Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 2 hijacks CMA-mediated lipolysis through upregulation of small GTPase RAB18.

RAB GTPases (RABs) control intracellular membrane trafficking with high precision. In the present study, we carried out a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screen focused on a library of 62 RABs during infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 2 (PRRSV-2), a member of the family Arteriviridae. We found that 13 RABs negatively affect the yield of PRRSV-2 progeny virus, whereas 29 RABs have a positive impact on the yield of PRRSV-2 progeny virus. Further analysis revealed that PRRSV-2 infection transcriptionally regulated RAB18 through RIG-I/MAVS-mediated canonical NF-κB activation. Disrupting RAB18 expression led to the accumulation of lipid droplets (LDs), impaired LDs catabolism, and flawed viral replication and assembly. We also discovered that PRRSV-2 co-opts chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) for lipolysis via RAB18, as indicated by the enhanced associations between RAB18 and perlipin 2 (PLIN2), CMA-specific lysosomal associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A), and heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 8 (HSPA8/HSC70) during PRRSV-2 infection. Knockdown of HSPA8 and LAMP2A impacted on the yield of PRRSV-2 progeny virus, implying that the virus utilizes RAB18 to promote CMA-mediated lipolysis. Importantly, we determined that the C-terminal domain (CTD) of HSPA8 could bind to the switch II domain of RAB18, and the CTD of PLIN2 was capable of associating with HSPA8, suggesting that HSPA8 facilitates the interaction between RAB18 and PLIN2 in the CMA process. In summary, our findings elucidate how PRRSV-2 hijacks CMA-mediated lipid metabolism through innate immune activation to enhance the yield of progeny virus, offering novel insights for the development of anti-PRRSV-2 treatments.

Human Adipose Tissue Lysate-Based Hydrogel for Lasting Immunomodulation to Effectively Improve Spinal Cord Injury Repair.

The long-term inflammatory microenvironment is one of the main obstacles to inhibit acute spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. The natural adipose tissue-derived extracellular matrix hydrogel shows effective anti-inflammatory regulation because of its unique protein components. However, the rapid degradation rate and removal of functional proteins during the decellularization process impair the lasting anti-inflammation function of the adipose tissue-derived hydrogel. To address this problem, adipose tissue lysate provides an effective way for SCI repair due to its abundance of anti-inflammatory and nerve regeneration-related proteins. Thereby, human adipose tissue lysate-based hydrogel (HATLH) with an appropriate degradation rate is developed, which aims to in situ long-term recruit and induce anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages through sustainedly released proteins. HATLH can recruit and polarize M2 macrophages while inhibiting pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages regardless of human or mouse-originated. The axonal growth of neuronal cells also can be effectively improved by HATLH and HATLH-induced M2 macrophages. In vivo experiments reveal that HATLH promotes endogenous M2 macrophages infiltration in large numbers (3.5 × 105/100 µL hydrogel) and maintains a long duration for over a month. In a mouse SCI model, HATLH significantly inhibits local inflammatory response, improves neuron and oligodendrocyte differentiation, enhances axonal growth and remyelination, as well as accelerates neurological function restoration.

Gestational diabetes mellitus and risk of long-term all-cause and cardiac mortality: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) without subsequent overt diabetes and long-term all-cause and cardiac mortality. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 10,327 women (weighted population: 132,332,187) with a pregnancy history from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007 to 2018). Participants were divided into three groups (GDM alone, overt diabetes, and no diabetes). Mortality data was linked from the National Death Index up to December 31, 2019. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association between GDM alone and overt diabetes with all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality. Data analysis was performed from October 2022 to April 2023. RESULTS: Among the participants, 510 (weighted 5.3%) had GDM alone and 1862 (weighted 14.1%) had overt diabetes. Over a median follow-up period of 6.7 years (69,063 person-years), there were 758 deaths. The GDM group did not show an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67; 95% CI, 0.25-1.84), while the overt diabetes group had a significantly higher risk (HR 1.95; 95% CI, 1.62-2.35). Similarly, the GDM group did not exhibit an elevated risk of cardiac mortality (HR 1.48; 95% CI, 0.50-4.39), whereas the overt diabetes group had a significantly higher risk (HR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.69-3.32). Furthermore, sensitivity analysis focusing on women aged 50 or above showed that the HR of GDM history for all-cause mortality was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.33-3.95) and the HR for cardiac mortality was 1.74 (95% CI, 0.49-6.20). CONCLUSIONS: GDM alone was not associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiac mortality, while overt diabetes was significantly associated with both types of mortality.

