among interprofessional allied health students in the anatomy lab (722.3)
Authors: Dowdy Jared , Martin Charys , Nichols Carol , Edmondson Anna
Published: June 2021

Giving constructive feedback is necessary for health professionals, and the anatomy lab provides an ideal environment to develop this skill. We evaluated feedback given by interprofessional allied health (physician assistant (PA), occupational (OT) & physical therapy (PT)) students, which was quantified & sorted into themes. Narrative comments were thorough, with an emphasis on strengths. 61% of positive comments were associated with themes involving professionalism/leadership skills, followed by personal behaviors (28%) & knowledge (11%). Constructively critical comments were more closely distributed between professionalism/leadership skills (43%) & personal behaviors (40%), with fewer comments addressing knowledge (17%). When evaluating positive comments, we saw no difference between feedback given by students from different departmental programs. However, departmental differences did exist regarding the focus of constructive criticisms. When compared to feedback from students in other programs, PT students identified more professionalism issues in their peers (51%), OT students cited personal behavior issues more often (44%), and PA students placed greater emphasis on knowledge deficiencies (22.5%). We propose differences in importance placed on attributes & skills may be due to differences between programmatic objectives, timing of anatomy, and/or degree level of the program.
After the final: knowledge retention for online and face to face histology students (725.12)
Authors: Barbeau Michele , Rogers Kem
Published: June 2021

We have developed an online histology laboratory course covering the same material as a Face to Face (F2F) course. Previously, we reported no significant differences in outcomes between the formats. Here we investigate knowledge retention four to six months following completion of the course. In this study, online and F2F students were invited to complete a 20 question practical quiz with a time limit of 20 minutes. These questions covered the main tissues and organs highlighted in the course. Students completed this quiz either immediately following or between four and six months after the completion of the course. Students who attempted the quiz immediately following the completion of the course scored a mean of 73.1 ±12.8% while those who attempted the quiz several months following showed significant reductions in their scores (online 36.6 ± 15.1% and F2F 43.0 ± 17.3%). However, there was no significant difference in the knowledge retention for students who took the course in the online or F2F format. These results suggest that although knowledge retention declines for both online and F2F students, there is no difference in knowledge retention between students who study histology in the online or F2F format.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by: Socical Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Anatomy and art in a computerized model of the hand: preliminary results (725.2)
Authors: Burchianti Lívia , Barros Mirna , Curcio Daniella
Published: June 2021

Anatomical models and computerized atlases have gained grounds in health allied educational settings and also in schools for the visual and fine arts. This study describes the development of a computerized model of the hand and reports our preliminary results. Comprised by art illustrations and dissected specimens the atlas allow users to select, isolate, hide and enhance different planes and structures ‐ e.g. muscles, vessels, bones, nerves, ligaments ‐ both in pictures and illustrations, also providing essential information and quizzes. Art, anatomy and technology are brought together to enable useful comparisons in anatomical practice, linking the illustrative features of the drawings and the realistic qualities of the pictures, clearly observable in the dissection lab. Developed by undergraduate medical students, further improvements include virtual 3D movements of the normal hand and simulations of pathologies.
Leveraging social media and mobile technology in anatomical science education (725.3)
Authors: Lee Lisa
Published: June 2021

In the current trend of decreasing student‐instructor contact hours in basic science curricula, an innovative way to engage the current generation of technology‐savvy and “socially‐connected” students in learning, recalling and retaining anatomical science content was explored. The objective of the study was to; 1) assess students’ ownership and competence in using mobile devices, technology and social media; and 2) assess the value of utilizing social media and mobile technology in education. A survey, gauging students’ ownership and use of technology and social media was conducted with the first‐year graduate and dental students. For a period of one academic year, anatomical science questions were posted on a TwitterTM site 3 to 4 times a week, each followed by an answer the following day. All twitter posts were instantly cross‐posted on a FacebookTM page. Students’ retention was assessed by a quiz, 8 weeks after the anatomical science course and scores from those who chose to follow the posts on social media vs. those who did not were compared. The results reveal that a high percentage of current generation of professional students own mobile devices, are comfortable with technology and social networking applications. The results also suggest that social networking applications maybe a powerful educational tool to promote recall and retention of basic science content well after the conclusion of the course.
Dose‐ and time‐dependent benefits of iPAD technology in an undergraduate human anatomy course (725.8)
Authors: Raney Marcella
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of iPAD2 technology integration on student performance in an undergraduate human anatomy course. Six undergraduate anatomy classes (N=166) were recruited to participate. Two classes were assigned to one the following conditions: control=no iPAD (CON); limited access=iPADs available in lab only (LIM); full access=students given personal iPADs (FULL). All tablets were preloaded with note‐taking, interactive white‐board, student response system, and anatomy specific applications. Experimental course assignments and activities required use of iPAD technology and FULL students were encouraged to both read and take notes using the iPAD. CON students were required to complete assignments using virtual dissection software on computers. Course lecture material was delivered via PowerPoint for all 3 conditions. Student knowledge was assessed with the same exams in all conditions during the semester (2 lab practicals, 4 lecture exams). An interaction effect between time and condition was found for both lab (F(2,165)=11.22) and lecture (F(6,165)=4.41) performance (p<0.05). Post‐hoc analysis revealed that FULL students performed significantly better than CON and LIM (68.3±2.5 and 71.1±1.7 vs 81.4±2.3%; p<0.05) and better than CON (67.5±2.0 vs 78.7±2.4%; p<0.05) on the 3rd and 4th exam respectively. A total of 66.2% of all students with iPAD access agreed that their performance was enhanced in lab. Significantly more students in FULL indicated an improvement in lecture (χ2(4,166)=11.28; p<0.05) and a desire to use an iPAD in lieu of a laptop to help study for future science courses (χ2(4,166)=19.95; p<0.05). Results suggest that if students are given opportunities to overcome the technology learning curve, iPADs and relevant applications can be useful tools in human anatomy courses.

