Next Generation Sequencing Detects Premeiotic Errors in Human Oocytes

Autosomal aneuploidy is the leading cause of embryonic and foetal death in humans. This arises mainly from errors in meiosis I or II of oogenesis. A largely ignored source of error stems from germinal mosaicism, which leads to premeiotic aneuploidy. Molecular cytogenetic studies employing metaphase fluorescence in situ hybridization and comparative genomic hybridisation suggest that premeiotic aneuploidy may affect 10–20% of oocytes overall. Such studies have been criticised on technical grounds. We report here an independent study carried out on unmanipulated oocytes that have been analysed using next generation sequencing (NGS). This study confirms that the incidence of premeiotic aneuploidy in an unselected series of oocytes exceeds 10%. A total of 140 oocytes donated by 42 women gave conclusive results; of these, 124 (88.5%) were euploid. Sixteen out of 140 (11.4%) provided evidence of premeiotic aneuploidy. Of the 140, 112 oocytes were immature (germinal vesicle or metaphase I), of which 10 were aneuploid (8.93%); the remaining 28 were intact metaphase II - first polar body complexes, and six of these were aneuploid (21.4%). Of the 16 aneuploid cells, half contained simple errors (one or two abnormal chromosomes) and half contained complex errors. We conclude that germinal mosaicism leading to premeiotic aneuploidy is a consistent finding affecting at least 10% of unselected oocytes from women undergoing egg collection for a variety of reasons. The importance of premeiotic aneuploidy lies in the fact that, for individual oocytes, it greatly increases the risk of an aneuploid mature oocyte irrespective of maternal age. As such, this may account for some cases of aneuploid conceptions in very young women.

Analysis of the effect of the MBKM Internship Program and Certified Independent Study (MSIB) on university performance Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya

Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya as one of the leading private campuses in Indonesia has a high commitment to improving the quality of higher education. One of the efforts of the Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya in improving the quality of higher education is through the development and improvement of every aspect of activities that refer to the Higher Education Main Performance Indicators (KPI) that have been set by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The activity program that refers to the Main Performance Indicators (IKU) is the Merdeka Learning Campus Merdeka (MBKM) activity program, which has been well implemented by the Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya since 2019. However, in an effort to continuously improve the MBKM program, analysis is needed an in-depth look at readiness and the impact obtained at the level of study programs, faculties, and universities. One of the MBKM programs that refers to the KPI and needs to be analyzed is the Certified Independent Study & Internship MBKM program. On this basis, this study conducted an in-depth analysis of the readiness and impact of the MBKM Internship & Certified Independent Study program at the Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya. Based on the results obtained, the level of readiness of the Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya in supporting the MBKM program is quite good with an average percentage of readiness above 50%. In measuring the impact of MBKM, it is found that the MBKM policy, Internship Program and Independent Studies greatly affect the performance of the Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya significantly with an impact effect of 75.4%.

Mid-term results of Eclipse total shoulder arthroplasty

Aims The use and variety of stemless humeral components in anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) have proliferated since their advent in 2004. Early outcomes are reassuring but independent mid-term results are scarce. This independent study reports a consecutive series of 143 Eclipse stemless shoulder prostheses with a minimum five-year (5 to 10) follow-up. Methods Outcomes of 143 procedures undertaken for all indications in 131 patients were reviewed, with subset analysis of those for osteoarthritis (OA) (n = 99). The primary outcome was the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) at a minimum of five years. Secondary outcomes were ranges of motion and radiological analysis of humeral radiolucency, rotator cuff failure, and glenoid loosening. Results Mean OSS at mean follow-up of 6.67 years (5.0 to 10.74) was 40.12 (9 to 48), with no statistically significant difference between those implanted for a non-OA indication and those for OA (p = 0.056) or time-dependent deterioration between two years and five years (p = 0.206). Ranges of motion significantly improved compared with preoperative findings and were maintained between two and five years with a mean external rotation of 38° (SD 18.1, 0 to 100) and forward elevation of 152° (SD 29.9, 90 to 180). Of those components with radiographs suitable for analysis (n = 83), 23 (28%) were found to have a least one humeral radiolucent line, which were predominantly incomplete, less than 2 mm, and in a single anatomical zone. No humeral components were loose. A radiolucent line was present around 22 (15%) of glenoid components, and 15 (10%) of components had failed. Rotator cuff failure was found in 21 (15%) components. The mean time to either glenoid or rotator cuff failure was greater than three years following implantation. Survivorship was 96.4% (95% CI 91.6 to 98.5, number at risk 128) at five years, and 94.3% (95% CI 88.2 to 97.3, number at risk 76) at seven years, both of which compare favourably with best results taken from available registries. Conclusion Functional and radiological outcomes of the Eclipse stemless TSA are excellent, with no loose humeral components at minimum five-year follow-up. The presence of radiolucent lines is of interest and requires long-term observation but does not impact on the clinical results. Of the eight revisions required, this was predominantly for glenoid and rotator cuff failure. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):83–90.

