bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction: ‘Economimesis’ after Given Time , or: The Return of Helio-Poetics
Authors: Rosenthal Adam R.
Published: May 2023

The Introduction examines Jacques Derrida’s writings on poetry and gift giving. It argues that two texts that were published in close proximity and appear to coalesce, in fact offer antagonistic views of the gift. While poetry is associated with gift exchange in ‘Economimesis,’ only a few years later, in Given Time, there is nearly no mention of poetry when it comes to the gift. Instead, Derrida here begins to think of the gift as a form of excess, or non-return, that is associated with récit (or narrative), and is opposed to poetry.
Patronage and Poetic Election in Wordsworth
Authors: Rosenthal Adam R.
Published: May 2023

Following the surveys of Chapters One and Two, Chapter Three looks at the case of Wordsworth. It shows how problems of inspiration, genius, and patronage each confronted the Romantic poet and forced him to choose between what he considered to be his divine mission—to produce inspired poems—and his financial needs. It argues that Wordsworth struggled throughout his career with the tension between poetic making as gift-giving, and poetic making as profit creating. In the Prelude, this tension comes to a head, and this chapter shows how out of this tension Wordsworth produced a unique writing that not only reflected, but also speculated upon, the impossibility of resolving the worth of his works.
Stein and the Concern of Poetry
Authors: Rosenthal Adam R.
Published: May 2023

This chapter is the first of three focused on the problem of naming in poetry. It reads Gertrude Stein’s essay ‘Poetry and Grammar’ and contends that Stein anticipated many of the poetic themes that one later finds in Martin Heidegger’s work. Above all, through her problematization of the poetic word, Stein reimagines the gift of poetry not as a thing, or even as a word, but as the interruption of the signifying function of the word—or the thinging of the thing. In this way, for Stein, the essential poetic gift becomes the destruction of the given.
Emerson and the Flower of Commodities
Authors: Rosenthal Adam R.
Published: May 2023

This chapter is the first of three exploring how the problem of the commercial nature of poetry, in Europe and America, influenced its traditional association with the gift, in the nineteenth century. It focuses on Emerson’s essay ‘Gifts’ and his diagnosis of the difficulty currently experienced with giving. Emerson, like Kant, opposes the aesthetic pleasure taken in the beautiful to the interested nature of embodied, gustatory experience. This chapter shows, however, how Emerson was unable ultimately to keep the free gifts of the former apart from the interested exchanges of the latter.
Thoreau on Poetic Purchase
Authors: Rosenthal Adam R.
Published: May 2023

This chapter explores Thoreau’s notion of poetry, in Walden. It focuses on a short passage in Chapter Two, ‘Economy’, that was previously published as the essay ‘A Poet Buying A Farm.’ By way of this passage, it argues that, for Thoreau, ‘poetry’ does not so much name a form that is distinguished from prose, but instead the interruption of their very difference. This becomes apparent in ‘A Poet Buying A Farm’, when the figure of the poet meets with a farmer and attempts to buy his farm from him. Through their ensuing conversation, figurative language is brought into contact with the prose of commerce and, in the end, the one is unable to be distinguished from the other.
Voice: Tracing Restance through the Literary Abyss
Authors: Dutton James
Published: May 2023

This chapter offers a new account of the logic of textual presence. It first proposes a reading of subjectivity in the Recherche which contests a commonly-asserted tenet of Proust criticism: the hypothesis that the narrative should be attributed to a single narrator named “Marcel”. From this starting point, it draws a set of wider conclusions concerning static, presentational conceptions of character, which should be replaced by the virtual weaving of textuality itself. In this way, the “blurring” that Roland Barthes argues is privileged in the Recherche with regard to self-identity is applied to the voice that narrates the text, which cannot, then, be contained within any totalizing term. Rather, it should be referred to as a dislocated “voice” that is not speaking, harnessing the complex admixture of presence and absence that is, in fact, a constitutive characteristic of literary fiction. Taking up Derrida’s writing on textual remains, it challenges the possibility of a totalized presentation of both literary and subjective identity, which advances every text’s claim towards transversal unattainability, and contingent sense, disputing materialist or realist conceptions of presence.
Desire: Deferring a Productive Without
Authors: Dutton James
Published: May 2023

This chapter develops a new theory of Proustian desire that provides a more idiosyncratic reading of desire than encountered in literary criticism. Proust’s narrator describes desire as flux, always directed to some kind of recalibrating past, the sense of a trace that can never be fully accounted for. He notes desire’s transitional relation with place: it is the un-presentable fullness of place and its relation to the subject (that the subject cannot immanently be in or across all aspects of a place simultaneously), or the trace that it instead leads toward, that motivates desire’s movement. Proust indicates that literary fiction has a unique role to play in the representation of desire: it cannot capture the trace of desire, but its infinite reproducibility can point to a lack that is always lacking another lack, or the productive sense of the trace. The literary context of this affect is not simply employed as a testing ground. Rather, literature is critical to desire itself.
Conclusion: Sign: Ending Text
Authors: Dutton James
Published: May 2023

The book concludes by returning to its starting point: (how) did Proust sign his novel? I argue throughout that Proust’s novel becomes an elaborate strategy of literary and experiential deferral, one typified by Proust’s stated intention to continue to add to, design, and reimagine his novel in the face of his impending death. This conclusion takes up the motif that concerns the Grief chapter—Albertine’s impossible “literary” death—and employs it to consider a remarkable, brief scene from the novel, in which the narrator receives a letter he believes to be from Albertine, well after he thinks her dead. It proposes, however, that his only knowledge of her death is textual (he was told of it in a letter from her guardian), as is her resurrection; and in turn, so is the reader’s.
THE INFLUENCE OF EMPLOYEE PROFESSIONALISM AND COMPETENCE IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EMPLOYEE SERVICE ONE STOP INTEGRATED SERVICES, KEMBANGAN DISTRICT, WEST JAKARTA ADMINISTRATIVE CITY
Authors: Apriyanti Rina
Published: May 2023