Phase Transition Control in Molecular Solids via Complementarity of Hydrogen-Bond Strength.

Phase transitions in molecular solids involve synergistic changes in chemical and electronic structures, leading to diversification in physical and chemical properties. Despite the pivotal role of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) in many phase-transition materials, it is rare and challenging to chemically regulate the dynamics and to elucidate the structure-property relationship. Here, four high-spin CoII com-pounds were isolated and systematically investigated by modifying the ligand terminal groups (X = S, Se) and substituents (Y = Cl, Br). S-Cl and Se-Br undergo a reversible structural phase transition near room temperature, triggering the rotation of 15-crown-5 guests and the swing between syn- and anti-conformation of NCX- ligands, accompanied by switchable magnetism. Conversely, S-Br and Se-Cl retain stability in ordered and disordered phases, respectively. H-bonds geometric analysis and ab initio calculations reveal that the electronegativity of X and Y affects the strength of NY-ap-H···X interactions. Entropy-driven structural phase transitions occur when the H-bond strength is appropriate; otherwise, the phase stays unchanged if it is too strong or weak. This work highlights a phase transition driven by H-bond strength complementarity - pairing strong acceptor with weak donor and vice versa, which offers a straightforward and effective approach for designing phase-transition molecular solids from a chemical perspective.

Pseudorabies virus hijacks the Rab6 protein to promote viral assembly and egress.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is recognized as the aetiological agent responsible for Aujeszky's disease, or pseudorabies, in swine populations. Rab6, a member of the small GTPase family, is implicated in various membrane trafficking processes, particularly exocytosis regulation. Its involvement in PRV infection, however, has not been documented previously. In our study, we observed a significant increase in the Rab6 mRNA and protein levels in both PK-15 porcine kidney epithelial cells and porcine alveolar macrophages, as well as in the lungs and spleens of mice infected with PRV. The overexpression of wild-type Rab6 and its GTP-bound mutant facilitated PRV proliferation, whereas the GDP-bound mutant form of Rab6 had no effect on viral propagation. These findings indicated that the GTPase activity of Rab6 was crucial for the successful spread of PRV. Further investigations revealed that the reduction in Rab6 levels through knockdown significantly hampered PRV proliferation and disrupted virus assembly and egress. At the molecular level, Rab6 was found to interact with the PRV glycoproteins gB and gE, both of which are essential for viral assembly and egress. Our results collectively suggest that PRV exploits Rab6 to expedite its assembly and egress and identify Rab6 as a promising novel target for therapeutic treatment for PRV infection.

Novel LDLR variants affecting low density lipoprotein metabolism identified in familial hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease of lipid metabolism mainly caused by mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. Genetic detection of patients with FH help with precise diagnosis and treatment, thus reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and other related diseases. The study aimed to identify the causative gene mutations in a Chinese FH family and reveal the pathogenicity and the mechanism of these mutations. METHODS AND RESULTS: Whole exome sequencing was performed in a patient with severe lipid metabolism dysfunction seeking fertility guidance from a Chinese FH family. Two LDLR variants c.1875 C > G (p.N625K; novel variant) and c.1448G > A (p.W483*) were identified in the family. Wildtype and mutant LDLR constructs were established by the site-direct mutagenesis technique. Functional studies were carried out by cell transfection to evaluate the impact of detected variants on LDLR activity. The two variants were proven to affect LDL uptake and binding, resulting in cholesterol clearance reduction to different degrees. According to The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Standards and Guidelines, the W483* variant was classified as "Pathogenic", while the N625K variant as "VUS". CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide novel experimental evidence of functional alteration by LDLR variants identified in our study and expand the mutational spectrum of LDLR mutation induced FH.

