Multisite Research Research Articles

The COOL e-Research and Researcher Development Experiences: A Mentor and Mentee Perspective

As information and communication technologies (ICTs) continue to advance, research projects and processes increasingly adopt ICTs, and terms like ‘e-research’ gain popularity. However, disparities in access to ICTs and users’ technology proficiency affect the adoption of e-research technologies. Despite these constraints, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many researchers (including postgraduate students), in diverse and unequal contexts, to take their research activities online. This paper reports on the ‘e-research’ experiences of the principal investigator, a research mentor and a researcher after the adoption of ICTs during the pandemic. This research took place in the context of the Cases on Open Learning (COOL) research project, commissioned by, and conducted jointly with, the Department of Higher Education (DHET) in South Africa. This was a multi-researcher (10 researchers located across the country, with varying degrees of research experience), multi-site qualitative social science research that took the form of 15 case studies, conducted across seven technical and vocational education and training colleges, six universities, two DHET sites, and a desktop study. The national lockdowns that were announced shortly after our first and only face-to-face project meeting forced us to conduct all aspects of the project entirely online. We used the Google suite for collaboration and Zoom for COOL team building, researcher knowledge and skills development sessions, and online interviews conducted by the researchers. WhatsApp played a dual role – supporting ongoing communication within the research group, and as a data collection tool. The paper highlights our experiences on what it meant to be part of a research team, as well as the opportunities and challenges of conducting research of this nature. It shed light on the COOL team building and researcher development strategies. Drawing on insights from our experiences, we recommend that higher education institutions (HEIs) develop both technical and human-oriented guidelines for conducting e-research. This paper could provide insights for independent researchers, postgraduate students, principal investigators, and supervisors considering a cohort-supervision model, comprising diverse students, who may be in dispersed geographical locations.

Data Delivery Indicators in EIDA: Designing a Consistent Metrics System in a Distributed Services Environment

The European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA) is a data service within Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology (ORFEUS) which distributes seismological waveform data across, presently, 12 federated data centres, so-called EIDA nodes. EIDA is also integrated into the European Research Infrastructure EPOS (European Plate Observing System). The increasing need of quantifying the scientific impact of such Research Infrastructures at all levels of operations has led EIDA to develop a unified system able to provide global indicators for data delivery across all EIDA nodes. To achieve this goal, EIDA implemented a system where the numbers are collected and aggregated by each EIDA node and ingested in a centralised database, accessible through an online API. The successful implementation of the system stems from carefully identifying the relevant indicators for well-defined groups of users. The implementation combines simplicity and robustness whilst respecting the distributed design of EIDA. The architecture and implementation choices may be of interest to other multi-site data distribution research infrastructures that face the challenge of providing meaningful key performance indicators.

The Association between Emotional Responses to Climate Change, Antenatal Anxiety and Maternal-Fetal Attachment in Primigravida Women.

To investigate the association between emotional responses to climate change, antenatal anxiety, and maternal-fetal attachment in primigravida women. A multi-site cross-sectional research design study. This study was conducted at four primary health care (PHC) facilities in Damanhur district, El-Behera, from February 2024 to April 2024. Two hundred eighty-five women completed a comprehensive questionnaire that included a Woman's Social and Reproductive Form, The inventory of climate emotions (ICE) scale, The Stirling Antenatal Anxiety Scale (SAAS) and the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS-HU-20). The study revealed that emotional responses to climate change show strong positive correlations with each other, ranging from 0.689 to 0.840, all significant at p < 0.001 level. Additionally, antenatal anxiety demonstrates substantial positive correlations with emotional responses to climate change, albeit with associations ranging from 0.239 to 0.287, all significant at p < 0.001 level. Moreover, maternal-fetal attachment displays substantial negative correlations with emotional responses to climate change, indicating that as emotional responses to climate change increase, maternal-fetal attachment tends to decrease. The correlations range from -0.263 to -0.426, all significant at p < 0.001. The emotional impact of climate change can adversely affect the bonding process between mother and fetus. Healthcare professionals, including obstetricians, midwives, and mental health counsellors, should integrate climate-related emotional distress into their assessments and interventions. Providing targeted psychological support for expectant mothers. The study's findings highlight the need for nursing to integrate climate-related emotional distress screening into prenatal care and for research to explore long-term effects and intervention effectiveness. In practice, healthcare providers should adopt holistic approaches that combine environmental and psychological support, developing comprehensive guidelines and community-based programs to support pregnant women. The research adhered to that is STROBE. Public contributions by women in community health centers.

