bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenging but positive! – An exploration into teacher attitude profiles towards differentiated instruction (DI) in Germany
Authors: Letzel Verena , Pozas Marcela , Schneider Christoph
Published: July 2022

Background

Research has highlighted that personal characteristics such as teachers’ attitudes play an important role in the implementation of inclusive education. However, there are only a few studies that have shed empirical evidence on the relationship of attitudes and inclusive teaching approaches, such as differentiated instruction. In this vein, the present study tackles this research gap and aims to explore teachers’ attitudes specifically towards the inclusive practice of DI in Germany.

Aims

The present study aimed to investigate teacher profiles based on their attitudes towards differentiated instruction, as well as further to explore whether teachers differentiated instructional implementation varies between the teacher profiles.

Sample

The sample consists of 450 teachers (Mage = 42.89, SD = 10.48, 65% female), from different school tracks in Germany.

Methods

A two‐step cluster analysis was performed in order to identify teacher attitude profiles concerning their implementation of differentiated instruction. Moreover, an analysis of variance was conducted in order to identify variations in terms of the implementation of differentiated instruction across the three clusters.

Results

Results from the cluster analyses indicate three distinct teacher attitude profiles: Cluster 1 ‘The valuing‐teacher’, Cluster 2 ‘The non‐valuing‐teacher’ and Cluster 3 ‘The challenged‐but‐valuing‐teacher’. Moreover, the findings reveal gender and school track differences between the three teacher attitude profiles. Lastly, an analysis of variance indicated that teachers’ differentiated instruction practice varied significantly across the clusters.

Conclusions

The findings from the present study indicate that teachers not only perceive the value of DI but also the insufficient resources. Thus, it can be assumed that teachers identify both the ‘positive’ and the ‘negative’ aspect of DI, and more importantly, they can recognize both attitude domains towards DI in a similar or different level. Consequently, the results show that attitudes in the context of inclusion cannot be characterised as continuum with two distinct poles.
Understanding trait impressions from faces
Authors: Sutherland Clare A. M. , Young Andrew W.
Published: July 2022

Impressions from faces are made remarkably quickly and they can underpin behaviour in a wide variety of social contexts. Over the last decade many studies have sought to trace the links between facial cues and social perception and behaviour. One such body of work has shown clear overlap between the fields of face perception and social stereotyping by demonstrating a role for conceptual stereotypes in impression formation from faces. We integrate these results involving conceptual influences on impressions with another substantial body of research in visual cognition which demonstrates that much of the variance in impressions can be predicted from perceptual, data‐driven models using physical cues in face images. We relate this discussion to the phylogenetic, cultural, individual and developmental origins of facial impressions and define priority research questions for the field including investigating non‐WEIRD cultures, tracking the developmental trajectory of impressions and determining the malleability of impression formation.
Transfer RNA‐derived fragment 5′tRF‐Gly promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by direct targeting of carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1
Authors: Liu Dekai , Wu Chengdong , Wang Jingjie , Zhang Lufei , Sun Zhongquan , Chen Shihong , Ding Yuan , Wang Weilin
Published: July 2022

Transfer RNA‐derived fragments are a group of small noncoding single‐stranded RNA that play essential roles in multiple diseases. However, their biological functions in carcinogenesis are not well understood. In this study, 5′tRF‐Gly was found to have significantly high expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the upregulation of 5′tRF‐Gly was positively correlated with tumor size and tumor metastasis. Overexpression of 5′tRF‐Gly induced increased growth rate and metastasis in HCC cells in vitro and in nude mice, while knockdown showed the opposite effect. Carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) was confirmed to be a direct target of 5′tRF‐Gly in HCC. In addition, the cytological effect of CEACAM1 knockdown proved to be similar to the overexpression of 5′tRF‐Gly. Moreover, attenuation of CEACAM1 expression rescued the 5′tRF‐Gly‐mediated promoting effects on HCC cells. These data show that 5′tRF‐Gly is a new tumor‐promoting factor and could be a potential diagnostic biomarker or new therapeutic target for HCC.
Ubiquitin‐specific protease 28 deubiquitinates TCF7L2 to govern the action of the Wnt signaling pathway in hepatic carcinoma
Authors: Sun Xiao , Cai Mengjiao , Wu Lingzhi , Zhen Xinghua , Chen Yuetong , Peng Jin , Han Suxia , Zhang Pumin
Published: July 2022

Overexpression of ubiquitin‐specific protease 28 (USP28) is found in hepatic carcinoma. It is unclear whether the deubiquitinase plays a role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Deregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is frequently associated with liver cancer. Transcription factor 7‐like 2 (TCF7L2) is an important downstream transcription factor of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway, but the mechanisms by which TCF7L2 itself is regulated have not yet been revealed. Here, we report that USP28 promotes the activity of the Wnt signaling pathway through maintaining the stability of TCF7L2. We further show that FBXW7 is the E3 ubiquitin ligase for TCF7L2. By regulating the levels of TCF7L2, USP28 modulates the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in liver cancer and USP28 depletion or inhibition by a small molecule inhibitor leads to a halt of growth in liver cancer cells. These results suggest that USP28 could be a potential therapeutic target for liver cancer.
Associations of socioeconomic and health factors with dental non‐attendance: A comparison of three cohorts of women
Authors: Wilson Louise Forsyth , Xu Zhiwei , Doust Jenny , Mishra Gita Devi , Dobson Annette Jane
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Most studies on factors influencing dental attendance are cross‐sectional and focus on specific age groups. The associations between private ancillary health insurance, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity with dental attendance were examined in three cohorts of Australian women of different ages using multiple waves of data over similar time periods.