Oral-diadochokinesis between Parkinson's disease and neurotypical elderly among Malaysian-Malay speakers.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) has an impact on speech production, manifesting in various ways including alterations in voice quality, challenges in articulating sounds and a decrease in speech rate. Numerous investigations have been conducted to ascertain the oral-diadochokinesis (O-DDK) rate in individuals with PD. However, the existing literature lacks exploration of such O-DDK rates in Malaysia and does not provide consistent evidence regarding the advantage of real-word repetition. AIMS: To explore the effect of gender, stimuli type and PD status and their interactions on the O-DDK rates among Malaysian-Malay speakers. METHODS & PROCEDURES: O-DDK performance of 62 participants (29 individuals with PD and 33 healthy elderly) using a non-word ('pataka'), a Malay real-word ('patahkan') and an English real-word ('buttercake') was audio recorded. The number of syllables produced in 8 s was counted. A hierarchical linear modelling was performed to investigate the effects of stimuli type (non-word, Malay real-word, English real-word), PD status (yes, no), gender (male, female) and their interactions on the O-DDK rate. The model accounted for participants' age as well as the nesting of repeated measurements within participants, thereby providing unbiased estimates of the effects. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: The stimuli effect was significant (p < 0.0001). Malay real-word showed the lowest O-DDK rate (5.03 ± 0.11 syllables/s), followed by English real-word (5.25 ± 0.11 syllables/s) and non-word (5.42 ± 0.11 syllables/s). Individuals with PD showed a significantly lower O-DDK rate compared to healthy elderly (4.73 ± 0.15 syllables/s vs. 5.74 ± 0.14 syllables/s, adjusted p < 0.001). A subsequent analysis indicated that the O-DDK rate declined in a quadratic pattern. However, neither gender nor age effects were observed. Additionally, no significant two-way interactions were found between stimuli type, PD status and gender (all p > 0.05). Therefore, the choice of stimuli type has no or only limited effect considering the use of O-DDK tests in clinical practice for diagnostic purposes. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: The observed slowness in O-DDK among individuals with PD can be attributed to the impact of the movement disorder, specifically bradykinesia, on the physiological aspects of speech production. Speech-language pathologists can gain insights into the impact of PD on speech production and tailor appropriate intervention strategies to address the specific needs of individuals with PD according to disease stages. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject The observed slowness in O-DDK rates among individuals with PD may stem from the movement disorder's effects on the physiological aspects of speech production, particularly bradykinesia. However, there is a lack of consistent evidence regarding the influence of real-word repetition and how O-DDK rates vary across different PD stages. What this study adds to existing knowledge The O-DDK rates decline in a quadratic pattern as the PD progresses. The research provides insights into the advantage of real-word repetition in assessing O-DDK rates, with Malay real-word showing the lowest O-DDK rate, followed by English real-word and non-word. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Speech-language pathologists can better understand the evolving nature of speech motor impairments as PD progresses. This insight enables them to design targeted intervention strategies that are sensitive to the specific needs and challenges associated with each PD stage. This finding can guide clinicians in selecting appropriate assessment tools for evaluating speech motor function in PD patients.

Awareness and Knowledge of Stuttering Among Malaysian School-Aged Children: An Exploratory Study.

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge and awareness of stuttering are closely associated with attitudes toward stuttering. Few studies have been conducted on the knowledge and awareness of school-aged children, and none have been conducted in Malaysia. This study aimed to: (a) determine knowledge and awareness of stuttering among Malaysian school-aged children, and (b) determine whether there are differences between age group, gender and PWS exposure groups. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 192 Malay school-aged children (mean age = 9.47, SD = 1.781) recruited via email and social media platforms. They completed a Malay version of the questionnaire devised by van Borsel et al. (1999) on various aspects of stuttering, including prevalence, onset, gender distribution, occurrence in different cultures, cause, treatment, intelligence, and heredity of stuttering. The chi-square test of independence was performed to compare the distributions of survey responses by age group, gender and PWS exposure group. RESULTS: Around half of the school-age children had met a person who stutters, but certain aspects of their knowledge were limited. Knowledge also differed according to age and gender. Girls were more knowledgeable about stuttering than boys. Regarding stuttering treatment, younger children had more positive attitudes than older children. Participants who did not know a PWS were more likely to consult their family doctor rather than a speech-language pathologist in relation to stuttering. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge and awareness of stuttering among Malaysian school-aged children were limited. Findings of this study could be used to develop a stuttering awareness program specific to children to increase their knowledge and awareness about stuttering.

Attitudes of Malaysian Speech-Language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathology Students Toward Stuttering.

