bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENINGKATAN KETERAMPILAN BERKOMUNIKASI MELALUI MEDIA WHATSAPP GROUP
Authors: Asih Tuti
Published: May 2021

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government implemented a learning system that must meet health protocols. The school determines to learn from home so that it requires teachers to be creative in presenting learning. One of them is by utilizing the whatsapp group learning media where the teacher can present material, guide learning activities, and evaluate the learning carried out. This research is a classroom action research conducted in class V SDN 002 Sungai Salak. The instrument used was the observation sheet of students' communication skills. The results showed that there was a good increase in students 'communication skills through the whatsapp learning media where in the first cycle the students' communication skills had an average of 67.01% and the second cycle became 73.78% so it can be concluded that the use of the WhatsApp application can improve communication skills students.
Moving beyond Asocial Minority-Language Policy
Authors: Ó Giollagáin Conchúr , Caimbeul Iain
Published: May 2021

This paper exams how asocial symbolic minority-language policy contributes to the social processes of language shift from the perspective of highly threatened languages, such as Scottish Gaelic. In introducing the concept of language shift through Asocial Minority-Language Policy, we argue that symbolic minority-language policy is detrimental to threatened language minorities in that it is ideologically implicated in language shift when it neglects the societal circumstances of minority-language decline. The prioritisation of the symbolic aspect of language policy also hinders a value-for-money approach to official provision for the minority group. This paper calls for a materialist/functionalist approach to minority-language societal regeneration to counter the social irrelevance of symbolic policy. We suggest policy options for moving beyond the symbolic focus on the minority-language condition.
Recognising and ReconstitutingGàidheilEthnicity
Authors: MacKinnon Iain
Published: May 2021

This article analyses some claims made about the Gàidheal identity in Scotland, with particular reflection on a distinct ‘sociolinguistic turn’ within Gàidhlig studies and related research over the last two decades. Through critical analysis of a major sociological survey on the structuring of various markers in framing Gàidheal identity, a normative basis is provided to then assess other identity classifications made by some academics whose work is focussed on the single identity-marker of the Gàidhlig language. It is argued that identity claims predicated on the specific nature of the Gàidhlig sociolinguistic turn fail to capture the complex reality and living histories of actual Gàidheal identities (and claims on those identities), in particular, the socio-cultural importance of place-based practices and understandings. Recent proposals for a Gàidheal ethnolinguistic assembly may enable modes of articulation and recognition to develop which better capture those realities, as well as supporting societal and linguistic regeneration among the indigenous group.
Resisting Dismissal in theGàidhealtachd
Authors: Camshron Gòrdan
Published: May 2021

Susan Samata proposes the application of Judith Butler's (2016) theory of vulnerability in resistance, rooted in gender and feminist studies, to linguistic issues, wherein ‘… vulnerability is framed not as a prima facie need for protection, but as the very ground for resistance’ ( Samata, 2017 : 4). Having explicitly identified the looming demolinguistic challenge facing the Gaelic speaker group in the Gàidhealtachd ( Ó Giollagáin et al., 2020 ), the next priority is to resist that which threatens potentially disastrous consequences for a language and a culture.
Contrasting Orientations to Place in the Construction of Nova Scotia Gaelic Identities
Authors: McEwan-Fujita Emily
Published: May 2021

Emily McEwan-Fujita is an author and former linguistic anthropologist. In this article, based on informal personal and ethnographic observations, she reflects on the ways that Nova Scotia Gaelic users orient to place. Nova Scotia Gaels are mostly adult learners and orient to place in contrasting – but recognizably Gaelic – ways.
“Inspire me” - High-ability students’ perceptions of school science
Authors:   School of Education, Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 600 Wellington New Zealand, Horsley Jenny , Moeed Azra ,   School of Education, Victoria University of Wellington PO Box 600 Wellington New Zealand
Published: May 2021

A decline in the number of students opting to study science in high school is a matter of international concern, particularly in relation to students who demonstrate high academic ability in science. These high-ability students have the potential to be the innovators and leaders of the future. There is a paucity of research that provides insight into how schools address the motivational and learning needs of high-ability science students. Underpinned by a constructivist view of learning, this exploratory case study research used student questionnaires and focus group interviews to explore students’ views about their learning experiences in science. It investigated high-ability students’ perceptions of how their needs were being met. Findings indicate that these students generally experienced a wide range of teaching approaches across all science disciplines. Learning was mostly limited to science content and procedures with little evidence of students learning about how science works through Nature of Science.
The Role of Metacognition in Students’ Mental Models of the Quantization
Authors:   Department of Basic Education, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Karadeniz Ereğli-Zonguldak, Turkey, Körhasan Nilüfer Didiş , Eryılmaz Ali ,   Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, Erkoç Şakir ,   Department of Physics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
Published: May 2021

