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Researchers have found that student engagement has an impact on student learning, retention, motivation, and persistence in higher education. However, faculty often experience challenges in maintaining high levels of student engagement in their classes. Data collected in class during activities, through learner generated reports, and at various points in students' academic careers can provide valuable insight into student engagement. This datum can be used to enhance instructional approaches and curricula to improve student academic gains and interest. Further, universities can use student engagement data to better support vulnerable student populations and improve institutional effectiveness. Because student engagement can have a profound effect on student engagement, this literature review highlights how universities can collect and analyze data to provide targeted instructional practices to augment student performance.

Urban green areas can have a high impact on soil fauna due the environmental changes caused by human activities. This work aimed to assess earthworm populations in urban sites in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Earthworms were sampled in two urban sites: the Campus Ecoville of the Universidade Positivo and the Casa Verde space and in two land use systems (Grass Lawn and Native Vegetation), in the summer of 2018 and 2019 and winter of 2019. A total of 1052 individuals were found, belonging to five families and 12 species were identified, of which five are native: Glossoscolex sp.55, Fimoscolex sp.36, Fimoscolex sp.37 (Glossoscolecidae), Andiorrhinus duseni (Rhinodrilidae) and Ocnerodrilidae sp.43 (Ocnerodrilidae) and seven are exotic species: Amynthas corticis, Amynthas morrisi, Metaphire californica, Metaphire schmardae (Megascolecidae), Dendrodrilus rubidus (Lumbricidae) and Pontoscolex corethrurus (Rhinodrilidae). Of the five native species found, four are new species and will be described in the future and the specie A. duseni belongs to the group known as giant earthworms (minhocuçu) with specimens larger than 30cm. Despite the predominance of exotic species (n=932) compared to native species (n=114), the presence of new species may indicate that the managed environments can preserve native species. Moreover, the difference in the total number (native vs. exotic) can be attributed to the ability of the exotic species to survive human disturbances.

Phenolic acids are recognized as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. Altered glucose and glutamine metabolism are recognized hallmarks of cancer cells. We aimed to test the influence of phenolic acids on glucose and glutamine cellular uptake by a breast (MCF-7) and a pancreatic (AsPC-1) cancer cell line. Several phenolic acids (caffeic, ferrulic, proctocatechuic, coumaric and gallic acid) affected 3H-glutamine and/or 3H-deoxy-d-glucose (3H-DG) uptake. Gallic acid (100 µM) caused a 3-fold increase in 3H-DG uptake by AsPC-1 cells, associated with a 3.7-fold increase in lactic acid production. Gallic acid stimulated GLUT1-mediated 3H-DG uptake and increased the affinity of this transporter for 3H-DG. We further verified that gallic acid does not change GLUT1 transcription rates and cellular redox state and that its effect does not involve PI3K, mTOR and MAP kinases and is not associated with a proproliferative effect. Gallic acid also increased 3H-DG uptake by MCF-7 cells, although less potently. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the cellular pathways involved in this effect of gallic acid.

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat a great variety of solid tumors. Its dose is commonly limited by its nephrotoxicity, manifested as acute kidney injury (AKI). Erythropoietin (Epo) is a glycoprotein hormone that regulates the production of red blood cells. This study was performed to evaluate the presence of endogenous Epo in male Wistar rat urine and to analyse changes in urinary Epo levels in response to cisplatin- induced AKI. Dose-dependent studies and time-dependent experiments were performed to evaluate changes in urea nitrogen and creatinine in plasma as well as Epo, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, creatinine and total proteins in urine at 2 days post-dosing. Rats received 2, 5 or 10 mg/kg b.w., i.p. of cisplatin. At 5 mg/kg b.w., i.p. cisplatin, significant increases in urinary Epo were detected. Significant increases in urea nitrogen and creatinine in plasma, NGAL, AP, proteins, and Epo were observed in urine from rats that received 10 mg/kg b.w., i.p. of cisplatin. In the time-dependent experiments, rats were injected with a dose of 5 mg/kg b.w., i.p. of cisplatin, and sampling occurred 2, 4, and 14 days post-dosing. In these animals, there were significant increases in urea nitrogen and creatinine in plasma and total proteins, AP activity, Epo, and NGAL in urine on day 4. Urinary Epo was also detected on day 2. Taken together, these findings provide weight of evidence for urinary Epo as a promising early biomarker of cisplatin-induced AKI in male rats.

