bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PAK GEREJA DALAM KONTEKS LINGKUNGAN HIDUP SUATU REFLEKSI TERHADAP MARKUS 16:15
Authors: Telaumbanua Sozawato
Published: March 2021

Abstrak Mengabarkan Injil merupakan salah satu tugas gereja (orang Kristen) yang paling penting dan paling mendasar. Pekabaran Injil seringkali dipahami oleh gereja sebagai upaya untuk menambahkan jumlah anggota dalam gereja, sehingga pekabaran Injil hanya dibatasi kepada manusia. Pekabaran Injil yang benar yang diajarkan oleh Yesus bukanlah seperti apa yang dipahami oleh gereja saat ini. Dalam Markus 16:15 menjelaskan bahwa pekabaran Injil tidak hanya dibatasi kepada manusia, tetapi pekabaran Injil mencakup seluruh makhluk yang diciptakan oleh Allah. Seharusnya gereja pada saat ini mulai melihat situasi yang sedang terjadi di sekitarnya, salah satunya mengenai kerusakan lingkungan hidup yang membawa dampak bagi seluruh makhluk/ciptaan. Kepedulian gereja terhadap kerusakan lingkungan hidup, yang semakin hari semakin memprihatinkan dan banyak menelan korban, sebenarnya merupakan salah satu cara pekabaran Injil yang baik dan relevan pada masa kini. Hal ini bisa dilakukan dengan memberikan pendidikan bagi jemaat tentang bagaimana seharusnya sikap orang Kristen terhadap ciptaan Tuhan lainnya. Untuk menjawab permasalahan tersebut, maka penulis menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka, yakni membandingkan berbagai literatur, baik itu buku-buku, artikel, maupun jurnal yang berkaitan dengan pembahasan di atas. Tujuan dari tulisan ini adalah untuk memberi pemahaman sekaligus menyadarkan gereja akan pentingnya pendidikan agama Kristen yang berkenaan dengan lingkungan hidup. Melalui pendidikan, gereja membekali setiap anggota jemaatnya serta menyadarkan mereka bahwa mereka memiliki tanggung jawab terhadap kerusakan lingkungan hidup.Kata Kunci: Gereja, Ekologi, Pekabaran Injil, Pendidikan Agama Kristen
PENDIDIKAN KRISTEN UNTUK ANAK JALANAN
Authors: Saragih Albet , Hasugian Johanes Waldes
Published: March 2021

Pendidikan Kristen dapat dilakukan melalui rumah singgah sebagai upaya memberdayakan atau mengembangkan masyarakat, dalam hal ini anak jalanan. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan bahwa gereja dan komunitas orang percaya memiliki tugas dan panggilan untuk menjangkau anak jalanan dan menawarkan alternatif pelayanan pendidikan Kristen berbasis pengembangan komunitas anak jalanan. Dengan menggunakan metode pengamatan dan studi literatur yang relevan dengan topik yang dikaji penulis berupaya menemukan pendekatan ataupun model yang relevan dalam pengembangan komunitas anak jalanan. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa dengan rumah singgah, dengan segala keterbatasan yang ada secara praktis berbeda dengan pendekatan pelayanan gereja ataupun sekolah. Namun demikian, gereja didesak agar tidak mengabaikan dan sebaliknya mulai mengaktualiasasikan dirinya dalam program pelayanan komunitas anak jalanan. Rumah singgah selain sebagai tempat pemondokan atau istirahat, membersihkan dirinya, tempat pelatihan yang berkaitan dengan skill of life, hal yang menarik bahwa rumah singgah dijadikan menjadi tempat untuk mendapat pendidikan nilai kristiani, yang di dalamnya ada aktivitas berdoa, bernyanyi rohani, belajar Alkitab bersama, dan konseling pastoral secara terprogram, serta sebagai wadah untuk melatih diri dalam menerapkan nilai-nilai Firman Tuhan, iman, kasih, pengharapan, kejujuran, tanggung jawab, dan solidaritas bagi sesama.
Effectiveness of The Board of Directors and Company Performance: Corporate Governance Perspective in Indonesia
Authors: Pratiwi Ririh Dian , Chariri Anis
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of board size, board independence, and board activity on company performance from a corporate governance perspective. This study uses a quantitative approach. IDX issuers in the manufacturing sector registered in 2017-2018 are the research population. The samples were obtained using the purposive sampling method. Based on the criteria, the samples in this study were 146 companies. This study uses multiple linear regression analysis. This study found that board size has a negative effect on ROA, but has an effect on and is positively correlated with ROE. Board independence has a positive effect on the achievement of company ROA and ROE. While the third variable, namely board activity does not affect the achievement of ROA and ROE of the company. Based on the limitations, further research is expected to be able to explore other factors that are relevant in influencing company performance during and after the COVID 19 pandemic, for example, namely external factors. Keywords: Board of Directors, Corporate Governance, Company performance
Resistance and Repetition: The Holocaust in the Art, Propaganda, and Political Discourse of Vietnam War Protests
Authors: Johansson Perry
Published: March 2021