As part of a multiphase study (Didiş et al., 2014; Didiş et al., 2016), this research focused on the effective issues on cognition, and it examined the role of metacognition in the construction of mental models. With the identification of students’ mental models of quantization of physical observables in the previous parts of the project, we considered metacognition theory to identify how knowledge about cognition influenced the construction of their mental models. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students by considering their knowledge and experiences about learning quantum theory during the semester. Based on the determined metacognitive behaviors, students’ mental models were reinterpreted by considering the metacognitive theory. The qualitative analysis results indicated that (1) students presenting more metacognitive behaviors constructed more coherent and scientific knowledge structures than the others and (2)satisfaction with knowledge was a breaking point for students’ reorganization of their knowledge. These findings are important to indicate the influence of metacognition on the construction and revision of mental models about physics concepts. In teaching of science at university level, students’ metacognitive evaluations should be taken into consideration together with their conceptions forscientific understanding.
Editorial
Authors:   College of Education, Univerity of Otago, Sexton Steven S.
Published: May 2021

Editorial volume 29, issue 4
Miedo a la violencia y afrontamiento en población infantil mexicana: diferencias y correlaciones
Authors: Reyes Perez Veronica , Alcazar-Olán Raul José , Flores Morales Rogelio
Published: May 2021

Resumen El miedo es una reacción normal ante una amenaza, pero cuando se trata de violencia en un país como México, cuyos indicadores crecen de manera alarmante, es necesario conocer cuán intensa es esta emoción en niñas y niños mexicanos, así como identificar qué acciones realizan para afrontarlo. Objetivos: identificar la intensidad del miedo a la violencia en niñas y niños mexicanos, así como las estrategias de afrontamiento que utilizan ante éste. Resultados: perder a alguien de mi familia, que lo secuestren y que secuestren a alguien de mi familia fueron los miedos de mayor intensidad reportados por los participantes. El Miedo a la violencia social obtuvo las correlaciones más altas con los otros factores. En primer lugar, con Miedo a la violencia doméstica, en segundo lugar, con Miedo a la muerte y finalmente con Miedo a lo desconocido. En cuanto a las estrategias de afrontamiento, las de Desahogo emocional (llorar, gritar, etc.) fueron de manera general las de mayor puntaje, seguidas por las Evasivas (correr, cerrar los ojos, evitar pasar por ahí, etc.) y por no hacer Nada. Conclusiones: Palabras clave: miedo, violencia, niños, niñas, afrontamiento
Escala Búsqueda de Sensaciones (Forma V) de Zuckerman estudio psicométrico en población adolescente Mexicana
Authors: Padrós Blázquez Ferran , Chora Reyes Diana , González Betanzos Fabiola
Published: May 2021

El rasgo de Búsqueda de Sensaciones (BS), se concibe como La necesidad de sensaciones y experiencias nuevas, variadas y complejas, y el deseo de arriesgarse con el fin de obtenerlas. Este rasgo se asocia con mayor riesgo de realizar conductas peligrosas y con diferentes trastornos mentales. Sin embargo, en México no disponemos de una adaptación de la escala más utilizada para evaluar la BS. Por ello, el objetivo de la presente investigación es estudiar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala Búsqueda de Sensaciones – Forma V (Sensation Seeking Scale – Form V), analizando su consistencia interna, su validez convergente y fiabilidad considerando la naturaleza dicotómica de los datos. Participaron 334 estudiantes de secundaria, con edades comprendidas entre 12 y 15 años tanto mujeres (n=171) como hombres (n=163). En los resultados se identificaron 20 ítems que se distribuían en tres factores mediante un análisis factorial exploratorio que se calculó con la mitad de la muestra, esta estructura mostró un ajuste adecuado en el análisis confirmatorio que se realizó con la otra parte de la muestra (χ2 = 213.78, gl = 167, p< 0.05, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.04). Se calcularon los índices de fiabilidad (KR = 0.78, omega = 0.94), se encontraron correlaciones con la escala de impulsividad (r = .39), la escala de uso de sustancias (r =.31 ) y con depresión (r = .26 ). Tanto en la escala total como en los factores se observaron mayores puntuaciones en hombres que en mujeres.
Creación de disonancia cognoscitiva a partir de una Premisa Histórico Sociocultural de la pareja
Authors: Bravo Doddoli Andrea , Díaz Loving Rolando , Díaz Rivera Paola Eunice
Published: May 2021

