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Sunscreen is important, says Dr. Ivan Litvinov, but it is also the least effective way to protect your skin when compared to sun protective clothing and sun avoidance Sunscreen usage is climbing, but so are melanoma and skin cancer rates: this, researchers say, is the sunscreen paradox. “The problem is that people use sunscreen as a ‘permission slip’ to tan,” said Dr. Ivan Litvinov, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and Chair of the Dermatology Division at McGill University and co-author with Dr. Sandra Peláez, Dr. Richie Jeremian and Dr. Pingxing Xie of two recent studies that explore the sunscreen paradox.
Contemporary research that looks at self-regulated learning (SRL) as processes of learning events derived from trace data has attracted increasing interest over the past decade. However, limited research has been conducted that looks into the validity of trace-based measurement protocols. In order to fill this gap in the literature, we propose a novel validation approach that combines theory-driven and data-driven perspectives to increase the validity of interpretations of SRL processes extracted from trace-data. The main contribution of this approach consists of three alignments between trace data and think aloud data to improve measurement validity. In addition, we define the match rate between SRL processes extracted from trace data and think aloud as a quantitative indicator together with other three indicators (sensitivity, specificity and trace coverage), to evaluate the “degree” of validity. We tested this validation approach in a laboratory study that involved 44 learners who learned individually about the topic of artificial intelligence in education with the use of a technology-enhanced learning environment for 45 minutes. Following this new validation approach, we achieved an improved match rate between SRL processes extracted from trace-data and think aloud data (training set: 54.24%; testing set: 55.09%) compared to the match rate before applying the validation approach (training set: 38.97%; test set: 34.54%). By considering think aloud data as “reference point”, this improvement of the match rate quantified the extent to which validity can be improved by using our validation approach. In conclusion, the novel validation approach presented in this study used both empirical evidence from think aloud data and rationale from our theoretical framework of SRL, which now, allows testing and improvement of the validity of trace-based SRL measurements.
Via Vladimir Kukharenko, juandoming
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived submicron bioparticles composed of lipid bilayer membrane and molecular cargos, acting as important mediators of physiopathological cellular processes. The analysis and engineering of EVs hold significant therapeutic potential in noninvasive cancer diagnostics and innovative drug delivery systems. Despite significant improvements in technologies for EV investigation, the clinical use of EVs has been hampered by several challenges including the requirement of expensive equipment such as ultracentrifuge for EV isolation from clinical samples, laborious and time-consuming procedures for EV analysis, and large batch-to-batch variation for EV engineering. In this respect, microfluidic technologies have attracted increasing attention as promising avenues to accelerate the study of EVs by offering advantages of small-volume capacity, cost effectiveness, precise manipulation of bioparticles, streamlined workflows, high levels of sensitivity and specificity, and good reproducibility and stability.
Inoculation theory explains how an existing state (an attitude, a belief, a position) can be made more resistant to future influence, in much the same way a medical inoculation can make an existing state (a healthy body) more resistant to future viral influence: through pre-exposure to weakened forms of challenges. The theory has established efficacy as an effective messaging strategy in a number of contexts, including politics and health. Another area that has received attention in inoculation theory scholarship is public relations. A comprehensive review of this work, however, is long overdue. We outline existing work in inoculation theory and public relations, and then show how inoculation theory and public relations research can bring new applications and theoretical development to the public relations areas of (1) issues management; (2) crisis and risk communication; and (3) character assassination.
Microlearning, in which lecture recordings are segmented into parts, saw renewed focus as a means of maintaining student engagement amid the challenging conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many institutions shifted to remote provision with segmented lecture recordings, there is a lack of consensus about the length that these segments should be in order to best maintain engagement. Using a self-reported system of Likert-based diagnostics, 135 videos in use at Solent University’s computer games area were analysed. Ninety-four students were asked to agree or disagree with statements in the format ‘I understand X’, each tailored to the subject material of the video in question. Repeated questions before and after the video allowed for a change in confidence to be measured, as an indicator of engagement. The resulting 4198 responses showed an optimum range of 5–8 min overall. However, the year of study emerged as a significant factor in this regard – with an optimum range for first years at 6–12 min, and for second and third years at under 8 min. There is a need for institutional-level change in this area, as many institutions currently recommend use of lecture video segments far longer than either figure.
