bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sistem Antarmuka Komputer Berbasis Borland Delphi 7.0 Untuk Pengaturan Lemparan Bola Pada Robot Pelatih Tenis Meja
Authors: Supratno Setyo , Suciawan Iwan , - Sugeng
Published: September 2022

Permainan tenis meja atau yang lebih dikenal dengan istilah “pingpong” merupakan suatu cabang olahraga yang unik dan kreatif. Kemajuan teknologi telah memunculkan robot pelontar bola tenis meja yang membantu dalam proses latihan permainan tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan membuat sistem antarmuka robot pelatih tenis meja yang lebih murah, lebih menarik dari sisi tampilan user interface serta menggunakan apikasi desktop berbasis Borland Delphi yang terkoneksi kabel USB. Hasil uji coba robot pelatih tenis meja menunjukan bahwa robot dapat dikendalikan melalui aplikasi dengan jarak maksimal koneksi sejauh 20 meter. Untuk  menghasilkan lontaran bola servis parameter robot pelatih tenis meja yaitu dengan mengatur kecepatan pelontar atas dan bawah sebesar 30% kecepatan PWM dengan sudut atas bawah (-30° sampai + 30°), sudut kanan kiri (-30°) sampai (+30°) sedangkan kecepatan ball feeder berkisar antara 70% - 100%. Dengan menggunakan metode System Usability Score penilaian tampilan aplikasi robot pelatih tenis meja mendapat skor 64,5 pada Acceptability range marjinal high, Adjective rating mendapatkan rating OK, dan Grade scale mendapat nilai D.
Effect of Dental Hygienist and Patient Rapport Formation on Treatment Satisfaction
Authors:   The Korean Society of Oral Health Science, Seong Mi-Gyung , Lee Seon-Hui , Jeon Seul-Yi
Published: September 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study aimed was to investigate the effect of the degree of rapport formation between a dental hygienist and a patient on treatment satisfaction.
Methods: A total of 230 participants people who agreed to this study were surveyed for about one month from in July 2021, and rapport formation and treatment satisfaction were measured using a Likert 5-point scale.
Results: Among the 4 sub-items of rapport formation, As a result, the patient's meticulous consideration was had the highest score among the 4 sub-items of rapport formation., and among the 3 sub-items of satisfaction with treatment, when the feeling of the dental hygienist was the best, the satisfaction was high. In addition, customer intimacy was the most influential important among the 4 factors of rapport formation.
Conclusions: Therefore, dental hygienists will need to must identify the sub-items that have with a high impact during rapport formation and must make efforts to utilize them in order to increase patient satisfaction with treatment.
Saliva Analysis Evaluation of Changes in Oral Environment Before and After Scaling
Authors:   The Korean Society of Oral Health Science, Kim Yu-Rin , Lee Haeng-Eun , Nam Seoul-Hee
Published: September 2022

Objectives: This study evaluates the validity and effectiveness of saliva-related factors through an examination of changes in the oral environment before and after scaling using the Sill-Ha ST-4910 saliva measurement system.
Methods: For this study, 66 people who visited the Scaling Center of Dental Hygiene in Kangwon from September-December 2021 were recruited. There were two groups with 33 participants each: those who have received regular annual scaling (the regular scaling group) and those who had not been receiving regular scaling (the irregular scaling group).
Results: The findings confirmed that dental and gingival health and oral cleanliness all improved after scaling compared to before scaling.
Conclusions: Regular scaling is important, and has a clear effect on oral health promotion.
Developing Learning Based on Learning Management System in Administration and Education Supervision Courses
Authors: Selirowangi Nisaul Barokati , Hasbullah Afif , Aisyah Nur
Published: September 2022

This study aims to describe and test the product of learning development based on a Learning Management System (LMS). LMS is a solution to dealing with technological advances while still considering the rules contained in the learning process. LMS also can minimize the effects of time and distance that always appear in knowledge acquisition. This study uses the type of Research and Development (R&D) with the Borg and Gall model. In this study, the administrative and educational supervision courses were used as one of the first trials in implementing the LMS. Administration and academic supervision courses have been applied to all universities in Indonesia, one of which is UNISDA Lamongan. The results showed that there was a difference in better management when compared to before using the LMS. This research has implications for the importance of educators in designing their learning to achieve the goals that have been set.
Strengthening Spiritual Leadership in Preserving Religious Culture and Local Wisdom in Madrasah
Authors: Siswanto Siswanto
Published: September 2022

