Donor-derived cell-free DNA as a diagnostic marker for kidney-allograft rejection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for detecting graft rejection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical value of applying it to kidney transplant rejection. Relevant literature on dd-cfDNA diagnostics in kidney transplant rejection was reviewed from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to 2023. Data and study characteristics were extracted independently by two researchers, and disagreements were resolved through discussion. Diagnostic accuracy data for any rejection (AR) and antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) were analyzed separately. Potential heterogeneity was analyzed by subgroup analysis or meta-regression. Funnel plots were used to clarify the presence or absence of publication bias. Nine publications provided data on dd-cfDNA accuracy in diagnosing patients with AR. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.59 (95% CI, 0.48-0.69), 0.83 (95% CI, 0.76-0.88), and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76-0.83), respectively. Additionally, 12 studies focused on the diagnostic accuracy of dd-cfDNA for ABMR, showing pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the AUROC curve with 95% CI of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.72–0.88), 0.80 (95% CI, 0.73–0.86), and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90), respectively. Study type, age group, and sample size contributed to heterogeneity. In summary, our findings indicate that while plasma dd-cfDNA accuracy in diagnosing patients with AR is limited by significant heterogeneity, it is a valuable biomarker for diagnosing ABMR

Gene therapy: an emerging therapy for hair cells regeneration in the cochlea

Sensorineural hearing loss is typically caused by damage to the cochlear hair cells (HCs) due to external stimuli or because of one’s genetic factors and the inability to convert sound mechanical energy into nerve impulses. Adult mammalian cochlear HCs cannot regenerate spontaneously; therefore, this type of deafness is usually considered irreversible. Studies on the developmental mechanisms of HC differentiation have revealed that nonsensory cells in the cochlea acquire the ability to differentiate into HCs after the overexpression of specific genes, such as Atoh1, which makes HC regeneration possible. Gene therapy, through in vitro selection and editing of target genes, transforms exogenous gene fragments into target cells and alters the expression of genes in target cells to activate the corresponding differentiation developmental program in target cells. This review summarizes the genes that have been associated with the growth and development of cochlear HCs in recent years and provides an overview of gene therapy approaches in the field of HC regeneration. It concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the current therapeutic approaches to facilitate the early implementation of this therapy in a clinical setting

Management of innovation in Singaporean High-technology Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The study aims to look at the strategic and organizational factors associated with the innovation behaviors in Singaporean technology-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and studied for this research.Master of Busines

中国における個人情報保護の動向

論説The development of information technology has enabled the mass collection, storage, and use of information, increasing the likelihood that individual rights and interests will be violated. In recent years, the risk of personal information being leaked, traded without the consent of the individual, or disseminated at low cost has increased in China. This paper begins with a brief introduction to the history and content of China’s Personal Data Protection Law. It then discusses the limitations and basis of rights in personal information protection. The argument here is not to deny the idea that individuals have rights and interests in information, but to refute the notion that the legal protection of these rights and interests is limited to a vertical relationship between the individual and the personal information processor. Therefore, relying solely on rights as the primary means of regulating personal information is deemed inappropriate, and it is suggested that more social and comprehensive measures should be implemented to safeguard personal information. To address these issues, the paper introduces the academic theory of data trust and presents theoretical possibilities for reforming personal information protection based on Chinese policy

INNOVATION IN HIGH-TECHNOLOGY SMES: INSIGHTS FROM SINGAPORE

Researchers have examined innovation by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), identified factors that contribute to innovation, and concluded that SMEs tend to be innovative and innovation improves performance. Do these findings hold for high-technology SMEs that are located in a newly industrialized economy? Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, and literature from entrepreneurship and innovation studies, we develop and test hypotheses using quantitative data collected from a survey. While the results of the study generally support prior research conclusions, there is a surprising finding: top management experience negatively moderates the effect of innovation on performance. Qualitative data from follow-up interviews with CEOs of SMEs helped us understand this finding.High technology, SMEs, innovation, Singapore

Study on Inlet and Engine Integrated Model with Normal Shock Position Feedback

In order to consider the inlet and engine integrated model of supersonic airliner, the dynamic identification and control of inlet normal shock are studied. The research is based on the bleed air flow rate under supersonic conditions. With the two-dimensional CFD model of supersonic inlet, the dynamic and static effects of the bleeding flow rate on the normal shock position were investigated. The transfer function was identified, and simultaneously the paper carried out a comprehensive study of inlet and engine integrated model, which is established based on the inlet shock position model and engine component level model. The relationship between normal shock position and total pressure recovery coefficient has been taken into consideration in this model. Based on the inlet and engine integrated model, the closed-loop control simulation of normal shock position is carried out. The results show that the model could resist the disturbance of the inlet flow and keep the inlet and engine matching operation point stable near the optimal value

The Upside of Playing Favorites

While managers should strive to treat their employees fairly, it’s only natural for them to develop stronger relationships with some people than with others. The good news is, new research suggests that this sort of favoritism doesn’t have to be destructive. Specifically, if the “boss’s favorite” is perceived as expressing authentic rather than hubristic pride, researchers found that witnessing favoritism could actually motivate other employees to improve and build stronger relationships themselves. With the right approach, employees, managers, and leaders can build an organizational culture that celebrates positive workplace relationships and gives everyone the tools they need to grow and succeed

Extreme adaptations for probable visual courtship behaviour in a Cretaceous dancing damselfly

International audienceCourtship behaviours, frequent among modern insects, have left extremely rare fossil traces. None are known previously for fossil odonatans. Fossil traces of such behaviours are better known among the vertebrates, e.g. the hypertelic antlers of the Pleistocene giant deer Megaloceros giganteus. Here we describe spectacular extremely expanded, pod-like tibiae in males of a platycnemidid damselfly from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Such structures in modern damselflies, help to fend off other suitors as well as attract mating females, increasing the chances of successful mating. Modern Platycnemidinae and Chlorocyphidae convergently acquired similar but less developed structures. The new findings provide suggestive evidence of damselfly courtship behaviour as far back as the mid-Cretaceous. These data show an unexpected morphological disparity in dancing damselfly leg structure, and shed new light on mechanisms of sexual selection involving intra-and intersex reproductive competition during the Cretaceous