The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a key process in electrochemical water splitting. To lower the cost and environmental impact of this process, it is highly motivated to develop electrocatalysts with low or no content of noble metals. Here, we report on an ingenious synthesis of hybrid PtxNi1–x electrocatalysts in the form of a nanoparticle–nanonetwork structure with very low noble metal content. The structure possesses important features such as good electrical conductivity, high surface area, strong interlinking, and substrate adhesion, which render an excellent HER activity. Specifically, the best performing Pt0.05Ni0.95 sample demonstrates a Tafel slope of 30 mV dec–1 in 0.5 M H2SO4 and an overpotential of 20 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm–2 with high stability. The impressive catalytic performance is further rationalized in a theoretical study, which provides insight into the mechanism on how such small platinum content can allow for close-to-optimal adsorption energies for hydrogen.
The possibility of using rainwater as a sustainable anolyte in an air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) is investigated in this study. The results indicate that the proposed MFC can work within a wide temperature range (from 0 to 30°C) and under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. However, the rainwater season has a distinct impact. Under anaerobic conditions, the summer rainwater achieves a promised open circuit potential (OCP) of 553 ± 2 mV without addition of nutrients at the ambient temperature, while addition of nutrients leads to an increase in the cell voltage to 763 ± 3 and 588 ± 2 mV at 30°C and ambient temperature, respectively. The maximum OCP for the winter rainwater (492 ± 1.5 mV) is obtained when the reactor is exposed to the air (aerobic conditions) at ambient temperature. Furthermore, the winter rainwater MFC generates a maximum power output of 7 ± 0.1 mWm−2 at a corresponding current density value of 44 ± 0.7 mAm−2 at 30°C. While, at the ambient temperature, the maximum output power is obtained with the summer rainwater (7.2 ± 0.1 mWm−2 at 26 ± 0.5 mAm−2). Moreover, investigation of the bacterial diversity indicates that Lactobacillus spp. is the dominant electroactive genus in the summer rainwater, while in the winter rainwater, Staphylococcus spp. is the main electroactive bacteria. The cyclic voltammetry analysis confirms that the electrons are delivered directly from the bacterial biofilm to the anode surface and without mediators. Overall, this study opens a new avenue for using a novel sustainable type of MFC derived from rainwater.
Background and Purpose: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is a novel age-related risk factor for cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality. The association of CHIP with risk of incident ischemic stroke was reported previously in an exploratory analysis including a small number of incident stroke cases without replication and lack of stroke subphenotyping. The purpose of this study was to discover whether CHIP is a risk factor for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. METHODS: We utilized plasma genome sequence data of blood DNA to identify CHIP in 78 752 individuals from 8 prospective cohorts and biobanks. We then assessed the association of CHIP and commonly mutated individual CHIP driver genes (DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1) with any stroke, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. RESULTS: CHIP was associated with an increased risk of total stroke (hazard ratio, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.03-1.27]; P=0.01) after adjustment for age, sex, and race. We observed associations with CHIP with risk of hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.01-1.51]; P=0.04) and with small vessel ischemic stroke subtypes. In gene-specific association results, TET2 showed the strongest association with total stroke and ischemic stroke, whereas DMNT3A and TET2 were each associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: CHIP is associated with an increased risk of stroke, particularly with hemorrhagic and small vessel ischemic stroke. Future studies clarifying the relationship between CHIP and subtypes of stroke are needed.