A comparison of branched DNA and reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction methodologies for quantitation of lipid nanoparticle encapsulated mRNA.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics have emerged as a promising modality for various clinical applications, necessitating robust methods for mRNA quantification. This biodistribution study compares the performance of branched DNA and reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for measuring lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA. Following intravenous administration of nascent peptide imaging luciferase mRNA (1mg/kg) to rats, mRNA levels in various tissues and serum were quantified using both assays. Statistical analyses, including Bland-Altman, Deming regression and Passing-Bablok regression, were employed to assess method comparability and reproducibility. The results indicated that mRNA pharmacokinetics measured by branched DNA and RT-qPCR were largely consistent across tissues, with RT-qPCR showing greater reproducibility across multiple laboratories. RT-qPCR also demonstrated a wider dynamic range and higher sensitivity, making it a more versatile option for large-scale studies. Despite some differences in data due to tissue types and timepoints, both methods provided comparable pharmacokinetic profiles for mRNA quantification. This study underscores the importance of selecting an appropriate quantification method based on study requirements and highlights RT-qPCR's adaptability for multisite research, especially for the clinical development of mRNA-based therapeutics.

Advancing Parkinson's Disease Research in Canada: The Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) Cohort.

Enhancing the interactions between study participants, clinicians, and investigators is imperative for advancing Parkinson's disease (PD) research. The Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) stands as a nationwide endeavor, connecting the PD community with ten accredited universities and movement disorders research centers spanning, at the time of this analysis, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Our aim is to showcase C-OPN as a paradigm for bolstering national collaboration to accelerate PD research and to provide an initial overview of already collected data sets. The C-OPN database comprises de-identified data concerning demographics, symptoms and signs, treatment approaches, and standardized assessments. Additionally, it collects venous blood-derived biomaterials, such as for analyses of DNA, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and serum. Accessible to researchers, C-OPN resources are available through web-based data management systems for multi-center studies, including REDCap. As of November 2023, the C-OPN had enrolled 1,505 PD participants. The male-to-female ratio was 1.77:1, with 83% (n = 1098) residing in urban areas and 82% (n = 1084) having pursued post-secondary education. The average age at diagnosis was 60.2±10.3 years. Herein, our analysis of the C-OPN PD cohort encompasses environmental factors, motor and non-motor symptoms, disease management, and regional differences among provinces. As of April 2024, 32 research projects have utilized C-OPN resources. C-OPN represents a national platform promoting multidisciplinary and multisite research that focuses on PD to promote innovation, exploration of care models, and collaboration among Canadian scientists.

“Someone Who Is Going to Preserve Your Surname and Clan Name”: A Sesotho Cultural Perspective on Male Partner Involvement in Maternal and Newborn Care in the Free State, South Africa

In the global public health discourse, involving men in maternal and neonatal health is regarded as crucial for positive outcomes in both health and development. In South Africa, health interventions designed to promote male partner involvement among low-income indigenous populations have been framed within social constructivist notions of masculinities and have produced mixed outcomes. This has necessitated calls to explore alternative approaches, including the need to decolonise men and masculinities studies in Africa. As part of one phase of formative research for a mixed-method project aimed at adapting a male involvement intervention for the context of Sesotho-speaking men and women in the Free State, we applied a multi-site case study research design and collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Verbatim-recorded transcripts were translated, transcribed, and thematically analysed with NVIVO 14. The results indicate that customary practices in pregnancy, delivery, and newborn care are not static and vary between families based on belief systems, socioeconomic status, geographical setting (peri-urban/rural), and kinship networks of care. Therefore, these practices and beliefs should be understood, affirmed, and contested within the complex African-centred material and immaterial worldviews on personhood in which they were generated, transmitted, rejected, or adopted. It is recommended that a decolonised approach to male partner involvement in this context must be cognisant of the intersections of racial and gendered power relations, contestations in beliefs and practices, the resilient effect of colonialism on indigenous gender systems, as well as contemporary global entanglements that inform North–South power relations on the best practices in maternal and newborn health in the public health sector in South Africa.

