bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oxytocin is required for remote learning. Students need a bonding-hormone to improve their learning.
Authors: Fazal Nadeem , Howley Jamie , Brehm Danielle 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Humans being a social animal need physical presence of their own kind to learn and educate themselves. COVID-19 has increased the need and desire for oxytocin more than any time in history of education. The purpose of this research project was to look at how pandemic-induced remote learning has reduced students’ social interaction, and impacted their education. With the ability to turn off audio and camera, struck in unproductive environments, students feel not only disengaged, isolated but overly anti-social. For our research, we recruited 25 undergraduate biomedical students at the University of Plymouth, England to survey their experiences with online learning, engagement with the technology and how it has affected their ability to learn in the void of physical presence. Our preliminary data suggests that (84%) of these students agreed that online/remote learning has impacted learning and made them crave for bonding to their classmates. However, for a small percentage (16%) said it did not make any difference. This initially highlights the issue that online learning is of the students seem to have no effect. These cohort of the students also seem to identify themselves as “introverts” and they also seem to have enjoyed being less sociable. We conclude that a statistically significant number of students proved to need a social environment conducive to learning and current pandemic limited that aspect. A social and a societal element of a happy civil environment is needed for not only healthy mind and body but also for a healthy and fruitful education world. A well-known bonding hormone “Oxytocin” is a prerequisite for human learning environment, and we don’t see the virtual world to take that over in any time soon.
CARTOONING AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR TEACHING EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Authors: Bernard Aimee Pugh , Thompson Scott B 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Medical education and scientific thinking often involve understanding complex experimental methods. We utilized cartooning as an active learning method for understanding complex experimental methods from a diverse array of scientific articles in an undergraduate scientific thinking course. Here we describe our implementation of cartooning and how it can be used as tool to enhance clarity, instruction, and analysis.
A cartoon is a drawing or series of drawings used to illustrate an action or subject. In our implementation as a teaching tool, students created cartoons of experimental methods from a variety of assigned readings using a digital platform to visualize their understanding of the experimental procedures. Cartoons created on the same experimental method by different individuals are rarely identical, thus exposing the entire class to a diversity of understanding. When students produce cartoons demonstrating differences in experimental methods, the flexible nature of cartooning enables editing or the addition of details to improve the accuracy of the illustrated procedure. Additionally, over the course of the semester the level of detail and clarity of the cartoons evolves thus serving as qualitative assessment of student understanding of experimental procedures throughout the course.
Cartooning enables students to visualize their understanding of complex scientific methods and to think critically about the experimental design process. Visualization of how students represent experimental methods reinforces the deeply thoughtful and creative nature of experimental design as well as facilitates the assessment of student growth and evolving comprehension of the scientific method.
AAI Curriculum Ad Hoc Committee Presentation: The Development of AAI Recommendations for an Undergraduate Course in Immunology
Authors: Amiel Eyal , Swanson-Mungerson Michelle Anne , Bottaro Andrea , Carr William H , Varga Steven M , Bose Nandita , Jameson Julie M , Porter Edith 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The subject of immunology is a conceptually intricate and rapidly expanding field of study that is vitally important to biomedical science undergraduate education. Identifying the “essential” components of an undergraduate immunology (UGI) course can be daunting due to the varying post-graduate pathways students take. To address the need for a guiding framework for teaching UGI, the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Education Committee commissioned the AAI Curriculum Ad Hoc Committee to develop a cohesive document identifying the core curricular components deemed essential for UGI courses, and opportunities to meet the needs of diverse student populations. In this presentation, we will share the process by which this effort was accomplished, with the hope of illuminating both the successes and challenges of our work to the education community, and inspiring similar efforts in other areas. We will cover the essential and reiterative steps of this undertaking by detailing: the collaboration with various stakeholders, including undergraduate, medical school, and industry partners; the evaluation of potential curricular components, including outreach surveys and small working groups from the AAI community; the refinement of the recommendations, including an organized virtual workshop with open participation from stakeholders; the development of a statement on inclusive and antiracist teaching; the determination of a dissemination plan; and the identification of future needs and goals for the process. We believe that sharing this process will be insightful for educators in the field of immunology, and more broadly to any educator with an interest in the process of inclusive and comprehensive curriculum development.