Methods

Data from 10 233, 12 378 and 7892 women born in 1973–1978, 1946–1951 and 1921–1926 participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were used. Poisson regression using generalized estimating equations was used to investigate factors associated with self‐report of not visiting the dentist in the 12 months before completing each wave.

Results

The role of dental non‐attendance was higher in women without insurance (versus those with insurance) in all cohorts with adjusted rate ratios (RR) of 1.52 95% CI 1.48–1.57, RR 1.45 95% CI 1.41–1.49 and RR 1.32 95% CI 1.28–1.36 in the 1973–78, 1946–51 and 1921–26 cohorts respectively. Current smokers at any intensity (versus never smokers) had a higher risk of non‐attendance and the risk was strongest for women in the 1946–51 cohort who smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day (RR 1.35 95% CI 1.30–1.41). Compared with low‐risk drinkers, non‐drinkers were more likely to be non‐attenders, but only in the two older cohorts. Women who were overweight or obese (versus healthy weight) were more likely to be non‐attenders in all cohorts, with the risk of non‐attendance higher with increasing BMI.

Conclusions

This study emphasizes the continued need to address socioeconomic inequities in access to dental care, along with strategies to overcome barriers for those who are obese or smoke. In this study, barriers to access existed for women of all ages, indicating that interventions need to be appropriate across age groups.
Wide Gamut Moment‐based Constrained Spectral Uplifting
Authors: Tódová L. , Wilkie A. , Fascione L.
Published: July 2022

Spectral rendering is increasingly used in appearance‐critical rendering workflows due to its ability to predict colour values under varying illuminants. However, directly modelling assets via input of spectral data is a tedious process: and if asset appearance is defined via artist‐created textures, these are drawn in colour space, i.e. RGB. Converting these RGB values to equivalent spectral representations is an ambiguous problem, for which robust techniques have been proposed only comparatively recently. However, other than the resulting RGB values matching under the illuminant the RGB space is defined for (usually D65), these uplifting techniques do not provide the user with further control over the resulting spectral shape. In a recent publication, we have proposed a method for constraining the spectral uplifting process so that for a finite number of input spectra that need to be preserved, it always yields the correct uplifted spectrum for the corresponding RGB value. We extend this previous work, which supported the sRGB gamut only, by describing a method that is able to constrain any spectrum from within the gamut of realisable reflectances. Due to constraints placed on the uplifting process, target RGB values that are in close proximity to one another uplift to spectra within the same metameric family, so that textures with colour variations can be meaningfully uplifted. Renderings uplifted via our method show minimal discrepancies when compared to the original objects.
An effective context‐focused hierarchical mechanism for task‐oriented dialogue response generation
Authors: Zhao Meng , Jiang Zejun , Wang Lifang , Li Ronghan , Lu Xinyu , Hu Zhongtian , Chen Daqing
Published: July 2022

Task‐oriented dialogue system (TOD) is one kind of application of artificial intelligence (AI). The response generation module is a key component of TOD for replying to user's questions and concerns in sequential natural words. In the past few years, the works on response generation have attracted increasing research attention and have seen much progress. However, existing works ignore the fact that not each turn of dialogue history contributes to the dialogue response generation and give little consideration to the different weights of utterances in a dialogue history. In this article, we propose a hierarchical memory network mechanism with two steps to filter out unnecessary information of dialogue history. First, an utterance‐level memory network distributes various weights to each utterance (coarse‐grained). Second, a token‐level memory network assigns higher weights to keywords based on the former's output (fine‐grained). Furthermore, the output of the token‐level memory network will be employed to query the knowledge base (KB) to capture the dialogue‐related information. In the decoding stage, we take a gated‐mechanism to generate response word by word from dialogue history, vocabulary, or KB. Experiments show that the proposed model achieves superior results compared with state‐of‐the‐art models on several public datasets. Further analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method and the robustness of the model in the case of an incomplete training set.
Melanomversorgung während eines Jahres Pandemie in Berlin: abnehmende Terminstornierungen trotz zunehmender Besorgnis über COVID‐19
Authors: Micek Aleksandra , Diehl Katharina , Teuscher Miriam , Schaarschmidt Marthe‐Lisa , Sasama Bianca , Ohletz Jan , Burbach Guido , Kiecker Felix , Hillen Uwe , Harth Wolfgang , Peitsch Wiebke K.
Published: July 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Die COVID‐19‐Pandemie stellt für Krebspatienten eine große Herausforderung dar. Unser Ziel war es, ihren Einfluss auf die Behandlung und auf Arzttermine von Melanompatienten nach einem Jahr Pandemie zu untersuchen.