Service is the most important aspect in public organizations and government. Some literature emphasizes that service quality can be improved through the professionalism and competence of employees. This study aims to analyze the effect of professionalism and employee competence on service quality at the One Stop Integrated Service, Kembangan District, West Jakarta Administrative City. This research method uses quantitative methods with multiple linear regression using SPSS. The results of the analysis show that the professionalism and competence of employees have a positive and significant effect on service quality. Furthermore, it was found that the most influential dimension of professionalism was effectiveness and the most influential dimension of employee competence was self-concept.
PEMBUATAN MIE RUMPUT LAUT SEBAGAI PEMANFAATAN SISA PANEN BUDIDAYA RUMPUT LAUT DI DESA PITUE KABUPATEN PANGKEP
Authors: Avelyn Pingkan Komuna  , Makkatenni  , A.Rachmat Wirawan
Published: May 2023

Rumput laut adalah salah satu komoditi hasil perikanan bagi masyarakat di Desa Pitue, Kabupaten Pangkep, Sulawesi Selatan. Terdapat kurang lebih 50 kelompok nelayan pembudidaya rumput laut dimana hasil panennya didistribusikan untuk bahan baku pembuatan makanan dan farmasi. Adapun sisa panen yang yang tidak dijual lebih banyak dibuang daripada diolah kembali, padahal rumput laut tersebut masih dapat dimanfaatkan menjadi bahan pangan rumah tangga bahkan yang memiliki nilai ekonomi lebih. Berdasarkan hasil analisis masalah dan kebutuhan tersebut dibentuklah kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat berupa pemberdayaan anggota PKK Desa Pitue  dalam pembuatan mi berbagan dasar rumput laut dengan tujuan untuk (1)  Meningkatkan pengetahuan dan  keterampilan anggota PKK dalam membuat mie rumput laut; dan (2) Meningkatkan pengetahuan anggota PKK dalam memenuhi kebutuhan  gizi dan ekonomi keluarga. Kegiatan Pengabdian Masyarakat dilakukan selama satu tahun. Metode yang digunakan dalam kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah ceramah, tanya jawab dan praktik pembuatan mie rumput laut. Keterlaksanaan atau keberhasilan pengabdian masyarakat didasarkan pada terpenuhinya indikator-indikator proses pengabdian masyarakat dan produk yang dihasilkan dalam pengabdian. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat dianggap telah berhasil bila presentase keterlibatan dan keaktifan masyarakat mencapai ≥75%, masyarakat mampu mempraktikkan pembuatan mie rumput laut  dengan baik. Hasil monitoring dan evaluasi menunjukkan bahwa peserta sangat serius dan antusias terlibat dalam pelaksanaan kegiatan Abdimas, 100% terlibat dalam mengikuti materi dan tanya jawab. Berdasarkan hasil wawancara dan angket yang diedarkan pada saat kegiatan monitoring dan evaluasi diperoleh bahwa peserta sangat puas dan berharap program abdimas dilanjutkan dengan kegiatan yang berbeda.
UPAYA PEMBENTUKAN TAMAN BACAAN INOVATIF DI MUSHOLA AL-IKHLAS RT 06, LUBANG BUAYA, CIPAYUNG, JAKARTA TIMUR
Authors: Jaka Warsihna  , Hanafi  , Faizal Madya  , Monika Handayani  , A.A. Ketut Budiastra
Published: May 2023

Saat ini baik anak-anak, remaja, bahkan orang dewasa dalam aktivitas sehari-hari banyak berkaitan dengan media elektronik seperti handphone, televisi, dan internet. Kondisi ini mengakibatkan banyak anak yang lebih tertarik main game dari pada membaca buku. Hal ini disebabkan minimnya akses terhadap bahan bacaan/buku-buku, sehingga menyebabkan rendahnya minat baca. Hampir terjadi di manapun belum terdapat fasilitas taman bacaan atau perpustakaan yang bisa dengan mudah diakses oleh masyarakat khususnya generasi muda dan anak-anak. Salah satu solusinya perlu sebuah pengabdian masyarakat dalam pembentukan Taman Baca bagi masyarakat khususnya bagi anak-anak dan remaja. Desa Lubang Buaya, Cipayung Jakarta Timur yang menjadi tempat pengabdian ini, hampir setiap RT memiliki mushola. Mushola yang ada sebagai pusat kegiatan keagamaan dan kegiatan lainnya. Anak-anak yang kegiatan di mushola pada umumnya hanya mengaji. Jumlah yang mengaji setiap hari sekitar 20 anak. Dengan jumlah anak cukup banyak, akan lebih bermakna seandainya disediakan taman bacaan yang menyediakan bacaan-bacaan yang dapat memperkaya pengetahuan anak dan remaja, termasuk orang tua. Hasil temuan menunjukkan, setelah dibangun taman bacaan hasil dari pengabdian masyarakat Universitas Terbuka minat membaca di lingkungan mushola tersebut meningkat secara signifikan. Hal ini terlihat hampir setiap hari ada anak-anak, remaja, bahkan orang dewasa yang membaca buku yang disediakan oleh taman bacaan Musholla Al-ikhlas, di Lubang Buaya, Cipayung, Jakarta Timur. Bahkan jumlah koleksi bacaan terus bertambah bantuan dari masyarakat sekitar.
PENINGKATAN KOMPETENSI GURU PAUD MELALUI FASILITAS GPO SEBAGAI SUMBER BELAJAR ONLINE DI KECAMATAN MANDAI KABUPATEN MAROS
Authors: Jamil  , Ibandong
Published: May 2023