This study focused on applying spiritual leadership behavior, religious culture, and local wisdom preserved and its implications on students' character at MTs Sunan Kalijaga Pamekasan Madura. It used a qualitative approach based on phenomenology type. This study found that spiritual leadership behavior in preserving religious culture and local wisdom is reflected by making divine and prophetic values as the foundation of his leadership vision, the spiritual commitment shown in thought, speech, and action, dedicating his efforts as worship. Religious culture leads to individual and social piety through the habituation of reading the Qur'an, praying together, and sympathizing with orphans and poor people. Preserved local wisdom is closely related to Islamic traditions in Madura, such as tatele', Ashura' celebrations, istighatsah, and the Islamic culture of hadrah banjari. This preservation impacts the affective dimension and the growth of student behavior by vertically and horizontally religious values. The spiritual commitment becomes dedication values as a form of worship and empowering personnel by jihad and good service.
The Influence of Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in Islamic Educational Institutions
Authors: Mastur Mastur , Soim Soim , Haryanti Nik , Gufron Moh
Published: September 2022

This paper examines the effect of transformational leadership and organizational culture on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), with job satisfaction as an intervening variable. A quantitative approach is used to examine the relationship or influence between (X), (Y), and (Y1). The population in this study was 50 respondents. The results showed a significant partial effect of the transformational leadership variable on job satisfaction. The organizational culture variable has a partially significant influence on job satisfaction. The transformational leadership variable has a partially significant influence on organizational citizenship behavior. There is no significant partial effect of organizational culture on organizational citizenship behavior. This study has implications for the importance of cultural awareness of organizational citizenship behavior for each individual to build a good work team so that the achievement of organizational performance can be better than before.
Strengthening Characteristics of Organizational Structures as An Effort To Improve Madrasah Employee Performance
Authors: Hartina Hartina , Hariyadi Ahmad , Tukiyo Tukiyo , Romadhianti Rona , Seena Ismaeel
Published: September 2022

This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of the organizational structure and the efforts of the head of the madrasa to improve employee performance at the Amanatul Ummah Pacet International Standard Madrasah. This type of research has used descriptive qualitative. For data collection techniques, researchers used observation, interviews, and documentation. The data analysis in this study begins before being in the field, analyzing data in the field, reducing data, presenting data, and drawing conclusions. The results showed that the characteristics of the organizational structure in the Amanatul Ummah Pacet International Standard Madrasah impacted employee performance. Characteristics of the organizational structure here using the line staff organizational structure are different from school institutions. The organizational structure at the Amanatul Ummah Pacet International Standard Madrasah impacts employee performance where the performance has a perfect communication pattern.
The Effect of Organizational Trust and Job Satisfaction on Teachers’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in Private Senior High Schools
Authors: Hidayat Rais , Patras Yuyun Elizabeth
Published: September 2022

This research aims to investigate and describe the variables that positively influence teachers' OCB so that if the variable is improved, the OCB will increase. This research method begins with determining the conceptual model of teacher OCB, organizational trust, and job satisfaction, whose model is built based on logical validity, concepts, theories, and previous research. Then the conceptual model was tested using path analysis on SMART PLS. This research was conducted at private senior high schools in West Java, Indonesia; the number of samples was 256, determined through multistage proportional random sampling. The findings of this research are: organizational trust affects teacher OCB; organizational trust affects job satisfaction; job satisfaction affects teacher OCB; organizational trust has a positive and significant indirect effect on teacher OCB. This research implies that improving teachers' OCB can be done through improving organizational trust and job satisfaction, including strengthening environmental influences, demonstrating integrity, competence, and policies of the school, improving welfare payments, promotion, supervision, and improving the work atmosphere.
The Influence of Madrasah Principal Leadership and Work Environment on Madrasah Teacher Performance
Authors: Halik Sampara , Yunus Abdul Rahim , Semmaila Baharuddin , Syahid Akhmad , Asykur Muamar
Published: September 2022

This study aims to test and analyze about; 1) the influence of principal madrasah leadership on teacher performance; 2) the influence of the work environment on teacher performance; 3) the influence of leadership and work environment together on teacher performance. This study uses primary data through a questionnaire of as many as 391 teacher respondents as a sample of the total number of teachers, as many as 1,790 teachers spread from all Madrasah Aliyah Negeri in South Sulawesi. The results show that together the two independent variables, namely: leadership (X1) and the work environment (X2), have a positive and significant influence on teacher performance (Y) which can be shown by the value of F count = 30,872 and Probability (sig) = 0.000 < = 0.05. While the contribution or contribution of the influence of the two independent variables is relatively significant, namely: leadership (X1) and work environment (X2) on teacher performance which can be shown through the value of the determination index (R2) = 0.637 or 63.70% variation in teacher performance and there are 0.363 or 36.30% teacher performance is determined by other factors not included in this study.
A corpus-based study of native speakers’ and Taiwanese EFL learners’ use of the adverb just
Authors: Lin Yi-Ching , Chung Siaw-Fong
Published: September 2022