The Western European protest movement against the American War in Vietnam stands out as something unique in contemporary history. Here finally, after all the senseless horrors of the twentieth century, reason speaks, demanding an end to Western atrocities against the poor South. But in the rosy fog of humanistic idealism and youthful revolution lies the unanswered question, why did this and not any other conflicts, before or after, render such an intense, widespread reaction? Taking Sweden as a case in point, this article employs the concepts of resistance, trauma, memory, and repetition to explore why the Vietnam movement came into being just as the buried history of the Holocaust resurfaced in a series of well-publicized trials of Nazi war criminals. It suggests that the protests of the radical young Leftists against American “imperialism” and “genocide” were informed by repressed memories of the Holocaust. The Swedish anti-war protests had unique and far-reaching consequences. The ruling Social Democratic Party, in order not to lose these younger Left wing voters to Communism, also engaged actively against the Vietnam War. And, somewhat baffling for a political party often criticized for close ties to Nazi Germany during WWII, its messaging used the same rhetoric as the Far Left, echoing Nazi anti-Semitic propaganda.
Pengaruh Pengetahuan Tentang Dampak Gadget Pada Kesehatan Terhadap Perilaku Penggunaan Gadget Pada Siswa SDN Kebun Bunga 6 Banjarmasin
Authors: Anggraeni Septi
Published: March 2021

Kemajuan zaman di bidang ilmu teknologi semakin berkembang. Teknologi yang sangat popular di era globalisasi ini adalah gadget. Penggunaan gadget pada anak semakin meningkat. Akademi Dokter Anak Amerika dan Perhimpunan Dokter Anak Kanada menegaskan perlu adanya batasan dalam penggunaan teknologi pada anak,  anak umur 6-18 tahun dibatasi menggunakan hanya 2 jam perhari.  Anak-anak dan remaja yang menggunakan teknologi melebihi batas waktu yang dianjurkan memiliki resiko kesehatan. Kurangnya pemahaman tentang dampak penggunaan gadget  menjadikan anak berperilaku menggunakannya secara berlebihan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah  untuk mengetahui pengaruh pengetahuan tentang dampak gadget pada kesehatan terhadap perilaku penggunaan gadget pada siswa SDN Kebun  Bunga 6 Banjarmasin. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian survey analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas VI SDN Kebun Bunga 6 Banjarmasin. Sampel pada penelitian ini adalah total dari populasi yaitu sebanyak 50 siswa. Hasil analisis Regresi Linear sederhana menunjukkan adanya pengaruh pengetahuan tentang dampak gadget pada kesehatan terhadap perilaku penggunaan gadget pada siswa (p value = 0,002) dengan besar pengaruh 18,9%.  Dalam hal ini  perlu adanya peningkatan pengetahuan siswa tentang dampak gadget pada kesehatan,  karena  semakin tinggi pengetahuan  akan dikuti dengan penurunan perilaku penggunaan gadget.
Fenomena tentang Pengetahuan, Ketersediaan Fasilitas (Availabilitas), dan Dukungan Istri Terkait dengan Perilaku Pria dalam Ber-KB Di Wilayak KerjaPuskesmas Ciruas, Kabupaten Serang Tahun 2019
Authors: Khotimah Husnul
Published: March 2021

Program Keluarga Berencana (KB) merupakan salah satu cara yang dapat ditempuh oleh pemerintah dalam mengatasi permasalahan kependudukan. Upaya untuk mengurangi angka kelahiran, bukan semata tanggung jawab isteri, melainkan tanggung jawab suami. Partisipasi pria dalam ber KB maka merupakan faktor penentu keberhasilan program KB. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui fenomena yang terjadi di masyarakat terkait prilaku pria dalam ber-KB di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Ciruas Kabupaten Serang Tahun 2019. Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan fenomenologis dengan cara observasi dan wawancara mendalam terkait pengetahuan pria tentang KB, ketersediaan fasilitas  dan dukungan isteri terhadap KB pria. Teknik analis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis data induktif dengan cara menalaah data, reduksi data, kategorisasi display data dan yang terakhir adalah kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan semua informan memiliki pengetahuan kurang mengenai KB pria, sebagian informan tidak mendapat dukungan isteri, dan sebagian informan menganggap KB pria tidak tersedia. Pengetahuan, dukungan isteri dan ketersediaan fasilitas mempengaruhi prilaku pria dalam ber-KB.
Hubungan Pengetahuan dan Sikap Pelajar Dengan Upaya Pencegahan HIV/AIDS di SMA Negeri 2 Raha, Kabupaten Muna
Authors: Rangki La , Firtiani Firtiani
Published: March 2021

Tingginya kasus infeksi HIV/AIDS yang terus bertambah terutama dari kalangan usia muda atau remaja merupakan permasalahan yang serius. Kurangnya pengetahuan dan sikap remaja tentang HIV/AIDS dapat memengaruhi tindakan pencegahan terhadap HIV/AIDS. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara pengetahuan dan sikap siswa dengan upaya pencegahan HIV/AIDS. Jenis penelitian yang di gunakan adalah observasional analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas 1 dan 2 SMA Negeri 2 Raha. Pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode stratified random sampling dengan jumlah 87 responden. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa sebagian besar responden  memiliki pengetahuan baik sejumlah 63 siswa (72,4%) dan sebagian kecil responden memiliki pengetahuan kurang sejumlah 24 siswa (27,6%). Hampir seluruh responden  memilki sikap mendukung  yaitu 86 siswa (98,9%), dan hanya 1 siswa (1,1%) yang tidak mendukung. Dalam upaya pencegahan, hanya 2 siswa (2,3 %) yang tidak melakukan sedangkan hamper seluruh responden yaitu 85 siswa (97,7%) melakukan. Tidak ada hubungan yang bermakna antara pengetahuan siswa dengan supaya pencegahan HIV/AIDS di SMA Negeri 2 Raha, tetapi terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara sikap siswa terhadap upaya pencegahan HIV/AIDS. Disarankan kepada siswa-siswi agar lebih bisa menyaring informasi yang di dapatkan, sehingga terbentuk pola sikap yang positif dalam pencegahan HIV/AIDS.
Respon dan Sikap Perawat IGD dalam Menangani Klien dengan Percobaan Bunuh Diri dan Self-Harm: Literatur Review
Authors: Fatmah Eva , Wardaningsih Shanti
Published: March 2021