Grant Funding Source: Supported by Occidental College Library and Center for Digital Learning and Research
Long term effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on Caenorhabditis elegans (726.12)
Authors: Cassady Amanda
Published: June 2021

Monoamines (MAs) are amino acid derivatives that act as neurotransmitters in many organisms. Examples of monoamines include dopamine and serotonin. Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are a family of enzymes that catalyze the degradation of MAs. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) act by reversibly or irreversibly inhibiting MAO activity. MAOIs, such as Clorgyline, Phenelzine, Selegiline, and Tranylcypromine, resemble MAs and may act on some MA receptors, as well as increasing MAs levels. MAOIs are commonly prescribed drugs to treat neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, depression, and attention deficit disorder. Unfortunately, the long term effects of MAOIs are not fully understood and negative side effects are common.

In humans, MAOIs prescribed as antidepressants during pregnancy may be harmful to offspring. The model organism C. elegans, a 1‐millimeter soil nematode, is utilized in this project to study the chronic effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on behavior, reproduction, and survival. C. elegans have a reproductive life cycle of 3 days, which makes it simple to investigate the effects of MAOIs on short‐term behaviors, as well as growth and reproduction. We have performed behavioral assays on wild‐type C. elegans in concentrations of MAOIs that are potent enough to inhibit movement without causing complete paralysis. On day 3, the adults and offspring are transferred onto a plate without the drug in order to quantify reproduction, recovery, and survival. We find that different MAOIs have different effects on short‐term and long‐term behaviors and reproduction.
Persistent increases of PKMζ correlate with the retention and duration of spatial long‐term memory (728.11)
Authors: Hartley Benjamin , Hsieh Changchi , Tsokas Paniyotas , Serrano Peter , Fenton Andre , Marquez Samuel , Sacktor Todd
Published: June 2021

PKMζ is a constitutively active and brain‐specific atypical PKC isoform that plays an important role during long‐term memory (LTM) storage. Overexpressing PKMζ enhances LTM, and inhibiting PKMζ by overexpressing a dominant negative version of PKMζ or injecting ζ inhibitory peptide (ZIP) disrupts LTM, even very long‐term spatial memory 1 month post‐training. Here we examined endogenous PKMζ expression at different time points after short‐ or long‐term memory and correlated the amount of expressed PKMζ with LTM retention.

Adult male Long‐Evans rats and C57BL/6J mice were trained by massed and spaced active place avoidance, respectively. Massed training consisted of eight 10‐min‐shock trials with 10 min inter‐trial interval (ITI), and spaced training consisted of three 30‐min‐shock trials with 120 min ITI. Quantitative immunoblotting showed that dorsal hippocampal PKMζ increased by the end of the massed training phase, and 1 day after both massed and spaced training, compared to animals that had not received shock when placed in the apparatus. The increase in PKMζ remained at least 30 days after the spaced training. Thus, the PKMζ level significantly correlated with 1 day LTM, but not with the number of shocks during the training. No PKMζ increase was detected after either short‐term memory training or 1 day after the administration of the tethered shocks in which animals received the same number and timing of shocks as the avoidance‐training group, but without association with spatial information. No long‐term contextual fear conditioned behaviors, such as freezing, or locomotor activity change was observed in the shock‐training group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the increased PKMζ after the spatial training localized in the strata pyramidale, radiatum, and lacunosum‐moleculare in CA1 region at both 1 day and 1 month posttraining. These results support the hypothesis that persistently increased hippocampal PKMζ might be the molecular mechanism of the spatial LTM storage.

