bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Development of the Tarekat among the Madurese Population until the Beginning of the 20th Century
Authors: Iswahyudi
Published: June 2021

In its development, the number of tarekat found in Madura was three, namely the tarekat Qadiriyah, the  tarekat Qadiriyah Wa Naqshabandiyah, and the  tarekat Tijaniyah. In addition, the tarekat Syatariyah, which had a lot of contact with the traditions of the local Madurese community, had also been influential, even though it was not so big. In this case it is known that starting from the development of the performing arts among the Madurese population called rateb, or from the Arabic language ratib which is similar to the debus performances in Banten and Aceh, there is a strong suspicion that the  tarekat Samaniyah  has also developed in Madura since the 18th century. In its journey, the popularity of the  tarekat Sammaniyah, especially in Madura, was replaced by the Qadariyah wa Naqsabandiyah. This tarekat in its development has replaced the fame of the tarekat Sammaniyah in the archipelago. The description from the sketch shows that in reality, we are often faced with local Islamic sketches, in the form of rituals, such as tarekat, tahlilan, salvation, and so on. The approaches used to telescope this are textual-contextual and structural-functional approaches. From the analysis, it is found that the patterns of understanding and attitudes of the majority of rural communities, especially Madurese, practice Islamic teachings in the form of rituals that are independent, walk alone, without recognizing the relationship between students and sheikhs or murshids.
Do Participatory Leadership Style, Motivation, and Work Environment Affect Employee Performance? Lessons from Local Organization in An Emerging Country
Authors: Endah Suryani  , Ferdinandus Christian  , Mohammad Imam Farisi
Published: June 2021

This study aims to determine the effect of participatory leadership style, motivation and work environment on employee performance at the Department of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) of Yapen Islands Regency, Papua, Indonesia. This research is a quantitative research with the sources of data collected in this study are primary data and secondary data. This study used a saturated sample with a total of 101 people and applied multiple regression to analyse the data. It found that the participatory leadership did not affect the employee performance, while motivation and work environment influence the employee performance. It implies that the latter variables are the employee performance’s key drivers and should be the main priorities.
Penerapan Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe The Two Stay Two Stray Untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Komunikasi dan Pemahaman Konsep pada Pembelajaran IPA di Kelas V SDN 32 Bengkulu Tengah
Authors: Nofianti Shinta Widya
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study is to improve the communication skills and understanding of students' concepts. This research is a class action. The subjects of this study were fifth grade students of public primary schools 32 Central Bengkulu which numbered 24 students. Data was collected through observation and test results. Data is processed by using the percentage of student success in classical and percentage of individual student's success. The results of this study indicate the application of cooperative learning model type TSTS can improve communication skills and understanding of the concept, students of class V public primary schools 32 Central Bengkulu. Improvement of communication skills through cooperative learning model type TSTS cycle I was 33.3%, cycle II was 62.5% and cycle III was 83.3%. Enhancement the understanding of students' concepts through cooperative learning models of the TSTS type in the second cycle was 37.5%, the second cycle was 66.7% and the third cycle was 95.8%, thus the application of the TSTS type of cooperative learning model can improve communication skills and conceptual understanding. The recommendation of this research is that teachers can use good learning method and to actively involve students in learning in order to improve their communication skill and students' concept understanding to be better.
Penerapan Strategi Pembelajaran Quick On The Draw untuk Meningkatkan Minat dan Hasil Belajar Matematika Siswa Kelas II D SDN 69 Kota Bengkulu
Authors: Ekawati Fitria Ekawati , Susanta Agus Susanta , Hambali Daimun Hambali
