bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ion permeability of artificial membranes evaluated by diffusion potential and electrical resistance measurements (719.1)
Authors: Shlyonsky Vadim 
Published: June 2021

A novel model of artificial membranes that provides efficient assistance in teaching the origins of diffusion potentials is proposed. These membranes are made of polycarbonate filters fixed to 12 mm plastic rings and then saturated with a mixture of creosol and n‐decane. Electrical resistance and potential difference across these membranes can be easily measured using low‐cost volt‐ohmmeter and home‐made Ag/AgCl electrodes. The advantage of the model is the lack of ionic selectivity of the membrane, which can be modified by introduction of different ionophores to the organic liquid mixture. Membrane treated with the mixture containing valinomycin generates voltages from ‐53 mV to ‐25 mV in the presence of a 10‐fold KCl gradient (in‐to‐out) and from ‐79 mV to ‐53 mV in the presence of a bi‐ionic KCl/NaCl gradient (in‐to‐out). This latter bi‐ionic gradient potential reverses to a value from +9 mV to +20 mV when monensin is present in the organic liquid mixture. Thus, the model can be build stepwise, i.e. all factors leading to the development of diffusion potentials can be introduced sequentially, helping to understand the quantitative relationships of ionic gradients and differential membrane permeability in the generation of cell electrical signals.Grant Funding Source: Supported by FER (ULB)
Students’ perception about the use of animals during practical classes (719.15)
Authors: Rocha Maria Jose , Rochelle Ana Beatriz , Silva Ricardo Henrique 
Published: June 2021

The use of vertebrate animals in teaching‐learning has been questioned since several educational alternatives are nowadays possible. The aim was to analyze the perception of undergraduate students of Pharmacy and Dental courses about using animals in practical classes for teaching.One hundred students of each course participate of the study. The inclusion criterion was individual that had concluded the basic disciplines that use animals for teaching. They were asked to fill a questionnaire containing 15 objective and discursive questions. The data were tabulated with percentage represented in the columns. Approved by FORP Ethics Committee.Three questions were chosen to be reported .The majority of the students of Pharmacy ( 53% ) and Dental (57%) courses answered that the animals are important and useful for their learning. The majority of Dental students (72%) reported none or light discomforts while Pharmacy students (76%) reported light to media discomforts. In relation to the questions about refusing to participate in the practical classes with animals or to be favorable to replacing them, the majority of the Pharmacy students answered they refused (52%) and were in favor of replacing (58%) while only the minority of Dental students respond similarly to the same questions (35% and 44%, respectively).Although the majority of the students of both course answered that the animals are important and useful for their learning, the majority of Pharmacy students reported medium to light discomfort, refuses to partipate of practical classes with animals and is in favor of replacing them. These results show the necessity that the professors pursue alternatives to replace animals in practical classes.Grant Funding Source: Supported by University of Sao Paulo
Categories and assessment of e‐mail use in university teaching activities for 5 years (720.1)
Authors: El‐Sabban Farouk 
Published: June 2021

E‐mail use is common in academic communities. University students and instructors are proficient users of e‐mail, thus incorporating e‐mail in teaching activities can benefit the education process. This technology was utilized in teaching science and non‐science courses at College for Women, Kuwait University. The course instructor sets a separate e‐mail account for each course and provides a password for students. Its purpose is for the instructor to disseminate relevant course information and materials. Students are not to use course e‐mail to communicate with their instructor or for personal use to avoid intersecting messages. Major categories of messages sent by instructor were (%): handouts (28), assignment‐related (21), notices (20), materials of interest (19). Messages from students were assignment‐related (40%) and 60% were non‐assignment related. Students who responded to a simple 15‐statement questionnaire (n = 349) indicated that e‐mail was convenient, but they preferred face‐to‐face contact with the instructor. Such sentiments were echoed in 73 of student comments. Based on the instructor’s experience, e‐mail usage in teaching activities is very convenient and has many advantages. One major benefit of e‐mail is improved student/instructor communication, a matter that has an educational value in the long run.This work was supported by Kuwait University Research Grant No. [WF 02/12].
IT tools for peer review (721.21)
Authors: Layland Shannon , Schenke‐Layland Katja 
Published: June 2021