Charged block copolymers are promising materials for next-generation battery technologies and soft electronics. Although once it was only possible to prepare randomly organized structures, nowadays, well-ordered charged block copolymers can be prepared. In addition, theoretical and experimental analyses of the thermodynamic properties of charged polymers have provided insights into how to control nanostructures via electrostatic interactions and improve the ionic conductivity without compromising mechanical strength, which is crucial for practical applications. In this Account, we discuss methods to control the self-assembly and ion diffusion behavior of charged block copolymers by varying the type of tethered ionic moieties, local concentration of embedded ions with controlled electrostatic interactions, and nanoscale morphology.
Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily well-conserved recycling process in response to stress conditions, including a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related mortality. Despite intense efforts to understand the mechanisms underlying the metastatic process, treatment of metastatic cancer is still challenging. Here we describe a chemotherapy-induced, host-mediated mechanism that promotes remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM), ultimately facilitating cancer cell seeding and metastasis.
In an effort to understand how the internal state of the body influences the brain's decision-making processes, scientists analyzed the data from a previous study pre-clinical study. They found that two of the brain's decision-making centers contain neurons that may exclusively monitor the body's internal dynamics. Furthermore, a heightened state of arousal appeared to rewire one of the centers by turning some decision-making neurons into internal state monitors.
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Existing evidence suggest that SME exporting is affected by a combination of environmental, firm-level, and owner-level drivers. However, it is not yet clear what constitute the profile of exporting SMEs and whether innovation orientation plays a role. To fill this important gap, our study adopts a configurational approach contending that a specific set of drivers makeup the profiles of exporting SMEs. Using the Classification and Regression Trees (CART) algorithm, we empirically show three distinctive exporting profiles for product, service, and process innovators, with varying magnitude and importance of export drivers. Our results show the most important export drivers for product, service and process innovators. While process innovators’ profile excludes process innovation, product and service innovators’ profiles include product and service innovation respectively. These results lead to major policy and managerial implications in relation to promoting exporting among SMEs given that the UK has left the European Union.
Recent studies have identified a unique cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) population termed antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs), characterized by the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, suggesting a function in regulating tumor immunity. Here, by integrating multiple single-cell RNA-sequencing studies and performing robust lineage-tracing assays, we find that apCAFs are derived from mesothelial cells. During pancreatic cancer progression, mesothelial cells form apCAFs by downregulating mesothelial features and gaining fibroblastic features, a process induced by interleukin-1 and transforming growth factor β. apCAFs directly ligate and induce naive CD4+ T cells into regulatory T cells (Tregs) in an antigen-specific manner. Moreover, treatment with an antibody targeting the mesothelial cell marker mesothelin can effectively inhibit mesothelial cell to apCAF transition and Treg formation induced by apCAFs. Taken together, our study elucidates how mesothelial cells may contribute to immune evasion in pancreatic cancer and provides insight on strategies to enhance cancer immune therapy.
Breast arterial calcification (BAC), a common incidental finding in mammography, has been shown to be associated with angiographic coronary artery disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. We aimed to (1) examine the association of BAC presence and quantity with hard atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) and global CVD; (2) ascertain model calibration, discrimination and reclassification of ASCVD risk; (3) assess the joint effect of BAC presence and 10-year pooled cohorts equations risk on ASCVD.
This article considers the online tutorial experiences of 10 female undergraduate students studying a health and social care module at a large UK-based university that specialises in distance learning. The research uses the Community of Inquiry as a theoretical framework and takes an experience-centred narrative approach, using Voice-Centred Relational Method to analyse diaries and interviews. The analysis uncovers how tutorial experiences are embedded in the social and cultural contexts of students’ lives and are fitted around their caring roles. These students experience variation in tutorial design and in the tutors’ characteristics. They value friendly, empathetic tutors who enable students’ contributions and respond encouragingly. Students avoid using microphones in tutorials for multiple reasons but enjoy taking an active part via other tools. They appreciate hearing peers’ perspectives and prefer small group sizes. A sense of community is missing, particularly for students with fewer supportive friends, colleagues, or family members. They long to see people’s faces and build relationships. An awareness of students’ contexts and preferences can help educators to enable positive tutorial experiences.