Patienten und Methodik

Melanompatienten, die im Vivantes Hauttumorzentrum in Berlin behandelt wurden, beantworteten eine postalische Umfrage zu Pandemie‐bedingten Änderungen ihrer Melanomversorgung. Einflussfaktoren auf Terminänderungen wurden mit deskriptiven Analysen und multivariater logistischer Regression untersucht. Daten nach einem Jahr Pandemie wurden mit Daten nach der ersten Welle verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Von den 366 Teilnehmern (57,7 % Männer; Durchschnittsalter 69,2 Jahre, Rücklaufquote: 36,1 %) berichteten 38 (10,1 %) über verschobene oder verpasste Arzttermine, meist auf eigenen Wunsch (71,1 %) aus Angst vor COVID‐19 (52,6 %). Eine aktuelle Therapie war mit einem geringeren Risiko, Termine zu verpassen, assoziiert (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0,194, p = 0,002), höheres Alter (OR: 1,037, p = 0,039), längere Krankheitsdauer (OR: 1,007, p = 0,028) und ein höherer Schulabschluss (OR: 2,263, p = 0,043) mit höherer Wahrscheinlichkeit. Von den 177 Patienten, die aktuell eine Therapie erhielten, erfuhren nur 1,7 % Pandemie‐bedingte Behandlungsänderungen. Die Besorgnis über COVID‐19 war nach einem Jahr Pandemie signifikant größer als nach der ersten Welle, die Zahl der verpassten Arzttermine jedoch niedriger.

Schlussfolgerungen

Pandemie‐bedingte Änderungen waren in unserer Kohorte selten und nahmen trotz zunehmender Besorgnis mit der Zeit ab.
S1‐Leitlinie: Differenzialdiagnose akuter und chronischer Rötungen der Unterschenkel
Authors: Zidane Miriam , Jungkunz Hans‐Wilfried , Kahle Birgit , Miller Anya , Ochsendorf Falk , Sunderkötter Cord , Traidl‐Hoffmann Claudia , Wurpts Gerda , Nast Alexander
Published: July 2022

Akute oder chronische Rötungen der Unterschenkel sind ein häufiger Vorstellungsgrund in Kliniken und Praxen und stellen oftmals eine differenzialdiagnostische Herausforderung dar. Ziel dieser Leitlinie ist es, Kriterien und Vorgehensweisen für die Differenzialdiagnose akuter oder chronischer, uni‐ oder bilateraler Rötungen der Unterschenkel festzulegen. Eine korrekte Diagnosestellung ist essenziell, um die adäquate Therapie auszuwählen und den nicht indizierten Einsatz von Antibiotika zu reduzieren. Von der Leitliniengruppe wurden die relevantesten Differenzialdiagnosen identifiziert: (1.) Erysipel, (2.) Stauungsdermatitis, (3.) hypererge Ictusreaktion, (4.) oberflächliche und tiefe Beinvenenthrombose, (5.) Gicht, (6.) chronisch allergisches Kontaktekzem und (7.) akutes toxisches beziehungsweise allergisches Kontaktekzem. Für diese sieben Diagnosen wurden Algorithmen beziehungsweise Diagnosepfade zum diagnostischen Vorgehen, die jeweils in Anamnese, klinische Untersuchung und apparative Diagnostik aufgegliedert sind, entwickelt. Darüber hinaus hat die Leitliniengruppe mindestens 40 weitere Differenzialdiagnosen gesammelt und spezifische Charakteristika zur differenzialdiagnostischen Abgrenzung tabellarisch gegenübergestellt.
Endoscopic hemostasis of an active hypopharyngeal hemorrhage via gel immersion endoscopy
Authors: Sugawara Noriaki , Iwatsubo Taro , Takeuchi Toshihisa
Published: July 2022

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Parasitoids affect plant responses through their host Pieris brassicae, but not for the benefit of their own performance
Authors: Cuny Maximilien A. C. , Bourne Mitchel E. , Poelman Erik H.
Published: July 2022

Upon parasitism, many parasitoids inject symbiotic viruses and venom into their host. Thereby, they modify the hosts physiology including its saliva composition and, in turn, plant perception of herbivory.

It has been hypothesised that parasitoids manipulate plant responses to increase their host performance and maximise their own fitness. However, it is still unclear whether parasitoids are under selective pressure to increase plant quality or whether indirect changes in plants due to parasitism are a by‐product of the physiological changes induced in their host.

We tested whether the parasitoids Hyposoter ebeninus and Cotesia glomerata manipulate induced plant responses through the host Pieris brassicae caterpillars to increase their own performance. During their entire lifespan, parasitised herbivores were fed with leaf material of Brassica oleracea plants that were left untreated or continuously exposed to feeding by either unparasitised, conspecific or heterospecific parasitised caterpillars. We measured the development time, weight, clutch size and mortality of parasitoids that emerged from caterpillars as proxy for their performance.

Both parasitoid species did not perform significantly better when their host was fed with leaves from plants continuously induced by a conspecific parasitoid relative to unparasitised caterpillars. However, parasitoid species asymmetrically affected each other's performance through plant‐mediated interactions.

Our results do not support the hypothesis of parasitoids manipulating plant responses for their own benefit, suggesting that indirect plant‐mediated interactions among parasitoids may be a by‐product of host manipulation. However, our work confirms the significance of parasitoid‐induced plant‐mediated interactions in insect communities that to date are still understudied.
Treatment horizon in multiple myeloma
Authors: Soekojo Cinnie Yentia , Chng Wee Joo
Published: July 2022

Objectives

This paper reviews current and emerging therapies for multiple myeloma (MM).

