Sex bias in lupus incidence is thought to be due, in part, to the ability of estrogens to promote loss of tolerance. Previously, we showed that estrogens promote lupus via estrogen receptor α (ERα). C57BL/6 (B6) mice carrying the Sle1 lupus susceptibility locus (B6.Sle1) display loss of tolerance and develop anti-nuclear antibodies and immune cell hyperactivation. The incidence of loss of tolerance in B6.Sle1 females is greater than in males. Here, we show that a deficiency of either estrogens or ERα attenuates loss of tolerance and autoantibody development in B6.Sle1 females. Furthermore, we demonstrate that immune cell activation in B6.Sle1 mice shows sex bias and that ERα deficiency diminishes this phenotype in B6.Sle1 females. Thus, estrogens, acting via ERα, control sex bias in the Sle1 phenotype. Furthermore, we show that ERα may impact the Sle1 phenotype by modulating the expression Pbx1, one of genes that underlies the Sle1 locus.

Background: Technological advances and pedagogical shifts toward active learning have led dental academics to explore alternatives to traditional didactic lectures, yet questions remain regarding the effectiveness of new modalities at both relaying foundational knowledge and inspiring critical thinking. Here, we developed an integrative e-learning module on the subject of bone growth and recruited novice learners from undergraduate institutions to participate. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of learning modality on novice learners' ability to apply newly acquired knowledge to critical thinking exercises related to dentistry. Methods:In the fall of 2019, 42 undergraduate students from University of Nebraska and Nebraska Wesleyan University campuses voluntarily participated in the study involving a pretest, intervention, posttest, and retention test with survey and results were analyzed. Results:Our data reveal a significant difference in mean pre-and posttest scores within delivery group of both traditional lecture and e-module cohorts (p < 0.0001) and no statistically significant difference between cohorts in posttest scores. Similarly, there was no significant difference in student performance on higher-level cognitive skill questions between cohorts, indicating that students learning via e-module were able to apply foundational knowledge to clinical scenarios similarly to students learning via content-expert lecture discussions. Conclusion:The authors shed light on an opportunity to integrate e-learning into dental education, relieving time constraints for faculty and meeting the needs of our tech-savvy students, without compromising the fostering of critical thinking skills in future dentists.

Although growing evidence supports the inclusion of social media in education, no studies to date have investigated the potential role of Instagram in anatomy education for dental students. Anatomists at University of Texas School of Dentistry (UTSD) and University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry created unique Instagram pages supplemental to traditional pedagogy, aiming to provide easily‐accessible, interactive content for our tech‐savvy students. The aim of this study was to evaluate students’ perspectives of the use of social media in education and their respective professor's Instagram page. In the fall of 2020, 170 students (86 from UTSD and 84 from UNMC) voluntarily participated in a survey via Qualtrics. The majority of respondents (85.1%) had seven or more years of experience with social media, and 96.9% of students reported using social media as a source of information with 92.5% using for educational purposes. All students agreed that their respective professor's page has been helpful for anatomy study and review, added to their understanding of anatomy, is convenient, engaging, and professional. While consistent themes emerged between cohorts, UNMC students had a higher level of agreement regarding their page's added relevance to learning in the class/clinic (p = 0.0016), while UTSD students reported feeling more comfortable asking their professor questions through Instagram (p = 0.015). Among all variables, female students and Generation Z students responded more favorably than male or Generation Y counterparts. Here, the authors describe benefits and considerations for others interested in using Instagram as an educational tool.

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Introduction Despite social media's profound role in building connections over the past two decades, its value as an educational tool in health professional education remains unclear. While few studies have investigated the use of social media to engage students outside the classroom (i.e. COVID‐19 remote learning) in dental education, there are no reports to date of students’ and faculty perspectives of the use of Instagram in supplementing anatomical education in the dental curriculum. The aim of this study is the evaluate student perspective of social media in education and their respective anatomy professor's Instagram page as a supplemental resource. Materials and Methods This study was deemed exempt from the IRB at University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry (620‐20‐EX) and the CPHS at University of Texas Health Science Center (HSC‐DB‐20‐0877). Anatomy faculty from UNMC and UTSD conducted this research during the fall of 2020 evaluating @yoachimanatomy and @theanatomydoctor. Subjects voluntarily participated on a Qualtrics survey; responses remained anonymous with no associated risks Results Of the 170 respondents, 60 (35.5%) identified as male and 108 (63.9%) identified as female (2 students did not identify).. Students were classified as Generation Y if born between 1980‐1994; Generation Z if born 1995 or later. The majority of respondents (85.1%) had seven or more years of experience using social media; Facebook (96.3%), Instagram (94.4%), and GroupMe (91.9%) emerged as the three most‐frequently used platforms. UTSD students self‐reported more hours per day spent on social media than UNMC students, with 64% of students spending more than 2 hours per day compared to 33% of UNMC students (p=0.0003). 96.9% of students reported using social media as a source of information with 92.5% using it for educational purposes. All students agreed that their respective professor's page had been helpful for anatomy study and review, added to their understanding of anatomy, is convenient, engaging, and professional. UNMC students had a higher level of agreement regarding their page's added relevance to learning in the class and clinic (p=0.0016), while UTSD students reported feeling more comfortable asking their professor questions through Instagram (p=0.015). Among all variables, female students and Generation Z students responded more favorably than their male or Generation Y counterparts. Conclusion The unique platform features of Instagram create an ideal platform to supplement the visually‐focused anatomy content. Our study provides evidence of students’ desires to have social media incorporated into their dental school curriculum, and the data reveal consistent themes in students’ perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of Instagram as a tool to supplement anatomical education. Significance Our study reveals crucial data supporting the inclusion of social media, and particularly Instagram, as a supplemental tool to anatomy education. Our collaboration between two unique programs, faculty, and Ins...