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pH determination and acid-base titrations are essential experiments performed by high school and university undergraduate students alike throughout their chemistry education. While these experiments often rely on conventional pH meters for quantification and pH test strips or indicators for qualitative assessments, we demonstrated herein that a smartphone-based pH determination technique, performing digital image analysis, particularly the determination of either the dominant wavelength or the RGB intensities, could readily replace all but one conventional pH meter in a classroom setting. Using an in-house developed smartphone-based pH reading application (app), students were able to determine the pH and perform titrations using pH strips and universal indicators, producing results matching those determined with a standard pH meter. The app and its "variants" are available for download (https://tinyurl.com/2dashjyk and https://tinyurl.com/4d73wnxt), and no prior knowledge of coding or programing was required from the students. All that was needed was an Android 11 phone or tablet with an Internet connection. Moreover, the students and instructors' reactions to the mobile app alike were very positive and showcased the need and interest for such inexpensive technology, which allows for the running of an entire class for pH determination of multiple real-life samples or acid/base titration without using standard pH meters.

The globally endangered oceanic manta ray Mobula birostris is believed to spend significantly more time in the open ocean than in coastal areas. Nonetheless, the Bird's Head Seascape (BHS) in eastern Indonesia hosts a large population of this species (over 850 individuals), frequently sighted at coral reef cleaning stations and forming a vital asset for marine tourism in the region. Despite this, detailed understanding of the movements and habitat use of this wide-ranging species within shallow (< 30 m) coral reef ecosystems remains limited. Addressing this knowledge gap is urgently required for the sustainable management of oceanic manta ray-focused tourism in the region. Here, we report the results of an initial passive acoustic telemetry study investigating the use of coral reef cleaning stations by oceanic manta rays. Forty-one rays were acoustically tracked from February 2016 to August 2019 in an array of 28 acoustic receivers deployed at known cleaning stations and hypothesized transit points across the BHS (including the regions of Raja Ampat, Fakfak, and Kaimana). A total of 5,822 detections were recorded by 16 of the 28 receivers from all tagged individuals, and 421 visitation events were documented from 37 out of the 41 tagged individuals, providing valuable insights into their visitation patterns at cleaning stations. Tagged individuals were detected at receiver stations for durations ranging from 0.2 to 427.0 min (mean ± SD = 48 ± 64 min). Notably, 94% of detections were recorded during daylight hours (reaching a peak at noon), underscoring an apparent diurnal pattern in time spent around cleaning stations. The study documented frequent short-range movements between adjacent receivers (5–12 km apart), with two-thirds of all 191 tracked movements occurring between neighboring stations in southern Raja Ampat. Notably, tagged individuals were detected repeatedly at three cleaning stations which were previously only known for hosting reef manta rays, suggesting oceanic manta rays likely also utilize these cleaning stations. Our study provides important insights into the visitations and local movements of oceanic manta rays between coral reef cleaning stations, which will inform effective oceanic manta ray conservation efforts and tourism management in the BHS.

We discuss the perceptions and experiences of high school students using reflective writing and labatorials to attempt to understand Newtonian concepts of force and motion. The sequencing and content of these activities are centered on targeting students' key difficulties related to forces and motion. Participants are 210 secondary 5 (grade 11) students, from three private schools in Montreal, who took a physics course during 2017-2018 or 2018-2019. Their ideas and opinions about forces and learning physics were investigated prior to and following the study with (a) three questions from the Force Concept Inventory; (b) a concept map focused on the relations between force and motion, and (c) pre- and post-semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 participants. The gathered data and interviews indicate that the process of combining labatorials with reflective writing improves students' attitudes towards learning the subject. Key words: force, Newton's laws, labatorials, reflective writing, Introduction In this paper, we discuss the use of the combination of labatorials (Lbts) and reflective writing (RW) in a high school setting. These interventions have been tested in a [...]

IntroductionOsimertinib is recommended by major guidelines for use in the adjuvant setting in patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC following the significant improvement in disease-free survival observed in the Phase III ADAURA trials. Due to limited real-world data in the adjuvant setting, little guidance exists on how to approach potential recurrences either during or after the completion of the treatment. This study aimed to reach a broad consensus on key treatment decision criteria in the events of recurrence.MethodsTo reach a broad consensus, a modified Delphi panel study was conducted consisting of two rounds of surveys, followed by two consensus meetings and a final offline review of key statements. An international panel of experts in the field of NSCLC (n=12) was used to provide clinical insights regarding patient management at various stages of NSCLC disease including patient monitoring, diagnostics, and treatment approach for specific recurrence scenarios. This study tested recurrences occurring 1) within or outside the central nervous system (CNS), 2) during or after the adjuvant-osimertinib regimen in NSCLC disease which is 3) amenable or not amenable to local consolidative therapy.ResultsPanellists agreed on various aspects of patient monitoring and diagnostics including the use of standard techniques (e.g., CT, MRI) and tumour biomarker assessment using tissue and liquid biopsies. Consensus was reached on 6 statements describing treatment considerations for the specific NSCLC recurrence scenarios. Panellists agreed on the value of osimertinib as a monotherapy or as part of the overall treatment strategy within the probed recurrence scenarios and acknowledged that more clinical evidence is required before precise recommendations for specific patient populations can be made.DiscussionThis study provides a qualitative expert opinion framework for clinicians to consider within their treatment decision-making when faced with recurrence during or after adjuvant-osimertinib treatment.

