Masaryk University

Objectives . This work investigates students’ mid- to long-term takeaways from the course “Communication and Soft Skills” conducted at a European university and relates insights to soft skills interventions in higher computing education described in the literature. A major objective was to situate findings from researching a student-centered course into a broad, international context of promoting soft skills. Research questions address the students’ view on the course’s lasting effects, students’ memories of the course, and the identification of success factors for promoting soft skills in higher computing education based on the current study. Participants and Method . Research encompassed an online survey with open and closed questions that had been emailed to 1,036 course graduates reaching back up to 21 semesters and receiving 101 responses. Following a parallel mixed methods design, quantitative findings were obtained using descriptive statistics while qualitative data were analyzed via a qualitative content analysis. Findings . The study sheds light on which features of the course tend to stay on students’ minds and impact their way of being and acting in their jobs and in society. Our findings indicate that the experiential, student-centered nature of the course and the project-based didactics provided sustained whole-person learning as illustrated by versatile memories and self-reports about constructive changes in attitudes, behavior, skills, and knowledge of respondents. Based on our mixed methods study, we suggest implications for effective soft skills interventions. Conclusions . Only limited literature exists on long-term effects of promoting soft skills in computing-related higher education. This study is among the first to address this literature gap. Student-centered characteristics such as creating an equal environment, being listened to and included in decisions, working in teams on real projects, and getting immediate feedback turned out to leave lasting traces on students’ minds and behavior. The findings from our research contribute an evidence-based source of motivation for staff who are devoted to nourishing students’ soft or professional competencies aside from knowledge and technical skills.

Disruption of the thyroid hormone (TH) system by environmental chemicals poses significant risks to human and wildlife health. Reliable in vitro assays are essential for assessing thyroid peroxidase (TPO) inhibition, which disrupts a key step in thyroid hormone (TH) synthesis, while adhering to 3R principles. This study aimed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of two types of in vitro assays, tyrosine iodination (Tyr-I) detected by HPLC-ICP-MS and Amplex UltraRed (AUR) and its modifications, using human HEK-TPOA7 cells and rat thyroid microsomes. It involved the evaluation of TPO inhibition by 21 chemicals (concentration range 0.002-200µM) from diverse use categories, including industrial pollutants, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. TPO-inhibition potential was indicated for 14 compounds. The Tyr-I assay, which measures the conversion of L-tyrosine to monoiodotyrosine, demonstrated superior sensitivity by capturing both the peroxidation and iodination steps of TPO activity, with effective concentrations for some human exposure-relevant chemicals (benzophenone 2, resorcinol) in the 15-74nM range confirmed with both human and rat TPO sources. In contrast, the AUR assay detects only the peroxidation step, limiting its ability to fully assess TPO inhibition. The inclusion of sodium iodide (NaI) in the AUR assay significantly enhanced its sensitivity (though it was still lower than in Tyr-I assay), while adding L-tyrosine together with NaI did not. The study documents the advantages and limitations, as well as the application and interpretation potential of the different assays´ variants. It provides valuable information and scientifically sound methodology to support the development of efficient testing strategies for the assessment of thyroid hormone system-disrupting chemicals.

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the current evidence regarding resting metabolic rate fluctuations across menstrual cycle phases in healthy, naturally menstruating females. A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science databases for articles published from January 2020 to September 2025. Of the 331 records identified, seven studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. Five studies reported a trend toward an elevated metabolic rate during the luteal phase, with four reporting statistically significant increases. The estimated increase ranged from approximately 30 to 120 kcal/day. However, the magnitude of this physiological shift appears to be small (approximately 3-5%) and may overlap with typical day-to-day biological variability, methodological limitations, or measurement error, potentially contributing to inconsistent findings across studies. Future research should prioritise longitudinal, repeated-measures designs with confirmed ovulation to accurately quantify menstrual cycle-related metabolic fluctuations.

Early prediction of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) is crucial for delivering prompt therapeutic interventions and personalised preventive measures to hospitalised patients. However, existing pressure injury (PI) assessment tools often lack transparency, objectivity, comprehensiveness and reliability. This study protocol aims to identify risk factors, develop a screening tool (Pressure Injury after Hospital Admission - PIAHA), and conduct a two-step validation for the early prediction of PI after hospital admission. This multiphase, multicentre, sequential research design comprises five phases. The first phase involves an umbrella review to synthesise comprehensive information on PI risk factors in hospitalised patients from published review studies. The second phase will use conventional content analysis and qualitative interviews with national and international experts to identify context-specific predictors of HAPIs. The third phase will employ a three-round E-Delphi method to integrate findings and establish a structured list of potential predictors. In the fourth phase, a cross-sectional study will evaluate the predictive value of identified risk factors for HAPI development among hospitalised patients, contributing to the development of the PIAHA screening tool. The final phase consists of a two-step validation: (1) a cross-sectional comparison of the PIAHA tool against the gold standard and (2) a cluster randomised controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the novel 'IDEAL SKIIN CARES' prevention bundle, administered by trained wound specialist nurses, vs routine standard care. Ethical approval was granted by Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences (IR.BMSU.REC.1402.059) covering all study phases. Written informed consent will be obtained from participants or their legal representatives. The study follows the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conferences, webinars, policy briefs and public engagement through social media, educational videos and podcasts. The PIAHA tool promises to enhance early detection of HAPI risk, facilitating individualised prevention and optimising clinical resource allocation. Implementation of the IDEAL SKIIN CARES bundle may improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by standardising evidence-based preventive care. CRD42024532133. NCT06369688.

Abstract The Trimethyl guanosine Synthase (TGS1) is a highly conserved enzyme mediating di-methylation of the 5’-cap 7-methylguanosine of RNA to generate 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine (m 2,2,7 G). Known TGS1 targets include snRNAs, snoRNAs, the telomeric RNA component and a limited number of mRNAs encoding selenoproteins. TGS1 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells, and its expression correlates with poor prognosis. Here, we report that TGS1 directly methylates the cap of more than 500 mRNAs in AML cells. Specifically, we demonstrate that TGS1 modifies nuclear mRNAs encoding mitochondrial proteins, including critical components of complexes involved in both the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, promoting their translation mediated by mitochondria associated cytosolic ribosomes. Functionally, we report that TGS1 depletion impairs mitochondrial respiration and increases oxidative stress. This, in turn, impairs the growth of AML cells causing differentiation and cell cycle arrest in vitro and in vivo . Finally, we demonstrate that TGS1 depletion sensitizes AML cells to RSL3, a small molecule promoting ferroptosis. Taken together, our findings establish TGS1 as a key regulator of oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial redox status of AML cells and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target in leukaemia.