bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gerakan Literasi Sekolah dan Penguatan Pendidikan Karakter Terhadap Perumusan Materi Pokok Madrasah Ibtidaiyah
Authors: Noviansah Ahmad
Published: January 2021

National government policy to make regulations School literacy movement is an effort of the Ministry of Education and Culture in achieving one of its programs, which is to fulfill the nation's children from the age of development to read so that the potential of human resources increases and broadens public involvement in developing and cultivating literacy in Indonesia, the school litersation movement is also a comprehensive and ongoing effort to make schools the first learning organization to be based on, lack of interest in reading or ability literacy has an impact on people's lives. Conceptually, literacy is adopted and promoted by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud), so that character education also arises to develop the character of the nation's children, character education is all that concerns good behavior, character, heart, soul, behavior, perosonality, nature , temperament, character, character, and nature.

 

[Kebijakan pemerintah Nasional untuk membuat peraturan Gerakan literasi sekolah (GLS) adalah suatu upaya Kemeterian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan dalam mencapai salah programnya yaitu menunbuhkan anak bangsa dari usia perkembangan untuk membaca supaya potensi SDM meningkat dan memperluas keterlibatan publik dalam menumbuh kembangkan dan membudayakan literasi di Indonesia, gerakan litersasi sekolah juga menjadi upaya yang dilakukan secara menyeluh dan berkelanjutan untuk menjadikan sekolah sebagai organisasi pembelajaran pertama dikarnakan, rendahnya minat baca atau kemampuan literasi berdampak dalam kehidupan masyarakat. Secara konseptual pengertian literasi yang diadopsi dan disosialisasikan oleh Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendikbud), sehingga timbullah juga pendidikan karakter untuk menumbuh kembangkan  karakter anak bangsa, pendidikan karakter merupakan semua yang menyangkut perangai baik itu budi pekerti, hati, jiwa, perilaku, perosonalitas, sifat, temperamen, tabiat, watak, dan sifat]
Pembentukan Karakter Religius Siswa Melalui Pembiasaan Aktivitas Keagamaan
Authors: Nurbaiti Rahma , Alwy Susiati , Taulabi Imam
Published: January 2021

This study aims to find out how the religious character of students developed in the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri 2 Bandar Kidul and how the formation of character through habituation of religious activities. The type and approach of research use descriptive qualitative. Data sources were obtained through interviews with the headmaster of the madrasa, curriculum waka, religious waka, class teachers, Islamic Religious Education teachers, several student guardians, and students. The results showed that the religious character of the students developed was devotion, sincerity, honesty, politeness, help, help, love, grace, cleanliness, competition, and gratitude. Formation of religious character through the habituation of religious activities through joint prayer before and after learning, performing dhuha and dhuhur prayers, reading juz 'amma, asmaul husna, istighasah, infaq, habituation Salam, salim, greeting, smiling, polite and polite, religious extracurricular activities such as tambourines, recite the Qur'an, the commemoration of Islamic holidays. Religious character is formed through the habituation of religious activities.

 

[Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui bagaimana karakter religius siswa yang dikembangkan di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri 2 Bandar Kidul dan bagaimana pembentukan karakter melalui pembiasaan aktivitas keagamaan. Jenis dan pendekatan penelitian menggunakan kualitatif deskriptif. Sumber data diperoleh melalui wawancara dengan kepala madrasah, waka kurikulum, waka keagamaan, guru kelas, guru Pendidikan Agama Islam, beberapa wali murid dan murid. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa karakter religius siswa yang dikembangkan yaitu ketaqwaan, keikhlasan, kejujuran, kesopanan, tolong-menolong, cinta rosul, kebersihan, kompetitif, dan rasa syukur. Pembentukan karakter religius melalui pembiasaan aktivitas keagamaan melalui doa bersama sebelum dan sesudah pembelajaran, pelaksanaan shalat dhuha dan dhuhur berjamaah, pembacaan juz ‘amma, asmaul husna, istighasah, infaq, pembiasaan Salam, salim, sapa, senyum, sopan dan santun, kegiatan ekstrakulikuler keagamaan seperti rebana, Baca Tulis Qur’an, Peringatan Hari Besar Islam. Karakter religius yang terbentuk melalui pembiasaan aktivitas keagamaan]
Implementasi Model ESQ Pada Pendidikan Agama Islam di SDN 2 Kepanjen Malang
Authors: Catur Ningtiyas Peni
Published: January 2021

Alam berfikir postmodernisme mengajarkan untuk meninjau ulang konsep-konsep pendidikan yang selama ini dianggap baku. Salah satunya adalah apakah cukup manusia hanya ditekankan untuk memiliki kecerdasan intelektual semata? Berangkat dari pertanyaan di atas, penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan pendekatan studi kepustakaan atau Library Research. Studi kepustakaan adalah teknik pengum-pulan data dengan mengadakan studi penelaahan terhadap buku-buku, literatur-literatur, catatan-catatan, dan laporan-la-poran yang ada hubungannya dengan ma-salah yang dipecahkan. Dari hasil kajian ini, banyak ditemukan ragam kecerdasan yang justru lebih dianggap penting bagi kehidupan. Manusia bisa dianggap lebih kursial jika memiliki beberapa macam kecerdasan, yang diantaranya terdiri IQ (Intelegence Quotient), EQ (Emosional Quotient), SQ (Spiritual Quotient) dan kecerdasan yang Emotional spiritual quostient (ESQ) berperan krusial pada lembaga-lembaga pendidikan yang ber-basis Islam mampu mengembangkan pen-didikan Islam di Indonsia. Konsep yang bisa dikembangkan sebagai berikut: konsep kebebasan hati,  rukun iman, rukun Islam, dan ketauhidan
The Qualified Islamic Religious Education Teachers as a Foundation in Learning at MI
Authors: Nurul Arifin Muhammad
Published: January 2021

