Visfatin Promotes Monocyte Adhesion by Upregulating ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells via Activation of p38-PI3K-Akt Signaling and Subsequent ROS Production and IKK/NF-κB Activation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Visfatin is known to act as a mediator in several metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of visfatin on the adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to human vascular endothelial cells and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Monocytes adhesion to endothelial cells was determined by using fluorescence-labeled monocytes. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in endothelial cells were measured by western blotting. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by using a fluorescent dye. The amounts of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and phosphorylation of inhibitory factor of NF-κB (IκB) were determined by using western blot analysis. The translocation of NF-κB from the cytoplasm to the nucleus was determined by using immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Here we showed that visfatin significantly caused the upregulation of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in endothelial cells, as well as enhanced monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. Moreover, we found that inhibition of PI3K, Akt, and p38 MAPK activation significantly prevented visfatin-enhanced expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. Visfatin enhanced ROS production and IKK/NF-кB activation and then led to upregulation of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and enhanced monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. These effects were also p38/PI3K/Akt-dependent. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that visfatin promoted monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion by increasing ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression via the activation of p38/PI3K/Akt signaling and downstream ROS production and IKK/NF-кB activation.

Corrigendum: Effects of a pair programming educational robot-based approach on students' interdisciplinary learning of computational thinking and language learning.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.888215.].

Effects of a Pair Programming Educational Robot-Based Approach on Students' Interdisciplinary Learning of Computational Thinking and Language Learning.

Using educational robots (ERs) to integrate computational thinking (CT) with cross-disciplinary content has gone beyond Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), to include foreign-language learning (FL) and further cross-context target-language (TL) acquisition. Such integration must not solely emphasise CT problem-solving skills. Rather, it must provide students with interactive learning to support their target-language (TL) interaction while reducing potential TL anxiety. This study aimed to validate the effects of the proposed method of pair programming (PP) along with question-and-response interaction in a board-game activity on young learners' CT skills and TL learning across contexts. Two Grade 6 classes, one with 15 students who were studying Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) and the other with 15 students who were studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL), participated in the activity. A series of instruments on achievement assessment, questionnaires on CT skills and TL anxiety, and sequential learning behaviour analysis were used to critically examine the results. The main conclusion is that the EFL group showed better social skills of cooperation on CT and lower TL learning anxiety, while the CSL group demonstrated better problem-solving skills in CT, but presented more behaviours of trial-and-error loops. Results not only contribute suggestions for cross-disciplinary learning but also provide support for cross-context instruction beyond educational coursework.

Corrigendum: Effects of a pair programming educational robot-based approach on students' interdisciplinary learning of computational thinking and language learning.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.888215.].

Self-efficacy and behavior patterns of learners using a real-time collaboration system developed for group programming.

In order to promote the practice of co-creation, a real-time collaboration (RTC) version of the popular block-based programming (BBP) learning environment, MIT App Inventor (MAI), was proposed and implemented. RTC overcomes challenges related to non-collocated group work, thus lowering barriers to cross-region and multi-user collaborative software development. An empirical study probed into the differential impact on self-efficacy and collaborative behavior of learners in the environment depending upon their disciplinary background. The study serves as an example of the use of learning analytics to explore the frequent behavior patterns of adult learners, in this case specifically while performing BBP in MAI integrated with RTC. This study compares behavior patterns that are collaborative or individual that occurred on the platform, and investigates the effects of collaboration on learners working within the RTC depending on whether they were CS-majors or not. We highlight advantages of the new MAI design during multi-user programming in the online RTC based on the connections between the interface design and BBP as illustrated by two significant behavior patterns found in this instructional experiment. First, the multi-user programming in the RTC allowed multiple tasks to happen at the same time, which promoted engagement in joint behavior. For example, one user arranged components in the interface design while another dragged blocks to complete the program. Second, this study confirmed that the Computer Programming Self-Efficacy (CPSE) was similar for individual and multi-user programming overall. The CPSE of the homogeneous CS-major groups engaged in programming within the RTC was higher than that of the homogeneous non-CS-major groups and heterogeneous groups. There was no significant difference between the CPSE of the homogenous non-CS group and the CPSE of the heterogeneous groups, regardless of whether they were engaged in individual programming or collaborative programming within their groups. The results of the study support the value of engaging with MAI collaboratively, especially for CS-majors, and suggest directions for future work in RTC design.

Adipocytes play an etiological role in the podocytopathy of high-fat diet-fed rats.

Obesity is a risk factor that promotes progressive kidney disease. Studies have shown that an adipocytokine imbalance contributes to impaired renal function in humans and animals, but the underlying interplay between adipocytokines and renal injury remains to be elucidated. We aimed to investigate the mechanisms linking obesity to chronic kidney disease. We assessed renal function in high-fat (HF) diet-fed and normal diet-fed rats, and the effects of preadipocyte- and adipocyte-conditioned medium on cultured podocytes. HF diet-fed and normal diet-fed Sprague Dawley rats were used to analyze the changes in plasma BUN, creatinine, urine protein and renal histology. Additionally, podocytes were incubated with preadipocyte- or adipocyte-conditioned medium to investigate the effects on podocyte morphology and protein expression. In the HF diet group, 24 h urinary protein excretion (357.5 ± 64.2 mg/day vs 115.9 ± 12.4 mg/day, P < 0.05) and the urine protein/creatinine ratio were significantly higher (1.76 ± 0.22 vs 1.09 ± 0.15, P < 0.05), increased kidney weight (3.54 ± 0.04 g vs 3.38 ± 0.04 g, P < 0.05) and the glomerular volume and podocyte effacement increased by electron microscopy. Increased renal expression of desmin and decreased renal expression of CD2AP and nephrin were also seen in the HF diet group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we found that adipocyte-conditioned medium-treated podocytes showed increased desmin expression and decreased CD2AP and nephrin expression compared with that in preadipocyte-conditioned medium-treated controls (P < 0.05). These findings show that adipocyte-derived factor(s) can modulate renal function. Adipocyte-derived factors play an important role in obesity-related podocytopathy.

A Unique Approach to Generate Self-Aligned SiO2/Ge/SiO2/SiGe Gate-Stacking Heterostructures in a Single Fabrication Step.

We report a first-of-its-kind, unique approach for generating a self-aligned, gate-stacking heterostructure of Ge quantum dot (QD)/SiO2/SiGe shell on Si in a single fabrication step. The 4-nm-thick SiO2 layer between the Ge QD and SiGe shell fabricated during the single-step process is the result of an exquisitely controlled dynamic balance between the fluxes of oxygen and silicon interstitials. The high-quality interface properties of our "designer" heterostructure are evidenced by the low interface trap density of as low as 2-4 × 10(11) cm(-2) eV(-1) and superior transfer characteristics measured for Ge-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Thanks to the very thin interfacial SiO2 layer, carrier storage within the Ge QDs with good memory endurance was established under relatively low-voltage programming/erasing conditions. We hope that our unique self-aligned, gate-stacking heterostructure provides an effective approach for the production of next-generation, high-performance Ge gate/SiO2/SiGe channel MOSFETs.