Research Models Research Articles

Microbiome‐gut‐brain axis as a novel hotspot in depression

AbstractAs a prevalent psychiatric disorder, the etiology of depression remains largely elusive, necessitating further investigation into its pathophysiological underpinnings. Notably, the comorbidity of depression with other mental health conditions and chronic diseases often presents alongside gastrointestinal symptoms. Research on the microbiome‐gut‐brain axis (MGBA) has emerged as a promising avenue for elucidating the pathophysiology of depression. In this study, bibliometric analysis tools, including HistCite, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the bibliometrix R package, were employed to comprehensively explore the MGBA‐depression connection. A comprehensive survey identified 980 relevant publications concerning the MGBA‐depression relationship, with a significant increase in research output observed since 2014. This analysis pinpointed five key factors within the MGBA‐depression domain: cytokines, maternal separation, neuroinflammation, probiotics, and the vagus nerve. The insights presented herein offer valuable perspectives on prevailing research models that investigate the intricate interplay among the microbiome, gastrointestinal system, and brain within the context of depression. Based on these findings, future investigations should prioritize developing microbial‐based interventions and innovative therapeutic modalities aimed at alleviating depression. By leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration and enhancing our understanding of MGBA–depression connections, we can pave pathways toward more effective treatments. Furthermore, improving outcomes for individuals with depression may be achieved by deepening our comprehension of the complex relationships between depression itself, the gut‐brain axis, and gastrointestinal microbiota.

Pelatihan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas bagi Guru MTs di Kota Palangkaraya

This service activity aimed to provide training to Madrasah Tsanawiyah teachers in compiling scientific papers in the form of Classroom Action Research. Apart from that, it trains teachers to carry out research activities in the classroom to develop their profession. The participants in this activity were 25 teachers at MTs Negeri 2 Palangka Raya. This activity was held in the Meeting Room of MTs Negeri 2 Palangka Raya on December 15 2023. Material was provided by Sabarun, M.Pd. which relates to guidelines for preparing scientific papers which consist of procedures in classroom action research and learning models that can be used in the teaching and learning process. This activity produces a draft proposal for Classroom Action Research using appropriate cycles. During the activity, participants were enthusiastic and produced PTK proposals with various titles. It could be showed that this service activity was running well and obtaining maximum results.

Application and prospect of organoid technology in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. Due to the high heterogeneity of breast cancer cells, traditional in vitro research models still have major limitations. Therefore, it is urgent to establish an experimental model that can accurately simulate the characteristics of human breast cancer. Breast cancer organoid technology emerged as the times required, that is, to construct tissue analogs with organ characteristics by using a patient's tumor tissue through 3D culture in vitro. Since the breast cancer organoid can fully preserve the histology and genetic characteristics of the original tumor, it provides a reliable model for preclinical drug screening, establishment of breast cancer organoid biobanks, research into the mechanisms of tumor development, and determination of cancer targets. It has promoted personalized treatment for clinical breast cancer patients. This article mainly focuses on recent research progress and applications of organoid technology in breast cancer, discussing the current limitations and prospects of breast cancer organoid technology.

Improved pokeweed genome assembly and early gene expression changes in response to jasmonic acid