MI teachers especially those who teach Islamic Religious Education will have to do with the morals of students, where the benchmark of the final results of PAI education is the application of PAI in the daily lives of students, the success or failure of students in PAI learning can be seen from the attitudes of students, research using the research method of literature by using content analysis techniques from the literature. PAI teacher must know the characteristics of MI students, know the change in behavior from learning outcomes, learning achievement, teacher competence, and also must be able to understand and learn about how a good PAI teacher, so that when the PAI teacher already knows and even masters it, the PAI teacher can improve its quality, so that it can be used as a foundation to sustain the change in attitude of students in primary schools especially the scope of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah.
Pengembangan Pendekatan Somatic – Auditory – Visualization Intellectually (SAVI) Dalam Meningkatkan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Pada Mata Pelajaran Fikih Melalui Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh; Studi Di MTs Nidhomiyah Surowono Kecamatan Badas Kabupaten Kediri
Authors: Masnaiyah Haizatul , Susanti Tjahja Dini Sri
Published: January 2021

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid 19) in Indonesia has prompted the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Religion to urge schools to organize distance learning. Because of this appeal, schools and madrasas organize distance learning activities, including MTs Nidhomiyah Surowono, Badas District. However, the distance learning of fiqh subjects is only providing assignments through the WA group and there is no feedback from the teacher. This phenomenon causes the problems solving skills of the students to become low. So research and development (R & D) were done on the fiqh subjects to describe 1) the steps for developing somatic-auditory-visualization-intellectually (SAVI) approach through distance learning, and 2) the effectiveness of developing somatic-auditory-visualization-intellectually approach (SAVI) to increase the problem-solving skills on the fiqh subjects through distance learning. This research used the research and development (R & D) approach Borg and Gall model that combined with the ADDIE model. The testing model used an experimental pretest-posttest control group design. The result of the pretest and posttest were analyzed by the test of normality, homogeneity, N-gain scores, and independent-sample t-test with IBM SPSS Statistics version 21. The results showed that the SAVI approach was quite effective in improving students' problem-solving skills. This can be seen based on the results of the pre-test and post-test in the experimental class compared to the control class. From the experimental class, it was obtained that the pre-test results had an average of 52, but after receiving the SAVI approach, the post-test score was 67. Far different from the control class whose initial class average score was 49 to 56. This is also supported by the mean results of the N-gain score for the experimental class was 33.5513 or 33.6 which was included in the moderate or moderately effective criteria.
BLOKZİNCİRİ TEKNOLOJİSİNİN ÜÇÜNCÜ PARTİ LOJİSTİK (3PL) İŞLETMELERİNDE KULLANILMASINA YÖNELİK ANALİTİK HİYERARŞİ SÜRECİ (AHP) UYGULAMASI
Authors: KIRBAÇ Gökhan , TEKTAŞ Berna
Published: January 2021

Günümüzde modern lojistik ve tedarik zinciri yapısı giderek daha karmaşık ve global bir hale gelmektedir. Dünyanın herhangi bir yerinde meydana gelen bir olay yine dünyanın herhangi bir yerindeki üretimi ya da bir hizmetin son tüketiciye ulaştırılmasını etkileyebilmektedir. Dolayısıyla ürün ya da hizmet tedariğinde lojistik faaliyetlere ait bir bileşenin veya hizmetin kesintiye uğraması ya da beklenildiği gibi yapılmaması tedarik zinciri boyunca işletmeye hem finansal hem de güven açısından ciddi zararlar verebilir. Söz konusu yaşanan bu zorluklara çözüm sunması açısından lojistik sektörüne kapsamlı hizmet sunan Üçüncü Parti Lojistik (3PL) hizmet sağlayıcı işletmeler son derece önemli bir yere sahiptir. Bu kapsamda yıkıcı bir teknoloji olarak adlandırılan blokzinciri teknolojisin 3PL işletmelerin faaliyetlerini yerine getirirken karşılaştıkları zorlukların çözümünde ve müşteri gereksinimlerinin yerine getirilmesi konusunda kullanılmasına dair uygulama önerisi yapılmıştır. 3PL işletmelerle yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerin ardından müşteri gereksinimlerinin önem seviyelerinin belirlenmesinde Çok Kriterli Karar Verme tekniği olan Analitik Hiyerarşi Süreci (AHP) uygulanmıştır. Son olarak müşteri gereksinimlerinin blokzinciri teknolojisinin fonksiyonellik açısından hangi teknik özelliklerle karşılanabileceğine dair yol haritası ve öneriler belirlenmiştir.
TÜRKİYE’DE FİNANSAL DOLARİZASYONUN ENFLASYON VE İSTİHDAM İLE OLAN ETKİLEŞİMİ
Authors: ÖZKUL Gökhan
Published: January 2021