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to improve a) the activities of teachers and students, b) interest in learning mathematics students, c) the results of mathematics learning students of class II D SDN 69 Kota Bengkulu. The research method was classroom action research. This research was conducted in class II D SDN 69, Bengkulu City consisting of 25 students. The results of this study were an increase in teacher activity in the first cycle obtained an average score of 22.5, increased in the second cycle with an average score of 24.5, and increased in the third cycle to 28.5. Increased activity of students in the first cycle obtained an average score of 25.5, and increased in the second cycle to an average score of 27, and then increased again in the third cycle to 31.5. In students' interest in learning mathematics in the first cycle the percentage was 77.6%, increasing  in the second cycle by 86%, increasing again in the third cycle to 89.2%. The improvement  of cognitive cognitive  learning outcomes of students in the first cycle was average value (66.4) with classical learning completeness (44%), increased in the second cycle the average score (69.4) and classical learning completeness (64%), increased in cycle III (80.6) and classical learning completeness (88%). Then it could be concluded that the application of quick on the draw learning strategies could increase the interest and results of learning mathematics of students in class II D SDN 69 Kota Bengkulu.
Penerapan Model Inkuiri Terbimbing untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis dan Sikap Ilmiah Siswa dalam Pembelajaran IPA Siswa Kelas V SDN 9 Bengkulu Tengah
Authors: Julimah Julimah Julimah , Winarni Endang Widi , Hmbali Daimun Hambali
Published: June 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan aktivitas, kemampuan berpikir kritis, dan sikap ilmiah siswa pembelajaran IPA melalui model inkuiri terbimbing di kelas V SDN 9 Bengkulu Tengah. Penelitian yang dilakukan adalah penelitian tindakan kelas (Classroom action research) sebanyak 3 siklus. Instrumen yang digunakan yaitu lembar observasi aktivitas pembelajaran, tes kemampuan berpikir kritis, dan lembar observasi sikap ilmiah. Hasil yang dicapai dalam penelitian ini yaitu: (1) aktivitas pembelajaran siklus I sebesar 63,64% dengan kategori Cukup, siklus II sebesar77,27% dengan kategori Baik, dan siklus III sebesar 90,91% dengan kriteria Sangat Baik; (2) kemampuan berpikir kritis untuk indikator memfokuskan pertanyaan siklus I sebesar 76,25%, siklus II sebesar 86,25%, dan siklus III sebesar 95%, indikator menjelaskan secara sederhana siklus I sebesar 58,33%, siklus II sebesar 72,50%, dan siklus III sebesar 76,67%, indikator membangun keterampilan dasar siklus I sebesar 60%, siklus II sebesar 81,67%, dan siklus III sebesar 88,33%, indikator menyimpulkan siklus I sebesar 91,25%, siklus II sebesar 97,50%, dan siklus III sebesar 100%; (3) sikap ilmiah siklus I untuk indikator rasa ingin tahu yang tinggi sebesar 76,20%, siklus II sebesar 79,30%, dan siklus III sebesar 82,95% siklus I untuk indikator ulet dan tidak putus asa siklus I sebesar 76,45%, siklus II sebesar 79,40%, dan siklus III sebesar 83,80%, indikator kreatif siklus I sebesar 72,85%, siklus II sebesar 77,05%, dan pada siklus III sebesar 82,95%. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa penerapan model inkuiri terbimbing dapat meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan sikap ilmiah siswa Kelas V SDN 9 Bengkulu Tengah.
Efektivitas Pembelajaran Keterampilan Menulis Puisi dengan Teknik Kata Kunci
Authors: Muktadir Abdul Muktadir
Published: June 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan keterampilan menulis puisi dengan menggunakan teknik kata kunci. Metode penelitian dilakukan adalah PTK yang berdaur silkus melalui prosedur perencanaan, pelaksanaan, observasi dan refleksi. Subjek penelitian adalah mahasiswa S-2 PGSD semester I. Data penelitian adalah tes, pengamatan dan dokumentasi. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah lembaran observasi mahasiswa, lembar penilaian keterampilan. Data hasil observasi akan dianalisis secara deskriptif, data hasil tes dianalisis menggunakan rata-rata. Proses pembelalajaran yang dilaksanakan secara hierarkhis memudahkan siswa mengembangkan tulisan puisi sehingga hasil menulis puisi dengan kata kunci pun dapat meningkat. Hal itu tampak dari peningkatan nilai dari siklus I ke siklus II.
Peningkatan Kemampuan Kompetensi Matematika Pendidikan Dasar melalui Pendekatan Investigasi Berbantuan Manipulatif
Authors: Susanta Agus Susanta
Published: June 2021