Las premisas histórico-socioculturales (PHSC´s) son normas y creencias que regulan el comportamiento de una cultura en particular y se transmiten de generación en generación. En la pareja, una premisa en México es que “El compromiso da formalidad a la relación de pareja”. Sin embargo, los individuos no reciben pasivamente las PHSC´s, las modifican o las contradicen con sus acciones lo que puede crear disonancia cognoscitiva. Entonces, la disonancia ocurre cuando coexisten dos cogniciones incongruentes en un individuo. Esto puede ocurrir por la llegada de nueva información o por trasgredir una norma cultural. El objetivo del estudio es comprobar si la opinión contra actitudinal sobre PHSC`s acerca del compromiso en las relaciones de pareja ocasiona disonancia cognoscitiva en los individuos, medida como ansiedad. Se diseñó un experimento donde se manipuló la PHSC sobre la relación de pareja que los individuos recibían y el estatus de la fuente proveniente: 2 (PHSC: Concordante/ Contra actitudinal) x 2 (Fuente de alto y bajo estatus). Como variable dependiente se midió la ansiedad estado y como covariante el nivel de compromiso de los participantes en su relación de pareja. Participaron 41 individuos. Los resultados mostraron en el grupo de fuente de bajo estatus los participantes con una PHSC concordante se mostraron más preocupados, mientras que los que recibieron una PHSC contra actitudinal estuvieron más tranquilos. En el primer grupo se creó disonancia debido a dos cogniciones incongruentes (nivel educativo y pensar igual que una fuente de bajo estatus) lo que afectó su autoconcepto. Mientras que la condición de artículo de alto estatus no generó diferencias.
Escala de Necesidades Psicológicas Básicas: adaptación al ámbito educativo en una muestra de adolescentes argentinos.
Authors: Schönfeld Fátima Soledad , Mesurado Belén
Published: May 2021

La Teoría de la Autodeterminación refiere a tres necesidades psicológicas básicas, presentes en el transcurso de la vida de un individuo: autonomía, competencia y relación. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la adaptación al contexto educativo de la Escala de Necesidades Psicológicas Básicas de Deci y Ryan (2000) en población adolescente Argentina. La adaptación cobra relevancia debido a que no existe hasta el momento en Argentina una versión de la escala que permita evaluar dichas necesidades en estudiantes de nivel secundario. Para medir la validez de constructo de la nueva versión se realizó un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio evaluando la presencia de las dimensiones propuestas por los autores originales. Se utilizó el método de máxima verosimilitud, teniendo en cuenta el valor chi cuadrado, chi/gl, los índices CFI, GFI, AGFI, RMR y RMSEA. Para estudiar la validez convergente se realizó un análisis de correlación con la Utrecht-Work Compromiso Scale en su versión para estudiantes y con el rendimiento académico de los alumnos. Para evaluar la consistencia interna del instrumento se utilizó el coeficiente Omega. La muestra estuvo conformada por 313 estudiantes de nivel secundario, con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 16 años (M = 13.46; DT = 1.05). Los resultados del presente estudio aportan evidencias empíricas que avalan buenos niveles de validez y confiabilidad de la Escala de Necesidades Psicológicas Básicas en el contexto educacional y en la población adolescente. De este modo, las propiedades psicométricas de la versión adaptada del instrumento son aceptables.
Cyclic Strain and Electrical Co-stimulation Improve Neural Differentiation of Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Cheng Hong , Huang Yan , Chen Wei , Che Jifei , Liu Taidong , Na Jing , Wang Ruojin , Fan Yubo
Published: May 2021

The current study investigated the combinatorial effect of cyclic strain and electrical stimulation on neural differentiation potential of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) under epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) inductions in vitro. We developed a prototype device which can provide cyclic strain and electrical signal synchronously. Using this system, we demonstrated that cyclic strain and electrical co-stimulation promote the differentiation of BMCSs into neural cells with more branches and longer neurites than strain or electrical stimulation alone. Strain and electrical co-stimulation can also induce a higher expression of neural markers in terms of transcription and protein level. Neurotrophic factors and the intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) are also upregulated with co-stimulation. Importantly, the co-stimulation further enhances the calcium influx of neural differentiated BMSCs when responding to acetylcholine and potassium chloride (KCl). Finally, the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2 and protein kinase B (AKT) was elevated under co-stimulation treatment. The present work suggests a synergistic effect of the combination of cyclic strain and electrical stimulation on BMSC neuronal differentiation and provides an alternative approach to physically manipulate stem cell differentiation into mature and functional neural cells in vitro.
CD73+ Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Myocardial Infarction by Promoting Angiogenesis
Authors: Li Qiong , Hou Huifang , Li Meng , Yu Xia , Zuo Hongbo , Gao Jianhui , Zhang Min , Li Zongjin , Guo Zhikun
Published: May 2021

With multipotent differentiation potential and paracrine capacity, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely applied in clinical practice for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. MSCs are a heterogeneous population and the specific population of MSCs may exhibit a selective ability for tissue repair. The aim of our research was to adapt the CD73+ subgroup of adipose derived MSCs (AD-MSCs) for the therapy of myocardial infarction (MI). In this research, AD-MSCs were isolated from adipose tissue surrounding the groin of mice and CD73+ AD-MSCs were sorted using flow cytometry. To investigate the therapeutic effects of CD73+ AD-MSCs, 1.2 × 106 CD73+ AD-MSCs were transplanted into rat model of MI, and CD73– AD-MSCs, normal AD-MSCs transplantation served as control. Our results revealed that CD73+ AD-MSCs played a more effective role in the acceleration function of cardiac recovery by promoting angiogenesis in a rat model of MI compared with mixed AD-MSCs and CD73– AD-MSCs. Moreover, with the expression of CD73 in AD-MSCs, the secretion of VEGF, SDF-1α, and HGF factors could be promoted. It also shows differences between CD73+ and CD73– AD-MSCs when the transcription profiles of these two subgroups were compared, especially in VEGF pathway. These findings raise an attractive outlook on CD73+ AD-MSCs as a dominant subgroup for treating MI-induced myocardial injury. CD73, a surface marker, can be used as a MSCs cell quality control for the recovery of MI by accelerating angiogenesis.
Exploring Deep Transfer Learning Techniques for Alzheimer's Dementia Detection
Authors: Zhu Youxiang , Liang Xiaohui , Batsis John A. , Roth Robert M.
Published: May 2021

