bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pengaruh model pembelajaran matematika realistik terhadap motivasi dan hasil belajar siswa kelas III SD
Authors: Aziz Lalu Abdul , Wardani Trisna Kusuma , Yuntawati Yuntawati
Published: January 2023

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model pembelajaran matematika realistik terhadap motivasi dan hasil belajar matematika siswa kelas III SDN 6 Cakranegara Tahun Pelajaran 2021/2022. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimen jenis quasi experimental dengan tipe penilitan nonequivalent control group design. Populasi penelitian ini seluruh siswa kelas III SDN 6 Cakranegara dengan tehnik pengambilan sampel yaitu sampel jenuh.Teknik Pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah menggunakan lembar observasi keterlaksanaan pembelajaran, angket dan tes hasil belajar kognitif (post-test). Data hasil observasi keterlaksanaan pembelajaran menggunakan model matematika realistik dianalisis menggunakan analisis deskriptif, yaitu rata-rata keterlaksanaan pembelajaran yang dilaksanakan selama dua kali pertemuan mencapai 94,4% (Sangat Baik). Data hasil belajar dan angket yang sudah didapatkan kemudian dianalisis dengan menguji hipotesis, diperoleh t hitung motivasi sebesar 411,55 dan t hitung hasil belajar sebesar 5,71 dimana t tabel yaitu 1,676 dan dapat dinyatakan kedua t hitung > dari t tabel. Hal ini menunjukakan bahwa Ho ditolak dan Ha diterima, berarti Hipotesis dalam penelitian ini ada pengaruh model pembelajaran matematika terhadap motivasi dan hasil belajar matematika siswa kelas III SDN 6 Cakranegara tahun ajaran 2021/2022 diterima .
An Optimization Model for Hospital Emergency Room Based on Patient Growth and Capacity Management
Authors: Widyasari Rina , Cipta Hendra , Nasution Mutiah
Published: January 2023

According to government regulations of the Republic of Indonesia through the Ministry of Health, the hospital is a health service institution that organizes full individual health services that provide inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. The hospital can function as a place of final service by handling patients according to their abilities. Therefore, the facilities, infrastructure, and resources of the emergency room must be adequate so that they are able to cope with patients. In the case of COVID-19, the number of needs and capacities coupled with the need for demand forecasting and capacity management, especially in the emergency room at the Malahayati Hospital Medan is very necessary. So in this study, the mathematical model was built that could provide a solution to the problem of the need for demand forecasting and capacity management in the emergency room. The mathematical model for the exact outcome is determined by the relationship that exists between states and events. In this study, it is assumed that all events have a fixed probability, without considering drug administration and waiting time. For this reason, the method used the Support Vector Machine (SVM) which is expected to provide an estimate of how many people and capacity management needs are needed in the emergency room when the COVID-19 pandemic occurs. The mathematical model that was built was then simulated in the final part of this study using sample data taken from the Malahayati Hospital Medan.
Utilization and development of Smart Mosque Applications
Authors: Febrianty Febrianty , Thantawi Ahmad Muhammad , Budilaksono Sularso , Anwar Nizirwan , Komsiah Siti
Published: January 2023

Mosque is pointing to a place (building) whose main function is as a place of prostration and worship of Allah SWT. Mosque digitization is one form of mosque adaptation to technological developments towards digital. This of course will be able to improve the service of the mosque to the congregation. However, many mosques have not moved towards digitization. A system for managing data and information, such as: mosque activities, congregational data, financial reports, and so on. Currently, there are quite a lot of user acceptance model theories for an application. One of them is the model of user satisfaction. Data collection is done by using a survey of user satisfaction with the application. The methods used in research in the development and implementation of networks and digitalization in terms of questions and answers to interviews with several mosque DKM administrators by the development team are: at the Nurul Hidayah mosque, Al Ikhlas Pademangan mosque, Attaqwa Grand Mosque, Asy Syam Mosque, Jami Al Manar Mosque, Jami Al-Hidayah Mosque, Baitussalam Mosque (Bogor), and Al-Ikhlas Mosque, all of which are still in the Jakarta area. As well as the results of the questionnaire that was made, there were Questionnaire Results of the System Usability Scale (SUS) Testing for the Smart Masjid application regarding customer satisfaction, which was carried out by survey research through a questionnaire form and interview. The results of the average answer to the questions given are 80% - 85% Answering Agree and Strongly Agree, the rest only partially answered Doubtful and Disagree.
Design Of Health Service Mobile Application Interface Using User Centered Design Method
Authors: Dewi Berliana Kemala , Defriani Meriska , Sunandar M. Agus
Published: January 2023