Mathematical competence abilities of elementary education students play an important role in the success of learning mathematics in elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to describe an increase in students' understanding of mathematical concepts through a manipulative assisted investigative approach. The research subjects were students of the first semester elementary  teachers education postgrade students who took Elementary  education mathematics courses in the 2019/2020 academic year. This research is a classroom action research using data collection methods in the form of observation and tests results. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using data reduction and data triangulation. The results showed that the application of investigative learning increased the ability to understand deep mathematical concepts. The manipulative assisted mathematical investigative approach increases students in carrying out exploration, making assumptions, and making conclusions.
Pengembangan Lembar Kegiatan Mahasiswa (LKM) dengan Model Project-Based Learning (PjBL) untuk Meningkatkan Literasi Sains pada Perkuliahan IPA Pendidikan Dasar
Authors: Winarni Endang Widi , Koto Irwan Koto
Published: June 2021

Tujuan penelitian ini yakni mendeskripsikan: pengembangan, kelayakan, dan dampak  LKM model PjBL untuk meningkatkan literasi sains  aspek pengetahuan, sikap, konteks, dan kompetensi mahasiswa. Jenis penelitian ini pengembangan dengan model ADDIE- Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, dan Evaluation. Subyek penelitian yakni mahasiswa S2 Pendidikan Dasar FKIP Universitas Bengkulu semester I tahun2019/2020. Obyek penelitian yakni LKM dengan model PjBL. Instrumen dalam penelitian yakni: (1) lembar validasi produk, (2) lembar keterbacaan produk, dan (3) lembar penilaian literasi sains aspek sikap, konteks, pengetahuan, dan kompetensi. Teknik analisis data secara deskriptif-kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: (1) Hasil analisis silabus dan RPS Mata Kuliah IPA Pendidikan Dasar pada  lingkup Biologi dan Kimia. (2) Kelayakan LKM PjBL dari validasi ahli dan uji keterbacaan oleh mahasiswa secara rata-rata mencapai kategori sangat tinggi. (3) Dampak penggunaan LKM PjBL terhadap literasi aspek pengetahuan secara rata-rata mengalami peningkatan sebesar sebesar 86,14%, aspek sikap mengalami peningkatan sebesar 48,49%, aspek kompetensi mengalami peningkatan sebesar 25%, dan aspek konteks mengalami peningkatan sebesar 24,27%. Simpulan: (1) LKM dengan model PjBLhasil pengembangan yakni Pertumbuhan dan Perkembangan pada Tumbuhan dan Hewan,  Interaksi dalam Ekosistem, dan Metabolisme pada Tubuh Manusia. (2) LKM PjBL hasil pengembangan layak digunakan. (3) LKM PjBL dapat meningkatkan literasi sains secara berurutan dari yang paling tinggi sampai yang paling rendah yakni aspek pengetahuan, sikap, kompetensi, dan konteks.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Project Based Learning (Pjbl) terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif dalam Pembelajaran Tematik Muatan Pelajaran IPA Peserta Didik Kelas V SD Negeri
Authors: Febriyanti Arida Febriyanti , Susanta Agus Susanta , Muktadir Abdul Muktadir
Published: June 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model pembelajaran PjBL  terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif dalam pembelajaran Tematik muatan pelajaran IPA peserta didik kelas V SD Negeri. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif. Metode yang digunakan ialah quasy experiment. Desain pada penelitian ini yaitu The Matching Only Pretest-Posttes Control Group Design. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh peserta didik kelas V di SD Negeri Gugus I Kecamatan Arga Makmur Kabupaten Bengkulu Utara terakreditasi A. Sampel dalam penelitian ialah siswa kelas VC SDN 009 Bengkulu Utara berjumlah 21 orang sebagai kelas eksperimen, dan SDN 016 Bengkulu Utara berjumlah 21 orang sebagai kelas kontrol. Instrumen yang digunakan berupa tes tertulis terdiri atas dimensi kemampuan berpikir lancar (fluency), kemampuan berpikir luwes (flexibility), kemampuan berpikir orisinil (originality), kemampuan berpikir merinci (elaboration), dan kemampuan berpikir menilai (evaluation). Untuk mendeskripsikan proyek pop up book menggunakan lembar observasi tahapan proses dan tahapan hasil proyek. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh signifikan model pembelajaran PjBL terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif dalam pembelajaran tematik muatan pelajaran IPA peserta didik kelas V SD Negeri. Penelitian ini juga menghasilkan proyek pop up book dua dimensi dengan baik sehingga berpengaruh terhadap dimensi kemampuan berpikir lancar (fluency), kemampuan berpikir luwes (flexibility), kemampuan berpikir orisinil (originality kemampuan berpikir merinci (elaboration), kemampuan berpikir menilai (evaluation).
Hak-Hak Perempuan Enggano Dalam Sistem Kekerabatan Matrilineal
Authors: Ramadhani Susi , Wardhani Noeke Sri , Putri Lentiara
Published: June 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan menggali pengetahuan tentang sistem matrilineal yang dianut oleh suku Enggano dan menginventarisasi  hak-hak apa saja yang dimiliki oleh perempuan suku Enggano dalam sistem matrilineal serta mendiskripsikan implementasi hak-hak tersebut dalam kehidupan masyarakat suku Enggano di Pulau Enggano. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian hukum empiris. Data diperoleh dari masyarakat, sehingga akan mendapatkan data yang langsung terjadi dalam masyarakat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengertian matrilineal dalam sistem kekerabatan sudah dimengerti oleh sebagian besar Ketua adat di Enggano. Sistem matrilineal yang menurunkan garis keturunan dari pihak Ibu kepada anak perempuan dan anak laki-lakinya. Anak perempuanlah yang nanti dapat menurunkan garis keturunan suku kepada anak-anaknya, tetapi terdapat pengecualian apabila anak laki-laki adalah anak tunggal maka suku Ibunya dapat diturunkan kepadanya. Sengketa terhadap hak-hak perempuan Enggano belum pernah terjadi di masyarakat adat Enggano. Penyelesaian sengketa apabila terjadi maka diselesaikan secara kekeluargaan terlebih dahulu apabila tidak dicapai kesepakatan maka dilanjutkan ke musywarah adat dengan melibatkan pengurus suku seperti Kepala Pintu Suku, Ketua Adat, Bendahara Adat, tokoh masyarakat, perangkat Desa dan pihak yang bersengketa.
Single-Board Computers na Educação: Uma revisão sistemática da literatura
Authors: Costa Neto José Vieira da , Barros Filho Edgar Marçal de , Santana José Rogério
Published: June 2021

Os Single-Board Computers (SBCs) são computadores de placa única, que possuem baixo custo, consumo de energia reduzido e tamanho exíguo. Podem ser aplicados em várias situações, por exemplo em projetos acadêmicos e data centers. O presente artigo apresenta o resultado de uma Revisão Sistemática da Literatura (RSL) que procurou identificar, em níveis nacional e internacional, a contribuição dos SBCs como ferramentas para apoio ao ensino, em artigos publicados, em periódicos e conferências, entre os anos de 2017 e 2021. Foram definidas uma questão central e três específicas para nortear a pesquisa, juntamente com a aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, sendo possível realizar a seleção e extração dos dados. Os resultados alcançados evidenciam que o Raspberry Pi é o SBC que vem sendo mais utilizado, principalmente nas áreas de ensino de ciências, tecnologias, engenharias e matemática, por meio das seguintes abordagens principais: gamificação, cursos, laboratórios virtuais e plataformas online.
DEVELOPEMENT OF A VEGETABLE DRYER
Authors: Blessing Ngozi Iyidiobu , John Okanagba Awulu
Published: June 2021