The decision to pursue a degree in immunology may be influenced by the timing at which students are introduced to the field
Authors: Anderson Ashlyn E , Redden David , Buzzelli Nicholas , Giordano-Mooga Samantha , Loyd Christine , Justement Louis B , Bruns Heather A. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The decision to pursue an academic plan of study is influenced by several factors. Educational and personal experiences through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood can have a powerful impact on the academic preferences of students. Immunology, a popular field of study at the graduate level, is largely ignored at the undergraduate level. Identifying the type and timing of experiences that influence the choice of current undergraduate and graduate students to pursue immunology is critical for developing and refining immunology curricula. To identify potential influencing factors, students were surveyed about their exposure to the immune system or immunology-related topics. There were 283 total respondents (45% immunology majors, 55% other science majors) of which 39% were graduate students and 61% were undergraduate students. There were no significant differences in the demographics of immunology majors compared to non-majors. Although there is no difference between immunology majors and non-majors in the number of respondents having an educational or personal experience involving immunology, an educational experience was more influential than a personal experience for both graduate (85%) and undergraduate (66%) immunology majors. However, more undergraduates (33.7%) pursue immunology based upon a personal experience compared to graduate students (14.6%). Importantly, students who chose to pursue an immunology degree were introduced to immunology at a later academic stage compared to students who are not pursuing an immunology degree. These data suggest that timing may be more influential than the type of exposure in influencing the choice to pursue immunology.
Using practice tests as a vaccine to desensitize test anxiety in vulnerable students during pandemic induced lock-down.
Authors: Burtley Aundriana , Emeakoroha Uzoma , Nguyen Minh-Thu , Simmons Jazmyne Durrah , Jhatu Prabjyot , Salamanca Sonia , Fazal Nadeem 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Field of education psychology seeks bridging gap between research and theory on teaching and classroom practice. Students’ struggle when content matter gets increasingly intense especially when subjects need plenty of rote memory. Covid-19 took a heavy toll on students who were already prone to test anxiety. The current research hypothesized that utilization of practice tests for first-year pharmacy microbiology and immunology course will enhance students learning, understanding and comprehension of complicated material. Since pandemic anxiety added to pre-existing anxiety among pharamacy students we used this measure to mitigate. A cohort of sixty students taking a 4-credit course of Microbiology/Immunology were recruited in this study. Students’ voluntarily declared their fears of superadded anxiety levels because of pandemic. A pool of exam ‘questions collected over the last five years were accurately screened and 300 questions were selected based on the criteria of lectures topics, difficulty level and meeting the specific objectives for every lecture that was presented to students and covered in the exams. Two groups were analyzed based upon their use of practice exams offered and their willingness to utilize them. The data based upon their performance was collected at the end of final examination to assess the benefit of study guide to students. Likert-type Ordinary Scale data analysis was used to determine if hypothesis was supported. The analysis of primary endpoint indicated that majority of students (69.87%) who used the practice exams performed better. In the feedback they reportedly strongly agreed that it helped them to make their study more focused and improved their pre-existing anxiety levels during pandemic.
The global digital divide: Younger and older teachers at odds in this COVID19-induced remote teaching experiment.
Authors: Fazal Nadeem , Brehm Danielle , Alakbarova Gulgaz , Childs Porscha J , Finn Emily , Delt Eva , Beamon Jessica , Howley Jamie 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
COVID-19 was anticipated to target aging population and surely it did in world of health, but did collateral damage in education. Lack of preparedness and digital divide became more obvious among old-aged teachers as compared to younger faculty. The later found themselves more equipped with skill sets and more motivated to embrace the realities of the virtual world. We studied a cohort of teachers across the spectrum of age or years of service compared to younger or newly hired faculty. We solicited teachers in both cohorts from Asia, Europe and Americas and surveyed their responses to a given set of questions. We also recruited a group of students to independently and anonymously verify if they noticed any major effect in their learning process. Our global data showed a clear digital divide among the aged and younger faculty. Both groups found themselves unprepared and lacking necessary skill set to deal with this unprecedented, sudden and mandatory online education being forced upon them. However, younger faculty reported to have adapted to the onslaught of technology in an abrupt and timely manner as compared to their senior colleagues. Mostly, both group of teachers considered the learning experience at best as “on job training module”. High anxiety levels with fear of lack of performance, proper delivery methods also played a role in this panic-stricken educational world. Both group of teachers also reported lack of historical perspective and pilot studies for the use of technological gadgets as one of the artifacts in this experiment. The students being at the recipient end also reported in their surveys that the haste and rush of delivery and assessment methods negatively influenced the teaching methods and reciprocally their learning process.