Hasil kegaiatan pelatihan menunjukkan peningkatan kompetensi Guru PAUD dalam mengakses dan memanfaatkan sumber belajar online guru pintar online (GPO). Fasilitas guru pintar online vidio pembelajaran PAUD melalui kegiatan pelatihan, pendampingan dan monitoring, dan evaluasi. Metode pelaksanaan pengabdian kepada masayrakat GPO dilaksanakan sebagai berikut; (a) menggunakan persenatse dengan LCD tatap muka langsung dengan peserta meperkenalkan laman guru pintar online program dilaksanakan Micro-Teaching Online dilaksanakan pada Tanggal 16 Juni 2022 Kabupaten Maros tempat  pelakasanaan SMP 1 Mandai Kabupaten Maros, (b) pelakasankan kegiatan menuntun mendampingi langsung akses Micro-Teaching dengan membuka sesuai dengan seri video pembelajaran, dengan membagi kelompok terdiri dari lima orang setiap kelompok memilih satu video pembelajaran ditonton bersama kemudian dilanjutkan dengan diskusi mengenai teknik-teknik pembelajaran, secara bersama sama mendiskusikan daialaksanakan pada tanggal 19 Agustus 2022, dan (c) Ketiga pendampingan dan monitoring hasil kegiatan langsung mengunjungi langsung ketempat mengajar PAUD tujuan untuk mengetahui langsung manfaat model video pembelajaran Bulan pertama dan minggu Kedua September 2022, dan (d) Eavaluasi seluruh rangkaian pelaksanaan pengabdian kepada masyarakat.  Kegiatan ini terlaksana atas kerjasama  Tim Dosen FKIP UPBJJ-UT Makassar dengan mitra HIMPAUDI Kecamatan Mandai Kabupaten Maros, peserta Guru PAUD sebanyak 25 orang sebagai peserta pelatihan ditambah 5 mahasiswa seluruhnya aktif mengikuti kegiatan. Program Abdimas berlangsung sesuai jawal target yang direncakan dengan menjadikan materi pokok GPO Micro-Teaching Online sumber belajar online dengan seri video teknik pengajaran PAUD, tingkat keaktifan katagori peserta sangat baik. Hasil Kegiatan pelatihan menujukkan peningkatan kompetensi Guru PAUD mendukung perbaikan pembelajaran secara berkelanjutan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pembelajaran guru PAUD di Kecamatan Mandai Kabupaten Maros, dengan membekali Guru PAUD pengetahuan dan teknik pembelajaran  dengan sumber belajar online dengan cepat dan mudah dari beberapa seri model pembelajaran, dan kegiatan ini berfungsi sebagai sarana interaksi diskusi antar guru dengan guru melalui wathsApp Group Tentang model pembelajaran PAUD masa kini di Kecamatan Mandai Kabupaten Maros. Hasil kegiatan ini menunjukkan hasil yang sangat baik berdasarkan hasil angket yang diisi oleh peserta peningkatan kompetesni guru mendukung kegiatan perbaikan pembelajaran dikelas.
PENDAMPINGAN PENGELOLAAN USAHA JASA RENTAL 360 SLOWMOBOOTH
Authors: Nuraziza Aliah  , Yun Iswanto  , Minrohayati  , Meirani Harsasi  , Andi Sylvana
Published: May 2023

Persaingan usaha dan kondisi pasar serta selera pelanggan yang sangat dinamis dan cepat berubah mendorong pelaku usaha untuk terus melakukan perubahan agar selalu dapat mengatasi persaingan. Menurut Porter (1985) ada dua strategi untuk dapat memenangkan persaingan, yaitu melalui cost leadership  dan differentiation. Melalui cost leadership memungkinkan perusahaan dapat menekan biaya produksi seefisien mungkin sehingga dapat menetapkan harga jual produk yang sangat bersaing, sementara itu melalui diferensiasi produk dapat memungkinkan perusahaan menghasilkan produk unik yang mengesankan bagi pelanggan bahwa produk yang  dikonsumsi sangat berbeda dengan produk pesaing. Kondisi itulah yang pada saat ini sedang diupayakan oleh mitra. Mitra dalam kegiatan ini -360slowmobooth-merupakan pelaku UMKM di Makassar yang bergerak dalam bidang jasa rental photobooth.