The polysemous adverb just is frequently used by efl learners, but many learners are still unaware of how just should be used. The aim of this study is to examine how frequently different meanings of the adverb just are employed by native speakers and Taiwanese efl learners in their essays and to identify the differences in the lexico-grammatical patterns. Drawing data from one native-speaker corpus and two Taiwanese efl learner corpora, we investigated ( i) the overall frequencies of just, ( ii) the frequencies of just by meaning categories, and ( iii) the lexico-grammatical patterns of the different meanings of just, as well as their semantic and syntactic features. Results showed that the overall frequencies of just were similar in the native speaker and learner corpora, but there was a smaller variety of the use of adverbial just in the learner corpora. By examining the lexico-grammatical patterns, we found that the meanings of the adverbial just were induced in the following patterns: first, when it modified different syntactic structures; secondly, when it co-occurred with specific contextual clues; and, thirdly, when it interacted with particular tense/aspect of a verb. In addition, semantic features and lexical choices had a pivotal role in determining whether the use of a particular sense of just was acceptable in a sentence. By providing corpus-based teaching material for the uses of adverbial just, it is hoped that our study will shed light on the perplexing issue of adverb acquisition.
‘Children My Age Should Be Reading Books Like Journey to Jo’burg’: Patterns of Anti-Racist Reading in Archived Reader Responses
Authors: King Helen
Published: September 2022

Using archived reader responses to Beverley Naidoo’s Journey to Jo’burg (1985), I employ the framework of Antiracist Pedagogy to explore how readers engage with the novel’s indictment of racism in apartheid South Africa. Drawing on classroom responses from a variety of global contexts, I develop a context-orientated approach to reader response criticism that draws on theories of child agency developed by Karen Sánchez-Eppler (2005) and Robin Bernstein (2011). Using this approach, I identify four recurring patterns of engagement with the theme of racism: affect, identification, resistance, and critical literacy. Through my analysis, Naidoo’s child readers emerge as partial subjects whose agency is not fixed but continuously negotiated in the play between text and context. These readers claim authority to speak about literature and their own experiences of racism, and conceive of radical, anti-racist literature as essential in their lives and those of their fellow children.
Film in the Workplace: Exploring the Film Holdings of the Marks and Spencer Company Archive
Authors: Shail Robert
Published: September 2022

This article explores the possibilities offered to researchers by the film holdings which can be found in archives that exist outside of the more conventional, subject-specific film archives in the UK such as those held by the British Film Institute. The Marks and Spencer Company Archive exists principally to hold the company records and related materials illustrating the history of one of the UK’s most successful and long-established high-street retailers. Although their film holdings are extensive, these materials are somewhat tangential to the main collection and might not be a source that has been recognised to date by film scholars. Such collections also exist in a number of other commercial organisations, as well as public sector ones. The article details the holdings, arranging them into significant groupings, and analyses their style and content with particular attention to their potential status as both history on film and as film form. In doing so, it posits the opportunity to consider further exploration of film holdings normally thought of as outside film scholarship, and the value of more utilitarian forms of film-making than those usually found in entertainment or art cinema.
DETERMINATION OF TENSIONS OF SUSPENDED ROPES OF THE BRIDGE BY FREQUENCY OF NATURAL OSCILLATIONS
Authors:   National Transport University, Gameliak Igor , Kriuchatov Sergii ,   "PROXIS", Oksen Yevhen ,   State Enterprise «Research Institute of Building Structures» of Kyiv
Published: September 2022

The article deals with the issues of development and use of equipment for digital measurements of rope tension based on the frequency of free transverse oscillations. accurate measurement of rope tension is of practical importance. The relevance of this task for the national economy of Ukraine lies in the need to develop a simple and reliable method and equipment for quick and convenient measurement by construction engineers and operating engineers of rope tension in the construction industry. The practical significance of the work lies in the need to timely bring the span structure of the Arch Bridge of the Podilsky bridge crossing over the Dnipro River in Kyiv to the design position after the installation of metal structures with the transfer of the weight of the bridge truss to four main supports and 64 suspension cables with full unloading of four mounting supports for further arrangement of the bridge deck and completion of construction works. The object of the research is the process of measuring the tension of suspension ropes from the own weight of the metal part of the bridge during bringing the truss of the Arch Bridge to the design position of the metal structural elements of the bridge. The subject of the study is the determination of the impact of the combined movement of the upper attachment points (threaded cylindrical couplings) of 64 suspended ropes on the redistribution of the frequencies of natural oscillations and tensions in their contours.
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF OPERATING CONDITIONS OF TUBULAR DROP MANHOLES OF SEWERAGE SYSTEMS
Authors:   Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Kravchuk Andriy , Kravchuk Olga ,   National Transport University
Published: September 2022