INTRODUCTION: Attitudes of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) toward stuttering play an important role in managing stuttering cases. Yet, such studies had not been studied in Malaysia, a country that is still developing the profession of speech-language pathology. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of Malaysian SLPs and speech-language pathology students toward stuttering. METHODS: A total of 50 SLPs and 67 speech-language pathology students completed the Clinician Attitudes Towards Stuttering (CATS) inventory. There were eight domains of attitudes toward stuttering: (a) etiology, (b) early intervention, (c) therapeutic efficacy, (d) personalities of PWS, (e) clinician expertise and roles, (f) teacher/counsellor roles and client/public reactions, (g) therapy strategies, and (h) parent attitudes. Descriptive data were presented and Multivariate Analysis of Variance was conducted to examine the effects of clinical certification on the eight domains of attitudes toward stuttering. RESULTS: Participants who possessed a clinical certification were more accepting toward the personalities of people who stutter (PWS) and therapy strategies. On the other hand, participants without a clinical certification were more accepting toward clinician expertise and roles. CONCLUSIONS: Current curriculum and professional training should be re-evaluated to remediate less accepting stereotypes held by SLPs and students toward PWS and to enhance essential skills such as counselling.

Proposal to transfer Bacillus massiliigorillae to the genus Peribacillus as Peribacillus massiliigorillae comb. nov., and Bacillus sinesaloumensis to the genus Ferdinandcohnia as Ferdinandcohnia sinesaloumensis comb. nov.

The present study was carried out to clarify the taxonomic position of Bacillus massiliigorillae and Bacillus sinesaloumensis. The 16S rRNA gene sequences extracted from the Bacillus sinesaloumensis Marseille-P3516T (FTOX00000000) and Bacillus massiliigorillae G2T (CAVL000000000) genomes showed 98.5 and 99.1% similarity with the type strains of Ferdinandcohnia humi and Peribacillus endoradicis, respectively. The amino acid identity (AAI) values of Bacillus sinesaloumensis Marseille-P3516T were higher with Ferdinandcohnia members, while Bacillus massiliigorillae G2T with Peribacillus members. In phylogenomic and phylogenetic trees, Bacillus sinesaloumensis Marseille-P3516T and Bacillus massiliigorillae G2T clade with members of the genera Ferdinandcohnia and Peribacillus, respectively. Based on the above results, we propose to transfer Bacillus massiliigorillae to the genus Peribacillus as Peribacillus massiliigorillae comb. nov., and Bacillus sinesaloumensis to the genus Ferdinandcohnia as Ferdinandcohnia sinesaloumensis comb. nov.

Clinical observation of menopause hormone therapy in postmenopausal women with euthyroid and mild subclinical hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the endocrine hormone and metabolic indices in postmenopausal women with euthyroid and mild subclinical hypothyroidism after menopause hormone therapy (MHT). METHODS: A retrospective study of 587 postmenopausal women receiving MHT was conducted. Median (25-75th percentile) age was 52 (49-54) years. According to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels at initial diagnosis, the patients were divided into three groups: I (euthyroid with low normal TSH range, n = 460), II (euthyroid with upper normal TSH range, n = 106) and III (mild subclinical hypothyroidism, n = 21). After a continuous oral MHT regimen using the same estradiol potency for 6-18 month cycles, serum endocrine hormone and metabolic indices were reassessed. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, serum TSH levels in groups I and II significantly changed but all values were within the normal range. No significant difference was observed in serum TSH levels in group III. After treatment, all serum free tri-iodothyronine and free thyroxine levels were within the normal range. Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index had significantly decreased in group I. There were no significant differences in all observed lipid and glucose parameters in group III, before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: MHT did not affect thyroid function in postmenopausal women with euthyroid and mild subclinical hypothyroidism. MHT led to an improvement in lipid and glucose indicators in euthyroid women with low normal TSH range.

Improved anti-tumor activity of fluorinated camptothecin derivatives 9-fluorocamptothecin and 7-ethyl-9-fluorocamptothecin on hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting topoisomerase I.