: In this modern era, many things that have been digitized indirectly help in community activities, especially in obtaining public service facilities. This clinic is one of the public facilities in Purwakarta Regency which is engaged in health services to facilitate services to the community. One of the efforts of this Clinic is to continue to provide effective and efficient health facilities under any circumstances and aims to increase the attractiveness of patients to the clinic. The purpose of this research is to design a health service mobile application interface using the User Centered Design method to provide health service information to the general public. User centered design is a design process that focuses on user needs, by carrying out 5 stages, namely Understand Context of Use, Specify User Requirements, Design Solutions, Evaluate Against Requirements. Products developed using this method are optimized for users and emphasized on how the user needs or wants to use a product. Interface testing uses the Single Ease Question as a measure of the success rate of interface design that has been made. The results of this study resulted in an interface design that is in accordance with the characteristics of the general public, this is evidenced by the results of the evaluation using the Single Ease Question getting an average score of 6.7 out of 5 assignments given to 5 respondents during the testing stage, so it can be concluded that the score It has a good level of convenience and is easy to use.
Implementation of Governance in the Treated Water Industry using the Enterprise Architecture Framework
Authors: Amanda Djaja , Makmur Amelia , Santoso Handri
Published: January 2023

Today, the development of information technology is very sophisticated in supporting the company's operations. It is undeniable that all companies take advantage of this technology, starting from service to customers to the company's internal operations. Water utility companies basically process raw water into clean water that is ready to be used for household purposes, industrial purposes, offices, and many other uses. Therefore, the processing industry is very much needed by the community. Moreover, it is state tax revenue in the non-oil and gas sector. Therefore, information technology is very necessary for controlling and operating at this water treatment company. Before implementing an information system or an ongoing information system, a guide is needed for implementing the system. All aspects of information technology that support the company's business serve as input in building an integrated system. Business process trimming is needed in order to build better performance. In terms of implementing enterprise architecture, the chosen framework is The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). while the method chosen is the Architecture Development Method (ADM). The purpose of this research is to apply an enterprise architecture to a water treatment company to produce a blueprint and an IT roadmap within five years to provide the best service for customers. The focus of the discussion on Governance Implementation in this company's system uses Waterfall-based Project Management. By combining the TOGAF ADM Framework in the domains of Architecture Change Management, Implementation Governance, and Migration Planning with the Project Management Body of Knowledge Method, it produces new methods that complement each other.
Supervised Learning from Data Mining on Process Data Loggers on Micro-Controllers
Authors: Saputra Adi Dwifana Saputra , Hindarto Djarot , Haryono Haryono
Published: January 2023

In processing data science, data is needed as input. Sometimes the data needed does not exist in public data, this is where the purpose of this research is made. The acquisition process is so important to process information into data. After that, the data is processed to make a decision. Micro-controller in controlling conditions, such as temperature, and humidity are very common devices, and a lot of research has been done. Sometimes discussing it only shows how to create a series and save it on online platforms, such as firebase, tinger.io, and many others online platforms. So that the process of storing data on an external or online platform is an advantage for platform providers, where platform providers do not need to do business and get data for free. This is without realizing the researchers who have produced a micro-controller device. Many platforms for storing data range from hardware and software devices. Some devices are paid or open source. This research uses software tools that are open source. Because using open source-based tools it will be easy to develop and for further research purposes. The development of the following research by entering code into a micro-controller system or what is called an embedded system. Data is a very valuable asset. Because data is one of the most important components in processing in data science. And it is better to take care of the data logger. This research uses Arduino as a micro-controller and ultrasonic distance sensor and potentiometer
Comparison of Convolutional Neural Network and Artificial Neural Network for Rice Detection
Authors: Suherman Endang , Hindarto Djarot , Makmur Amelia , Santoso Handri
Published: January 2023

Rice is a staple food for people in tropical countries. Indonesia is a country that needs a lot of rice for its people in providing food. This country has implemented various ways to plant rice properly. Many agricultural fields have implemented harvests up to three times a year, due to the role of technology which has helped a lot in agriculture. Planting to harvest already uses advanced technology and tools. A good rice harvest can improve the welfare of the surrounding community. Meanwhile with lots of rice products because many rice plants produce with lots of rice. The type of rice from different regions of origin, the yield of rice is also different from other regions of origin. But with advances in technology, it is possible to plant rice whose types of plants come from other regions. The rice sold to the public varies, so that people who are unfamiliar with the types of rice find it difficult to detect the types of rice. Machine learning is present in detecting various kinds of rice. Machine learning, especially deep learning can make better detection, because one of the deep learning methods works similar to the human brain. In the human brain there are millions or even billions of neurons. This research uses neural networks in experiments using public datasets. Experiments using Artificial Neural Networks achieve an training accuracy of 98.2%, loss: 0.2351. It takes about 10 minutes of training. Testing accuracy reaches accuracy: 96%, loss: 0.6641. By conducting experiments using the Convolution Neural Network, it achieves an accuracy of 99.3% and the training time requires around 18 hours. The purpose of this research is to classify the rice image dataset and detect the rice image.
Sentiment Analysis Od Face To Face School Policy On Twitter Social Media With Support Vector Machine(SVM)
Authors: Husein Amir Mahmud , Sipahutar Berninto , Dashuah Ramonda , Hutauruk Eben
Published: January 2023