The evaluation of standard pipes of drop sewerage manholes is carried out on the basis of the literature data analysis. A new design of the drop manhole with height-variable cross-sectional area is proposed on this basis. A series of experimental studies was conducted on a specially mounted setup to study and compare the characteristics and operating conditions of standard structures and structures of the proposed design. The models of drop standpipes were made of plexiglass, which allowed to visualize the structure of fluid flows in both cases. It is established that three modes of motion can take place in drop standpipes, depending on the passed flow rate: pressureless, transitional and pressure. Pressureless mode of motion should be considered as calculated for permanent cross-sectional drop. Much attention has been paid to measuring the magnitude of dynamic loads from the falling flow to the manhole bottom in the research. Non-uniformity coefficient of the dynamic load from the flow stream impact also was determined. It was defined that its value depends on the flow rate passed by the standpipe and can reach values of 3 or more for drops, that are made of a constant cross-sectional standpipe. The non-uniformity coefficient of the dynamic load for such drop should be taken equal to 1.5. The non-uniformity coefficient does not exceed 1.5 for arbitrary flow rates for variable cross-sectional standpipes.
Developing South African Tourism Climate Index
Authors: Krishnannair Syamala , Nandutu Irene , Ali Montaz , Fitchett Jennifer
Published: September 2022

Travel and Tourism as a sector has been resilient despite the diverse climatic conditions that affect tourists. Climatic conditions prevailing in the tourist destinations determine the number of tourists visiting those destinations. In 1985, Mieczkowski developed the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) to estimate the impact of climatic conditions on tourism. A mathematical model for Tourism Climate Index South African (TCISA) is proposed. Five climatic variables such as maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, cloud cover and wind speed are used as the input to the index to estimate the values of TCISA. The model for TCISA is validated using the climate data for the Durban region. Results show Durban as one of the popular tourist destinations due to its climate suitability for various tourist activities. This is comparable with the data from TripAdvisor. This study recommends the validation of the mathematical model by using more data points and climatic variables.
Quantitative downhill skiing technique analysis according to ski instruction curricula: A proof-of-concept study applying principal component analysis on wearable sensor data
Authors: Debertin Daniel , Wachholz Felix , Mikut Ralf , Federolf Peter
Published: September 2022

Downhill skiing techniquerepresents the complex coordinative movement patterns needed to control skiing motion. While scientific understanding of skiing technique is still incomplete, not least due to challenges in objectively measuring it, practitioners such as ski instructors have developed sophisticated and comprehensive descriptions of skiing technique. The current paper describes a 3-step proof-of-concept study introducing a technology platform for quantifying skiing technique that utilizes the practitioners’ expert knowledge. The approach utilizes an inertial measurement unit system (Xsens™) and presents a motion analysis algorithm based on the Principal Movement (PM) concept. In step 1, certified ski instructors skied specified technique elements according to technique variations described in ski instruction curricula. The obtained data was used to establish a PM-coordinate system for skiing movements. In step 2, the techniquesparallelandcarving turnswere compared. Step 3 presents a case study where the technique analysis methodology is applied to advise an individual skier on potential technique improvements. All objectives of the study were met, proving the suitability of the proposed technology for scientific and applied technique evaluations of downhill skiing. The underlying conceptual approach - utilizing expert knowledge and skills to generate tailored variability in motion data (step 1) that then dominate the orientation of the PMs, which, in turn, can serve as measures for technique elements of interest - could be applied in many other sports or for other applications in human movement analyses.
Development of 2-D and 3-D culture platforms derived from decellularized nucleus pulposus
Authors: Herrera Quijano Marco A. , Sharma Nadia , Morissette Martin Pascal , Séguin Cheryle A. , Flynn Lauren E.
Published: September 2022

Bioscaffolds derived from the extracellular matrix (ECM) have shown the capacity to promote regeneration by providing tissue-specific biological instructive cues that can enhance cell survival and direct lineage-specific differentiation. This study focused on the development and characterization of two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cell culture platforms incorporating decellularized nucleus pulposus (DNP). First, a detergent-free protocol was developed for decellularizing bovine nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues that was effective at removing cellular content while preserving key ECM constituents including collagens, glycosaminoglycans, and the cell-adhesive glycoproteins laminin and fibronectin. Next, novel 2-D coatings were generated using the DNP or commercially-sourced bovine collagen type I (COL) as a non-tissue-specific control. In addition, cryo-milled DNP or COL particles were incorporated within methacrylated chondroitin sulphate (MCS) hydrogels as a 3-D cell culture platform for exploring the effects of ECM particle composition. Culture studies showed that the 2-D coatings derived from the DNP could support cell attachment and growth, but did not maintain or rescue the phenotype of primary bovine NP cells, which de-differentiated when serially passaged in monolayer culture. Similarly, while bovine NP cells remained highly viable following encapsulation and 14 days of culture within the hydrogel composites, the incorporation of DNP particles within the MCS hydrogels was insufficient to maintain or rescue changes in NP phenotype associated with extended in vitro culture based on gene expression patterns. Overall, DNP produced with our new decellularization protocol was successfully applied to generate both 2-D and 3-D bioscaffolds; however, further studies are required to assess if these platforms can be combined with additional components of the endogenous NP microenvironment to stimulate regeneration or lineage-specific cell differentiation.
Uncertainties and uncertain risks of emerging biotechnology applications: A social learning workshop for stakeholder communication
Authors: Bouchaut Britte , de Vriend Huib , Asveld Lotte
Published: September 2022

