bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nature’s defense against emerging neurodegenerative threats: Dynamic simulation, PCA, DCCM identified potential plant-based antiviral lead targeting borna disease virus nucleoprotein
Authors: Siddiquee Noimul Hasan , Hossain Md. Ifteker , Priya Farhana Mansoor , Azam Sakia Binte , Talukder Md. Enamul Kabir , Barua Durjoy , Malek Salina , Saha Niloy , Muntaha Sidratul , Paul Ridoy , Ritu Israt Jahan , Tuly Farjana Islam , Hossain Abir
Published: December 2024

The rare zoonotic Borna disease virus (BDV) causes fatal neurological disease in various animals, with a high mortality rate exceeding 90% in central Europe. However, unlike most viruses, it establishes persistent infections within the host cell nucleus, hindering treatment. As successful BDV treatments remain elusive, the researchers turned to a computational approach, utilizing molecular docking, ADME/T, post-docking MMGBSA, MD simulation, DCCM, and PCA to identify promising phytochemical drug candidates targeting the BDV Nucleoprotein (PDB ID: 1N93). From IMPPAT 1940 unique phytochemical compounds of a total of 8617 compounds from 36 Indian medicinal plants were retrieved. Three compounds were chosen as leads with higher binding affinity of -6.244, -6.116, and -6.07 kcal/mol with CID 163114683 (IMPHY000668) Nimbochalcin, CID 20871246 (IMPHY007896) 3,4-Dihydroxy-5-oxocyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylic acid, and CID 243 (IMPHY002962) Benzoic acid. The three top compounds coordinated with the protein’s common amino acid residues at GLN 161, ARG 165, ILE 145, ILE 162, ILE 149, and VAL 229 during molecular docking, which implies that both lead compounds and the control ligand interact within the protein’s shared active site. Afterwards, negative binding free energies of Nimbochalcin, 3,4-Dihydroxy-5-oxocyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylic acid, and Benzoic acid were -51.21, -13.94, and -22.95 kcal/mol, accordingly. Favorable Pk and toxicological characteristics are shared by all of the chosen drugs, indicating their efficacy and safety. Using MD simulation, these three compounds were further assessed, and their stability in binding to the target protein was confirmed and subsequently, DCCM and PCA analyses were carried out from MD trajectory. MD simulations found that the protein binding site is highly stable when complexed with CID 20871246 and has a higher negative binding free energy value, indicating a strong interaction between the compound and the protein. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified three main components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) that accounted for 53.43%, 12.31%, and 5.97% of the variance, respectively. These findings provide intriguing evidence that the CID 20871246-1N93 complex is more stable than the other complexes. The BDV nucleoprotein was the target of this study’s investigation where CID 20871246 (3,4-dihydroxy-5-oxocyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylic acid) exhibited tremendous antiviral activity which is found in the flower of the plant Mangifera indica revealing as a possible therapeutic candidate.
SARS-CoV-2 risk factors among symptomatic vaccinated adults attending community testing locations in the Netherlands from June 2021 till February 2022
Authors: Laarman Claudia , Hahné Susan J. , de Melker Hester E. , Knol Mirjam J.
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Most studies on risk factors for a SARS-CoV-2 infection were conducted in the pre-vaccination era with many non-pharmaceutical prevention measures in place. We investigated risk factors for symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in vaccinated persons in a period with a varying degree of prevention measures.

Methods

In a test-negative case control study among vaccinated adults attending community COVID-19 testing locations between June 1st 2021 till February 28th 2022, we compared symptomatic cases with symptomatic controls (to study risk factors specific for SARS-CoV-2) and with asymptomatic controls (to study risk factors that could apply to respiratory infections in general). We examined potential risk factors including household composition and mitigation behaviour by logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and week of testing.

Results

Risk factors for a positive SARS-CoV-2 test when symptomatic cases were compared to symptomatic controls were: having a household size of more than 4 (adjusted odds ratio: 1.47; 95% CI 1.14–1.92), being a healthcare worker (1.27;1.18–1.47), and visiting busy locations outside (1.49;1.19–1.87). When symptomatic cases were compared to asymptomatic controls, a household size of more than 4 members (1.71;1.25–2.33), living with children aged 0–12 (1.59;1.12–2.26), visiting busy locations outside (1.64;1.24–2.17) were independent risk factors for a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Risk factors for separate periods and waves differed from the study period as a whole.