Twitter social media is one way to get fast information, especially related to face-to-face learning system where during covid-19 pandemic learning is held online. In this case government has informed related to the face-to-face learning system as well as the community or students gave an enthusiastic response to the policies provided by the government including giving a good response to these policies and some of them disagreeing with these policies. In this case, the researcher analyzes public opinion on government policies related to face-to-face learning on Twitter social media using the Support Vector Machine algorithm. By doing an analysis related to government policies regarding learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government can find out how the public responds and can make decisions. Based on a series of processes that have been carried out previously using the Support Vector Machine method by applying the TF-IDF weighting function, the results can reach 93%. To see the level of accuracy of the proposed method, the researchers made a comparison by applying several other methods. The accuracy results obtained from the support vector machine method are 93%, based on the accuracy obtained, it can be determined that the level of accuracy using the Support Vector Machine method is quite high in classifying sentiment data, but when compared to other methods, namely nave Bayes, which obtains an accuracy of 94%, Logistic Regression which obtained 93% accuracy, and K-NN which obtained 90% accuracy. Thus, the accuracy results of four methods are not too different.
Development of Multi-Developer Housing Marketing Information System Using Rational Unified Process Method
Authors: Kurniadi Dede , Setiawan Ridwan , Adiwangsa Alfian Akmal , Lindayani Lindayani
Published: January 2023

Rumah Garut is a company engaged in selling property to several housing developers. In the housing marketing process, it is still carried out offline, where the developer carries out the registration process with marketing company, then makes brochures and markets them at exhibitions. This method is considered inappropriate, given the large number of housing units registered by the developer, as it would delay the marketing or sale of the house. This research aims to develop an online marketing information system that can be carried out with multiple developers so that each developer can manage and inform their housing effectively and efficiently. The system design method is the Rational Unified Process (RUP), which consists of the stages of inception, elaboration, construction, and transition. The results of this study are in the form of a multi-developer housing marketing information system that can assist housing developers in managing and users in accessing housing information and ordering online. Meanwhile, based on the results of black box testing, it shows that the features developed are in accordance with the specified system functional scenarios, and testing the results of beta testing produces a score of 93.7%, which means that the housing marketing system meets user needs.
Development of Web-based Single Channel Multi Steps Online Queuing System with Model View Controller
Authors: Darmayunata Yuvi , Devega Mariza , Yuhelmi Yuhelmi
Published: January 2023

Abstract: Improvement in service quality will be directly proportional to customer satisfaction. One form of improving the quality of services provided by a Government Institution engaged in the Health sector, namely the Health Center is an effective and efficient queue. This research is a follow-up research where previously an analysis and design of an online queuing system has been carried out. This study aims to make it easier for patients to take queue numbers in advance through the queue website, and patients can come based on a predetermined estimated time. This of course can minimize patient waiting time and also prevent the accumulation of patients in the waiting room of the puskesmas. Single Channel Multi Steps is one of four types of queues and is the type of queue currently running at the Siak Hulu I Kampar-Riau Health Center, while the Model View Controller (MVC) was chosen because it is a feature that makes it easy to create a Web-based application.
COMPARISON OF SIMPLE ADITIVE WEIGHTING MEHOD WITH MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION BY RATIO ANALYSIS
Authors: Panggabean Erwin , Sianturi Fricles Ariwisanto , Selvia Sindu , Dewi Sumitra
Published: January 2023

Abstract: One of the advantages of the MOORA method is its high flexibility and good selectivity. This is because MOORA is able to determine the goals of conflicting criteria, where the criteria can be profitable or unfavorable. While the advantage of the SAW method is that it can determine the weight value of each attribute, then proceed with a ranking process that will select the best alternative from a number of alternatives and the assessment will be more precise because it is based on the predetermined criteria and preference weights. Some of the weaknesses of the SAW method include, the data entered must be correct and precise, so as not to cause errors during the weighting and ranking of criteria, while the drawback of this MOORA method is that there must be a weight that is calculated to continue the calculation of the data which is then calculated on each criterion and range of criteria. This is what prompted the researchers to explore the research entitled "Comparison of the Simple Additive Weighting Method (SAW) with Multi-Objective Optimization on The Basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA) in determining the best housing". This research activity plan is carried out in the Medan city area using data that has been published previously through national journals in Indonesia. The final result of the research is expected to be obtained by comparing the results of the two methods according to the decision support system data used, and the results of the research will be published on Sinta 4 accredited national journal articles or better.
Usability Evaluation of SIDUMAS Badung Using Think Aloud, Heuristic Evaluation and SUS
Authors: Putra I Nyoman Gede Ardi Yana , Candiasa I Made , Dewi Luh Joni Erawati
Published: January 2023