Methods

Narrative review.

Results

MM is a complex, heterogenous condition, and in recent years there has been an expansion in the number and range of treatments. Several new treatment approaches, including enhanced monoclonal antibodies, antibody‐drug conjugates, bispecific T‐cell engagers, and chimeric antigen‐T‐cell therapy are under development.

Conclusions

The emergence of new treatments that aim to tackle MM‐associated immune dysfunction has led to improvements in overall survival.
Microgliosis: a double‐edged sword in the control of food intake
Authors: Salvi Juliette , Andreoletti Pierre , Audinat Etienne , Balland Eglantine , Ben Fradj Selma , Cherkaoui‐Malki Mustapha , Heurtaux Tony , Liénard Fabienne , Nédélec Emmanuelle , Rovère Carole , Savary Stéphane , Véjux Anne , Trompier Doriane , Benani Alexandre
Published: July 2022

Maintaining energy balance is essential for survival and health. This physiological function is controlled by the brain, which adapts food intake to energy needs. Indeed, the brain constantly receives a multitude of biological signals that are derived from digested foods or that originate from the gastrointestinal tract, energy stores (liver and adipose tissues) and other metabolically active organs (muscles). These signals, which include circulating nutrients, hormones and neuronal inputs from the periphery, collectively provide information on the overall energy status of the body. In the brain, several neuronal populations can specifically detect these signals. Nutrient‐sensing neurons are found in discrete brain areas and are highly enriched in the hypothalamus. In turn, specialized brain circuits coordinate homeostatic responses acting mainly on appetite, peripheral metabolism, activity and arousal. Accumulating evidence shows that hypothalamic microglial cells located at the vicinity of these circuits can influence the brain control of energy balance. However, microglial cells could have opposite effects on energy balance, that is homeostatic or detrimental, and the conditions for this shift are not totally understood yet. One hypothesis relies on the extent of microglial activation, and nutritional lipids can considerably change it.
The frequency and clinical significance of centromere enumeration probe 17 alterations in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 immunohistochemistry‐equivocal invasive breast cancer
Authors: Katayama Ayaka , Starczynski Jane , Toss Michael S , Shaaban Abeer M , Provenzano Elena , Quinn Cecily M , Callagy Grace , Purdie Colin A , Millican‐Slater Rebecca , Purnell David , Chagla Leena , Oyama Tetsunari , Pinder Sarah E , Chan Steve , Ellis Ian , Lee Andrew H S , Rakha Emad A
Published: July 2022

Background and aims

Chromosome 17 alterations affect the assessment of HER2 gene amplification in breast cancer (BC), but its clinical significance remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of centromere enumeration probe 17 (CEP17) alterations, and its correlation with response to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in BC patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) immunohistochemistry‐equivocal score.

Methods and results

A large BC cohort (n = 6049) with HER2 immunohistochemistry score 2+ and florescent in‐situ hybridisation (FISH) results was included to assess the prevalence of CEP17 alterations. Another cohort (n = 885) with available clinicopathological data was used to evaluate the effect of CEP17 in the setting of NAT. HER2‐amplified tumours with monosomy 17 (CEP17 copy number < 1.5 per nucleus), normal 17 (CEP17 1.5–< 3.0) and polysomy 17 (CEP17 ≥ 3.0) were observed in 16, 59 and 25%, respectively, compared with 3, 74 and 23%, respectively, in HER2‐non‐amplified tumours. There was no significant relationship between CEP17 alterations and pathological complete response (pCR) rate in both HER2‐amplified and HER2‐non‐amplified tumours. The independent predictors of pCR were oestrogen (ER) negativity in HER2‐amplified tumours [ER negative versus positive; odds ratio (OR) = 11.80; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.37–102.00; P = 0.02], and histological grade 3 in HER2 non‐amplified tumours (3 versus 1, 2; OR = 5.54; 95% CI = 1.61–19.00; P = 0.007).

Conclusion

The impacts of CEP17 alterations are not as strong as those of HER2/CEP17 ratio and HER2 copy number. The hormonal receptors status and tumour histological grade are more useful to identify BC patients with a HER2 immunohistochemistry‐equivocal score who would benefit from NAT.
Synthesis of tubular silica fiber via all‐aqueous microfluidics for geopolymer regulation
Authors: Wu Hao , Ren Yukun , Jiang Tianyi , Chen Juzheng , Wu Wenlong , Lu Yang , Jiang Hongyuan
Published: July 2022

Lightweight hollow ceramic microfibers/microparticles hold promising prospects in numerous applications. To date, it remains a challenge to develop a fabrication strategy that well balances product quality and efficiency. In this article, an all‐aqueous microfluidic method was proposed to prepare tubular polymeric fiber as the preceramic template. The relevant dimensional parameters could be promptly regulated via simple flow rate control. This approach could serve as a general technical route to preparing different kinds of ceramics by switching the types of nanoparticles. Here, silica nanoparticles were introduced and the ceramic microfiber could be got via calcination. Afterward, the tubular silica microfiber was employed to synthesize geopolymer composite by mold casting. The chemically formed interfacial bonding between the silica microfiber and geopolymer matrix was confirmed by elemental analysis. The addition of 10% volume fraction silica microfiber could not only increase the flexural modulus of geopolymer composite by 3.5 times but also effectively inhibited crack propagation under thermal circumstances.
Spanish adaptation and validation of the Cultural Competence Assessment Tool (CCATool) for undergraduate nursing students
Authors: Vázquez‐Sánchez María Ángeles , Casals‐Vázquez Alicia , Sánchez‐Ojeda María Angustías , García‐Gámez Marina , Papadopoulos Irena , Casals Cristina
Published: July 2022

Aim

To analyse and validate a contextually adapted version of the Papadopoulos’ Cultural Competence Assessment Tool (CCATool) for Spanish undergraduate nursing students.