Conclusion

This study was conducted in a period with a varying degree of prevention measures. Among vaccinated individuals, we identified several SARS-CoV-2 specific risk factors and SARS-CoV-2 risk factors that could be more general for respiratory infections. For SARS-CoV-2 transmission more attention could be given to visiting busy outdoor locations, having a household size that consists of more than 4 persons, being a healthcare worker, and living with children aged 0–12. Risk factors varied with different phases in the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of repeated assessment of risk factors.
Does environmental management system certification keep enterprises out of trouble? Evidence from stock price crash risk
Authors: Liu Hongyu , Binbin Qin , Qiao Pengliang
Published: December 2024

This paper examines the impact of environmental management system (EMS) certification, a significant voluntary participatory environmental regulation, on the risk of stock price collapse. The study is based on sample data of heavily polluting listed companies from 2008–2020. The study demonstrates that certification of environmental management systems has a significant impact on preventing share price collapse. This finding remains consistent even after controlling for endogeneity and conducting robustness tests. The analysis also reveals that the inhibitory effect of EMS certification is more pronounced for state-owned enterprises and firms with a higher degree of marketisation. Exploring the mechanism of its influence, it is found that environmental management system certification mainly suppresses the risk of stock price collapse by improving the environmental performance of enterprises and the transparency of corporate information, suggesting that environmental management system certification can be used as both an "environmental governance tool" for suppressing stock price collapse and an "information transfer tool" for improving the transparency of corporate information, thus suppressing the risk of stock price collapse. Meanwhile, the media’s attention has been found to moderate the effect of environmental management system certification on stock price crash risk. These findings validate the inhibitory effect of environmental management system certification on stock price crash risk, expand our understanding of the economic consequences of environmental management system certification and the factors that influence stock price crash risk. They also provide a theoretical basis and practical support for environmental regulators.
The invisible enemy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal smokeless tobacco use as a risk factor for low birth weight
Authors: Mahajan Akanksha , Gupta Bhawna , Tong Michael
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Smokeless tobacco use is a growing public health concern, with potential adverse implications for foetal outcomes if consumed during pregnancy. Birth weight is an important predictive measure for health outcomes of a child throughout their lifespan. Despite extensive literature, it is unclear whether smokeless tobacco consumption during pregnancy has an adverse effect on birth weight. Hence, this review was conducted to determine whether an association exists between maternal smokeless tobacco consumption during pregnancy and birth weight of infants.

Methods

Systematic literature search was performed in Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL with no restrictions on language or time until May 2024. All observational studies that examined the relationship between maternal smokeless tobacco use and low birth weight of infants were eligible for inclusion. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale.

Results

Thirty-three studies were eligible for the review, including twenty-eight cohort, three case-control and two cross-sectional studies. A statistically significant association between use of smokeless tobacco and low birth weight was reported in thirteen studies. Eleven studies reported a statistically significant reduction in mean birth weight in maternal smokeless tobacco users. Pooled estimates of eighteen studies with 733,061 participants showed that there was a statistically significant association (OR = 2.25 [1.63, 3.11] P<0.001); between maternal smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy and low birth weight. Subgroup analysis found a significant association between mishri consumption during pregnancy and low birth weight (n = 646 participants, OR = 10.98 [2.03, 59.34], P = 0.005), but not betel nut (n = 8007 participants, OR = 1.02 [0.84, 1.25]), betel quid (n = 483 participants, OR = 1.51 [0.47, 4.89]) or khat (n = 475 participants, OR = 1.41 [0.64–3.09]).

Conclusions

This review presents an association between maternal smokeless tobacco use and low birth weight, and reduction in mean birth weight. It is suggested that cessation and reduction of maternal smokeless tobacco use should receive specific attention within routine prenatal care.

Implications

The results of this study highlight the need for further preventive public health campaigns to create awareness about detrimental effects of smokeless tobacco on foetal outcomes. Patient education in the primary care setting will aid in promoting smokeless tobacco cessation prior to pregnancy.
Free-space optical spiking neural network
Authors: Ahmadi Reyhane , Ahmadnejad Amirreza , Koohi Somayyeh
Published: December 2024