A Vegetable dryer of dimension 1.50 m (high) x
0.72 m (wide) x 0.59 m (breadth) was developed using mild
steel iron and its performance evaluated. The device
consists of a drying chamber with three drying trays; fans
incorporated for heat circulation, a heating element of
2000 W, four swivel caster rollers for ease of mobility, a
thermostat to regulate the heat generated in the drying
chamber and a thermo-gauge inserted to monitor the
temperature in the drying chamber. The vegetable dryer
has a drying capacity of 34 kg and three compartments of
0.25 m equal spacing. The dryer is partitioned at 0.75 m,
0.1 m and 1.25 m from the heating element, with the first
(bottom) tray, the second tray (middle) and the third
(upper) respectively. The device performance was
evaluated under no-load and load conditions at 50 °C, 60
°C, and 80 °C temperatures with three replications.
Results obtained under no-load indicated that
temperatures very close to the preset values (by the
thermostat) were attained within 5 mins. Under load
condition, the dryer was evaluated by drying 16.74 kg of
tomatoe slices at 50 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C. Weight reduction
(degree of moisture loss) from the slices was recorded at
intervals of 1hour until a nearly constant weight was
obtained. The result revealed that the dryer has a mean
drying efficiency of 80.6 % and drying rate of 0.02 kg/hr.
At a drying time of 10 hours and temperatures of 50 °C
and 60 °C, 16.74 kg of tomatoes were reduced to 1.23 kg
and 1.13 kg representing 93 % (wb) of removed moisture,
while a final weight of 1.08 kg dry matter was obtained
from the same starting weight of wet tomatoes at 80 °C
representing 94 % (wb) of moisture loss for the same
drying time. ANOVA studies indicated that the effect of
temperature and tray level on drying of vegetable
(tomatoes) were highly significance at (P< 5 %). The dried
vegetable (tomatoes) is free from dust and any form of
contamination making it healthy for consumption.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF LEAKAGE FLOW FIELD OF RAILWAY FREIGHT BRAKING PIPELINE
Authors: Huang Q , M. Mo Y. , Y. Li Z , R. Song J. , F. Liao S. , Xie L. , G L. , D. Duan Y. , Q. Chen W , W. Yi X , Wang C. , Cao H.
Published: June 2021

pipeline leakage causes great harm in industrial
production, and the detection of pipeline leakage has
important application value in industrial production.
Ultrasonic testing technology has a wide range of
applications in the field of industry, is one of the main means
of non-destructive testing. It is very difficult to distinguish
between human eyes and ears. Therefore, by using the
propagation characteristics and unidirectionality of
ultrasonic, non-destructive testing can be realized, and the
detection distance is wide, and the safety of personnel can be
guaranteed. In this paper, ANSYS software is used to
simulate different cases of pipeline leakage, mainly including
the relationship between leakage velocity and ultrasonic
frequency with different leakage aperture, different pressure
in the pipe, different spacing between two holes. The
simulation is of great significance for the field theory
research of pipeline leakage and the detection of pipeline
leakage.
Thermodynamic study of NOx and SO2 formation and possible reduction during Pb waste recycling
Authors: Demčáková Silvia , Horváthová Hedviga
Published: June 2021

With the increasing demand for electricity due to the increasing economic boom, there is an excessive production of emissions that natural processes cannot cope with. Fortunately, there are various technological solutions for capturing harmful substances from produced emissions. However, the European Union aims to prevent the formation of emissions in the process of industrial production itself. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to reconcile the interests of individual European Union member states by the implementation of regulations into laws, to monitor short-term and long-term changes in air quality, and also to put into practice increasingly effective methods of capturing emissions from the air. This paper offers an example of thermodynamic calculation of quantities by appropriate software in the process of recycling waste from the metallurgical industry and possibilities of technological improvement in emission reduction.
From anthropocentrism to sustaincentrism: case study on beverage companies in India
Authors: Shamsi Rizvi Yasmeen , Garg Raksha
Published: June 2021

Business organizations have been facing an unprecedented level of criticisms for being one of the prime contributors to the deterioration of environmental health. These criticisms have prompted organizations to
make environmental sustainability a part of their business strategy. The case study on the beverage companies show how organizations are making a shift from anthropocentrism to sustaincentrism. Here we have mainly focussed on how PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have transformed their image from the one that contributes to bad health of the environment to the one that operates in an environment-friendly manner and how their environmental strategies have helped them in balancing the needs of stakeholders while earning profits.
The Role of MicroRNAs in Mitochondria-Mediated Eye Diseases
Authors: Carrella Sabrina , Massa Filomena , Indrieri Alessia
Published: June 2021