An Investigation of Islamic Students' Learning Habits

Students at a High School in Medan, North Sumatra, who are taking part in an Islamic Education program, are being studied to determine which factors influence their learning habits. Descriptive research is used in this study. During January and February 2020, this study was carried out. This study included 212 students from XI and XII levels. In this study, questionnaires were used to collect data on students' following Islamic Education classes. Islamic education subjects in grades XI and XII were the most popular subjects for students to join a working group on. At the same time, independent study at home was the least popular learning method.

Online Education in the Republic of Karelia in the New Realities of Society Development

Purpose of the study. Studying the regional experience of using online educational platforms during the period of distance learning for schoolchildren and identifying the features of new realities on the formation of human capital.Materials and methods. Assessment of the organization of the distance learning process in the municipalities of the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk and Kostomuksha urban district during the first and second waves of transition to distance learning for schoolchildren. A survey was conducted at the end of each period among teachers, children and parents on the organization and implementation of the learning process.Results. A study of the results of an online survey of teachers in the Republic of Karelia revealed a number of features and difficulties in the introduction of distance learning technologies for schoolchildren in the new realities of an isolated educational process: the level of proficiency in distance learning technologies at the beginning of the Covid-2019 pandemic among teachers in Karelia was quite high - 68.3%, 72.8% of them had the experience of independent study of forms and technologies of distance learning, 27.9% of the interviewed teachers completed advanced training courses. Of the large number of educational platforms operating within the framework of providing online access to teaching and testing resources, teachers are most often used in their work: Uchi.ru, Yaklass.ru, Google class, Russian electronic school. Only 4.5% of the respondents admit that they did not teach online lessons, including due to the lack of Internet in their settlement.Based on the results of the questionnaire survey among parents, new risks in the development of the education system emerged, and the identified trends make us think about what can be changed and done now so that the education of children during distance learning would be a joy for children, parents and teachers.Conclusions. Evaluating the experience of using online education in Russian schools during the massive transition to distance learning, one can note both objective difficulties and problems in organizing the educational process in distance mode, and positive effects that involuntarily manifested themselves in the development of specific narrow skills of digital literacy among the population, acquaintance with new programs and digital tools, mentoring among the participants in relations, exchange of effective practices and experience.Nevertheless, almost all studies note that general education schools and teachers, in general, who had practically no experience of online learning before the massive transition to distance learning, were able to quickly navigate the new situation and master new forms of communication with students. At the same time, a positive synergistic effect was the formation of the skill of productive communication between children and adults, interaction and mutual assistance in the process of mastering ICT technologies.

University transformation towards a learning experience facing the world of work and industry

The beginning of this major change was the existence of a very large gap between the output of university graduates and the need for experts in the business and industrial world so that various forms of MBKM activities were projected to provide real contextual experiences that could increase competence, prepare well to enter the world of work and industry, and create new jobs. One of the MBKM programs with the greatest possibility according to competency linearity is the Certified Independent Study and Internship Program (MSIB), where students go directly to the world of work and learn according to their competencies based on experience in the field or project-based learning. The methodology of this research is descriptive qualitative, with the entire population of the University of Merdeka Malang academic community, MSIB participants, and stakeholders in the MSIB Program. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews, and Forum Group Discussion. Some of the measurable results include the impact of the implementation of the MSIB program having a good perception at Merdeka University Malang, students have high motivation and interest in implementing the MSIB program, the MSIB program has a direct influence as evidenced by the assessments given by lecturers and students' perspectives on themselves. The results obtained from the implementation of the MSIB Program provide real contextual experiences that can increase competence, prepare well to enter the world of work and industry, as well as the ability create new jobs.

Consumer Entitlement Inventory: A Scale Extension and Application to the Vietnamese Retail Context

The consumer entitlement (CE) construct is a key variable in the exchange process in retail environments. The original Consumer Entitlement Inventory (CEI) was developed and applied within Western cultural boundaries. The main contribution of this study is the extension of the original CEI to better fit the Vietnamese context and to demonstrate its applicability in the context of an emerging economy with a Confucian culture. The study also contributes to expanding the range of identified boycott motives in the literature and clarifying their mechanism via social exchange theory. The extended CEI scale was tested using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, using a sample of 603 respondents. Qualitative and quantitative research results show that the extended CEI has two dimensions, namely intransigence, and demand and distinction, with adequate content, reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. This study also aimed to apply the extended CEI to an exploration of the relationship between CE and willingness to boycott. Research results from another independent study with 450 respondents using a structural equation model confirmed the positive relationship between CE and willingness to boycott. In addition, theoretical implications are discussed.