Emerging applications of biotechnology such as new genomic techniques may give rise to new uncertainties and uncertain risks. Particularly the increased complexity and limited knowledge of possible risks associated with these new techniques, make it currently impossible to perform an adequate environmental risk assessment. As a result, there is a risk that such techniques don’t get beyond experiments demonstrating the proof of principle, stifling their further development and implementation. To break free from this deadlock, we must be able to learn what such uncertainties and uncertain risks entail, and how they should be assessed to ensure safe further development. To shape a responsible learning environment to explore uncertainties and uncertain risks, we have organized five stakeholder workshops. By means of a case about the genetic engineering of plants’ rhizosphere–an application abundant with uncertain risks–we identified tensions between different stakeholder groups and their different estimates of uncertainties and uncertain risks. Based upon derived insights, we developed a tool–a script for researchers to organize a stakeholder workshop–that enables a constructive discussion about emerging risks with a broad range of stakeholders. Thereby, the script provides a step-by-step approach to identify uncertainties, develop anticipatory strategies and adaptations in (experimental) research designs to lower or mitigate the earlier identified uncertainties, and helps to identify knowledge gaps for which (additional) risk research should be set up.
Random regret minimization for analyzing driver actions, accounting for preference heterogeneity
Authors: Rezapour Mahdi , Ksaibati Khaled
Published: September 2022

Increasingly more studies have implemented random regret minimization (RRM) as an alternative to random utility maximization (RUM) for modeling travelers’ choice-making behaviors. While for RUM, the focus is on utility maximization, for RRM the emphasis is on the regret of not selecting the best alternative. This study presented RRM and RUM for modeling actions made by drivers that resulted in crashes. The RRM method was considered in this study as the actions made before crashes might be the resultants of avoidance of regrets across the alternatives rather than the maximization of the utility related to the considered attributes. In addition, we extended the considered models to account for the unobserved heterogeneity in the datasets. Finally, we gave more flexibility to our model by changing the means of random parameters based on some observed attributes. This is one of the earliest studies, which considered the technique in the context of traffic safety for modeling drivers’ action while accounting for heterogeneity in the dataset by means of the random parameter. In addition, we considered the impact of inclusion of various predictors in the model fit of RRM and RUM. The results showed that while the standard RUM model outperforms the RRM model, the standard mixed models and the mixed models accounting for observed heterogeneity outperform the other techniques. As expected from the methodological structure of RRM, we found that the RRM performance is very sensitive to the included attributes. For instance, we found that by excluding the attributes of drivers’ condition and drivers under influence (DUI), the RRM model significantly outperforms the RUM model. The impact might be linked to the fact that when drivers are under abnormal conditions or influenced by drugs or alcohol, based on the sum of pairwise regret comparison, the inclusion of those attributes deteriorates the goodness-of-fit of the RRM model. It is possible that those parameters do not make a difference on regret pairwise comparison related to alternatives. The discussions at the end of this article examined possible reasons behind this performance.
Examination of different wall jet and impinging jet concepts to produce large-scale downburst outflow
Authors: Mejia Alvaro Danilo , Elawady Amal , Vutukuru Krishna Sai , Chen Dejiang , Chowdhury Arindam Gan
Published: September 2022