A recent crystal structure of a ribosome complex undergoing partial translocation in the absence of elongation factor EF-G showed disruption of codon-anticodon pairing and slippage of the reading frame by -1, directly implicating EF-G in preservation of the translational reading frame. Among mutations identified in a random screen for dominant-lethal mutations of EF-G were a cluster of six that map to the tip of domain IV, which has been shown to contact the codon-anticodon duplex in trapped translocation intermediates. In vitro synthesis of a full-length protein using these mutant EF-Gs revealed dramatically increased -1 frameshifting, providing new evidence for a role for domain IV of EF-G in maintaining the reading frame. These mutations also caused decreased rates of mRNA translocation and rotational movement of the head and body domains of the 30S ribosomal subunit during translocation. Our results are in general agreement with recent findings from Rodnina and coworkers based on in vitro translation of an oligopeptide using EF-Gs containing mutations at two positions in domain IV, who found an inverse correlation between the degree of frameshifting and rates of translocation. Four of our six mutations are substitutions at positions that interact with the translocating tRNA, in each case contacting the RNA backbone of the anticodon loop. We suggest that EF-G helps to preserve the translational reading frame by preventing uncoupled movement of the tRNA through these contacts; a further possibility is that these interactions may stabilize a conformation of the anticodon that favors base-pairing with its codon.

It has been argued that for novice students to acquire a full understanding of scientific texts, they also need to pursue a recurrent construction of their comprehension of scientific concepts. The course dossier method has students examine concepts in multiple passes: (a) through reflective writing on text before it is considered in the classroom, (b) in a one-page essay at the end of the week, and (c) through a final essay at the end of the term. Students are encouraged to relate to the text in their reflective writing and critiques in the manner of a hermeneutical circle. Students are further scaffolded in writing their final essay by the use of student reviewers. This study explored how students in a humanities course perceived and accomplished the course dossier method. It was found that students' understanding of concepts improved as the course progressed.

Traditional, template physics labs are often associated with student dissatisfaction and superficial applications, and are known to leave students with fragmented knowledge. An alternative known as labatorials, a conceptually driven approach to labs, has been proposed. In a number of studies, labatorials have been shown to work well. However, what has been missing is a study comparing labatorials to traditional labs. In this study, labatorials are compared with traditional labs in terms of students' learning experience and the quality of their conceptual learning. Additionally, we identify the scaffolding mechanisms that impact these elements. In the context of Concordia University's introductory experimental mechanics course, we collect data spanning semistructured student and teaching assistant (TA) interviews, class observations, TA surveys, post-test and final exam scores and responses, and student writing products. Upon analysis and triangulation, we find that due to the scaffolding present in labatorials, students typically exhibit a high degree of collaboration and engagement with the material in a low-pressure environment, which allows students to focus on the learning. This is attributed to three primary forms of scaffolding inherent to the design of labatorials: peer scaffolding, instructor scaffolding, and scaffolding by the activity worksheet. In contrast, students in traditional labs have a tendency to rely on step-by-step instructions and focus on avoiding errors, which may inhibit their conceptual learning. These conclusions are supported by the students' differing performance and understanding exhibited in different types of questions; traditional lab students tend to perform better on questions involving standardized processes or simple, memorization-based calculations, while labatorial students tend to perform better on conceptual questions.

In a recent issue of Molecular Cell, Boehm et al. (2018), Blazquez et al. (2018), and Gonatopoulos-Pournatzis et al. (2018) uncover novel mechanisms by which the cell regulates splicing of cryptic splice sites and microexons.