Neuromorphic engineering has emerged as a promising avenue for developing brain-inspired computational systems. However, conventional electronic AI-based processors often encounter challenges related to processing speed and thermal dissipation. As an alternative, optical implementations of such processors have been proposed, capitalizing on the intrinsic information-processing capabilities of light. Among the various Optical Neural Networks (ONNs) explored within the realm of optical neuromorphic engineering, Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) have exhibited notable success in emulating the computational principles of the human brain. The event-based spiking nature of optical SNNs offers capabilities in low-power operation, speed, temporal processing, analog computing, and hardware efficiency that are difficult or impossible to match with other ONN types. In this work, we introduce the pioneering Free-space Optical Deep Spiking Convolutional Neural Network (OSCNN), a novel approach inspired by the computational model of the human eye. Our OSCNN leverages free-space optics to enhance power efficiency and processing speed while maintaining high accuracy in pattern detection. Specifically, our model employs Gabor filters in the initial layer for effective feature extraction, and utilizes optical components such as Intensity-to-Delay conversion and a synchronizer, designed using readily available optical components. The OSCNN was rigorously tested on benchmark datasets, including MNIST, ETH80, and Caltech, demonstrating competitive classification accuracy. Our comparative analysis reveals that the OSCNN consumes only 1.6 W of power with a processing speed of 2.44 ms, significantly outperforming conventional electronic CNNs on GPUs, which typically consume 150-300 W with processing speeds of 1-5 ms, and competing favorably with other free-space ONNs. Our contributions include addressing several key challenges in optical neural network implementation. To ensure nanometer-scale precision in component alignment, we propose advanced micro-positioning systems and active feedback control mechanisms. To enhance signal integrity, we employ high-quality optical components, error correction algorithms, adaptive optics, and noise-resistant coding schemes. The integration of optical and electronic components is optimized through the design of high-speed opto-electronic converters, custom integrated circuits, and advanced packaging techniques. Moreover, we utilize highly efficient, compact semiconductor laser diodes and develop novel cooling strategies to minimize power consumption and footprint.
Large-scale acceleration algorithms for a deep convective physical parameterization scheme on GPU
Authors: Wang Yongfei , Wang Junping , Tian Jiarui , Li Lin , Ma Fangping , Peng Fang , Ke Hu
Published: December 2024

Early warning of geological hazards requires monitoring extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall. Atmospheric circulation models are used for weather forecasting and climate simulation. As a critical physical process in atmospheric circulation models, the Zhang-McFarlane (ZM) deep convective physical parameterization scheme involves computationally intensive calculations that significantly impact the overall operational efficiency of the model. However, many of these calculations are independent and can be computed in parallel. Therefore, this paper proposes a GPU-based acceleration algorithm for the ZM scheme. Based on the computation characteristics of the ZM scheme, we propose its one-demensional and two-demensional acceleration algorithms based on GPU. These algorithms are implemented using CUDA C and compared against a single Kunpeng-920 (Dual Socket) CPU core and the OpenMP version on multi-core CPUs. In the absence of I/O transmission, the proposed algorithm achieves a speedup of 413.6×. Experimental results demonstrate the significant acceleration effect of the proposed algorithms and methods. It is of great significance for the development of deep convective parameterization schemes and their further generalization in climate models. Additionally, we propose a performance optimization method utilizing the CUDA streaming technology to improve data transmission efficiency between CPU and GPU. In the presence of I/O transmission, the proposed algorithm achieves a speedup of 350.1× on A100 GPU.
Acetaminophen administration reduces acute kidney injury risk in critically ill patients with Clostridium difficile infection: A cohort study
Authors: Liao Yue , Wang Yulong , Li Daxue , Qiu Xuewen
Published: December 2024

Background

Acetaminophen serves as a standard antipyretic and analgesic agent in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the association between its administration and acute kidney injury (AKI) among critically ill patients remains controversial, particularly lacking research in patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Our aim was to explore the potential relationship between early acetaminophen administration and AKI in critically ill patients with concurrent CDI.

Methods

Using data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) IV version 2.2 database, we performed a retrospective cohort study. AKI within 7 days of ICU admission was the main outcome that was measured. We utilized multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders based on statistical significance and clinical relevance, to investigate the association between acetaminophen exposure and the risk of AKI in patients with CDI. Additionally, subgroup analyses and sensitivity analysis were conducted to assess the robustness of our primary findings.

Results

The average age of 984 participants was 66.8 ± 16.5 years, and 52.7% (519) were male. The overall proportion of patients who developed AKI was 75.4% (742/984). In patients without and with acetaminophen administration, AKI rates were 79.8% (380/476) and 71.3% (362/508), respectively. Compared to the non-acetaminophen administration group, the risk of AKI was lower in the acetaminophen administration group (absolute risk difference: -8.5%, 95%CI: -13.83%∼-3.17%, P < 0.01).After adjusting for potential confounders, acetaminophen administration was associated with a 32% reduction in the risk of AKI (OR = 0.68, 95%CI:0.48∼0.96, P = 0.027).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that early acetaminophen administration may offer renal protection by reducing the risk of AKI in critically ill patients with CDI. Prospective, multicenter randomized controlled studies are needed to verify this finding.
Negative effects by mineral accretion technique on the heat resilience, growth and recruitment of corals
Authors: Knoester Ewout Geerten , Sanders Richard , Durden Daisy , Masiga Bulisa O. , Murk Albertinka J. , Osinga Ronald
Published: December 2024