Primary liver cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers of the digestive system that lacks effective chemotherapeutic drugs in clinical settings. Camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives have been approved for cancer treatment; however, their application is limited by their systemic toxicity. For lead optimization in new drug discovery stages, fluorination is an effective and robust approach to increase the bioavailability and optimize the pharmacokinetics of candidate compounds, thereby improving their efficacy. To obtain new and highly active CPT derivatives, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated two new fluorinated CPT derivatives, 9-fluorocamptothecin (A1) and 7-ethyl-9-fluorocamptothecin (A2), in this study. In vitro, A1 and A2 exhibited more robust anti-tumor activity than topotecan (TPT) in various cancer cells, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In vivo, A1 and A2 exhibited greater anti-tumor activity than TPT in both AKT/Met induced primary HCC mouse models and implanted HepG2 cell xenografts. Acute toxicity tests revealed that A1 and A2 were not lethal and did not cause significant body weight loss at high doses. Moreover, A1 and A2 exhibited no significant toxicity in the mouse liver, heart, lung, spleen, kidney, and hematopoietic systems at therapeutic doses. Mechanistically, A1 and A2 blocked HCC cell proliferation by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of Topo I, subsequently inducing DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. In summary, our results indicate that fluorination improves the anti-tumor activity of CPT while decreasing its toxicity and highlight the application potential of fluorination products A1 and A2 in clinical settings.

Development and validation of a predictive model of abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal uterine bleeding associated with ovulatory dysfunction (AUB-O) is a typical gynecological disease that can affect women of various ages. Being able to identify women at risk of AUB-O could allow physicians to take timely action. This study aimed to identify the influencing factors of AUB-O in Chinese women, and then develop and validate a predictive model. METHODS: In this multicenter case-control study, 391 women with AUB-O and 838 controls who came from nine hospitals in Zhejiang province were recruited between April 2019 and January 2022. All the participants completed a structured questionnaire including general characteristics, lifestyle and habits, menstrual and reproductive history, and previous diseases. The predictive model was developed on a group of 822 women and validated on a group of 407 women. Logistic regression was adopted to investigate the influencing factors and develop the model, and validation was then performed. RESULTS: The independent predictive factors of AUB-O were age (OR 1.073, 95% CI 1.046-1.102, P < 0.001), body mass index (OR 1.081, 95% CI 1.016-1.151, P = 0.015), systolic blood pressure (OR 1.016, 95% CI 1.002-1.029, P = 0.023), residence (OR 2.451, 95% CI 1.727-3.478, P < 0.001), plant-based diet (OR 2.306, 95% CI 1.415-3.759, P < 0.001), fruits eating (OR 1.887, 95% CI 1.282-2.776, P = 0.001), daily sleep duration (OR 0.819; 95% CI 0.708-0.946, P = 0.007), multiparous (parity = 1, OR 0.424, 95% CI 0.239-0.752, P = 0.003; parity > 1, OR 0.450, 95% CI 0.247-0.822, P = 0.009), and history of ovarian cyst (OR 1.880, 95% CI 1.305-2.710, P < 0.001). The predictive ability (area under the curve) in the development group was 0.77 (95% CI 0.74-0.81), while in the validation group it was 0.73 (95% CI 0.67-0.79). The calibration curve was in high coincidence with the standard curve in the development group, and similar to the validation group. A tool for AUB-O risk calculation was created. CONCLUSIONS: Nine influencing factors and a predictive model were proposed in this study, which could identify women who are at high risk of developing AUB-O. This finding highlights the importance of early screening and the lifelong management of ovulatory disorders for women.

Repurposing Salicylamides to Combat Phytopathogenic Bacteria and Induce Plant Defense Responses.

Based on the research strategy of "drug repurposing", a series of derivatives and marketed drugs that containing salicylic acid skeleton were tested for their antibacterial activities against phytopathogens. Salicylic acid can not only regulate some important growth metabolism of plants, but also induce plant disease resistance. The bioassay results showed that the salicylamides exhibited excellent antibacterial activity. Especially, oxyclozanide showed the best antibacterial effect against Xanthomonas oryzae, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and Pectobacterium atroseptica with MICs of 0.78, 3.12 and 12.5 µg.mL-1, respectively. In vivo experiments with rice bacterial leaf blight had further demonstrated that oxyclozanide exhibited stronger antibacterial activity than the commercial bactericide, thiodiazole copper. Oxyclozanide could induce plant defense responses through the determination of salicylic acid content and the activities of defense-related enzymes including CAT, POD, and SOD in rice. The preliminarily antibacterial mechanism study indicated that oxyclozanide exhibited the antibacterial activity by disrupting cell integrity and reducing bacterial pathogenicity. Additionally, oxyclozanide could induce plant defense responses through the determination of salicylic acid content.