BackgroundJasmonic acid (JA) is a phytohormone involved in regulating responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Although the JA pathway is well characterized in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, less is known about many non-model plants. Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) is native to eastern North Americana and is resilient to environmental stress. The goal of this study was to produce a publicly available pokeweed genome assembly and annotations and use this resource to determine how early response to JA changes gene expression, with particular focus on genes involved in defense.ResultsWe assembled the pokeweed genome de novo from approximately 30 Gb of PacBio Hifi long reads and achieved an NG50 of ~ 13.2 Mb and a minimum 93.9% complete BUSCO score for gene annotations. With this reference, we investigated the early changes in pokeweed gene expression following JA treatment. Approximately 5,100 genes were differentially expressed during the 0–6 h time course with almost equal number of genes with increased and decreased transcript levels. Cluster and gene ontology analyses indicated the downregulation of genes associated with photosynthesis and upregulation of genes involved in hormone signaling and defense. We identified orthologues of key transcription factors and constructed the first JA gene response network integrated with our transcriptomic data from orthologues of Arabidopsis genes. We discovered that pokeweed did not use leaf senescence as a means of reallocating resources during stress; rather, most secondary metabolite synthesis genes were constitutively expressed, suggesting that pokeweed directs its resources for survival over the long term. In addition, pokeweed synthesizes several RNA N-glycosylases hypothesized to function in defense, each with unique expression profiles in response to JA.ConclusionsOur investigation of the early response of pokeweed to JA illustrates patterns of gene expression involved in defence and stress tolerance. Pokeweed provides insight into the defense mechanisms of plants beyond those observed in research models and crops, and further study may yield novel approaches to improving the resilience of plants to environmental changes. Our assembled pokeweed genome is the first within the taxonomic family Phytolaccaceae to be publicly available for continued research.

A New Laboratory Research Model: The Damaraland Mole-rat and Its Managed Care.

The Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) is a subterranean, hypoxia-tolerant, long-lived rodent endemic to southern and central Africa that is increasingly being used in laboratory research. Its husbandry needs and characteristics differ from traditional rodent research models. Here, we provide a brief overview of this species and discuss its captive housing and husbandry requirements for managed care and good health.

Liver transplantation for pediatric liver malignancies.

In the last few decades, collaboration between the international pediatric oncology groups has resulted in significant improvement in survival after liver transplantation (LT) for pediatric liver tumors, and LT has become the accepted standard of care for unresectable pediatric liver tumors - either living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) or deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). Hepatoblastoma (HB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the common pediatric liver malignancies treated by LT, and LT is now the accepted treatment modality for unresectable non-metastatic cases. The long-term survival rate is more than 80% in HB transplants. Furthermore, with the advent of LDLT, the waitlist mortality, availability of a better graft quality with shorter ischemic times, and performance of LT with the appropriate timing between chemotherapy have all improved. Up to 80% of pediatric HCCs are unresectable, and studies have shown that LT for pediatric HCC has better outcomes than liver resection. Furthermore, LT has also shown better results than liver resection for cases of HCC not meeting Milan criteria. Given the rarity of pediatric liver malignancies and challenges in optimal management, a multidisciplinary treatment approach, research models building on what is already known, and consideration of newer treatment modalities are required for further improving the treatment of pediatric liver malignancies.

Tomato Leaf Disease Classification by Combining EfficientNetv2 and a Swin Transformer

Recently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and self-attention mechanisms have been widely applied in plant disease identification tasks, yielding significant successes. Currently, the majority of research models for tomato leaf disease recognition rely solely on traditional convolutional models or Transformer architectures and fail to capture both local and global features simultaneously. This limitation may result in biases in the model’s focus, consequently impacting the accuracy of disease recognition. Consequently, models capable of extracting local features while attending to global information have emerged as a novel research direction. To address these challenges, we propose an Eff-Swin model that integrates the enhanced features of the EfficientNetV2 and Swin Transformer networks, aiming to harness the local feature extraction capability of CNNs and the global modeling ability of Transformers. Comparative experiments demonstrate that the enhanced model has achieved a further increase in training accuracy, reaching an accuracy rate of 99.70% on the tomato leaf disease dataset, which is 0.49~3.68% higher than that of individual network models and 0.8~1.15% higher than that of existing state-of-the-art combined approaches. The results show that integrating attention mechanisms into convolutional models can significantly enhance the accuracy of tomato leaf disease recognition while also offering the great potential of the Eff-Swin backbone with self-attention in plant disease identification.