Bunuh diri menjadi penyebab kematian nomor 3 di seluruh dunia. Sebagian besar pelaku percobaan bunuh diri di bawa ke Instalasi Gawat Darurat (IGD) rumah sakit umum untuk mendapatkan perawatan. Respon dan sikap perawat gawat darurat mempunyai peran penting dalam menentukan keberhasilan pengobatan pada pasien dengan percobaan bunuh diri maupun self harm. Tujuan studi ini untuk mengetahui respon dan sikap perawat IGD rumah sakit umum dalam menangani pasien dengan percobaan bunuh dan self harm. Pencarian artikel dilakukan melalui database Pubmed, ProQuest, Ebsco dan Scopus dengan kata kunci “emergency department nursing”, “suicide”, “nurses attitudes”. Kemudian dilakukan telaah sesuai kriteria insklusi dan eksklusi untuk menentukan kelayakan artikel. Dari hasil telaah 8 artikel, didapatkan hasil yaitu perawat gawat darurat menunjukan respon dan sikap negatif kepada pasien dengan percobaan bunuh diri maupun self harm. Perawat gawat darurat membutuhkan panduan atau protokol yang terstandar dari rumah sakit sebagai acuan dalam menangani pasien dengan kegawat daruratan psikiatri. Kebutuhan lainnya bagi perawat unit gawat darurat adalah pendidikan dan pelatihan penanganan kegawat daruratan psikiatri. Sebagian besar perawat menunjukan sikap dan respon yang kurang baik terhadap pasien dengan percobaan bunuh maupun self harm, hal ini terjadi sebagai akibat kurangnya pendidikan dan pelatihan kegawat daruratan psikiatri dan tidak adanya protokol dari rumah sakit.
Kepemilikan Jamban Sehat Pada Masyarakat
Authors: Mukhlasin Mukhlasin , Solihudin Encep Nugraha
Published: March 2021

Penggunaan jamban leher angsa pada masyarakat di desa Walikukun Kecamatan Carenang Kabupaten Serang sebanyak Desa Walikukun 50,36%,  pengguna. Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah mengetahui ketersediaan air bersih, ketersediaan lahan, dan pendapatan yang berhubungan dengan kepemilikan jamban pada masyarakat di Desa Walikukun Kecamatan Carenang Kabupaten Serang Tahun 2020. Metode dalam penelitian ini menggunakan desain crossectional. Jumlah Responden pada penelitian ini sebanyak 87 responden. Teknik pengambilan sampel dengan menggunakan simple random sampling dengan analisis bivariat menggunakan Chi square test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa semua variabel berhubungan dengan kepemilikan jamban di Desa Walikukun Kecamatan Carenang; ketersediaan air bersih (pv=0,000; OR=117,8), ketersediaan lahan (pv=0,000), variabel pendapatan (pv=0,000). Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa sebagian besar masyarakat (68,8%) tidak memiliki jamban.
Health Education; The Comparison Between With Leaflet and Video Using Local Language In Improving Teenager’s Knowledge of Adverse Health Effect of Smoking
Authors: Abdullah Abdullah , Firmansyah Andan , Rohman Asri Aprilia , Najamuddin Nurisriani , Kuma Rahmayanti Puang
Published: March 2021

Smoking is a usual activity that we always find in our society, although most of the people know the danger of it, the habit of smoking still can be found in a big amount in our society, especially in the teenage area, whose stand in the biggest amount of smoker in Indonesia in this present. Health education changes attitude of young generation through knowledge, which is influence by several elements, such as delivered information, manner or props used, and language. The purpose of this research was to identify the comparison of leaflets and videos using local language to improve knowledge of the adverse health effects of smoking in the teenager. This research used the Quasi Experiment design with Pretest and Posttest Two Group of 120 respondents. The questionnaire used to examine the knowledge of respondents. The result using the Wilcoxon test showed that leaflet and video with local language are equally effective to increase knowledge of respondents of the health effects of smoking(p= -0.000), mean score after intervention by using the local language leaflet is 1.98, and mean score by using local language video is 2.32. So, local video is more effective to improve the knowledge of teenagers about the danger of smoking than the use of local language leaflets.
Pengaruh Latihan Peregangan Perut Terhadap Karakteristik Nyeri Menstruasi Remaja Awal
Authors: Saifah Andi
Published: March 2021

Nyeri menstruasi cenderung mengganggu aktifitas sehari-hari dan penampilan akademik pada remaja putri. Latihan peregangan merupakan salah satu intervensi nonfarmakologi dalam mengatasi nyeri. Tujuan penelitian adalah menganalisis pengaruh latihan peregangan perut terhadap perubahan karakteristik nyeri menstruasi  remaja awal di SMP Negeri Kecamatan Tatanga Kota Palu. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah quasi experimental pre-test dan post test design. Pengambilan sampel secara purposive sampling, masing-masing 41 responden  (usia 12-14 tahun dengan nyeri menstruasi) untuk kelompok perlakuan dan kelompok kontrol. Instrument penelitian adalah kuesioner, checklist karakteristik nyeri menstruasi dan booklet panduan latihan. Uji statistik yang digunakan adalah  uji Wilcoxon dengan tingkat kemaknaan 95%. Hasil uji Wilcoxon menunjukkan perbedaan bermakna antara durasi dan radiasi nyeri menstruasi sebelum dan setelah latihan peregangan perut. Tidak ada perbedaan bermakna pada irama dan kualitas nyeri menstruasi (ρ>0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian adalah latihan peregangan perut mempengaruhi penurunan  durasi dan radiasi nyeri menstruasi, namun belum berefek maksimal terhadap penurunan irama dan kualitas nyeri menstruasi.
Hubungan Usia, Jenis Kelamin dan Status Anemia dengan Fungsi Kognitif pada Lanjut Usia
Authors: Firdaus Riza
Published: March 2021

