Limited Knowledge Research Articles

Clinical Informatics Team Members' Perspectives on Health Information Technology Safety After Experiential Learning and Safety Process Development: Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Although intended to support improvement, the rapid adoption and evolution of technologies in health care can also bring about unintended consequences related to safety. In this project, an embedded researcher with expertise in patient safety and clinical education worked with a clinical informatics team to examine safety and harm related to health information technologies (HITs) in primary and community care settings. The clinical informatics team participated in learning activities around relevant topics (eg, human factors, high reliability organizations, and sociotechnical systems) and cocreated a process to address safety events related to technology (ie, safety huddles and sociotechnical analysis of safety events). This study aimed to explore clinical informaticians' experiences of incorporating safety practices into their work. We used a qualitative descriptive design and conducted web-based focus groups with clinical informaticians. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. A total of 10 informants participated. Barriers to addressing safety and harm in their context included limited prior knowledge of HIT safety, previous assumptions and perspectives, competing priorities and organizational barriers, difficulty with the reporting system and processes, and a limited number of reports for learning. Enablers to promoting safety and mitigating harm included participating in learning sessions, gaining experience analyzing reported events, participating in safety huddles, and role modeling and leadership from the embedded researcher. Individual outcomes included increased ownership and interest in HIT safety, the development of a sociotechnical systems perspective, thinking differently about safety, and increased consideration for user perspectives. Team outcomes included enhanced communication within the team, using safety events to inform future work and strategic planning, and an overall promotion of a culture of safety. As HITs are integrated into care delivery, it is important for clinical informaticians to recognize the risks related to safety. Experiential learning activities, including reviewing safety event reports and participating in safety huddles, were identified as particularly impactful. An HIT safety learning initiative is a feasible approach for clinical informaticians to become more knowledgeable and engaged in HIT safety issues in their work.

Diversity of Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Communities in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico

The objective of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the freshwater macroinvertebrate communities of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. For this region, there is only limited knowledge of its aquatic crustaceans and mollusks. A total of 13,399 freshwater macroinvertebrates were collected from four river sections in each of the three sub-basins of the region using the Surber network in four seasons of an annual cycle (2021–2022) and were preserved in 70° alcohol. Organisms belonging to seven phyla, nine (sub)classes, 21 (sub)orders and 65 families were identified. The most abundant orders were Ephemeroptera (42.03%), with greatest abundance of the family Baetidae, and the orders Trichoptera (19.11%), Diptera (15.43%), and Coleoptera (3.98%). Four families exceeded 10% relative abundance, and together they total 61.02%: Baetidae (23.84%), Hydroptilidae (13.58%), Leptohyphidae (13.03%), Chironomidae (10.57%), and Elmidae (3.23%). The order Plecoptera was recorded for the first time in Los Tuxtlas, with three families. The orders Hydrachnidae and Ostracoda, as well as six families of the order Ephemeroptera, with only one previously recorded family, and six more families of the order Diptera, were also documented. Two species of invasive aquatic mollusks were found in several rivers and basins. In this work, a high diversity of freshwater macroinvertebrates occurred compared to other sites studied in Veracruz and Mexico, and new records of these taxa are provided for the region of Los Tuxtlas.

ChatGPT - A new milestone in the field of education

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, natural language processing models like ChatGPT hold creative potential for applications in education. This study focuses on ChatGPT and explores its applications in the field of education. This research employs literature review and case analysis methods to systematically investigate the applications of ChatGPT in instructional assistance, personalized education, and writing support. By analyzing three cases involving ChatGPT's professional competence in medical exams, the construction of personalized learning systems, and writing support, the paper emphasizes ChatGPT's advantages in education, future development directions, as well as ethical and privacy concerns. The study finds that ChatGPT possesses strong semantic understanding and analytical capabilities. Within the context of general applicability, it can provide accurate answers to questions posed by users with certain specialized backgrounds. The paper not only addresses ChatGPT's role as a student's auxiliary tool but also explores collaborative models between ChatGPT and teachers. However, it's important to note that ChatGPT currently has limitations in terms of limited knowledge and inadequate emotional understanding. Additionally, in terms of ethics and privacy, considerations regarding information protection and moral aspects within the educational application of ChatGPT are crucial. In the future, it's worth further exploring specialized models for ChatGPT's tasks in both teacher and student roles, along with enhancing ChatGPT's emotional support capabilities.

