Methodological issues in technology-mediated qualitative data collection: a mapping of research undertaken in schools during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic strongly impacted most areas of human life, including research. Many of the studies in this period had to adapt to the limitations caused by the regulations and restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic. Qualitative research occupies a relevant position in the field of educational research. The common feature of this type of research is the close relationship between researchers and participants. This element was called into question, with digital tools having emerged as a promising solution for data collection. An intensification of the use of digital tools for data collection in qualitative research calls for a careful analysis and reflection concerning their strengths and weaknesses. The aim of this article is to analyse the methodological aspects of qualitative data collection through a systematic literature review, focusing on the use of digital tools in the context of educational studies during the pandemic. The main results highlight the increased significance of technology-mediated data collection in educational research post-Covid-19, with the USA leading in publications. Predominantly, current studies focus on teachers’ perceptions and practices, underscoring the multifaceted nature of teaching. Interviews, often conducted via video calls or videoconferencing, were the most common data collection method. The transition from face-to-face to technology-mediated data collection in these studies shows the limited discussion of implications or ethical issues. This article provides insights into the use of technology-mediated tools, contributing to the advancement of methodological knowledge in times of crisis when the traditional use of qualitative data collection methods is compromised

MicroRNA profiling in sera of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus reveals an upregulation of miR-31 expression in subjects with microvascular complications

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia due to a combination of resistance to insulin action and an inadequate compensatory insulin secretory response. Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with long-term micro- and macrovascular complications leading to dysfunction of several organs including kidney, heart, eye and nervous system. Early identification of chronic diabetic complications is necessary in order to prevent dysfunction and failure of these different organs. MicroRNAs (or miRNAs) are small endogenous RNAs, which negatively regulate gene expression. Recently, it has been demonstrated that miRNAs can be secreted by cells, thus being detectable in serum and in other biological fluids. Circulating microRNAs have been proposed as possible biomarkers of several diseases. Here, we performed a miRNAs expression profiling in the sera of T2D patients with or without vascular complications in order to find specific biomarkers to characterize T2D complications. We analyzed the expression of 384 microRNAs in serum pools from 3 groups of T2D patients: 12 T2D patients without any chronic complications, 12 T2D patients with macrovascular complications and 12 with microvascular complications. We found 223 miRNAs expressed in T2D,224 inT2D with microvascular and221 inT2D with macrovascular complications. Among expressed microRNAs, 45 resulted upregulated and 23 downregulated in microvascular patients sera, while 13 upregulated and 41 downregulated in macrovascular T2D patients compared to those without complications. We focused and validated microRNA miR-31 expression in single sera from each group, which resulted significantly upregulated in patients with microvascular complications and may be indeed related to the presence of microangiopathy. In conclusion, our study has identified miR-31 as a promising biomarker for diabetic microvascular complications; further prospective studies in the clinical setting are however required to establish the real utility of measuring serum circulating levels of this microRNA

Influence of pre-strain and bake hardening on the static and fatigue strength of a DP600 steel sheet

The influence of pre-strain on the tensile and fatigue properties of a dual phase DP600 steel was studied. The material was pre-strained by uni-axial tension in rolling and transverse direction. Thereafter, specimens were cut from the deformed plates in parallel or orthogonal to pre-strain direction. It was found that pre-strain increases yield and tensile strength. Results suggested that strain path change primarily affects the elastic-plastic transition during early stage of reloading. Pre-strained specimens showed an increase in high cycle regimes as a consequence of yield strength increment, irrespective of imposed pre-straining direction. A modified stress life equation that accounts for pre-strain was proposed and showed good agreement with experimental data. Bake hardening enhanced both tensile and high cycle fatigue resistance. Walker equation was successfully fitted to account for tensile mean stress. In low cycle fatigue, negligible influence of pre-strain was observed due to cyclic softening and residual stress relaxation

Coxsackie-adenovirus receptor expression is enhanced in pancreas from patients with type 1 diabetes

Objectives: One of the theories connecting enterovirus (EV) infection of human islets with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the development of a fertile field in the islets. This implies induction of appropriate proteins for the viral replication such as the coxsackie–adenovirus receptor (CAR). The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent CAR is expressed in human islets of Langerhans, and what conditions that would change the expression. Design: Immunohistochemistry for CAR was performed on paraffin-embedded pancreatic tissue from patients with T1D (n=9 recent onset T1D, n=4 long-standing T1D), islet autoantibody-positive individuals (n=14) and non-diabetic controls (n=24) individuals. The expression of CAR was also examined by reverse transcription PCR on microdissected islets (n=5), exocrine tissue (n=5) and on explanted islets infected with EV or exposed to chemokines produced by EV-infected islet cells. Results: An increased frequency of patients with T1D and autoantibody-positive individuals expressed CAR in the pancreas (p<0.039). CAR staining was detected more frequently in pancreatic islets from patients with T1D and autoantibody-positive subjects (15/27) compared with (6/24) non-diabetic controls (p<0.033). Also in explanted islets cultured in UV-treated culture medium from coxsackievirus B (CBV)-1-infected islets, the expression of the CAR gene was increased compared with controls. Laser microdissection of pancreatic tissue revealed that CAR expression was 10-fold higher in endocrine compared with exocrine cells of the pancreas. CAR was also expressed in explanted islets and the expression level decreased with time in culture. CBV-1 infection of explanted islets clearly decreased the expression of CAR (p<0.05). In contrast, infection with echovirus 6 did not affect the expression of CAR. Conclusions: CAR is expressed in pancreatic islets of patients with T1D and the expression level of CAR is increased in explanted islets exposed to proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines produced by infected islets. T1D is associated with increased levels of certain chemokines/cytokines in the islets and this might be the mechanism behind the increased expression of CAR in TID islets