Son yıllarda gelişmekte olan ülkelerde yaşanan döviz kuru krizleri, dolarizasyon süreçlerinin artmasına neden olmuştur. Ortaya çıkan bu süreç, finansal sistemdeki çeşitliliğin bir sonucu olarak farklı türlere ayrılabilmektedir. Bunlardan biri ise finansal dolarizasyondur. Büyük döviz kuru dalgalanmalarının varlığında finansal dolarizasyonun makroekonomik ve finansal istikrar için ciddi tehditler oluşturabileceği konusunda literatürde geniş bir fikir birliği vardır. Bu çerçevede çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’de finansal dolarizasyonun enflasyon ve istihdam ile olan etkileşimini Aralık 2005 – Kasım 2020 dönemi aylık verilerini kullanarak incelemektir. Çalışmada finansal dolarizasyonun ölçümünde mevduat dolarizasyonu ve kredi dolarizasyonu kullanılmıştır. Serilerin durağanlıkları ADF, PP ve Lee-Strazicich birim kök testleri ile test edilmiştir. Değişkenler arasındaki nedensellik ilişkisi ise Toda-Yamamoto nedensellik analizi ile test edilmiştir. Ayrıca değişkenler arasındaki ilişkinin gücünü ölçmek amacıyla etki tepki fonksiyonları da incelenmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre mevduat dolarizasyonundan enflasyon ve istihdama, istihdamdan kredi dolarizasyonuna ve kredi dolarizasyonundan enflasyona doğru bir nedensellik ilişkisi olduğu bulunmuştur.
Hypoxia and warming are associated with reductions in larval bivalve abundance in a tropical lagoon
Authors: Weinstock JB , Collin R
Published: January 2021

Hypoxia can have drastic adverse effects on coastal ecosystems, especially when coupled with heat stress. Most organisms are thought to be more sensitive to stress during their larval phase, though few studies have documented impacts of multiple stressors, like hypoxia and temperature, on invertebrates in the field or on their larvae. We measured the effects of low oxygen and warm temperatures on bivalve larval concentrations in Almirante Bay, a tropical lagoon in Panama, by collecting both plankton samples and environmental data weekly from midwater and deep water at 3 sites during 2017. For part of the year, midwater depths were cooler and more oxygenated, while deep waters were warmer and hypoxic, with more extreme and persistent hypoxia further onshore. During this warm and hypoxic season, larvae became less concentrated in deep samples at both the moderate and extreme hypoxic sites. A multiple regression, run on all deep samples regardless of site, indicated that the interaction between temperature and oxygen and the main effect of oxygen both significantly affected larval concentrations. As coastal oceans continue to warm, these relationships will likely reduce settlement and/or recruitment in hypoxia-prone areas and ultimately alter local benthic ecosystems.
Residency and habitat use patterns by sympatric stingrays at a remote atoll in the Western Indian Ocean
Authors: Elston C , Cowley PD , von Brandis RG , Lea J
Published: January 2021

Information on the spatial ecology of batoids is lacking despite the need for this information for effective management and conservation of this vulnerable faunal group. We used acoustic telemetry to monitor the presence of dasyatids (Pastinachus ater, Urogymnus granulatus, and U. asperrimus) from March 2014 to November 2017 within and around the isolated St. Joseph Atoll, Seychelles. Results highlighted residency (median residency index = 0.75 and 0.57 for P. ater and U. granulatus) over periods of months to years for both juveniles and adults. Individuals displayed highly restricted movements; most detections occurred within 1 km of tagging locations, and movement networks were small and fragmented. However, juveniles increased their range of movements with size before dispersing to various locations on the Amirantes Bank. Within the atoll, resident adults and juveniles segregated ontogenetically by habitat; adults were more reliant on the deeper lagoon, while juveniles were largely restricted to the shallow sand flats, likely in an effort to avoid predators. Conversely, no inter-specific space partitioning was identified. This study provides preliminary evidence that this atoll is a dasyatid nursery; however, comparative research at other atolls is required to understand the role that atolls may play as batoid nurseries. This study was performed in the South West Indian Ocean, an understudied fisheries conservation hotspot where biodiversity is high but management effectiveness is low. The identification of a dasyatid refuge in this region highlights that the current marine protected area designation will likely provide conservation benefits for the dasyatid populations across the entire Amirantes Bank.
You Say it Best When You Say Nothing At All: “[the Rule of Law]”
Authors: Burgess Paul
Published: January 2021

In this paper, I consider the way that ‘the Rule of Law’ is, or is not, deployed in both theoretical conceptions and apex courts' decisions. Where many early Rule of Law conceptions did not use ‘the Rule of Law’ and contemporary Western apex courts sometimes discuss the concept without uttering the phrase, I raise a question: when talking about the Rule of Law, is it possible, and is it useful, to not invoke the phrase ‘the Rule of Law’? By exploring accounts in which the phrase is not invoked, and through considering the benefits that flow from not mentioning ‘the Rule of Law’, I illuminate the circumstances in which it is, and is not, appropriate to do so. I conclude that, where there already exists an intuitive notion of the Rule of Law, the Rule of Law can be discussed best by not mentioning ‘the Rule of Law’.
Reputed Ownership in Scots Law: An Historical and Doctrinal Analysis
Authors: Brogan Paul M
Published: January 2021

