Academic Investigators Research Articles

May phytophenolics alleviate aflatoxins-induced health challenges? A holistic insight on current landscape and future prospects.

The future GCC-connected environmental risk factors expedited the progression of nCDs. Indeed, the emergence of AFs is becoming a global food security concern. AFs are lethal carcinogenic mycotoxins, causing damage to the liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal organs. Long-term exposure to AFs leads to liver cancer. Almost a variety of food commodities, crops, spices, herbaceous materials, nuts, and processed foods can be contaminated with AFs. In this regard, the primary sections of this review aim to cover influencing factors in the occurrence of AFs, the role of AFs in progression of nCDs, links between GCC/nCDs and exposure to AFs, frequency of AFs-based academic investigations, and world distribution of AFs. Next, the current trends in the application of PPs to alleviate AFs toxicity are discussed. Nearly, more than 20,000 published records indexed in scientific databases have been screened to find recent trends on AFs and application of PPs in AFs therapy. Accordingly, shifts in world climate, improper infrastructures for production/storage of food commodities, inconsistency of global polices on AFs permissible concentration in food/feed, and lack of the public awareness are accounting for a considerable proportion of AFs damages. AFs exhibited their toxic effects by triggering the progression of inflammation and oxidative/nitrosative stress, in turn, leading to the onset of nCDs. PPs could decrease AFs-associated oxidative stress, genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects by improving cellular antioxidant balance, regulation of signaling pathways, alleviating inflammatory responses, and modification of gene expression profile in a dose/time-reliant fashion. The administration of PPs alone displayed lower biological properties compared to co-treatment of these metabolites with AFs. This issue might highlight the therapeutic application of PPs than their preventative content. Flavonoids such as quercetin and oxidized tea phenolics, curcumin and resveratrol were the most studied anti-AFs PPs. Our literature review clearly disclosed that considering PPs in antioxidant therapies to alleviate complications of AFs requires improvement in their bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, tissue clearance, and off-target mode of action. Due to the emergencies in the elimination of AFs in food/feedstuffs, further large-scale clinical assessment of PPs to decrease the consequences of AFs is highly required.

Looping Arts, Research, and the Streets in Recent Polish Protests


 
 
 Using the case study of the 2020/21 Strajk Kobiet [Women’s Strike] protests in Poland, this project looks at the relationship between research(ers) and social movements, the blurred line between artist and activist, and the purpose of archiving within a protest wave. What renderings are effective when research needs to exist in a close loop with the streets? Is the role of the artist during a protest wave to disseminate awareness or knowledge, and inspire, or can artistic research be a form of knowledge-development, and therefore a rendering of the research to further political goals and develop political strategies? What is the role of the archive?
 Against a backdrop of digitised-mediatised politics and a fascistisation of politics globally, this research looks to address an urgent need for dynamic renderings and more structured looping of research, arts, archiving and the streets in the fight for better futures. Posing more questions than offering answers, this exploratory process comes from a personal intersection of academic investigation and activist practice.
 
 

Problems of Pension Provision Caused by COVID-19

The corona virus infection (COVID-19) had a destructive impact on the finance and economic system. There were interruptions in business processes, general slowing-down in economic activity, sharp rise in unemployment rate and initial drop in asset value due to finance market contraction. Monetary-credit and taxation-budget policy resulted in even higher interest rates, sharp growth in budget deficit and state debt. These factors affected both the state pension distribution and defined contribution pension systems. The goal of the research is to assess the impact of the corona virus infection (COVID-19) on financial wellbeing of the population and economic development of the country. Conditions were studied, when pensioners could invest their savings. The following methods of academic investigation were used: analysis, forecasting, synthesis, induction, deduction, observation and comparison. A conclusion was drawn about the adverse impact of the pandemic on the pension system and changes in the global inflation and unemployment rates during the period of pandemic worsening in 2020–2021. Forecasts of the mentioned indicators were calculated up to 2024. Feasible measures of people support during the pandemic were proposed. The problem of pension system vulnerability to cyber attacks and various frauds was highlighted.