This study aims to 1) find out the problems that occur in the Badung Regency community complaint system (SIDUMAS) by conducting a usability evaluation using the think-aloud method, heuristic evaluation and system usability scale, 2) conduct a usability evaluation on the community complaint system can determine the level of application usability and determine recommendations for improvements needed by the Badung community complaint system (SIDUMAS). Respondents who participated in this study were Badung people consisting of 5 usability experts and 30 general public. Determination of respondents in this study based on the criteria of the method used. The data in this study were obtained through usability evaluation results on the public complaint application questionnaires and data from interviews with respondents. The method used to evaluate the public complaint system is a combination of 3 methods, namely think aloud, heuristic evaluation and system usability scale which will produce an assessment to determine the usability and recommendations for improvements to the Badung SIDUMAS system. The results showed that: (1) Using the think-aloud method, it was found that the problems experienced by users of the community complaint system application on average experienced the same problems in the test. The results of research with heuristic evaluation found that there is 1 problem that has the highest severity rating where the problem must be fixed immediately. The results of the calculation of the average system usability scale score on user satisfaction obtained a score of 78 with acceptability ranges in the acceptable category. Furthermore, for the percentile rank score, the value obtained is 78 so it is in the grade B category. (2) Making recommendations for improvement in the study focused on changing the layout on the page and navigation menu on the results of data causing errors experienced by users.
Non-Holonomic Robot Navigation Path Planning Using Fuzzy - Steepest Ascent Hill Climb
Authors: Gustami Heri , Mawengkang Herman , Budhiarti Erna
Published: January 2023

Robot navigation is determination position as well as direction movement in a trip . Planning track is matter most important in the world of mobile robots. in short , determination track will produce dynasty that can traversed (feasible) with availability information that has there is that is map robotic environment . modelling environment map is step first for determine path planning. on the contrary for environment that doesn't known , modeling will done with the information obtained from the sensors on the robot . on the environment actually , noise and limitations accuracy from the sensor leads to the most basic problem in modeling, that is accuracy , and speed , where influence system navigation live in real-time. For resolve matter the needed the existence of a Fuzzy Description Environment which consists of over the fuzzy model of information obtained in the environment around robots. of these models will Becomes base reference path planner that is used reference to path planning. From the map environment modeling will processed by Steepest Ascent Hill Climb so produce track going to point end . From the results program simulation is obtained waypoints with _ distance shortest that is 363.2724 units distance
Tenant ShopeePay Fintech Application Acceptance Analysis Using TAM
Authors: Putri Dhea Kesuma , Abdillah Leon A.
Published: January 2023

This study aims to determine the analysis of tenant acceptance on the ShopeePay application in PTC using the Technology Acceptance Model. The type of data in this study is quantitative. Sample determination using a random sampling technique or purposive sampling obtained a sample of 56 tenants. Based on the results of the analysis using SPSS to find the influence between variables on information users, there is a relationship between perceived usefulness (X1) and image (X2) and tcount > ttable (5.889 > 1.997), there is a relationship between perceived usefulness (X1) and perceptions of usability (X8) and tcount > ttable (3.895 > 1.997), there is no relationship between image (X2) to perceptions of usability (X8) and tcount < ttable (1.871 < 1.997), there is a relationship between self-confidence (X3) to perceptions of ease of use (X7) and tcount > ttable (3.867 > 1.997), there is no relationship between anxiety (X4) to perceptions of ease of use (X7) and tcount > ttable (-1.041 < 1.997), there is a relationship between conditional facilitating (X5) and perceptions of ease of use (X7) and tcount > ttable (6.368 > 1.997), there is a relationship between perceptions of pleasure (X6) to perceptions of ease of use (X7) and tcount > ttable (10.825 > 1.997), there is a relationship between perceptions of ease of use (X7) to perceptions of usability (X8) and tcount > ttable (8.790 > 1.997).
Population distribution, aggregation sites and seasonal occurrence of Australia’s western population of the grey nurse shark Carcharias taurus
Authors: Hoschke AM , Whisson GJ , Haulsee D
Published: January 2023

