Generation of stable Xenopus laevis transgenic lines expressing a transgene controlled by weak promoters.

International audienceCombining two existing protocols of trangenesis, namely the REMI and the I-SceI meganuclease methods, we generated Xenopus leavis expressing a transgene under the control of a promoter that presented a restricted pattern of activity and a low level of expression. This was realized by co-incubating sperm nuclei, the I-SceI enzyme and the transgene prior to transplantation into unfertilized eggs. The addition of the woodchuck hepatitis virus posttranscriptional regulatory element in our constructs further enhanced the expression of the transgene without affecting the tissue-specificity of the promoter activity. Using this combination of methods we produced high rates of fully transgenic animals that stably transmitted the transgene to the next generations with a transmission rate of 50% indicating a single integration event

Effect of the COVID-19 Vaccine on the Menstrual Cycle among Females in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: The number of reports of menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccination in the Saudi population is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine(Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna) on the menstrual cycle among females in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) from August 2021 to February 2022. Data was collected through a previously validated online questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 2338 participants who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine participated in this study; 1606 (68.7%) of them received the second dose in addition to the first. The mean age of the study participants was 35.4±9.5 years. No significant associations were found between the type of COVID-19 vaccine and the impact on the menstrual cycle, either for the first or second dose (P-values > 0.05). A significant association was found only between the first dose vaccination day and the impact on the menstrual cycle in the second question of “After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, your next period was” (P-value ≤ 0.05). Significant associations were found between the second dose vaccination day and the impact on the menstrual cycle in the first and second questions of “After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, your next period was”, and “After receiving the first dose, your next period was," respectively (P-values ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study found a potential association between the COVID-19 vaccine and menstrual cycle irregularities, which could impact females' quality of life

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Krammer's Representation of the Pure Braid Group,

We consider Krammer's representation of the pure braid group on three strings: 3→(3,[±1,±1]), where and are indeterminates. As it was done in the case of the braid group, 3, we specialize the indeterminates and to nonzero complex numbers. Then we present our main theorem that gives us a necessary and sufficient condition that guarantees the irreducibility of the complex specialization of Krammer's representation of the pure braid group, 3

Analyse des causes de variabilités d'expression des transgènes chez xenopus laevis

La transgenèse chez le xenopus laevis est généralement basé sur l'intégration aléatoire dans le génome et les animaux transgéniques présentent une variabilité d'expression du transgène. Cette variabilité se manifeste sous forme d'expression ectopique, mosaïque ou des fois une extinction d'expression. Une modification de technique de méganucléase I-SceI consistant à injecter dans ovocyte non fécondé, un mélange noyaux de spermatozoïdes /vecteur/ meganuclease a fortement amélioré les résultats. Cependant cette amélioration ne permet pas de s'affranchir des problèmes d'expression associée à un effet de position. Au cours de ce travail nous avons mis au point des cultures cellulaires primaires à partir des têtards afin de localiser au niveau chromosomique le site d'insertion par la méthode de FISH. Ensuite, caractériser au niveau moléculaire les sites d insertion et rechercher les éventuelles modifications dans les séquences. Cela suggère l'existence de sites permissifs dans le génome susceptible d accepter des séquences exogène. Nous avons parallèlement cherchéà affranchir l'effet de position en intégrant nos vecteurs par des éléments isolateurs HS4 du locus de la b-globine du poulet. Cela a réduit l expression ectopique et amélioré la spécificité.Transgenesis in Xenopus laevis is the generally based on random integration into the genome and transgenic animals show a variability of transgene expression.This variability is manifested in the form of ectopic expression, mosaic or extinction of expression.A modified technique meganuclease I-SceI involves injecting unfertilized oocyte by a mixture of sperm nuclei / vector / meganucleases had greatly improved results.However this improvement does not overcome the problems associated to the position effect.In this work we have developed primary cell cultures from tadpoles to locate the chromosomal insertion site by the FISH method. Then characterize the molecular insertion sites and explore possible changes in the sequences.This suggests the existence of permissive sites in the genome that could accept exogenous sequences. We tried also to solve the problem of position effect by integrating in our vectors elements of insulators HS4 locus b-globin chicken.This action had reduced the ectopic expression and improved the specificity.RENNES1-BU Sciences Philo (352382102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Yemeni EFL Learners’ Future Self-Images and Their Relationship to The English Language Proficiency: التصورات الذاتية المستقبلية لدى طلبة اللغة الانجليزية اليمنيين وعلاقتها بالكفاءة في اللغة الإنجليزية