The retina is among the most metabolically active tissues with high-energy demands. The peculiar distribution of mitochondria in cells of retinal layers is necessary to assure the appropriate energy supply for the transmission of the light signal. Photoreceptor cells (PRs), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) present a great concentration of mitochondria, which makes them particularly sensitive to mitochondrial dysfunction. To date, visual loss has been extensively correlated to defective mitochondrial functions. Many mitochondrial diseases (MDs) show indeed neuro-ophthalmic manifestations, including retinal and optic nerve phenotypes. Moreover, abnormal mitochondrial functions are frequently found in the most common retinal pathologies, i.e., glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR), that share clinical similarities with the hereditary primary MDs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are established as key regulators of several developmental, physiological, and pathological processes. Dysregulated miRNA expression profiles in retinal degeneration models and in patients underline the potentiality of miRNA modulation as a possible gene/mutation-independent strategy in retinal diseases and highlight their promising role as disease predictive or prognostic biomarkers. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge about the participation of miRNAs in both rare and common mitochondria-mediated eye diseases. Definitely, given the involvement of miRNAs in retina pathologies and therapy as well as their use as molecular biomarkers, they represent a determining target for clinical applications.
Senescence in Bacteria and Its Underlying Mechanisms
Authors: Steiner Ulrich Karl
Published: June 2021

Bacteria have been thought to flee senescence by dividing into two identical daughter cells, but this notion of immortality has changed over the last two decades. Asymmetry between the resulting daughter cells after binary fission is revealed in physiological function, cell growth, and survival probabilities and is expected from theoretical understanding. Since the discovery of senescence in morphologically identical but physiologically asymmetric dividing bacteria, the mechanisms of bacteria aging have been explored across levels of biological organization. Quantitative investigations are heavily biased toward Escherichia coli and on the role of inclusion bodies—clusters of misfolded proteins. Despite intensive efforts to date, it is not evident if and how inclusion bodies, a phenotype linked to the loss of proteostasis and one of the consequences of a chain of reactions triggered by reactive oxygen species, contribute to senescence in bacteria. Recent findings in bacteria question that inclusion bodies are only deleterious, illustrated by fitness advantages of cells holding inclusion bodies under varying environmental conditions. The contributions of other hallmarks of aging, identified for metazoans, remain elusive. For instance, genomic instability appears to be age independent, epigenetic alterations might be little age specific, and other hallmarks do not play a major role in bacteria systems. What is surprising is that, on the one hand, classical senescence patterns, such as an early exponential increase in mortality followed by late age mortality plateaus, are found, but, on the other hand, identifying mechanisms that link to these patterns is challenging. Senescence patterns are sensitive to environmental conditions and to genetic background, even within species, which suggests diverse evolutionary selective forces on senescence that go beyond generalized expectations of classical evolutionary theories of aging. Given the molecular tool kits available in bacteria, the high control of experimental conditions, the high-throughput data collection using microfluidic systems, and the ease of life cell imaging of fluorescently marked transcription, translation, and proteomic dynamics, in combination with the simple demographics of growth, division, and mortality of bacteria, make the challenges surprising. The diversity of mechanisms and patterns revealed and their environmental dependencies not only present challenges but also open exciting opportunities for the discovery and deeper understanding of aging and its mechanisms, maybe beyond bacteria and aging.
Linking Chromosomal Silencing With Xist Expression From Autosomal Integrated Transgenes
Authors: Naciri Ikrame , Lin Benjamin , Webb Chiu-Ho , Jiang Shan , Carmona Sarah , Liu Wenzhu , Mortazavi Ali , Sun Sha
Published: June 2021

Xist is the master regulator of X-Chromosome Inactivation (XCI), the mammalian dosage compensation mechanism that silences one of the two X chromosomes in a female cell. XCI is established during early embryonic development. Xist transgene (Tg) integrated into an autosome can induce transcriptional silencing of flanking genes; however, the effect and mechanism of Xist RNA on autosomal sequence silencing remain elusive. In this study, we investigate an autosomal integration of Xist Tg that is compatible with mouse viability but causes male sterility in homozygous transgenic mice. We observed ectopic Xist expression in the transgenic male cells along with a transcriptional reduction of genes clustered in four segments on the mouse chromosome 1 (Chr 1). RNA/DNA Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) and chromosome painting confirmed that Xist Tg is associated with chromosome 1. To determine the spreading mechanism of autosomal silencing induced by Xist Tg on Chr 1, we analyzed the positions of the transcriptionally repressed chromosomal sequences relative to the Xist Tg location inside the cell nucleus. Our results show that the transcriptionally repressed chromosomal segments are closely proximal to Xist Tg in the three-dimensional nucleus space. Our findings therefore support a model that Xist directs and maintains long-range transcriptional silencing facilitated by the three-dimensional chromosome organization.
Text Complexity Modulates Cross-Linguistic Sentence Integration in L2 Reading
Authors: Leon Guerrero Sibylla , Whitford Veronica , Mesite Laura , Luk Gigi
Published: June 2021

Cross-linguistic influences (CLI) in first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) reading have been widely demonstrated in experimental paradigms with adults at the word and sentence levels. However, less is known about CLI in adolescents during naturalistic text reading. Through eye-tracking and behavioral measures, this study investigated expository reading in functionally English monolingual and Spanish (L1) - English (L2) bilingual adolescents. In particular, we examined the role of L1 (Spanish) sentence integration skills among the bilingual adolescents when L2 school texts contained challenging syntactic structures, such as complex clauses, elaborated noun phrases, and anaphoric references. Results of generalized multilevel linear regression modeling demonstrated CLI in both offline comprehension and online eye-tracking measures that were modulated by school text characteristics. We found a positive relationship (i.e., facilitation) between L1 sentence integration skills and L2 English text comprehension, especially for passages with greater clause complexity. Similar main, but not modulatory, effects of sentence integration skill were found in online eye-tracking measures. Overall, both language groups appeared to draw upon similar reading component skills to support reading fluency and comprehension when component skills were measured only in English. However, differential patterns of association across languages became evident when those skills were measured in both L1 and L2. Taken together, our findings suggest that bilingual adolescents’ engagement of cross-linguistic resources in expository reading varies dynamically according to both language-specific semantic knowledge and language-general sentence integration skills, and is modulated by text features, such as syntactic complexity.
Effect of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Goal Achievement on Vascular Physiology Evaluated by Quantitative Flow Ratio in Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Chen Long , Chen Qin , Zhong Jiaxin , Ye Zhen , Ye Mingfang , Yan Yuanming , Chen Lianglong , Luo Yukun
Published: June 2021