Menurunnya fungsi kognitif sangat mempengaruhi kualitas hidup lanjut usia. Faktor yang mempengaruhi adalah faktor fisiologis, psikologis dan lingkungan. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan usia, jenis kelamin dan status anemia dengan fungsi kognitif pada lanjut usia. Desain penelitian yaitu analitik observasional dengan pendekatan cross-sectional. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Panti Wredha Wening Wardoyo Semarang. Jumlah sampel yang didapatkan sebanyak 51 orang lanjut usia dengan total sampling. Variabel dependen adalah fungsi kognitif dan variabel independen adalah usia, jenis kelamin dan status anemia. Pemeriksaan fungsi kognitif diukur dengan instrumen Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) dan pemeriksaan status anemia menggunakan haemometer dengan metode Sahli. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah menggunakan uji Chi Square. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan usia < 75 tahun meningkatkan risiko fungsi kognitif normal (OR = 6,480; 95% CI 1,844- 22,769; p = 0,002), jenis kelamin laki – laki (OR = 2,357; 95% CI 0,688- 8,075; p = 0,167) dan anemia ringan (OR = 2,821; 95% CI 0,831- 9,577; p = 0,091). Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa fungsi kognitif pada lanjut usia dipengaruhi oleh usia, jenis kelamin dan status anemia.
Hubungan antara Grade Hipertensi dengan Tingkat Kemandirian Lansia dalam Activities Of Daily Living (ADLs)
Authors: Darmawati Irma , Kurniawan Febri Andri
Published: March 2021

Prevalensi hipertensi di Indonesia semakin meningkat setiap tahun terutama pada kelompok lansia. Penurunan tingkat kemandirian lansia akibat hipertensi menjadi perhatian utama dalam rangka pencapaian kualitas hidup yang optimal. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui hubungan antara derajat hipertensi pada lansia dengan tingkat kemandirian dalam menjalankan aktivitas sehari-hari. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara cluster sampling berjumlah 49 lansia hipertensi. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain cross sectional. Analisa hubungan variabel grade hipertensi dan tingkat kemandirian menggunakan analisis korelasi spearman rank. Hasil penelitian menunjukan 55,1% lansia mengalami hipertensi grade II dan 49% lansia  mengalami ketergantungan sebagian. Berdasarkan analisa korelasi spearman rank di dapatkan hasil p value 0,000 (<0,05) dan r -0,56 dengan kesimpulan terdapat hubungan yang cukup kuat antara penyakit hipertensi dengan kemandirian lansia, dengan arah hubungan yang negatif artinya semakin tinggi tekanan darah maka semakin rendah kemandirian lansia. Perubahan tingkat kemandirian lansia yang diakibatkan oleh hipertensi ini seyogyanya menjadi perhatian perawat agar selalu melakukan monitoring grade hipertensi pada lansia secara rutin setiap bulan. Keterlibatan keluarga ditingkatkan untuk memberikan dukungan keluarga yang dapat membantu lansia agar kualitas hidup lansia hipertensi tetap dapat tercapai secara optimal.
Yoga Improves Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Setiawan Henri , Ariyanto Heri , Khaerunnisa Reffi Nantia , Firdaus Fidya Anisa , Fitriani Ade
Published: March 2021

Yoga was a therapy that combined breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques and stretching exercises. The benefits of yoga in general could increase strength, flexibility, train balance, reduce pain, train breathing, smooth organ function, inner calm and improve quality of life. Several differences in the results of studies can influence the decisions of patients and health providers in planning appropriate interventions for breast cancer patients. This literature review aimed to explain the effectiveness of yoga on the quality of life of patients with breast cancer. The research data were identified from five journal databases including PubMed, JSTOR, Willey Online Library, Sage Journal and Taylor Francis Online by using the PIOS (Participant, Intervention, Outcomes and Study Design) method and MeSH term on the advanced search engine. Articles that became research data were articles published in 2007 to 2020 in the English version, open access and full text in the form of original articles or research articles. Of the 1,645 articles found, a screening process was carried out using PRISMA flowchart to eliminate articles that did not meet the criteria. In this literature review study, 9 articles were found that prove that the use of yoga interventions could improve the quality of life of patients. This study reinforced the findings of previous research which showed that yoga could be used effectively in the process of treating patients with breast cancer.
Cardiac Fibroblasts and Myocardial Regeneration
Authors: Chen Wangping , Bian Weihua , Zhou Yang , Zhang Jianyi
Published: March 2021