Antioxidative and Mitochondrial Protection in Retinal Pigment Epithelium: New Light Source in Action.

Low-color-temperature light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (called 1900 K LEDs for short) have the potential to become a healthy light source due to their blue-free property. Our previous research demonstrated that these LEDs posed no harm to retinal cells and even protected the ocular surface. Treatment targeting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a promising direction for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Nevertheless, no study has evaluated the protective effects of these LEDs on RPE. Therefore, we used the ARPE-19 cell line and zebrafish to explore the protective effects of 1900 K LEDs. Our results showed that the 1900 K LEDs could increase the cell vitality of ARPE-19 cells at different irradiances, with the most pronounced effect at 10 W/m2. Moreover, the protective effect increased with time. Pretreatment with 1900 K LEDs could protect the RPE from death after hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) damage by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial damage caused by H2O2. In addition, we preliminarily demonstrated that irradiation with 1900 K LEDs in zebrafish did not cause retinal damage. To sum up, we provide evidence for the protective effects of 1900 K LEDs on the RPE, laying the foundation for future light therapy using these LEDs.

Assessing the effectiveness of a chatbot workshop as experiential teaching and learning tool to engage undergraduate students.

In this paper, we empirically examine and assess the effectiveness of a chatbot workshop as experiential teaching and learning tool to engage undergraduate students enrolled in an elective course "Doing Business with A.I." in the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) at Singapore Management University. The chatbot workshop provides non-STEM students with an opportunity to acquire basic skills to build a chatbot prototype using the 'Dialogflow' program. The workshop and the experiential learning activity are designed to impart conversation and user-centric design know how and know why to students. A key didactical aspect which informs the design and flow of the chatbot workshop is that novice learners with no or very little knowledge about A.I. recognize and create the important linkage between knowledge inputs and outputs of conversational agents powered by natural language processing (NLP) so that user queries can be effectively addressed. According to the study results, 90.7% of all surveyed students (n = 43) were satisfied with the experiential learning chatbot workshop; 81.4% of the respondents felt engaged while 81.3% of the participants reported moderate to high levels of competencies (81.3%) as result of the hands-on workshop. Almost all students surveyed (97.7%) felt that the experiential chatbot workshop had met the expected learning outcomes. Besides presenting empirical data that underscore the pedagogical usefulness of conducting an experiential Chatbot workshop in basic A.I. classes with special reference to NLP, we are trying to corroborate a conceptual model developed from learning theories and technology mediated learning (TML) models aimed at measuring the effects of a chatbot practicum on students' engagement and motivation as potential drivers of successfully acquiring basic NLP skills and learner satisfaction. The paper provides useful practical information for instructors interested in deploying a practical chatbot workshop as effective TML tool in a tertiary educational context aimed at making learners 'future-ready'. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-023-11795-5.

[Recent research on childhood hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by MYH7 gene mutations]. / MYH7åŸºå› çªå˜è‡´å„¿ç«¥è‚¥åŽšåž‹å¿ƒè‚Œç— çš„ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common monogenic inherited myocardial disease in children, and mutations in sarcomere genes (such as MYH7 and MYBPC3) are the most common genetic etiology of HCM, among which mutations in the MYH7 gene are the most common and account for 30%-50%. MYH7 gene mutations have the characteristics of being affected by environmental factors, coexisting with multiple genetic variations, and age-dependent penetrance, which leads to different or overlapping clinical phenotypes in children, including various cardiomyopathies and skeletal myopathies. At present, the pathogenesis, course, and prognosis of HCM caused by MYH7 gene mutations in children remain unclear. This article summarizes the possible pathogenesis, clinical phenotype, and treatment of HCM caused by MYH7 gene mutations, in order to facilitate the accurate prognostic evaluation and individualized management and treatment of the children with this disorder.