Culture-Independent Survey of Thermophilic Microbial Communities of the North Caucasus

The Greater Caucasus is a part of seismically active Alpine–Himalayan orogenic belt and has been a center of significant volcanic activity during the Quaternary period. That led to the formation of the number of hydrothermal habitats, including subterranean thermal aquifers and surface hot springs. However, there are only a limited number of scientific works reporting on the microbial communities of these habitats. Moreover, all these reports concern only studies of specific microbial taxa, carried out using classical cultivation approaches. In this work, we present first culture-independent study of hydrotherms in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, located in the southern part of the North Caucasus. Using 16S metabarcoding, we analyzed the composition of the microbial communities of two subterranean thermal aquifers and terrestrial hot springs of the Karmadon valley. Analysis of correlations between the chemical composition of water and the representation of key taxa allowed us to identify the key factors determining the formation of microbial communities. In addition, we were able to identify a significant number of highly abundant deep phylogenetic lineages. Our study represents a first glance on the thermophilic microbial communities of the North Caucasus and may serve as a basis for further microbiological studies of the extreme habitats of this region.

Investigating self-regulation in the context of a blended learning computing course

PurposeMassive open online courses (MOOCs) provide an innovative educational technology, which has become widely used for distance learning by independent learners. However, there has been little work so far to study the effects of using MOOCs as part of a blended classroom approach in which learning activities take place both online and in a traditional classroom setting. The purpose of this study is to investigate the aspects of blended MOOC usage in the context of a computing course for first-year undergraduates at a UK university.Design/methodology/approachThe MOOC was implemented on a purpose-built platform that supports learners to make informed choices about their learning path. This research investigates students’ capacity for self-regulated learning (SRL) and understands their preparedness for independent study, profile the general areas of SRL strength and weakness, which may affect their ability to learn effectively in a self-directed environment. An existing survey instrument, based on a six-dimensional conceptualization of SRL was adapted to investigate the self-regulation in the MOOC study.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the dimensions of self-evaluation and time management represent particular areas of weakness for these students. Furthermore, profiles of SRL for individual students show considerable differences in capability within the study. However, the deficiencies in SRL dimensions contrast with the students’ of generally high levels of attainment. This leads us to question the validity of the existing SRL. Furthermore, a high level of social interaction and help-seeking was reported in relation to the MOOC study indicating the increasing importance of social learning and the importance of co-regulation for SRL.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study presents findings from a small data sample, it points to a number of areas for future implementation and exploration. Firstly, in line with the action research approach, students’ SRL could, in the future, be tested early in the course with the MOOC component being ideally placed to provide personalised support for each student in aspects which they may benefit from developing further. Secondly, for students in the cohort studied in this paper, a longitudinal study will track how their SRL develops as they progress through the degree. We feel that it is important to gain further qualitative data to understand how students work in practice and the strategies they adopt when confronted with different modes of learning. Finally, it is necessary to consider the conceptualisation of SRL to understand if existing instruments could be adapted to provide a more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of learners’ self-regulation.Originality/valueThere has been little research on the effects of using a MOOC as the online component of a blended classroom learning approach. This study has used a theoretical perspective of SRL to investigate the approaches to self-regulation adopted by undergraduate computer science students studying in a blended MOOC environment. The MOOC used for this purpose was developed on the innovative eLDa platform, allowing students to determine, track and visualise their individual path through topics and materials offered in the MOOC.

PROS AND CONS OF DISTANCE LEARNING FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS UNDER QUARANTINE CONDITIONS

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had a significant impact on the social life of medical students, which contributed to the active use of distance learning technologies. Distance learning – “a synthetic, integrated humanistic form of learning based on the use of a wide range of traditional and new information technologies and their technical means, which are used to present educational material, its independent study, dialogue between a lecturer and a student, and the learning process, in the general case, is uncritical to their location in space and time, as well as to a specific educational institution. Existing technologies of distance learning through the use of modern digital platforms, high-quality content of educational web resources, the introduction of an effective know­ledge quality control system give us the opportunity to adapt to new realities of the educational process and ensure consistently high quality of postgraduate medical education. This article presents a system of scientific ideas, mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages of distance (remote) learning in medical institution.