The billions of cardiomyocytes lost to acute myocardial infarction (MI) cannot be replaced by the limited regenerative capacity of adult mammalian hearts, and despite decades of research, there are still no clinically effective therapies for remuscularizing and restoring damaged myocardial tissue. Although the majority of the cardiac mass is composed of cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are one type of most numerous cells in the heart and the primary drivers of fibrosis, which prevents ventricular rupture immediately after MI but the fibrotic scar expansion and LV dilatation can eventually lead to heart failure. However, embryonic CFs produce cytokines that can activate proliferation in cultured cardiomyocytes, and the structural proteins produced by CFs may regulate cardiomyocyte cell-cycle activity by modulating the stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM). CFs can also be used to generate induced-pluripotent stem cells and induced cardiac progenitor cells, both of which can differentiate into cardiomyocytes and vascular cells, but cardiomyocytes appear to be more readily differentiated from iPSCs that have been reprogrammed from CFs than from other cell types. Furthermore, the results from recent studies suggest that cultured CFs, as well as the CFs present in infarcted hearts, can be reprogrammed directly into cardiomyocytes. This finding is very exciting as should we be able to successfully increase the efficiency of this reprogramming, we could remuscularize the injured ventricle and restore the LV function without need the transplantation of cells or cell products. This review summarizes the role of CFs in the innate response to MI and how their phenotypic plasticity and involvement in ECM production might be manipulated to improve cardiac performance in injured hearts.
Applications of Biocompatible Scaffold Materials in Stem Cell-Based Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Authors: Zhao Xia , Hu Daniel A. , Wu Di , He Fang , Wang Hao , Huang Linjuan , Shi Deyao , Liu Qing , Ni Na , Pakvasa Mikhail , Zhang Yongtao , Fu Kai , Qin Kevin H. , Li Alexander J. , Hagag Ofir , Wang Eric J. , Sabharwal Maya , Wagstaff William , Reid Russell R. , Lee Michael J. , Wolf Jennifer Moriatis , El Dafrawy Mostafa , Hynes Kelly , Strelzow Jason , Ho Sherwin H. , He Tong-Chuan , Athiviraham Aravind
Published: March 2021

Cartilage, especially articular cartilage, is a unique connective tissue consisting of chondrocytes and cartilage matrix that covers the surface of joints. It plays a critical role in maintaining joint durability and mobility by providing nearly frictionless articulation for mechanical load transmission between joints. Damage to the articular cartilage frequently results from sport-related injuries, systemic diseases, degeneration, trauma, or tumors. Failure to treat impaired cartilage may lead to osteoarthritis, affecting more than 25% of the adult population globally. Articular cartilage has a very low intrinsic self-repair capacity due to the limited proliferative ability of adult chondrocytes, lack of vascularization and innervation, slow matrix turnover, and low supply of progenitor cells. Furthermore, articular chondrocytes are encapsulated in low-nutrient, low-oxygen environment. While cartilage restoration techniques such as osteochondral transplantation, autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), and microfracture have been used to repair certain cartilage defects, the clinical outcomes are often mixed and undesirable. Cartilage tissue engineering (CTE) may hold promise to facilitate cartilage repair. Ideally, the prerequisites for successful CTE should include the use of effective chondrogenic factors, an ample supply of chondrogenic progenitors, and the employment of cell-friendly, biocompatible scaffold materials. Significant progress has been made on the above three fronts in past decade, which has been further facilitated by the advent of 3D bio-printing. In this review, we briefly discuss potential sources of chondrogenic progenitors. We then primarily focus on currently available chondrocyte-friendly scaffold materials, along with 3D bioprinting techniques, for their potential roles in effective CTE. It is hoped that this review will serve as a primer to bring cartilage biologists, synthetic chemists, biomechanical engineers, and 3D-bioprinting technologists together to expedite CTE process for eventual clinical applications.
Increased Ankle Plantar Flexor Stiffness Is Associated With Reduced Mechanical Response to Stretch in Adults With CP
Authors: Lorentzen Jakob , Frisk Rasmus Feld , Nielsen Jens Bo , Barber Lee
Published: March 2021

Hyperexcitable stretch reflexes are often not present despite of other signs of spasticity in people with brain lesion. Here we looked for evidence that increased resistance to length change of the plantar flexor muscle-fascicles may contribute to a reduction in the stretch reflex response in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). A total of 17 neurologically intact (NI) adults (mean age 36.1; 12 female) and 13 ambulant adults with CP (7 unilateral; mean age 33.1; 5 female) participated in the study. Subjects were seated in a chair with the examined foot attached to a foot plate, which could be moved by a computer-controlled electromotor. An ultrasound probe was placed over the medial aspect of the leg to measure the length of medial gastrocnemius muscle fascicles. Slow (7 deg/s) and fast (200 deg/s) stretches with amplitude 6 deg of the plantar flexors were applied over an ankle range of 70 deg at 10 deg intervals between 60 and 130 deg plantarflexion. It was checked by EMG electrodes that the slow stretches were sufficiently slow not to elicit any activity and that the fast stretches were sufficiently quick to elicit a maximal stretch reflex in both groups. The torque elicited by the stretches was measured together with changes in the length of medial gastrocnemius muscle fascicles. Muscle fascicles increased significantly in length with increasing dorsiflexion position in both populations (p < 0.001), but the fascicles were shorter in the CP population at all positions. Slow stretches elicited significantly larger torque and significantly smaller length change of muscle fascicles as the ankle joint position was moved more towards dorsiflexion in CP than in NI (p < 0.001). Fast stretches elicited larger torque responses at ankle joint positions of 80–100 deg in the NI than in the CP group (p < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was observed between the torque response and muscle fascicle length change to slow stretch in CP (p < 0.05), but not in NI. These findings support that increased passive resistance of the ankle plantar flexor muscle-tendon unit and development of contractures may conceal stretch reflex response in adults with CP. We argue that this should be taken into account in the neurological examination of spasticity.
Principal Component Analysis of the Running Ground Reaction Forces With Different Speeds
Authors: Yu Lin , Mei Qichang , Xiang Liangliang , Liu Wei , Mohamad Nur Ikhwan , István Bíró , Fernandez Justin , Gu Yaodong
Published: March 2021