Background

Globalization has driven and intensified international migration. Thus, nurses must treat patients of many different cultural origins. Accordingly, both cultural competence and an appropriate tool with which to evaluate it are required.

Methods

The CCATool questionnaire was adapted for use in a Spanish context and was evaluated through a questionnaire completed by 262 undergraduate nursing students. Seven days later, the same students completed the questionnaire, without any intervention, and a subgroup of 144 students completed the questionnaire for a third time after taking a course in Transcultural Care. The reliability, sensitivity and stability of the questionnaire were assessed.

Results

The reliability of the questionnaire obtained an adequate Cronbach's alpha of 0.81. Stability was assessed at seven days, using the intraclass correlation coefficient, which showed good/excellent results. Moreover, the questionnaire was able to detect the changes related to the nursing educative programme, thus highlighting a good sensitivity of the tool.

Conclusion

Cultural competence is an essential element of nurses’ education, and instruction in this area should begin as soon as possible. In addition, an appropriate evaluation system is required. For this purpose, the present study describes and analyses a valid, reliable tool for use with undergraduate nursing students in Spain.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Health and education policies must be sensitive to the ethnic and cultural differences of the patients who are cared for, and address the situations that cause difficulties in care. Hospitals and health centres must offer good care to patients from diverse cultures, so one of the necessary situations is the training and evaluation of the cultural competence of health professionals.
Financial development and economic growth in BRICS revisited: An application of cross‐sectional augmented ARDL
Authors: Selvasundaram K. , Sagathevan S. , Abdu Murtala
Published: July 2022

This study reassesses the relationship between financial development and economic growth using the datasets of BRICS countries. The MG‐ARDL and CD‐ARDL (MG) models are considered to account for both heterogeneity and cross‐sectional dependency. The overall results reveal a negative and insignificant effect of financial development on GDP from a MG‐ARDL linear model and a negative and significant relationship between financial development and economic growth from the linear CD‐ARDL (MG). However, when the square term of credit to the private sector is introduced, it is found that a positive and highly significant relationship exists between financial development and economic growth up to a point beyond which it turns negative and significant for both the MG‐ARDL and CD‐ARDL (MG) models. Based on the results, it is concluded that the excessive supply of private credit is harmful to the economy, thereby slowing its growth. Policy suggestions have also been discussed.
MicroRNAs as serum biomarkers in Becker muscular dystrophy
Authors: Gagliardi Delia , Rizzuti Mafalda , Brusa Roberta , Ripolone Michela , Zanotti Simona , Minuti Elisa , Parente Valeria , Dioni Laura , Cazzaniga Sara , Bettica Paolo , Bresolin Nereo , Comi Giacomo Pietro , Corti Stefania , Magri Francesca , Velardo Daniele
Published: July 2022

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is an X‐linked neuromuscular disorder due to mutation in the DMD gene, encoding dystrophin. Despite a wide clinical variability, BMD is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and proximal muscle weakness. Interestingly, a dysregulated expression of muscle‐specific microRNAs (miRNAs), called myomirs, has been found in patients affected with muscular dystrophies, although few studies have been conducted in BMD. We analysed the serum expression levels of a subset of myomirs in a cohort of 29 ambulant individuals affected by BMD and further classified according to the degree of alterations at muscle biopsy and in 11 age‐matched healthy controls. We found a significant upregulation of serum miR‐1, miR‐133a, miR‐133b and miR‐206 in our cohort of BMD patients, supporting the role of these miRNAs in the pathophysiology of the disease, and we identified serum cut‐off levels discriminating patients from healthy controls, confiming the potential of circulating miRNAs as promising noninvasive biomarkers. Moreover, serum levels of miR‐133b were found to be associated with fibrosis at muscle biopsy and with patients' motor performances, suggesting that miR‐133b might be a useful prognostic marker for BMD patients. Taken together, our data showed that these serum myomirs may represent an effective tool that may support stratification of BMD patients, providing the opportunity of both monitoring disease progression and assessing the treatment efficacy in the context of clinical trials.
Stress signalling and STAT1 activation characterize the keratinocytic gene expression pattern in Hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Frings V.G. , Jopp L. , Srivastava M. , Presser D. , Goebeler M. , Schmidt M.
Published: July 2022

Background

The pathogenetic factors generating the innate immune signal necessary for T‐cell activation, initiation and chronification of Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS, also known as Acne inversa) are still poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that a defective keratinocyte function critically contributes to HS disease development and progression.