Exploring the readiness of youth education institutions with high‐risk students to implement a suicide prevention gatekeeper intervention: A nationwide observational survey study in Denmark

AbstractDanish schools offering “preparatory basic education and training” (FGU schools) have students that are characterized by having different academic, social, or personal problems. In addition, many FGU students are at high risk of suicidal behavior. Many young people with suicide behavior do not seek help and early identification is important for suicide prevention. Teachers are in a position where it could be relevant to implement a gatekeeper intervention. To ensure successful implementation of an intervention, it is important to establish organizational readiness for change, including its innovation‐specific capacity, which are the facilitating requirements in the organization specific to the intervention. We aimed to explore the innovation‐specific capacity to implement a gatekeeper intervention at FGU schools in Denmark. This study is based on an online survey completed by teaching staff (n = 251) at FGU schools to explore their overall knowledge about and experience with students' suicidal behavior. Limited knowledge of suicide prevention was found among teaching staff. Most knowledge was from personal experience. There is a need for teaching staff to be educated about suicidal behavior. There is a lack of innovation‐specific capacity to implement a gatekeeper intervention.

Reasons for shisha smoking: Findings from a mixed methods study among adult shisha smokers in Nigeria.

Shisha smoking has increased significantly worldwide over the past decade including in developing countries such as Nigeria. We aimed to understand the reasons for shisha smoking in Nigeria in order to address the lack of context-specific evidence to inform the national response to the growing threat posed by shisha smoking. We adopted the Theory of Planned Behaviour to conduct in-depth interviews among 78 purposely sampled current shisha smokers in 13 states (six in each state), and a quantitative survey including a random sample of 611 current shisha smokers in 12 states, across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The in-depth interview data was analysed using thematic analysis whilst the quantitative survey data was analysed descriptively. We triangulated the key findings from the two datasets using a triangulation matrix organised by the three meta-themes: attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control. Positive attitudes towards shisha smoking stem from shisha flavours, perceived pleasure from shisha smoking, curiosity about product attributes, beliefs about health benefits, limited knowledge on the health effects, and weak regulation. Having friends and family members who smoke shisha and the need to belong, particularly during social events, also promote shisha smoking. Negative societal views towards shisha smoking are potentially a protective factor. The availability of and ability to smoke shisha in many places makes shisha more accessible, whilst the high costs of shisha are potentially prohibitive. The findings also indicate that quitting shisha smoking without support is difficult. Restrictions on flavours, strengthening compliance monitoring and enforcement of the tobacco control laws in relation to shisha (e.g., smoke-free environments in indoor and outdoor public places; health warnings in English on shisha products including the pots; and tax and price measures) have the potential to minimise initiation and use, and to protect the health and wellbeing of Nigeria's general public.

Childhood maltreatment and NSSI in prisoners: mediation through self-identity and moderation by sensation-seeking.

The prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among prisoners is widely recognized. However, most research conducted in prisons setting has focused on lifetime engagement in NSSI, with limited knowledge about its correlates and risk factors during imprisonment. Drawing on the integrated theoretical model of NSSI, this study aimed to examine the combined effects of childhood maltreatment (an environmental factor) and two intrapersonal factors, namely self-identity and sensation-seeking, on NSSI. 1042 Chinese male offenders participated in the current study, and regression analyses is used to examine the relationship among variables. The results revealed that self-identity mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and prisoners' NSSI. Sensation-seeking moderated the relationship between self-identity and NSSI, and this connection was only significant for offenders with high sensation-seeking. We discuss the results of the current research and possible practical implications.