Gut bacteria brew all sorts of chemicals, but we don't know what most of them do. A new study suggests that one such compound, previously linked to cancer, may serve as a bizarre weapon in microbial skirmishes.
Optimizing speech and language therapy (SLT) regimens for maximal aphasia recovery is a clinical research priority. We examined associations between SLT intensity (hours/week), dosage (total hours), frequency (days/week), duration (weeks), delivery (face to face, computer supported, individual tailoring, and home practice), content, and language outcomes for people with aphasia.
Gastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer worldwide, with high incidence and mortality rates. Therefore, early and precise diagnosis is critical to improving GC prognosis. Tumor-associated myeloid cells infiltrate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and can produce immunosuppressive effects in the early stage of the tumor. The surface integrin receptor CD11b is widely expressed in the specific subsets of myeloid cells, and it has the characteristics of high abundance, high specificity, and high potential for targeted immunotherapy. In this study, two strategies for labeling anti-CD11b, including 89Zr-DFO-anti-CD11b and pretargeted imaging (68Ga-NOTA-polypeptide-PEG11-Tz/anti-CD11b-TCO), were used to evaluate the value of early diagnosis of GC and confirm the advantages of the pretargeted strategy for the diagnosis of GC. Pretargeted molecular probe 68Ga-NOTA-polypeptide-PEG11-Tz was synthesized. The binding affinity of the Tz-radioligand to CD11b was evaluated in vitro, and its blood pharmacokinetic test was performed in vivo. Moreover, the anti-CD11b antibody was conjugated with a p-isothiocyanatobenzyl-desferrioxamine (SCN-DFO) chelator and radiolabeled with zirconium-89. Biodistribution and positron-emission computed tomography imaging experiments were performed in MGC-803 tumor-bearing model mice to evaluate the value of the early diagnosis of GC.
The cause of hyperglycemia in patients with COVID-19 is multifactorial. It is suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the expression of ACE2 in the pancreas. This increased expression, coupled with viral glycosylation, allows for viral uptake into the beta cells of pancreatic islets.
Families form the basis of society, and anthropologists have observed and characterised a wide range of family systems. This study developed a multi-level evolutionary model of pre-industrial agricultural societies to simulate the evolution of family systems and determine how each of them adapts to environmental conditions and forms a characteristic socio-economic structure.
INTRODUCTION: The ECAS (Entrepreneurial Cultural Affinity Spaces) framework seeks to transform social designtheory and practice, through an emergent instructional paradigm of heritage-led, local learning ecosystem approaches, toleverage on diverse assets of people in community settings. OBJECTIVES: This paper addresses the theoretical backdrop of how such ecosystems can be co-designed, implemented,and evaluated, to include disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. METHODS: We seek to introduce the ECAS framework and how it can present an inclusive and open instructional paradigm that improves design for social change, innovation, and entrepreneurship in practice. RESULTS: In this paper, we address implementation through an Erasmus Plus, Adult Education research project,discussing the framework, conditions, and support mechanisms developed. CONCLUSION: Reconfiguration of design for social change and our collective mind-set, will create the conditions formore dynamic and powerful collaborations that stimulate and enable social innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusion
Approach links T-cell receptor genes to T-cell activity and function at single-cell resolution
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This is a complex topic and can be influenced by various factors. Sunscreen is generally considered an important tool in protecting the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can contribute to skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma.
It's crucial to note that the scientific community generally supports the use of sunscreen as part of a broader sun protection strategy. The American Academy of Dermatology, the Skin Cancer Foundation, and other health organizations recommend regular use of broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.
It's always a good idea to follow specific guidelines for sunscreen use, apply it generously and frequently, and complement its use with other sun protection measures for comprehensive skin care. If you have concerns or questions about sun protection, it's advisable to consult with a healthcare professional or dermatologist for personalized advice.