Grant Funding Source: NIH Grant R01 MH053576
Alcohol accentuates simian immunodeficiency virus‐induced alterations in the skeletal muscle milieu contributing to impaired satellite cell myogenic differentiation (732.5)
Authors: Simon Liz , Cefalu William , Molina Patricia
Published: June 2021

Muscle wasting adversely affects survival in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Studies using a non‐human primate model of SIV infection have demonstrated that chronic binge alcohol (CBA) consumption accentuates muscle wasting in AIDS. Alcohol‐accentuation of muscle wasting appears to be due to increased protein degradation and inability to rebuild muscle mass, which we predict is due to an inability of satellite cells (SCs), the precursors of skeletal muscle fibers, to form new myofibers. We have previously demonstrated that CBA impairs the ex vivo myogenic differentiation of SCs, the muscle progenitor cells. Moreover, there was a significant increase in Smad2 gene expression, the downstream intermediate of transforming growth factor‐ß1 (TGF‐B1) signaling, in CBA SCs suggesting a role of this pathway in inhibiting myogenesis. Based on our preliminary studies and the suggestion that TGF‐ß1 may negatively regulate SC activation, we hypothesized that the chronic inflammatory and oxidative skeletal muscle milieu leads to a profibrotic phenotype of SCs due to activation of TGF‐β1 inhibiting their myogenic differentiation. Using muscle tissue or SCs isolated from CBA or sucrose fed SIV‐infected rhesus macaques, we demonstrate that there is a significant increase in the expression of TGF‐β1 expression in the muscle and decreased myogenic differentiation of SCs of the CBA‐SIV animals. There was also increased expression of Smad2 in the CBA‐SIV SCs. The results provide evidence of dysregulation of the skeletal muscle milieu due to chronic alcohol in SIV infection that impairs SC myogenic differentiation.

Grant Funding Source: NIH P60AA09803
JSim, an open‐source modeling system for data analysis and reproducibility in research (733.1)
Authors: Bassingthwaighte James , Butterworth Erik , Jardine Bart , Raymond Gary , Neal Maxwell
Published: June 2021

JSim is a simulation system for developing models, designing experiments, and evaluating hypotheses on physiological and pharmacological systems through the testing of model solutions against data. It is designed for interactive, iterative manipulation of the model code, different data sets, parameter sets, and for making comparisons among different models running simultaneously or separately. Interactive use is supported by a large collection of graphical user interfaces handling model writing and compilation diagnostics, defining input functions, model runs, selection of algorithms solving ordinary and partial differential equations, run‐time multidimensional graphics, parameter optimization (8 methods), sensitivity analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation for defining confidence ranges. JSim uses Mathematical Modeling Language (MML) a declarative syntax specifying ODEs and PDEs. The model coding and displaying of results is basically simply defining the parameters, variables, and writing the equations in MML in usual form (except for using x:t for dx/dt) making it good for teaching modeling as well as for model analysis for research. JSim can be run as a batch job. JSim can automatically translate models from the repositories for Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) and CellML models. Stochastic modeling is supported. JSim encourages assigning physical units to variables and parameters and automates the first steps of verification testing by checking for dimensional balance with automatic unit scaling included in the computation. The JSim Project File sets a standard for reproducible modeling analysis by including in one ascii file everything for a complete analysis of experiments: the data, the quantitative hypotheses defined by the models, and the data analysis. JSim is open source; it and about 400 human readable open source models are available at http://www.physiome.org/jsim/.
Study of the effects of detoxification treatments on the surface of titanium dental implants (733.5)
Authors: Wheelis Sutton , Adapalli Arvind , Valderramma Pilar , Wilson Thomas , Rodrigues Danieli
Published: June 2021

Aim: To understand the effects of implant chemical treatment on the surface of two grades of Titanium. The solutions in this study are typically used in the clinical setting for implant sterilization.

Methodology: Prior to treatment, disks of pure Ti (cpTi) and alloy (Ti14Al6V) were cut and polished. The surfaces were imaged with 3D microscopy (Keyence VHX 2000) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM Workshop). Treatment was performed with a series of compounds including citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine‐gluconate, sodium fluoride, and several others. The treatments included both immersions in solution and rubbing with a cloth. pH was quantified before and after treatment with a pH meter (Metler Toledo).

Results: Surface pitting was seen in both methods with solutions having pH蠄3 on both grades tested. Surface attack was more apparent with cpTi versus the same treatment preformed on the alloy. No significant change was seen with both methods in solutions with a pH>5. Oxidation was seen in both methods after treatment with cpTi in antibiotic treatments. AFM analysis further revealed pitting.

