Inhibition of sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase 1 promotes cancer cells migration in gastric cancer: Clinical implications

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) plays an important role in regulating many biological processes. Sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase 1 (SGPP1) can dephosphorylate S1P into sphingosine and tip the balance of sphingosine-S1P. Increased levels of sphingosine leads to a decrease in the ability of cell invasion as well as an increase in the ability of cell apoptosis. However, little is known regarding the effects of SGPP1 in gastric cancer. The present study examined the function of SGPP1 on gastric cancer cell lines as well as its clinical relevance in gastric cancer progression. Using immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR techniques, the clinical significance of SGPP1 expression was analyzed in 288 paraffin-embedded gastric tissue specimens and 219 fresh gastric tissues, respectively. Transgenes encoding ribozymes to specifically target human SGPP1 (pEF-SGPP1) was constructed. Human gastric cancer cell lines (AGS and HGC27) were transfected with pEF-SGPP1 transgene and examined by functional analysis. SGPP1 was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues, compared with adjacent normal gastric tissues (p=0.034). SGPP1 mRNA levels in gastric cancer tissues were significantly decreased when compared with their adjacent non-cancerous tissues (p<0.001). Weakly expressed SGPP1 was positively correlated with the lymph node metastasis (p=0.005) and distant metastasis (p=0.031). Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that patients with SGPP1 positive expression had a significant increase in overall survival (OS) (p=0.034) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p=0.041). Multivariate analysis indicated the expression of SGPP1 was an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients (p=0.041). In vitro experiments showed that knockdown of SGPP1 resulted in an increase in the invasion (2-fold) and migration (5-fold) of AGS and HGC27. The two gastric cancer cells transfected with pEF-SGPP1 exhibited a slower rate of growth with less adhesion. Thus, our findings provided evidence that SGPP1 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for patients with advanced gastric cancers

Completing the progression establishing an international baseline of primary, middle and secondary students’ views of scientific inquiry

Knowledge of scientific inquiry (SI) is considered essential to the development of an individual's Scientific Literacy (SL) and therefore, SI is included in many international science education reform documents. Two previous large scale international studies assessed the SI understandings of students entering middle school and secondary students at the end of their formal K-12 science education. The purpose of this international project was to use the VASI-E to collect data on what primary level students have learned about SI in their first few years of school. This study adds to previous research to bridge the landscape of SI understandings now with representation from primary, middle and high school samples. A total of 4,238 students from 35 countries/regions spanning six continents participated in the study. The results show that globally, primary students are not adequately informed about SI for their age group. However, when compared with the students in the previous international studies (grades seven and 12), the primary students' understandings were surprisingly closer to the levels of understanding of SI of the secondary school students than those in the seventh grade study

Transforming pedagogy in mathematics and science in Qatar: a study of teacher and student perspectives

Changes to teachers’ pedagogy are complex, and frequently characterised by tensions evoked through teachers’ experience and beliefs. As well, there can be entrenched cultural expectations. We are currently engaged in an international collaboration on a project, funded by the Qatar National Research Fund, to implement and evaluate Professional Development (PD) to promote Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in mathematics and science. The rationale for the PD programme is underpinned by Fullan and Langworthy’s (A rich seam: how new pedagogies find deep learning. Pearson, London, UK, 2014) claims that new richer pedagogies can engage and motivate students, while more authentic ways of learning can be achieved through the use of digital technologies (Calder in Processing mathematics through digital technologies: the primary years. Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2011), and through dialogic, collaborative group work (Mercer et al in Br Educ Res J 25(1):95–111, 1999). Eight Professional Development Specialists (PDS) in Qatar provide in-classroom support to sixteen teachers with grades 5–9 students. The PDSs have introduced WebQuests and Exploratory Talk as two practical manageable didactic strategies for the teachers. Data were collected from interviews with teachers and student focus groups, and from student questionnaires on attitudes to science and mathematics. Transforming teacher practice is not always straightforward. A key focus of the chapter is on the relationships between teachers’ beliefs and perceived tensions in adopting the IBL and on students’ perceived motivation and engagement. This chapter reports on teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the pre-PD data and situates this tentatively with the initial post-PD data. External influences and teachers and students’ own internally held expectations impacted the introduction of IBL