Language Learning Tool for Refugees

A large number of refugees need to learn a new language in order to transition to, or settle in, a new country. Most refugees have access to smartphones with which they can access mobile language learning tools. However, refugees in different stages of their journeys have different language learning needs. Identifying the unique needs of refugees is essential to design language learning tools that support their language learning activities. Through a two-part participatory design study, we identify and compare the tacit and latent language learning needs of two different groups of Syrian refugees: a group in transition in Lebanon, and a group settling in Germany. The Syrian refugees we worked with in Lebanon are studying English to transition to another country with better living conditions. On the other hand, the Syrian refugees we worked with in Germany are trying to learn German to better integrate into German society. Our results show overlapping needs and specific needs for the two groups of refugees. We present our findings and discuss the opportunities and challenges for designing language learning tools to support the language learning activities of refugees.Peer Reviewe

Visualizing the Cascade Effect of Redesigning Features in an EMR System

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems are complex systems with interdependent features. Redesigning one feature of the system can create a cascade effect affecting the other features. By calculating the cascade effect, the designers can understand how each individual feature could be affected. This understanding allows them to maximize the positive effects and avoid negative consequences of their redesign activities. To understand the cascade effect, the designers can look at their computations’ results; a task that becomes more difficult when the number of features grows. To reduce their task load, we propose a tool for visualizing the cascade effect of redesigning features in an EMR system. Our preliminary evaluation with six graduate students shows that visualizing the cascade effect reduces the task load and slightly improves their performance when analyzing the cascade effect. Ways for improving the tool include (i) showing the computation results within the visualization, and (ii) allowing the designers to compare the cascade effect generated by redesigning different features

Transcriptional response of kidney tissue after 177Lu-octreotate administration in mice

AbstractIntroductionThe kidneys are one of the main dose limiting organs in 177Lu-octreotate therapy of neuroendocrine tumors. Therefore, biomarkers for radiation damage would be of great importance in this type of therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the absorbed dose dependency on early transcriptional changes in the kidneys from 177Lu-octreotate exposure.MethodsFemale Balb/c nude mice were i.v. injected with 1.3, 3.6, 14, 45 or 140MBq 177Lu-octreotate. The animals were killed 24h after injection followed by excision of the kidneys. The absorbed dose to the kidneys ranged between 0.13 and 13Gy. Total RNA was extracted from separated renal tissue samples, and applied to Illumina MouseRef-8 Whole-Genome Expression Beadchips to identify regulated transcripts after irradiation. Nexus Expression 2.0 and Gene Ontology terms were used for data processing and to determine affected biological processes.ResultsDistinct transcriptional responses were observed following 177Lu-octreotate administration. A higher number of differentially expressed transcripts were observed in the kidney medulla (480) compared to cortex (281). In addition, 39 transcripts were regulated at all absorbed dose levels in the medulla, compared to 32 in the cortex. Three biological processes in the cortex and five in the medulla were also shared by all absorbed dose levels. Strong association to metabolism was found among the affected processes in both tissues. Furthermore, an association with cellular and developmental processes was prominent in kidney medulla, while transport and immune response were prominent in kidney cortex.ConclusionSpecific biological and dose-dependent responses were observed in both tissues. The number of affected transcripts and biological processes revealed distinct response differences between the absorbed doses delivered to the tissues

Emergency Online Learning in Low-Resource Settings: Effective Student Engagement Strategies

We aim to identify the engagement strategies that higher education students, engaging in emergency online learning in low-resource settings, perceive to be effective. We conducted a sequential mixed-methods study based on Moore’s interaction framework for distance education. We administered a questionnaire to 313 students engaging in emergency online learning in low-resource settings to examine their perceptions of different engagement strategies. Our results showed that student–content engagement strategies, e.g., screen sharing, summaries, and class recordings, are perceived as the most effective, closely followed by student–teacher strategies, e.g., Q and A sessions and reminders. Student–student strategies, e.g., group chat and collaborative work, are perceived as the least effective. The perceived effectiveness of engagement strategies varies based on the students’ gender and technology access. To support instructors, instructional designers, and researchers, we propose a 10-level guide for engaging students during emergency online classes in low-resource settings

