Analisis situasi semasa penggunaan buku audio kanak-kanak dan kepuasan ibu bapa di Zhengzhou, China

Sebagai wilayah pendidikan utama, Zhengzhou, Henan di China setiap tahun mempunyai hampir satu juta pelajar mengambil peperiksaan kemasukan kolej, maka ibu bapa memberi perhatian yang besar terhadap pendidikan anak-anak mereka dari prasekolah. Buku audio dipilih sebagai medium pembelajaran yang utama kepada kanak-kanak mereka. Tetapi, kepuasan penggunaan buku audio kurang dikaji di tempat ini. Prestasi kanak-kanak menggunakan buku audio mempengaruhi tahap kepuasan ibu bapa terhadap buku audio secara langsung dan seterusnya menguasai perkembangan pasaran dan jangkaan ekonomi buku audio. Justeru, tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mendapatkan pemahaman yang jelas tentang situasi penggunaan buku audio dan kepuasan ibu bapa terhadap penggunaan buku audio oleh kanak-kanak mereka serta mempertingkatkan perkembangan kanak-kanak prasekolah secara keseluruhannya dengan lebih baik. Kajian ini dijalankan dengan kaedah kuantitatif dan soal selidik telah diedarkan kepada seramai 414 orang responden dalam kalangan ibu bapa. Analisis Regresi Berganda telah dijalankan untuk menguji hubungan antara ciri-ciri buku audio dan kepuasan. Hasil kajian telah menunjukkan bahawa majoriti ibu bapa berpuas hati dan mempercayai buku audio dapat meningkatkan kognisi dan pengetahuan kanak-kanak

Characteristics of Lipo-Oligosaccharide Loci of Campylobacter jejuni Isolates Associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome from Hebei, China

Ganglioside mimicry by C.jejuni lipo-oligosaccharides (LOS) could induce the production of autoantibodies against gangliosides and the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The LOS biosynthesis region exhibits significant variation with different strains. Using PCR amplifications of genes from published LOS loci and sequencing the LOS biosynthesis loci, the eight GBS-associated C. jejuni strains from HeBei could be classified into four classes. The expression of sialylated LOS structures (class A) or non-sialylated LOS structures(class F, H and P) in the C. jejuni LOS is considered to be two different factors for the induction of GBS

The effects of rho-associated kinase inhibitor Y-27632 on primary human corneal endothelial cells propagated using a dual media approach

10.1038/srep09167Scientific Reports

Novel Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Five Chinese Families with Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

CONTEXT: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease manifests as a variety of benign and malignant neoplasms. Previous studies of VHL disease have documented several genotype-phenotype correlations; however, many such correlations are still unknown. Increased identification of new mutations and patients with previously described mutations will allow us to better understand how VHL mutations influence disease phenotypes. PATIENTS AND DESIGN: A total of 45 individuals from five unrelated families were evaluated, of which 21 patients were either diagnosed with VHL disease or showed strong evidence related to this disease. We compared the patients\u27 gene sequencing results with their medical records including computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans, eye examinations, and laboratory/pathological examinations. Patients were also interviewed to obtain information regarding their family history. RESULTS: We identified four missense mutations: c. 239G\u3eT (p.Ser80Ile), linked with VHL Type 2B, was associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), pheochromocytoma (Pheo), and hemangioma (HB) in the cerebellum; c. 232A\u3eT (p.Asn78Tyr) manifested as RCC alone and likely caused VHL Type 1; c.500G\u3eA (p.Arg167Gln) mutation was more likely to cause VHL Type 2 than Type 1 as it preferentially induced Pheo and HB in the retina, cerebellum, and spinal cord; c.293A\u3eG (p.Try98Cys) was associated with Pheo and thus likely induced VHL Type 2. CONCLUSIONS: Characterizing VHL disease genotype-phenotype correlations can enhance the ability to predict the risk of individual patients developing different VHL-related phenotypes. Ultimately, such insight will improve the diagnostics, surveillance, and treatment of VHL patients

Challenges and experiences faced by Malaysian undergraduates in coping with low academic motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic has impacted educational institutions worldwide due to a sudden transition of the learning system, which has affected students' academic performances in several aspects. This qualitative study examines Malaysian undergraduates' challenges and experiences in coping with low academic motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic with this qualitative study. One to one semi-structured interviews were conducted among a total of 24 undergraduates in Malaysia between the age of 19 to 24 through online platforms. The data collected was analysed by interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Four analytic themes are presented: (1) intrinsic challenges; (2) extrinsic challenges; (3) intrinsic motivation, and (4) extrinsic motivation. Future research is suggested to take cultural differences, quality of mental health and student’s perception of stress into consideration