Characterization of Some Selected Soils Based on Fertility Capability Classification. In Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Characterization of soils using a scientific procedure is essential to assess the potential and constraints of a given land for agricultural purposes. The knowledge of soil limitations arising from land evaluation reports aims to provide practical approaches to ameliorating such limitations before or during the cropping period. This study was conducted to characterize selected soils in Madagali Local Government Area based on fertility capability classification. A reconnaissance soil survey was conducted in the study area. Ten auger point soil samples from each ward were randomly collected at depths of 0-20cm and 20-50cm using a digger, hoe, spade, and polyethylene bag. For each surface and sub-surface, ten samples were collected, making twenty samples representative of each ward. The twenty auger points collected from each ward were taken to the laboratory for analysis. Based on the laboratory results of selected soil properties, the fertility capability classification system classified the soils of Madagali Local Government into one FCC class (LLaedmk) for Hymbula, Gulak, Duhu, Kirchinga, and Palam. The fertility capability classification (FCC) revealed that all the soils in the study area were facing major constraints such as soil moisture stress (d), low organic matter (m), aluminium saturation (a), and low nutrient reserve (k). However, in the studied area, it is necessary to add potassium fertilizers or organic amendments with a significant K content, irrigate for dry-season farming, and add lime to overcome aluminium toxicity.

The impact of education/training on nurses caring for patients with stroke: a scoping review

BackgroundStroke survivors have complex needs that necessitate the expertise and skill of well-trained healthcare professionals to provide effective rehabilitation and long-term support. Limited knowledge exists regarding the availability of specialized education and training programs specifically designed for nurses caring for stroke patients.AimThis review aims to assess the content and methods of training for nurses caring for stroke patients, examine its impact on both nurses and patients, and identify key facilitators and barriers to its implementation.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive scoping review by reviewing multiple databases, including PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases. Data extraction and narrative synthesis were performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.ResultsSeventeen articles were included in this review. We found that education/training not only enhanced patients' self-care abilities, nursing outcomes, and satisfaction, but also had a positive impact on the knowledge, skills, and practices of nurses. The obstacles to education/training included feasibility and cost-effectiveness, while the driving factors were management support and participation, professional education/training, and controlled environment creation.ConclusionsThis review highlights the crucial role of education/training in enhancing stroke care provided by nurses. Effective education/training integrates various educational methods and management support to overcome implementation barriers and optimize clinical practice benefits. These findings indicate the necessity of universal and consistent stroke education/training for nurses to further improve patient outcomes in stroke care.

Resting posture drives the evolution of agonistic displays in bats.

Agonistic displays are one of the most diverse social behaviors that have important functions in animal's life history. However, their origin and driving factors have largely been unexplored. Here, we evaluated agonistic displays of 71 bat species across 10 families and classified these displays into two categories: (a) boxing displays where a bat attacks its opponent with its wrist and thumb and (b) pushing displays where a bat uses its head or body to hit a rival. We estimated the strength of the phylogenetic signal of the agonistic displays, revealed their origin, and tested the potential evolutionary relationships between agonistic behaviors and body size or resting posture (free hanging vs. contact hanging where the bat is in contact with some surface). We found that agonistic displays were phylogenetically conserved and that boxing displays are the ancestral state. Moreover, we found that bats with a free-hanging resting posture were more likely to exhibit boxing displays than pushing displays. In addition, bats with longer forearms do not have a higher propensity for boxing displays. This study expands our limited knowledge of the evolution of agonistic displays and highlights the importance of resting posture as a driving force in the diversity of agonistic displays.

Comprehensive mapping of Epithelial Na+ channel α expression in the mouse brain.

Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is responsible for regulating Na+ homeostasis. While its physiological functions have been investigated extensively in peripheral tissues, far fewer studies have explored its functions in the brain. Since our limited knowledge of ENaC's distribution in the brain impedes our understanding of its functions there, we decided to explore the whole-brain expression pattern of the Scnn1a gene, which encodes the core ENaC complex component ENaCα. To visualize Scnn1a expression in the brain, we crossed Scnn1a-Cre mice with Rosa26-lsl-tdTomato mice. Brain sections were subjected to immunofluorescence staining using antibodies against NeuN or Myelin Binding Protein (MBP), followed by the acquisition of confocal images. We observed robust tdTomato fluorescence not only in the soma of cortical layer 4, the thalamus, and a subset of amygdalar nuclei, but also in axonal projections in the hippocampus and striatum. We also observed expression in specific hypothalamic nuclei. Contrary to previous reports, however, we did not detect significant expression in the circumventricular organs, which are known for their role in regulating Na+ balance. Finally, we detected fluorescence in cells lining the ventricles and in the perivascular cells of the median eminence. Our comprehensive mapping of Scnn1a-expressing cells in the brain will provide a solid foundation for further investigations of the physiological roles ENaC plays within the central nervous system.

