bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Students’ Physical Activity and Academic Stress
Authors: Gasiūnienė Laima , Miežienė Brigita
Published: February 2022

Background. Stress and physical inactivity are one of the most common risk factors among students. Problems of stress, experienced by students, and physical activity and impact on health are extremely important in order to improve students’ quality of life and prevent health problems.

Methods. Academic stress was measured using the Konduri academic life stress questionnaire. Physical activity was evaluated by the Godin leisure time physical activity questionnaire. Distress was evaluated by the Reeder stress inventory. Study participants were 448 Lithuanian full-time first and third year bachelor’s students, with ages ranging from 18 to 39 years; average age 20.06 ± 18.04. 38 percent (173) of people under investigation were women, and 62 percent (275) were men. 60 percent (268) of people under investigation were first-year students, 40 percent (180) were third-year students.

Results. Physically more active students experience less academic stress than less physically active students. Intense physical activity has the greatest impact on academic stress. Students who engage in intensive physical activity more often, experience less academic stress related to social support, motivation to achieve, training program and training mode, and self-confidence, compared with students who engage in intensive physical activity less often. It was found that women experience more academic stress, related to training program, academic aspirations, and career, compared with men. First-year students experience more academic stress, related to support, motivation to achieve, academic aspirations, self-confidence, and exam anxiety, compared with third-year students.

Conclusions. Half of all students go in for sports three or more times a week, a third of students go in for sports less than three times a week, almost one-fifth of students never go in for sports. Increased physical activity is among men, first-year students, compared with women and third-year students. A fifth of students experience stress, almost half of students experience nervous tension; one-third of students do not experience tension and stress. Higher stress, both general and related to academic activities, is felt by women and first-year students, compared with men and third-year students.

Keywords: students, physical activity, academic stress, stress.
Experiences of People who Acquire Motor Disability, in Adapting to Internal and Environment Changes
Authors: Matelionytė Karolina , Karanauskienė Diana
Published: February 2022

Background. In Lithuania, from 2017 to 2018, in the age group of 16–64 years, the number of people with a disability increased from 18.3% to 19.4% (Statistics on Persons with Disabilities, 2018). According to the 2014 European Statistical Data, as many as 27.1% of over 16-year-olds with a disability in Europe reported prevailing limitations on their activity (Centre for European Social and Economic Policy, 2017). The significance of this current situation increases the relevance of this study, because insufficient attention is paid to disability research; researchers from around the world state that this area receives little of their attention (Rios et al., 2016; Shepherd, 2016; Williams & Moore, 2011).

Methods. semi-structured interview, qualitative analysis of content.

Results. Negative reaction towards one’s own body and the perceived irreversible physical changes after acquiring a disability provokes negative feelings, harmful behavior, and limits one’s interaction with the environment. For those who acquire a disability, interaction with the environment encompasses difficulties in entering buildings, reaching for objects, moving outside or receiving certain services. When assessing communication with other people, after acquiring a disability, in many cases, communication with friends worsens, but becomes better with family and relatives. The process of overcoming the disability happens systematically – accepting the acquisition of disability and adapting to the changes that occur; taking up sports or communal activity in order to strengthen oneself physically, emotionally and engage in social life; expressing the inequalities prevalent in society regarding disability and the proposed possible ways to improve the situation.

Conclusion. People who acquire a disability encounter internal reactions and interaction with the changes in their environment, which create the strategic need to overcome the acquired disability and adapt to it.

Keywords: movement disability, acquired disability, internal changes, environment changes, experiences.
The Peculiarities of Health-Related Quality of Life in Recreational and Competitive Athletes
Authors: Tilindienė Ilona , Petkūnė Lina , Ivanauskas Dovydas
Published: February 2022

Background. The scientific literature focuses on the evaluation of quality of life (QL) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among recreational and competitive athletes. Research suggests that the QL and HRQL levels of competitive athletes can be negatively affected in that they spend most of their lives in training, preparing for and recovering from competitions and tournaments; however, they neither learn most of the essential life skills (Ohlert & Ott, 2017), nor allot time to their leisure activities and recreation. There are also contradictory studies indicating that competitive athletes evaluate HRQL better than recreational ones do (Lorcan & Allen, 2018; Pacesova, Smela, & Antala, 2019). However, little is known about the impact of how different levels of sports activities affect HRQL in this pandemic period.

Methods. HRQL was evaluated applying the SF-36 questionnaire (Short Form 36 Medical Outcomes Study questionnaire). The questionnaire was adapted in Lithuania (Staniūtė, 2007).

Results. Statistically significant differences were found in the evaluation of quality of life in the following areas: social function, pain, and activity limitation due to emotional disorders. It was found that competitive athletes limited their activities more than recreational athletes due to emotional difficulties (U = 1165, p = .05) and experienced more pain (U = 1036, p = .01). It was also found that recreational athletes valued their social relations more favourably than competitive ones (U = 1066, p = .02). Statistically significant differences were found in the evaluation of HRQL by gender. Men value their social relations better (U = 992.5, p = .00) and have fewer activity limitations due to emotional difficulties (U = 1063, p = .02) than women. The HRQL evaluation by gender and sport level shows that in recreational sports men evaluated their social relationships better than women and had fewer activity limitations due to emotional difficulties than women. Analysis of HRQL of competitive athletes showed no statistically significant relationship between women and men groups.