“What remedy is available to creditors seeking to exercise diligence over corporeal moveable property in the possession of their debtors, but the ownership of which lies with another? The presumption of ownership from possession offers some relief to creditors faced with an action for vindication by the true owner of the goods. But the presumption can be overcome. However, reputed ownership seeks to permit creditors to proceed with diligence when the moveables have been fraudulently, carelessly or unnecessarily left in the possession of the relevant debtor. This article will explain that the true owner is personally barred from recovering the goods, as a result of such “fraudulent” or careless conduct. Lengthy academic discussion of the doctrine in Scotland is scarce. To analyse its legal basis, reference is made to South Africa and England, which recognise the reputed ownership context as part of the general law of estoppel. This article will also explain that despite its mostly historical significance, reputed ownership still survives in the current law, within the statutory framework of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002.”
Children and Young People as Activist Authors
Authors: Nance-Carroll Niall
Published: January 2021

Children and young people, including individual activists such as Greta Thunberg and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, as well as larger groups such as March for Our Lives and It's Not Your Fault, are raising their profile and advancing their political agendas through social media, protests, and speeches. This article examines the ways in which their arguments draw on three forms of ethical underpinning: equity claims to the same rights as adults, assertions of unique rights or protections based on child status, and projections into a future adulthood to demand protection of the environment. While some adults have welcomed and lauded young people's political involvement, others object to the very idea of young people's presence in the political arena. Youth activism has been met with expressions of concern over supposed naïveté or vulnerability, as well as contempt and even aggression toward children who would disrupt an adult-dominated hierarchy through their action, speech, and writing
Live broadcast impact in teaching and learning process during Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Jahrir Andi Sahtiani , Tahir Muhammad
Published: January 2021

This research concerns the impact of the live broadcast application use in online learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic. This study aims to determine the impact of the live broadcast application in online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The problem essence in this study is the processes, constraints, and variations in applying the live broadcast application to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study applied a qualitative study type. The participants in this study were students of the Indonesian Language and Literature department in the Faculty of Languages and Literature, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia, in 2019-2020. This study found that the learning media used in the teaching and learning process for a regular meeting during the Covid-19 pandemic as live broadcast application were Zoom, Google Meet, and Streamyard. However, students also experienced that some lecturers only used live broadcast for online examination regarding evaluating the students’ assignment progress submitted to Google Classroom. Students also reported that lecturers use live broadcast applications to teach and other applications, such as Google Classroom and LMS. This study also found out the constraints experienced by students regarding the learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study revealed that the students experienced some constraints in the learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as a large amount of data or quotas in use, the inadequate time provided by media of live broadcast, which is up to about forty minutes. Also, unsupportive signals always make weak audio sounds and sometimes close the application, making it difficult for students to comprehend the materials. Therefore, this study recommends that the lecturers maximize the teaching and learning process to anticipate time, place, and internet data packages as students’ constraints by recording the live broadcast in the form of YouTube live streaming.
Yrkesbevis för godkänt yrkesprov i floristutbildning
Authors: Gåfvels Camilla
Published: January 2021

This article is about vocational knowing in a school context, focusing on teachers’ inter- action and assessment actions. The empirical data consist of audio-recorded episodes from the assessment of a professional certificate exam, describing how five teachers to- gether assess floral arrangements. The study examines the assessment of a bouquet, and contributes to a discussion about (i) the botanical material’s importance in the assess- ment, and (ii) changes in the assessment conversation’s organisation in the form of ne- gotiations; aiming to visualise the vocational knowing and ‘dual roles’ of the teachers. The analysis highlights how aesthetic abstractions form the content of the conversation, related actions, and what aspects of professional knowing that are expressed relationally between teachers in situ. Results from the study show that respect for the material is an important part of vocational floristry knowing.
How Student Characteristics Affect Economy Students’ Digital Competences: A latent profile study
Authors: Heulingn Lsh , Wild Steffen
Published: January 2021

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) profoundly impacts in- dustry and work. It therefore is important for vocational education and training to em- phasize on the development of digital competences. However, we still know very little about how these skills are distributed among students in vocational education and train- ing (VET) in general, and the so-called ‘cooperative study programmes’ (CSP) in parti- cular. CSPs combine vocational education components with university coursework lead- ing up to a journeymen certificate and an academic degree simultaneously. This study analyses the digital competences of first-year students in a business-focussed CSP at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Germany, using a Ger- man version (the D21-Index) of the European framework for digital competences (DigComp) to assess students’ competence levels. A latent profile analysis revealed four competence profiles (reserved digitised, reserved appreciative, constructive digitised, and reflective digitised). Interestingly, our subsequent analysis showed that none of the student characteristics we assessed turned out to be distinctive for any of the four pro- files. Considerations of relevant inset points for VET institutions nationally and interna- tionally to develop tailored support of digital competence development of their students are integrated in the conclusions.
A NEW APPROACH TO REPAIR OF NON-RIGID ROAD PAVEMENT TRANSITIONAL TYPE
Authors:   M. P. Shulgin State Road Research Institute State Enterprise, Holovko Serhii
Published: January 2021