360slowmobooth memiliki usaha yang memiliki prospek yang baik dan memiliki keunikan karena menggunakan sistem video foto 360 derajat.  Mitra telah mengupayakan suatu inovasi namun mengalami kendala dalam hal penetapan harga jual produk yang bersaing,  penyusunan laporan keuangan untuk memperoleh tambahan dana dari kreditur, dan diferensiasi produk untuk meningkatkan brand awareness produknya di masyarakat. Untuk itu, tim PkM Kewirausahaan Universitas Terbuka memberikan pendampingan kepada jasa rental photobooth 360slowmobooth agar mampu mengembangkan usahanya, memperoleh pengetahuan dan bertahan dalam persaingan usaha. Pendampingan ini dilakukan selama 7 (tujuh) bulan dan dilakukan dalam 2 (dua) tahapan yaitu tahap survei awal prospek usaha dan tahap pendampingan.
TIPS DAN TEKNIS PENGEMBANGAN KOMPETENSI DIRI MENJADI GURU VIRTUAL DI ERA DIGITAL
Authors: Maximus Gorky Sembiring
Published: May 2023

Makalah ini merupakan elaborasi dan penerapan penelitian dan publikasi “Guru Virtual Indonesia di Era Digital: Pengemas Masa Depan Generasi Emas” hasil proyek 2021. Tujuannya adalah menguraikan tiga kompetensi utama bagi guru agar tetap mumpuni di era disrupsi yang serba digital. Secara teknis, makalah ini menguraikan fungsi, tips, dan teknis agar guru dapat mewujudnyatakan ketiga kompetensi utama secara berkualitas dan praktis. Ketiga kompetensi tersebut terkait dengan format dan tips serta teknis agar guru terampil menjadi: (1) Pengembang bahan ajar digital interaktif, (2) Penyampai materi pembelajaran digital berbasis virtual, dan (3) Penyusun asesmen pembelajaran daring. Bersamaan dengan itu, disajikan pula karakter utama dan pola pikir guru agar tetap mumpuni dalam pembelajaran daring, termasuk luring. Faktor penggerak lahirnya gagasan ini guna merespons fenomena akibat pandemi global awal 2020. Kajian juga mempertimbangkan implikasi disuruptif kolektif dan konsekuensinya terhadap dunia pendidikan, tepatnya terhadap proses pembelajaran. Turbulensi akibat Globalisasi dan Revolusi Industri 4.0, termasuk Society 5.0 dan tuntutan Tujuan Pembanguan Berkelanjutan, merupakan latar lahirnya gagasan ini. Kajian sebelumnya mampu memformulasikan gagasan memperluas cakrawala guru virtual era digital. Diharapkan agar guru tetap terampil menjalankan amanah meski terjadi pergeseran pembelajaran secara mendadak dari tatap muka ke tatap maya. Kajian ini diharapkan juga mampu memberi gambaran bagi siswa dan orang tua agar tidak gagap mendadak berjamaah dan berkepanjangan sebagai implikasi pergeseran moda pembelajaran tersebut. Secara metodologis, kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, tepatnya integrative literarure review. Setelah melalui empat fase proses secara prosedural (Desain, Pelaksanaan, Analisis dan Penulisan Hasil dan Pemerikasaan Ulang), kajian ini mampu memformulasikan cakrawala guru virtual era digital, yaitu: (1) Sepuluh karakteristik guru virtual era digital. (2) Transformasi diri menjadi guru virtual sesuai tuntutan pembelajaran abad 21 (transformasi secara kultural, fungsional, dan digital). (3) Cakap dalam tiga keterampilan teknikal guru virtual membangun generasi emas Indonesia (Kecakapan mengembangkan modul pembelajaran digital interaktif. Keterampilan mengemas deliveri pembelajaran digital secara virtual. Keahlian menyusun asesmen pembelajaran daring). (4) Menguasai tips praktis menjadi guru virtual menerapkan growth mindset agar adaptif secara berkelanjutan meski selalu ada pergeseran.
E-COMMERCE SEBAGAI MEDIA PEMASARAN DI UMKM DESA TAWANGSARI KECAMATAN TERAS KABUPATEN BOYOLALI
Authors: Ratih Paramitasari  , Beti Cahyaning Astuti  , Mulyono  , Djoko Sri Bimo  , Fadloli
Published: May 2023

Desa Tawangsari merupakan sebuah desa yang terletak di Kecamatan Teras, Kabupaten Boyolali, Provinsi Jawa Tengah yang memiliki potensi wisata alam, pertanian, perkebunan, dan unit usaha kecil menengah. Desa Tawangsari mempunyai kelompok Usaha Peningkatan Pendapatan Keluarga Sejahtera (UPPKS) yang bernama “Melati” yang melatih ibu-ibu rumah tangga membuat karak atau kerupuk beras dan kelompok “Lembu Andhini” mengolah susu sapi dari peternakan desa menjadi dodol dan yougurt. Selain itu, pemerintah Desa Tawangsari juga mendorong penyandang disabilitas dengan membentuk Kelompok “Srikandi Patra” untuk menggali potensi membatik.Pemanfaatan Teknologi Informasi (TI) khususnya e-commerce dalam memperluas pangsa pasar. Sebagai rintisan, pelatihan ini melibatkan pelaku UMKM di Desa Tawangsari yang sudah mempunyai usaha sehingga dapat meningkatkan pemasaran dan penjualan dari produk dan jasa yang dihasilkan. Kegiatan abdimas di Desa Tawangsari dilakukan dengan memberikan beberapa macam pelatihan kepada mitra, praktik pembuatan media sosial, pendampingan setelah mitra mendapatkan pelatihan dan peningkatan pengetahuan, kemudian monitoring dan evaluasi. Pelatihan yang diberikan yaitu cara menggunakan aplikasi media sosial seperti Instagram, facebook, dan beberapa e-commerce. Kemudian tim abdimas juga memberikan pelatihan marketing dan pelatihan dasar fotografi agar mendapatkan hasil foto yang menarik. Kebermanfaatan program abdimas terlihat dari  peningkatan  pengetahuan, keterampilan memanfaatkan teknologi informasi yang   berpotensi   meningkatkan kehidupan ekonomi warga dan mengembangkan potensi warga Desa Tawangssari agar dikenal lebih luas.
COVID-19 disease treatment: pivotal challenges in the arena of umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs)
Authors: Soliman Al-Hassan , Abdellatif Mohamed
Published: May 2023