Superpixel-ComBat modeling: A joint approach for harmonization and characterization of inter-scanner variability in T1-weighted images

Abstract T1-weighted imaging holds wide applications in clinical and research settings; however, the challenge of inter-scanner variability arises when combining data across scanners, which impedes multi-site research. To address this, post-acquisition harmonization methods such as statistical or deep learning approaches have been proposed to unify cross-scanner images. Nevertheless, how inter-scanner variability manifests in images and derived measures, and how to harmonize it in an interpretable manner, remains underexplored. To broaden our knowledge of inter-scanner variability and leverage it to develop a new harmonization strategy, we devised a pipeline to assess the interpretable inter-scanner variability in matched T1-weighted images across four 3T MRI scanners. The pipeline incorporates ComBat modeling with 3D superpixel parcellation algorithm (namely SP-ComBat), which estimates location and scale effects to quantify the shift and spread in relative signal distributions, respectively, concerning brain tissues in the image domain. The estimated parametric maps revealed significant contrast deviations compared to the joint signal distribution across scanners (p &amp;lt; 0.001), and the identified deviations in signal intensities may relate to differences in the inversion time acquisition parameter. To reduce the inter-scanner variability, we implemented a harmonization strategy involving proper image preprocessing and site effect removal by ComBat-derived parameters, achieving substantial improvement in image quality and significant reduction in variation of volumetric measures of brain tissues (p &amp;lt; 0.001). We also applied SP-ComBat to evaluate and characterize the performance of various image harmonization techniques, demonstrating a new way to assess image harmonization. In addition, we reported various metrics of T1-weighted images to quantify the impact of inter-scanner variation, including signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, signal inhomogeneity index, and structural similarity index. This study demonstrates a pipeline that extends the implementation of statistical ComBat method to the image domain in a practical manner for characterizing and harmonizing the inter-scanner variability in T1-weighted images, providing further insight for the studies focusing on the development of image harmonization methodologies and their applications.

Evaluating video and hybrid group consultations in general practice: mixed-methods, participatory study protocol (TOGETHER 2).

General practice is facing an unprecedented challenge in managing the consequences of the pandemic. In the midst of a policy drive to balance remote and in-person service provision, substantial workload pressures remain, together with increasing prevalence of long-term conditions, and declining staff numbers and morale. To address these challenges, some practices in the UK have been delivering video and hybrid group consultations (VHGCs) providing clinical care to multiple patients at the same time. Despite positive initial findings and enthusiasm, there are still gaps in our understanding of the influence VHGCs have on patient experience, healthcare utilisation, quality, safety, equity and affordability. To generate an in-depth understanding of VHGCs for chronic conditions in general practice, surface assumptions and sociotechnical dynamics, inform practice and extend theorisation. Mixed-methods, multi-site research study using co-design and participatory methods, from qualitative, quantitative and cost-related perspectives. WP1 includes a national, cross-sectional survey on VHGC provision across the UK. In WP2 we will engage patients and general practice staff in co-design workshops to develop VHGC models with emphasis on digital inclusion and equity. In WP3 we will carry out a mixed-methods process evaluation in up to 10 GP practices across England (5 sites already running VHGCs and 5 comparison sites). Qualitative methods will include interviews, focus groups and ethnographic observation to examine the experiences of patients, carers, clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, commissioners and policy-makers. Quantitative methods will examine the impact of VHGCs on healthcare utilisation in primary and secondary care, patient satisfaction, engagement and activation. We will also assess value for money of group and individual care models from a health economics perspective. We aim to develop transferable learning on sociotechnical change in healthcare delivery, using VHGCs as an exemplar of technology-supported innovation. Findings will also inform the design of a future study.

Implementation of a common data model in Health Data Research Network Canada: Lessons learned

BackgroundThe Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) is a standardized structure for observational data that enables collaborative health research. Health Data Research Network (HDRN Canada) is conducting a pilot study to implement this standard at partner data linkage centers. ObjectiveOur objective is to describe the process used to implement the OMOP CDM, methodological and technical challenges, and the approach to evaluate CDM implementation at multiple sites. ApproachCDM working group members include technical staff from data linkage centers in four provinces and a national data coordinating center, HDRN Canada operational and executive leads, and OMOP CDM consultants. The evaluation aims to collect quantitative and qualitative information on Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) processes, performance of the CDM in a multi-site observational case study, and data quality. ResultsInitial steps have included collaborative learning about the CDM structure, importing open-source tools and licensed coding standards (i.e., Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms [SNOMED-CT], RxNorm) at data linkage centres, and exploring the technical requirements for developing ETL processes and hosting OMOP data. Creation of select OMOP tables has been accompanied by discussions about models for mapping clinical and prescription drug coding standards. A scoping review of evaluation strategies is underway. Conclusions and ImplicationsThe benefits of standardizing health data for multi-site research and supporting the production of findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) national data underscores the importance of HDRN Canada embarking on this OMOP CDM implementation project. The lessons learned will benefit other multi-site data standardization initiatives.