[Phenotype and genotype characteristics of children with cardiomyopathy associated with MYH7 gene mutation: a retrospective analysis]. / MYH7åŸºå› å˜å¼‚ç›¸å ³å„¿ç«¥å¿ƒè‚Œç— è¡¨åž‹ä¸ŽåŸºå› åž‹ç‰¹ç‚¹çš„å›žé¡¾æ€§åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical phenotype and genotype characteristics of children withcardiomyopathy (CM) associated with MYH7 gene mutation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical data of five children with CM caused by MYH7 gene mutation who were diagnosed and treated in the Department of Cardiology, Hebei Children's Hospital. RESULTS: Among the five children with CM, there were three girls and two boys, all of whom carried MYH7 gene mutation. Seven mutation sites were identified, among which five were not reported before. Among the five children, there were three children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one child with dilated cardiomyopathy, and one child with noncompaction cardiomyopathy. The age ranged from 6 to 156 months at the initial diagnosis. At the initial diagnosis, two children had the manifestations of heart failure such as cough, shortness of breath, poor feeding, and cyanosis of lips, as well as delayed development; one child had palpitation, blackness, and syncope; one child had fever, runny nose, and abnormal liver function; all five children had a reduction in activity endurance. All five children received pharmacotherapy for improving cardiac function and survived after follow-up for 7-24 months. CONCLUSIONS: The age of onset varies in children with CM caused by MYH7 gene mutation, and most children lack specific clinical manifestations at the initial diagnosis and may have the phenotype of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy or noncompaction cardiomyopathy. The children receiving early genetic diagnosis and pharmacological intervention result in a favorable short-term prognosis.

[Clinical and genetic characteristics of children with primary dilated cardiomyopathy]. / å„¿ç«¥åŽŸå‘æ€§æ‰©å¼ åž‹å¿ƒè‚Œç— çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åŠé—ä¼ å­¦åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the genetic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of children with primary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 44 children who were diagnosed with DCM in Hebei Children's Hospital from July 2018 to February 2023. According to the genetic testing results, they were divided into two groups: gene mutation-positive group (n=17) and gene mutation-negative group (n=27). The two groups were compared in terms of clinical data at initial diagnosis and follow-up data. RESULTS: Among the 44 children with DCM, there were 21 boys (48%) and 23 girls (52%). Respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath were the most common symptom at initial diagnosis (34%, 15/44). The detection rate of gene mutations was 39% (17/44). There were no significant differences between the two groups in clinical characteristics, proportion of children with cardiac function grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ, brain natriuretic peptide levels, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular fractional shortening at initial diagnosis (P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 23 months, and 9 children (20%) died, including 8 children from the gene mutation-positive group, among whom 3 had TTN gene mutation, 2 had LMNA gene mutation, 2 had TAZ gene mutation, and 1 had ATAD3A gene mutation. The gene mutation-positive group had a significantly higher mortality rate than the gene mutation-negative group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is no correlation between the severity of DCM at initial diagnosis and gene mutations in children. However, children with gene mutations may have a poorer prognosis.

Dual-Energy CT Iodine Concentration to Evaluate Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula after Pancreatoduodenectomy.

Background Pancreatic fibrosis and fatty infiltration are associated with postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), but accurate preoperative assessment remains a challenge. Iodine concentration (IC) and fat fraction derived from dual-energy CT (DECT) may reflect the amount of fibrosis and steatosis, potentially enabling the preoperative prediction of POPF. Purpose To identify multiphasic DECT-derived IC and fat fraction that improve the prediction of POPF risks compared with contrast-enhanced CT attenuation values and to evaluate the underlying histopathologic changes. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy and DECT (including pancreatic parenchymal, portal venous, and delayed phase scanning) between January 2020 and December 2020. The relationships of the quantitative DECT-derived IC and fat fraction, along with CT attenuation values from enhanced images with POPF risk, were analyzed with logistic regression analysis. The predictive performance of the IC was compared with that of the CT values. The histopathologic underpinnings of IC were evaluated with multivariable linear regression analysis. Results A total of 107 patients (median age, 65 years; interquartile range, 57-70 years; 56 men) were included. Of these, 23 (21%) had POPF. The pancreatic parenchymal-to-portal venous phase IC ratio (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 13; 95% CI: 2, 162; P < .001) was an independent predictor of POPF occurrence. The accuracy of the pancreatic parenchymal-to-portal venous phase IC ratio in predicting POPF was higher than that of the CT value ratio in the same phases (78% vs 65%, P < .001). The pancreatic parenchymal-to-portal venous phase IC ratio was independently associated with pancreatic fibrosis (ß = -1.04; 95% CI: -0.44, -1.64; P = .001). Conclusion A higher pancreatic parenchymal-to-portal venous phase IC ratio was associated with less histologic fibrosis and greater risk of POPF. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Lee and Yoon in this issue.