Micro-ribonucleic acid-155 is a direct target of Meis1, but not a driver in acute myeloid leukemia

Micro-ribonucleic acid-155 (miR-155) is one of the first described oncogenic miRNAs. Although multiple direct targets of miR-155 have been identified, it is not clear how it contributes to the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia. We found miR-155 to be a direct target of Meis1 in murine Hoxa9/Meis1 induced acute myeloid leukemia. The additional overexpression of miR-155 accelerated the formation of acute myeloid leukemia in Hoxa9 as well as in Hoxa9/Meis1 cells However, in the absence or following the removal of miR-155, leukemia onset and progression were unaffected. Although miR-155 accelerated growth and homing in addition to impairing differentiation, our data underscore the pathophysiological relevance of miR-155 as an accelerator rather than a driver of leukemogenesis. This further highlights the complexity of the oncogenic program of Meis1 to compensate for the loss of a potent oncogene such as miR-155. These findings are highly relevant to current and developing approaches for targeting miR-155 in acute myeloid leukemia

Using different taxonomies to formulate learning outcomes to innovate engineering curriculum towards pbl: Perspectives from engineering educators

Designing modern engineering curricula requires integrating the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and generic employability skills, focusing on student-centred learning, and explicitly including learning outcomes about knowledge, skills, and competences. There is the need thus for tools that help teachers and boards to address these demands and assure quality in educational processes and outcomes when revising and changing curricula. Higher education institutions have been developing different quality assurance strategies. However, from a teaching and learning practice perspective, there are concerns on whether such strategies guarantee curriculum coherence, especially in terms of ensuring progression and alignment between learning outcomes and more student-centred learning activities, such as problem-based learning (PBL). This paper discusses the above coherence issues by addressing the following question: What are strengths and weaknesses in using taxonomies to analyse learning outcomes as mean to promote curriculum innovation and PBL implementation? The paper takes the point of departure on formulation of learning outcomes using Bloom’s revised, SOLO, and Feisel-Schmitz Technical taxonomies and in which ways they support engineering educators in redesign their courses towards PBL. More specifically, the manuscript discusses: a) the similarities and differences between different taxonomies; b) strengths and weaknesses of taxonomies to analyse learning outcomes for engineering education and PBL, taking the point of departure four engineering courses as case examples. We categorise different courses' learning outcomes using the referred taxonomies, and reflect on their suitability for categorising and formulating the learning outcomes in engineering education. The results enable discussing the suitability of the taxonomies in more generic settings, their limitations in formulating learning outcomes relevant for engineering practice, namely non-cognitive learning outcomes and transversal skills, and making recommendations towards improved curriculum alignment in engineering education for PBL

Computer-aided curriculum analysis and design: Existing challenges and open research directions

This Research-to-Practice Full Paper investigates the emerging perspectives for the 21st engineering curriculum, and discusses the crucial role that digital technologies will have in facilitating the management, evaluation, and development of such a curriculum. First, a vision for future engineering curricula is distilled from modern curricular perspectives and trends of future engineering professions, where the integration of non-cognitive competences and the increased individualization of study paths are central. Core requirements for future curricula are outlined, which pose significant barriers to curricular changes. Then, the role of technology in mitigating these barriers is discussed, by outlining key aspects of a data-driven digital approach to the management of future curricula. To illustrate the proposed approach, the paper presents a case example of a digital tool that analyzes curriculum coherency at the content level. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions regarding the conceptualization and management of future engineering curricula through digital technologies

Expression of rat aldehyde reductase AKR7A1: influence of age and sex and tissue-specific inducibility

The regulation of the aldo-keto reductase AKR7A1 was examined in the livers of male and female rats during development by using Western blots, and its contribution to carbonyl metabolism was assessed by using enzyme assays. Hepatic levels of AKR7A1 are low in fetal rats and rise to a peak at around 6 weeks of age in animals of both sexes. Higher levels of the enzyme are found in adult male rat liver than in adult female rat liver. The reductase, therefore, appears to be subject to sex-specific regulation. The effect of growth hormone in mediating this difference in expression was examined by using hypophysectomized animals whose serum growth hormone levels had been feminized by continuous administration. Results demonstrate that such treatment leads to a reduction in AKR7A1 expression. AKR7A1 was found to be constitutively expressed in rat tissues such as liver, kidney, small intestine, and testis, but it was not detected in nasal mucosa, skeletal muscle, heart, adrenal gland, brain, or spleen. However, AKR7A1 was inducible by the synthetic antioxidant ethoxyquin in liver, kidney, and small intestine, but not in the other tissues examined. These results show that levels of this important detoxication enzyme vary considerably according to age and sex and that dietary antioxidants can also influence its level in several tissues