Designing a Website to Support a Multisite, International Clinical Trial.

Safe and reliable implementation of complex study protocols in multisite clinical trials requires that all study personnel have 24/7 access to up-to-date study materials. Study websites can serve as an electronic manual of operations (eMOO) to support trial conduct. We describe the development, organization, and maintenance of a study website and eMOO to facilitate quick and efficient communication during conduct of a complex, multisite, international clinical trial. We worked closely with our information technology department to develop and maintain our study website, which includes a public home page, a section for parents and families, and three password-protected portals that serve as an eMOO for (a) study sites, (b) study site investigators, and (c) the operations team (e.g., clinical coordination center, data coordination center). The public home page is helpful for families contemplating study participation and for nonparticipating sites considering joining our trial. The patient and family education section supports family participation in the study. The study site portal contains all information needed for local study teams to safely manage a study patient. The investigator portal provides access to research-specific materials needed to lead the study at each site. The operations team portal supports overall study management. For other scientists considering use of a study website for their multisite research, we recommend close collaboration with information technology for development and maintenance, limited and clearly defined roles for version control, and use of unmodifiable file formats to prevent unapproved alterations of study materials. Although investment in development and maintenance has been significant, we have appreciated marked value to our operations team and study sites. Our study website development process is relevant to other scientists conducting multisite clinical research.

Clinician Wellbeing and Mental Health Assessment Across Two Acute Care Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purposes of this study were to determine whether positive work environments affect clinician wellbeing and mental health, and to identify participants' priority interventions to improve clinician wellbeing. This study was designed to determine the potential benefit of modifying the aforementioned factors for clinicians and hospitals to impact positive patient outcomes. The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has become one of the leading causes of death in the United States and worldwide, and has exacerbated widespread burnout among health care professionals. This has resulted in negative collateral implications for the stability of the clinician workforce. A Clinician Wellbeing study (CWS) was launched in two Magnet®-designated hospitals in the southeast. The CWS was part of a multi-site collaborative research project led by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. A cross-sectional observational study design was implemented. Data were collected through anonymous surveys of 708 registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice providers (APPs) working in two Magnet hospitals in the southeastern United States. Each participant completed 8 surveys. Clinicians' self-reported level of burnout was higher for both RNs and APPs at Emory University Hospital than Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital including intent to leave and dissatisfaction with their jobs. RNs and APPs self-reported their overall health to be good or excellent and they reported sleep quality as fair. Both groups in both hospitals indicated that they experienced anxiety, depression, and stress. The APPs reported a higher percent that their work did not leave enough time for personal and family life. Data also indicated that the primary work environment concern was related to inadequate nurse staffing. The data illuminated opportunities for the two hospitals to employ continuous improvement interventions to positively transform the work environment.

Data and Process Harmonisation of Multi-National, Multi-Site Research Data.

To achieve a single fully harmonised research data set suitable for analysis from data collected at multiple sites requires not only semantic integration of collection concepts and convergence onto single collection units, but harmonisation of data collection processes. We describe our experience of identifying harmonisation challenges in the Precision ALS project, with particular focus on process alignment challenges in a multi-site multi-national research data collection project.

Rapid Deployment of a Pseudonymization Service in a Distributed Research Data Infrastructure - Lessons Learned.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the importance of fast, collaborative research in biomedicine. Within the ORCHESTRA consortium, we rapidly deployed a pseudonymization service with minimal training and maintenance efforts under time-critical conditions to support a complex, multi-site research project. Over two years, the service was deployed in 13 sites across 11 countries to register more than 10,000 study participants and 15,000 biosamples. In this work, we present lessons learned as part of this process. Most importantly, we learned that common challenges can be overcome by creatively utilizing widely available tools and that having a dedicated partner to manage software rollout and pre-configure software packages for each site fosters the effective implementation.