Thunderstorm downburst winds are a major cause of severe damage to buildings and other infrastructure. The initiative of the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind (WOW) Experimental Facility to design and develop a downburst simulator was established to open new horizons for multi-hazard engineering research by extending the current capabilities of the facility to enable the simulation of non-synoptic winds. Five different downburst simulator designs have been tested in the 1:15 small-scale replica of the WOW to identify the optimal design. The design concepts tested herein considered both the 2-D impinging jet and the 2-D wall jet simulation methods. The basic design methodology consists of transforming the available atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind simulator into downburst winds by adding an external modification device to the exit of the flow management box. A flow characterization comparison among the five contending downburst simulators, along with comparisons to real downbursts and previous literature findings, has been conducted. The study on the effect of surface roughness length on the height of the peak wind velocity showed that the implementation of a 2-D plane wall jet enables large-scale outflows (higher peak velocity height) with high Reynold numbers, which is advantageous in terms of reducing scaling effects. In general, the current research work showed that four downburst simulation methods were suitable for adoption; however, only one downburst simulator was recommended based on the feasibility of construction in the facility. The chosen downburst simulator consisted of a two louver slat system near the bottom, with a blockage at the top. This configuration enables producing a large rolling vortex passing through the testing section, which would serve adequately in the further study of turbulent flow characterization and testing of larger scale test models.
Effect of TP53 deficiency and KRAS signaling on the bioenergetics of colon cancer cells in response to different substrates: A single cell study
Authors: Kealey James , Düssmann Heiko , Llorente-Folch Irene , Niewidok Natalia , Salvucci Manuela , Prehn Jochen H. M. , D’Orsi Beatrice
Published: September 2022

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. Somatic mutations in genes involved in oncogenic signaling pathways, including KRAS and TP53, rewire the metabolic machinery in cancer cells. We here set out to determine, at the single cell level, metabolic signatures in human colon cancer cells engineered to express combinations of activating KRAS gene mutations and TP53 gene deletions. Specifically, we explored how somatic mutations in these genes and substrate availability (lactate, glucose, substrate deprivation) from the extracellular microenvironment affect bioenergetic parameters, including cellular ATP, NADH and mitochondrial membrane potential dynamics. Employing cytosolic and mitochondrial FRET-based ATP probes, fluorescent NADH sensors, and the membrane-permeant cationic fluorescent probe TMRM in HCT-116 cells as a model system, we observed that TP53 deletion and KRAS mutations drive a shift in metabolic signatures enabling lactate to become an efficient metabolite to replenish both ATP and NADH following nutrient deprivation. Intriguingly, cytosolic, mitochondrial and overall cellular ATP measurements revealed that, in WT KRAS cells, TP53 deficiency leads to an enhanced ATP production in the presence of extracellular lactate and glucose, and to the greatest increase in ATP following a starvation period. On the other hand, oncogenic KRAS in TP53-deficient cells reversed the alterations in cellular ATP levels. Moreover, cell population measurements of mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism using a Seahorse analyzer demonstrated that WT KRAS TP53-silenced cells display an increase of the basal respiration and tightly-coupled mitochondria, in the presence of glucose as substrate, compared to TP53 competent cells. Furthermore, cells possessing oncogenic KRAS, independently of TP53 status, showed less pronounced mitochondrial membrane potential changes in response to metabolic nutrients. Furthermore, analysis of cytosolic and mitochondrial NADH levels revealed that the simultaneous presence of TP53 deletion and oncogenic KRAS showed the most pronounced alteration in cytosolic and mitochondrial NADH during metabolic stress. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate how activating KRAS mutation and loss of TP53 remodel cancer metabolism and lead to alterations in bioenergetics under metabolic stress conditions by modulating cellular ATP production, NADH oxidation, mitochondrial respiration and function.
Septate junction proteins are required for cell shape changes, actomyosin reorganization and cell adhesion during dorsal closure in Drosophila
Authors: De Oindrila , Rice Clinton , Zulueta-Coarasa Teresa , Fernandez-Gonzalez Rodrigo , Ward Robert E.
Published: September 2022

Septate junctions (SJs) serve as occluding barriers in invertebrate epithelia. In Drosophila, at least 30 genes are required for the formation or maintenance of SJs. Interestingly, loss-of-function mutations in core SJ components are embryonic lethal, with defects in developmental events such as head involution and dorsal closure (DC) that occur prior to the formation of a mature SJ, indicating a role for these proteins in mid-embryogenesis independent of their occluding function. To understand this novel function in development, we examined loss-of-function mutations in three core SJ proteins during the process of DC. DC occurs during mid-embryogenesis to seal a dorsal gap in the epidermis following germ band retraction. Closure is driven by contraction of the extraembryonic amnioserosa cells that temporarily cover the dorsal surface and by cell shape changes (elongation) of lateral epidermal cells that bring the contralateral sheets together at the dorsal midline. Using live imaging and examination of fixed tissues, we show that early events in DC occur normally in SJ mutant embryos, but during later closure, coracle, Macroglobulin complement-related and Neurexin-IV mutant embryos exhibit slower rates of closure and display aberrant cells shapes in the dorsolateral epidermis, including dorsoventral length and apical surface area. SJ mutant embryos also show mild defects in actomyosin structures along the leading edge, but laser cutting experiments suggest similar tension and viscoelastic properties in SJ mutant versus wild type epidermis. In a high percentage of SJ mutant embryos, the epidermis tears free from the amnioserosa near the end of DC and live imaging and immunostaining reveal reduced levels of E-cadherin, suggesting that defective adhesion may be responsible for these tears. Supporting this notion, reducing E-cadherin by half significantly enhances the penetrance of DC defects in coracle mutant embryos.
Hyperactivation of mTORC1 in a double hit mutant zebrafish model of tuberous sclerosis complex causes increased seizure susceptibility and neurodevelopmental abnormalities
Authors: De Meulemeester Ann-Sofie , Heylen Lise , Siekierska Aleksandra , Mills James D. , Romagnolo Alessia , Van Der Wel Nicole N. , Aronica Eleonora , de Witte Peter A. M.
Published: September 2022