Research on the role of gut microbiota in behavior has grown dramatically. The probiotic L. reuteri can alter social and stress-related behaviors – yet, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Although traditional laboratory rodents provide a foundation for examining the role of L. reuteri on the gut-brain axis, they do not naturally display a wide variety of social behaviors. Using the highly-social, monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), we examined the effects of L. reuteri administration on behaviors, neurochemical marker expression, and gut-microbiome composition. Females, but not males, treated with live L. reuteri displayed lower levels of social affiliation compared to those treated with heat-killed L. reuteri. Overall, females displayed a lower level of anxiety-like behaviors than males. Live L. reuteri-treated females had lower expression of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and CRF type-2-receptor in the nucleus accumbens, and lower vasopressin 1a-receptor in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), but increased CRF in the PVN. There were both baseline sex differences and sex-by-treatment differences in gut microbiome composition. Live L. reuteri increased the abundance of several taxa, including Enterobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136, and Treponema. Interestingly, heat-killed L. reuteri increased abundance of the beneficial taxa Bifidobacteriaceae and Blautia. There were significant correlations between changes in microbiota, brain neurochemical markers, and behaviors. Our data indicate that L. reuteri impacts gut microbiota, gut-brain axis and behaviors in a sex-specific manner in socially-monogamous prairie voles. This demonstrates the utility of the prairie vole model for further examining causal impacts of microbiome on brain and behavior.

OBJECTIVES CALGB140503/JCOG0802 RCTs comparing lobectomy with sublobar resection in stage IA NSCLC have confirmed the non-inferiority of segmentectomy. Additional insight is needed to improve preoperative work-up and intraoperative strategies to increase safety and promote the dissemination of minimally invasive segmentectomy (MIS). A Delphi panel study assessed the level of consensus among surgeons for the planning and management of MIS. METHODS Twenty-one expert lung surgeons represented academic institutions, major teaching hospitals, and community hospitals from Europe, North America, and Asia. A 3-round Delphi methodology was used to analyse the answers of each panellist. Recognizing that questions with fewer response options have a higher consensus probability due to limited variability, weighted consensus thresholds were modified based on the number of response options. RESULTS The 21 panellists responded to all 3 rounds of questions. Based on the most robust consensus (94.4%), 3D chest CT reconstructions are recommended only when planning complex segmentectomies. Surgeons should perform 3D reconstructions chest CT scans (consensus = 83.3%). The most effective and safest technique is image-guided VATS in a hybrid operating room (consensus = 83.3%). Dyes with intravenous administration are the safest technique for identifying the intersegmental plane during MIS (consensus = 72.2%). Augmented/mixed reality will probably not immediately help reduce perioperative complications (consensus = 72.2%). CONCLUSIONS This Delphi consensus supports 3D reconstructions and preoperative pulmonary nodule localization before complex MIS. These recommendations should be considered when allocating resources to improve MIS's safety and oncologic efficacy for patients with small, early-stage lung cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Multiportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for major lung resection causes less immunochemokine production compared to thoracotomy. Whether uniportal VATS is similarly associated with lower early postoperative circulating levels of immunochemokines compared to multiportal VATS have not been studied. Selected patients who received uniportal or multiportal VATS major lung resection were recruited. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and on postoperative days 1 and 3 for enzyme linked immunosorbent assay of serum levels of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, Insulin Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP)-3, and Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. A linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of uniportal VATS on the postoperative circulating chemokine levels. From March 2014 to April 2017, 68 consecutive patients consented for the prospective study and received major lung resection by either uniportal VATS (N = 29) or multiportal VATS (N = 39) were identified. Uniportal VATS major lung resection was associated with lower post-operative levels of TIMP-1 and MMP-9 compared to multiportal VATS after controlling for the effects of the corresponding baseline level and the time of follow-up measurement. No difference was observed for the level of IGFBP-3. Less immunochemokine disturbances was observed after uniportal VATS major lung resection compared to multiportal VATS.