This century’s first major epidemic of a new coronavirus illness (2019-nCoV) was a tremendous shock to the healthcare system. The onset of the pandemic has caused severe economic and health shortages. At this time, there are no viable treatments for COVID-19. Several clinical studies using cell-based therapies, such as umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, have showed promising results (UC-MSCs). UC-MSCs have been the focus of much study because to their potential as a treatment option for COVID-19 patients. Cytokine release syndrome, often called cytokine storm, increases the risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. It has been established that UC-MSCs may suppress and control both the adaptive and innate immune responses by modulating the release of immunostimulatory cytokines. The purpose of this study is to assess and clarify the use of UC-MSCs for the treatment of ARDS caused by COVID-19.
Let us explain everything: pupils’ perspectives of the affordances of mobile technology during primary science inquiry
Authors: Blackmore Karen , Rønningsbakk Lisbet
Published: May 2023

This three-year longitudinal case study focused on the deployment of mobile technology in the form of tablet computers (iPads), during Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE). The research took place in a larger than average primary school in the West Midlands, UK, which showed a strong commitment to Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) resulting in iPads being used as an integral learning tool, across the entire curriculum. During the research, pupils in Upper Key Stage Two (10–11 year olds) were observed taking part in science weeks which consisted of intense periods of science inquiry, much of which was child-led. The impact of the embedded use of iPads was monitored by scrutinising pupils’ work in the form of multimedia presentations and experimental reports. Pupils’ learning behaviours and attitudes to mobile technology were explored through observations and paired interviews. The embedded use of iPads during IBSE was shown to increase science knowledge acquisition and support scientific literacy, recording of processes and aid understanding of working scientifically. Furthermore, iPads were shown to afford opportunities for personalisation of scientific learning experiences and foster collaboration at several levels, factors which were highly valued by the pupils. The outcomes of this study can be used to further inform the refinement of m-learning strategies in primary science and illuminate opportunities for developing the practice of science pedagogues.
Canagliflozin on top of dual renin-angiotensin system blockade in a woman with partial acquired lipodystrophy, type 2 diabetes and severely proteinuric chronic kidney disease: a case report
Authors: Biancalana Edoardo , Ceccarini Giovanni , Magno Silvia , Ortenzi Valerio , Giannese Domenico , Santini Ferruccio , Solini Anna
Published: May 2023

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have proven strong efficacy in reducing end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. We are presenting here the case of a 40-year-old woman with acquired partial lipodystrophy, type 2 diabetes and essential hypertension complicated by chronic kidney disease and proteinuria in the nephrotic range. She first came to our attention in 2012; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 41.5 ml/min/1.73 m2 and total proteinuria was 375 mg/24h; she was treated with dual renin angiotensin system blocking. Proteinuria significantly increased during the following years, reaching a nephrotic range (>5 g/day). A kidney biopsy revealed a tubule-interstitial involvement compatible with type 2 diabetes. Leptin replacement therapy, started in 2018, improved glycaemic control and lipid profile, also determining a reduction in insulin total daily dose. In 2019, after the publication of the CREDENCE study, canagliflozin was started on top of losartan and ramipril. After an initial, expected eGFR drop, kidney function stabilized, and albuminuria significantly reduced (from 4120 to 984 mg/24h), while serum potassium showed only minimal increase. At last follow-up (2022) total proteinuria was still reducing (510 mg/24h), while kidney function was substantially unchanged (eGFR 40 ml/min/1.73 m2). This case report suggests that, despite not recommended in international guidelines, the use of SGLT2i in combination with dual renin angiotensin system blockade should be considered in specific conditions and under close clinical monitoring.
Spatial distribution of tumor-infiltrating T cells indicated immune response status under chemoradiotherapy plus PD-1 blockade in esophageal cancer
Authors: Yan Cihui , Huang Hui , Zheng Zhunhao , Ma Xiaoxue , Zhao Gang , Zhang Tian , Chen Xi , Cao Fuliang , Wei Hui , Dong Jie , Tang Peng , Jiang Hongjing , Wang Meng , Wang Ping , Pang Qingsong , Zhang Wencheng
Published: May 2023

Background

The spatial distribution of tumor-infiltrating T cells and its dynamics during chemoradiotherapy combined with PD-1 blockade is little known in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

We applied the multiplex immunofluorescence method to identify T cells (CD4+, CD8+ T cells, and their PD-1− or PD-1+ subsets) and myeloid-derived cells (CD11c+ dendritic cells, CD68+ macrophages, and their PD-L1+ subpopulations) in paired tumor biopsies (n = 36) collected at baseline and during combination (40 Gy of radiation) from a phase Ib trial (NCT03671265) of ESCC patients treated with first-line chemoradiotherapy plus anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab. We used the FoundationOne CDx assay to evaluate tumor mutational burden (TMB) in baseline tumor biopsies (n = 14). We dynamically assessed the nearest distance and proximity of T-cell subsets to tumor cells under combination and estimated the association between T-cell spatial distribution and combination outcome, myeloid-derived subsets, TMB, and patient baseline characteristics.

