Transcriptomic response to salinity variation in native and introduced mud-tidal gastropod Batillaria attramentaria

The introduced Asian mud-tidal gastropod Batillaria attramentaria has been reported to quickly dominate its new habitat, Elkhorn Slough, USA, which has a different osmotic condition from its native habitat. This species has also been reported to have a substantial impact on the ecosystem of the new habitat. In this study, we compared the gene expression profiles in response to temporary salinity variation in native (Asian) and introduced (North American) snails and elucidated the genetic mechanism underlying such rapid adaptation of the introduced species. We examined the transcriptomes of four B. attramentaria populations, including three from the native habitats and one from the introduced habitat, in response to salinity variation. We found that 2,353, 2,505, 10,362, and 16,381 genes were differentially expressed due to their lineages (Kuroshio vs. Tsushima), origins (native vs. introduced), locations (Korea, Japan, or the USA), and salinity variations (stressful: 13, 23, and 43 PSU vs. optimal: 33 PSU), respectively. We found that GO-enriched differentially expressed genes involved in the detection of various abiotic and biotic stimuli through sensory perception and genes involved in response to abiotic stimulus and stress were upregulated when exposed to lower-salinity conditions in all locations. The results indicated that B. attramentaria has adapted well to varied salinity conditions and evolved after around 100 years of invasion in Elkhorn Slough. This study provides valuable transcriptomic data on salinity stress response genes in the tidal gastropod and contributes to the research on the adaptive evolution of coastal gastropods

Development and evaluation of personalized risk assessments for osteoporotic patients

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone strength and deterioration in bone microstructure, leading to increased risk of fragility fracture. Bone strength is mainly determined by bone mineral density (BMD). The variation in BMD is partly determined by genetic factors. An individual's risk of fracture is determined by the individual's genetic structure and environmental exposures. While several genetic variants associated with BMD have been identified, the contribution of these variants to fracture risk prediction has not been well-documented. In this thesis, I sought to (i) construct an osteogenomic profile from BMD-associated genetic variants; (ii) assess the association between the profile and fracture risk and bone loss; (iii) determine the clinical utility of the osteogenomic profile in terms of fracture risk assessment; and (iv) improve the accuracy of hip fracture prediction in postmenopausal women by using artificial neural network approach. The work in this thesis was based on the Dubbo Epidemiology Osteoporosis Study, which is designed as a population-based longitudinal prospective cohort investigation that involved more than 4000 men and women aged 60+years. The individuals had been followed up to 27 years. The incidence of fracture was ascertained during the follow-up period. A unique osteogenomic profile was constructed for each individual from 68 BMD-associated genetic variants. The osteogenomic profile was significantly associated with BMD, fracture risk, and BMD changes. Incorporating the osteogenomic profile into existing prognostic model improved the prognostic performance over and above of traditional clinical risk factors models (age, gender, prior fracture, and history of fall). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for model with the osteogenomic profile was 71.1%, an increase of 0.5% compared with the model without the profile. More importantly, reclassification analysis showed that compared with the clinical risk factor (CRF) model, adding GRS resulted in 16% of individuals moving correctly from one risk category to another. In decision curve analysis, I found that for risk threshold greater than 15%, the osteogenomic profile could help reduce the number of unnecessary treatments. I also demonstrated that the predictive accuracy of fracture prediction using artificial neural network model was improved to 87% (AUC 0.94), which was significantly higher than that for the Cox's proportional hazards model (Accuracy 82%, AUC 0.85) or the Garvan model (Accuracy 83%, AUC 0.86). In conclusion, this thesis shows that an osteogenomic profile constructed from multiple BMD associated genetic variants is associated with fracture risk, and that the incorporation of osteogenomic profile could enhance the accuracy of fracture risk assessment for an individual men and women

Study of Augmented Reality based manufacturing for further integration of quality control 4.0: a systematic literature review