Conclusion. In conclusion, it can be stated that athletes best valued areas of physical activity and social relations. The findings show that competitive athletes more than recreational ones limited their activities due to emotional difficulties, and experienced more pain. Meanwhile, recreational athletes rated their social relations more favourably than competitive athletes. It was found that male athletes valued their social relations and emotional state better than female athletes. Men also had fewer activity limitations due to emotional difficulties than women.

Keywords: quality of life, young adults, recreational athletes, competitive athletes.
Cursing the Sacred:
Authors: Siddik Syahril
Published: February 2022

Islam and blasphemy have repeatedly emerged as the center of Indonesian public discourse and debate after the fall of Suharto. The debate becomes intense in a democratic society when people feel free to speak and deliver their opinions. When their speeches and opinions are regarded to have offences against a particular religion, the followers will protest against them. In Indonesia, these offences can be brought to court due to the presence of the blasphemy law in the Indonesian Criminal Code. Some scholars and religious leaders believe that the law have to be removed because it is not compatible with the principles of religious freedom and democracy. Others believe the law have to be defended because it is needed to regulate religious lives and maintain religious tolerance in the society. This article will investigate the diverse opinions among Muslim activists and leaders from various Muslim organizations including Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah. This article attempts to answer two questions of what are the social and cultural backgrounds of the debates on blasphemy and how religious freedom is defined through these debates in contemporary Indonesia? The data are collected from the document and the recorded video of the judicial review of the blasphemy law in Indonesian constitutional court in 2010 and the interviews concerning the decision of the judicial review. This article suggests that religious freedom is limited by the majority of opinions in favor with the blasphemy law which discriminate free speech and religious minority groups
Pengaruh Kombinasi Pupuk Organik dan Anorganik Terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Padi Gogo Lokal Wakawondu (Oryza sativa L.) yang Diberi Rizobakteri pada Sistem Budidaya Berbeda
Authors: Uge Ilan , Afa La Ode , Nurmas Andi
Published: February 2022

Padi gogo lokal Wakawondu merupakan padi asal Buton Utara yang berpotensi dikembangkan secara luas karena memiliki aroma khas “harum”, jumlah anakan yang banyak dan antioksidan tinggi. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu untuk mengetahui pengaruh pupuk organik dan anorganik terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil padi gogo Wakawondu yang diberi rizobakteri pada sistem budidaya berbeda. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di lahan percobaan penelitian Kelurahan Kambu Kecamatan Kambu Kota Kendari Provinsi Sulawesi Tenggara dan berlangsung mulai bulan Juni sampai Januari 2021. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) disusun dalam Split Plot yang terdiri dari Petak Utama: Sistem Budidaya (S) terbagi 2 taraf: Gogo (S1) dan Gogo Rancah (S2); Anak Petak: Pupuk (P) terbagi 4 taraf : Tanpa pupuk (P0); 100% pupuk organik Bokashi kirinyuh: 10 t.ha-1 (P1); 100 % pupuk anorganik: Urea 200 kg.ha-1 , SP- 36 100 kg.ha-1 dan KCl 100 kg.ha-1 (P2); dan kombinasi 50 % pupuk organik dan 50% pupuk anorganik: Bokashi kirinyuh 5 t.ha-1 dan Urea 100 kg.ha-1 , SP-36 50 kg.ha-1 dan KCl 50 kg.ha-1 (P3) sehingga diperoleh 8 kombinasi perlakuan, setiap unit percobaan diulang 3 kali sebagai kelompok sehingga terdapat 24 petak percobaan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kombinasi sistem gogo rancah dan pemberian 100% pupuk anorganik dapat meningkatkan tinggi tanaman, jumlah daun, jumlah anakan produktif dan panjang malai. Budidaya padi gogo lokal Wakawondu secara gogo rancah menggunakan pupuk anorganik menunjukkan hasil yang baik dibandingkan sistem budidaya gogo.
ANALISIS BREAK EVEN POINT SEBAGAI DASAR PERENCANAAN LABA PADA RUMAH MAKAN SEDERHANA
Authors: Husin Husin , Fitriaman Fitriaman , Astika Linda
Published: February 2022

Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan (1) mengetahui penjualan yang harus dipertahankan RM. Sederhana agar tidak mengalami kerugian (2) mengetahui jumlah penjualan minimal yang harus dicapai pada jumlah laba yang direncanakan RM. Sederhana. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan penelitian kualitatif. Penelitian kualitatif adalah dengan menekankan analisisnya pada proses penyimpulan komparasi serta pada analisis terhadap dinamika hubungan fenomena yang diamati dengan menggunakan logika ilmiah. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan pengumpulan data melalui dokiumentasi. Analisis data menggunakan rumus titik impas dan margin keamanan.RM. Sederhana adalah rumah makan yang menjual makanan khas padang. Hasil analisis sebagai berikut: (1) Titik impas pada tahun 2017 yaitu Rp 169.170.212,76. Titik impas pada tahun 2018 yaitu Rp 186.122.580,64. Titik impas pada tahun 2019 yaitu Rp 198.024.706,52. (2) Margin keamanan atau margin of safety tahun 2017 yaitu 60% yang berarti bahwa pada tingkat penjualan yang struktur biaya yang ada, jumlah maksimum penurunan target pendapatan penjualan yang menyebabkan perusahaan mengalami kerugian adalah Rp252.450.000,-. Margin keamanan atau margin of safety tahun 2018 yaitu 62% yang berarti bahwa pada tingkat penjualan yang struktur biaya yang ada, jumlah maksimum penurunan target pendapatan penjualan yang menyebabkan perusahaan mengalami kerugian adalah Rp307.507.600,-. Margin keamanan atau margin of safety tahun 2019 yaitu 55% yang berarti bahwa pada tingkat penjualan yang struktur biaya yang ada, jumlah maksimum penurunan target pendapatan penjualan yang menyebabkan perusahaan mengalami kerugian adalah Rp244.250.462,5,-. Estimasi perencanaan laba RM. Sederhana pada tahun 2020 adalah: (1) Titik impas RM. Sederhana pada tahun 2020 dihitung Rp247.530.882,-. Titik impas RM. Sederhana pada tahun 2021 dihitung Rp367.303.890,-. (2) Margin keamanan tahun 2020 sebesar 55%, jumlah maksimum penurunan target pendapatan penjualan yang tidak menyebabkan perusahaan mengalami kerugian adalah Rp305.313.007,-. Margin keamanan tahun 2021 sebesar 56%, jumlah maksimum penurunan target pendapatan penjualan yang tidak menyebabkan perusahaan mengalami kerugian adalah Rp466.296.336,-. (3) Tahun 2020 laba yang direncanakan untuk memperoleh keuntungan sebesar 25% dari penjualan, maka perusahaan harus dapat melakukan penjualan sebesar Rp339.893.152,-. Tahun 2019 laba yang direncanakan untuk memperoleh keuntungan sebesar 50% dari penjualan, maka perusahaan harus dapat melakukan penjualan sebesar Rp517.564.572,-.Kata Kunci: Titik Impas dan Perencanaan Laba.
EVALUASI PENGELOLAAN DANA DESA DI DESA BONE KANCINTALA KECAMATAN BONE KABUPATEN MUNA
Authors: Hasbudin Hasbudin , Aswati Wa Ode , Nirwana Nirwana
Published: February 2022