Ground reaction force (GRF) is a key metric in biomechanical research, including parameters of loading rate (LR), first impact peak, second impact peak, and transient between first and second impact peaks in heel strike runners. The GRFs vary over time during stance. This study was aimed to investigate the variances of GRFs in rearfoot striking runners across incremental speeds. Thirty female and male runners joined the running tests on the instrumented treadmill with speeds of 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, and 3.7 m/s. The discrete parameters of vertical average loading rate in the current study are consistent with the literature findings. The principal component analysis was modeled to investigate the main variances (95%) in the GRFs over stance. The females varied in the magnitude of braking and propulsive forces (PC1, 84.93%), whereas the male runners varied in the timing of propulsion (PC1, 53.38%). The female runners dominantly varied in the transient between the first and second peaks of vertical GRF (PC1, 36.52%) and LR (PC2, 33.76%), whereas the males variated in the LR and second peak of vertical GRF (PC1, 78.69%). Knowledge reported in the current study suggested the difference of the magnitude and patterns of GRF between male and female runners across different speeds. These findings may have implications for the prevention of sex-specific running-related injuries and could be integrated with wearable signals for the in-field prediction and estimation of impact loadings and GRFs.
AIM2 Inhibits BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer Growth in a Caspase-1-Dependent Manner
Authors: Shah Shailendra , Qin Shaolan , Luo Yang , Huang Yizhou , Jing Ran , Shah Jay N. , Chen Jianjun , Chen Huimin , Zhong Ming
Published: March 2021

Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), a DNA sensor that plays an important role in natural immunity system, has been reported to participate in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, the functional role of AIM2 in BRAF-mutant CRC remains unclear. In this study, we first investigated AIM2 expression level in BRAF-mutant CRC tumor tissues. Overexpression of AIM2 in CRC cells was performed to investigate the effect of AIM2 on CRC cell viability, and cell death detection and caspase activity assay were performed to explore the mechanism that AIM2 impacts the growth of BRAF-mutant CRC cells. Moreover, we confirmed the antitumor effect of AIM2 in BRAF-mutant CRC cell-derived tumor xenograft (CDX) models as well as patient-derived organoids (PDOs). Herein, we reported that AIM2 expression was lower in BRAF-mutant than that in BRAF wild-type CRC tumor tissues. Restoring the expression of AIM2 in BRAF-mutant CRC cells greatly inhibits the tumor cell growth by inducing necrotic cell death. Mechanism studies revealed that AIM2-induced cell death is in a caspase-1-dependent manner. Additionally, overexpression of AIM2 significantly inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in BRAF-mutant CRC in vivo, which was further confirmed in BRAF-mutant CRC PDOs. Taken together, our data suggested that AIM2 inhibits BRAF-mutant colon cancer growth in a caspase-1-dependent manner, which may provide evidence to understand the pathogenesis of CRC with BRAF-mutant, as well as new strategies for manipulation of CRC.
Comparative RNA-Seq Transcriptome Analysis on Pulmonary Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Asthma–COPD Overlap Syndrome
Authors: Ma Pei , Li Shuyi , Yang Hui , Yuan Jiqiao , Zhang Ziqian , Li Xuyu , Fang Nan , Lin Mingbao , Hou Qi
Published: March 2021

Asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) is a severe clinical syndrome characterized to describe patients with both asthma and COPD clinical characteristics, which has posed a serious threat to patients’ quality of life and life safety. However, there are many difficulties and uncertainties in its diagnosis and treatment in clinic; especially, its animal model has not been fully and thoroughly established, and the evaluation of therapeutic drugs is still in its infancy. Here, we used ovalbumin (OVA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and smoke costimulation to establish an ACO mouse model and then used RNA-seq technology to detect gene expression in mouse lung tissue. The results showed that ACO mice showed an overlap syndrome of asthma and COPD in lung histological changes and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The RNA-seq analysis results showed that 6,324 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between the ACO group and the control group, of which 2,717 (42.7%) were downregulated, and 3,607 (57.3%) were upregulated. Metascape analysis results showed that in the ACO model we established, due to the damage of the respiratory system, the accumulated diseased tissue involves lung, spleen, blood, bone marrow, thymus, etc. It has certain characteristics of pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive airway disease, lung tumors, rheumatoid arthritis. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that DEGs were enriched in inflammation, immune system activation and imbalance, cell proliferation, and adhesion migration, and the upstream signaling pathways of inflammation were mainly affected by HLA-DRA, SYK, CTLA4, VAV1, NRAS, and JAK3. In short, our research established a mouse model that can better simulate the clinicopathological characteristics of ACO and suggested the foundations in elucidating the molecular mechanisms for pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in ACO. This work may help further research and contribute substantially to prevention and clinical treatment of ACO in the future.
The Roles of HIF-1α in Radiosensitivity and Radiation-Induced Bystander Effects Under Hypoxia
Authors: Zhang Jianghong , Zhang Yuhong , Mo Fang , Patel Gaurang , Butterworth Karl , Shao Chunlin , Prise Kevin M.
Published: March 2021

Radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE) may have potential implications for radiotherapy, yet the radiobiological impact and underlying mechanisms in hypoxic tumor cells remain to be determined. Using two human tumor cell lines, hepatoma HepG2 cells and glioblastoma T98G cells, the present study found that under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, increased micronucleus formation and decreased cell survival were observed in non-irradiated bystander cells which had been co-cultured with X-irradiated cells or treated with conditioned-medium harvested from X-irradiated cells. Although the radiosensitivity of hypoxic tumor cells was lower than that of aerobic cells, the yield of micronucleus induced in bystander cells under hypoxia was similar to that measured under normoxia indicating that RIBE is a more significant factor in overall radiation damage of hypoxic cells. When hypoxic cells were treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), or aminoguanidine (AG), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), before and during irradiation, the bystander response was partly diminished. Furthermore, when only hypoxic bystander cells were pretreated with siRNA hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), RIBE were decreased slightly but if irradiated cells were treated with siRNA HIF-1α, hypoxic RIBE decreased significantly. In addition, the expression of HIF-1α could be increased in association with other downstream effector molecules such as glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and carbonic anhydrase (CA9) in irradiated hypoxic cells. However, the expression of HIF-1α expression in bystander cells was decreased by a conditioned medium from isogenic irradiated cells. The current results showed that under hypoxic conditions, irradiated HepG2 and T98G cells showed reduced radiosensitivity by increasing the expression of HIF-1α and induced a syngeneic bystander effect by decreasing the expression of HIF-1α and regulating its downstream target genes in both the irradiated or bystander cells.
3-Deoxysappanchalcone Inhibits Skin Cancer Proliferation by Regulating T-Lymphokine-Activated Killer Cell-Originated Protein Kinase in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Fu Xiaorong , Zhao Ran , Yoon Goo , Shim Jung-Hyun , Choi Bu Young , Yin Fanxiang , Xu Beibei , Laster Kyle Vaughn , Liu Kangdong , Dong Zigang , Lee Mee-Hyun
Published: March 2021