The scientific peer review process is a time‐consuming undertaking. At its best, peer review is non‐biased and qualitative. At worst, it can be destructive, slow, and hastily performed. In the current economic environment, career advancement has become more competitive with administrative decisions mostly based on a scientist’s publication record. For the public, faith in the peer review process can affect public opinion on new findings, possibly resulting in governmental policy decisions. Therefore, it is imperative that editors and reviewers strive to keep the review process as open and non‐biased as possible. Most publishers have taken the review process online, using different tools to assist editors and reviewers such as providing keyword search engines or instant access to citied articles that can be used to find similar work. A review of the currently available online publisher tools and an introduction to validation websites will be discussed, along with possible processes that may make peer reviews more transparent for authors and the general public. IT tools to help students stay up to date on recent publications will also be demonstrated.Grant Funding Source: Supported by the Fraunhofer‐Gesellschaft [Attract 692263 to K.S.‐L.]
Crowdsourcing in medical education: a visual example using anatomical henna (721.23)
Authors: See Christopher 
Published: June 2021

Introduction Crowdsourcing can be defined as; “the practice of obtaining needed ideas or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, particularly using online methods”. It has become prevalent in many modern arenas such as filmmaking and software design. However, when applied to a ‘crowd’ of medical students, it can become a rich source of ideas for pedagogical innovation. This qualitative study demonstrates the unexpected and innovative manner in which a student body generates its own learning methods through crowdsourcing.Methods Using crowdsourcing techniques, medical students discussed gross anatomy learning objectives and submitted their own designs of learning methods through both online and small‐group offline collaborations over several months. These were incorporated onto the bodies of volunteer models in traditional Indian henna, Maori and African Tribal patterns by a henna artist.Results 4 novel student‐derived learning methodologies were elicited; phonetic devices, visuo‐spacial devices, alpha‐numeric conversions and supra‐structure.Discussion Using crowdsourcing to further medical education follows the paradigm of student‐centred learning by generating engagement and a sense of ownership in the student body. This study demonstrates its utility as a technique for qualitative exploration of current student learning methods.Grant Funding Source: Supported by The Centre of Development and Resources for Students, The University of Hong Kong
Cadaver donation program and anatomy teaching at the University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil (721.5)
Authors: Jacomo Alfredo , Hojaij Flávio , Ribeiro João , Andrade Mauro , Akamatsu Flávia 
Published: June 2021

Several reasons have led to progressive replacement of cadavers for anatomical models and computerized images in Anatomy courses. To obviate the scarcity and pitfalls related to the use of unclaimed bodies, a cadaver donation program was implemented in our Department. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact, benefits and problems of the program in the last decade.A retrospective evaluation of the documents related to cadaveric donation to our department was obtained from 2002, analyzing the characteristics of the donors and the availability of cadaveric material to our courses. Additionally, we searched possible variables related to voluntary donation.All donors were causcasians and gender distribution varied throughout the decade, mainly concerning female donors. Our cadaver donation program has been successful to maintain adequate cadaveric material for teaching and research purposes and completely replaced the use of unclaimed bodies.Alternative methods to teach Anatomy to be valuable but their role, alone or in conjunction with traditional cadaveric dissection and prosection, still need to be established. We consider that the use of cadavers to be essential in medical graduation and a comprehensive voluntary donation program is the best alternative to achieve the educational targets without the ethical and legal problems related to the use of unclaimed bodies.
After the final: knowledge retention for online and face to face histology students (725.12)
Authors: Barbeau Michele , Rogers Kem 
Published: June 2021

We have developed an online histology laboratory course covering the same material as a Face to Face (F2F) course. Previously, we reported no significant differences in outcomes between the formats. Here we investigate knowledge retention four to six months following completion of the course. In this study, online and F2F students were invited to complete a 20 question practical quiz with a time limit of 20 minutes. These questions covered the main tissues and organs highlighted in the course. Students completed this quiz either immediately following or between four and six months after the completion of the course. Students who attempted the quiz immediately following the completion of the course scored a mean of 73.1 ±12.8% while those who attempted the quiz several months following showed significant reductions in their scores (online 36.6 ± 15.1% and F2F 43.0 ± 17.3%). However, there was no significant difference in the knowledge retention for students who took the course in the online or F2F format. These results suggest that although knowledge retention declines for both online and F2F students, there is no difference in knowledge retention between students who study histology in the online or F2F format.Grant Funding Source: Supported by: Socical Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Dose‐ and time‐dependent benefits of iPAD technology in an undergraduate human anatomy course (725.8)
Authors: Raney Marcella 
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of iPAD2 technology integration on student performance in an undergraduate human anatomy course. Six undergraduate anatomy classes (N=166) were recruited to participate. Two classes were assigned to one the following conditions: control=no iPAD (CON); limited access=iPADs available in lab only (LIM); full access=students given personal iPADs (FULL). All tablets were preloaded with note‐taking, interactive white‐board, student response system, and anatomy specific applications. Experimental course assignments and activities required use of iPAD technology and FULL students were encouraged to both read and take notes using the iPAD. CON students were required to complete assignments using virtual dissection software on computers. Course lecture material was delivered via PowerPoint for all 3 conditions. Student knowledge was assessed with the same exams in all conditions during the semester (2 lab practicals, 4 lecture exams). An interaction effect between time and condition was found for both lab (F(2,165)=11.22) and lecture (F(6,165)=4.41) performance (p<0.05). Post‐hoc analysis revealed that FULL students performed significantly better than CON and LIM (68.3±2.5 and 71.1±1.7 vs 81.4±2.3%; p<0.05) and better than CON (67.5±2.0 vs 78.7±2.4%; p<0.05) on the 3rd and 4th exam respectively. A total of 66.2% of all students with iPAD access agreed that their performance was enhanced in lab. Significantly more students in FULL indicated an improvement in lecture (χ2(4,166)=11.28; p<0.05) and a desire to use an iPAD in lieu of a laptop to help study for future science courses (χ2(4,166)=19.95; p<0.05). Results suggest that if students are given opportunities to overcome the technology learning curve, iPADs and relevant applications can be useful tools in human anatomy courses.Grant Funding Source: Supported by Occidental College Library and Center for Digital Learning and Research
Long term effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on Caenorhabditis elegans (726.12)
Authors: Cassady Amanda 
Published: June 2021

