The adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning

Mobile technologies such as mobile device applications play a significant role within formal education and the use of social networking site such as Facebook through mobile devices has influence students’ management of learning in higher education. Researchers have identified a range of uses of Facebook mobile application in higher education. Despite the increasing use of Facebook mobile application by students and lecturers in higher education for educational purposes, very little empirical studies that concern the adoption of Facebook mobile application by university students in managing learning in the Malaysian higher education context. In this paper, we describe the likelihood of adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning by students of a private university in Malaysia, as well as how the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and motivations of usage affect the behavioural intention of the students in adopting Facebook mobile application for managing learning. Through an online questionnaire survey, data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlations and regressions. Results from the survey questionnaires (N=101) indicated a significant positive association between motivations of usage towards adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning as well as between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness towards students’ adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning. In conclusion, students’ perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, education purposes, information-seeking motive and interactivity were significant predictors of behavioural intention in adopting Facebook mobile application for managing learning

Rhodotorula mucilaginosa lymphadenitis in an HIV-infected patient

SummaryWe report a case of lymphadenitis due to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in a man with well-controlled HIV infection. The diagnosis was established microbiologically by positive lymph tissue cultures, and clinically by responses of lymphadenitis to antifungal therapy. The patient was asymptomatic and was treated with itraconazole 200mg orally once daily as an outpatient. Clinical response was evident within three weeks with improvement of lymphadenopathy on serial computed tomography scans. Lymphadenopathy resolved completely after 8 months of itraconazole therapy and had not recurred 9 months after treatment was stopped

Marginalised or enabled voices? 'User participation' in policy and practice

The idea of participation has been central to many policy developments in recent years. Both Conservative and Labour governments have used notions of participation and involvement in attempts to justify and implement their social policies. Yet, despite a plethora of initiatives and guidance around ‘participation’ emerging from all levels of government, and a substantial academic literature, there remains a major, and potentially damaging, lack of clarity over many aspects of participation, while the secret of achieving ‘real’ participation appears to continue to remain elusive

Evaluation of deformed image-based dose calculations for adaptive radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The ultimate goal of adaptive radiotherapy (ART) is to deliver truly customized radiation treatments. Currently, the quality of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images is still inferior to that of conventional CT images in contour delineations and dose calculations for replanning purposes. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the dosimetric accuracy of using deformed conventional CT images for dose calculations, in the hope of inferring the feasibility of ART using planning CT (PCT) images that deformed to up-to-date CBCT images for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Thirty consecutive patients with NPC who had undergone 1 replan in their radiotherapy treatments were selected. The pretreatment PCT images were deformed to match the mid-treatment PCT images by deformable image registration. The same volumetric modulated arc therapy plan was then calculated on the deformed PCT images. The resulting dose distributions and dose volume histograms of the tumors and organs at risk (OARs) were compared with the original plan. Five dose levels, D98%, D95%, D50%, D5%, and D2%, were recorded for 9 NPC targets. Four dose levels, Dmax, D10%, D50%, and Dmean, were recorded for 15 OARs. The greatest percentage difference in observed dose for D98%, D95%, D50%, D5%, and D2% of the targets were 1.71%, 1.55%, 0.64%, 0.97%, and 1.13%, respectively. The greatest percentage difference in observed dose for Dmax, D10%, D50%, and Dmean of the OARs were -26.51% (left optic nerve), -17.06% (left optic nerve), 56.70% (spinal cord), and 18.97% (spinal cord), respectively. In addition, 29 of 45 (64%) dosimetric end points of the targets showed statistically significant dose differences (p < 0.05) between the original plan and the plan calculated on deformed images. Forty-nine of 60 (82%) dosimetric end points of the OARs also showed statistically significant dose differences (p < 0.05). Dose calculations using deformed PCT images could result in significant dose uncertainties in target volumes and OARs. Larger dose deviations were found in OARs in comparison with target volumes. The spinal cord and optic nerve showed the greatest percentage dose differences and the clinical significance has yet to be determined. Deformable registration error was believed to be the problem causing the dose deviations. Owing to unknown clinical significanceof dose deviation results obtained from this study, a conventional CT scan is still required for replanning in patients with NPC who are experiencing significant anatomical changes during the course of radiation treatment. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2017 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OMMA enables population-scale analysis of complex genomic features and phylogenomic relationships from nanochannel-based optical maps.

BackgroundOptical mapping is an emerging technology that complements sequencing-based methods in genome analysis. It is widely used in improving genome assemblies and detecting structural variations by providing information over much longer (up to 1 Mb) reads. Current standards in optical mapping analysis involve assembling optical maps into contigs and aligning them to a reference, which is limited to pairwise comparison and becomes bias-prone when analyzing multiple samples.FindingsWe present a new method, OMMA, that extends optical mapping to the study of complex genomic features by simultaneously interrogating optical maps across many samples in a reference-independent manner. OMMA captures and characterizes complex genomic features, e.g., multiple haplotypes, copy number variations, and subtelomeric structures when applied to 154 human samples across the 26 populations sequenced in the 1000 Genomes Project. For small genomes such as pathogenic bacteria, OMMA accurately reconstructs the phylogenomic relationships and identifies functional elements across 21 Acinetobacter baumannii strains.ConclusionsWith the increasing data throughput of optical mapping system, the use of this technology in comparative genome analysis across many samples will become feasible. OMMA is a timely solution that can address such computational need. The OMMA software is available at https://github.com/TF-Chan-Lab/OMTools

Selective targeting of non-centrosomal AURKA functions through use of a targeted protein degradation tool.