Objectives

To elucidate the role of keratinocytes in HS lesion formation, we compared the transcriptomes of lesional and perilesional epidermis isolated from HS patients by RNA sequencing (RNA Seq).

Methods

Pairwise‐matched lesional and perilesional HS skin samples of five different donors were obtained and epidermal keratinocytes freshly isolated and processed for RNA extraction and RNA seq. Lesionally regulated genes were analysed by large‐scale promoter analysis and functional annotation clustering to identify epidermally overrepresented transcription factor binding sites and functionally related gene groups. Results were experimentally validated with independent epidermal isolates of patient‐matched lesional and perilesional HS skin employing qRT‐PCR, cell culture, immunoblot and immunostaining.

Results

We show that HS is characterized by a strong epidermal stress state evident by a significant overrepresentation of an AP‐1‐driven gene signature and a substantial activation of the stress‐activated cJun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathway in lesional epidermis. Additionally, our data reveal a strong induction of STAT1 activation in lesional HS epidermis that likely results from IFNγ production and triggered expression of key inflammatory genes coordinating innate immune activation and the adaptive T‐cell response in HS.

Conclusions

Our data implicate a key role of stress signalling and JAK/STAT1 activation in disease progression of HS and suggest interference with JAK/STAT1 signalling as a potentially promising therapeutic approach for HS.
Polygenic risk score as a determinant of risk of keratinocyte cancer in an Australian population‐based cohort
Authors: Liyanage U.E. , Law M.H. , Antonsson A. , Hughes M.C.B. , Gordon S. , van der Pols J.C. , Green A.C.
Published: July 2022

Background

Keratinocyte cancer (KC) risk is determined by genetic and environmental factors. Genetic risk can be quantified by polygenic risk scores (PRS), which sum the combined effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Objectives

Our objective here was to evaluate the contribution of the summed genetic score to predict the KC risk in the phenotypically well‐characterized Nambour population.

Methods

We used PLINK v1.90 to calculate PRS for 432 cases, 566 controls, using 78 genome‐wide independent SNPs that are associated with KC risk. We assessed the association between PRS and KC using logistic regression, stratifying the cohort into three risk groups (high 20%, intermediate 60%, low 20%).

Results

The fully adjusted model including traditional risk factors (phenotypic and sun exposure‐related), showed a significant 50% increase in odds of KC per standard deviation of PRS (odds ratio (OR) = 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30–1.76, P = 5.75 × 10−8). Those in the top 20% PRS had over three times the risk of KC of those in the lowest 20% (OR = 3.45; 95% CI = 2.18–5.50, P = 1.5 × 10−7) and higher absolute risk of KC per 100 person‐years of 2.96 compared with 1.34. Area under the ROC curve increased from 0.72 to 0.74 on adding PRS to the fully adjusted model.

Conclusions

These results show that PRS can enhance the prediction of KC above traditional risk factors.
The first record of burrowing goby Trypauchen vagina (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae: Amblyopinae) from the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Trevisan João Pedro , Caires Rodrigo Antunes , Carvalho Vinícius Estrella Silva , Rotundo Matheus Marcos , dos Santos João Alberto Paschoa
Published: July 2022

The burrowing goby Trypauchen vagina has been reported from Brazil for the first time. This goby occurs naturally in the Indo‐Pacific region, where it is typically found burrowed in the bottom substrata of marine or brackish waters. Given its rapid development, extended longevity and multiple spawning cycles, the species is represented by large populations in Asian countries. The authors discuss the occurrence of this species in Brazilian waters and conclude that it was introduced via the ballast water of vessels arriving from Asia. They also compare this exotic taxon with the native Brazilian gobies, including Akko dionaea, Microdesmus and Gobioides, that have burrowing habits.
Brow gliding: A new non‐surgical concept for almond upturned eyes
Authors: Şahan Ali , Yeniay Yıldıray
Published: July 2022

Background

The eyes are one of the most prominent features of the face. To date, a vast majority of procedures have been described for periorbital rejuvenation. Among them, non‐surgical threading is an alternative and minimally invasive technique.

Objective

We developed a new non‐surgical threading technique to achieve long‐lasting almond‐shaped upturned eyes with brow lifting that we call “brow gliding”. We developed a new non‐surgical threading technique to achieve long‐lasting almond‐shaped upturned eyes with brow lifting that we call “brow gliding”. Here, we present details of our procedure and the clinical experience of our patients who have at least a 6‐month follow‐up period.

Methods and Materials

We used polydioxanone cog threads in combination with knots to lift the lateral sides of the brows and eyes. By burying these knots in the subcutaneous tissue and extending the threads to the scalp fascia, we were able to spread the load of the threads over multiple stable structures in order to achieve an effective lifting impact.

Results

According to the subjective assessment scale, all patients described the improvements as very good or beyond expectations after the procedure. During the follow‐up period, 4 of 34 (11.8%) patients stated it was very good and 19 of 34 (55.9%) patients stated that it was still beyond expectations.

Conclusion

The Brow Gliding technique is a promising office‐based cosmetic procedure for periorbital aesthetics with a prominent outcome and minimally invasive fashion.
Factors influencing nurses' intent to provide care involved in coronavirus disease 2019: Theory of planned behaviour perspectives
Authors: Hwang Areum , Kim Donghee
Published: July 2022

Aims and objectives

To identify the factors influencing the intent to provide care among nurses involved in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) care.