Barriers and Facilitators to Screening for Kidney Disease Among Older Adults with Hypertension and Diabetes in Mbarara Southwestern Uganda: Healthcare Providers' Perspective.

Screening for kidney disease (KD) among high-risk patients (patients with hypertension or diabetes) allows early diagnosis, intervention and delayed progression of the disease. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), KD screening is still sub-optimal. This study explored the healthcare providers' perceived barriers and facilitators to KD screening among older adults with hypertension and diabetes in Mbarara southwestern Uganda. This was a descriptive qualitative study among healthcare providers caring for older adults with diabetes mellitus and hypertension at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in southwestern Uganda. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed to develop themes of barriers and facilitators. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews among healthcare providers. Barriers to screening for kidney disease included patient related factors according to healthcare providers (financial hardships, poor health seeking behavior, limited knowledge and awareness), healthcare factors (work overload, ineffective patient healthcare provider communication) and system/policy related factors (lack of laboratory supplies, lack of guidelines and poor medical record keeping and documentation). With respect to facilitators, we found formation of peer support groups, effective team, and continuous medical education (CME). Healthcare providers encounter substantial but modifiable barriers in screening older adults for KD. The identification of barriers and facilitators in timely KD detection gives us an outlook of the problem in Uganda and leads for proposals of action. Interventions that address these barriers and promote facilitators may improve the healthcare provider's effectiveness and capacity to care including screening for patients at risk of KD.

MiRNAs differentially expressed in vegetative and reproductive organs of Marchantia polymorpha – insights into their expression pattern, gene structures and function

ABSTRACT MicroRNAs regulate gene expression affecting a variety of plant developmental processes. The evolutionary position of Marchantia polymorpha makes it a significant model to understand miRNA-mediated gene regulatory pathways in plants. Previous studies focused on conserved miRNA-target mRNA modules showed their critical role in Marchantia development. Here, we demonstrate that the differential expression of conserved miRNAs among land plants and their targets in selected organs of Marchantia additionally underlines their role in regulating fundamental developmental processes. The main aim of this study was to characterize selected liverwort-specific miRNAs, as there is a limited knowledge on their biogenesis, accumulation, targets, and function in Marchantia. We demonstrate their differential accumulation in vegetative and generative organs. We reveal that all liverwort-specific miRNAs examined are encoded by independent transcriptional units. MpmiR11737a, MpmiR11887 and MpmiR11796, annotated as being encoded within protein-encoding genes, have their own independent transcription start sites. The analysis of selected liverwort-specific miRNAs and their pri-miRNAs often reveal correlation in their levels, suggesting transcriptional regulation. However, MpmiR11796 shows a reverse correlation to its pri-miRNA level, suggesting post-transcriptional regulation. Moreover, we identify novel targets for selected liverwort-specific miRNAs and demonstrate an inverse correlation between their expression and miRNA accumulation. In the case of one miRNA precursor, we provide evidence that it encodes two functional miRNAs with two independent targets. Overall, our research sheds light on liverwort-specific miRNA gene structure, provides new data on their biogenesis and expression regulation. Furthermore, identifying their targets, we hypothesize the potential role of these miRNAs in early land plant development and functioning.