Exploring changes in organizational purchasing behaviors brought about by COVID-19 as a catalyst for new directions in sales research

The COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption and ultimate lasting impact on the business world is unprecedented. While there has been much discussion about the specific impact that COVID-19 has had on salespeople and sales organizations as a whole, very little academic investigation has been focused on the impact of the pandemic in terms of the ‘other side’ of the buyer-salesperson dyad–namely, B2B buyers. This research aims to fill this void by providing initial insights into the changes that have emerged post COVID-19 in B2B buyer decision-making. Using qualitative interviews and an exploratory survey (with the goal of generalizing the initial findings across industries and contexts), our findings suggest that significant changes have emerged in the areas of (1) the organizational buying process, (2) how buyers source information, and (3) how buyers and salespeople interact. We expand on these core themes via a list of more detailed subthemes. The results serve as a catalyst for new and relevant avenues for sales related research regarding B2B in the new normal. Consequently, extensive future research directions are proposed.

Active Imagination and The Legend of Zelda: An Unlikely Source of Modern Mythology

Jung often stated that one must find one’s myth and that children would manufacture their own mythology if left to their own devices. Video games are a common part of childhood today but are often maligned and conflated with pathologic addiction. In this paper, I present the case of “R,” who played games in The Legend of Zelda series during his childhood. In R’s present therapy, these games have taken on a new significance. He has revisited the characters and stories of the series, and we have considered its potential psychological impact in our sessions. On reflection, playing video games in The Legend of Zelda series helped him to navigate his childhood and adolescence after a difficult time with an emotionally abusive childcare provider. In this paper, I present the game series as well as the four specific games R played. Using a combination of his and my reflections alongside other academic investigation, I suggest his playing of the games were a way of accessing a mythology that felt relevant to him and was in truth a form of active imagination. One can withhold the material content of primitive myths from a child but not take from him the need for mythology, and still less his ability to manufacture it for himself. —Jung (1967, para. 30)

P361 Demystifying the NIH grant application process for international investigators

Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funds one of the largest medical mycology research portfolios. The portfolio includes the major human fungal pathogens and covers basic fungal biology and the more translational areas of therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics. NIAID utilizes many granting mechanisms that are open to US and international researchers. These include investigator-initiated applications (R01, R21, and R03s) and targeted announcements for fungal research. Additionally, NIAID has a suite of preclinical services supporting therapeutic, diagnostic, and vaccine development. These services are free and available to investigators in academia, not-for-profit organizations, industry, or governments worldwide. The NIAID granting mechanism can be complicated. Tips and tricks for navigating the NIAID application process and preclinical services will be discussed.

Descriptions of the dynamic joint space of the temporomandibular joint

BackgroundClinical diagnosis and treatment depended heavily on the motion analysis of the human joints. Although the dynamic joint space (DJS) of other organs was widely used in academic investigations, they were not universally used in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) field, which was also important for the motion evaluation of the TMJ. The objectives of this study are to introduce the DJS of the TMJ and characterize the DJS regulars of mandibular movements. MethodsTen asymptomatic subjects were selected to instruct this application. The mouth opening and closing, mandibular protrusion, and left and right protrusions, were tracked by the optical motion tracking system. According to trajectories of markers and reconstructed models from computed tomography, the motions of the mandibles could be obtained. The DJSes, which were described as the minimum Euclidian distances, were subsequently calculated based on the geometrical surfaces between the condyle and fossa during the motions. Then, the DJS map could be drawn based on the calculated values. ResultsThe DJS map manifested a decreasing trend when the condyle crossed the glenoid fossa, while it generally increased after the condyle crossed the fossa during the mouth opening. The results showed that the average maximum and minimum anterior joint spaces were 5.39 mm and 2.07 mm during mouth opening respectively with a great discrepancy existing among the subjects. The average maximum and minimum anterior joint spaces were 4.74 mm and 2.19 mm during mandibular protrusion. As for left and right protrusions, the DJS of the contralateral side was greater than that of the ipsilateral side. ConclusionIn comparison to morphological analyses or only mandibular motions, the DJS provides more dynamic and interactive information about the TMJ. The research and methodology may help us comprehend TMJ motions and temporomandibular disorders.