Purpose: The change in coronary physiology from lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) lacks an appropriate method of examination. Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a novel angiography-based approach allowing rapid assessment of coronary physiology. This study sought to determine the impact of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal achievement on coronary physiology through QFR.

Methods: Cases involving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 1-year angiographic follow-up were screened and assessed by QFR analysis. Patients were divided into two groups according to the LDL-C level at the 1-year follow-up: (1) goal-achievement group (LDL-C < 1.8 mmol/L or reduction of ≥50%, n = 146, lesion = 165) and (2) non-achievement group (n = 286, lesion = 331). All QFR data and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) at 1 year were compared between groups.

Results: No differences between the groups in quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) data or QFR post-PCI were found. At the 1-year follow-up, lower percentage diameter stenosis (DS%) and percentage area stenosis (AS%) were recorded in the goal-achievement group (27.89 ± 10.16 vs. 30.93 ± 12.03, p = 0.010, 36.57 ± 16.12 vs. 41.68 ± 17.39, p = 0.003, respectively). Additionally, a better change in QFR was found in the goal-achievement group (0.003 ± 0.068 vs. −0.018 ± 0.086, p = 0.007), with a lower incidence of physiological restenosis and MACCEs (2.1 vs. 8.4%, p = 0.018, 5.4 vs. 12.6%, p = 0.021, respectively).

Conclusion: Evaluated by QFR, patients who achieved the LDL-C goal appear to have a better coronary physiological benefit. This group of patients also has a better clinical outcome.
Estimating Rupture Front of Large Earthquakes Using a Novel Multi-Array Back-Projection Method
Authors: Du Hailin
Published: June 2021

A ruptured front obtained from high-frequency energy radiation is the key to understand the complex source. It is commonly observed that rupture fronts derived from different arrays often show some variations due to the obvious difference of the positioning accuracy of the far-field array between the azimuth and the epicentral distance. We developed a new multi-array back-projection method based on the classical back-projection method and applied the method to the 2015 MW7.8 Nepal earthquake. The back azimuth information with small error is separated from the classical back-projection results, and the azimuth intersection of multiple arrays is used to obtain more accurate spatial and temporal distribution information of the source rupture fronts.
The Postprandial Glycaemic and Hormonal Responses Following the Ingestion of a Novel, Ready-to-Drink Shot Containing a Low Dose of Whey Protein in Centrally Obese and Lean Adult Males: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Smith Kieran , Taylor Guy S. , Allerton Dean M. , Brunsgaard Lise Hoej , Bowden Davies Kelly A. , Stevenson Emma J. , West Daniel J.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Elevated postprandial glycaemia [PPG] increases the risk of cardiometabolic complications in insulin-resistant, centrally obese individuals. Therefore, strategies that improve PPG are of importance for this population. Consuming large doses of whey protein [WP] before meals reduces PPG by delaying gastric emptying and stimulating the secretion of the incretin peptides, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide [GIP] and glucagon-like peptide 1 [GLP-1]. It is unclear if these effects are observed after smaller amounts of WP and what impact central adiposity has on these gastrointestinal processes.

Methods

In a randomised-crossover design, 12 lean and 12 centrally obese adult males performed two 240 min mixed-meal tests, ~5–10 d apart. After an overnight fast, participants consumed a novel, ready-to-drink WP shot (15 g) or volume-matched water (100 ml; PLA) 10 min before a mixed-nutrient meal. Gastric emptying was estimated by oral acetaminophen absorbance. Interval blood samples were collected to measure glucose, insulin, GIP, GLP-1, and acetaminophen.

Results

WP reduced PPG area under the curve [AUC0–60] by 13 and 18.2% in the centrally obese and lean cohorts, respectively (both p <0.001). In both groups, the reduction in PPG was accompanied by a two-three-fold increase in GLP-1 and delayed gastric emptying. Despite similar GLP-1 responses during PLA, GLP-1 secretion during the WP trial was ~27% lower in centrally obese individuals compared to lean (p = 0.001). In lean participants, WP increased the GLP-1ACTIVE/TOTAL ratio comparative to PLA (p = 0.004), indicative of reduced GLP-1 degradation. Conversely, no treatment effects for GLP-1ACTIVE/TOTAL were seen in obese subjects.

Conclusion

Pre-meal ingestion of a novel, ready-to-drink WP shot containing just 15 g of dietary protein reduced PPG in lean and centrally obese males. However, an attenuated GLP-1 response to mealtime WP and increased incretin degradation might impact the efficacy of nutritional strategies utilising the actions of GLP-1 to regulate PPG in centrally obese populations. Whether these defects are caused by an individual’s insulin resistance, their obese state, or other obesity-related ailments needs further investigation.