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multisystem genetic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in TSC1 and TSC2 genes. TSC patients present with seizures and brain abnormalities such as tubers and subependymal giant cells astrocytoma (SEGA). Despite common molecular and clinical features, the severity of the disease varies greatly, even intrafamilially. The second hit hypothesis suggests that an additional, inactivating mutation in the remaining functional allele causes a more severe phenotype and therefore explains the phenotypic variability. Recently, second hit mutations have been detected frequently in mTORopathies. To investigate the pathophysiological effects of second hit mutations, several mouse models have been developed. Here, we opted for a double mutant zebrafish model that carries a LOF mutation both in the tsc2 and the depdc5 gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a second-hit model has been studied in zebrafish. Significantly, the DEP domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) gene has an important role in the regulation of mTORC1, and the combination of a germline TSC2 and somatic DEPDC5 mutation has been described in a TSC patient with intractable epilepsy. Our depdc5−/−x tsc2−/− double mutant zebrafish line displayed greatly increased levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1) activity, augmented seizure susceptibility, and early lethality which could be rescued by rapamycin. Histological analysis of the brain revealed ventricular dilatation in the tsc2 and double homozygotes. RNA-sequencing showed a linear relation between the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the degree of mTORC1 hyperactivity. Enrichment analysis of their transcriptomes revealed that many genes associated with neurological developmental processes were downregulated and mitochondrial genes were upregulated. In particular, the transcriptome of human SEGA lesions overlapped strongly with the double homozygous zebrafish larvae. The data highlight the clinical relevance of the depdc5−/− x tsc2−/− double mutant zebrafish larvae that showed a more severe phenotype compared to the single mutants. Finally, analysis of gene-drug interactions identified interesting pharmacological targets for SEGA, underscoring the value of our small zebrafish vertebrate model for future drug discovery efforts.
Emerging concepts on the mechanical interplay between migrating cells and microenvironment in vivo
Authors: Ventura Guilherme , Sedzinski Jakub
Published: September 2022

During embryogenesis, tissues develop into elaborate collectives through a myriad of active mechanisms, with cell migration being one of the most common. As cells migrate, they squeeze through crowded microenvironments to reach the positions where they ultimately execute their function. Much of our knowledge of cell migration has been based on cells’ ability to navigate in vitro and how cells respond to the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). These simplified and largely passive surroundings contrast with the complexity of the tissue environments in vivo, where different cells and ECM make up the milieu cells migrate in. Due to this complexity, comparatively little is known about how the physical interactions between migrating cells and their tissue environment instruct cell movement in vivo. Work in different model organisms has been instrumental in addressing this question. Here, we explore various examples of cell migration in vivo and describe how the physical interplay between migrating cells and the neighboring microenvironment controls cell behavior. Understanding this mechanical cooperation in vivo will provide key insights into organ development, regeneration, and disease.
Yeast community composition impacts on tequila industry waste treatment for pollution control and waste-to-product synthesis
Authors: Díaz-Vázquez Diego , Garibay Marycarmen Verduzco , Fernández del Castillo Alberto , Orozco-Nunnelly Danielle A. , Senés-Guerrero Carolina , Gradilla-Hernández Misael Sebastián
Published: September 2022