Innovative Knowledge Management Tool of the Visually Impaired Students’ Mental Health Care for Teachers, Parents and Public Health Personnel

Research on innovative knowledge management tool of the visually impaired students’ mental health care for teachers, parents and public health personnel is an academic investigation for research and development purpose. Knowledge management was employed in the early stage of the investigation. The objectives of this study were comprised of 1) developing an innovation to be used by teachers, parents, and public health personnel to provide support to the visually impaired children; 2) sharing knowledge regarding mental health support of the visually impaired students to vision teachers, parents, and relevant public health personnel; and 3) outlining a number of approaches for mental health support to visually impaired children. This study began with an interview with relevant individuals to identify various issues of innovative development with knowledge management. A knowledge management team was formed with participating blind schools which aimed to measure the knowledge level of each school, to design and develop an innovation, to provide access to the knowledge and to identify methods for knowledge sharing. The innovation was adopted in five schools, where the presentation of the investigation results, and knowledge sharing forums were required. There were three main findings: 1) the innovative knowledge management tool was perceived as a handbook with both regular font and braille codes for teachers, parents, and public health personnel to assist visually impaired children with their mental health. The E1/E2 efficiency score of the handbook was 83.55/82.36 which was higher than the stated requirements; 2) Teachers, parents, and public health personnel received a statistically significant higher mean score of cognitive disabilities in mental health support of visually impaired children after the use of the handbook at the.05 level; and 3) a policy recommendation at school, Education Area Office, and Department of Mental Health served as a guideline of mental health support for children with visual impairment.

Algorithmic Analysis of Political Tweets: A Systematic Literature Review

This study investigates the trends and challenges in information science with a special focus on political tweets. The past decade has witnessed a transformation in information mining, extraction and production using algorithms on social media platforms. The unique data structure of Twitter has gained scholarly attention for its intelligence to produce voluminous information which is convenient and rapid. But the efficiency of Twitter as a platform to obtain political knowledge remains a question. Various socio-technological research methods have emerged making Twitter an integrated topic of study for scholars from media studies, computer science and information science. The big data environment provides hashtags, @-mentions, and various digital affordances necessitating its study to be an integral part of social science research. Thus, the systematic literature review aims to examine tweeting patterns of political leaders to study variables such as ideology diffusion, polarization, political issues, digital campaigns etc. The study also examines computational research methods to retrieve Twitter data pertaining to political information. Academic investigation consists of approaches to automated data collection on Twitter, pre-processing techniques using R and Python, machine learning procedures and sentiment analysis used on Twitter data. The study showcases India’s stand in adopting the niche socio-technological methods in social science research.

P11.65.B GBM AGILE: A global, phase 2/3 adaptive platform trial to evaluate multiple treatment regimens in newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma

Abstract Background GBM AGILE (Glioblastoma Adaptive, Global, Innovative Learning Environment) is a biomarker based, multi-arm, international, seamless Phase 2/3 Response Adaptive Randomization platform trial designed to rapidly identify experimental therapies that improve overall survival and confirm efficacious experimental therapies and associated biomarker signatures to support new drug approvals and registration. It is a collaboration between academic investigators, patient organizations and industry, under the sponsorship of the non-profit organization, Global Coalition for Adaptive Research, to support new drug applications for newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM. Material and Methods The primary objective of GBM AGILE is to identify therapies that effectively improve overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent GBM. Bayesian response adaptive randomization is used within subtypes of the disease to assign participants to investigational arms based on their performance. Operating under a master protocol, GBM AGILE allows multiple drugs from different pharmaceutical companies to be evaluated simultaneously and/or over time against a common control arm. Based on performance, a drug may graduate and move to a Stage 2 (Phase 3) within the trial, and the totality of the data can be used for a new drug application and registration process. New experimental therapies are added as information about promising new drugs is identified while other therapies are removed as they complete their evaluation. The master protocol/ trial infrastructure includes efficiencies through an adaptive trial design, shared control arm and operational processes such as risk-based monitoring and enhanced remote activities. With its adaptable structure, GBM AGILE has continued trial activation, inclusion of new investigational therapies, and enrollment globally through the challenges of a global pandemic.GBM AGILE provides an efficient mechanism to screen and develop robust information regarding the efficacy of proposed novel therapeutics and associated biomarkers for GBM and to quickly move therapies and biomarkers into clinic. GBM AGILE received initial approval from the United States FDA in April 2019, and in Europe through the Voluntary Harmonization Procedure (VHP) in April, 2021. As of 2022, AGILE has screened over 1000 patients studying multiple investigational treatments. Enrollment rates are 3 to 4 times greater than traditional GBM trials, with active sites averaging 0.75 to 1 patients/site/month. Currently, there are 41 sites activated in the US, 4 in Canada and 2 in Switzerland and an estimated 24 sites yet to open in Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. In addition to the continued expansion in Europe, effort is undergoing to extend the trial to China and Australia as well. Clinical trial information: NCT03970447

Prescrição farmacêutica: uma revisão sobre percepções e atitudes de pacientes, farmacêuticos e outros interessados

Abstract Pharmacist prescribing is a growing reality in some developed counties, with varied health systems. Understanding the contribution that this activity can offer in the healthcare process, and investigating its acceptance is of utmost importance for the countries that implement and regulate this type of system. This literature review aimed to design a state-of-the-art academic investigation on the perception, opinions, and attitudes in the context of pharmacist prescribing practices in countries that have adopted this system. To achieve this, the present study conducted an investigation of the Medline, Scopus, Embase, SciELO, and Lilacs databases, resulting in the selection of 17 studies. From the analysis of the articles, three categories of discussion arose: “understanding of the practice and perceived benefits”, “acceptance and adherence to the practice, and “hindrances to the practice”. The results showed varied acceptance and perceptions among the different publics, depending, among other questions, on the level of knowledge and experience of the patients and health professionals, on the profile of the pharmacists, or on the prescribing modality. This study highlights some challenges involved in the practice of pharmacist prescribing, and its findings can be useful in suggesting a means through which to strengthen the practice.

A Scoping Review of Information-Modeling Development in Bridge Management Systems

Transportation assets represent a critical element of public infrastructures, and bridge networks are an essential part of these assets. A system that includes several tools for managing the bridges is called a bridge management system (BMS). BMSs are built up to provide long-term health verification for bridges and assure safe serviceability. With the advent of powerful computers in the mid-1980s, BMSs became more electronic and, consequently, capable of processing more data than a paper system. Building information modeling (BIM) is an emerging technology with commanding visualization and informatization ability, making it a perfect tool for generating modern management systems. Bridge information modeling (BrIM) is a developed concept extracted from BIM that concentrates on bridges. In this paper, the use of BrIM in the development of bridge management systems during the recent decade is verified through a scoping review of the state-of-the-art literature. The broad nature of the scoping review provides chances for rapidly reviewing evidence in emerging topics and analyzing knowledge gaps; it is used to capture the cutting-edge concept of information modeling in the body of literature. In this study, search resulted in a final refined list of 78 journal articles published in the recent decade, categorized into six different topic areas. This paper aims to verify different aspects of using information modeling in bridge management and identify the knowledge gaps, limitations, and emergent works for industrial and academic investigators. Descriptive and content analyses are presented to clarify the researchers’ focal points in this review, which shows trending keywords, leading journals, and articles’ frequency in each field. This study indicates that the concentration of BrIM researchers is on new inspection and test methods and maintenance optimization with a particular focus on concrete structures.