Epidemiologic trends in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma from 2011 to 2021 at All Africa Leprosy, Tuberculosis, and Rehabilitation Training Center (ALERT) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common keratinocyte carcinoma in dark-skinned ethnic groups. Available studies are primarily focused on white populations, with fewer data available for black Africans, including Ethiopians. Therefore, less priority may be given to treatment and prevention in this population. To determine the prevalence and risk factors of cSCC among patients presenting to All Africa Leprosy, Tuberculosis, and Rehabilitation Training Center , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A literature review was performed to determine existing knowledge. A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was then conducted based on stored data of confirmed cases of cSCC from 2011 to 2021 at ALERT. Demographics, other parameters related to cSCC (size, anatomic location, degree of differentiation, metastasis, and recurrence), and potential risk factors including scars, burns, HIV status, xeroderma pigmentosum, and leprosy were collected and entered on a prepared data extraction sheet and analyzed using SPSS version 25 manufactured by IBM. Among 15,075 total pathologic samples reviewed, 3.8% (n=570) were reported histopathologically as invasive cSCC (n=437), keratoacanthoma, or (squamous cell carcinoma in-situ (Bowen disease). 50.3% (n=287) occurred in female, and the mean age of affected patients was 50.1years (SD 17.2). Nearly 70% were reported after >1year of symptoms, including morphologic change, ulceration, and nonhealing wound. HIV status was not universally screened but was positive in 9.8% (46/437). Cases were commonly found to occur on the lower extremities (X2=2.7196, Pr=0.099) and >4cm in size (46.3%). Among 274 cases with adequate histologic description, 82.5% (n=226) were well-differentiated. Loco-regional metastases comprised 6.0% (n=34) and 46.7% (n=266) had ulceration. The biologic significance of ulceration in this population is unclear. Ulceration may indicate chronic wounds or Marjolin's ulcers. High rates of metastasis call for a better understanding of risk factors, preventive measures, and early diagnosis. This model of research may serve as a foundation for future nationwide investigations through the Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia's Disease Prevention and Control Directorate.

Chicken Secondary Lymphoid Tissues-Structure and Relevance in Immunological Research.

Recent discoveries have indicated the importance of developing modern strategies for vaccinations, more ethical research models, and effective alternatives to antibiotic treatment in farm animals. Chickens (Gallus gallus) play a crucial role in this context given the commercial and economic relevance of poultry production worldwide and the search for analogies between the immune systems of humans and birds. Specifically, chicken secondary lymphoid tissues share similar features to their human counterparts. Chickens have several secondary or peripheral lymphoid tissues that are the sites where the adaptive immune response is initiated. The more general classification of these organs divides them into the spleen and skin-, pineal-, or mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues. Each of these tissues is further subdivided into separate lymphoid structures that perform specific and different functions along the animal's body. A review summarizing the state of the art of research on chicken secondary lymphoid organs is of great relevance for the design of future studies.

Healthcare Outcomes of Patients and Antecedents via Teleophthalmology in Eastern Taiwan during COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant transformations in healthcare. Many countries began the rapid development and adoption of telemedicine to avoid the spread of the pandemic and created an innovative model for healthcare delivery. This study identified the critical antecedents that affected the considered healthcare outcomes via teleophthalmology in Eastern Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study's participants included residents of five towns in Taitung County who had experience with teleophthalmology. This study analyzed the structured questionnaires completed by the participants to validate the proposed research framework. Statistical methods were used to verify the research models, including descriptive statistical analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The date of this study was from 1 October 2020 to 31 July 2023. The results of this study reveal that the average monthly use of teleophthalmology by individuals in rural areas increased annually. Females tended to utilize teleophthalmology services more than males. There were no significant differences across any of the constructs with respect to age or educational level. Additionally, the patients' awareness of healthcare accessibility via and the communication quality of teleophthalmology simultaneously affected teleophthalmology's adoption and service quality, which in turn jointly affected health outcomes. Both healthcare accessibility and communication quality were the antecedents of the healthcare outcomes. The health outcomes refer to the impact of teleophthalmology on the quality of the patients' health and well-being. Additionally, teleophthalmology's adoption and service quality acted as mediators. This study's findings are expected to increase attention to the healthcare outcomes and antecedents of teleophthalmology to promote better telemedicine practices and services for rural residents.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) disrupts intestinal barrier integrity in translational canine stem cell-derived monolayers.