The Tequila industry is a major producer of wastewater in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Tequila vinasses (TV) are a residue from the distillation of fermented agave wort during tequila production. TV are difficult to treat due their high organic content, high nutrient loads, acidic pH and high discharge temperature. TV are frequently released into waterbodies or soil without any treatment, leading to environmental degradation of soil and water sources. To reduce the environmental impact of the tequila industry, cost-effective TV revalorization approaches must be developed. The goals of the present study were to assess the treatment and revalorization potential of TV using mono and mixed yeast cultures to produce single-cell protein (SCP) and to analyze yeast community composition using high-throughput sequencing during the mixed-culture fermentation of TV. The fermentation process was performed using a mixed culture of three fodder yeast species (Candida utilis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Kluyveromyces marxianus) during 48 h at benchtop-scale. High-throughput sequencing was performed to assess the relative abundance of the yeast communities. Additionally, a redundancy analysis was performed to analyze the bidirectional influence between yeast communities and pollutant removal (COD, nitrogen, phosphorus, proteins, and sugars). Mixed yeast cultures displayed overall higher pollutant removal rates than monocultures, where C. utilis and K. marxianus contributed the most to pollutant removal and protein accumulation. The R. mucilaginosa population declined rapidly in mixed culture, presumably due to TV acidity and phenolic composition. However, the presence of The R. mucilaginosa in the mixed culture enhanced pollutant removal and amino acid contents. Accordingly, the protein and amino acid content within mixed cultures were significantly higher than those of monocultures, indicating that mixed cultures have a strong potential to produce protein rich biomass from TV, aiding in the transition of both the tequila and the livestock industries to a sustainable circular bioeconomy model by the reintegration of organic material flows into productive processes, reducing raw resource intake and waste generation. The present circular bioeconomy approach could represent a potential to produce 45,664 tons of protein feed yearly, based on the current tequila vinasses generated in the state of Jalisco.
Curcumin affects function of Hsp90 and drug efflux pump of Candida albicans
Authors: Lee Yean Sheng , Chen Xinyue , Widiyanto Tria Widiasih , Orihara Kanami , Shibata Hiroyuki , Kajiwara Susumu
Published: September 2022

Candida albicans is a pathogenic yeast that causes candidiasis in immunocompromised patients. The overuse of antifungal drugs has led to the development of resistance to such drugs by this fungus, which is a major challenge in antifungal chemotherapy. One approach to this problem involves the utilization of new natural products as an alternative source of antifungals. Curcumin, one such natural product, has been widely studied as a drug candidate and is reported to exhibit antifungal activity against C. albicans. Although studies of the mechanism of curcumin against human cancer cells have shown that it inhibits heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), little is known about its function against C. albicans. In this paper, using a doxycycline-mediated HSP90 strain and an HSP90-overexpressing strain of C. albicans, we demonstrated that the curcumin triggered a decrease in Hsp90 by affecting it at the post-transcriptional level. This also led to the downregulation of HOG1 and CDR1, resulting in a reduction of the stress response and efflux pump activity of C. albicans. However, the inhibition of HSP90 by curcumin was not due to the inhibition of transcription factors HSF1 or AHR1. We also found that curcumin can not only decrease the transcriptional expression of CDR1, but also inhibit the efflux pump activity of Cdr1. Hence, we conclude that disruption of HSP90 by curcumin could impair cell growth, stress responses and efflux pump activity of C. albicans.
Social media influence on politicians' and citizens' relationship through the moderating effect of political slogans
Authors: Fatema Shafaq , Yanbin Li , Fugui Dong
Published: September 2022

The digitalization of communication means has revolutionized the way people observe and react to the social and political developments in their surroundings. The rapidly growing influence of social media prompted this exploratory research article on the use of social networking sites by politicians to build a cordial and strong relationship with the common citizens. This article focuses on investigating social media's influence on the relationship between politicians and citizens through the moderating effect of political slogans. Social media not only enables the politicians to directly communicate with the citizens but also encourages political participation of citizens in the form of feedback via comments on social networking sites. Political slogans play a significant role in the image building of a particular political force in the eyes of citizens. A quantitative analysis approach is utilized in this study. Data are collected via a survey questionnaire from a variety of social media users with a cross-sectional time horizon. In total, 300 people submitted their responses via the questionnaire, which was circulated in the first 2 months of this year (i.e., January and February 2022). The convenience sampling method was utilized for data collection across two cities in Pakistan. Smart PLS 3 has been used for hypothesis testing. The effect of the Moderator, i.e., political slogans of the basic four political parties of Pakistan are measured individually. Results show that the impact of social networking sites and politics on politicians' and citizens' relationships is positive and significant. This study can be a stepping stone for further related research to enable the politicians to make positive relationships with the citizens by effectively utilizing the social media platform.
A survey on peer-to-peer energy trading for local communities: Challenges, applications, and enabling technologies
Authors: Nadeem Adnan
Published: September 2022

Electricity is still a highly demanding resource in developing countries, especifically in rural areas. Local communities in developing countries are now focusing on generating their own electricity using solar and trading the energy which is in access to the supplier. Energy trading at the peer-to-peer level is a novel paradigm. It allows customers to contribute energy to the grid and power generation and supply companies. In this paper, we investigate the energy trading enabling technologies, their applications, challenges, and benefits to the local communities from various aspects. We analyse how blockchain and IoT technologies can help energy trading at the customer level from recent research proposals. We also present our analysis of recent research on the implementation of energy trading technologies and future directions.