Trophic niche patterns of endangered Sandelia bainsii and Amatolacypris trevelyani in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: Insights from stable isotope analysis

Abstract Despite supporting a disproportionately large fraction of the global biodiversity, freshwater ecosystems are ranked as the most highly threatened habitats ahead of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Furthermore, many regions are still characterized by limited knowledge on taxonomy and ecology of freshwater fishes. The need for ecological information in understudied regions is important particularly where there are recent discoveries of new species and unique lineages and for threatened and endangered taxa that require conservation management. This study evaluated the trophic ecology of two freshwater fish species Sandelia bainsii and Amatolacypris trevelyani that are both classified as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. These two species, which are narrow‐range endemics in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, comprise allopatric lineages whose ecology is poorly known. This study used stable isotope analysis to evaluate the food web patterns, explore the trophic niche dynamics and estimate the prey source contributions for the two species in different headwater habitats. The fishes isotopic niche sizes were spatially variable, suggesting the likely importance of stochastic variation in resource availability and probable interspecific interactions. The three lineages within S. bainsii exhibited low isotopic niche overlap onto those of sympatric fishes in most habitats. Isotopic mixing model revealed that these lineages' diets were mostly dominated by gatherers/collectors. In comparison, the two lineages within A. trevelyani exhibited high niche overlap with other species and generally had variable diets. Despite the low and high niche overlap patterns of S. bainsii and A. trevelyani, respectively, the isotopic niche overlap patterns of co‐occurring species onto those of the former suggest the likely lack of competitive hierarchies. The trophic niche patterns of these two endangered species helped to shed some light on the potential invasion risks by non‐piscivorous fishes with opportunistic feeding habits, which could exert competitive interspecific interactions.

Micronutrients status as a contributing factor in secondary burning mouth syndrome: A review of the literature.

Patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS)experience an annoying feeling without clinical evidence of any mucosal lesion. Deficiency or excess of micronutrients is a common feature in secondary BMS. There is limited knowledge among oral healthcare providers regarding the significance of micronutrients in oral health, so the current review focuses on the critical role of these elements in oral health implications as secondary BMS. For the data collection, the authors searched for key terms without time limitation (1900-2021) in databases comprised of PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science (SCI),and Embase. The total number of matched articles with inclusion criteria involved in this review article was 59 original articles. Among these, 20 randomized clinical trials (RCT),31case-control or Crossectional, and8 case reports/series are reviewed in this review article. One of the important etiological factors in patients with secondary BMS is micronutrientimbalance. The iron, zinc, vitamin B family, vitamin D deficiency and increased levels of homocysteine and oxidant agents were examined in secondary BMS patients. In addition, oral medicine specialists must consider the possible toxic effects of some elements in restorations and dental prostheses. Further studies, such as RCTs in the future, are recommended.

Abstract TP89: Participation in Kitchen-Related Tasks Among Stroke Survivors: A Qualitative Study

Background and Aim: Being able to prepare meals and perform kitchen-related tasks is essential for living independently after stroke, yet receiving less attention when compared with other self-care activities such as toileting. This study sought to understand the survivors’ experiences of how they performed kitchen-related tasks after stroke. Methods: A qualitative study with individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of adults who had had a first or recurrent ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke for over one year and were living at home. The survivors shared about their participation in kitchen-related tasks after stroke including boiling water for drinking, meal preparation, and kitchen-related cleaning. Non-participant observation of activities performed by the survivor on a random day was conducted. Assistive aids used by the survivors and home modifications made to facilitate them to perform kitchen-related tasks were recorded. All interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results: Twenty survivors with a mean age of 61.40 years old (SD=8.52) were interviewed. They had had a stroke for an average of 10 years (SD=7.33). Four main themes were identified: 1) Being able to prepare meals symbolized achievement of independence in daily living and recovery, and eager to be able to do it. 2) Simple cooking or minimal participation in kitchen-related tasks even two to three years after stroke, feeling dependent in choices of food. 3) Common factors affecting their participation included being hesitant, barred by family members, safety concerns, reduced activity tolerance to stand during cooking, and inconvenience or inabilities to perform tasks with one hand such as cutting food, or holding a kettle filled with water. 4) Limited knowledge regarding adaptive tools facilitating their performance of kitchen-related tasks. More suggestions on cost-effective and pragmatic strategies and tools to prepare meals with one hand were desired. Conclusions: The findings suggested that the chronic stroke survivors had inadequate knowledge and skills to perform kitchen-related tasks. Suggestions on appropriate use of adaptive tools for cooking with one hand and innovative skill training are needed.