This study develops a new model to better understand Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) infections, a serious bacterial disease affecting both dogs and humans, characterized by symptoms such as hemorrhagic diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Traditional research models have fallen short of mimicking how this disease manifests in patients. Our research used intestinal tissues from healthy dogs to create layers of cells, known as colonoid-derived monolayers, which we then exposed to EHEC. We assessed the damage caused by the bacteria using several techniques, observing significant changes similar to those seen in actual cases of the disease. The model proved effective in replicating the interaction between the host and the pathogen, marking an important step toward understanding EHEC's effects and developing treatments. This canine colonoid-derived monolayer system not only bridges a crucial gap in current research but also offers a promising platform for studying other enteric pathogens affecting both canine and human health.

Shear strength of hybrid GFRP-steel reinforced concrete corbels without vertical stirrups: Experimental research and prediction models

This paper investigates the behavior and predicts the shear strength of concrete corbels reinforced with hybrid glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP)/steel reinforcement bars. For this purpose, the study consists of two main parts: the first part was an experimental study carried out on eight hybrid reinforced concrete corbels and four GFRP reinforced concrete corbels with a shear span to depth ratio (a/d) of 0.7 and 1.0; in the second part, a nonlinear finite element model (NFEM) was developed and validated against experimental results. Comprehensive parametric studies based on the validated NFEM were conducted to assess the impact of main parameters on the shear capacity. As a result, an empirical formula predicting the shear capacity of hybrid RC corbels was proposed. Furthermore, a softened strut-and-tie model (SSTM) was further developed to predict the shear capacity of hybrid RC corbels. The test results indicate that increasing the steel reinforcement ratio significantly enhances the shear strength. The width of the inclined crack band narrows as a portion of GFRP reinforcement is replaced with steel reinforcement. The NFEM shows good agreement with test results in terms of load-deflection curve, strain of rebar and failure modes. The proposed empirical formula and extended SSTM accurately predict the shear capacity of hybrid RC corbels compared to test results and numerical simulations.

Preliminary Study on the Development of a Lip Learning Model Based on the Local Potential of Taba Vulkan Gamalama for Improving Students’ Chemical Literacy

This research is a preliminary study in the form of a needs analysis as a guide in developing a LIP (inquiry training-project) learning model based on the local potential of Taba (sand land and batu angus) Gamalama volcano to increase students' chemical literacy. This research was carried out through observation, distributing questionnaires and literature studies regarding the LIP learning model based on Taba's local potential to increase students' chemical literacy. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques, namely observation, questionnaires and Discussion. The subjects of this research were students in the Chemistry Education Study Program in the inorganic chemistry course. The sample used was a saturated sample with a total of 52 students. This research is the initial part of a series of Research and Development models. The research results show that the chemical literacy of Indonesian students is still low, which is based on the results of the 2022 PISA assessment by the OECD, namely that Indonesia is in 67th position out of 81 countries with a score of 383, and the observation results as needs analysis data obtained 100%, not yet using the LIP learning model (inquiry training-project) based on the local potential of Taba Vulcan Gamalama during chemistry learning. Based on the results of the preliminary study that has been carried out, it shows that it is necessary to develop a LIP learning model based on the local potential of Taba Vulcan Gamalama to increase the chemical literacy of prospective teacher students.

