The Delphi method is a pragmatic research method created in the 1950s by researchers at the RAND Corporation for use in policy making, organizational decision making, and to inform direct practices. ...While the Delphi method has been regularly utilized in mixed methods studies, far fewer studies have been completed using the Delphi method for qualitative research. Despite the utility of the Delphi method in social science research, little guidance is provided for using the Delphi in the context of theory building, in primarily qualitative studies, and in the context of community-engaged research (CER). This article will emphasize new and modest innovations in the Delphi method for improving the overall rigor of the method in theory building and CER.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has had enormous effects on anatomy education. During the pandemic, students have had no access to cadavers, which has been the principal way to learn ...anatomy since the 17th century. As it is difficult to predict future access to cadavers for students or in‐person classes, anatomy educators are encouraged to revisit all possible teaching methods in order to develop innovations. Here, we review anatomy education methods to apply to current and future education.
Corticothalamic neurons provide massive input to the thalamus. This top-down projection may allow the cortex to regulate sensory processing by modulating the excitability of thalamic cells. Layer 6 ...corticothalamic neurons monosynaptically excite thalamocortical cells, but also indirectly inhibit them by driving inhibitory cells of the thalamic reticular nucleus. Whether corticothalamic activity generally suppresses or excites the thalamus remains unclear. Here we show that the corticothalamic influence is dynamic, with the excitatory-inhibitory balance shifting in an activity-dependent fashion. During low-frequency activity, corticothalamic effects are mainly suppressive, whereas higher-frequency activity (even a short bout of gamma frequency oscillations) converts the corticothalamic influence to enhancement. The mechanism of this switching depends on distinct forms of short-term synaptic plasticity across multiple corticothalamic circuit components. Our results reveal an activity-dependent mechanism by which corticothalamic neurons can bidirectionally switch the excitability and sensory throughput of the thalamus, possibly to meet changing behavioral demands.
IDO1 (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1) is a member of a unique class of mammalian haem dioxygenases that catalyse the oxidative catabolism of the least-abundant essential amino acid, L-Trp ...(L-tryptophan), along the kynurenine pathway. Significant increases in knowledge have been recently gained with respect to understanding the fundamental biochemistry of IDO1 including its catalytic reaction mechanism, the scope of enzyme reactions it catalyses, the biochemical mechanisms controlling IDO1 expression and enzyme activity, and the discovery of enzyme inhibitors. Major advances in understanding the roles of IDO1 in physiology and disease have also been realised. IDO1 is recognised as a prominent immune regulatory enzyme capable of modulating immune cell activation status and phenotype via several molecular mechanisms including enzyme-dependent deprivation of L-Trp and its conversion into the aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand kynurenine and other bioactive kynurenine pathway metabolites, or non-enzymatic cell signalling actions involving tyrosine phosphorylation of IDO1. Through these different modes of biochemical signalling, IDO1 regulates certain physiological functions (e.g. pregnancy) and modulates the pathogenesis and severity of diverse conditions including chronic inflammation, infectious disease, allergic and autoimmune disorders, transplantation, neuropathology and cancer. In the present review, we detail the current understanding of IDO1's catalytic actions and the biochemical mechanisms regulating IDO1 expression and activity. We also discuss the biological functions of IDO1 with a focus on the enzyme's immune-modulatory function, its medical implications in diverse pathological settings and its utility as a therapeutic target.
Lipidomics is a rapidly growing field with numerous examples showing the importance of lipid molecules throughout biology. It has also shed light onto the vast and complex functions performed by many ...lipids that possess an immense diversity in molecular structures. Mass spectrometry (MS) is the tool of choice for analyzing lipids and has been the key catalyst driving the field forward. However, MS does not yet permit true molecular lipidomics wherein the identification and quantification of lipids having defined molecular structures can be routinely achieved. Here we describe recent advances in MS‐based lipidomics that allow access to higher levels of molecular information in lipidomics experiments. These advances will form a key piece of the puzzle as the field moves towards systems characterization of lipids at the molecular level.
Lipidomics: Recent advances in mass‐spectrometry‐based lipidomics provide a route towards the characterization, quantitation, and imaging of structurally defined lipid species and their dynamic conversions within tissues and cells. This opens the door for lipidomics studies at the molecular level, where even subtle changes in lipid molecular structures and concentrations can be unambiguously observed.
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