Western Australia (WA) is host to a genetically discrete population of grey nurse sharks Carcharias taurus, listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened based on mean annual catch rates prior to protection within Australian waters in 1997. Only one small aggregation has been documented in WA to date with little data available on population dynamics, or spatial and temporal distribution along the WA coastline. We analysed C. taurus data from 16 years (2006-2021) of diver observations (2347 sightings) and commercial fisheries bycatch records (574 sharks), finding evidence of 4 new aggregation sites. Sightings at Shark Cave, a popular dive site near Perth, were related to water temperature and time of year (non-linear), with sightings per unit effort generally higher during the warmer months of summer and autumn (20-22°C). Evidence of fishing injuries was found on 17% of all C. taurus photo-tagged at Shark Cave. Strong site philopatry was apparent at most sites, and included a male shark that returned for 12 consecutive years to the Exmouth Navy Pier. This study confirms the range of Australia’s western population of C. taurus from near the South Australia/WA border, north to Shark Bay, with distribution extending further north along the coast when sea temperatures are lower (May-December). The beneficial role of citizen science in large observation studies such as this one is supported. However, while this research greatly increases the C. taurus knowledge base in WA, a large information deficit still exists. The identification and assessment of further aggregation sites is recommended, underpinning future management and protection measures for this iconic species.
Tailoring Motor Fluctuation Treatment: Beyond Levodopa Dose Adjustment
Authors: Ashraf Najeeb
Published: January 2023

Susan Fox opened this satellite symposium at the 8th European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress with an overview of the concept of motor fluctuations (MF) in Parkinson’s disease (PD). She emphasised that levodopa remains the gold standard therapy for PD. However, MFs are one of the critical complications of levodopa therapy that affect many patients with advancing PD and, when diagnosed, represent a challenge in patient management. Alternative options are, therefore, needed to provide continuous dopaminergic stimulation while maximising the levodopa benefit. Despite different options, Angelo Antonini showed that neurologists often prefer to adjust levodopa dose rather than add an adjunctive agent. Market research confirms that, in patients with PD, the levodopa dose is adjusted in around 80% of patients, while only 20% have adjunct therapy as a first-line option. Adjusting the levodopa dose, either by increasing or fractionating the dose, or both, remains a valid, tried-and-tested option, although it has limitations. Joaquim Ferreira presented emerging evidence from a Phase II clinical trial, suggesting a potential benefit of adding opicapone 50 mg compared with 100 mg levodopa to treat patients with PD and end-of-dose fluctuations. This symposium aimed to present the effect of opicapone with relatively low total daily doses of levodopa; an option that may not have been traditionally considered by neurologists who are used to adjusting levodopa as a first-line response.
Current Evidence on Tobacco Harm Reduction in Pneumology: Interviews with Two Key Opinion Leaders
Authors: Barrell Amanda
Published: January 2023

The negative impact of smoking on the lung is well documented. Cigarette smoke is the cause of 90% of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is a progressive and debilitating condition with morbidity and mortality rates similar to myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Despite the widely recognised risks, millions of people continue to smoke, in some cases even after receiving a diagnosis of COPD and despite knowing that the habit will accelerate disease progression. While there is no doubt that smoking cessation is the most important health intervention for all cigarette smokers, it can be challenging. Nicotine addiction, social norms and culture, and the length of time it can take smokers to feel the adverse consequences of the habit all contribute to the high cessation failure rate. However, increasing clinical and epidemiological evidence indicates that for those who are unwilling or cannot stop smoking, harm reduction strategies can help reduce exposure to the harmful chemicals and carcinogens released during tobacco combustion. Electronic devices heat processed tobacco without combusting it to deliver an aerosol containing fewer toxic products or harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHC) than cigarette smoke. Clinical evidence to support their use is growing. In Japan, for example, a decrease in hospitalisations due to COPD exacerbation after the introduction of such heat-not-burn (HNB), or tobacco heating systems (THS), has been reported.

In this article, Wolfgang Popp, Döbling Doctor’s Center, Privatklinik Döbling, Vienna, Austria, and Klara Szondy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, discuss the impact of cigarette smoke on the lung, and how to support smoking cessation in those willing and able to quit smoking. They also explain when strategies that reduce the harmful effects of smoking may be useful, and outline the latest evidence supporting the use of HNB systems.
Osteoarthritis and Ageing
Authors: Valdes Ana M. , Stocks Joanne
Published: January 2023