Using an Indigenous framework to contextualise Immunology education within the Health Sciences setting
Authors: Sika-Paotonu Dianne 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Indigenous Māori and Pacific children and young people remain disproportionately affected by Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), with rates in Aotearoa/New Zealand and the Pacific Region of significant concern. ARF is the body’s autoimmune response to an untreated Group A Streptococcal (GAS) throat or skin infection. If multiple or severe episodes of ARF occur and are left untreated, this can lead to permanent cardiac damage known as RHD. RHD remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. In the absence of a GAS vaccine, the best recommended treatment and management approach consists of painful monthly intramuscular injections of Benzathine Penicillin G (BPG) administered to the upper thigh area, and given for at least 10 years or more. A new Penicillin for ARF/RHD prevention is urgently needed. The purpose of this work was to employ the use of an Indigenous Pacific framework within the undergraduate Health Sciences education setting to support learning and teaching efforts appropriate to vulnerable communities affected by ARF and RHD. The Talanoa approach was utilised within the classroom setting to support discussions relating to ARF and RHD and vulnerable communities that was appropriate and respectful to the Indigenous cultural setting. Well-received by students, this approach was not only applicable to the cultural setting for those communities affected by ARF/RHD in Aotearoa/New Zealand, but also helped with contextualisation, supporting courteous class discussions with relevant in-class learning opportunities and experiences. This work highlighted the importance of Indigenous frameworks for supporting Immunology education within the Health Sciences education setting.
Human skin mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells show increased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression following burn trauma
Authors: Labuz Daniel , Fleming Irma D. , Lewis Giavonni , Thompson Callie M. , Leung Daniel T 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The role of T cells in burn trauma is an understudied research area explored primarily in mice, with sparse data in humans. Patients surviving an initial burn injury are at a high risk of infection, sepsis, and death. Unconventional T-cells such as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that respond rapidly to pathogens. Circulating MAIT cells are primarily interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) producing when presented with a microbial-derived ligand on MHC class-1 related protein (MR1) or activated by cytokines interleukin (IL)-12 & IL-18. In this study, we obtained discarded burn (n=6) and normal (from discarded autograft, n=4) skin tissue from burn patients and compared unconventional T cell functionality by flow cytometry and single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). We did not find any significant differences between the frequency of total MAIT cells between burn injury or normal skin, 1.51 ± 1.42 and 2.98 ± 4.40, respectively. There is a significant higher level of CD38 expression in MAIT cells from burn injury tissue and a significant higher level of CD69 expression in MAIT cells from normal skin tissue. Skin MAIT cells in a burn injury show significantly higher levels of IFN-g and TNF before and after PMA-ionomycin stimulation compared to normal skin MAIT cells, which mainly produce IL-6 & IL-17A, suggesting that skin MAIT cells of burn patients show a MAIT cell phenotype that is more responsive to infection. We are characterizing these MAIT cell subtypes in further detail with scRNA-seq and anticipate presentation of that data at time of the conference. Our findings provide the means towards an understanding of the role that skin MAIT cells play in skin of patients with burn trauma.
Mouse lung tissue resident memory CD8 T cells exhibit unique metabolic profiles
Authors: Sportiello Michael John 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) confer protection against a variety of illnesses ranging from infections to cancers. As demonstrated in the skin, transfer of TRM from immune to naïve hosts is sufficient to prevent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV) associated pathology. Comparably, the presence of antigen-specific TRM in a mouse model of melanoma can limit tumor growth. In the lungs, TRM offer critical for protection against influenza, even in the absence of specific antibodies. In the skin, the functions of different CD8 T cell subsets have been linked with distinct metabolic pathways. Skin TRM display a unique metabolic profile to other CD8 memory cells subsets. They undergo enhanced fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation as compared with circulating memory cells and naïve cells. However, it is unclear if this programming is universal between all TRM subsets and holds true in the lung. We hypothesize that lung TRM with different integrin profiles will utilize unique metabolic programs. Metabolic profiles of lung CD8 T cells were assessed using a variety of functional metabolic assays including glucose analogue uptake, fatty acid uptake, and oxidative phosphorylation as assessed by fluorescent dyes measured by flow cytometry. Nonfunctional assays including neutral lipid storage, mitochondrial mass, and mRNA transcript levels of key metabolic genes were also assessed via flow cytometry using fluorescent dyes, while transcripts were quantified via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Our findings indicate that lung TRM show enhanced fatty acid oxidation, more neutral lipid storage, and less glucose uptake than their non-TRM T cells in our influenza mouse model.
Tumour immune evasion mechanism in non-small cell lung cancer by inducing Blimp-1 in CD4+CD25+Foxp-3+ T regulatory cells
Authors: Finotto Susetta , Tausche Patrick , Hohenberger Katja , Neurath Laura , Trufa Denis I , Geppert Carol I , Rieker Ralf J. , Sirbu Horia , Finotto Susetta 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Immunotherapy improves the life expectancy of patients with lung cancer by targeting the immune inhibitory T cell surface markers resulting in the activation of anti-tumor T cell survival and suppression of tumor cell growth.