Earlier, due to insufficient financing of the road industry, funds were allocated on a leftover basis for the repair of local roads, over time the condition of these roads has deteriorated significantly. So, given the ramified network of local roads, the issue of restoring the condition of local roads is a very urgent problem. Conducted exploratory studies of the application of stabilization technology to restore the condition of local roads show that this technology is progressive, since it allows reusing existing materials while ensuring the required strength of the pavement. However, design engineers rarely use this technology, probably due to insufficient research on this approach. The task is to investigate the possibility of using stabilization technology with the use of crushed stone layers of different composition and their maximum reuse, when repairing transitional pavements. Analysis shows that there are many cases where transitional structures have significant heterogeneity and low strength. This is formed due to a weak crushed stone base and waterlogging of the subgrade soils. Over time, soil particles penetrate into the crushed stone layer and weaken the contacts between the crushed stones, as a result of which rut, pits and subsidence form on the road, which significantly complicates the movement of vehicles. Studies of the composition of existing bases show that if in a dispersed system the amount of crushed stone grains is more than 50% by volume, then a contact frame is formed in the material. Intergranular voids are filled with soil or fine aggregate, processing with such a small amount of a mineral binder (cement or lime) allows it to be significantly strengthened, as well as to create bonds between the soil and crushed stone. Modern self-propelled soil mixing machines (recycler-stabilizer) allow in one pass to perform milling (loosening) and mixing of materials of existing transitional pavement to a depth of 40 cm. Taking into account the dependence of the distribution of normal stress in a two-layer half-space, it can be seen that stabilization of the foundation to a depth of 40 cm will allow the subgrade soil to work without exceeding the permissible shear deformations. The construction of the experimental site in Berezivka, Odessa region, confirmed the assumptions about the effectiveness of the proposed solution to restore the strength of transitional pavement. Keywords: non-rigid pavement of transition type, modulus of elasticity, stabilization, rubble, soil, cold recycling.
In-vitro Characterization of a Hernia Mesh Featuring a Nanostructured Coating
Authors: Giuntoli Giulia , Muzio Giuliana , Actis Chiara , Ganora Alessandro , Calzone Stefano , Bruno Matteo , Ciardelli Gianluca , Carmagnola Irene , Tonda-Turo Chiara
Published: January 2021

Abdominal hernia repair is a frequently performed surgical procedure worldwide. Currently, the use of polypropylene (PP) surgical meshes for the repair of abdominal hernias constitutes the primary surgical approach, being widely accepted as superior to primary suture repair. Surgical meshes act as a reinforcement for the weakened or damaged tissues and support tissue restoration. However, implanted meshes could suffer from poor integration with the surrounding tissues. In this context, the present study describes the preliminary evaluation of a PCL-Gel-based nanofibrous coating as an element to develop a multicomponent hernia mesh device (meshPCL-Gel) that could overcome this limitation thanks to the presence of a nanostructured biomimetic substrate for enhanced cell attachment and new tissue formation. Through the electrospinning technique, a commercial PP hernia mesh was coated with a nanofibrous membrane from a polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin (Gel) blend (PCL-Gel). Resulting PCL-Gel nanofibers were homogeneous and defect-free, with an average diameter of 0.15 ± 0.04 μm. The presence of Gel decreased PCL hydrophobicity, so that membranes average water contact angle dropped from 138.9 ± 1.1° (PCL) to 99.9 ± 21.6°, while it slightly influenced mechanical properties, which remained comparable to those of PCL (E = 15.7 ± 2.7 MPa, σR= 7.7 ± 0.6 εR = 118.8 ± 13.2%). Hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation was conducted on PCL-Gel up to 28 days, with maximum weight losses around 20 and 40%, respectively. The meshPCL-Gel device was obtained with few simple steps, with no influences on the original mechanical properties of the bare mesh, and good stability under physiological conditions. The biocompatibility of meshPCL-Gel was assessed by culturing BJ human fibroblasts on the device, up to 7 days. After 24 h, cells adhered to the nanofibrous substrate, and after 72 h their metabolic activity was about 70% with respect to control cells. The absence of detectable lactate dehydrogenase in the culture medium indicated that no necrosis induction occurred. Hence, the developed nanostructured coating provided the meshPCL-Gel device with chemical and topographical cues similar to the native extracellular matrix ones, that could be exploited for enhancing the biological response and, consequently, mesh integration, in abdominal wall hernia repair.
Comprehensive Analysis of C. glutamicum Anaplerotic Deletion Mutants Under Defined d-Glucose Conditions
Authors: Kappelmann Jannick , Klein Bianca , Papenfuß Mathias , Lange Julian , Blombach Bastian , Takors Ralf , Wiechert Wolfgang , Polen Tino , Noack Stephan
Published: January 2021