Ageing is a complex process of accumulation of molecular, cellular, and organ damage, leading to loss of function and increased vulnerability to disease and death, the rate and extent of which varies among individuals. Osteoarthritis (OA) is not only the most common joint disease, but is also one of the major causes of disability in people aged >65 years and is accompanied by comorbid conditions, increased mortality, and decreased quality of life. One of the major risk factors for OA is ageing. However, OA itself may be involved in the biological ageing process. This is likely to be in part a direct involvement, by contributing levels of systemic inflammation and sharing molecular pathways with biological ageing, such as mitochondrial damage leading to cell senescence. Although OA is not considered an inflammatory form of arthritis, there is evidence of subclinical low-grade inflammation in the whole joint and inflammatory processes play a key role in the disease pathogenesis. For instance, there is synovial inflammation (e.g., following injury), mechanically derived inflammation present due to biomechanical overloading of a joint, and systemic inflammation resulting from obesity. Systemic inflammation is often associated with frailty, and having a high concentration of inflammatory markers is predictive of incident frailty, some of which are known to increase with age and correlate with pain. In addition, OA may also contribute indirectly to biological ageing via the disability and pain resulting from it. Further research into the exact process linking OA and biological ageing, including frailty, is needed.
Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Review
Authors: Mahmood Farrouq , Helliwell Philip
Published: January 2023

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory condition belonging to the spondyloarthropathy category of rheumatic diseases. It typically affects the axial skeleton but may also present with peripheral arthritis and extra-articular features. Ankylosing spondylitis tends to occur in patients under the age of 45 years, has a higher incidence in males, and can lead to disability and reduced quality of life if not adequately treated. Management consists of a multidisciplinary team approach. Although traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are less effective for the axial component of this disease, biologic therapies do seem effective. In severe cases, surgery may be warranted.
Treatment for Children with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Nzisa Janet
Published: January 2023

The current treatments for children with multiple sclerosis (MS) was a theme explored in a session at this year’s conference of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), which took place on the 26th–28th October 2022. The speakers shared their insights into the management and clinical consequences of MS in children, and discussed perspectives as to why immunomodulatory treatment is different in children with MS. The session was a Rogier Hintzen Memorial session, dedicated to the memory of the renowned Professor of Neurology from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, whose research focused on MS and neurological disorders of the central nervous system and who was one of the first neurologists to recognise the special needs of children with MS.
Interleukin-23: The Common Link Between the Joint, the Gut, and the Skin?
Authors: Gomez Reg
Published: January 2023

Prof McGonagle introduced the symposium and briefly described the aims of the meeting. Dr Behrens first discussed how findings from relevant psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) registries can be applied to improve daily practice, and reflected on the real-life effectiveness of biologic therapies in the treatment of PsA. Prof McGonagle then followed with a discussion describing the key immunological pathways involved in psoriasis and PsA, evaluating the key similarities and differences in tissue and cytokine pathobiology in both conditions. Prof Danese then concluded the symposium by presenting on the pathophysiology of the interleukin (IL)-23 pathway in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), reviewing the latest data for IL-23 inhibitors in treating IBD.
Advances in Epigenetics and Integration of Omics in Lupus
Authors: Hui-Yuen Joyce S. , Ganguli Suhas K. , Jarvis James N.
Published: January 2023

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multi-organ disease that predominantly affects young women of childbearing age. It is also a disease in which epigenetic modulation is emerging as an important mechanism for understanding how the environment interacts with inherited genes to produce disease. Much of the genetic risk for SLE identified in genome-wide association studies has been shown to lie in the non-coding genome, where epigenetic modifications of DNA and histone proteins regulate and co-ordinate transcription on a genome-wide basis. Novel methodologies, including high-throughput sequencing of open chromatin, RNA sequencing, protein microarrays, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, have revealed intriguing insights into the pathogenesis of SLE. We review these recent data and their potential contribution to more accurate diagnoses and the development of new therapeutic agents to improve patient outcomes.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Chronic Widespread Pain
Authors: Yilmaz Ramazan , Ozkayit Serap
Published: January 2023

Vitamin D acts as a steroid hormone possessing important functions in calcium and phosphorus balance and bone health. The presence of vitamin D receptors (VDRs) in many tissues in the human body shows that this vitamin might have effects other than its role in maintaining bone health. Hence, many studies in the last two decades have reported an association between vitamin D deficiency and many musculoskeletal and extra-skeletal diseases. Despite the presence of clear evidence suggesting a causative relationship between musculoskeletal pain and osteomalacia developing as a result of long-term and severe vitamin D deficiency, a putative relationship between vitamin D deficiency and chronic widespread pain (CWP) has recently been an exciting area of discussion. The hypothetical role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology of pain, the availability of VDRs in the muscle tissue and central nervous system, particularly in the hypothalamus, and the reports on the development of muscle hypersensitivity associated with vitamin D deficiency, have provided a basis for a putative relationship between CWP and vitamin D status. This review will discuss these two problems that commonly occur within the general population, and endeavour to reveal this relationship in light of currently available studies.
Why do Diseases Start One Sided? Clues From HLA-B27 Acute Anterior Uveitis
Authors: Clarke Margo S.
Published: January 2023