The transcription factor repressor Positive Regulatory Domain Containing Protein 1 (encoded in humans by the Prdm1 gene) also known as B lymphocytes-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1) affects the homeostasis and function of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as T regulatory cells (T regs).
We recently reported that Blimp-1 is induced in the lung tumoral region of patients with lung ADC. To further investigate whether Blimp-1 could be a candidate gene involved in the regulation of the anti-tumor immune-response in lung cancer, we started to investigate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy control subjects and NSCLC patients for Blimp-1 expression in immunosuppressive CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regs. The PBMCs were cultured with and without antiCD3/CD28 antibodies, without and with TGF-beta, to mimic the tumor microenvironment, for 4 days and subsequently analyzed by flow cytometry using antibodies against Blimp-1, Foxp3, CD4 and CD25(IL-2R alpha chain).
Here we found, by trend, induced CD4+Blimp1+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in unstimulated PBMCs from patients with lung cancer. Moreover, TGF-beta further induced these Blimp1+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in PBMCs obtained both from healthy controls and from NSCLC patients.
Taken together these data indicate that the tumor microenvironment induces Blimp-1 in immunosuppressive CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs via TGF-beta.
Thus, current immunotherapy should be combined to TGF-beta inhibitors to target CD4+CD25+Blimp1+Foxp-3+ T regulatory cells.
The Role of Truncated SOS1 in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Harris Lynn M Heltemes , Hubbard Grey , LaRue Rebecca , Miller Jeffrey , Knutson Todd , Farrar Michael A. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Progenitor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) remains the most common form of childhood cancer and has a poor survival in adult patients. Therefore, efforts to identify further driver mutations in B-ALL are critical. Previously, we identified a truncated form of SOS1 that cooperated with constitutively active STAT5b to induce leukemia. Expression of truncated Sos1 transcript correlated inversely with overall survival. Using a new model of B-ALL characterized by heterozygous expression of Pax5 and Ebf1, we identified increased expression of a truncated form of Sos1 transcript in RNA-Seq analyses. Using western blot analyses, we confirmed the over-expression of smaller SOS1 protein. To identify the truncated Sos1 starting site, we performed 5′ RACE and found a small region of a Riken gene fused to Sos1 at the junction of exon 8 and 9. Further, there is an almost 3 kb truncation of the 3′ untranslated region of Sos1. Next, we used a 10X Genomics approach to identify gene arrangements that showed clear evidence of a linkage between exon 9 of Sos1 and 3′ region of Map4k3. WGS on three independent leukemia samples identified an inversion event between Sos1 and a region downstream of Cdkl4, the location of the RIKEN we identified earlier. These results provide evidence that the truncated Sos1 arises from a micro-inversion event. SOS1 is known to play a critical role in the RAS-ERK signaling pathway and is important in PreBCR signaling. We examined both pERK and pp38. Surprisingly, we found reduced levels of pERK correlated with increased pSTAT5b. Thus, novel chromosomal rearrangements generate a truncated form of SOS1 that plays an important role in transformation of progenitor B cells in B-ALL.
LPS Induces GM-CSF Production by Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells via Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Synthetase 1
Authors: Alrashed Fatema , Thomas Reeby , Al-Roub Areej , AL-Mulla Fahd , Ahmad Rasheed 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a monomeric glycoprotein that has been implicated in the tumor growth and progression of different types of cancer. GM-CSF is produced by various non-immune cells including MDA-MB-231 in response to various stimuli. However, the role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the regulation of GM-CSF in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells so far remains unclear. Herein, we asked whether LPS could induce GM-CSF production in MDA-MB-231 cells, and if so, which signaling pathway was involved. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with LPS or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α; positive control), and GM-CSF expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR, ELISA, and confocal microscopy. Phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-kB) signaling proteins were evaluated by flow cytometry. Our results show that LPS induces GM-CSF expression at both mRNA and protein levels in MDA-MBA-231 cells. Inhibition of acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) activity in the cells with triacsin C significantly reduces the secretion of GM-CSF. Furthermore, the inhibition of ACSL1 activity significantly blocks the LPS-mediated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, MEK1/2, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-kB) in the cells. These findings provide the first evidence that LPS induces ACSL1-dependent GM-CSF gene expression in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, which requires the activation of p38 MAPK, MEK1/2, ERK1/2, JNK, and NF-kB.