Restoration and artificial reefs can assist the recovery of degraded reefs but are limited in scalability and climate resilience. The Mineral Accretion Technique (MAT) subjects metal artificial reefs to a low-voltage electrical current, thereby creating a calcium-carbonate coating. It has been suggested that corals on MAT structures experience enhanced health and growth. However, prior studies report conflicting results potentially due to different conditions, species and approaches used. We investigated how MAT influences the bleaching resilience, condition and growth of four coral species and natural coral recruitment in Kenya. Coral fragments were outplanted on charged iron tables using commonly-applied settings (6 V; 0.84 A m-2). After one month, when all tables had acquired a calcium-carbonate coating, half of the tables were taken off electricity to serve as controls. Both treatments (MAT and Control) were monitored on coral brightness, condition (live tissue cover), growth and natural recruitment for one year, during which a marine heatwave occurred. Coral bleaching was significantly more severe on MAT for all studied species. For three species, coral condition dropped sharply during the heatwave and this decline was faster and more severe on MAT. Coral growth was reduced during the heatwave for all corals and remained low for one species on MAT. After one year, the Control harboured 34 coral recruits, whereas none were found on MAT. Thus, while MAT can be useful to prevent corrosion of metal artificial reefs, we do not recommend MAT as reported here to improve coral growth, condition, heat resilience or recruitment.
Designing of immunodiagnostic assay using polyclonal antibodies for detection of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains
Authors: Hassen Jarso Aliyi , Moges Eskeziyaw Biniam , Yinur Mengistu Degisew , Sisay Tessema Tesfaye
Published: December 2024

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a significant bacterial pathogen that causes infantile diarrhea, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The lack of a reliable diagnostic method greatly contributes to the increased occurrence and severity of the disease. This study aimed at developing of a cost-effective, rapid, and efficient immunodiagnostic assay for detecting EPEC infection. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was extracted from overnight EPEC cultures and combined with alum adjuvant, and then injected into mice for three rounds of immunizations. Subsequently, sera were collected after each immunization and utilized in agglutination assays conducted on glass slides. Both the LPS and colonies of the EPEC isolate used for LPS preparation were employed in these agglutination assays. To evaluate the assay’s performance, a total of 34 bacteria, which comprise pathogenic, non-diarrheic E. coli and non-E. coli pathogenic bacteria were used. The developed assay detected EPEC, which yielded positive reactions within 6 minutes on average for both purified LPS and bacterial isolates. The assay exhibited 100% sensitivity and a 95.83% specificity for the detection of EPEC local isolates. Moreover, the assay also detected a low number of bacteria forming units (104X 104 CFU/ml) in spiked fecal samples. This study conclusively confirms that the developed immunodiagnostic assay possesses multiple favorable characteristics, including user-friendliness, high sensitivity, high specificity, cost-effectiveness, and time-efficiency. Hence, this assay can be used as ideal diagnostic assay, which is highly suitable for the detection and screening of EPEC infection in both humans and cattle in one health perspective of resource-limited laboratories.
How charitable giving affects litigation duration? Empirical evidence from China
Authors: Zhu Feng
Published: December 2024

Charitable donations are an important manifestation of corporate social responsibility. Current research focuses on the economic effects of corporate donations while ignoring their legal effects in the litigation field. This paper utilizes litigation and arbitration data from A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2008 to 2021 to investigate the impact and mechanism of charitable donations on the litigation duration of listed companies. The study finds that: (1) Charitable donation behavior can significantly shorten the litigation duration of listed companies. (2) This effect is particularly significant when listed companies are plaintiffs, but not significant when they are defendants. (3) The negative relationship between charitable donations of listed companies and litigation duration is achieved through reputation mechanisms. (4) This effect is more significant for listed companies located in the Northeast region and regions with a lower degree of marketization when facing civil and arbitration cases. (5) Additionally, by constructing panel data on whether companies are involved in litigation and as defendants, it is shown that corporate charitable donations not only have the function of "compensating" reputation but also serve as a kind of "insurance" for reputation. After robustness tests and overcoming endogeneity issues, the above conclusions still hold. This paper clarifies the implicit interaction mechanism between listed companies and judicial departments, enriches research in the field of organizational reputation theory, and is of significant importance for deeply understanding the motivation of corporate charitable donations.
MCP5, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein regulated by both the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, is required for the immune evasion of Borrelia burgdorferi
Authors: Raghunandanan Sajith , Zhang Kai , Zhang Yan , Priya Raj , Sze Ching Wooen , Lou Yongliang , Lynch Michael J. , Crane Brian R. , Kaplan Mark H. , Li Chunhao , Yang X. Frank
Published: December 2024