Dalam pelaksanaan pengelolaan dana Desa, Desa Bone Kancintala masi Mengalami beberapa permasalahan yakni: Pembangunan fisik yang terbengkalai seperti pembangunan pasar dan jalan karena waktu yang dibutuhkan sudah melebihi batas waktu yang telah ditentukan. Disamping itu kepala desa sendiri tidak transparan masalah anggaran mengenai program yang dibangun. Selain itu, perencanaan program dana desa dalam kurun waktu satu tahun terdapat dua tahap namun pada tahap kedua mengalami keterlambatan atau belum bisa dilakukan pencairan dana sebab program pada pencairan dana tahap pertama belum selesai dikerjakan, peristiwa ini terjadi karena kualitas sumber daya aparatur yang dimiliki desa yang masih rendah. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi proses pengelolaan dana desa dari tahap perencanaan dan pertanggungjawaban di Desa Bone Kancintala Kecamatan Bone Kabupaten Muna. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah wawancara dan dokumentasi. Sampel dalam penelitian ini terdiri dari Kepala Desa, Sekretaris Desa, Bendahara Desa, serta Kabid Desa Bone Kancintala. Selanjutnya hasil penelitian dianalisis melalui metode analisis deskriptif yang menjelaskan tentang proses evaluasi dana desa dari tahap perencanaan hingga pertanggungjawabannya. Data yang digunakan memilih data primer dan data sekunder.Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa Pada tahap perencanaan Dana Desa di Desa Bone Kancintala Kecamatan Bone Kabupaten Muna telah menerapkan prinsip partisipatif dan transparansi dan Tahap pertanggungjawaban pengelolaan Dana Desa di Desa Bone Kancintala Kecamatan Bone sudah Akuntabel dan secara teknis sudah baik.
PENGARUH UMUR PERUSAHAAN DAN PROFITABILITAS TERHADAP AUDIT DELAY
Authors: Mirosea Nitri , Husin Husin , Malenta Sepriani
Published: February 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh umur perusahaan dan profitabilitas terhadap audit delay tahun 2017-2019. Jenis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data kuantitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah dengan Tabulasi, processing data dan interpretasi data. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode regresi linear berganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, (1)umur perusahaan tidak memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap audit delay dengan hasil koefisien regresi untuk variabel umur perusahaan sebesar -1,211 dan nilai signifikan 0,238 serta nilai thitung -1,188 dan nilai ttabel 1,984, (2) profitabilitas memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap audit delay dengan hasil koefisien regresi untuk variabel profitabilitas sebesar 0,312 dengan nilai t hitung 7,278 dan nilai signifikan 0,000 serta nilai ttabel 1,984. Berdasarkan hasil uji simultan Variabel umur perusahaan dan profitabilitas menunjukkan nilai Fhitung diatas lebih besar dari Ftabel dengan tingkat signifikan yaitu 0,000 maka dapat disimpulkan variabel-variabel independen yaitu umur perusahaan dan profitabilitas secara bersama-sama berpengaruh terhadap audit delay.
PENGARUH PERSEPSI KEGUNAAN, KEMUDAHAN, KESIAPAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI DAN KEPUASAN TERHADAP PENGGUNAAN E-FILING WAJIB PAJAK (Studi Pada Pegawai Negeri Sipil di Kecamatan Ranomeeto, Kabupaten Konawe Selatan, Sulawesi Tenggara)
Authors: Lestari Labangu Yuli , Husin Husin , Adewiyah Khofifatul
Published: February 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh persepsi kegunaan, kemudahan,kesiapan teknologi informasi, dan kepuasan terhadap penggunaan e-filing. Penelitian inimenggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif. Penelitian ini dilakukan di KecamatanRanomeeto, Kabupaten Konawe Selatan. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah wajibpajak orang pribadi pegawai negeri sipil di Kecamatan Ranomeeto yang terdaftar padaKPP Pratama kendari sejumlah 958 orang. Metode pengambilan sampel yang digunakandalam penelitian ini adalah cluster random sampling dengan jumlah sampel 90responden. Analisis data dilakukan dengan analisis regresi linear berganda yang diolahdengan bantuan SPSS versi 21. Hasil penelitian menyatakan bahwa persepsi kegunaan,kemudahan, kesiapan teknologi informasi, dan kepuasan baik secara parsial dansimultan berpengaruh signifikan terhadap penggunaan e-filing.
PENGARUH PENURUNAN TARIF PAJAK UMKM DAN SOSIALISASI PERPAJAKAN TERHADAP KEPATUHAN WAJIB PAJAK UMKM DI KOTA KENDARI (Studi pada KPP Pratama Kendari)
Authors: Hasbudin Hasbudin , Aswati Wa Ode , Annisa Nur
Published: February 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji dan mengetahui pengaruh penurunan tarifpajak UMKM dan sosialisasi perpajakan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak UMKM.Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah WP UMKM yang berada di Kota Kendari danterdaftar di KPP Pratama Kendari yang berjumlah 10.877 Wajib Pajak. Metodepengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah Accidental Sampling dengan rumusformula slovin yang berjumlah 100 sampel. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakankuisioner. Analisis data menggunakan analisis deskriptif dan analisis regresi linearberganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa (1) penurunan tarif pajak UMKMberpengaruh positif namun tidak signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak UMKM. (2)sosialisasi perpajakan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajibpajak UMKM. (3) penurunan tarif pajak UMKM dan sosialisasi perpajakan secarasimultan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak UMKM.
PENGARUH PENERAPAN SISTEM INFORMASI AKUNTANSI TERHADAP TATA KELOLA KEUANGAN DI BPJS KETENAGARJAAN CABANG SULAWESI TENGGARA
Authors: Fitriaman Fitriaman , Akib Mulyati , Muhamad Rahmadin La Ode
Published: February 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penerapan Sistem InformasiAkuntansi terhadap Tata Kelola Keuangan di BPJS Ketenagakerjaan cabang SulawesiTenggara. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan analisis deskriptif.Pengambilan sampelnya menggunakan teknik sampling jenuh, dengan respondenmeliputi seluruh karyawan BPJS Ketenagakerjaan cabang Sulawesi Tenggara. Datadikumpulkan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner, wawancara, dokumentasi dan observasi.Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah regresi linear sederhana. Hasil penelitian inimenunjukan bahwa variabel Sitem Informasi Akuntansi berpengaruh positif dansignifikan terhadap Tata Kelola Keuangan di BPJS Ketenagakerjaan cabang SulawesiTenggara sebesar 58,40%, sedangkan sisanya sebesar (100% - 58,40% = 41,60%)dipengaruhi oleh variabel-variabel lain yang tidak diteliti dalam penelitian ini.
The Smooth Transition From Many-Legged to Bipedal Locomotion—Gradual Leg Force Reduction and its Impact on Total Ground Reaction Forces, Body Dynamics and Gait Transitions
Authors: Weihmann Tom
Published: February 2022

Most terrestrial animals move with a specific number of propulsive legs, which differs between clades. The reasons for these differences are often unknown and rarely queried, despite the underlying mechanisms being indispensable for understanding the evolution of multilegged locomotor systems in the animal kingdom and the development of swiftly moving robots. Moreover, when speeding up, a range of species change their number of propulsive legs. The reasons for this behaviour have proven equally elusive. In animals and robots, the number of propulsive legs also has a decisive impact on the movement dynamics of the centre of mass. Here, I use the leg force interference model to elucidate these issues by introducing gradually declining ground reaction forces in locomotor apparatuses with varying numbers of leg pairs in a first numeric approach dealing with these measures’ impact on locomotion dynamics. The effects caused by the examined changes in ground reaction forces and timing thereof follow a continuum. However, the transition from quadrupedal to a bipedal locomotor system deviates from those between multilegged systems with different numbers of leg pairs. Only in quadrupeds do reduced ground reaction forces beneath one leg pair result in increased reliability of vertical body oscillations and therefore increased energy efficiency and dynamic stability of locomotion.
Boosting Tissue Vascularization: Nanofat as a Potential Source of Functional Microvessel Segments
Authors: Weinzierl Andrea , Harder Yves , Schmauss Daniel , Menger Michael D. , Laschke Matthias W.
Published: February 2022