This exploratory correlational study addresses the issue of Yemeni EFL Learners’ Future Self-images, Ideal Self-images and Ought-to Self-image and their relationship to the English language proficiency, mainly, speaking and writing --fourth level students, Department of English Sana’a University of the academic year of 2017-2018. It also aims at exploring which of the two Future Self-images addressed is more evident amongst Yemeni EFL learners. In addition, the study attempts to ascertain the role of gender on Future Self-images. Data gathering instruments were all set and validated for the purpose of the study; which were Future Self-images questionnaire (12 Ideal Self-image items &amp; 12 Ought-to Self-image items), English proficiency (speaking &amp; and writing) tests and two Scoring Scales. Fifty two Students (12 males and 40 females (the sample) took both the Future Self-images questionnaire and the English proficiency tests in the academic year 2017-2018. and two Data gathering instruments were all set and validated for the purpose of the study; which were Future Self-images questionnaire (12 Ideal Self-image items &amp; 12 Ought-to Self-image items), English proficiency (speaking &amp; and writing) tests and two Scoring Scales. Fifty two Students (12 males and 40 females (the sample) took both the Future Self-images questionnaire and the English proficiency tests in the academic year 2017-2018. Descriptive analyses— frequencies, and, t-test for independent groups, and Pearson-product moment correlation— were utilized to analyze the data. Results show that Yemeni EFL students have higher Ought-to Self-image mean scores (3.6) than Ideal Self-image mean scores (3.04) Further, each of the two Future Self-images, Ideal Self-image and Ought-to Self-image has a bipolar direction in regard to male and female students. While, female students have higher mean Ideal Self-image scores (2.6) toward learning English, their counterpart male students have higher mean Ought-to Self-image scores (3.15). Furthermore results revealed a significant and strong relationship between Yemeni EFL learners’ ---Ideal Self-images—Ought-to Self-image-- and speaking and writing proficiency respectively and uniquely. This article ends with some recommendations and suggestions for future research.</jats:p

Yemeni EFL University Students’ Attitudes towards Using Eliademy as a Learning Tool: اتجاهات طلاب الجامعات اليمنية الدارسين للغة الانجليزية كلغة أجنبية نحو استخدام منصة الاليادمي الإلكترونية (Eliademy) كأداة تعليمية

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the attitudes of Yemeni EFL students towards using Eliademy as a learning tool. The second goal was to explore any similarities and differences between graduate and undergraduate students and between males and females in terms of their attitudes towards using Eliademy as a learning tool. This study employed a quantitative approach. One hundred and twenty students of the fourth level of the B.Ed. program and forty students enrolled in the M.Ed. program at the Department of English in the College of Education at Sana’a University in Yemen participated in this study during the academic year 2017 /2018. Data were collected using a questionnaire whose analysis revealed a positive attitude towards using Eliademy as a learning tool. The findings of this study indicated that the highest mean average among the five components of the attitude scale was the Behavioral Engagement (BE) (M= 4.09), followed by Developing Language Skills (M= 4.04) and the Linguistics Confidence (M= 3.92). Finally came the Attitude to Learning Linguistics with Technology (M= 3.76) and the Technology Confidence (M= 3.56). This study concluded that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean of the undergraduate and graduate students towards using Eliademy as a learning tool in favor of the graduate students. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference between male and female students in terms of their attitudes towards using Eliademy. This study ends with some pedagogical implications and directions for future research studies.</jats:p

Extream value analysis of structural loads in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Associate Professors, Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421.This paper presents a probabilistic analysis of structural loads in Saudi Arabia. The main objective is to develop load models and estimate their statistical characteristics for reliability and risk analysis associated with code development and computation of safety factors. These loads include: dead, live, wind and earthquake loads. The results indicate that the dead load is normally distributed with mean-to-nominal ratio of 1.15 and coefficient of variation of 10 percent. Extreme wind load is well presented by Type I extreme distribution with mean-to-nominal ratio of 0.75 and coefficient of variation of 60 percent. Extreme Earthquake load is well presented by Type II extreme distribution with mean-to-nominal ratio of 0.70 and coefficient of variation of 137 percent. Statistics for sustained and extreme live loads are adopted from previous international studies. Results are compared with those obtained in similar international studie