Borrelia (or Borreliella) burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a motile and invasive zoonotic pathogen adept at navigating between its arthropod vector and mammalian host. While motility and chemotaxis are well known to be essential for its enzootic cycle, the role of each methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) in the infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi remains unclear. In this study, we show that mcp5, a gene encoding one of the most abundant MCPs in B. burgdorferi, is differentially expressed in response to environmental signals and at distinct stages of the pathogen’s enzootic cycle. Notably, mcp5 expression is regulated by the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, two key regulatory pathways that are critical for the spirochete’s colonization of the tick vector and mammalian host, respectively. Infection experiments with an mcp5 mutant revealed that spirochetes lacking MCP5 were unable to establish infections in either C3H/HeN mice or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, which are deficient in adaptive immunity, underscoring MCP5’s critical role in mammalian infection. However, the mcp5 mutant was able to establish infection and disseminate in NOD SCID Gamma (NSG) mice, which are deficient in both adaptive and most innate immune responses, suggesting that MCP5 plays an important role in evading host innate immunity. Moreover, NK cell depletion in C3H and SCID mice restored the infectivity of the mcp5 mutant, further highlighting MCP5’s role in evading NK cell-associated immunity. Co-culture assays with NK cells and macrophages revealed that the mcp5 mutant enhanced interferon-gamma production by NK cells. In the tick vector, the mcp5 mutants survived feeding but failed to transmit to mice. These findings reveal that MCP5, regulated by both the Rrp1 and Rrp2 pathways, is critical for establishing infection in mammalian hosts by evading NK cell-mediated host innate immunity and is important for the transmission of spirochetes from ticks to mammalian hosts. This work provides a foundation for further elucidation of chemotactic signals sensed by MCP5 that facilitate B. burgdorferi in evading host defenses.
ANALYSIS OF TAKEOFF BEHAVIOR OF A320 AND B738 AIRCRAFT AT SULTAN HASANUDDIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BASED ON UNSUPERVISED LEARNING
Authors: Passarella Rossi , Ubaya Huda , Sutarno Sutarno
Published: December 2024

This research aims to enhance aviation safety in Indonesia by examining the impact of takeoff speed on flight incidents. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between abnormal takeoff speeds and runway exit or other accident risks for A320 and B738 aircraft at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.

Employing a quantitative research design, we analyzed a dataset of 4,550 flights over 91 days. Due to data quality constraints, only 14% of the data (628 flights) was suitable for analysis. The dataset was further divided into three classes using the elbow method to identify patterns in takeoff speeds. These classes included low, medium, and high takeoff speeds, allowing us to assess the correlation between each category and the incidence of runway exits or accidents. Preliminary findings suggest that flights with abnormal takeoff speeds are significantly associated with increased risks, highlighting the need for improved monitoring and intervention strategies at the airport.

Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing flight safety, particularly in relation to takeoff speeds. By identifying potential risks and developing targeted interventions, this research can help improve aviation safety standards in Indonesia. In addition, collaboration between airlines, regulatory bodies, and airport authorities will be essential in implementing these strategies effectively. Future studies may also explore the impact of weather conditions and pilot training on takeoff performance and further enhance safety measures in the aviation sector.
Atorvastatin-Induced Liver Injury With Concurrent Rhabdomyolysis After a Positive Rechallenge
Authors: Singh Harjit , Khalaf Adam , Kunkle Bryce F. , Gholami Sherry , Lewis James H. , Rangnekar Amol S.
Published: December 2024

Statin-induced liver injury has been widely described. However, cases of clinically significant liver injury are rare. We present a 56-year-old woman who developed atorvastatin-induced grade III acute liver injury with concurrent rhabdomyolysis that worsened after rechallenging, which highlighted the need for pharmacovigilance with statins. The Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method and Revised Electronic Causality Assessment Method both showed that atorvastatin was highly probable in causing hepatotoxicity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of concurrent drug-induced liver injury and rhabdomyolysis after a positive rechallenge with atorvastatin.
How Do College Students with Disabilities Do? Law, Self-determination, Self-advocacy, and Campus Resources
Authors: Cho Jeong IL , Jones Kate
Published: December 2024

Abstract: This survey study investigated understanding and use of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), self-advocacy, self-determination, and campus resources by college students with disabilities. Thirty-one students registered with a student disability office at a Midwestern state university completed an anonymous survey. Thirty-two percent of participants reported that they knew how to advocate for their own education before beginning college. A majority of participants displayed strong understanding of self-determination, self-advocacy, and campus resources, but reported a weak understanding about the ADA. Participants reported stronger agreement on their use of self-determination and self-advocacy skills than on campus resources. Their lowest score was for their use of self-advocacy skill when their legal rights had to be voiced. These students’ lack of understanding of their legal rights and limited self-advocacy skills in protecting their legal rights suggest implications for both transition services in high school and support services at the college level.
Midpoint Reading: Collaborative Student Annotation in the Humanities Classroom
Authors: Dougherty Dan
Published: December 2024