Nanofat is increasingly applied in plastic surgery for the improvement of scar quality and skin rejuvenation. However, little is known about the underlying regenerative mechanisms. Therefore, we herein investigated nanofat grafts in a murine dorsal skinfold chamber model. Nanofat generated from subcutaneous, inguinal adipose tissue of green fluorescent protein (GFP)+ C57BL/6 male and female donor mice was injected intracutaneously into dorsal skinfold chambers of gender-matched GFP− wild-type mice. The vascularization and tissue composition of the grafted nanofat were analyzed by means of intravital fluorescence microscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry over an observation period of 14 days. The freshly generated nanofat consisted of small fragments of perilipin+ adipocytes surrounded by Sirius red+ collagen fibers and still contained intact CD31+/GFP+ vessel segments. After transplantation into the dorsal skinfold chamber, these vessel segments survived and developed interconnections to the surrounding CD31+/GFP− host microvasculature. Accordingly, the grafted nanofat rapidly vascularized and formed new microvascular networks with a high functional microvessel density on day 14 without marked differences between male and female mice. Even though further research is needed to confirm these findings, the present study suggests that nanofat boosts tissue vascularization. Thus, nanofat may represent a versatile resource for many applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Designing New Material Based on Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Cu(OH)2–Cu2O/Polypyrrole Catalyst for Ethanol Oxidation in Alkaline Medium
Authors: El Attar Anas , Chemchoub Sanaa , Diallo Kalan Mamadou , Oularbi Larbi , El Rhazi Mama
Published: February 2022

In this work, copper(II) hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) and copper oxide (Cu2O) nanostructures are deposited on functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polypyrrole to report an efficient electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium. In the first step, the deposition of functionalized multi-walled nanotubes of carbon (F-MWCNTs) on the electrode surface was carried out using drop casting mode followed by the electrodeposition of polypyrrole (PPy) and copper nanoparticles (Cu-Nps) using galvanostatic mode. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed in order to study the morphology and the structure of the elaborated catalysts. Electrochemical characterization conducted by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the introduction of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes enhances the electric properties of the nanocomposites and offers a large active surface area. The prepared electrocatalyst was then tested in a solution of 0.1 M NaOH containing 0.2 M of ethanol showing high performance (7 mA cm−2 at 0.85 V vs Ag/AgCl) and good stability (over 1800 s) toward ethanol oxidation.
Influence of the Specific Surface Area of Graphene Nanoplatelets on the Capacity of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Esteve-Adell Iván , Porcel-Valenzuela María , Zubizarreta Leire , Gil-Agustí Mayte , García-Pellicer Marta , Quijano-Lopez Alfredo
Published: February 2022

In order to understand the influence of the morphological properties of graphene materials on the electrochemical performance of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries, three different graphene nanoplatelets with the increasing specific surface area (NP1: 296 m2 g−1, NP2: 470 m2 g−1, and NP3: 714 m2 g−1) were added in the electrode formulation in different ratios. Higher specific surface area graphene nanoplatelets (NP3) exhibit reversible capacity up to 505 mA h g−1 in the first discharge cycle (29.5% higher than that of graphite). Although significant irreversible capacity is shown for NP3, still higher reversible capacity is obtained compared to that of graphite electrode. The presence of micropores in the graphene structure benefits the lithiation. C-rate capability tests also show better performance of the graphene-based electrode. In this work, we demonstrate that graphene nanoplatelets with high specific surface area (714 m2 g−1) improve the electrochemical performance of Li-ion battery electrodes. The relationship between specific surface area, the presence of defects, and porosity is discussed.
MUC1 Specific Immune Responses Enhanced by Coadministration of Liposomal DDA/MPLA and Lipoglycopeptide
Authors: Du Jing-Jing , Zhou Shi-Hao , Cheng Zi-Ru , Xu Wen-Bo , Zhang Ru-Yan , Wang Long-Sheng , Guo Jun
Published: February 2022

Mucin 1 (MUC1), a well-known tumor-associated antigen and attractive target for tumor immunotherapy, is overexpressed in most human epithelial adenomas with aberrant glycosylation. However, its low immunogenicity impedes the development of MUC1-targeted antitumor vaccines. In this study, we investigated three liposomal adjuvant systems containing toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) and auxiliary lipids of different charges: cationic lipid dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA), neutral lipid distearoylglycerophosphocholine (DSPC) or anionic lipid dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), respectively. ELISA assay evidenced that the positively charged DDA/MPLA liposomes are potent immune activators, which induced remarkable levels of anti-MUC1 antibodies and exhibited robust Th1-biased immune responses. Importantly, the antibodies induced by DDA/MPLA liposomes efficiently recognized and killed MUC1-positive tumor cells through complement-mediated cytotoxicity. In addition, antibody titers in mice immunized with P2-MUC1 vaccine were significantly higher than those from mice immunized with P1-MUC1 or MUC1 vaccine, which indicated that the lipid conjugated on MUC1 antigen also played important role for immunomodulation. This study suggested that the liposomal DDA/MPLA with lipid-MUC1 is a promising antitumor vaccine, which can be used for the immunotherapy of various epithelial carcinomas represented by breast cancer.
Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Nucleation Process of Biomineralization
Authors: Qin Da , He Zhen , Li Peng , Zhang Shutian
Published: February 2022