Background

Skin cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide. The 5-year survival rate of the most aggressive late-stage skin cancer ranges between 20 and 30%. Thus, the discovery and investigation of novel target therapeutic agents that can effectively treat skin cancer is of the utmost importance. The T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK), which belongs to the serine-threonine kinase class of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) family, is highly expressed and activated in skin cancer. The present study investigates the role of 3-deoxysappanchalcone (3-DSC), a plant-derived functional TOPK inhibitor, in suppressing skin cancer cell growth.

Purpose

In the context of skin cancer prevention and therapy, we clarify the effect and mechanism of 3-DSC on different types of skin cancer and solar-simulated light (SSL)-induced skin hyperplasia.

Methods

In anin vitrostudy, western blotting andin vitrokinase assays were utilized to determine the protein expression of TOPK and its activity, respectively. Pull-down assay with 3-DSC and TOPK (wild-type and T42A/N172 mutation) was performed to confirm the direct interaction between T42A/N172 amino acid sites of TOPK and 3-DSC. Cell proliferation and anchorage-independent cell growth assays were utilized to determine the effect of 3-DSC on cell growth. In anin vivostudy, the thickness of skin and tumor size were measured in the acute SSL-induced inflammation mouse model or SK-MEL-2 cell-derived xenografts mouse model treated with 3-DSC. Immunohistochemistry analysis of tumors isolated from SK-MEL-2 cell-derived xenografts was performed to determine whether cell-based results observed upon 3-DSC treatment could be recapitulatedin vivo.

Results

3-DSC is able to inhibit cell proliferation in skin cancer cells in an anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent manner by regulation of TOPK and its related signaling pathwayin vitro. We also found that application of 3-DSC reduced acute SSL-induced murine skin hyperplasia. Additionally, we observed that 3-DSC decreased SK-MEL-2 cell-derived xenograft tumor growth through attenuating phosphorylation of TOPK and its downstream effectors including ERK, RSK, and c-Jun.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that 3-DSC may function in a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic capacity by protecting against UV-induced skin hyperplasia and inhibiting tumor cell growth by attenuating TOPK signaling, respectively.
Super-Enhancers and CTCF in Early Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions
Authors: Agrawal Puja , Rao Sridhar
Published: March 2021

Cell fate decisions are the backbone of many developmental and disease processes. In early mammalian development, precise gene expression changes underly the rapid division of a single cell that leads to the embryo and are critically dependent on autonomous cell changes in gene expression. To understand how these lineage specifications events are mediated, scientists have had to look past protein coding genes to the cis regulatory elements (CREs), including enhancers and insulators, that modulate gene expression. One class of enhancers, termed super-enhancers, is highly active and cell-type specific, implying their critical role in modulating cell-type specific gene expression. Deletion or mutations within these CREs adversely affect gene expression and development and can cause disease. In this mini-review we discuss recent studies describing the potential roles of two CREs, enhancers and binding sites for CTCF, in early mammalian development.
ARHGEF18/p114RhoGEF Coordinates PKA/CREB Signaling and Actomyosin Remodeling to Promote Trophoblast Cell-Cell Fusion During Placenta Morphogenesis
Authors: Beal Robert , Alonso-Carriazo Fernandez Ana , Grammatopoulos Dimitris K. , Matter Karl , Balda Maria S.
Published: March 2021

Coordination of cell-cell adhesion, actomyosin dynamics and gene expression is crucial for morphogenetic processes underlying tissue and organ development. Rho GTPases are main regulators of the cytoskeleton and adhesion. They are activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors in a spatially and temporally controlled manner. However, the roles of these Rho GTPase activators during complex developmental processes are still poorly understood. ARHGEF18/p114RhoGEF is a tight junction-associated RhoA activator that forms complexes with myosin II, and regulates actomyosin contractility. Here we show that p114RhoGEF/ARHGEF18 is required for mouse syncytiotrophoblast differentiation and placenta development. In vitro and in vivo experiments identify that p114RhoGEF controls expression of AKAP12, a protein regulating protein kinase A (PKA) signaling, and is required for PKA-induced actomyosin remodeling, cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB)-driven gene expression of proteins required for trophoblast differentiation, and, hence, trophoblast cell-cell fusion. Our data thus indicate that p114RhoGEF links actomyosin dynamics and cell-cell junctions to PKA/CREB signaling, gene expression and cell-cell fusion.
RETRACTED: Metallic Ions Encapsulated in Electrospun Nanofiber for Antibacterial and Angiogenesis Function to Promote Wound Repair
Authors: Zhu Chenxi , Cao Runfeng , Zhang Yu , Chen Ru
Published: March 2021