Disruption of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) causes non-obese type 2 diabetes with β-cell dysfunction in the golden (Syrian) hamster

Because of the advent of genome-editing technology, gene knockout (KO) hamsters have become attractive research models for diverse diseases in humans. This study established a new KO model of diabetes by disrupting the insulin receptor substrate-2 (Irs2) gene in the golden (Syrian) hamster. Homozygous KO animals were born alive but with delayed postnatal growth until adulthood. They showed hyperglycemia, high HbA1c, and impaired glucose tolerance. However, they normally responded to insulin stimulation, unlike Irs2 KO mice, an obese type 2 diabetes (T2D) model. Consistent with this, Irs2 KO hamsters did not increase serum insulin levels upon glucose administration and showed β-cell hypoplasia in their pancreas. Thus, our Irs2 KO hamster provide a unique T2D animal model that is distinct from the obese T2D models. This model may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of human non-obese T2D with β-cell dysfunction, the most common type of T2D in East Asian countries, including Japan.

Conditions for establishing fin primary cell cultures in a wide range of ray-finned fishes.

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) represent the most diverse vertebrate lineage that show extensive variations in physiology, ways of life, and adaptations to marine and freshwater environments, and several species have been established as biological research models. The in vitro culture of cells is fundamental for several fields of biological research, being an alternative for studies that use animals. Hundreds of fish cell lines have been established using specific methods for each cell type and species. Here is described a protocol which can be used commonly for obtaining cell cultures from the caudal fin of a wide range of ray-finned fishes including marine and freshwater species. Conditions for sample collection, microbial disinfection, tissue dissociation, plating and incubation, cryopreservation and thawing, and karyotyping are described in detail. Primary cell cultures were developed for 20 species grouped into 12 different orders. Eleven of these species have been cultivated in vitro for the first time. In the beginning, the fish cell cultures showed different capacities of proliferation among them; however throughout the passages, most cultures began to have a similar proliferation rate. Throughout the passages, it was noticed that cells similar to fibroblasts began to predominate. The great proliferative ability of these cultures reveals their potential to become cell lines. The culture of A. mexicanus, for example, has been proliferating for months and is already in its 65th passage. Moreover, these cell cultures showed conserved diploid chromosome numbers in comparison with in vivo descriptions which suggest these cultures have stable karyotypes. Therefore, these cultures have potential to be used in several fields, such as toxicology, cytogenetics, genomics, pathology, immunology, cellular agriculture, and conservation, and this method has the potential to be expanded to species not yet tested, as well as to other organs.

Identification of Social Media Addiction Levels on "TikTok" Among Students Using Mamdani Fuzzy Logic

According to data from the Global Web Index in their early 2023 survey, advertising sources published by Byte Dance indicate that TikTok has 109.9 million users aged 18 and above in Indonesia alone. This highlights the inevitable trend of teenagers becoming addicted to social media, particularly the TikTok app. Related parties are starting to notice this addiction issue, along with a noticeable decline in academic performance, possibly as a result of students neglecting their time by spending it on social media (TikTok). Analyzing variables such as usage duration, productivity impact, and neglect of social interactions aims to measure TikTok addiction among students using the Mamdani fuzzy logic method. Of the 75 respondents surveyed, 17.33% were identified as "Not Addicted", 72% were identified as "Addicted", and the remaining 10.67% were identified as "Highly Addicted". The results show that most students are already identified as addicted to TikTok. The Mamdani fuzzy logic method is considered effective in handling uncertainties in human behaviour. By utilizing MATLAB’s Fuzzy Logic Toolbox, this research models and evaluates addiction levels, providing insights to reduce excessive TikTok usage. This study also provides a strong foundation for future research exploring social media addiction on other platforms or among different populations. It encourages using technologies like MATLAB’s Fuzzy Logic Toolbox in educational contexts to address other complex problems.

The Role of Competence and Commitment in Building Sustainable Organizational Performance of Public Sector: A Systematic Literture Review

This research highlights the evolution of employee competence, organizational commitment, and sustainable performance in public sector or public service organizations by analyzing key trends and key concepts. We also analyzed and mapped the knowledge structure of research themes. Furthermore, this paper aims to outline a specific research agenda for the research subject. This research employs a systematic, integrated literature review approach, conducting a systematic review of existing literature on employee competency, organizational commitment, and sustainable performance in public sector organizations or public services. The PRISMA statement guidelines were followed. We obtained a total of 91 inclusion documents from Semantic Scholar. Our results show that there is a relationship between employee competence, organizational commitment, and the sustainable performance of public sector organizations or public services. Understanding the role of employee competence and organizational commitment in improving the sustainable performance of public sector or public service organizations requires the use of robust research models and a thorough conceptualization of how these relationships can emerge. We propose a research model for the future research agenda that explores how organizational commitment mediates the role of employee competence in improving the sustainable performance of public sector organizations.