Pharmacist prescribing: a review of perceptions and attitudes of patients, pharmacists and other interested professionals.

Pharmacist prescribing is a growing reality in some developed counties, with varied health systems. Understanding the contribution that this activity can offer in the healthcare process, and investigating its acceptance is of utmost importance for the countries that implement and regulate this type of system. This literature review aimed to design a state-of-the-art academic investigation on the perception, opinions, and attitudes in the context of pharmacist prescribing practices in countries that have adopted this system. To achieve this, the present study conducted an investigation of the Medline, Scopus, Embase, SciELO, and Lilacs databases, resulting in the selection of 17 studies. From the analysis of the articles, three categories of discussion arose: "understanding of the practice and perceived benefits", "acceptance and adherence to the practice, and "hindrances to the practice". The results showed varied acceptance and perceptions among the different publics, depending, among other questions, on the level of knowledge and experience of the patients and health professionals, on the profile of the pharmacists, or on the prescribing modality. This study highlights some challenges involved in the practice of pharmacist prescribing, and its findings can be useful in suggesting a means through which to strengthen the practice.

34960 Examining diversity and community engagement dermatology residency positions in the United States

Introduction: Diversity and Community Engagement (DCE) residency positions have recently emerged to promote diversity and encourage academic investigation in caring for underserved populations. DCE residents pursue traditional medical and surgical residency training plus scholarly work and leadership in diversity, equity, inclusion, and community engagement. We describe DCE dermatology residency positions to provide a roadmap for educators who are interested in creating similar positions. Methods: Websites of 138 ACGME-accredited dermatology residency programs were reviewed, which revealed DCE residency positions affiliated with Duke School of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania. Semistructured interviews were held with key faculty members at these institutions to discuss program vision and to identify associated benefits and challenges. Results: The vision of these programs was to prioritize increasing DCE initiatives by recruiting residents who had sustained interest in research, educational programs, and/or community service specific to diversity and inclusion. DCE residents were encouraged to pursue their interests through clinical electives and scholarly work; many completed research projects on diseases that disproportionately affect people of color. Key benefits of these positions include expanded curriculum on diversity and inclusion and increased community outreach efforts by all faculty and residents. Other benefits include demonstrated department commitment to diversity and community engagement, which contributed to increased underrepresented in medicine residency applicants. Challenges include initial conceptualization of program funding and maintaining community outreach initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: DCE residency positions provide personalized graduate medical education and may foster the next generation of leaders who are dedicated to caring for underserved populations.

The consequences of illicit drug use. Estimation, methods and challenges

Recognised as a contributor to the global burden of disease, drug use has been a source of continuous concern among practitioners and policy makers and a field for methodological debate among researchers. The consequences of substance use have always challenged the healthcare, social care, law enforcement and the legal system. This paper explores several methods used in estimating the costs and impact attributable to the use of illicit drugs with the aim of getting a broad understanding of the current research and the use thereof by practitioners and policy. The desk review behind this paper includes government reports, analyses and publications of relevant bodies, research done by various authors and organisations, academic investigations and findings from literature review. The case study includes an estimation of the burden of overdose deaths measured in years of life lost (YLL) and explores possible shortcomings that represent a challenge for research.

Trajectories of adolescent life satisfaction.