Source-free collaborative domain adaptation via multi-perspective feature enrichment for functional MRI analysis

Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is increasingly employed in multi-site research to analyze neurological disorders, but there exists cross-site/domain data heterogeneity caused by site effects such as differences in scanners/protocols. Existing domain adaptation methods that reduce fMRI heterogeneity generally require accessing source domain data, which is challenging due to privacy concerns and/or data storage burdens. To this end, we propose a source-free collaborative domain adaptation (SCDA) framework using only a pretrained source model and unlabeled target data. Specifically, a multi-perspective feature enrichment method (MFE) is developed to dynamically exploit target fMRIs from multiple views. To facilitate efficient source-to-target knowledge transfer without accessing source data, we initialize MFE using parameters of a pretrained source model. We also introduce an unsupervised pretraining strategy using 3,806 unlabeled fMRIs from three large-scale auxiliary databases. Experimental results on three public and one private datasets show the efficacy of our method in cross-scanner and cross-study prediction.

Evaluation of a Multi-Site Cancer Health Disparities Research Training Program for Underrepresented Undergraduate and Medical Students.

Diversifying the biomedical research workforce is crucial for eliminating cancer health disparities. To address this need, Moffitt Cancer Center and Louisiana State University Health Sciences formed the Southeast Partnership for Improving Research and Training in Cancer Health Disparities (SPIRIT-CHD). A key component of SPIRIT-CHD is the Cancer Research Education Program (CREP), designed to train underrepresented undergraduate and medical students in biomedical science research. The CREP featured an 8-week summer internship with a web-based curriculum, community outreach, and mentored research experiences. Three cohorts (n = 39) completed the CREP. Students were evaluated before and after the internship using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI), and Research Appraisal Inventory (RAI), modified to assess CREP outcomes. These scales measured students' intentions to pursue cancer research careers, self-efficacy in communicating scientific information, and perceived research abilities. Paired test results showed significant increases (p < 0.001) in scores across the scales (GAS, STEBI, RAI) pre- and post-training. Trainees reported heightened intentions to pursue cancer research careers (GAS; mean increase of 5.3, p < 0.001) and greater self-efficacy in relaying scientific information (STEBI; mean increase of 9.2, p < 0.001). They also showed increased self-confidence in conducting research (RAI; mean increase of 58.2, p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate the program's success in fostering interest in cancer research careers and enhancing research confidence. Results support the development of programs like CREP to positively impact the academic and professional trajectories of underrepresented students, ultimately creating a more diverse and inclusive biomedical research workforce equipped to address health disparities.

Marketing Strategy for Madrasa Quality in Increasing Interest in Education Customers (Multisite Study at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Tulungagung and Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Kota Kediri)

This dissertation is based on the results of the researcher's observations regarding the conditions of madrasa marketing at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Tulungagung and Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Kota Kediri and its role in efforts to increase the interest of educational customers. The problem formulation in this research is: (1) How does madrasa branding increase the interest of educational customers at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Tulungagung and Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Kota Kediri? (2) How does madrasa differentiation increase the interest of educational customers? (3) How does madrasa positioning increase the interest of educational customers? (4) How does madrasa direct marketing increase the interest of educational customers? This dissertation aims to find and describe madrasa quality marketing strategies in the form of branding, differentiation, positioning, and direct marketing in increasing the interest of educational customers at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Tulungagung and Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Kota Kediri, where the researcher conducted qualitative research and is a type of research with a multisite research design. Data collection techniques were carried out using (1) in-depth interviews, (2) participant observation, and (3) documentation. Data analysis was carried out in two ways, namely single site analysis with data collection, data condensation, data display and drawing conclusion steps, then continued with cross-site analysis. Checking the validity of the data is carried out using credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability tests. The results of this research found that: The marketing strategy for madrasa quality in increasing the interest of educational customers is carried out by: a) branding, displaying the basic character of the madrasa in the form of mottos and slogans; b) differentiation, creating madrasas that have special services; c) positioning, implementing early admission patterns for new students and various levels of student admission schemes; d) direct marketing, direct marketing through the school website, promotion of madrasa success both in competitions at various levels and acceptance at universities as well as selection of outstanding female students through the student achievement program, and e) selected door to door, going directly to find and recruit students with achievement. Keywords: Marketing Strategy, Madrasa Quality, Educational Customer Interest.

Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter pada Sekolah Berbasis Pesantren (Studi Kasus di MA Nurul Jadid Paiton dan MA Bustanul Faizin Besuki)

This research aims to reveal character education at MA Nurul Jadid Paiton and MA Bustanul Faizin Besuki. The research method used is a qualitative approach, case study type, with a multisite research design. Data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. Meanwhile, to analyze the data using the Miles and Huberman method of analysis, namely data reduction, data display and verification. With this method, it is hoped that researchers will obtain accurate data. The results of this research show that (1) In forming the character of MA Nurul Jadid students, Nurul Jadid's Santri Pillars are applied, namely the Santri Trilogy and the Santri's Five Awarenesses. The Santri Trilogy is: Paying Attention to the Obligations of Fardhu 'Ain, Being Self-Aware by Abandoning Major Sins, Being Virtuous towards Allah and Creatures. In forming the character of Madrasah Aliyah Bustanul Faizin students apply Asah, Asih and Asuh (3A) in their daily lives. This makes Madrasah Aliyah Bustanul Faizin students have the character of Asah, Asih and Asuh (3A), so that students become virtuous human beings in their daily lives.

Single-cell peripheral immunoprofiling of Lewy body and Parkinson’s disease in a multi-site cohort

BackgroundMultiple lines of evidence support peripheral organs in the initiation or progression of Lewy body disease (LBD), a spectrum of neurodegenerative diagnoses that include Parkinson’s Disease (PD) without or with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). However, the potential contribution of the peripheral immune response to LBD remains unclear. This study aims to characterize peripheral immune responses unique to participants with LBD at single-cell resolution to highlight potential biomarkers and increase mechanistic understanding of LBD pathogenesis in humans.MethodsIn a case–control study, peripheral mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from research participants were randomly sampled from multiple sites across the United States. The diagnosis groups comprise healthy controls (HC, n = 159), LBD (n = 110), Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD, n = 97), other neurodegenerative disease controls (NDC, n = 19), and immune disease controls (IDC, n = 14). PBMCs were activated with three stimulants (LPS, IL-6, and IFNa) or remained at basal state, stained by 13 surface markers and 7 intracellular signal markers, and analyzed by flow cytometry, which generated 1,184 immune features after gating.ResultsThe model classified LBD from HC with an AUROC of 0.87 ± 0.06 and AUPRC of 0.80 ± 0.06. Without retraining, the same model was able to distinguish LBD from ADD, NDC, and IDC. Model predictions were driven by pPLCγ2, p38, and pSTAT5 signals from specific cell populations under specific activation. The immune responses characteristic for LBD were not associated with other common medical conditions related to the risk of LBD or dementia, such as sleep disorders, hypertension, or diabetes.Conclusions and RelevanceQuantification of PBMC immune response from multisite research participants yielded a unique pattern for LBD compared to HC, multiple related neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune diseases thereby highlighting potential biomarkers and mechanisms of disease.

Building Strong Foundations, Educational Management's Contribution To Character Education And Graduate Quality Enhancement

This research aims to discuss educational management's role in improving graduates' quality through character education at MA Al Qodiri Jember and MBI Amantul Ummah Pacet Mojokerto. The discussion reveals the concepts and implications of the role of educational management in the context of two Islamic boarding school-based schools using multi-site qualitative research methods. Data was obtained through closed interviews, documentation, and discussion forums to fulfill the research, and then the data was analyzed through triangulation. Educational management at both schools plays a crucial role in emphasizing student character formation. Developing a curriculum oriented towards character education and implementing character education programs is the main focus in producing graduates who are academically superior and have good character. With a directed and integrated approach, MA Al Qodiri Jember and MBI Amantul Ummah Pacet Mojokerto emphasized that character education is not just an addition but the essence of education itself, which forms quality individuals who are ready to contribute positively to society. This research underlines the importance of character education in forming a young generation who is solid and responsible in facing future challenges.

Structural Brain Differences in the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum: Insights Into the Heterogeneity From a Large Multisite Neuroimaging Consortium

BackgroundNeurodegenerative diseases require collaborative, multisite research to comprehensively grasp their complex and diverse pathological progression; however, there is caution in aggregating global data due to data heterogeneity. In the current study, we investigated brain structure across stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and how relationships vary across sources of heterogeneity. MethodsUsing 6 international datasets (N > 27,000), associations of structural neuroimaging markers were investigated in relation to the AD continuum via meta-analysis. We investigated whether associations varied across elements of magnetic resonance imaging acquisition, study design, and populations. ResultsModest differences in associations were found depending on how data were acquired; however, patterns were similar. Preliminary results suggested that neuroimaging marker–AD relationships differ across ethnic groups. ConclusionsDiversity in data offers unique insights into the neural substrate of AD; however, harmonized processing and transparency of data collection are needed. Global collaborations should embrace the inherent heterogeneity that exists in the data and quantify its contribution to research findings at the meta-analytical stage.