Findings

We found that the tumor compartment had lower T-cell subsets than the stromal compartment but maintained a comparable level under combination. Both before and under combination, PD-1− T cells were located closer than PD-1+ T cells to tumor cells; T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages showed the highest accumulation in the 5–10-μm distance. Higher CD4+ T cells in the tumor compartment and a shorter nearest distance of T-cell subsets at baseline predicted poor OS. Higher baseline CD4+ T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages were associated with worse OS in less than 10-μm distance to tumor cells, but related with better OS in the farther distance. Higher on-treatment PD-1-positive-expressed CD4+ and CD8+ T cells within the 100-μm distance to tumor cells predicted longer OS. T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages showed a positive spatial correlation. Both high TMB and smoking history were associated with a closer location of T cells to tumor cells at baseline.

Conclusions

We firstly illustrated the T-cell spatial distribution in ESCC. Combining chemoradiotherapy with PD-1 blockade could improve the antitumor immune microenvironment, which benefits the treatment outcome. Further understanding the precision spatiality of tumor-infiltrating T cells would provide new evidence for the tumor immune microenvironment and for the combination treatment with immunotherapy.
The natural products discovered in marine sponge-associated microorganisms: structures, activities, and mining strategy
Authors: Li Peishan , Lu Hongmei , Zhang Yanzhu , Zhang Xuejiao , Liu Lianliang , Wang Min , Liu Liwei
Published: May 2023

It is well known that microorganisms are abundant in sponges, which make up 50%-60% of the host biomass. Moreover, mounting evidence suggests that bacteria, fungi, and cyanobacteria, all associated with sponges, are the true creators of the bioactive compounds identified from sponges. The discovery of 774 structurally active compounds from 1998 to 2017 presents a good overview of natural product resources in sponge-associated microorganisms. During the last 5 years, many new molecules, including peptides, polyketides, alkaloids, and terpenes, have been identified from sponge-associated microorganisms through various mining strategies, exhibiting a wide range of biological activities, such as anti-microbial, anti-cancer, enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant properties. In this paper, 140 compounds produced by sponge-associated microorganisms from 2017 to 2022 are systematically discussed in terms of their structures, biological activities, and strain sources, as well as the mining strategies, which not only further updates the natural product library of sponge-associated microorganisms but also provides a new guideline for exploring the “dark matter” in sponges.
Analysis of short-term and local scale variations in fish community structure in Dachen Island waters
Authors: Cheng Xiaopeng , Wang Zhenhua , Zhang Shouyu , Zhao Xu , Lin Jun , Huang Hong , Chen Yihui , Zou Qindong
Published: May 2023

Understanding the changes in community structure of fishery resources in island reef waters is crucial for effective fishery resource management, as these waters constitute a critical link in maintaining the sustainable development of offshore fishery resources. The study analyzed the structure of the fish community in the waters surrounding Dachen Island by using data collected during four voyage surveys conducted between September 2020 and April 2021. The study utilized co-occurrence network analysis, multiple regression trees, and functional diversity analysis to investigate the short-term and local scale changes in fish community structure. The results showed that the fish community in the waters adjacent to Dachen Island can be categorized into two groups: annual and stage-use species. The stage-use species include Scoliodon laticaudus, Trichiurus lepturus, Tetraodontidae, and others, which are used during the summer and autumn stages of bait migration. Additionally, Dasyatidae and others, which used during the winter and spring stages of reproductive migration. Furthermore, the study found that the habitats dominated by nearshore rocky habitats and distant deep habitats formed the local scale variation in community structure in island waters. The integrated analysis of species α-diversity and functional diversity provided a basis for understanding the mechanisms of biodiversity action. Our study aims to provide a theoretical framework for the development of fishery resource management strategies based on the life cycle of fish, and to serve as a reference for the prioritization of key protection areas for fishery resources in island and reef environments. Overall, the study’s findings can promote the understanding of community structure dynamics in island waters. Additionally, these findings can offer valuable insights into the restoration of habitats and the implementation of marine ranching activities in Dachen Island. Moreover, the outcomes can serve as a theoretical foundation for the development of appropriate management and conservation strategies for fisheries resources.
New index using triglyceride glucose-body mass index for predicting mortality in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis
Authors: Park Pil Gyu , Pyo Jung Yoon , Ahn Sung Soo , Song Jason Jungsik , Park Yong-Beom , Huh Ji Hye , Lee Sang-Won
Published: May 2023

Background

This study aimed to investigate whether triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) and a new index using TyG-BMI (NITGB) could predict all-cause mortality in non-obese patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods

The medical records of 78 non-obese AAV patients (BMI < 23.0 kg/m2 for Asians) were retrospectively reviewed. TyG-BMI was calculated by the equation: Ln (triglyceride × fasting glucose/2) × BMI. To develop NITGB, we assigned a weight of a number close to an 0.1 decimal integer to each variable according to the slopes for independent variables with P-value < 0.1 in the multivariable Cox analysis.

Results

The median age was 54.3 years and five patients died. When non-obese AAV patients were divided into two groups based on TyG-BMI ≥ 187.74, those with TyG-BMI ≥ 187.74 exhibited a significantly higher risk for all-cause mortality than those without (RR 9.450). Since age (HR 1.324), Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS; HR 1.212), and TyG-BMI ≥ 187.74 (HR 12.168) were independently associated with all-cause mortality, NITGB was developed as follows: age + 0.2 × BVAS + 2.5 × TyG-BMI ≥ 187.74. When non-obese AAV patients were divided into two groups based on NITGB ≥ 27.36, those with NITGB ≥ 27.36 showed a significantly higher risk for all-cause mortality than those without (RR 284.000). Both non-obese AAV patients with TyG-BMI ≥ 187.74 and those with NITGB ≥ 27.36 exhibited significantly higher cumulative rates of all-cause mortality than those without.