Background

COVID‐19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019. In 2020, the World Health Organisation declared it a pandemic, leading to 5,827,104 deaths and 421,203,495 confirmed cases as of 19 February 2022. The high transmissibility of COVID‐19 has prolonged the pandemic for over 2 years, resulting in deleterious effects on nurses' physical and mental health. The fear of infection and isolation may lead to negative experiences and perceptions among COVID‐19 frontline nurses, which may ultimately degrade the quality of patient care. Thus, it is essential to identify factors influencing of nurses' intent to provide care.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Data were collected from 169 nurses involved in direct COVID‐19 care at a hospital designated for infectious disease care in Korea from August to September 2021 using an online questionnaire. STROBE checklist was followed.

Results

Nurses' intent to provide care significantly differed based on whether they lived with parents and had adequate availability of personal protection equipment. The correlation analysis indicated that the intent to provide care was significantly positively correlated with normative beliefs, control beliefs, attitude towards the behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Perceived behavioural control, control beliefs and attitude towards the behaviour were significant factors influencing nurses' intent to provide COVID‐19 care.

Conclusion

This study showed that nurses perceived behavioural control and positive behaviour towards providing COVID‐19 care fundamentally influenced their intent to provide care.

Relevance to clinical practice

In clinical practice, the safety and rights of individual nurses who participated in COVID‐19‐related patient care are promoted, and ultimately, the quality of patient care is improved. Furthermore, active support at the organisation and government level is needed to strengthen the capabilities necessary for nursing patients with infectious diseases.
The effect of preoperative oral carbohydrate on the time to colostrum and amount of vaginal bleeding after elective cesarean section
Authors: Cheng Yan , Lu Yaojun , Liu Hailian , Yang Chen
Published: July 2022

Objective

To investigate the effect of oral carbohydrate at 2 h before elective cesarean section on postoperative recovery indicators such as the time to colostrum and vaginal bleeding.

Methods

Women undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal‐epidural anesthesia, aged 20–40 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of 19–30 kg/m2 and an American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score of II were randomized to the oral carbohydrate group (the OC group), the oral placebo group (the OP group), or the control group (the C group). The OC group underwent oral carbohydrate preloading (300 mL/bottle), the OP group orally consumed 300 mL of distilled water, and the C group was forbidden from drinking or eating on the day of the operation. The time to colostrum, vaginal bleeding, time to exhaust, and complications were recorded.

Results

A total of 38 participants in the OC group, 37 in the OP group, and 37 in the C group completed the study. Compared with the OP group and the C group, the OC group produced colostrum significantly earlier, had a lower amount of 24‐h vaginal bleeding, and had a higher 24‐h consumption of analgesics. Compared with OP and OC groups, the C group took longer to exhaust. No significant intergroup difference was observed for any other indicator.

Conclusion

Oral carbohydrates loading 2 h before elective cesarean section significantly reduces the time to produce colostrum and the amount of vaginal bleeding, which contributes to postoperative recovery.
Salivary gland polymorphous adenocarcinoma: Clinicopathological features and gene alterations in 36 Japanese patients
Authors: Fukumura Masahiro , Ishibashi Kenichiro , Nakaguro Masato , Nagao Toshitaka , Saida Kosuke , Urano Makoto , Tanigawa Maki , Hirai Hideaki , Yagyuu Takahiro , Kikuchi Kentaro , Yada Naomi , Sugita Yoshihiko , Miyabe Megumi , Hasegawa Shogo , Goto Mitsuo , Yamamoto Hidetaka , Ohuchi Tomoyuki , Kusafuka Kimihide , Ogawa Ikuko , Suzuki Hiroaki , Notohara Kenji , Shimoda Masayuki , Tada Yuichiro , Kirita Tadaaki , Takata Takashi , Morinaga Shojiroh , Maeda Hatsuhiko , Warnakulasuriya Saman , Miyabe Satoru , Nagao Toru
Published: July 2022

Background

Polymorphous adenocarcinoma is a common intraoral minor salivary gland carcinoma in Western countries but is extremely rare in Japan. The current study aimed to characterize the clinicopathological features and status of molecular alterations of polymorphous adenocarcinoma‐associated genes, such as PRKD1/2/3, ARID1A, and DDX3X, in a large cohort of Japanese patients with polymorphous adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We examined the cases of 36 Japanese patients with salivary gland polymorphous adenocarcinoma and 26 cases involving histopathological mimics. To detect gene splits, fluorescence in situ hybridization was carried out for polymorphous adenocarcinoma‐associated genes. Additionally, we applied a SNaPshot multiplex assay to identify PRKD1 hotspot mutations.

Results

This study revealed the indolent clinical course of polymorphous adenocarcinoma with a high 10‐year overall survival rate (92.9%), accompanied by occasional local recurrences and cervical lymph node metastasis (23.3%). Twenty cases (55.6%) of polymorphous adenocarcinoma (but none of the mimics) exhibited alterations in at least one polymorphous adenocarcinoma‐associated gene. Rearrangement of polymorphous adenocarcinoma‐associated genes and PRKD1 E710D were identified in 17 (47.2%) and 4 (11.1%) cases, respectively; one case showed coexisting PRKD3 split and PRKD1 E710D. In the multivariate analysis, high clinical stage (p = 0.0005), the presence of prominent nucleoli (p = 0.0003), and ARID1A split positivity (p = 0.004) were independent risk factors for disease‐free survival.