Examination of speech datasets for detecting dementia, collected via various speech tasks, has revealed links between speech and cognitive abilities. However, the speech dataset available for this research is extremely limited because the collection process of speech and baseline data from patients with dementia in clinical settings is expensive. In this paper, we study the spontaneous speech dataset from a recent ADReSS challenge, a Cookie Theft Picture (CTP) dataset with balanced groups of participants in age, gender, and cognitive status. We explore state-of-the-art deep transfer learning techniques from image, audio, speech, and language domains. We envision that one advantage of transfer learning is to eliminate the design of handcrafted features based on the tasks and datasets. Transfer learning further mitigates the limited dementia-relevant speech data problem by inheriting knowledge from similar but much larger datasets. Specifically, we built a variety of transfer learning models using commonly employed MobileNet (image), YAMNet (audio), Mockingjay (speech), and BERT (text) models. Results indicated that the transfer learning models of text data showed significantly better performance than those of audio data. Performance gains of the text models may be due to the high similarity between the pre-training text dataset and the CTP text dataset. Our multi-modal transfer learning introduced a slight improvement in accuracy, demonstrating that audio and text data provide limited complementary information. Multi-task transfer learning resulted in limited improvements in classification and a negative impact in regression. By analyzing the meaning behind the Alzheimer's disease (AD)/non-AD labels and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, we observed that the inconsistency between labels and scores could limit the performance of the multi-task learning, especially when the outputs of the single-task models are highly consistent with the corresponding labels/scores. In sum, we conducted a large comparative analysis of varying transfer learning models focusing less on model customization but more on pre-trained models and pre-training datasets. We revealed insightful relations among models, data types, and data labels in this research area.
MicroRNAs Involved in Regulatory Cytoplasmic Male Sterility by Analysis RNA-seq and Small RNA-seq in Soybean
Authors: Zhang Chunbao , Fu Fuyou , Lin Chunjing , Ding Xiaoyang , Zhang Jingyong , Yan Hao , Wang Pengnian , Zhang Wei , Peng Bao , Zhao Limei
Published: May 2021

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is an important plant characteristic for exploiting heterosis to enhance crop traits during breeding. However, the CMS regulatory network remains unclear in plants, even though researchers have attempted to isolate genes associated with CMS. In this study, we performed high-throughput sequencing and degradome analyses to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) and their targets in a soybean CMS line (JLCMS9A) and its maintainer line (JLCMS9B). Additionally, the differentially expressed genes during reproductive development were identified using RNA-seq data. A total of 280 miRNAs matched soybean miRNA sequences in miRBase, including mature miRNAs and pre-miRNAs. Of the 280 miRNAs, 30, 23, and 21 belonged to the miR166, miR156, and miR171 families, respectively. Moreover, 410 novel low-abundant miRNAs were identified in the JLCMS9A and JLCMS9B flower buds. Furthermore, 303 and 462 target genes unique to JLCMS9A and JLCMS9B, respectively, as well as 782 common targets were predicted based on the degradome analysis. Target genes differentially expressed between the CMS line and the maintainer line were revealed by an RNA-seq analysis. Moreover, all target genes were annotated with diverse functions related to biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions, including transcriptional regulation, the nucleus, meristem maintenance, meristem initiation, cell differentiation, auxin-activated signaling, plant ovule development, and anther development. Finally, a network was built based on the interactions. Analyses of the miRNA, degradome, and transcriptome datasets generated in this study provided a comprehensive overview of the reproductive development of a CMS soybean line. The data presented herein represent useful information for soybean hybrid breeding. Furthermore, the study results indicate that miRNAs might contribute to the soybean CMS regulatory network by modulating the expression of CMS-related genes. These findings lay the foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying soybean CMS.
Conventional Type 1 Dendritic Cells (cDC1) in Human Kidney Diseases: Clinico-Pathological Correlations
Authors: Chen Titi , Cao Qi , Wang Ruifeng , Zheng Guoping , Azmi Farhana , Wang Jeffery , Lee Vincent W. , Wang Yuan Min , Yu Hong , Patel Manish , P’ng Chow Heok , Alexander Stephen I. , Rogers Natasha M. , Wang Yiping , Harris David C. H.
Published: May 2021

Background

cDC1 is a subset of conventional DCs, whose most recognized function is cross-presentation to CD8+ T cells. We conducted this study to investigate the number and location of cDC1s in various human kidney diseases as well as their correlation with clinico-pathological features and CD8+ T cells.