Conclusion

NITGB along with TyG-BMI could predict all-cause mortality in non-obese AAV patients.
Melanocyte-keratinocyte cross-talk in vitiligo
Authors: Touni Ahmed Ahmed , Shivde Rohan S. , Echuri Harika , Abdel-Aziz Rasha T. A. , Abdel-Wahab Hossam , Kundu Roopal V. , Le Poole I. Caroline
Published: May 2023

Vitiligo is a common acquired pigmentary disorder that presents as progressive loss of melanocytes from the skin. Epidermal melanocytes and keratinocytes are in close proximity to each other, forming a functional and structural unit where keratinocytes play a pivotal role in supporting melanocyte homeostasis and melanogenesis. This intimate relationship suggests that keratinocytes might contribute to ongoing melanocyte loss and subsequent depigmentation. In fact, keratinocyte dysfunction is a documented phenomenon in vitiligo. Keratinocyte apoptosis can deprive melanocytes from growth factors including stem cell factor (SCF) and other melanogenic stimulating factors which are essential for melanocyte function. Additionally, keratinocytes control the mobility/stability phases of melanocytes via matrix metalloproteinases and basement membrane remodeling. Hence keratinocyte dysfunction may be implicated in detachment of melanocytes from the basement membrane and subsequent loss from the epidermis, also potentially interfering with repigmentation in patients with stable disease. Furthermore, keratinocytes contribute to the autoimmune insult in vitiligo. Keratinocytes express MHC II in perilesional skin and may present melanosomal antigens in the context of MHC class II after the pigmented organelles have been transferred from melanocytes. Moreover, keratinocytes secrete cytokines and chemokines including CXCL-9, CXCL-10, and IL-15 that amplify the inflammatory circuit within vitiligo skin and recruit melanocyte-specific, skin-resident memory T cells. In summary, keratinocytes can influence vitiligo development by a combination of failing to produce survival factors, limiting melanocyte adhesion in lesional skin, presenting melanocyte antigens and enhancing the recruitment of pathogenic T cells.
Comprehensive analysis of a pyroptosis-related gene signature of clinical and biological values in spinal cord injury
Authors: Zhang Pingping , Zhang Jianping , Kou Wenjuan , Gu Guangjin , Zhang Yaning , Shi Weihan , Chu Pengcheng , Liang Dachuan , Sun Guangwei , Shang Jun
Published: May 2023

Background

Since some of the clinical examinations are not suitable for patients with severe spinal cord injury (SCI), blood biomarkers have been reported to reflect the severity of SCI. The objective of this study was to screen out the potential biomarkers associated with the diagnosis of SCI by bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

The microarray expression profiles of SCI were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Core genes correlated to pyroptosis were obtained by crossing the differential genes, and module genes were obtained by WGCNA analysis and lasso regression. The immune infiltration analysis and GSEA analysis revealed the essential effect of immune cells in the progression of SCI. In addition, the accuracy of the biomarkers in diagnosing SCI was subsequently evaluated and verified using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and qRT-PCR.

Results

A total of 423 DEGs were identified, among which 319 genes were upregulated and 104 genes were downregulated. Based on the WGCNA analysis, six potential biomarkers were screened out, including LIN7A, FCGR1A, FGD4, GPR27, BLOC1S1, and GALNT4. The results of ROC curves demonstrated the accurate value of biomarkers related to SCI. The immune infiltration analysis and GSEA analysis revealed the essential effect of immune cells in the progression of SCI, including macrophages, natural killer cells, and neutrophils. The qRT-PCR results verified that FGD4, FCAR1A, LIN7A, BLOC1S1, and GPR27 were significantly upregulated in SCI patients.

Conclusion

In this study, we identified and verified five immune pyroptosis-related hub genes by WGCNA and biological experiments. It is expected that the five identified potential biomarkers in peripheral white blood cells may provide a novel strategy for early diagnosis.
Nummular headache: a case report of remission following ketogenic diet and botulinum toxin type A injections
Authors: Tereshko Yan , Dal Bello Simone , Lettieri Christian , Belgrado Enrico , Merlino Giovanni , Gigli Gian Luigi , Valente Mariarosaria
Published: May 2023

Nummular headache is an unusual facial pain disorder with no evidence-based therapy recommendations. The ketogenic diet is an alternative therapy that demonstrated to be effective in migraineurs, but it was never used in the setting of nummular headache. We describe a 58-years old female patient with nummular headache successfully treated with a 6-months ketogenic diet and botulinum toxin type A injections. Ketogenic diet could be an effective alternative/complementary therapy in nummular headache patients although more studies are needed to confirm our results.
Drosophila photoreceptor systems converge in arousal neurons and confer light responsive robustness
Authors: Au David D. , Liu Jenny C. , Park Soo Jee , Nguyen Thanh H. , Dimalanta Mia , Foden Alexander J. , Holmes Todd C.
Published: May 2023