Targeted protein degradation tools are becoming a new therapeutic modality, allowing small molecule ligands to be reformulated as heterobifunctional molecules (PROteolysis Targeting Chimeras, PROTACs) that recruit ubiquitin ligases to targets of interest, leading to ubiquitination and destruction of the targets. Several PROTACs against targets of clinical interest have been described, but detailed descriptions of the cell biology modulated by PROTACs are missing from the literature. Here we describe the functional characterization of a PROTAC derived from AURKA inhibitor MLN8237 (alisertib). We demonstrate efficient and specific destruction of both endogenous and overexpressed AURKA by Cereblon-directed PROTACs. At the subcellular level, we find differential targeting of AURKA on the mitotic spindle compared to centrosomes. The phenotypic consequences of PROTAC treatment are therefore distinct from those mediated by alisertib, and in mitotic cells differentially regulate centrosome- and chromatin- based microtubule spindle assembly pathways. In interphase cells PROTAC-mediated clearance of non-centrosomal AURKA modulates the cytoplasmic role played by AURKA in mitochondrial dynamics, whilst the centrosomal pool is refractory to PROTAC-mediated clearance. Our results point to differential sensitivity of subcellular pools of substrate, governed by substrate conformation or localization-dependent accessibility to PROTAC action, a phenomenon not previously described for this new class of degrader compounds

Selective targeting of non-centrosomal AURKA functions through use of a targeted protein degradation tool.

Targeted protein degradation tools are becoming a new therapeutic modality, allowing small molecule ligands to be reformulated as heterobifunctional molecules (PROteolysis Targeting Chimeras, PROTACs) that recruit ubiquitin ligases to targets of interest, leading to ubiquitination and destruction of the targets. Several PROTACs against targets of clinical interest have been described, but detailed descriptions of the cell biology modulated by PROTACs are missing from the literature. Here we describe the functional characterization of a PROTAC derived from AURKA inhibitor MLN8237 (alisertib). We demonstrate efficient and specific destruction of both endogenous and overexpressed AURKA by Cereblon-directed PROTACs. At the subcellular level, we find differential targeting of AURKA on the mitotic spindle compared to centrosomes. The phenotypic consequences of PROTAC treatment are therefore distinct from those mediated by alisertib, and in mitotic cells differentially regulate centrosome- and chromatin- based microtubule spindle assembly pathways. In interphase cells PROTAC-mediated clearance of non-centrosomal AURKA modulates the cytoplasmic role played by AURKA in mitochondrial dynamics, whilst the centrosomal pool is refractory to PROTAC-mediated clearance. Our results point to differential sensitivity of subcellular pools of substrate, governed by substrate conformation or localization-dependent accessibility to PROTAC action, a phenomenon not previously described for this new class of degrader compounds

Impact of COVID-19 on Patients’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Dental Health Services: A Questionnaire Based Study in an Australian University Dental Clinic

COVID-19, the global pandemic, has significantly interrupted the provision of oral health care to many individuals. This study aims to evaluate patients’ attitudes to and perceptions of dental visits in the COVID-19 pandemic and assess if socio-economic status influences their perception of risk associated with dental visits. Patients attending the dental clinic were invited to participate in this study by completing a questionnaire administered in August 2021. Composite indicators for access, attitude, perception and socio-economic status were created based on subsets of questions. A total of 247 completed questionnaires were obtained. Analysis was performed with the perception, attitude and access indicators against the socio-economic status indicator. This study found that there is a statistically significant difference between socio-economic groups and their attitudes and perceptions around dental health care services in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals from lower socio-economic status groups were less influenced by the pandemic. Participants from higher socio-economic status groups were found to be more cautious around COVID-19 and its risks

Human Pleural Fluid Elicits Pyruvate and Phenylalanine Metabolism in Acinetobacter baumannii to Enhance Cytotoxicity and Immune Evasion

The CCAAT box-harboring proteins represent a family of heterotrimeric transcription factors which is highly conserved in eukaryotes. In fungi, one of the particularly important homologs of this family is the Hap complex that separates the DNA-binding domain from the activation domain and imposes essential impacts on regulation of a wide range of cellular functions. So far, a comprehensive summary of this complex has been described in filamentous fungi but not in the yeast. In this review, we summarize a number of studies related to the structure and assembly mode of the Hap complex in a list of representative yeasts. Furthermore, we emphasize recent advances in understanding the regulatory functions of this complex, with a special focus on its role in regulating respiration, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron homeostasis.Fil: Nyah, Rodman. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Martinez, Jasmine. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Fung, Sammie. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Nakanouchi, Jun. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Myers, Amber L.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Harris, Caitlin M.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Dang, Emily. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Fernandez, Jennifer. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Liu, Christine. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Mendoza, Anthony M.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Jimenez, Verónica. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Nikolaidis, Nikolas. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Brennan, Catherine A.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Bonomo, Robert A.. Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Cente; Estados Unidos. Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology; Estados Unidos. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Sieira, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ramirez, Maria Soledad. California State University; Estados Unido

Use of a Human Skin-Grafted Nude Mouse Model for the Evaluation of Topical Retinoic Acid Treatment

Cultured human keratinocytes and artificial dermal equivalents maintained in vitro do not perfectly mimic the terminal differentiation patterns and response to drugs observed in intact human skin. We have made use of human skin grafted onto nude mice to demonstrate that such grafts maintain the pattern of pharmacologic responsiveness to all-trans retinoic acid previously reported in human subjects. The use of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction method to measure induction of a retinoic acid responsive gene, cytoplasmic retinoic acid binding protein II, has made it possible to generate objective data suitable for investigations of drug efficacy. This method of using grafted human skin has potential broad applicability for investigation of topical drugs in a number of therapeutic fields