Methods

We analyzed 135 kidney biopsies samples. Kidney diseases included: acute tubular necrosis (ATN), acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), proliferative glomerulonephritis (GN) (IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, pauci-immune GN, anti-GBM disease), non-proliferative GN (minimal change disease, membranous nephropathy) and diabetic nephropathy. Indirect immunofluorescence staining was used to quantify cDC1s, CD1c+ DCs, and CD8+ T cells.

Results

cDC1s were rarely present in normal kidneys. Their number increased significantly in ATN and proliferative GN, proportionally much more than CD1c+ DCs. cDC1s were mainly found in the interstitium, except in lupus nephritis, pauci-immune GN and anti-GBM disease, where they were prominent in glomeruli and peri-glomerular regions. The number of cDC1s correlated with disease severity in ATN, number of crescents in pauci-immune GN, interstitial fibrosis in IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis, as well as prognosis in IgA nephropathy. The number of CD8+ T cells also increased significantly in these conditions and cDC1 number correlated with CD8+ T cell number in lupus nephritis and pauci-immune GN, with many of them closely co-localized.

Conclusions

cDC1 number correlated with various clinic-pathological features and prognosis reflecting a possible role in these conditions. Their association with CD8+ T cells suggests a combined mechanism in keeping with the results in animal models.
Obesity in Humans Is Characterized by Gut Inflammation as Shown by Pro-Inflammatory Intestinal Macrophage Accumulation
Authors: Rohm Theresa V. , Fuchs Regula , Müller Rahel L. , Keller Lena , Baumann Zora , Bosch Angela J. T. , Schneider Romano , Labes Danny , Langer Igor , Pilz Julia B. , Niess Jan H. , Delko Tarik , Hruz Petr , Cavelti-Weder Claudia
Published: May 2021

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of obesity and associated with cardiovascular complications. However, it remains unclear where this inflammation starts. As the gut is constantly exposed to food, gut microbiota, and metabolites, we hypothesized that mucosal immunity triggers an innate inflammatory response in obesity. We characterized five distinct macrophage subpopulations (P1-P5) along the gastrointestinal tract and blood monocyte subpopulations (classical, non-classical, intermediate), which replenish intestinal macrophages, in non-obese (BMI<27kg/m2) and obese individuals (BMI>32kg/m2). To elucidate factors that potentially trigger gut inflammation, we correlated these subpopulations with cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle behaviors. In obese individuals, we found higher pro-inflammatory macrophages in the stomach, duodenum, and colon. Intermediate blood monocytes were also increased in obesity, suggesting enhanced recruitment to the gut. We identified unhealthy lifestyle habits as potential triggers of gut and systemic inflammation (i.e., low vegetable intake, high processed meat consumption, sedentary lifestyle). Cardiovascular risk factors other than body weight did not affect the innate immune response. Thus, obesity in humans is characterized by gut inflammation as shown by accumulation of pro-inflammatory intestinal macrophages, potentially via recruited blood monocytes. Understanding gut innate immunity in human obesity might open up new targets for immune-modulatory treatments in metabolic disease.
Ironing Out the Details: How Iron Orchestrates Macrophage Polarization
Authors: Xia Yaoyao , Li Yikun , Wu Xiaoyan , Zhang Qingzhuo , Chen Siyuan , Ma Xianyong , Yu Miao
Published: May 2021

Iron fine-tunes innate immune responses, including macrophage inflammation. In this review, we summarize the current understanding about the iron in dictating macrophage polarization. Mechanistically, iron orchestrates macrophage polarization through several aspects, including cellular signaling, cellular metabolism, and epigenetic regulation. Therefore, iron modulates the development and progression of multiple macrophage-associated diseases, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, and liver diseases. Collectively, this review highlights the crucial role of iron for macrophage polarization, and indicates the potential application of iron supplementation as an adjuvant therapy in different inflammatory disorders relative to the balance of macrophage polarization.
Analyzing Inter-Leukocyte Communication and Migration In Vitro: Neutrophils Play an Essential Role in Monocyte Activation During Swarming
Authors: Walters Nicole , Zhang Jingjing , Rima Xilal Y. , Nguyen Luong T. H. , Germain Ronald N. , Lämmermann Tim , Reátegui Eduardo
Published: May 2021