In the era of remote learning courses, the humanities instructor struggled more than most to translate the many familiar techniques of close reading to the unfamiliar realm of technology. Oftentimes instructors have depended on facsimiles of traditional methods: a shared passage annotated by the class digitally, or small groups sent to individual breakout rooms which will eventually rejoin the class and share their findings. This article offers a methodology which incorporates the beneficial technologies which were necessary in remote classrooms into the traditional classroom, encouraging students to collaborate and debate through the shared digital annotation of primary texts.
Resilience, Confidence-Building, and Performance:
Authors: Ricke Audrey
Published: December 2024

Adaptive digital learning courseware is becoming part of the instructor tool kit to support student performance and ultimately reduce DFWI rates. However, past studies of the effectiveness of adaptive digital learning platforms in elevating student performance on summative assessment have shown promising yet at times mixed reviews (e.g. Yarnall et al., 2016). This case study integrates adaptive digital learning to address the challenge of promoting reading and concept application outside of class and analyzes its impacts on students’ engagement in class, perceived learning, and performance on summative assessment. Such an analysis, which considers mediating factors not previously analyzed together in adaptive digital learning studies, such as individual rather than aggregate performance, digital learning platform design differences, resiliency factors, and in-class activities, is an important step in clarifying some of the previously mixed results. Drawing on data collected in two sections of the same general education social science course taught by the same instructor in the same semester, this study illustrates the varying potential of adaptive digital learning to increase student confidence in the material and how it can translate into increased student performance if aligned and coupled in certain ways with in-class active learning. This study also provides evidence that illustrates how digital learning that is designed for greater degrees of editability by faculty can maximize learning benefits for students.
Sustaining teaching during a crisis
Authors: Dixson Marcia D , Saam Julie
Published: December 2024

Given the increasing demands on faculty in higher education, it is imperative that we better understand how to support faculty across their careers and in all areas of faculty life.  This study looks specifically at what it takes to support teaching during the added stress of a global crisis.  An exploratory survey of 66 faculty at midwestern campuses indicates that Satisfaction with teaching as a career, Passion for teaching, and Quality of teaching require different things.  Specifically, Satisfaction with teaching requires motivation. Passion for teaching needs time. Quality of teaching, on the other hand, requires motivation, support, and time.  What these concepts consist of and how we might use this information to support our own and our colleagues’ teaching is discussed.
Implementing Learner Experience Design in University Teaching
Authors: Rogers Christian
Published: December 2024

The Learner Experience Design (LXD) framework aims to create engaging and relevant learning experiences by considering students' past, motivations, challenges, frustrations, emotions, and needs, as well as their interactions with faculty, staff, and other students. The LXD process involves three steps: research, design, and evaluation. During the research phase, instructors gather important insights through student interviews. In the design phase, they develop a plan for a learning experience. Finally, in the evaluation phase, they assess the effectiveness of the learning experience and plan for potential revisions. This article details a case study of a workshop series in which faculty members from universities spanning several countries utilized LXD with their students. It shares observations collected from workshop participants that indicate not only evidence of intended innovative curricular enhancements, but an unanticipated increase in student-teacher connection and motivation.
A Preliminary Analysis of Indiana Schools’ Implementation of Virtual Instruction and CS Education in the 2020-2021 School Year
Authors: Wang Lu , Adkins Carter
Published: December 2024

Two datasets, published by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) related to Indiana schools’ implementation of virtual education and computer science (CS) instruction during the 2020-2021 school year, were analyzed. This research aims to explore schools’ virtual instructional practices during the unprecedented educational disruptions and understand the preparedness and execution of CS curricula. With quantitative and qualitative approaches, we first evaluated the percentages of different instructional modes, school districts’ implementation of virtual instruction, their support for students, successes and barriers schools experienced, as well as their future plans regarding virtual learning. Findings indicate that hybrid and virtual instruction were prevalent, with disparities in technology access and instructional quality, and schools shared barriers related to technology resources, teacher preparedness, and student engagement. In addition, this study reveals the unequal implementation of CS education, particularly in lower grade levels, underscoring the need for more dedicated resources and teacher support. These insights may help inform future educational strategies for multi-modality instruction and enhance the integration of CS education in K-12 curricula.
Keywords: virtual instruction, computer science education, Indiana schools, technology access, teacher support.
Malnutrition inflammation in chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
Authors: Adrianto Yudhi , Utari Diah M
Published: December 2024