Augmented Reality (AR) has gradually become a mainstream technology enabling Industry 4.0 and its maturity has also grown over time. AR has been applied to support different processes on the shop-floor level, such as assembly, maintenance, etc. As various processes in manufacturing require high quality and near-zero error rates to ensure the demands and safety of end-users, AR can also equip operators with immersive interfaces to enhance productivity, accuracy and autonomy in the quality sector. However, there is currently no systematic review paper about AR technology enhancing the quality sector. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to conclude about the emerging interest in using AR as an assisting technology for the quality sector in an industry 4.0 context. Five research questions (RQs), with a set of selection criteria, are predefined to support the objectives of this SLR. In addition, different research databases are used for the paper identification phase following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) methodology to find the answers for the predefined RQs. It is found that, in spite of staying behind the assembly and maintenance sector in terms of AR-based solutions, there is a tendency towards interest in developing and implementing AR-assisted quality applications. There are three main categories of current AR-based solutions for quality sector, which are AR-based apps as a virtual Lean tool, AR-assisted metrology and AR-based solutions for in-line quality control. In this SLR, an AR architecture layer framework has been improved to classify articles into different layers which are finally integrated into a systematic design and development methodology for the development of long-term AR-based solutions for the quality sector in the future

Using the best - worst scale to assess the relative impact of these behaviors on other passengers on the same flight: The disruptive passenger behavior

A method called the best-worst scaling method is proposed to overcome these problems by asking respondents to make tradeoffs among the variables being assessed. This paper raises issues in respect of supplementing and developing a block of disruptive behaviors exhibited by passengers during flights and assesses the impact of these behaviors on other passengers. To illustrate the proposed method and evaluate its performance, we surveyed 240 passengers, and data from 203 survey samples were analyzed. The data analysis results revealed three behaviors that were considered the most disruptive, including (1) Threatening and causing distress, (2) Harassment and disrupting public order, and (3) Creating unsanitary conditions. This can be considered a suitable explanation with the high safety requirements of the air transport service, and the context of high expectation of post-covid hygiene and epidemiology

The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Awareness and Purchase Intention: Case Study of Vietnam's domestic fashion brands

The study aimed to examine the impact of social media marketing on brand awareness and purchase intention for Vietnamese domestic fashion brands. Quantitative research was conducted on 302 Vietnamese people of Generation Z. The questionnaire designed on Google forms was sent to research samples who were willing to participate. Research results determined the role and benefits of social media marketing in 2 aspects: (1) information about the brand of social media marketing on social networks and (2) brand engagement on social networks. Social media marketing has a positive impact on brand awareness and purchase intention of Vietnamese domestic fashion brands. In particular, brand information when communicating on social networks has a direct and positive impact on brand awareness and purchase intention. Brand engagement on social networks has a positive direct impact on brand awareness and a positive indirect impact on purchase intention through brand awareness. The research results show that Vietnamese domestic fashion brands do quite well in social media marketing, and are highly appreciated by the online community of generation Z in Vietnam. In the future, in order to improve brand awareness and purchase intention, Vietnamese domestic fashion brands need to pay attention to the brand information properties of social media marketing programs and need to invest more in brand engagement characteristics of social networks. Keywords: social media marketing, brand awareness, purchase intentio

Mechanisms Linking Physical Activity with Psychiatric Symptoms Across the Lifespan:A Systematic Review

Background: Physical activity has been suggested as a protective factor against psychiatric symptoms. While numerous studies have focused on the magnitude of physical activity’s effect on psychiatric symptoms, few have examined the potential mechanisms. Objective: The current review aimed to synthesize scientific evidence of the mechanisms through which physical activity might reduce psychiatric symptoms across the lifespan. Methods: We included articles that were published before March 2022 from five electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane). A qualitative synthesis of studies was conducted. The risk of bias assessment was performed using The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool for Systematic Reviews. Studies were included if they explored the possible mechanisms through which physical activity influences psychiatric symptoms (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms) across the lifespan. Results: A total of 22 articles were included (three randomized controlled trials, four non-randomized controlled trials, three prospective longitudinal studies, and 12 cross-sectional studies). Overall, most of the studies focused on children, adolescents, and young adults. Our findings showed that self-esteem, self-concept, and self-efficacy were the only consistent paths through which physical activity influences psychiatric symptoms (specifically depressive and anxiety symptoms) across the lifespan. There were insufficient studies to determine the role of neurobiological mechanisms. Conclusions: Overall, future physical activity interventions with the purpose of improving mental health should consider these mechanisms (self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy) to develop more effective interventions. Clinical Trial Registration: The protocol of this study was registered in the PROSPERO database (registration number CRD42021239440) and published in April 2022.</p