Clinical Trial Registration

ISRCTN.com, identifier [ISRCTN95281775]. https://www.isrctn.com/.
Evaluation of Energy Recovery Potential by Anaerobic Digestion and Dark Fermentation of Residual Biomass in Colombia
Authors: Amado Mónica , Barca Cristian , Hernández Mario A. , Ferrasse Jean-Henry
Published: June 2021

This study provides the first overview in Colombia on energy recovery potential by anaerobic digestion (AD) and dark fermentation (DF) of three different residual biomasses: coffee mucilage (CFM), cocoa mucilage (CCM), and swine manure (SM). First, AD and DF models were developed based on the ADM1 model. Then, simulated biogas production yields were compared to experimental data to validate the models. The results of comparative simulations indicate that energy recovery potentials from biogas for the different Colombian departments range from 148 to 48,990 toe, according to the local production amounts of CFM, CCM, and SM in 2017. The study provides crucial information that can be used to assess the best design, operation mode, and locations of AD and DF plants in Colombia. The results indicate that biogas production performances and energy recovery yields improve by increasing CFM/SM and/or CCM/SM ratios of the feed, and by increasing organic load from 2 to 26 gCOD∙l−1.
A Review of the Distribution of Antibiotics in Water in Different Regions of China and Current Antibiotic Degradation Pathways
Authors: Liu Can , Tan Li , Zhang Liming , Tian Weiqian , Ma Lanqing
Published: June 2021

Antibiotic pollution is becoming an increasingly serious threat in different regions of China. The distribution of antibiotics in water sources varies significantly in time and space, corresponding to the amount of antibiotics used locally. The main source of this contamination in the aquatic environment is wastewater from antibiotic manufacturers, large scale animal farming, and hospitals. In response to the excessive antibiotic contamination in the water environment globally, environmentally friendly alternatives to antibiotics are being developed to reduce their use. Furthermore, researchers have developed various antibiotic treatment techniques for the degradation of antibiotics, such as physical adsorption, chemical oxidation, photodegradation, and biodegradation. Among them, biodegradation is receiving increasing attention because of its low cost, ease of operation, and lack of secondary pollution. Antibiotic degradation by enzymes could become the key strategy of management of antibiotics pollution in the environment in future. This review summarizes research on the distribution of antibiotics in China’s aquatic environments and different techniques for the degradation of antibiotics. Special attention is paid to their degradation by various enzymes. The adverse effects of the pollutants and need for more effective monitoring and mitigating pollution are also highlighted.
Does Energy Efficiency Affect Ambient PM2.5? The Moderating Role of Energy Investment
Authors: Yang Cunyi , Li Tinghui , Albitar Khaldoon
Published: June 2021

The difficulty of balance between environment and energy consumption makes countries and enterprises face a dilemma, and improving energy efficiency has become one of the ways to solve this dilemma. Based on the data of 158 countries from 1980 to 2018, the dynamic TFP of different countries is calculated by means of the Super-SBM-GML model. The TFP is decomposed into indexes of EC (Technical Efficiency Change), TC (Technological Change) and EC has been extended to PEC (Pure Efficiency Change) and SEC (Scale Efficiency Change). Then the fixed effect model and the fixed effect panel quantile model are used to analyze the moderating effect and the exogenous effect of energy efficiency on PM2.5 concentration on the basis of verifying that energy efficiency can reduce PM2.5 concentration. We conclude, first, the global energy efficiency has been continuously improved during the sample period, and both technological progress and technical efficiency have been improved. Second, the impact of energy efficiency on PM2.5 is heterogeneous which is reflected in the various elements of energy efficiency decomposition. The increase in energy efficiency can inhibit PM2.5 concentration and the inhibition effect mainly comes from TC and PEC, but SEC promotes PM2.5 emission. Third, energy investment plays a moderating role in the environmental protection effect of energy efficiency. Fourth, the impact of energy efficiency on PM2.5 concentration is heterogeneous in terms of national attribute, which is embodied in the differences of national development, science and technology development level, new energy utilization ratio, and the role of international energy trade.
Soil Moisture but Not Warming Dominates Nitrous Oxide Emissions During Freeze–Thaw Cycles in a Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Alpine Meadow With Discontinuous Permafrost
Authors: Chen Zhe , Ge Shidong , Zhang Zhenhua , Du Yangong , Yao Buqing , Xie Huichun , Liu Pan , Zhang Yufang , Wang Wenying , Zhou Huakun
Published: June 2021