Increasing global policy interest in measuring and improving population wellbeing has prompted academic investigations into the dynamics of lifespan life satisfaction. Yet little research has assessed the complete adolescent age range, although it harbours developmental changes that could affect wellbeing far into adulthood. This study investigates how life satisfaction develops throughout the whole of adolescence, and compares this development to that in adulthood, by applying exploratory and confirmatory latent growth curve modelling to UK and German data, respectively (37 076 participants, 10–24 years). We find a near universal decrease in life satisfaction during adolescence. This decrease is steeper than at any other point across adulthood. Further, our findings suggest that adolescent girls' life satisfaction is lower than boys’, but that this difference does not extend into adulthood. The study highlights the importance of studying adolescent subjective wellbeing trajectories to inform research, policy and practice.

Experimental study of bone drilling by Kirschner wire.

Mechanical and thermal damage to the bone tissue during drilling process is inevitable and directly affects the postoperative recovery. According to clinical practices and present academic investigations, this study tries to reduce bone damage by experimental investigation of bone drilling by Kirschner wire considering the drilling force and temperature factors. Finite element method has been applied to modelling of the drilling process. Then, grouped experiments have been carried out using bovine femoral bone and analyzed based on the orthogonal experimental method. The influence of key parameters such as Kirschner wire bevel angle, feed speed and rotational speed on the microscopic bone chip size, drilling force, drilling temperature and hole inlet burr was analyzed to conduct comprehensive analysis and optimizations. It is certain that the chips size is closely related to drilling force and drilling temperature. The low drilling temperature does not mean that the damage area is small. The drilling process should be completed quickly at high feed rates. The lower rotational speed, Kirschner wire bevel angle, and higher feed rate help reduce the thermal damage area of the bone drill, effectively reduce the drilling force and hole entrance burrs.

Big Business and Dictatorships in Latin America: A Transnational History of Profits and Repression

Big Business and Dictatorships in Latin America: A Transnational History of Profits and Repression

Improving Student Understanding of Academic Assessment Vocabulary Words Using Visual Cues: A Collaborative Effort.

Many students have difficulty understanding terms from the academic register such as "analyze," "discuss," and "compare." This issue may be exacerbated for some Native American students, especially those who live on reservations with limited exposure to mainstream cultures. In this community-based participatory research project, academic investigators partnered with educators and community members from Native communities in Nebraska and South Dakota to expand students' academic vocabulary and improve student achievement. Together, we formed a team in which community members collaborated with academic investigators to develop word-wall cards incorporating dual-coding theory-that is, combining visual and verbal cues-to help students understand academic vocabulary words. Paivio's dual-coding theory postulates that verbal and visual information are encoded in separate but interconnected pathways and that concepts encoded via both pathways are more easily remembered. Accordingly, presenting information using multiple mediums, such as graphs, photographs, or demonstrations, may enhance learning. These cards were shared with community educators who used them in their classrooms. We present evidence that incorporating these multimodal tools into classrooms may improve students' understanding of academic vocabulary. Through this partnership, educators in Native American communities were able to represent their lived experiences. Teachers and administrators in Native American and non-Native classrooms could easily partner with other experts to incorporate similar innovations in their own schools and classrooms.

Descifrando el mecanismo de inhibición de una pseudoquinasa: la quinasa ligada a integrinas y el cpd22

According to World Health Organization (WHO) cancer is one of top non- infectious death causes worldwide. In this context, as such the searching of new potent and safe anticancer drugs is a hot point for pharmacy industry and academic investigation. Despite protein kinases have been one of the most explored anticancer targets, its evolutionary degenerated parents, pseudokinases, have attracted the attention of scientific community during the last decade. Integrin Linked Kinase (ILK) is a member of the human pseudokinome that has been claimed and validated as a prommissing target for neoplastic diseases. The only well-known ILK inhibitor, CPD22, has probed its activity in phenotypic assays, however very few knowledge regarding its mechanism of action at molecular level is available. Using chemoinformatic and molecular modelling techniques we were able to elucidate if this molecule is able to bind to ILK and how. Additionally, our model explains the SAR raised from the optimization campaign, and SPR experiments have probed, by first time, that this molecule binds to ILK, thus supporting the hypothesis of inhibition by direct binding and the computational model as well.