Conclusion: Acidic environments coupled with rubbing were shown to cause oxidation of the surface of both Ti grades. These observations show that surface damage of dental alloys can be potentially induced prior to implantation. Additional studies will study particle dissociation due to treatments.
Phosphorylation of the Sae2 endonuclease promotes its solubility and activity in DNA repair (735.4)
Authors: Paull Tanya , Fu Qiong
Published: June 2021

The Sae2 protein is an endonuclease that is important for DNA double‐strand break processing together with the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 (MRX) complex in budding yeast. Sae2 is phosphorylated by cyclin‐dependent kinase, and this modification was shown to be essential for the coordination of DNA end resection with the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. Here we map all of the modifications on Sae2 isolated from yeast, finding that there are constitutive as well as damage‐induced phosphorylation and acetylation events. Mutagenesis of these sites indicates that a C‐terminal cluster is most essential for the function of Sae2 in DNA damage survival, and reconstitution of Tel1 (ATM) activity on Sae2 with CDK and MRX in vitro shows that CDK phosphorylation primes these Tel1 modifications.

From our experience with recombinant Sae2 expressed in E. coli, we knew that Sae2 forms a variety of oligomeric forms and that the smaller forms are more active than the larger forms in DNA binding and endonuclease activity. Here we find that Sae2 also forms oligomeric complexes in yeast, that these convert transiently into smaller units during DNA damage, and that mutation of the CDK and Tel1 phosphorylation sites alters this transition. Similarly we find that a large percentage of Sae2 appears to be insoluble in the absence of DNA damage, but a pool of Sae2 is transiently soluble. From these results we develop a working model of Sae2 regulation in which a potentially toxic, structure‐specific nuclease is held in an inactive state in normal cells but can be quickly released by post‐translational modifications to become active. Rapid degradation (through both the proteasome and through autophagy) then removes the active protein, returning the pool to an inactive state.
Low protein diet during gestation and lactation induces autophagy‐related gene LC3 in the liver of rat dams (737.5)
Authors: Wang Huan , Zhou Dan , Pan Yuan‐Xiang
Published: June 2021

Autophagy is essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and is activated in mouse liver cells by amino acid deprivation. A low protein diet during gestation and lactation has been associated with poor fetal development but consequence in mother has not been fully investigated. This study aims to investigate the effects of a low protein diet during gestation and lactation on liver physiology of dams and characterize the associated hepatic autophagy. Timed‐pregnant Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed a control (control, 20 kcal% protein) or a low protein (LP, 8 kcal% protein) diet during gestation and lactation. Dam liver was collected for analysis at weaning. LP dams had significantly lower circulating threonine than control dams, which is accompanied with the hepatic activation of Amino Acid Response pathway. Expression of an autophagy‐related gene, microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta (lc3) was up‐regulated by the LP diet which coincided with increased ATF4 binding at the predicted promoter region of lc3 gene. Also, we observed increased LC3 protein localization outside nucleus by the LP diet. Knocking down of ATF4 by siRNA decreased mRNA and protein expressions of LC3 in a rat hepatoma cell line. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that ATF4 is potentially involved in the autophagy process through regulation of LC3 by a low protein diet during gestation and lactation in the liver of rat dam.
Vacuolin‐1 inhibits autophagy by activating rab5 (737.7)
Authors: Yue Jianbo , Lu Yingying
Published: June 2021

Autophagy is a catabolic lysosomal degradation process essential for cellular homeostasis and cell survival. Dysfunctional autophagy has been associated with wide ranges of human diseases, e.g. cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. A large number of small chemicals that modulate autophagy have been widely used to dissect this process and some of them, e.g. chloroquine (CQ), might be ultimately applied to treat a variety of autophagy associated human diseases. Here we found that the small chemical vacuolin‐1 potently and reversibly inhibited the fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes in mammalian cells, thereby inducing the accumulation of autophagosomes. Interestingly, vacuolin‐1 was less toxic but was at least 10 folds more potent in inhibiting autophagy compared to CQ. Vacuolin‐1 treatment also blocked the fusion between endosomes and lysosomes, resulting in a defect in general endosomal‐lysosomal degradation. Treatment of cells with vacuolin‐1 alkalinized lysosomal pH and decreased lysosomal Ca2+ content, yet vacuolin‐1 had little effect on vacuolar ATPase activity. Instead, vacuolin‐1 treatment markedly activated Rab5 GTPase activity. Expression of a dominant negative mutant of Rab5A or Rab5A knockdown abolished vacuolin‐1 induced autophagosomal‐lysosomal fusion blockage, whereas expression of a constitutive active form of Rab5A inhibited the lysosomal‐autophagosomal fusion. These data indicate that vacuolin‐1 activates Rab5 to suppress autophagosomal‐lysosomal fusion. Vacuolin‐1 and its analogues present a novel class of drug that can potently and reversibly modulate autophagy.

Grant Funding Source: This work was supported by Research Grant Council (RGC) grants (HKU 782709M, HKU 785911M, HKU 769912