Clinical relevance of breast cancer-related genes as potential biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (OSCC) is a common cancer form with relatively low 5-year survival rates, due partially to late detection and lack of complementary molecular markers as targets for treatment. Molecular profiling of head and neck cancer has revealed biological similarities with basal-like breast and lung carcinoma. Recently, we showed that 16 genes were consistently altered in invasive breast tumors displaying varying degrees of aggressiveness. Methods: To extend our findings from breast cancer to another cancer type with similar characteristics, we performed an integrative analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data to evaluate the prognostic significance of the 16 putative breast cancer-related biomarkers in OSCC using independent microarray datasets and immunohistochemistry. Predictive models for disease-specific (DSS) and/or overall survival (OS) were calculated for each marker using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: We found that CBX2, SCUBE2, and STK32B protein expression were associated with important clinicopathological features for OSCC (peritumoral inflammatory infiltration, metastatic spread to the cervical lymph nodes, and tumor size). Consequently, SCUBE2 and STK32B are involved in the hedgehog signaling pathway which plays a pivotal role in metastasis and angiogenesis in cancer. In addition, CNTNAP2 and S100A8 protein expression were correlated with DSS and OS, respectively. Conclusions: Taken together, these candidates and the hedgehog signaling pathway may be putative targets for drug development and clinical management of OSCC patients

Fee Arrangements and Fee Shifting: Lessons From the Experience in Ontario

About one-third of oestrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen relapse. Here we identify the nuclear receptor retinoic acid receptor alpha as a marker of tamoxifen resistance. Using quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we show that retinoic acid receptor alpha protein networks and levels differ in a tamoxifen-sensitive (MCF7) and a tamoxifen-resistant (LCC2) cell line. High intratumoural retinoic acid receptor alpha protein levels also correlate with reduced relapse-free survival in oestrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen solely. A similar retinoic acid receptor alpha expression pattern is seen in a comparable independent patient cohort. An oestrogen receptor alpha and retinoic acid receptor alpha ligand screening reveals that tamoxifen-resistant LCC2 cells have increased sensitivity to retinoic acid receptor alpha ligands and are less sensitive to oestrogen receptor alpha ligands compared with MCF7 cells. Our data indicate that retinoic acid receptor alpha may be a novel therapeutic target and a predictive factor for oestrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen

Up-regulation of cell cycle arrest protein BTG2 correlates with increased overall survival in breast cancer, as detected by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies have shown that the <it>ADIPOR1</it>, <it>ADORA1</it>, <it>BTG2 </it>and <it>CD46 </it>genes differ significantly between long-term survivors of breast cancer and deceased patients, both in levels of gene expression and DNA copy numbers. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of the corresponding proteins in breast carcinoma and to determine their correlation with clinical outcome.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry in an independent breast cancer cohort of 144 samples represented on tissue microarrays. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the differences in protein expression between dead and alive patients. We used Cox-regression multivariate analysis to assess whether the new markers predict the survival status of the patients better than the currently used markers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BTG2 expression was demonstrated in a significantly lower proportion of samples from dead patients compared to alive patients, both in overall expression (<it>P </it>= 0.026) and cell membrane specific expression (<it>P </it>= 0.013), whereas neither ADIPOR1, ADORA1 nor CD46 showed differential expression in the two survival groups. Furthermore, a multivariate analysis showed that a model containing BTG2 expression in combination with HER2 and Ki67 expression along with patient age performed better than a model containing the currently used prognostic markers (tumour size, nodal status, HER2 expression, hormone receptor status, histological grade, and patient age). Interestingly, BTG2 has previously been described as a tumour suppressor gene involved in cell cycle arrest and p53 signalling.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that high-level BTG2 protein expression correlates with prolonged survival in patients with breast carcinoma.</p