Wild-type C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 is known to possess two enzymes with anaplerotic (C4-directed) carboxylation activity, namely phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCx) and pyruvate carboxylase (PCx). On the other hand, C3-directed decarboxylation can be catalyzed by the three enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCk), oxaloacetate decarboxylase (ODx), and malic enzyme (ME). The resulting high metabolic flexibility at the anaplerotic node compromises the unambigous determination of its carbon and energy flux in C. glutamicum wild type. To circumvent this problem we performed a comprehensive analysis of selected single or double deletion mutants in the anaplerosis of wild-type C. glutamicum under defined d-glucose conditions. By applying well-controlled lab-scale bioreactor experiments in combination with untargeted proteomics, quantitative metabolomics and whole-genome sequencing hitherto unknown, and sometimes counter-intuitive, genotype-phenotype relationships in these mutants could be unraveled. In comparison to the wild type the four mutants C. glutamiucm Δpyc, C. glutamiucm Δpyc Δodx, C. glutamiucm Δppc Δpyc, and C. glutamiucm Δpck showed lowered specific growth rates and d-glucose uptake rates, underlining the importance of PCx and PEPCk activity for a balanced carbon and energy flux at the anaplerotic node. Most interestingly, the strain C. glutamiucm Δppc Δpyc could be evolved to grow on d-glucose as the only source of carbon and energy, whereas this combination was previously considered lethal. The prevented anaplerotic carboxylation activity of PEPCx and PCx was found in the evolved strain to be compensated by an up-regulation of the glyoxylate shunt, potentially in combination with the 2-methylcitrate cycle.
Relevance of NADH Dehydrogenase and Alternative Two-Enzyme Systems for Growth of Corynebacterium glutamicum With Glucose, Lactate, and Acetate
Authors: Maeda Tomoya , Koch-Koerfges Abigail , Bott Michael
Published: January 2021

The oxidation of NADH with the concomitant reduction of a quinone is a crucial step in the metabolism of respiring cells. In this study, we analyzed the relevance of three different NADH oxidation systems in the actinobacterial model organism Corynebacterium glutamicum by characterizing defined mutants lacking the non-proton-pumping NADH dehydrogenase Ndh (Δndh) and/or one of the alternative NADH-oxidizing enzymes, L-lactate dehydrogenase LdhA (ΔldhA) and malate dehydrogenase Mdh (Δmdh). Together with the menaquinone-dependent L-lactate dehydrogenase LldD and malate:quinone oxidoreductase Mqo, the LdhA-LldD and Mdh-Mqo couples can functionally replace Ndh activity. In glucose minimal medium the Δndh mutant, but not the ΔldhA and Δmdh strains, showed reduced growth and a lowered NAD+/NADH ratio, in line with Ndh being the major enzyme for NADH oxidation. Growth of the double mutants ΔndhΔmdh and ΔndhΔldhA, but not of strain ΔmdhΔldhA, in glucose medium was stronger impaired than that of the Δndh mutant, supporting an active role of the alternative Mdh-Mqo and LdhA-LldD systems in NADH oxidation and menaquinone reduction. In L-lactate minimal medium the Δndh mutant grew better than the wild type, probably due to a higher activity of the menaquinone-dependent L-lactate dehydrogenase LldD. The ΔndhΔmdh mutant failed to grow in L-lactate medium and acetate medium. Growth with L-lactate could be restored by additional deletion of sugR, suggesting that ldhA repression by the transcriptional regulator SugR prevented growth on L-lactate medium. Attempts to construct a ΔndhΔmdhΔldhA triple mutant were not successful, suggesting that Ndh, Mdh and LdhA cannot be replaced by other NADH-oxidizing enzymes in C. glutamicum.
Heat Shock Proteins 90 kDa: Immunomodulators and Adjuvants in Vaccine Design Against Infectious Diseases
Authors: Corigliano Mariana G. , Sander Valeria A. , Sánchez López Edwin F. , Ramos Duarte Víctor A. , Mendoza Morales Luisa F. , Angel Sergio O. , Clemente Marina
Published: January 2021

Heat shock proteins 90 kDa (Hsp90s) were originally identified as stress-responsive proteins and described to participate in several homeostatic processes. Additionally, extracellular Hsp90s have the ability to bind to surface receptors and activate cellular functions related to immune response (cytokine secretion, cell maturation, and antigen presentation), making them very attractive to be studied as immunomodulators. In this context, Hsp90s are proposed as new adjuvants in the design of novel vaccine formulations that require the induction of a cell-mediated immune response to prevent infectious diseases. In this review, we summarized the adjuvant properties of Hsp90s when they are either alone, complexed, or fused to a peptide to add light to the knowledge of Hsp90s as carriers and adjuvants in the design of vaccines against infectious diseases. Besides, we also discuss the mechanisms by which Hsp90s activate and modulate professional antigen-presenting cells.
Analytical Framework for Homeowner-Focused Computational Cost-Benefit Mitigation Decision Making
Authors: Orooji Fatemeh , Friedland Carol J.
Published: January 2021

As a result of increasing windstorm losses in the United States over the past 50 years, a variety of residential wind hazard mitigation strategies have been recommended. Wind hazard mitigation undoubtedly reduces windstorm losses; however, little customized information is available to support the economic decision-making process for individual stakeholders, especially at the consumer level. Therefore, there is a need for decision support tools to calculate, evaluate, and present the economic benefits of mitigation over variable decision-making time horizons for unique building characteristics in specific geographical locations. This paper presents a cost-benefit computational decision-making recommendation framework that evaluates and presents the cost effectiveness of mitigation, customized based on location, years of interest, and building characteristics. The decision-making framework consists of two cores. The user-independent core and user-dependent core which consists of eight steps, divided into four subprocesses: (1) data acquisition, (2) data evaluation, (3) cost-benefit calculation, and (4) results comparison and decision making. To demonstrate the framework, a wood-framed single-family home in light suburban terrain in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, is used as a case study, considering retrofit mitigation with a $15,000 budget and a decision-making time horizon of 30 years. The case study provides six mitigation options, with cost ranging between approximately $2,000 and $15,000 and net benefit/cost ratios ranging from 2.4 to 13. Once fully implemented in a decision making information tool, the developed mitigation recommendation framework will provide valuable information that can be used by home designers, builders, owners, and other stakeholders to better understand the economic facets of wind hazard mitigation, providing critical information as part of the overall decision-making process.
Biomedically Relevant Applications of Bolaamphiphiles and Bolaamphiphile-Containing Materials
Authors: Hughes Jake R. , Miller Alyssa S. , Wallace Camryn E. , Vemuri Gopi Nath , Iovine Peter M.
Published: January 2021