Neutrophils are known to be the first responders to infection or injury. However, as inflammation progresses, other leukocytes become increasingly important in inflammation propagation, tissue reconstruction, and inflammation resolution. In recent years, there has been an increase in publications that analyze neutrophil behaviorin vitro, but there remains a gap in the literature forin vitrotechnologies that enable quantitatively measuring interactions between different types of human leukocytes. Here, we used anin vitroplatform that mimics inflammation by inducing neutrophil swarming to analyze the behavior of various leukocytes in a swarming setting. Using human peripheral blood leukocytes isolated directly from whole blood, we found that myeloid cells and lymphoid cells had different migratory behaviors. Myeloid cells, which are predominately neutrophils, exhibited swarming behavior. This behavior was not seen with lymphoid cells. We perturbed the peripheral blood leukocyte system by adding exogenous leukotriene B4(LTB4) to the medium. Notably, only the myeloid cell compartment was significantly changed by the addition of LTB4. Additionally, LTB4had no significant impact on myeloid cell migration during the recruitment phase of swarming. To further investigate the myeloid cell compartment, we isolated neutrophils and monocytes to analyze their interaction on the platform. We found that neutrophils increase monocyte migration toward the bioparticle clusters, as measured through speed, chemotactic index, track straightness, and swarm size. These results were confirmed within vivomouse experiments, where monocyte accumulation only occurred when neutrophils were present. Additionally, we found that both neutrophils and monocytes release the monocyte chemoattractant proteins CCL2 and CCL3 in the presence ofStaphylococcus aureusbioparticles. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles from swarming neutrophils caused monocyte activation. These findings suggest that neutrophils play an essential role in the onset of inflammation not only by sealing off the site of infection or injury, but also by recruiting additional leukocytes to the site.
Progesterone Dampens Immune Responses in In Vitro Activated CD4+ T Cells and Affects Genes Associated With Autoimmune Diseases That Improve During Pregnancy
Authors: Hellberg Sandra , Raffetseder Johanna , Rundquist Olof , Magnusson Rasmus , Papapavlou Georgia , Jenmalm Maria C. , Ernerudh Jan , Gustafsson Mika
Published: May 2021

The changes in progesterone (P4) levels during and after pregnancy coincide with the temporary improvement and worsening of several autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Most likely immune-endocrine interactions play a major role in these pregnancy-induced effects. In this study, we used next generation sequencing to investigate the direct effects of P4 on CD4+T cell activation, key event in pregnancy and disease. We report profound dampening effects of P4 on T cell activation, altering the gene and protein expression profile and reversing many of the changes induced during the activation. The transcriptomic changes induced by P4 were significantly enriched for genes associated with diseases known to be modulated during pregnancy such as MS, RA and psoriasis. STAT1 and STAT3 were significantly downregulated by P4 and their downstream targets were significantly enriched among the disease-associated genes. Several of these genes included well-known and disease-relevant cytokines, such as IL-12β, CXCL10 and OSM, which were further validated also at the protein level using proximity extension assay. Our results extend the previous knowledge of P4 as an immune regulatory hormone and support its importance during pregnancy for regulating potentially detrimental immune responses towards the semi-allogenic fetus. Further, our results also point toward a potential role for P4 in the pregnancy-induced disease immunomodulation and highlight the need for further studies evaluating P4 as a future treatment option.
The Role of GPNMB in Inflammation
Authors: Saade Marina , Araujo de Souza Giovanna , Scavone Cristoforo , Kinoshita Paula Fernanda
Published: May 2021

Inflammation is a response to a lesion in the tissue or infection. This process occurs in a specific manner in the central nervous system and is called neuroinflammation, which is involved in neurodegenerative diseases. GPNMB, an endogenous glycoprotein, has been recently related to inflammation and neuroinflammation. GPNMB is highly expressed in macrophages and microglia, which are cells involved with innate immune response in the periphery and the brain, respectively. Some studies have shown increased levels of GPNMB in pro-inflammatory conditions, such as LPS treatment, and in pathological conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. However, the role of GPNMB in inflammation is still not clear. Even though most studies suggest that GPNMB might have an anti-inflammatory role by promoting inflammation resolution, there is evidence that GPNMB could be pro-inflammatory. In this review, we gather and discuss the published evidence regarding this interaction.
Context Dependency in Bark Beetle-Fungus Mutualisms Revisited: Assessing Potential Shifts in Interaction Outcomes Against Varied Genetic, Ecological, and Evolutionary Backgrounds
Authors: Six Diana L. , Klepzig Kier D.
Published: May 2021

Context dependency occurs when biological interactions shift in sign or magnitude depending upon genetic, abiotic, and biotic context. Most models of mutualism address systems where interaction outcomes slide along a mutualism-antagonism continuum as environmental conditions vary altering cost-benefit relationships. However, these models do not apply to the many mutualisms that involve by-product benefits and others that do not have antagonistic alternate states. The ubiquity of such mutualisms indicates a need for different approaches and models to understand how environmental variability influences their strength, stability, and ecological roles. In this paper, we apply the concept of context dependency to mutualisms among bark beetles and fungi that span a variety of life strategies and exposures to environmental variability. Bark beetles and their mutualist fungi co-construct a niche based on by-product benefits that allows them to exist in a resource that is otherwise intractable or inaccessible. For the closest of these partnerships, this has resulted in some of the most influential agents of forest mortality in conifer forests worldwide. Understanding these symbioses is key to understanding their influence on forest structure and dynamics and responses to change. We found no evidence that bark beetle mutualisms change in sign as conditions vary, only in magnitude, and that the “closest” (and most environmentally influential) of these partnerships have evolved behaviors and mechanisms to reduce context-dependency and stabilize benefit delivery. The bark beetle-fungus symbioses most likely to slide along a mutualism-antagonism continuum are those involving loosely associated facultative symbionts that may provide benefits under some circumstances and that are horizontally transmitted by the beetle host. Additionally, some symbiotic fungi are never mutualists – these “third party” fungi are exploiters and may shift from commensalism to antagonism depending on environmental context. Our assessment indicates that a careful differentiation between bark beetle-fungus partnerships is crucial to understanding how they influence forests and respond to environmental variability.
A Novel Small Molecular Antibody, HER2-Nanobody, Inhibits Tumor Proliferation in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Yan Yan , Cheng Xiao , Li Lin , Zhang Rumeng , Zhu Yong , Wu Zhengsheng , Ding Keshuo
Published: May 2021