Lateral ventral neurons (LNvs) in the fly circadian neural circuit mediate behaviors other than clock resetting, including light-activated acute arousal. Converging sensory inputs often confer functional redundancy. The LNvs have three distinct light input pathways: (1) cell autonomously expressed cryptochrome (CRY), (2) rhodopsin 7 (Rh7), and (3) synaptic inputs from the eyes and other external photoreceptors that express opsins and CRY. We explored the relative photoelectrical and behavioral input contributions of these three photoreceptor systems to determine their functional impact in flies. Patch-clamp electrophysiology measuring light evoked firing frequency (FF) was performed on large LNvs (l-LNvs) in response to UV (365 nm), violet (405 nm), blue (450 nm), or red (635 nm) LED light stimulation, testing controls versus mutants that lack photoreceptor inputs gl60j, cry-null, rh7-null, and double mutant gl60j-cry-null flies. For UV, violet, and blue short wavelength light inputs, all photoreceptor mutants show significantly attenuated action potential FF responses measured in the l-LNv. In contrast, red light FF responses are only significantly attenuated in double mutant gl60j-cry-null flies. We used a light-pulse arousal assay to compare behavioral responses to UV, violet, blue and red light of control and light input mutants, measuring the awakening arousal response of flies during subjective nighttime at two different intensities to capture potential threshold differences (10 and 400 μW/cm2). The light arousal behavioral results are similar to the electrophysiological results, showing significant attenuation of behavioral light responses for mutants compared to control. These results show that the different LNv convergent photoreceptor systems are integrated and together confer functional redundancy for light evoked behavioral arousal.
Case report: A novel de novo deletion mutation of DYRK1A is associated with intellectual developmental disorder, autosomal dominant 7
Authors: Zhou Cong , Zhu Hongmei , Xiang Qinqin , Mai Jingqun , Wang Xihan , Wang Jing , Liu Shanling
Published: May 2023

Background

Intellectual developmental disorder 7 (also named DYRK1A syndrome) is an autosomal dominant disease. The main clinical features of DYRK1A syndrome include intellectual disability, microcephaly, and developmental delay. This study aimed to identify pathogenic variants in a Chinese girl with developmental delay, impaired social interaction, and autistic behavior.

Case presentation

The case was a 6-year-old girl. Clinical symptoms of the patient mainly included developmental delay, seizures, autistic behavior and impaired social interaction. The patient presented with microcephaly, bushy eyebrows, a short lingual frenum, binocular esotropia, bilateral valgus and external rotation, and walked with an abnormal gait. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a 9,424 bp de novo heterozygous deletion (containing coding exons 10, 11, and 12, and partial sequences of non-coding exon 12) in DYRK1A, which is responsible for DYRK1A syndrome. The DYRK1A variant is classified as pathogenic according to the criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Conclusions

The findings of this study augment the data regarding the pathogenic variants of DYRK1A and provide important information for molecular diagnosis.
Sleep deprivation, sleep fragmentation, and social jet lag increase temperature preference in Drosophila
Authors: Roach S. Tanner , Ford Melanie C. , Simhambhatla Vikram , Loutrianakis Vasilios , Farah Hamza , Li Zhaoyi , Periandri Erica M. , Abdalla Dina , Huang Irene , Kalra Arjan , Shaw Paul J.
Published: May 2023

Despite the fact that sleep deprivation substantially affects the way animals regulate their body temperature, the specific mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not well understood. In both mammals and flies, neural circuits regulating sleep and thermoregulation overlap, suggesting an interdependence that may be relevant for sleep function. To investigate this relationship further, we exposed flies to 12 h of sleep deprivation, or 48 h of sleep fragmentation and evaluated temperature preference in a thermal gradient. Flies exposed to 12 h of sleep deprivation chose warmer temperatures after sleep deprivation. Importantly, sleep fragmentation, which prevents flies from entering deeper stages of sleep, but does not activate sleep homeostatic mechanisms nor induce impairments in short-term memory also resulted in flies choosing warmer temperatures. To identify the underlying neuronal circuits, we used RNAi to knock down the receptor for Pigment dispersing factor, a peptide that influences circadian rhythms, temperature preference and sleep. Expressing UAS-PdfrRNAi in subsets of clock neurons prevented sleep fragmentation from increasing temperature preference. Finally, we evaluated temperature preference after flies had undergone a social jet lag protocol which is known to disrupt clock neurons. In this protocol, flies experience a 3 h light phase delay on Friday followed by a 3 h light advance on Sunday evening. Flies exposed to social jet lag exhibited an increase in temperature preference which persisted for several days. Our findings identify specific clock neurons that are modulated by sleep disruption to increase temperature preference. Moreover, our data indicate that temperature preference may be a more sensitive indicator of sleep disruption than learning and memory.
APOEε4 and risk of Alzheimer’s disease – time to move forward
Authors: Lefterov Iliya , Fitz Nicholas F. , Lu Yi , Koldamova Radosveta
Published: May 2023

The inheritance of Apolipoprotein E4 (APOEε4) brings the highest genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), arguably the highest genetic risk in human pathology. Since the discovery of the association, APOE protein isoforms have been at the center of tens of thousands of studies and reports. While, without a doubt, our knowledge about the normal physiological function of APOE isoforms in the brain has increased tremendously, the questions of how the inheritance of the APOEε4 allele translates into a risk of AD, and the risk is materialized, remain unanswered. Moreover, the knowledge about the risk associated with APOEε4 has not helped design a meaningful preventative or therapeutic strategy. Animal models with targeted replacement of Apoe have been generated and, thanks to the recent NIH/NIA/Alzheimer’s disease Association initiative, are now freely available to AD researchers. While helpful in many aspects, none of the available models recapitulates normal physiological transcriptional regulation of the human APOE gene cluster. Changes in epigenetic regulation of APOE alleles in animal models in response to external insults have rarely been if ever, addressed. However, these animal models provide a useful tool to handle questions and investigate protein–protein interactions with proteins expressed by other recently discovered genes and gene variants considered genetic risk factors of AD, like Triggering Receptor expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2). In this review, we discuss genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms controlling and influencing APOE expression and focus on interactions of APOE and TREM2 in the context of microglia and astrocytes’ role in AD-like pathology in animal models.