Biomineralization is a typical interdisciplinary subject attracting biologists, chemists, and geologists to figure out its potential mechanism. A mounting number of studies have revealed that the classical nucleation theory is not suitable for all nucleation process of biominerals, and phase-separated structures such as polymer-induced liquid precursors (PILPs) play essential roles in the non-classical nucleation processes. These structures are able to play diverse roles biologically or pathologically, and could also give inspiring clues to bionic applications. However, a lot of confusion and dispute occurred due to the intricacy and interdisciplinary nature of liquid precursors. Researchers in different fields may have different opinions because the terminology and current state of understanding is not common knowledge. As a result, our team reviewed the most recent articles focusing on the nucleation processes of various biominerals to clarify the state-of-the-art understanding of some essential concepts and guide the newcomers to enter this intricate but charming field.
Causative Agents of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis Are Able to Infect 3T3-L1 Adipocytes In Vitro
Authors: Mendes Bruno , Minori Karen , Consonni Silvio R. , Andrews Norma W. , Miguel Danilo C.
Published: February 2022

Although macrophages have long been considered key players in the course of Leishmania infections, other non-professional phagocytes have lately been shown to maintain low levels of the parasite in safe intracellular niches. Recently, it was demonstrated that the adipose tissue is capable of harboring Old World L. (L.) infantum in mice. However, there is no evidence of experimental adipocyte infection with New World Leishmania species so far. In addition, it was not known whether adipocytes would be permissive for formation of the unique, large and communal parasitophorous vacuoles that are typical of L. (L.) amazonensis in macrophages. Here we evaluated the ability of L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (V.) braziliensis promastigotes and amastigotes to infect 3T3-L1 fibroblast-derived adipocytes (3T3-Ad) using light and transmission electron microscopy. Our results indicate that amastigotes and promastigotes of both species were capable of infecting and surviving inside pre- and fully differentiated 3T3-Ad for up to 144 h. Importantly, L. (L.) amazonensis amastigotes resided in large communal parasitophorous vacuoles in pre-adipocytes, which appeared to be compressed between large lipid droplets in mature adipocytes. In parallel, individual L. (V.) braziliensis amastigotes were detected in single vacuoles 144 h post-infection. We conclude that 3T3-Ad may constitute an environment that supports low loads of viable parasites perhaps contributing to parasite maintenance, since amastigotes of both species recovered from these cells differentiated into replicative promastigotes. Our findings shed light on the potential of a new host cell model that can be relevant to the persistence of New World Leishmania species.
Path Planning for a Jumping Rover Team With a Charging Station in Multi-Waypoints Visiting Missions
Authors: Jung Myungjin , Chuen Tan Kai , Dai Ran
Published: February 2022

This paper demonstrates an innovative group of robots, consisting of jumping rovers and a charging station, improved traversability and extended energy endurance when traveling to multiple target locations. By employing different jumping rovers with distinct energy consumption characteristics and jumping capabilities, we focus on searching for the most energy-efficient path of each jumping rover in a multi-waypoints visiting mission with obstacles. As jumping rovers can jump onto or over some obstacles without navigating around them, they have the potential to save energy by generating alternative paths to overcome obstacles. Moreover, due to the energy demands for the multi-waypoints mission and the limited battery capacity, a charging station is considered to provide extra energy for enhanced endurance during the mission. We first apply a refined rapidly-exploring random tree star (RRT∗) algorithm to find energy-efficient paths between any two target locations. Then, the genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to select the most profitable combination of paths to visit all targets with energy constraints. Finally, we verify the improved mobility and energy efficiency in both virtual simulation and experimental tests using a group of customized jumping rovers with a charging station and the proposed path planning and task allocation method.
Expanding Valve Repair in Rheumatic Heart Disease
Authors: Afifi Ahmed , Shehata Nairouz , Nagi Mohamed , Sultan Abdel Rahman , Yacoub Magdi
Published: February 2022

Rheumatic heart disease is a serious ailment with significant morbidity and mortality in endemic areas; yet, there is no agreement on indication, timing, and surgical modality for treating rheumatic valve affection. There is mounting evidence that rheumatic mitral valve repair is possible with good long-term results, less is the case with rheumatic aortic valve disease. We discuss the surgical approach for both valves emphasizing the role of multimodality imaging.
Treatment and Outcome of Patients With Coronary Artery Ectasia: Current Evidence and Novel Opportunities for an Old Dilemma
Authors: Esposito Luca , Di Maio Marco , Silverio Angelo , Cancro Francesco Paolo , Bellino Michele , Attisano Tiziana , Tarantino Fabio Felice , Esposito Giovanni , Vecchione Carmine , Galasso Gennaro , Baldi Cesare
Published: February 2022

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as a diffuse or focal dilation of an epicardial coronary artery, which diameter exceeds by at least 1. 5 times the normal adjacent segment. The term ectasia refers to a diffuse dilation, involving more than 50% of the length of the vessel, while the term aneurysm defines a focal vessel dilation. CAE is a relatively uncommon angiographic finding and its prevalence ranges between 0.3 and 5% of patients undergoing coronary angiography. Although its pathophysiology is still unclear, atherosclerosis seems to be the underlying mechanism in most cases. The prognostic role of CAE is also controversial, but previous studies reported a high risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in these patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. Despite the availability of different options for the interventional management of patients with CAE, including covered stent implantation and stent-assisted coil embolization, there is no one standard approach, as therapy is tailored to the individual patient. The abnormal coronary dilation, often associated with high thrombus burden in the setting of acute coronary syndromes, makes the interventional treatment of CAE patients challenging and often complicated by distal thrombus embolization and stent malapposition. Moreover, the optimal antithrombotic therapy is debated and includes dual antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulation, or a combination of them. In this review we aimed to provide an overview of the pathophysiology, classification, clinical presentation, natural history, and management of patients with CAE, with a focus on the challenges for both clinical and interventional cardiologists in daily clinical practice.
LRP6 Polymorphisms Is Associated With Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure in the Chinese Han Population
Authors: Guo Qi , Lai Yiwei , Chu Jianmin , Chen Xuhua , Gao Mingyang , Sang Caihua , Dong Jianzeng , Pu Jielin , Ma Changsheng
Published: February 2022