Chest wall tumor resection can result in a large defect that can pose a challenge in reconstruction in restoring chest wall contour, maintaining respiratory mechanics, and improving cosmesis. Titanium plates were first introduced for treating a traumatic flail chest, which yielded promising results in restoring chest wall stability. Subsequently, the applications of titanium plates in chest wall reconstruction surgery were demonstrated in case reports and series. Our center has adopted this technique for a decade, and patients are actively followed up after operation. Here, we retrospectively analyze our 10-year experience of using titanium plates and other reconstruction approaches for chest wall reconstruction, in terms of clinical outcomes, complications, and reasons for reoperation to determine long-term safety and efficacy. Thirty-eight patients who underwent chest wall resection and reconstruction surgery were identified. Of these, 11 had titanium plate insertion, 11 had patch repair or flap reconstruction, and the remaining 16 had primary closure of defects. Chest wall reconstruction using titanium plate(s) and patch repair (with or without flap reconstruction) was associated with larger chest wall defects and more sternal resections than primary closure. Subgroup analysis also showed that reconstruction by the titanium plate technique was associated with larger chest wall defects than patch repair or flap reconstruction [286.80 cm2 vs. 140.91 cm2 (p = 0.083)]. There was no 30-day hospital mortality. Post-operative arrhythmia was more commonly seen following chest wall reconstruction compared with primary closure (p = 0.041). Furthermore, more wound infections were detected following the use of titanium plate reconstruction compared with the patch repair (with or without flap reconstruction) approach (p = 0.027). In conclusion, the titanium plate system is a safe, effective, and robust approach for chest wall reconstruction surgery, especially in tackling larger defect sizes.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB)-guided indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence dye marking of subsolid, small and deep lung lesions facilitates subsequent minimally invasive lung resection surgeries. The novel robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) platform can improve the accuracy and yield of ENB biopsy, and the use of RAB has been extended to ICG dye marking. However, performing this procedure in the hybrid operating room guided by cone-beam CT (CBCT) with immediate proceed to lung surgery has not been well reported. We studied the safety, feasibility and clinical outcomes of 5 consecutive cases performed between December 2021 and March 2022. Navigation success was 100% while localization success using ICG was 80%. The benefits and pitfalls of robotic bronchoscopy procedures, and challenges of combining with hybrid operating room CBCT were discussed in detail. In conclusion, robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is a promising and useful tool for ICG fluorescence dye-marking, providing accurate navigation, superior maneuverability and improved ergonomics compared to conventional bronchoscopy-guided ENB procedures. Learning curve is reasonable, but meticulous system set up to incorporate the robotic system into existing CBCT platform may be required to ensure a smooth procedure.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are known to facilitate healing of ischemic tissue related diseases through proangiogenic secretory proteins. Recent studies further show that MSC derived exosomes function as paracrine effectors of angiogenesis, however, the identity of which components of the exosome proteome responsible for this effect remains elusive. To address this we used high-resolution isoelectric focusing coupled liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, an unbiased high throughput proteomics approach to comprehensively characterize the proteinaceous contents of MSCs and MSC derived exosomes. We probed the proteome of MSCs and MSC derived exosomes from cells cultured under expansion conditions and under ischemic tissue simulated conditions to elucidate key angiogenic paracrine effectors present and potentially differentially expressed in these conditions. In total, 6,342 proteins were identified in MSCs and 1,927 proteins in MSC derived exosomes, representing to our knowledge the first time these proteomes have been probed comprehensively. Multilayered analyses identified several putative paracrine effectors of angiogenesis present in MSC exosomes and increased in expression in MSCs exposed to ischemic tissue-simulated conditions; these include platelet derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and most notably nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkB) signaling pathway proteins. NFkB signaling was identified as a key mediator of MSC exosome induced angiogenesis in endothelial cells by functional in vitro validation using a specific inhibitor. Collectively, the results of our proteomic analysis show that MSC derived exosomes contain a robust profile of angiogenic paracrine effectors, which have potential for the treatment of ischemic tissue-related diseases.

Importance The rise of novel, more infectious SARS-CoV-2 variants has made clear the need to rapidly deploy large-scale testing for COVID-19 to protect public health. However, testing remains limited due to shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), naso- and oropharyngeal swabs, and healthcare workers. Simple test methods are needed to enhance COVID-19 screening. Here, we describe a simple, and inexpensive spit-test for COVID-19 screening called Patient Self-Collection of Sample-CoV2 (PSCS-CoV2). Objective To evaluate an affordable and convenient test for COVID-19. Methods The collection method relies on deep throat sputum (DTS) self-collected by the subject without the use of swabs, and was hence termed the Self-Collection of Sample for SARS-CoV-2 (abbreviated PSCS-CoV2). We used a phenol-chloroform extraction method for the viral RNA. We then tested for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with primers against at least two coding regions of the viral nucleocapsid protein (N1 and N2 or E) of SARS-CoV-2. We evaluted the sensitivity and specificity of our protocol. In addition we assess the limit of detection, and efficacy of our Viral Inactivating Solution. We also evaluated our protocol, and pooling strategy from volunteers on a local college campus. Results We show that the PSCS-CoV2 method accurately identified 42 confirmed COVID-19 positives, which were confirmed through the nasopharyngeal swabbing method of an FDA approved testing facility. For samples negative for COVID-19, we show that the cycle threshold for N1, N2, and RP are similar between the PSCS-CoV2 and nasopharynx swab collection method (n = 30). We found a sensitivity of 100% (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 92-100) and specifity of 100% (95% CI, 89-100) for our PSCS-CoV2 method. We determined our protocol has a limit of detection of 1/10,000 for DTS from a COVID-19 patient. In addition, we show field data of the PSCS-CoV2 method on a college campus. Ten of the twelve volunteers (N1 < 30) that we tested as positive were subsequently tested positive by an independent laboratory. Finally, we show proof of concept of a pooling strategy to test for COVID-19, and recommend pool sizes of four if the positivity rate is less than 15%. Conclusion and Relevance We developed a DTS-based protocol for COVID-19 testing with high sensitivity and specificity. This protocol can be used by non-debilitated adults without the assistance of another adult, or by non-debilitated children with the assistance of a parent or guardian. We also discuss pooling strategies based on estimated positivity rates to help conserve resources, time, and increase throughput. The PSCS-CoV2 method can be a key component of community-wide efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.