Breast cancer is the most common malignant cancer in women worldwide, especially in developing countries. Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody with an antitumor effect in HER2-positive breast cancer. However, the large molecular weight of Herceptin limited its employment. In this study, we constructed and screened HER2-nanobody and verified its tumor-suppressive effect in HER2-positive breast cancer cells. HER2-nanobody was established, filtrated, purified, and was demonstrated to inhibit cell total number, viability, colony formation and mitosis, and promote cell apoptosis in HER2-positive breast cancer cells in vitro. Treated with HER2-nanobody, tumor growth was significantly inhibited by both intratumor injection and tail intravenous injection in vivo. The phosphorylation of ERK and AKT was restrained by HER2-nanobody in HER2-positive breast cancer cells. RAS-RAF-MAPK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR are two important pathways involved in HER2. It was credible for HER2-nanobody to play the tumor suppressive role by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT. Therefore, HER2-nanobody could be employed as a small molecular antibody to suppress HER2-positive breast cancer.
Modulation of Pathological Pain by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor
Authors: Borges Jazlyn P. , Mekhail Katrina , Fairn Gregory D. , Antonescu Costin N. , Steinberg Benjamin E.
Published: May 2021

Chronic pain has been widely recognized as a major public health problem that impacts multiple aspects of patient quality of life. Unfortunately, chronic pain is often resistant to conventional analgesics, which are further limited by their various side effects. New therapeutic strategies and targets are needed to better serve the millions of people suffering from this devastating disease. To this end, recent clinical and preclinical studies have implicated the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway in chronic pain states. EGFR is one of four members of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases that have key roles in development and the progression of many cancers. EGFR functions by activating many intracellular signaling pathways following binding of various ligands to the receptor. Several of these signaling pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, are known mediators of pain. EGFR inhibitors are known for their use as cancer therapeutics but given recent evidence in pilot clinical and preclinical investigations, may have clinical use for treating chronic pain. Here, we review the clinical and preclinical evidence implicating EGFR in pathological pain states and provide an overview of EGFR signaling highlighting how EGFR and its ligands drive pain hypersensitivity and interact with important pain pathways such as the opioid system.
Implications for Extracellular Matrix Interactions With Human Lung Basal Stem Cells in Lung Development, Disease, and Airway Modeling
Authors: Busch Shana M. , Lorenzana Zareeb , Ryan Amy L.
Published: May 2021

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is not simply a quiescent scaffold. This three-dimensional network of extracellular macromolecules provides structural, mechanical, and biochemical support for the cells of the lung. Throughout life, the ECM forms a critical component of the pulmonary stem cell niche. Basal cells (BCs), the primary stem cells of the airways capable of differentiating to all luminal cell types, reside in close proximity to the basolateral ECM. Studying BC-ECM interactions is important for the development of therapies for chronic lung diseases in which ECM alterations are accompanied by an apparent loss of the lung’s regenerative capacity. The complexity and importance of the native ECM in the regulation of BCs is highlighted as we have yet to create an in vitro culture model that is capable of supporting the long-term expansion of multipotent BCs. The interactions between the pulmonary ECM and BCs are, therefore, a vital component for understanding the mechanisms regulating BC stemness during health and disease. If we are able to replicate these interactions in airway models, we could significantly improve our ability to maintain basal cell stemness ex vivo for use in in vitro models and with prospects for cellular therapies. Furthermore, successful, and sustained airway regeneration in an aged or diseased lung by small molecules, novel compounds or via cellular therapy will rely upon both manipulation of the airway stem cells and their immediate niche within the lung. This review will focus on the current understanding of how the pulmonary ECM regulates the basal stem cell function, how this relationship changes in chronic disease, and how replicating native conditions poses challenges for ex vivo cell culture.
Review of Issues and Solutions in High-Power Semiconductor Laser Packaging Technology
Authors: Yan Yixiong , Zheng Yu , Sun Haigang , Duan Ji’an
Published: May 2021