Uveitis is an inflammatory disease with significant disease burden, as it causes ≤10% of legal blindness in the USA. Patients are usually affected in their prime working years. Even in those with good treatment response, quality of life is substantially compromised. The most common form of uveitis is acute anterior uveitis, and approximately half of these cases are associated with human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27). The typical clinical presentation is sudden onset of a red sore eye with white cells and protein leaking into the anterior chamber. There is inter-individual variance in clinical signs, with the most severe cell response appearing like a snowstorm in the anterior chamber, causing cells to pile up in a snowbank appearance called a hypopyon. One of the truly curious, yet pathognomonic, features is the tendency for the inflammatory response to have a unilateral presentation. Either the right or left eye can manifest obvious inflammation, yet the other eye is completely unaffected. Also, subsequent attacks may occur on the same or contralateral side. Clearly, the immune system is capable of distinguishing a molecular variance between the two eyes, but what this difference is remains a mystery. This article will review HLA-B27 uveitis plus its associated systemic diseases; additionally, various mechanisms that play a role in determining left–right disease asymmetry will be discussed. Establishing how the immune system makes this left–right decision will have relevance to understanding causes of asymmetry in other inflammatory, degenerative, and malignant disorders.
Considering Patients’ Needs: Action and Reaction of Interleukin-6 Blockade
Authors: Rossides Nicole
Published: January 2023

The symposium discussed mechanisms of interleukin (IL)-6 blockade for the treatment and management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Prof Smolen provided a clinical update of the latest efficacy and safety data on various anti-IL-6 drugs, including sirukumab. He noted that all anti-IL-6 drugs were efficacious in treating physical and mental symptoms of RA. When the efficacy of anti-IL-6 antibodies was compared between drugs, targeting the IL-6 ligand was similar to targeting its receptor. Prof Pitzalis described the pathophysiology of IL-6 in RA and the reason for targeting IL-6. Lastly, Prof Choy outlined the importance of measuring patient-reported outcomes to monitor symptom improvement and evaluate the impact of IL-6 on mental functioning. Because IL-6 modulates the hypothalamic pituitary axis, fatigue and depression are common in patients with RA. Evidence suggests that the inhibition of IL-6 activity reduces symptoms of fatigue and depression in patients with RA, and that improvement in mental health occurs independently, rather than as a consequence of improvement in physical functioning.
The Journey to Motherhood in Chronic Rheumatic Diseases
Authors: Battershill Anna
Published: January 2023

Prof Taylor opened the meeting and briefly highlighted the epidemiology of pregnancy in women with chronic rheumatic diseases (CRD). Dr Moltó presented the importance of disease control in women of childbearing age and various factors influencing fertility. Prof Nelson-Piercy addressed the need for a patient-centred multidisciplinary approach at each stage of pregnancy and how new clinical data may further inform current recommendations on the treatment of women with CRD. Dr Clowse concluded the meeting by reviewing the postpartum treatment recommendations for managing disease flares in this patient population.
To what extent do students connect with political science?
Authors: O'Brochta William
Published: January 2023

New and innovative revisions to introductory political science courses aim to help students with little to no background in the discipline see its relevance. Yet, these revisions rarely ask students themselves what they think is interesting about political science and how they connect to the discipline. I evaluate those connections that students make to political science when exposed to the discipline for the first time by analyzing student research memo writing assignments from five introductory American politics courses. Student life experiences, interest in certain current events, or intended career path most frequently provide connections to political science. While some students do have innate curiosities about the discipline, this study suggests that introductory political science course instructors may wish to give students more flexibility to choose parts of the discipline that relate most to them so as to make political science more relevant to their lives and their educational experience.
A CRISPR-Cas12a—Based platform for ultrasensitive, rapid, and highly specific detection of Mycoplasma pneumonia in clinical application
Authors: Jia Nan , Zhou Juan , Xiao Fei , Zheng Baoying , Huang Xiaolan , Sun Chunrong , Fu Jin , Xu Zheng , Chen Min , Wang Yi
Published: January 2023