Real-world use of oral versus subcutaneous semaglutide in a cohort of type 2 diabetic patients: which option to which patient?

Purpose To evaluate the variables influencing the therapeutic choice toward oral versus subcutaneous semaglutide in a cohort of diabetic subjects.Methods We retrospectively collected data of 292 patients followed at the Diabetes Unit of the University Hospital of Siena and the Hospital of Grosseto, who were prescribed oral (n = 115) or subcutaneous (n = 177) semaglutide between October 2021 and October 2022.Results Oral semaglutide was preferentially prescribed in older subjects with longer disease duration in replacement of other antidiabetic drugs, while subcutaneous semaglutide was preferentially prescribed in add-on to metformin in subjects with higher body weight and BMI. After 6 months, both formulations significantly improved glycemic control and body weight, however injectable semaglutide showed a greater efficacy on A1c levels, weight loss, BMI and waist circumference reduction. No differences were found in terms of adverse events.Conclusion In our experience, injectable semaglutide is preferred in patients with excess weight and shorter disease duration, while the oral formulation was used later and especially after therapeutic failure of previous therapies. Follow-up data indicate similar tolerability and efficacy of both formulations, despite subcutaneous semaglutide demonstrated greater efficacy

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Protects Human Islets against Cytokine-Mediated β-Cell Dysfunction and Death: A Proteomic Study of the Pathways Involved

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has been shown to protect pancreatic β-cells against cytokine-induced dysfunction and destruction. The mechanisms through which GLP-1 exerts its effects are complex and still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the protein expression profiles of human islets of Langerhans treated with cytokines (IL-1β and IFN-γ) in the presence or absence of GLP-1 by 2D difference gel electrophoresis and subsequent protein interaction network analysis to understand the molecular pathways involved in GLP-1-mediated β-cell protection. Co-incubation of cytokine-treated human islets with GLP-1 resulted in a marked protection of β-cells against cytokine-induced apoptosis and significantly attenuated cytokine-mediated inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The cytoprotective effects of GLP-1 coincided with substantial alterations in the protein expression profile of cytokine-treated human islets, illustrating a counteracting effect on proteins from different functional classes such as actin cytoskeleton, chaperones, metabolic proteins, and islet regenerating proteins. In summary, GLP-1 alters in an integrated manner protein networks in cytokine-exposed human islets while protecting them against cytokine-mediated cell death and dysfunction. These data illustrate the beneficial effects of GLP-1 on human islets under immune attack, leading to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved, a prerequisite for improving therapies for diabetic patients.status: publishe

Targeting microRNAs as a Therapeutic Strategy to Reduce Oxidative Stress in Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a group of heterogeneous metabolic disorders characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia as a consequence of pancreatic β cell loss and/or dysfunction, also caused by oxidative stress. The molecular mechanisms involved inβ cell dysfunction and in response to oxidative stress are also regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are a class of negative gene regulators, which modulate pathologic mechanisms occurring in diabetes and its complications. Although several pharmacological therapies specifically targeting miRNAs have already been developed and brought to the clinic, most previous miRNA-based drug delivery methods were unable to target a specific miRNA in a single cell type or tissue, leading to important off-target effects. In order to overcome these issues, aptamers and nanoparticles have been described as non-cytotoxic vehicles for miRNA-based drug delivery. These approaches could represent an innovative way to specifically target and modulate miRNAs involved in oxidative stress in diabetes and its complications. Therefore, the aims of this review are: (i) to report the role of miRNAs involved in oxidative stress in diabetes as promising therapeutic targets; (ii) to shed light onto the new delivery strategies developed to modulate the expression of miRNAs in diseases

Can we improve outcome of congenital diaphragmatic hernia?

This review gives an overview of the disease spectrum of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Etiological factors, prenatal predictors of survival, new treatment strategies and long-term morbidity are described. Early recognition of problems and improvement of treatment strategies in CDH patients may increase survival and prevent secondary morbidity. Multidisciplinary healthcare is necessary to improve healthcare for CDH patients. Absence of international therapy guidelines, lack of evidence of many therapeutic modalities and the relative low number of CDH patients calls for cooperation between centers with an expertise in the treatment of CDH patients. The international CDH Euro-Consortium is an example of such a collaborative network, which enhances exchange of knowledge, future research and development of treatment protocols