Background: Malnutrition was a nutritional problem in hemodialysis with prevalence 50-70% and 2018 study at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital showed the prevalence was 39%.Objectives: This study was team study of Renal and Hypertension Unit RSCM, using cross sectional design, primary data collected in February and May 2018.Materials and Methods: The sample size used a hypothesis test with total sample of 120 patients. Data obtained through interviews and laboratory data obtained through medical records. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis were carried out to see the determinant factors that influence the Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS).Results: The results showed that there were relationship between sex (p<0.022), age (p<0.031), etiology chronic kidney disease (p<0.037), duration hemodialysis (p<0.025), protein intake (p<0.030) and grip strength (p<0.010). The determinant factors significantly associated with MIS were sex p<0.0001, age p<0.014, protein intake p<0.018, and grip strength p<0.017.Conclusion: The conclusions of this study were the prevalence of inflammatory malnutrition in hemodialysis patients was 55.8%, male had risk of 4.1 malnutrition, age ≥40 years had risk of 3.1, inadequate protein intake had risk 2.8 times malnutrition and less grip strength as a protective variable had a 0.23 times lower risk.Keywords : Chronic kidney disease; hemodialysis; malnutrition inflammation; nutritional status
Improving nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake through nutrition education for post-stroke survivors and their families
Authors: Faza Farah , Lestari Lily Arsanti , Setyopranoto Ismail , Susetyowati Susetyowati
Published: December 2024

Background: Malnutrition among post-stroke survivors is 14-52%. Nutrition knowledge reinforcement will be beneficial for the survivors and family/caregivers to maintain their nutritional status and improve quality of life.Objectives: To examine the improvement of nutrition knowledge about nutrition management for post-stroke survivors, family, and caregivers as well as the improvement of nutrient intake and nutritional status among post-stroke survivors.Materials and Methods: This study used pre-experimental design and was conducted in Embung Tambak Boyo, Sleman District during August 2018. The subjects were post-stroke survivors, being members of Happy Embung, and signing the informed consent. Total subjects were 27 post stroke survivors with 27 family/caregivers of them. This study consisted of a series of activities, as follows: pre-test and baseline assessment, i.e., anthropometry, blood pressure, physical function, and dietary were measured in the 1st week, a series of nutrition education in the 2nd and 3rd week, post-test and endline assessment in the 4th week. The paired sample T-test was employed to compare the differences between baseline data collected during the first week of intervention, and endline data, gathered in the final week of intervention.Results: Most participants were male (89%) and aged 60 or older (82%). After two series of nutrition education, there were notable increases in nutritional knowledge score of the survivor and family/caregivers, body weight, BMI, HGS, and energy intake of the survivor (baseline vs. endline, mean ± SE: 6.5±0.6 vs. 7.0±0.6; 8.8±0.3 vs. 9.3±0.3; 67.8±1.9 vs. 68.6±1.9; 29.5±0.8 vs. 29.8±0.7; 26.1±2.0 vs. 26.8±2.0; and 1334.5±75.7 vs. 1389.1±95.0, all p<0.05). However, there was no significant improvement on MUAC, body fat total, protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake among the survivors.Conclusion: Nutrition education might enforce nutrition knowledge of post-stroke survivors and family/caregivers, as well as nutritional status improvement among the survivors.Keywords: Nutrition education; nutrient intake; nutrition status; post-stroke survivors
Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on serum 25 (OH)D Levels, hand grip strength, blood sugar levels, and cognitive function in the elderly
Authors: Probosari Enny , Subagio Hertanto Wahyu , Winarni Tri Indah , Nugroho Heri , Manikam Nurul Ratna Mutu
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTBackground: The aging process in the elderly can be caused by a decrease in vitamin D precursors and reduced Vitamin D levels due to impaired absorption of Vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a role in cognitive function, acts as an immunomodulator affecting blood glucose levels, promotes muscle atrophy, and affects the intranuclear VDR concentration and gene expression of VDR.Objectives: To determine the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on Serum 25(OH)D levels, hand grip strength, blood sugar levels, and cognitive function in the elderly.Materials and Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental pre-posttest control group design with a total of 60 subjects included and divided into two groups. The treatment group received vitamin D3 at a dosage of 1000 IU/day for three months, while the control group was given a placebo. Blood serum levels were used to obtained serum 25(OH)D and blood sugar level. Hand grip strength values were measured by a hand grip dynamometer, and cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) Questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, and the bivariate analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test.Results: Most subjects were between 60 and 92 years old and had a vitamin D deficiency. Significant (P<0,05) differences were observed in serum 25(OH)D levels, blood sugar levels, and cognitive function following the intervention. The differences in serum 25(OH)D levels were 8,50±6,17, blood sugar levels were -21,68±25,88, and cognitive function was 2,23±3,05. Additionally, hand grip strength increased after the intervention (mean=0,42±4,66) but was not statistically significant (P=0,633).Conclusion: There is an improvement in cognitive function and a decrease in blood glucose levels, along with an increase in 25(OH)D levels after three months of vitamin D supplementation. However, hand grip strength did not significantly increase after supplementation.Keywords: Vitamin D3 Supplementation; serum 25(OH)D; hand grip strength; blood sugar level; cognitive function; elderly.
Study of microwave-assisted extraction of polyphenol from Phyllanthus urinaria
Authors: Ngo Dat Trinh Tac , Tran Ngoc Hieu , Hoang Kim Anh
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTBackground: Phyllanthus urinaria, found extensively in tropical Asian countries, possesses numerous biological activities attributed to its polyphenol compounds.Objective: This study aims to optimize polyphenol extraction from Phyllanthus urinaria using microwave assistance.Materials and Methods:  First, the effects of parameters including ethanol concentration (used as the solvent) (40–80% v/v), material-to-solvent ratio (1:10–1:50 w/v), extraction time (30–150 minutes), and extraction temperature (30–70°C) on conventional extraction were investigated. Subsequently, the effects of microwave pretreatment prior to extraction during the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) process, including microwave power (100–700 W) and irradiation time (1–9 minutes), were evaluated. Optimal extraction conditions were determined based on total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH scavenging assay) of the extract. The second-order kinetic model was also used to compare the efficiency of extraction methods.Results: Results indicated that a microwave power of 250 W and irradiation time of 3 minutes were optimal for material pretreatment prior to extraction. Subsequent extraction parameters included ethanol concentration of 60% (v/v), solvent-to-material ratio of 1:40 (w/v), extraction temperature of 50°C, and extraction time of 60 minutes. Under these conditions, the extract exhibited maximum levels of TPC (277.99 ± 5.47 mgGAE/gDW), TFC (38.90 ± 0.58 gQE/gDW), and TEAC (280.08 ± 0.75 µmolTE/gDW), which were 22.5%, 36.1%, and 29.4% higher, respectively, compared to the control without microwave treatment.Conclusion: Furthermore, the second-order kinetic model demonstrated higher initial extraction rate (h), extraction rate constant (k), and extraction capacity (Ce) for MAE compared to conventional extraction.Keywords: Antioxidant capacity; kinetic model; microwave-assisted extractio; phyllanthus urinaria; polyphenol
Larvae-Free Rate Aedes sp: The Effect of Temperature, Humidity and Rainfall in Bengkulu City, Indonesia
Authors: Gunasari Lala Foresta Valentine , Aladdawiyah Zahara Septika , Suwarsono Suwarsono , Triana Dessy
Published: December 2024