Bolaamphiphiles (BAs) are structurally segmented molecules with rich assembly characteristics and diverse physical properties. Interest in BAs as standalone active agents or as constituents of more complex therapeutic formulations has increased substantially in recent years. The preorganized amphiphilicity of BAs allows for a range of biological activities including applications that rely on multivalency. This review summarizes BA-related research in biomedically relevant areas. In particular, we review BA-related literature in four areas: gene delivery, antimicrobial materials, hydrogels, and prodrugs. We also discuss several distinguishing characteristics of BAs that impact their utility as biomedically relevant compounds.
Proteolytic Regulation of the Lectin-Like Oxidized Lipoprotein Receptor LOX-1
Authors: Mentrup Torben , Cabrera-Cabrera Florencia , Schröder Bernd
Published: January 2021

The lectin-like oxidized-LDL (oxLDL) receptor LOX-1, which is broadly expressed in vascular cells, represents a key mediator of endothelial activation and dysfunction in atherosclerotic plaque development. Being a member of the C-type lectin receptor family, LOX-1 can bind different ligands, with oxLDL being the best characterized. LOX-1 mediates oxLDL uptake into vascular cells and by this means can promote foam cell formation. In addition, LOX-1 triggers multiple signaling pathways, which ultimately induce a pro-atherogenic and pro-fibrotic transcriptional program. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this signal transduction remain incompletely understood. In this regard, proteolysis has recently emerged as a regulatory mechanism of LOX-1 function. Different proteolytic cleavages within the LOX-1 protein can initiate its turnover and control the cellular levels of this receptor. Thereby, cleavage products with individual biological functions and/or medical significance are produced. Ectodomain shedding leads to the release of a soluble form of the receptor (sLOX1) which has been suggested to have diagnostic potential as a biomarker. Removal of the ectodomain leaves behind a membrane-bound N-terminal fragment (NTF), which despite being devoid of the ligand-binding domain is actively involved in signal transduction. Degradation of this LOX-1 NTF, which represents an athero-protective mechanism, critically depends on the aspartyl intramembrane proteases Signal peptide peptidase-like 2a and b (SPPL2a/b). Here, we present an overview of the biology of LOX-1 focusing on how proteolytic cleavages directly modulate the function of this receptor and, what kind of pathophysiological implications this has in cardiovascular disease.
Prognostic Value of Circulating sST2 for the Prediction of Mortality in Patients With Cardiac Light-Chain Amyloidosis
Authors: Zhang Yang , Xiao Ying , Liu Yongtai , Fang Quan , Tian Zhuang , Li Jian , Zhou Daobin , Xie Zhongpeng , Dong Ruijia , Zhang Shuyang
Published: January 2021

Aims: Systemic light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a multisystemic disorder leading to multiple organ dysfunction and mortality that is often caused by cardiac involvement. Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is a novel biomarker identified for risk stratification of heart disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of circulating sST2 levels in prognosis and mortality risk assessments for the AL amyloidosis population.

Methods and Results: A total of 56 patients diagnosed with AL amyloidosis were enrolled in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from January 2015 to May 2018. The relationships between the clinical parameters and overall survival (OS) and risk factors for disease progression were assessed. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan–Meier analysis, and Cox hazard models were performed to explore the predictive value of sST2 in mortality rates. We found that the median OS of all patients was 7.3 [interquartile range (IQR) 4.4, 15.9] months. The median baseline sST2 level was 12.2 (IQR 5.1, 31.1) ng/ml, and the sST2 high group had more severe patients with a higher Mayo stage. In the ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.728 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.603–0.853] for sST2 to predict the outcomes of AL amyloidosis patients, and the optimal cutoff value was 12.34 ng/ml (sensitivity 80.2%, specificity 61.1%). Moreover, in multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, sST2 acted as an independent predictor of poor functional outcome in patients with AL amyloidosis.

Conclusion: In AL amyloidosis patients, sST2 was a strong and independent prognostic biomarker for all-cause mortality, providing complementary prognostic information of a novel scoring system for risk stratification.
Case Report: Emergency High-Risk Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Bicuspid Anatomy
Authors: El-Medany Ahmed , Doolub Gemina , Dastidar Amardeep , Joshi Nikhil , Johnson Thomas , Dorman Stephen
Published: January 2021

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVR) continues to develop as a valuable alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in an increasingly wide spectrum of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). AS frequently coexists with coronary artery disease, and performing technically challenging percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following TAVR will become more frequent with increased use of TAVR.