The Construction of Stem Cell-Induced Hepatocyte Model and Its Application in Evaluation of Developmental Hepatotoxicity of Environmental Pollutants.

Stem cells, with their ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types, are a unique and valuable resource for medical research and toxicological studies. The liver is the most crucial metabolic organ in the human body and serves as the primary site for the accumulation of environmental pollutants. Enrichment with environmental pollutants can disrupt the early developmental processes of the liver and have a significant impact on liver function. The liver comprises a complex array of cell types, and different environmental pollutants have varying effects on these cells. Currently, there is a lack of well-established research models that can effectively demonstrate the mechanisms by which environmental pollutants affect human liver development. The emergence of liver cells and organoids derived from stem cells offers a promising tool for investigating the impact of environmental pollutants on human health. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the developmental processes of different types of liver cells and provided an overview of studies on the developmental toxicity of various environmental pollutants using stem cell models.

Research, practice, knowledge: introducing the creative knowledges enabling framework

ABSTRACT Amongst a myriad of articles, chapters and books that argue for different ways to understand and conduct creative practice research – or as it is otherwise known, artistic research, arts-based research, practice-led research, practitioner-based research, and so on – this article goes to the heart of the affordances of creative practice research and offers what the authors believe is more generative model for this work, with more productive terminology. By focusing on a process of research enabling, as opposed to research being led by, based on or taken through practice (and vice versa), the article seeks clarity on the relationship between research questions, research design and methods; where a contribution to knowledge resides; how, accordingly, a research project might be written up; and who, indeed, creative practice researchers are. From our experience of undertaking, supervising and evaluatingcreative practice research, we have come to realise that some of the fundamental challenges of this work reside in a basic understanding of what, why, how and by whom. We believe that some of the definitions and models of creative practice research are a contributor to these challenges, hence a new model with alternative terminology to help untangle some of the intellectual complexities we have seen. The discussion uses screen practice as its disciplinary site, encompassing media/screen production and screenwriting.

Social Cluster and Heritage Memory: A Study on the Space Perception of Zhaozhou Basin Horse Caravan Vernacular Architecture

Located in Dali, Yunnan, the Zhaozhou basin is home to many precious architectural heritages, particularly the historical horse caravan architecture. These buildings face the challenge of renewal and transformation. It is of great significance to explore the local population’s awareness of the architectural heritage of the horse caravan in order to protect the architectural heritage and facilitate rural revitalization. This study reviews the related research on “space perception”, establishes a theoretical framework of space perception under the architectural dimension, and develops hypotheses. The social cluster of typical settlements in the Zhaozhou basin is selected as the research object, and empirical analyses are carried out using SPSS and AMOS software. An analytical framework model of empirical research is constructed to evaluate the space perception of the current social population. The results of the reliability and validity tests of the questionnaire show that the CR is greater than 0.7 and that the AVE is greater than 0.5. The value of the structural equation model fitting index χ2/df is 1.863, which is less than 3. The model test results show that research hypotheses H1–H5 are supported; that is, space perception has a significant positive impact on cognition and local identity, cognition has a significant positive impact on local identity and space function, and place identity has a significant positive impact on space appeal. This study demonstrates the relationship between space perception and the architectural remains of the horse caravan, and it analyzes the human psychological perception behind the material space. The findings support the need for further conservation of the horse caravan architecture. This study further deepens the theory of space perception and its application in the study of vernacular architecture, which can provide a research path for the protection and development of vernacular architectural heritage.