Variation in hydropeaking‐induced stranding of Barbus barbus L. and Chondrostoma nasus L. larvae: Assessing the impact of daytime and down‐ramping rates

AbstractUnnatural changes in river flow patterns resulting from peak‐operating hydropower plants adversely impact freshwater ecosystems. In particular, the rapid dewatering of shoreline habitats during artificial flow down‐ramping puts early fish life stages at a high risk of becoming stranded if they fail to follow receding water levels in time. While extensive research has been conducted on the effects of hydropeaking on salmonid species, there is limited knowledge on the diverse cyprinid family, particularly on vulnerable early life stages. Hence, this study aims to compare the larval stranding of two cyprinid species, the common barbel (Barbus barbus L.) and common nase (Chondrostoma nasus L.), in response to bank dewatering. We conducted larvae experiments in near‐natural mesocosms, simulating single flow down‐ramping events with varying down‐ramping rates (0.3–1.8 cm·min−1) during the day and at night to quantify stranding rates, also including water temperature and fish development. Our results reveal distinct diurnal patterns for both species, with higher stranding rates during the night than during the day in all experimental scenarios. The data also show higher stranding rates at faster down‐ramping, with interaction effects between down‐ramping rates and time of day. The stranding rates between the two species are similar across most of the scenarios. Scenarios with colder water temperatures show that nase larvae tend to strand more frequently than with warmer temperatures. In conclusion, the study results contribute to the ongoing discourse on hydropeaking mitigation by providing new perspectives on flow‐reduction effects on early cyprinid life stages. Mitigation measures should prioritize the periods during early larval development and factor in prevailing water temperatures. Lowering down‐ramping rates, especially during nighttime, will help minimizing negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, particularly when combining flow rules and habitat restoration measures.

Reducing Environmental Plastic Pollution by Designing Polymer Materials for Managed End‐of‐Life

AbstractPlastics are widely used synthetic materials in various industries worldwide. The abundance of plastics, which are mainly carbon‐based polymers, has led to a significant accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and the environment due to their durability and affordability. Although plastic pollution of the oceans has been known for many years, there is still limited knowledge about the composition, distribution, impact, and fate of plastic waste in the environment.In this review, the focus is on environmental pollution by plastics, highlighting the source (feedstock) and degradation behavior of these materials. The goal is to provide insights for material design strategies that address the management of plastic waste at the end of its life cycle. The authors argue that the development of materials labeled marine biodegradable or universally biodegradable is not a sufficient solution on its own to address plastic pollution. Instead, it is critical to incorporate practical plans for recovery and treatment into material and product design principles. These plans should be based on existing systems or possibly developed in parallel.In summary, this article highlights the widespread pollution of the environment by plastics and emphasizes the need for comprehensive material design strategies that include not only biodegradability but also practical recovery and treatment methods. By considering the entire lifecycle of plastics, we can work to reduce the harmful impact of plastic waste on our planet.

Effect of land-use intensity and adjacent semi-natural habitats on wild and honey bees of meadows

Most terrestrial ecosystems are shaped by the pollination service provided by insects, foremost bees. As bees are also important pollinators of crop plants, they are key for both the pollination of wild plants and for agricultural production. Meadows and semi-natural habitats (SNHs) are important habitats for bees. However, there is limited knowledge on how land-use intensity of meadows affects wild bees and managed Western honey bees. Further, it is unknown whether SNHs adjacent to meadows affect bees in meadows. Here, we examined in a landscape dominated by grasslands, the effects of land-use intensity (nitrogen input, grazing intensity, mowing frequency), flower availability and adjacent SNHs on bee communities in meadows. We recorded more than 5000 individuals of 87 species of bees and found no effect of land-use intensity on wild and honey bees. Flowering plant species richness had a positive effect on bee species richness in one study year. Though we recorded more bee species in SNHs than meadows, overall and specifically in ecologically specialized bee species (e.g. parasitic bees, oligoleges), the availability of adjacent SNHs did not affect bee abundance and richness in meadows. We discuss why land-use intensity and SNHs adjacent to meadows did not affect bees in meadows and conclude that SNHs are important in sustaining functionally diverse bee communities in landscapes dominated by grasslands.