Case Summary: We herein report the case of a 53-years-old man with complex medical history including type 1 diabetes and dialysis-dependent renal failure and prior Evolut-R TAVR for critical bicuspid aortic valve stenosis who underwent intravascular ultrasound study (IVUS)-guided PCI to a critical distal left main stem (LMS) and proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesion after presenting with ventricular fibrillation (VF) secondary to an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Discussion: Selective engagement of coronary ostia through the side cells of TAVR prosthesis can be challenging, especially in an emergency setting. The particular challenges associated with this case are described, as well as an up-to-date literature search on strategies and equipment that can help in this situation.
Drivers and Policy Choices of Industrial Total-Factor Coal Productivity: Evidence From Eastern China
Authors: Wang Di , Zhao Yueying , Zhang Zhiyuan , Yang Xiaodi , Wen Xinchen
Published: January 2021

Identifying the critical factors of industrial total-factor coal productivity (TCP) and its promotion paths will help achieve the goals of regional energy conservation and pollution reduction. Based on the perspective of total-factor productivity, this paper integrates the methods of stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), Kaya identity, and STIRPAT model to systematically diagnose the temporal and spatial characteristics and the heterogeneous sources of the industrial TCP in 11 provinces of eastern China, and it proposes some differentiated regulatory policies for different provinces. The results show that the TCP is increasing year by year and tends to converge, which indicates that increasing TCP is more and more challenging. Further research shows that there are significant spatial differences in the impact of the economic development level (EDL), industrial economic structure (IES), energy consumption intensity (ECI), and energy consumption structure (ECS) on industrial TCP. As the original driving factors of technological progress, the impact of R&D investment intensity (RII) and R&D investment levels (RIL) on industrial TCP is relatively consistent in different regions. The former has a negative congestion effect on TCP due to the imbalance of R&D investment structure, while the latter has a positive effect on TCP. Therefore, the eastern region should increase R&D expenditure and optimize R&D expenditure structure as a general way to improve TCP in each region and adopt differentiated regulatory policies in economic development and energy utilization according to local conditions.
Experimenting With the Past to Improve Environmental Monitoring
Authors: White Easton R. , Bahlai Christie A.
Published: January 2021

Long-term monitoring programs are a fundamental part of both understanding ecological systems and informing management decisions. However, there are many constraints which might prevent monitoring programs from being designed to consider statistical power, site selection, or the full costs and benefits of monitoring. Key considerations can be incorporated into the optimal design of a management program with simulations and experiments. Here, we advocate for the expanded use of a third approach: non-random resampling of previously-collected data. This approach conducts experiments with available data to understand the consequences of different monitoring approaches. We first illustrate non-random resampling in determining the optimal length and frequency of monitoring programs to assess species trends. We then apply the approach to a pair of additional case studies, from fisheries and agriculture. Non-random resampling of previously-collected data is underutilized, but has the potential to improve monitoring programs.
Targeted Gene Delivery: Where to Land
Authors: Pavani Giulia , Amendola Mario
Published: January 2021

Genome-editing technologies have the potential to correct most genetic defects involved in blood disorders. In contrast to mutation-specific editing, targeted gene insertion can correct most of the mutations affecting the same gene with a single therapeutic strategy (gene replacement) or provide novel functions to edited cells (gene addition). Targeting a selected genomic harbor can reduce insertional mutagenesis risk, while enabling the exploitation of endogenous promoters, or selected chromatin contexts, to achieve specific transgene expression levels/patterns and the modulation of disease-modifier genes. In this review, we will discuss targeted gene insertion and the advantages and limitations of different genomic harbors currently under investigation for various gene therapy applications.
Fast-TrACC: A Rapid Method for Delivering and Testing Gene Editing Reagents in Somatic Plant Cells
Authors: Nasti Ryan A. , Zinselmeier Matthew H. , Vollbrecht Macy , Maher Michael F. , Voytas Daniel F.
Published: January 2021

The production of transgenic or gene edited plants requires considerable time and effort. It is of value to know at the onset of a project whether the transgenes or gene editing reagents are functioning as predicted. To test molecular reagents transiently, we implemented an improved, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-based co-culture method called Fast-TrACC (Fast Treated Agrobacterium Co-Culture). Fast-TrACC delivers reagents to seedlings, allowing high throughput, and uses a luciferase reporter to monitor and calibrate the efficiency of reagent delivery. We demonstrate the use of Fast-TrACC in multiple solanaceous species and apply the method to test promoter activity and the effectiveness of gene editing reagents.
Genetic Structure and Evolutionary History of Rhinopithecus roxellana in Qinling Mountains, Central China
Authors: Li Yuli , Huang Kang , Tang Shiyi , Feng Li , Yang Jia , Li Zhonghu , Li Baoguo
Published: January 2021

The Qinling mountainous region is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and provides refuges for many endangered endemic animals. The golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) are considered as a flagship species in this area. Here, we depicted the genetic structure and evolutionary history via microsatellite markers and combination with the ecological niche models (ENMs) to elucidate the intraspecific divergent and the impacts of the population demography on our focal species. Our results revealed three distinct subpopulations of R. roxellana and also uncovered asymmetric historical and symmetric contemporary gene flow that existed. Our evolutionary dynamics analyses based on diyabc suggested that the intraspecific divergence accompanied with effective population sizes changes. The ENM result implied that the distribution range of this species experienced expansion during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Our results highlighted that geological factors could contribute to the high genetic differentiation within the R. roxellana in the Qinling Mountains. We also provided a new insight into conservation management plans with endangered species in this region.