Conclusion

Japanese patients with polymorphous adenocarcinoma showed clinicopathological features similar to those reported in Western countries. This study disclosed that polymorphous adenocarcinoma‐associated genetic alterations were common and specific findings in polymorphous adenocarcinomas. The diagnostic role and possible prognostic significance of polymorphous adenocarcinoma‐associated genetic alterations in polymorphous adenocarcinomas were suggested.
Yeasts from Iranian traditional milk kefir samples: isolation, molecular identification and their potential probiotic properties
Authors: Rahmani B. , Alimadadi N. , Attaran B. , Nasr S.
Published: July 2022

Milk kefir is a fermented dairy product with numerous attributed health benefits due to the presence of a complex eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbiota. In this study, a total number of 26 yeast isolates were obtained from eight kefir samples from three different cities of Iran. The isolates belonged to Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia fermentans and P. kudriavzevii. The potential probiotic characteristics of the isolates were evaluated based on their ability to tolerate the stimulated condition of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, hemolytic activity, adherence to different solvents, auto-aggregation, adhesion to the epithelial intestine-derived cells and antimicrobial activity of the selected isolates were evaluated. Overall, four yeast strains (three strains of S. cerevisiae and one strain of P. fermentans) showed resistance and survival ability against the gastrointestinal physiological conditions including acidic pH, presence of bile salt and digestive enzymes. They were able to grow at 37°C and had the capacity to adhere to epithelial intestine-derived cells. These results suggest that the selected strains can be proper candidates as probiotic yeast strains for the development of novel functional foods.
Population genomic structure in Goodman's mouse lemur reveals long‐standing separation of Madagascar's Central Highlands and eastern rainforests
Authors: Tiley George P. , van Elst Tobias , Teixeira Helena , Schüßler Dominik , Salmona Jordi , Blanco Marina B. , Ralison José M. , Randrianambinina Blanchard , Rasoloarison Rodin M. , Stahlke Amanda R. , Hohenlohe Paul A. , Chikhi Lounès , Louis Edward E. , Radespiel Ute , Yoder Anne D.
Published: July 2022

Madagascar's Central Highlands are largely composed of grasslands, interspersed with patches of forest. The historical perspective was that Madagascar's grasslands had anthropogenic origins, but emerging evidence suggests that grasslands were a component of the pre‐human Central Highlands vegetation. Consequently, there is now vigorous debate regarding the extent to which these grasslands have expanded due to anthropogenic pressures. Here, we shed light on the temporal dynamics of Madagascar's vegetative composition by conducting a population genomic investigation of Goodman's mouse lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara; Cheirogaleidae). These small‐bodied primates occur both in Madagascar's eastern rainforests and in the Central Highlands, making them a valuable indicator species. Population divergences among forest‐dwelling mammals will reflect changes to their habitat, including fragmentation, whereas patterns of post‐divergence gene flow can reveal formerly wooded migration corridors. To explore these patterns, we used RADseq data to infer population genetic structure, demographic models of post‐divergence gene flow, and population size change through time. The results offer evidence that open habitats are an ancient component of the Central Highlands, and that widespread forest fragmentation occurred naturally during a period of decreased precipitation near the last glacial maximum. Models of gene flow suggest that migration across the Central Highlands has been possible from the Pleistocene through the recent Holocene via riparian corridors. Though our findings support the hypothesis that Central Highland grasslands predate human arrival, we also find evidence for human‐mediated population declines. This highlights the extent to which species imminently threatened by human‐mediated deforestation may already be vulnerable from paleoclimatic conditions.
Inclusion of elderly users via virtual spaces in the early stages of the innovation process
Authors: Thomas Elisa , Skeie Kristi Bjørnes , Huang Hong
Published: July 2022

This article discusses collaborative innovation during the initial stages of firms' innovation processes via virtual spaces, focusing on a specific group: elderly users. These users represent a large and growing consumer market, which entails opportunities for companies developing products and services for elderly individuals. Firms that intend to meet the real needs of elders must involve those individuals in collaborative innovation processes. However, firms face challenges in the technical and interpersonal spheres when basing their early‐stage innovation activities on the virtual inclusion of elderly individuals, which has received little attention. Focusing on these challenges, this article presents an exploratory case study employing a participatory action research approach, in which the authors were part of a project aimed at the development of a method of including elderly users via virtual spaces. Pilot implementations helped the innovation intermediary develop an improved method to better capture elderly individuals' inputs. We found that special efforts must be made prior to the virtual activity to familiarize elderly individuals with the technology. Additionally, virtual activity demands a more active role from intermediaries for two reasons: first, representatives from client organizations do not feel confident in leading virtual discussions and second, social hints, emotions and feelings are more difficult to grasp in a virtual space than in real‐life interactions, which necessitates more focused and prepared intermediation. Elderly individuals' involvement is driven by their curiosity and desire to learn something new; therefore, the participation of elderly users must be valuable both to the organization's innovation process and to the elderly individuals themselves.