Large quantities of organic matter are stored in frozen soils (permafrost) within the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The most of QTP regions in particular have experienced significant warming and wetting over the past 50 years, and this warming trend is projected to intensify in the future. Such climate change will likely alter the soil freeze–thaw pattern in permafrost active layer and toward significant greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) release. However, the interaction effect of warming and altered soil moisture on N2O emission during freezing and thawing is unclear. Here, we used simulation experiments to test how changes in N2O flux relate to different thawing temperatures (T5–5°C, T10–10°C, and T20–20°C) and soil volumetric water contents (VWCs, W15–15%, W30–30%, and W45–45%) under 165 F–T cycles in topsoil (0–20 cm) of an alpine meadow with discontinuous permafrost in the QTP. First, in contrast to the prevailing view, soil moisture but not thawing temperature dominated the large N2O pulses during F–T events. The maximum emissions, 1,123.16–5,849.54 μg m–2 h–1, appeared in the range of soil VWC from 17% to 38%. However, the mean N2O fluxes had no significant difference between different thawing temperatures when soil was dry or waterlogged. Second, in medium soil moisture, low thawing temperature is more able to promote soil N2O emission than high temperature. For example, the peak value (5,849.54 μg m–2 h–1) and cumulative emissions (366.6 mg m–2) of W30T5 treatment were five times and two to four times higher than W30T10 and W30T20, respectively. Third, during long-term freeze–thaw cycles, the patterns of cumulative N2O emissions were related to soil moisture. treatments; on the contrary, the cumulative emissions of W45 treatments slowly increased until more than 80 cycles. Finally, long-term freeze–thaw cycles could improve nitrogen availability, prolong N2O release time, and increase N2O cumulative emission in permafrost active layer. Particularly, the high emission was concentrated in the first 27 and 48 cycles in W15 and W30, respectively. Overall, our study highlighted that large emissions of N2O in F–T events tend to occur in medium moisture soil at lower thawing temperature; the increased number of F–T cycles may enhance N2O emission and nitrogen mineralization in permafrost active layer.
Quantitative Assessment of Experimental Ocular Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Bradley Lydia J. , Ward Amy , Hsue Madeleine C. Y. , Liu Jian , Copland David A. , Dick Andrew D. , Nicholson Lindsay B.
Published: June 2021

Ocular inflammation imposes a high medical burden on patients and substantial costs on the health-care systems that mange these often chronic and debilitating diseases. Many clinical phenotypes are recognized and classifying the severity of inflammation in an eye with uveitis is an ongoing challenge. With the widespread application of optical coherence tomography in the clinic has come the impetus for more robust methods to compare disease between different patients and different treatment centers. Models can recapitulate many of the features seen in the clinic, but until recently the quality of imaging available has lagged that applied in humans. In the model experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), we highlight three linked clinical states that produce retinal vulnerability to inflammation, all different from healthy tissue, but distinct from each other. Deploying longitudinal, multimodal imaging approaches can be coupled to analysis in the tissue of changes in architecture, cell content and function. This can enrich our understanding of pathology, increase the sensitivity with which the impacts of therapeutic interventions are assessed and address questions of tissue regeneration and repair. Modern image processing, including the application of artificial intelligence, in the context of such models of disease can lay a foundation for new approaches to monitoring tissue health.
Activation of the DDR Pathway Leads to the Down-Regulation of the TGFβ Pathway and a Better Response to ICIs in Patients With Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Chaozheng , Lin Anqi , Cao Manming , Ding Weimin , Mou Weiming , Guo Ningyi , Chen Zhenyu , Zhang Jian , Luo Peng
Published: June 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the treatment paradigm of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), a dominant type of bladder cancer (BC). Previous studies have shown an association between gene mutations in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway and the immunotherapy response in mUC but have neglected the effect of the activation level of the DDR pathway on the ICI response in mUC. A published immunotherapy cohort with genome, transcriptome and survival data for 348 mUC patients was used. An external cohort (The Cancer Genome Atlas Bladder Cancer) and the GSE78220 cohort were used for validation. The activation level of the DDR pathway was quantified using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Further analysis on the genome, immunogenicity, and the immune microenvironment was conducted using the DDR ssGSEA enrichment score-high (DSSH) group and the DDR ssGSEA enrichment score-low (DSSL) group. In the mUC cohorts, the DSSH group was associated with longer overall survival times (P=0.026; Hazard ratio=0.67; 95%CI: 0.46−0.95). The DSSH group was also associated with higher tumor mutation burden, neoantigen load, immune-activated cell patterns, and immune-related gene expression levels. The GSEA results indicated an immune activation state in DSSH group, which correlated with a down-regulation in the transforming growth factor β receptor signaling pathway. Our study suggests that the activation level of the DDR pathway may be a novel predictive marker for immunotherapy efficacy in patients with mUC.
Microbiome Preprocessing Machine Learning Pipeline
Authors: Jasner Yoel , Belogolovski Anna , Ben-Itzhak Meirav , Koren Omry , Louzoun Yoram
Published: June 2021

Background

16S sequencing results are often used for Machine Learning (ML) tasks. 16S gene sequences are represented as feature counts, which are associated with taxonomic representation. Raw feature counts may not be the optimal representation for ML.

Methods

We checked multiple preprocessing steps and tested the optimal combination for 16S sequencing-based classification tasks. We computed the contribution of each step to the accuracy as measured by the Area Under Curve (AUC) of the classification.

Results

We show that the log of the feature counts is much more informative than the relative counts. We further show that merging features associated with the same taxonomy at a given level, through a dimension reduction step for each group of bacteria improves the AUC. Finally, we show that z-scoring has a very limited effect on the results.

Conclusions

The prepossessing of microbiome 16S data is crucial for optimal microbiome based Machine Learning. These preprocessing steps are integrated into the MIPMLP - Microbiome Preprocessing Machine Learning Pipeline, which is available as a stand-alone version at: https://github.com/louzounlab/microbiome/tree/master/Preprocess or as a service at http://mip-mlp.math.biu.ac.il/Home Both contain the code, and standard test sets.