Mechanisms linking physical activity with psychiatric symptoms across the lifespan:A protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Persistent psychiatric symptomatology during childhood and adolescence predicts vulnerability to experience mental illness in adulthood. Physical activity is well-known to provide mental health benefits across the lifespan. However, the underlying mechanisms linking physical activity and psychiatric symptoms remain underexplored. In this context, we aim to systematically synthesise evidence focused on the mechanisms through which physical activity might reduce psychiatric symptoms across all ages. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: With the aid of a biomedical information specialist, we will develop a systematic search strategy based on the predetermined research question in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane and PsycINFO. Two independent reviewers will screen and select studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias. In case of inability to reach a consensus, a third person will be consulted. We will not apply any language restriction, and we will perform a qualitative synthesis of our findings as we anticipate that studies are scarce and heterogeneous. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Only data that have already been published will be included. Then, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences. Additionally, we will communicate our findings to healthcare providers and other sections of society (eg, through regular channels, including social media). PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021239440

Epidemiological transition to mortality and refracture following an initial fracture

This study sought to redefine the concept of fracture risk that includes refracture and mortality, and to transform the risk into "skeletal age". We analysed data obtained from 3521 women and men aged 60 years and older, whose fracture incidence, mortality, and bone mineral density (BMD) have been monitored since 1989. During the 20-year follow-up period, among 632 women and 184 men with a first incident fracture, the risk of sustaining a second fracture was higher in women (36%) than in men (22%), but mortality risk was higher in men (41%) than in women (25%). The increased risk of mortality was not only present with an initial fracture, but was accelerated with refractures. Key predictors of post-fracture mortality were male gender (hazard ratio [HR] 2.4; 95% CI, 1.79–3.21), advancing age (HR 1.67; 1.53–1.83), and lower femoral neck BMD (HR 1.16; 1.01–1.33). A 70-year-old man with a fracture is predicted to have a skeletal age of 75. These results were incorporated into a prediction model to aid patient-doctor discussion about fracture vulnerability and treatment decisions

Teaching practicum: The impacts on classroom management skills of novice lecturers

This research investigates the perspectives of the novice lecturers in the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education (FELTE) regarding Teaching Practicum’s impacts on their classroom management skills. Using survey research, data was gathered through questionnaires distributed among the whole population of 29 participants, followed by semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper insight into participants’ experience. The study’s results showed that novice lecturers generally made considerable progress in classroom management skills, especially in attention-drawing and response encouragement, creation of a motivating environment as well as physical and emotional interactions with students. On the other hand, it was discovered that inadequate duration and inappropriate timing generally impeded novice lecturers’ gains during their Teaching Practicum. However, some challenges related to supervisor and school choice turned out to be significant factors from which participants could derive considerable benefits, which is opposed to previous research. At the end of the study, some recommendations were suggested for future research on this topic

Impacts of salt stress on locomotor and transcriptomic responses in the intertidal Gastropod Batillaria attramentaria

Salinity is one of the most crucial environmental factors that structures biogeographic boundaries of aquatic organisms, affecting distribution, abundance, and behavior. However, the association between behavior and gene regulation underlying acclimation to changes in salinity remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of salinity stress on behavior (movement distance) and patterns of gene expression (using RNA sequencing) of the intertidal gastropod Batillaria attramentaria. We examined responses to short-term (1-hour) and long-term (30-day) acclimation to a range of salinities (43, 33 [control], 23, 13, and 3 psu). We found that the intertidal B. attramentaria is able to tolerate a broad range of salinity from 13 to 43 psu but not the acute low salinity of 3 psu. Behavioral experiments showed that salt stress significantly influenced snails’ movement, with lower salinity resulting in shorter movement distance. Transcriptomic analyses revealed critical metabolic pathways and genes potentially involved in acclimation to salinity stress, including ionic and osmotic regulation, signal and hormonal transduction pathways, water exchange, cell protection, and gene regulation or epigenetic modification. In general, our study presents a robust, integrative laboratory-based approach to investigate the effects of salt stress on a nonmodel gastropod facing detrimental consequences of environmental change. The current genetic results provide a wealth of reference data for further research on mechanisms of ionic and osmotic regulation and adaptive evolution of this coastal gastropod