Electrospun nanofiber is an attractive biomaterial for skin tissue engineering because it mimics the natural fibrous extracellular matrix structure and creates a physical structure suitable for skin tissue regeneration. However, endowing the nanofibrous membranes with antibacterial and angiogenesis functions needs to be explored. In the current study, we aimed to fabricate gelatin/polycaprolactone (GT/PCL) (GT/PCL-Ag-Mg) nanofibers loaded with silver (Ag) and magnesium (Mg) ions for antibacterial activity and pro-angiogenesis function for wound repair. The fabricated GT/PCL membranes had a nanofibrous structure with random arrangement and achieved sustained release of Ag and Mg ions. In vitro results indicated that the GT/PCL-Ag-Mg membranes presented satisfactory cytocompatibility with cell survival and proliferation. In addition, the membranes with Ag demonstrated good antibacterial capacity to both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and the Mg released from the membranes promoted the tube formation of vascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, in vivo results demonstrated that the GT/PCL-Ag-Mg membrane presented an accelerated wound healing process compared with GT/PCL membranes incorporated with either Ag or Mg ions and pure GT/PCL alone. Superior epidermis formation, vascularization, and collagen deposition were also observed in GT/PCL-Ag-Mg membrane compared with the other membranes. In conclusion, a multifunctional GT/PCL-Ag-Mg membrane was fabricated with anti-infection and pro-angiogenesis functions, serving as a potential metallic ion-based therapeutic platform for applications in wound repair.
Draft Genome of Proteus mirabilis Serogroup O18 Elaborating Phosphocholine-Decorated O Antigen
Authors: Czerwonka Grzegorz , Gmiter Dawid , Durlik-Popińska Katarzyna
Published: March 2021

Proteus mirabilis is a pathogenic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that causes ascending urinary tract infections. Swarming motility, urease production, biofilm formation, and the properties of its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are all factors that contribute to the virulence of this bacterium. Uniquely, members of the O18 serogroup elaborate LPS molecules capped with O antigen polymers built of pentasaccharide repeats; these repeats are modified with a phosphocholine (ChoP) moiety attached to the proximal sugar of each O unit. Decoration of the LPS with ChoP is an important surface modification of many pathogenic and commensal bacteria. The presence of ChoP on the bacterial envelope is correlated with pathogenicity, as decoration with ChoP plays a role in bacterial adhesion to mucosal surfaces, resistance to antimicrobial peptides and sensitivity to complement-mediated killing in several species. The genome of P. mirabilis O18 is 3.98 Mb in size, containing 3,762 protein-coding sequences and an overall GC content of 38.7%. Annotation performed using the RAST Annotation Server revealed genes associated with choline phosphorylation, uptake and transfer. Moreover, amino acid sequence alignment of the translated licC gene revealed it to be homologous to LicC from Streptococcus pneumoniae encoding CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase. Recognized homologs are located in the O antigen gene clusters of Proteus species, near the wzx gene encoding the O antigen flippase, which translocates lipid-linked O units across the inner membrane. This study reveals the genes potentially engaged in LPS decoration with ChoP in P. mirabilis O18.
A Potential Combination Therapy of Berberine Hydrochloride With Antibiotics Against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Li Xiaobo , Song Yanqing , Wang Lina , Kang Guangbo , Wang Ping , Yin Huabing , Huang He
Published: March 2021

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii strains can cause severe infections in intensive care units, and are rapidly developing resistance to the last-resort of existing antibiotics, posing a major global threat to health care system. Berberine hydrochloride (BBH), a kind of isoquinoline alkaloids extracted from Berberis and other plants, has been widely used as an antibacterial medicine for its reliable therapeutic efficiency. The in vitro synergistic effects of BBH with antibiotics against MDR A. baumannii were determined. BBH alone had weak antimicrobial activity (e.g., MIC≥256 mg/L) against MDR A. baumannii. However, it dramatically increased the susceptibility of MDR strains against antibiotics with FICI values <0.5, even reversed their resistance to antibiotics (e.g., tigecycline, sulbactam, meropenem and ciprofloxacin). In vivo study has suggested BBH with sulbactam had stronger antimicrobial efficiency than monotherapy in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model. The antibiotic-sensitizing mechanism of action of BBH was evaluated as well. BBH boosted adeB gene expression and bound to the AdeB transporter protein, resulting in low uptake of BBH, which may contribute to less extrusion of antibiotics by the AdeABC pump. Knockout of the adeB gene increased uptake of BBH and diminished the antibiotic sensitization and synergistic effects between antibiotics and BBH in MDR strains. Together, BBH effectively re-sensitizes this MDR pathogen to a range of antibiotics that have become barely effective due to antibiotic resistance, which indicates BBH may be a promising therapeutic adjuvant candidate to combat MDR A. baumannii.
The Critical Importance of Citizen Science Data
Authors: de Sherbinin Alex , Bowser Anne , Chuang Tyng-Ruey , Cooper Caren , Danielsen Finn , Edmunds Rorie , Elias Peter , Faustman Elaine , Hultquist Carolynne , Mondardini Rosy , Popescu Ioana , Shonowo Adenike , Sivakumar Kishore
Published: March 2021

Citizen science is an important vehicle for democratizing science and promoting the goal of universal and equitable access to scientific data and information. Data generated by citizen science groups have become an increasingly important source for scientists, applied users and those pursuing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Citizen science data are used extensively in studies of biodiversity and pollution; crowdsourced data are being used by UN operational agencies for humanitarian activities; and citizen scientists are providing data relevant to monitoring the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This article provides an International Science Council (ISC) perspective on citizen science data generating activities in support of the 2030 Agenda and on needed improvements to the citizen science community's data stewardship practices for the benefit of science and society by presenting results of research undertaken by an ISC-sponsored Task Group.