Abstract Background: Bengkulu's tropical climate is very suitable for Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquito breeding. Temperature, humidity and rainfall affect mosquito breeding and dengue virus proliferation in mosquitoes, which in turn had an effect on the dengue infections. Dengue prevention strategy currently focuses on vector control with the Larvae Free Rate (LFR) parameter. This study aimed to determine environmental factors affecting the LFR in 2022 in Bengkulu City, Indonesia.Methods: This research used a cross-sectional study design with time series analysis. Time series was used to analyze and interpret sequential data points collected over  the interval of time. Secondary data about LFR was obtained from the Bengkulu City Health Service, and climate variables from the Climatology Station of the Bengkulu Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency. Data analysis was conducted through simple linear regressions.Results: The average of LFR in Bengkulu City in 2022 was 78.13% (below the national target), with the highest in December (87.85%) and the lowest in May (68.53%). The average temperature, humidity, and rainfall were 26.88°C (moderate), 83.5% (moderate), and 328.96% (high), respectively. The simple linear regression analysis showed that the effect of temperature, humidity, and rainfall was significant to LFR with the respective p-values of 0.010; 0.612, and 0.173).Conclusion: Temperature influenced the LFR by 58,5% but humidity and rainfall have no effect on LFR of Aedes spp. in Bengkulu City in 2022. High temperatures will increase the risk of transmission of dengue virus infection by 3-5%.
Exploring Medical Check-Up Behaviors for Early Detection of Non-Communicable Diseases Among Diponegoro University Students
Authors: Aurytha Vierelsha Avara Divani , Prabumurti Priyadi Nugraha , Handayani Novia
Published: December 2024

AbstractIntroduction: Indonesian Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2018 showed that the prevalence of high blood pressure at the age of >18 years increased from 25.8% to 34.1%, obesity at the age of >18 years increased from 14.8% to 21.8%, and smoking prevalence at the age of >18 years increased from 7.2% to 9.1%. This study analyzed the medical check-up behavior to detect non-communicable diseases on Diponegoro University students.Methods: This research was a quantitative research with a cross-sectional research method. This research was conducted in August 2024. Total 400 people were chosen using quota sampling technique. Data collection was carried out using Google Form. The dependent variable was medical check-up behavior and the independent variables were perception of susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.Data analysis of the association used chi square tests.Results: The majority of the respondents were aged ≥ 21 years old, female, and come from a non-health faculty. A quarter of the subjects or 101 students (25,3%) had a medical check-up without a doctor’s referral. There was no association between perceived susceptibility, severity, benefit, barrier, cues to action, self-efficacy and medical check-up behavior.Conclusion: There was no association between perception of susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy and medical check-up behavior among Diponegoro University students. It is important to raise students’ awareness on the importance of medical check-ups.