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) plays a critical role in cardiovascular homeostasis. The deficiency of LRP6 is associated with a high risk of arrhythmias. However, the association between genetic variations of LRP6 and sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains unknown. This study aims to explore the association between common variants of LRP6 and the prognosis of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. From July 2005 to December 2009, patients with CHF were enrolled from 10 hospitals in China. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2302684 was selected for the evaluation of the effect of LRP6 polymorphisms on the survival in patients with CHF. A total of 1,437 patients with CHF were finally included for the analysis. During a median follow-up of 61 months (range 0.4–129 months), a total of 546 (38.0%) patients died, including 201 (36.8%) cases with SCD and 345 (63.2%) cases with non-SCD. Patients carrying A allele of rs2302684 had an increased risk of all-cause death (adjusted HR 1.452, 95% CI 1.189–1.706; P < 0.001) and SCD (adjusted HR 1.783, 95% CI 1.337–2.378; P < 0.001). Therefore, the SNP rs2302684 T>A in LRP6 indicated higher risks of all-cause death and SCD in patients with CHF. LRP6 could be added as a novel predictor of SCD and might be a potential therapeutic target in the prevention of SCD in the CHF population.
Autosomal Recessive Hypercholesterolemia Caused by a Novel LDLRAP1 Variant and Membranous Nephropathy in a Chinese Girl: A Case Report
Authors: Feng Siqin , Zhao Xinyue , Wang Yifei , Wang Yiyang , Chen Gang , Zhang Shuyang
Published: February 2022

Background

Autosomal recessive familial hypercholesterolemia (ARH) is a very rare lipid metabolic monogenic disorder caused by homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor adapter protein 1 (LDLRAP1) gene. It is a life-threatening disease characterized by markedly elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), xanthomas, and premature coronary artery disease. Membranous nephropathy (MN) is less commonly observed in children. Here, the co-existence of ARH and MN was diagnosed in a Chinese girl.

Case Presentation

We present the case of a 13-year-old girl who was admitted with the typical symptom of nephrotic syndrome with an abnormally high serum LDL-C level. Gene sequencing revealed a novel homozygous LDLRAP1 variant (NM_015627: c.383 T>G, p.V128G), and the patient was diagnosed with ARH. A renal biopsy suggested that the nephrotic syndrome in the girl was induced by MN, but no evidence of secondary MN was found. A thorough examination was performed to explore the association between MN and ARH. Medical management with angiotensin receptor blockers and aggressive lipid-lowering treatment led to remission of proteinuria and clinical condition stabilization during 2-year follow-up.

Conclusions

This is the first case of co-existence of MN and ARH in a teenager carrying a novel pathogenic mutation of the LDLRAP1 gene (NM_015627: c.383 T>G, p.V128G).
Study of the Performance of a Thermoelectric Refrigeration Membrane Cold Chamber Distillation Component
Authors: Hu Junhu , Wu Shunli , Liu Hao , Yang Xiaohong
Published: February 2022

Thermoelectric Refrigeration Membrane Distillation (TERMD) is an emerging membrane-based evaporation technology with excellent prospects for separation industries. However, the development of the TERMD system was further limited by excellent membrane component properties. In this paper, a cold chamber component of a TERMD is manufactured. Then, the cooling performance of the component is studied to examine the coupling between the Thermoelectric Refrigeration (TER) and the Membrane Distillation (MD) process. Moreover, the effects of the membrane components properties are studied by changing the water flow rate, and the input current of thermoelectric refrigeration. The results showed that when the TERMD cold room inlet current is maintained stable and the heat dissipation intensity increases, the cooling temperature gradually decreases. Also, the temperature on the cold side tends to stabilize while the flow rate exceeds 600 L/h. In addition, the input power decreases as the heat dissipation intensity increases in the cooling dissipation intensity of the Thermoelectric Refrigeration Component (TERC) cold chamber is kept stable. And, the input power will reach a critical value while the water volume flow rate is over 500 L/h. Furthermore, the cooling rate reaches the maximum of 1.59 at the water volume flow rate of 700 L/h while the operating current of the TERC is 12 A. It is concluded that the thermoelectric refrigeration component can supply great refrigeration power and a high Coefficient of Performance (COP) under small current conditions for the analysis of the thermoelectric performance of the TERC.
Three-Dimensional Numerical Analysis of Longitudinal Thermoacoustic Instability in a Single-Element Rocket Combustor
Authors: Kangkang Guo , Boqi Xu , Yongjie Ren , Yiheng Tong , Wansheng Nie
Published: February 2022