Assessing causality between obstructive sleep apnea with the dyslipidemia and osteoporosis: a Mendelian randomization study

PurposeThis study aims to assess the causal relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis using Mendelian Randomization (MR) techniques.MethodsUtilizing a two-sample MR approach, the study examines the causal relationship between dyslipidemia and osteoporosis. Multivariable MR analyses were used to test the independence of the causal association of dyslipidemia with OSA. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected as instrumental variables based on genome-wide significance, independence, and linkage disequilibrium criteria. The data were sourced from publicly available Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) of OSA (n = 375,657) from the FinnGen Consortium, the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium of dyslipidemia (n = 188,577) and the UK Biobank for osteoporosis (n = 456,348).ResultsThe MR analysis identified a significant positive association between genetically predicted OSA and triglyceride levels (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04–1.26, p = 0.006) and a negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77–0.93, p = 0.0003). Conversely, no causal relationship was found between dyslipidemia (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and OSA or the relationship between OSA and osteoporosis.ConclusionThe study provides evidence of a causal relationship between OSA and dyslipidemia, highlighting the need for targeted prevention and management strategies for OSA to address lipid abnormalities. The absence of a causal link with osteoporosis and in the reverse direction emphasizes the need for further research in this area

Novel genotype–phenotype correlations in five Chinese families with Von Hippel–Lindau disease

Context: Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease manifests as a variety of benign and malignant neoplasms. Previous studies of VHL disease have documented several genotype–phenotype correlations; however, many such correlations are still unknown. Increased identification of new mutations and patients with previously described mutations will allow us to better understand how VHL mutations influence disease phenotypes. Patients and design: A total of 45 individuals from five unrelated families were evaluated, of which 21 patients were either diagnosed with VHL disease or showed strong evidence related to this disease. We compared the patients’ gene sequencing results with their medical records including CT or MRI scans, eye examinations and laboratory/pathological examinations. Patients were also interviewed to obtain information regarding their family history. Results: We identified four missense mutations: c.239G>T (p.Ser80Ile), linked with VHL Type 2B, was associated with renal cell carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and hemangioma in the cerebellum; c.232A>T (p.Asn78Tyr) manifested as RCC alone and likely caused VHL Type 1; c.500G>A (p.Arg167Gln) mutation was more likely to cause VHL Type 2 than Type 1 as it preferentially induced Pheo and HB in the retina, cerebellum and spinal cord; c.293A>G (p.Try98Cys) was associated with Pheo and thus likely induced VHL Type 2. Conclusions: Characterizing VHL disease genotype–phenotype correlations can enhance the ability to predict the risk of individual patients developing different VHL-related phenotypes. Ultimately, such insight will improve the diagnostics, surveillance and treatment of VHL patients. Precis: Four missense mutations in VHL have been identified in 21 individuals when five unrelated Chinese families with VHL disease were analyzed; VHL mutations are highly associated with unique disease phenotypes

Recent advances in optical aptasensors for biomarkers in early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all primary liver cancers and is one of the main malignant tumor types globally. It is essential to develop rapid, ultrasensitive, and accurate strategies for the diagnosis and surveillance of HCC. In recent years, aptasensors have attracted particular attention owing to their high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and low production costs. Optical analysis, as a potential analytical tool, offers the advantages of a wide range of targets, rapid response, and simple instrumentation. In this review, recent progress in several types of optical aptasensors for biomarkers in early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring of HCC is summarized. Furthermore, we evaluate the strengths and limitations of these sensors and discuss the challenges and future perspectives for their use in HCC diagnosis and surveillance

Ailanthone targets p23 to overcome MDV3100 resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Androgen receptor (AR) antagonist MDV3100 is the first therapeutic approach in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), but tumours frequently become drug resistant via multiple mechanisms including AR amplification and mutation. Here we identify the small molecule Ailanthone (AIL) as a potent inhibitor of both full-length AR (AR-FL) and constitutively active truncated AR splice variants (AR-Vs). AIL binds to the co-chaperone protein p23 and prevents AR's interaction with HSP90, thus resulting in the disruption of the AR-chaperone complex followed by ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated degradation of AR as well as other p23 clients including AKT and Cdk4, and downregulates AR and its target genes in PCa cell lines and orthotopic animal tumours. In addition, AIL blocks tumour growth and metastasis of CRPC. Finally, AIL possesses favourable drug-like properties such as good bioavailability, high solubility, lack of CYP inhibition and low hepatotoxicity. In general, AIL is a potential candidate for the treatment of CRPC