Monoamines (MAs) are amino acid derivatives that act as neurotransmitters in many organisms. Examples of monoamines include dopamine and serotonin. Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are a family of enzymes that catalyze the degradation of MAs. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) act by reversibly or irreversibly inhibiting MAO activity. MAOIs, such as Clorgyline, Phenelzine, Selegiline, and Tranylcypromine, resemble MAs and may act on some MA receptors, as well as increasing MAs levels. MAOIs are commonly prescribed drugs to treat neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, depression, and attention deficit disorder. Unfortunately, the long term effects of MAOIs are not fully understood and negative side effects are common.In humans, MAOIs prescribed as antidepressants during pregnancy may be harmful to offspring. The model organism C. elegans, a 1‐millimeter soil nematode, is utilized in this project to study the chronic effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on behavior, reproduction, and survival. C. elegans have a reproductive life cycle of 3 days, which makes it simple to investigate the effects of MAOIs on short‐term behaviors, as well as growth and reproduction. We have performed behavioral assays on wild‐type C. elegans in concentrations of MAOIs that are potent enough to inhibit movement without causing complete paralysis. On day 3, the adults and offspring are transferred onto a plate without the drug in order to quantify reproduction, recovery, and survival. We find that different MAOIs have different effects on short‐term and long‐term behaviors and reproduction.
Persistent increases of PKMζ correlate with the retention and duration of spatial long‐term memory (728.11)
Authors: Hartley Benjamin , Hsieh Changchi , Tsokas Paniyotas , Serrano Peter , Fenton Andre , Marquez Samuel , Sacktor Todd 
Published: June 2021

PKMζ is a constitutively active and brain‐specific atypical PKC isoform that plays an important role during long‐term memory (LTM) storage. Overexpressing PKMζ enhances LTM, and inhibiting PKMζ by overexpressing a dominant negative version of PKMζ or injecting ζ inhibitory peptide (ZIP) disrupts LTM, even very long‐term spatial memory 1 month post‐training. Here we examined endogenous PKMζ expression at different time points after short‐ or long‐term memory and correlated the amount of expressed PKMζ with LTM retention.Adult male Long‐Evans rats and C57BL/6J mice were trained by massed and spaced active place avoidance, respectively. Massed training consisted of eight 10‐min‐shock trials with 10 min inter‐trial interval (ITI), and spaced training consisted of three 30‐min‐shock trials with 120 min ITI. Quantitative immunoblotting showed that dorsal hippocampal PKMζ increased by the end of the massed training phase, and 1 day after both massed and spaced training, compared to animals that had not received shock when placed in the apparatus. The increase in PKMζ remained at least 30 days after the spaced training. Thus, the PKMζ level significantly correlated with 1 day LTM, but not with the number of shocks during the training. No PKMζ increase was detected after either short‐term memory training or 1 day after the administration of the tethered shocks in which animals received the same number and timing of shocks as the avoidance‐training group, but without association with spatial information. No long‐term contextual fear conditioned behaviors, such as freezing, or locomotor activity change was observed in the shock‐training group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the increased PKMζ after the spatial training localized in the strata pyramidale, radiatum, and lacunosum‐moleculare in CA1 region at both 1 day and 1 month posttraining. These results support the hypothesis that persistently increased hippocampal PKMζ might be the molecular mechanism of the spatial LTM storage.Grant Funding Source: NIH Grant R01 MH053576
Alcohol accentuates simian immunodeficiency virus‐induced alterations in the skeletal muscle milieu contributing to impaired satellite cell myogenic differentiation (732.5)
Authors: Simon Liz , Cefalu William , Molina Patricia 
Published: June 2021