In the past 20 years, semiconductor lasers have been widely used in medical, industrial, and communication applications, providing a revolutionary and powerful platform for the fifth generation and advanced manufacturing. Semiconductor laser has the advantages of small size, lightweight, high reliability and easy modulation, becoming increasingly popular. However, due to the laser diode emission mechanism limitation, the beam quality is inferior and cannot be directly applied and required to be handled by beam shaping. However, the packaging of multiple beam shaping optical components is accompanied by risks due to misalignment. The misalignment error of the optical components has a great hidden danger to the laser performance. As semiconductor lasers' power gradually increases, lasers' thermal management technology is also increasingly strict. Therefore, this article first reviews the beam shaping technology of semiconductor laser diode array. Secondly, the analysis of the influence of the array semiconductor laser optical device's misalignment is reviewed, and a feasible solution is proposed. Finally, it summarizes the researches on thermal management in high-power semiconductor lasers. This article aims to give readers a comprehensive and broad understanding of semiconductor laser packaging's technical difficulties and to recognize each corresponding solution.
Psychometric Properties of the Nine-Item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire in a Brazilian General Population Sample
Authors: Spritzer Daniel Tornaim , Machado Wagner de Lara , Yates Marina Balem , Astolfi Vitória Rech , Laskoski Pricilla , Pessi Cristina , Laconi Stéphanie , Kaliszewska-Czeremska Katarzyna , Demetrovics Zsolt , Király Orsolya , Passos Ives Cavalcante , Hauck Simone
Published: May 2021

Objective: The goal of the study is to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the nine-item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-SF-9).

Methods: A convenience sample of Brazilian internet users aged between 18 and 89 years (72.7% female, mean age 38.7 years ± 13.5) was recruited online from September 2018 to July 2019 (test sample = 1,525; retest sample = 237). Participants responded to the adapted version of the PIUQ-SF-9, as well as the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D-10) and sociodemographic questions.

Results: A bifactor model with one general factor and three specific dimensions (obsession, neglect and control disorder) yielded the best fit indices [χ2 = 67.66, df = 15, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.048 (0.037–0.060), RMSEA p close = 0.587 and SRMR = 0.01]. McDonald's hierarchical omega coefficient was 0.76 for the general factor and varied between 0.16 and 0.33 for the specific dimensions. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.73 for the general factor and varied between 0.64 and 0.72 for the specific dimensions. The MIMIC model supported the scale's construct validity as the relationship of the predictors (age, time spent online, self-perception of problematic internet use, and depression symptoms) with the PIUQ-SF-9 factors was in line with the assumptions based on the literature.

Conclusion: PIUQ-SF-9 seems to be a brief and culturally validated instrument with sound psychometric properties to be used in future studies on problematic internet use in the Brazilian population.
Faculty Service-Learning Students as Home-Visitors: Outcomes of a Lifestyle Modification Program for Vulnerable Families With Residents in Rural Indonesian Communities
Authors: Kwok Stephen Wai Hang , Pang Phyllis Chui Ping , Chung Man Hon , Wu Cynthia Sau Ting
Published: May 2021

Background: Risks attributed to chronic diseases, cancer, musculoskeletal discomfort, and infectious diseases among Indonesians were found to be associated with lifestyle behaviors, particularly in rural areas. The aim of this study was to examine the outcomes of a home-visiting lifestyle modification program on improving health risk behaviors among Indonesians living in rural areas.

Methods: A total of 160 Indonesians living in rural hamlets in the Yogyakarta Region of Indonesia participated in the program in the period of June 21 to July 21, 2019. In the pre-intervention home interview, learning needs of diet, exercise, hand hygiene, and substance use were identified by using structured assessment tools. In the next home visit, the visitors provided health education and facilitated lifestyle planning based on the related affective and cognitive domains of learning. Subsequent follow-up interviews were conducted 3 weeks after intervention.

Results: The results showed that the self-reported intake of vegetables, fruits, meat and salt, cooking with less oil, hand hygiene before eating, number of cigarettes smoked, and symptoms of muscle stiffness significantly improved after the intervention. The lifestyle modification program consisted of the affective and cognitive domains of learning, and could lead to the target behavioral changes in self-reported and observable measures over 1 month.

Conclusions: The findings contributed to the framework of community-based health education for health risk reduction and behavioral modification in developing rural communities where health care resources were limited. Further studies with control groups and vigorous objective measures were recommended to elucidate its long-term impacts. The factors leading to its sustainability concerning collaborative care partnerships between community residents and faculty resources are worthy of continued exploration.
Improving the Medium-Term Forecasting of Space Weather: A Big Picture Review From a Solar Observer's Perspective
Authors: Vourlidas Angelos
Published: May 2021

We have improved considerably our scientific understanding of the key solar drivers of Space Weather, i.e., Coronal Mass Ejections, flares, in the last 20+ years thanks to a plethora of space missions and modeling advances. Yet, a major breakthrough in assessing the geo-effectiveness of a given CME and associated phenomena still escapes us, holding back actionable medium-term (up to 7 days) forecasting of Space Weather. Why is that? I adopt a two-pronged approach to search for answers. First, I assess the last 20+ years of research on solar drivers by identifying lessons-learned and paradigm shifts in our view of solar activity, always in relation to Space Weather concerns. Then, I review the state of key observation-based quantities used in forecasting to isolate the choke points and research gaps that limit medium-term forecasting performance. Finally, I outline a path forward along three vectors—breakthrough capabilities, geo-effective potential, and actionable forecast—with the strongest potential to improve space weather forecasting horizon and robustness.