This study numerically investigated the thermoacoustic combustion instability characteristics of a scaled rocket combustor based on a hybrid of the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes and large–eddy simulation method. The turbulence–combustion interactions were treated using flamelet generated manifold approach. An unstable case was simulated with detailed reaction mechanisms (GRI-Mech 3.0). The obtained results agree well with experiment data from Purdue University, in terms of pressure oscillations frequency and power spectral density spectrum. The combustion instability mode was identified to be coupled with the first longitudinal acoustic mode of the combustion chamber by dynamic model decomposition method. According to Rayleigh index analysis, the unstable driving source was found to be located near the combustor step, which was further confirmed by time-averaged flow fields. Detailed three-dimensional vortex ring shedding evolutions at the combustor step were tracked with fine time resolution. Results indicate that the combustion instability arises from periodic vortex ring shedding at the combustor step and interacting with the chamber wall. The unburnt reactants were rolled up by the shedding vortex ring, which would not break up until impact with the chamber wall. Therefore, the mixing performance was significantly enhanced, leading to sudden heat release. Consequently, the thermal energy is added to the acoustic field, and the first longitudinal mode is thus reinforced, giving rise to large amplitude axial velocity oscillations which prompt the generation of the new vortex ring. The results of the present investigation will support the design and development of high-performance rocket engines.
SMO-Based Sensorless Control of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Authors: Liu Xin , Wang Zhiwei , Wang Wenzhuo , Lv Yunling , Yuan Bo , Wang Shijie , Li Wujing , Li Qiufang , Zhang Qiwen , Chen Qianchang
Published: February 2022

In order to reduce the chattering caused by the discontinuity of the control function in the traditional sliding mode observer (SMO), this article proposes a sliding mode observer with phase-locked loop (PLL) to estimate the speed and position of the rotor. The back electromotive force (EMF) of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) in a static coordinate system is accurately estimated by SMO, and then, PLL is constructed to combine the observed rotor position angle and back EMF to compensate the phase lag in angle estimation so as to obtain a more accurate speed. It solves the problems of poor robustness and complex algorithms in the traditional SMO prediction algorithm. The simulation results show that the SMO with PLL can effectively reduce the system chattering and effectively improve the accuracy of rotor speed and position estimation.
Metabolic Phenotype of Daphnia Under Hypoxia: Macroevolution, Microevolution, and Phenotypic Plasticity
Authors: Lee Tingyat M. , Westbury Kurtis M. , Martyniuk Christopher J. , Nelson William A. , Moyes Christopher D.
Published: February 2022

Daphnia is a freshwater crustacean that is able to upregulate hemoglobin (Hb) in response to hypoxia, imparting a red color. We combine multiple field surveys across season with a lab experiment to evaluate changes in the metabolic phenotype of Daphnia in relation to environmental hypoxia. Looking at the zooplankton community, we found that D. pulicaria was restricted to lakes with a hypoxic hypolimnion. Comparing D. pulicaria with different amounts of Hb, red animals showed higher mRNA levels for several Hb genes, whereas most glycolytic genes showed red/pale differences of less than 50%. We also observed seasonal changes in the metabolic phenotype that differed between red and pale animals. Hb was upregulated early in the season in hypoxic lakes, and a relationship between Hb and lactate dehydrogenase only emerged later in the season in a temporal pattern that was lake specific. To evaluate whether these differences were due to specific lake environments or microevolutionary differences, we tested the induction of genes under controlled hypoxia in isofemale lines from each of four lakes. We found a strong response to 18 h hypoxia exposure in both Hb and lactate dehydrogenase mRNA, although the magnitude of the acute response was greater than the steady state differences in mRNA levels between pale and red Daphnia. The baseline expression of Hb and lactate dehydrogenase also varied between isofemale lines with different lake origins. These results, in combination with comparison of glycogen measurements, suggests that Hb functions primarily to facilitate oxygen delivery, mitigating systemic hypoxia, rather than an oxygen store. The combination of lab and field studies suggest that the metabolic phenotype of the animal is influenced by both microevolutionary differences (within and between lakes) as well as the spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity of the lakes. The differences between Daphnia species, and the unexpected lack of hypoxia sensitivity of select glycolytic genes provide evidence of macroevolutionary differences in metabolic strategies to cope with hypoxia.
DecOT: Bulk Deconvolution With Optimal Transport Loss Using a Single-Cell Reference
Authors: Liu Gan , Liu Xiuqin , Ma Liang
Published: February 2022

Tissues are constituted of heterogeneous cell types. Although single-cell RNA sequencing has paved the way to a deeper understanding of organismal cellular composition, the high cost and technical noise have prevented its wide application. As an alternative, computational deconvolution of bulk tissues can be a cost-effective solution. In this study, we propose DecOT, a deconvolution method that uses the Wasserstein distance as a loss and applies scRNA-seq data as references to characterize the cell type composition from bulk tissue RNA-seq data. The Wasserstein loss in DecOT is able to utilize additional information from gene space. DecOT also applies an ensemble framework to integrate deconvolution results from multiple individuals’ references to mitigate the individual/batch effect. By benchmarking DecOT with four recently proposed square loss-based methods on pseudo-bulk data from four different single-cell data sets and real pancreatic islet bulk samples, we show that DecOT outperforms other methods and the ensemble framework is robust to the choice of references.