Aims/hypothesis Genome-wide studies have uncovered multiple independent signals at the RREB1 locus associated with altered type 2 diabetes risk and related glycaemic traits. However, little is known about the function of the zinc finger transcription factor Ras-responsive element binding protein 1 (RREB1) in glucose homeostasis or how changes in its expression and/or function influence diabetes risk. Methods A zebrafish model lacking rreb1a and rreb1b was used to study the effect of RREB1 loss in vivo. Using transcriptomic and cellular phenotyping of a human beta cell model (EndoC-βH1) and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived beta-like cells, we investigated how loss of RREB1 expression and activity affects pancreatic endocrine cell development and function. Ex vivo measurements of human islet function were performed in donor islets from carriers of RREB1 type 2 diabetes risk alleles. Results CRISPR/Cas9-mediated loss of rreb1a and rreb1b function in zebrafish supports an in vivo role for the transcription factor in beta cell mass, beta cell insulin expression and glucose levels. Loss of RREB1 also reduced insulin gene expression and cellular insulin content in EndoC-βH1 cells and impaired insulin secretion under prolonged stimulation. Transcriptomic analysis of RREB1 knockdown and knockout EndoC-βH1 cells supports RREB1 as a novel regulator of genes involved in insulin secretion. In vitro differentiation of RREB1KO/KO hiPSCs revealed dysregulation of pro-endocrine cell genes, including RFX family members, suggesting that RREB1 also regulates genes involved in endocrine cell development. Human donor islets from carriers of type 2 diabetes risk alleles in RREB1 have altered glucose-stimulated insulin secretion ex vivo, consistent with a role for RREB1 in regulating islet cell function. Conclusions/interpretation Together, our results indicate that RREB1 regulates beta cell function by transcriptionally regulating the expression of genes involved in beta cell development and function. Graphical abstract

Newly generated immature B cells that bind self-antigen with high avidity arrest in differentiation and undergo central tolerance via receptor editing and clonal deletion. These autoreactive immature B cells also express low surface levels of the coreceptor CD19, a key activator of the PI3K pathway. Signals emanating from both CD19 and PI3K are known to be critical for attenuating receptor editing and selecting immature B cells into the periphery. However, the mechanisms that modulate CD19 expression at this stage of B cell development have not yet been resolved. Using in vivo and in vitro models, we demonstrate that Cd19 de novo gene transcription and translation do not significantly contribute to the differences in CD19 surface expression in mouse autoreactive and nonautoreactive immature B cells. Instead, CD19 downregulation is induced by BCR stimulation in proportion to BCR engagement, and the remaining surface IgM and CD19 molecules promote intracellular PI3K-AKT activity in proportion to their level of expression. The internalized CD19 is degraded with IgM by the lysosome, but inhibiting lysosome-mediated protein degradation only slightly improves surface CD19. In fact, CD19 is restored only upon Ag removal. Our data also reveal that the PI3K-AKT pathway positively modulates CD19 surface expression in immature B cells via a mechanism that is independent of inhibition of FOXO1 and its role on Cd19 gene transcription while is dependent on mTORC1.

As periferias têm vida pulsante com seus moradores se movimentando para a rotina extenuante de trabalho. Em seu tempo livre, o cuidado com a família e o lazer são objetivos comuns. A literatura, como outras produções culturais, não são facilmente encontradas na vida de quem vive na periferia, devido aos poucos equipamentos culturais e bibliotecas públicas, nos territórios periféricos. A colonização se faz presente nas regras da política, na segregação socioespacial e no direito à cidade. O racismo e o machismo se apresentam todos os dias na periferia. Mas os periféricos começaram a contar suas histórias, através das mulheres, dos jovens, nas músicas, nos slams, nas roda de rima e no texto literário. [Recebido em: 6 abr. 2022 – Aceito em: 13 out. 2022]