Abstract B038: CD4Th1 cytokine interferon gamma regulates genome profiles and inhibits tumorigenesis of disseminated cancer cells in breast cancer

Abstract Detection and persistence of disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) in the bone marrow (BM) of breast cancer (BC) patients has been identified as a primary source for late recurrence and distant metastasis in multiple organs and the central nervous system. Selective targeting and eradication of DCCs in BM can be of a significant advantage to prevent future recurrence and enhance disease-free survival in BC patients. Unfortunately, no such targeted therapy presently exists. Instead, intense chemotherapy in the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting are given with the ultimate goal to prevent DCC-driven metastasis in these patients. Clinical studies have confirmed that DCCs have not been effectively eradicated by conventional chemotherapies. DCCs express unique gene signatures that differ from circulating tumor cells (CTC) in BC, but only limited knowledge is available for the genome profiles of DCCs compared to primary and metastatic lesions in BC patients. Here we investigated the detailed gene expression profiles of DCCs compared to primary and metastatic lesions from a murine spontaneous metastasis model and BC patients. Using a two-step immunomagnetic enrichment assay, we were able to successfully isolate highly enriched EpCAM+ DCCs from both the BM aspirates of HER2+ early BC patients and BALB-HER2/neu transgenic (BALB-neuT) spontaneous metastasis mice. RNA sequencing revealed that DCCs from HER2+ BC patients and BALB-neuT mice displayed remarkably similar genomic expression profiles, but both had substantially different profiles when comparing to primary and metastatic lesions. We identified highly enriched signatures in DCCs associated with cancer stemness, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle, cell adhesion, progesterone signaling and cholesterol biosynthesis. Notably, these DCCs showed loss of MHC class I, MHC class II, and CD1d expression leading to a defect in antigen presentation machinery and their subsequent escape from CD4 T, CD8 T, B and NKT-cell mediated clearance. Interestingly, we observed for the first time that anti-tumor CD4Th1 cells, through interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production, upregulated CD1d, MHC class I and II expressions in DCCs leading to high infiltration of CD4Th1, NKT and B cells into the BM to selectively target and eliminate DCC burden. IFN-γ remarkably downregulated stemness, EMT, self-renewing potential and their genome signatures and induced apoptosis and irreversible senescence in DCCs of HER2+ BC patients. Notably, these IFN-γ treated patient DCCs lost their ability to grow into tumors in an immunodeficient NSG mouse model. Collectively, these results provide a detailed genome profile of DCCs from HER2+ BC patients and a novel role for anti-tumor CD4Th1 response in inhibiting DCC-driven tumorigenesis and metastasis. Citation Format: Ganesan Ramamoorthi, Marie Catherine Lee, Krithika Kodumudi, Colin Snyder, Namrata Gautam, Saurabh K. Garg, Shari Pilon-Thomas, Brian Czerniecki. CD4Th1 cytokine interferon gamma regulates genome profiles and inhibits tumorigenesis of disseminated cancer cells in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2023 Oct 19-22; San Diego, California. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(3 Suppl_1):Abstract nr B038.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Ticks, Tick-Borne Diseases, and Ethnomedicine Among an at-Risk Population in Kerala.

Tick and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are increasing annually, and the study of ticks has gained importance after the outbreak of Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) in the South Western Ghats of India. Wayanad district of Kerala, with the highest tribal population in South India, is a KFD endemic state, owing to the lack of knowledge, attitude, and practice studies on TBDs and ethnomedicines against ticks. This study was carried out to assess their baseline knowledge, attitude, and ethnomedicinal practice against ticks. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct a survey of 499 tribal members living in forest fringe areas. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors that influence the knowledge, attitude, and practice of tribes on TBDs. More than 70% of the population visit the forests on a regular basis, with 65.7% of the population regularly exposed to tick bites; however, only 47.7% were aware of TBDs. About 47.4% of the respondents took precautions like therapeutics and natural remedies to avoid tick bites. Ten species of medicinal plant belonging to eight different families have been identified from the survey. The tribal population use these plants to repel ticks as well as treat tick bites. From the study, we concluded that the limited in-depth knowledge displayed by the tribes can be strengthened by conducting community programs such as awareness classes on TBD and its control measures. The ethnobotanicals identified can be used to formulate novel tick repellents in the future.