Muscle wasting adversely affects survival in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Studies using a non‐human primate model of SIV infection have demonstrated that chronic binge alcohol (CBA) consumption accentuates muscle wasting in AIDS. Alcohol‐accentuation of muscle wasting appears to be due to increased protein degradation and inability to rebuild muscle mass, which we predict is due to an inability of satellite cells (SCs), the precursors of skeletal muscle fibers, to form new myofibers. We have previously demonstrated that CBA impairs the ex vivo myogenic differentiation of SCs, the muscle progenitor cells. Moreover, there was a significant increase in Smad2 gene expression, the downstream intermediate of transforming growth factor‐ß1 (TGF‐B1) signaling, in CBA SCs suggesting a role of this pathway in inhibiting myogenesis. Based on our preliminary studies and the suggestion that TGF‐ß1 may negatively regulate SC activation, we hypothesized that the chronic inflammatory and oxidative skeletal muscle milieu leads to a profibrotic phenotype of SCs due to activation of TGF‐β1 inhibiting their myogenic differentiation. Using muscle tissue or SCs isolated from CBA or sucrose fed SIV‐infected rhesus macaques, we demonstrate that there is a significant increase in the expression of TGF‐β1 expression in the muscle and decreased myogenic differentiation of SCs of the CBA‐SIV animals. There was also increased expression of Smad2 in the CBA‐SIV SCs. The results provide evidence of dysregulation of the skeletal muscle milieu due to chronic alcohol in SIV infection that impairs SC myogenic differentiation.Grant Funding Source: NIH P60AA09803
Study of the effects of detoxification treatments on the surface of titanium dental implants (733.5)
Authors: Wheelis Sutton , Adapalli Arvind , Valderramma Pilar , Wilson Thomas , Rodrigues Danieli 
Published: June 2021

Aim: To understand the effects of implant chemical treatment on the surface of two grades of Titanium. The solutions in this study are typically used in the clinical setting for implant sterilization.Methodology: Prior to treatment, disks of pure Ti (cpTi) and alloy (Ti14Al6V) were cut and polished. The surfaces were imaged with 3D microscopy (Keyence VHX 2000) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM Workshop). Treatment was performed with a series of compounds including citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine‐gluconate, sodium fluoride, and several others. The treatments included both immersions in solution and rubbing with a cloth. pH was quantified before and after treatment with a pH meter (Metler Toledo).Results: Surface pitting was seen in both methods with solutions having pH蠄3 on both grades tested. Surface attack was more apparent with cpTi versus the same treatment preformed on the alloy. No significant change was seen with both methods in solutions with a pH>5. Oxidation was seen in both methods after treatment with cpTi in antibiotic treatments. AFM analysis further revealed pitting.Conclusion: Acidic environments coupled with rubbing were shown to cause oxidation of the surface of both Ti grades. These observations show that surface damage of dental alloys can be potentially induced prior to implantation. Additional studies will study particle dissociation due to treatments.
Phosphorylation of the Sae2 endonuclease promotes its solubility and activity in DNA repair (735.4)
Authors: Paull Tanya , Fu Qiong 
Published: June 2021

The Sae2 protein is an endonuclease that is important for DNA double‐strand break processing together with the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 (MRX) complex in budding yeast. Sae2 is phosphorylated by cyclin‐dependent kinase, and this modification was shown to be essential for the coordination of DNA end resection with the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. Here we map all of the modifications on Sae2 isolated from yeast, finding that there are constitutive as well as damage‐induced phosphorylation and acetylation events. Mutagenesis of these sites indicates that a C‐terminal cluster is most essential for the function of Sae2 in DNA damage survival, and reconstitution of Tel1 (ATM) activity on Sae2 with CDK and MRX in vitro shows that CDK phosphorylation primes these Tel1 modifications.From our experience with recombinant Sae2 expressed in E. coli, we knew that Sae2 forms a variety of oligomeric forms and that the smaller forms are more active than the larger forms in DNA binding and endonuclease activity. Here we find that Sae2 also forms oligomeric complexes in yeast, that these convert transiently into smaller units during DNA damage, and that mutation of the CDK and Tel1 phosphorylation sites alters this transition. Similarly we find that a large percentage of Sae2 appears to be insoluble in the absence of DNA damage, but a pool of Sae2 is transiently soluble. From these results we develop a working model of Sae2 regulation in which a potentially toxic, structure‐specific nuclease is held in an inactive state in normal cells but can be quickly released by post‐translational modifications to become active. Rapid degradation (through both the proteasome and through autophagy) then removes the active protein, returning the pool to an inactive state.