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), which is responsible for a majority of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, has been largely underestimated. Here, we coupled multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) technique with CRISPR-Cas12a-based biosensing system to design a novel detection platform termed MP-MCDA-CRISPR assay for MP infection diagnosis and clinical application. The MP-MCDA-CRISPR assay amplified the CARDS gene of MP by MCDA method, followed by trans-cleavage of the reporter molecular upon the formation of CRISPR-Cas12a-gRNA-target DNA complex, which was confirmed by the release of fluorescent signals. A set of standard MCDA primers, an engineered CP1 primer, a quenched fluorescent ssDNA reporter, and a gRNA were designed targeting the CARDS gene of MP. The optimal temperature for MCDA pre-amplification is 64°C, and the time for CRISPR-Cas12a-gRNA biosensing process is 5 min. The limit of detection (LoD) of the MP-MCDA-CRISPR assay is 50 fg per reaction without any cross-reaction with other non-MP pathogens. The MP-MCDA-CRISPR assay accurately identified the 50 real time-PCR positive clinical samples and 78 negative ones. Taken together, the MP-MCDA-CRISPR assay designed here is a promising diagnostic tool for point-of care (POC) testing of MP infection.
The potential therapeutic role of extracellular vesicles in critical-size bone defects: Spring of cell-free regenerative medicine is coming
Authors: Liu Fen , Sun Tianyu , An Ying , Ming Leiguo , Li Yinghui , Zhou Zhifei , Shang Fengqing
Published: January 2023

In recent years, the incidence of critical-size bone defects has significantly increased. Critical-size bone defects seriously affect patients’ motor functions and quality of life and increase the need for additional clinical treatments. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) has made great progress in repairing critical-size bone defects. As one of the main components of bone tissue engineering, stem cell-based therapy is considered a potential effective strategy to regenerate bone tissues. However, there are some disadvantages including phenotypic changes, immune rejection, potential tumorigenicity, low homing efficiency and cell survival rate that restrict its wider clinical applications. Evidence has shown that the positive biological effects of stem cells on tissue repair are largely mediated through paracrine action by nanostructured extracellular vesicles (EVs), which may overcome the limitations of traditional stem cell-based treatments. In addition to stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles, the potential therapeutic roles of nonstem cell-derived extracellular vesicles in critical-size bone defect repair have also attracted attention from scholars in recent years. Currently, the development of extracellular vesicles-mediated cell-free regenerative medicine is still in the preliminary stage, and the specific mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, the authors first review the research progress and possible mechanisms of extracellular vesicles combined with bone tissue engineering scaffolds to promote bone regeneration via bioactive molecules. Engineering modified extracellular vesicles is an emerging component of bone tissue engineering and its main progression and clinical applications will be discussed. Finally, future perspectives and challenges of developing extracellular vesicle-based regenerative medicine will be given. This review may provide a theoretical basis for the future development of extracellular vesicle-based biomedicine and provide clinical references for promoting the repair of critical-size bone defects.
Multifunctional nanoparticle-VEGF modification for tissue-engineered vascular graft to promote sustained anti-thrombosis and rapid endothelialization
Authors: Liu Yalin , Yuan Haoyong , Liu Yuhong , Chen Chunyang , Tang Zhenjie , Huang Can , Ning Zuodong , Lu Ting , Wu Zhongshi
Published: January 2023

Purpose: The absence of a complete endothelial cell layer is a well-recognized reason leading to small-diameter tissue-engineered vascular graft failure. Here we reported a multifunctional system consisting of chitosan (CS), Arg-Glu-Asp-Val (REDV) peptide, heparin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to achieve sustained anti-thrombosis and rapid endothelialization for decellularized and photo-oxidized bovine internal mammary arteries (DP-BIMA).

Methods: CS-REDV copolymers were synthesized via a transglutaminase (TGase) catalyzed reaction. CS-REDV-Hep nanoparticles were formed by electrostatic self-assembly and loaded on the DP-BIMA. The quantification of released heparin and vascular endothelial growth factor was detected. Hemolysis rate, platelets adhesion, endothelial cell (EC) adhesion and proliferation, and MTT assay were performed in vitro. The grafts were then tested in a rabbit abdominal aorta interposition model for 3 months. The patency rates were calculated and the ECs regeneration was investigated by immunofluorescence staining of CD31, CD144, and eNOS antibodies.

Results: The nanoparticle-VEGF system (particle size: 61.8 ± 18.3 nm, zeta-potential: +13.2 mV, PDI: .108) showed a sustained and controlled release of heparin and VEGF for as long as 1 month and exhibited good biocompatibility, a lower affinity for platelets, and a higher affinity for ECs in vitro. The nanoparticle-VEGF immobilized BIMA achieved 100% and 83.3% patency in a rabbit abdominal interposition model during 1 and 3 months, respectively, without any thrombogenicity and showed CD31, CD144, eNOS positive cell adhesion as early as 1 day. After 3 months, CD31, CD144, and eNOS positive cells covered almost the whole luminal surface of the grafts.

Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the multifunctional nanoparticle-VEGF system can enhance the anti-thrombosis property and promote rapid endothelialization of small-diameter tissue-engineered vascular grafts. Utilizing nanoparticles to combine different kinds of biomolecules is an appropriate technology to improve the long-term patency of small-diameter tissue-engineered vascular grafts.