bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pro-drop and subject pronouns in Assamese
Authors: Boruah Radhika
Published: October 2021

In recent years a considerable attention has been given to the study of control and pro-drop. Languages with rich agreement patterns allow for phonetically empty subject which is called “pro”. This paper deals with the pro-drop phenomena of Assamese. The main objective of the paper is to give a descriptive analysis of the subject pronouns and their nature in the pro-drop phenomena. The paper also aims to give a basic idea of this pro-drop phenomenon and shows how certain subject pronouns behave differently in Assamese. Pro drop in Assamese is a major linguistic characteristic of the language. The findings of the study revealed that we can drop most of the subject pronouns in Assamese. Though Assamese is considered as a pro-drop language, this phenomenon is not acceptable in written language. The sentences should be in a full structural representation in written language. In other words, we can say that pro-drop is used in our daily conversations; it is more or less like informal conversations.
An Inventory of the Problems Related to Translating and Revising Legal Texts Issued by an African Court: A Case Study
Authors: Akpaca Servais Martial
Published: October 2021

The aim of this paper is to make an inventory of the problems that translators encounter when they translate the documents issued by a specific African human rights court. More specifically translating at the ACHPR requires the knowledge of legal language and familiarity with a particular type of legal texts as well as competence in human rights conventions and charters and general translation skills. In an attempt to address these issues, this paper adopts a threefold approach, namely a historical approach recalling some legal systems and traditions upheld by courts, a theoretical approach throwing light on some key concepts and a lexical approach that makes it possible to extract legal terms from texts issued by the court and match them with their equivalents in the target language. The result of this research work is that legal translation is a specialised area due to the legal terms and systems involved in it. Unlike other specialised areas where the link between the signifier and the signified is fixed, in legal translation, the signified may be inflected due to differences between legal systems. Finding an equivalent for a legal term in another legal system or in a target language may beat times difficult and even impossible.
HUBUNGAN SEKSUAL PRANIKAH PADA ANAK JALANAN DI KOTA MAKASSAR
Authors: Sah Puteri Sri Kurnia , Herman Anita Kartini
Published: October 2021

Tujuan : Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggali secara mendalam pemicu terjadinya hubungan seksual pranikah pada anak jalanan di Kota Makassar. Jenis penelitian ini adalah kualitatif. Pendekatan penelitian yaitu pendekatan pendekatan fenomenologi, untuk mengeksplorasi mengenai femomena hubungan seksual pranikah pada anak jalanan di Kota Makassar. Melalui observasi indepth dan interview selama penelitian berlangsung. Sumber data terdiri dari mucikari sebagain informan kunci, informan pendukung adalah konsumen dan informan biasa terdiri dari anak jalanan yang bersedia untuk turut dalam penelitian ini. Hasil penelitian Berdasarkan penelitian didapatkan informan sebanyak 9 orang yang terdiri dari informan biasa 7 orang, informan pendukung 1 orang dan informan kunci 1 orang dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa tanggapan informan mengenai perilaku seksual sangat memprihatinkan, mereka bahkan secara terang-terangan mengakui pernah melakukan hubungan seks pranikah gaya hidup anak jalanan khususnya masalah seks sudah tidak terbendung lagi, mereka sudah menikmati gaya hidup yang bebas. peran teman sebaya menunjukkan bahwa mereka dominan saling mengajak satu dengan yang lainnya untuk melakukan hubungan seks pranikah. peran orang tua, pada umumnya orang tua mereka kurang memperhatikan pergaulan anaknya sehingga menyebabkan anak melakukan hubungan seks pranikah. personal anak jalanan, hampir semua informan memiliki personal atau pribadi yang pada dasarnya baik. Implikasi penelitian ini adalah berupa saran yang diberikan kepada kepada pemerintah kota Makassar khususnya dinas sosial diharapkan memberikan perlindungan dan aspirasi bagi anak jalanan, bukan hanya sekedar menertibkannya dan memberikan keterampilan yang bermanfaat sehingga anak jalanan tidak ke jalanan lagi.
ANGKA KEJADIAN DIABETES MELLITUS PADA LANSIA MIDDLE AGE DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19
Authors: Kurdi Fahruddin , Abidin Zainal , Surya Vespan Candra , Anggraeni Nabila Cindy , Alyani Diwali Sukma , Riskiyanti Villyana
Published: October 2021

Pendahuluan : Lanjut usia merupakan seseorang dengan kriteria usia 60 tahun ke atas dan mengalami proses penuaan yang berlangsung sepanjang hidup, mengakibatkan perubahan kumulatif dan turunnya daya tahan tubuh dalam menghadapi rangsangan dari dalam dan luar tubuh. Pada era pandemi saat ini, kelompok lanjut usia merupakan kelompok yang paling beresiko mengalami morbiditas dan mortalitas akibat penyakit COVID-19 dengan berbagai komorbiditas salah satu diantaranya Diabetes Mellitus. Pencegahan penularan melalui upaya promotif dan preventif kepada kelompok lansia sangat penting dilakukan, di tingkat keluarga, masyarakat dan fasilitas kesehatan. Serta antisipasi dampak dari kebijakan pembatasan sosial seperti kesehatan mental dan kognitif, meningkatnya jumlah serta komplikasi penyakit kronik, dan jumlah lanjut usia yang mengalami ketergantungan karena akses terhadap layanan kesehatan yang terhambat. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran kejadian Diabetes Mellitus pada lanjut usia di masa pandemi COVID-19 di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Pakusari Kabupaten Jember pada tahun 2020.

Metodologi : Desain penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif deskriptif bersifat retrospektif dengan melakukan observasi terhadap data sekunder lansia selama tahun 2020 yakni berupa database yang diambil dari Puskesmas Pakusari Kabupaten Jember melalui koordinasi dengan penanggung jawab lansia.

Hasil : Hasil penelitian menunjukkan distribusi data karakteristik lanjut usia (lansia) dan diketahui bahwa kejadian penyakit Diabetes Mellitus (DM) banyak terjadi pada rentang usia 45- 59 tahun atau pralansia yakni sebanyak 357 (68%) dan sebagian besar yang mengalami Diabetes Mellitus (DM) berjenis kelamin perempuan dengan jumlah 281 (54%).

Diskusi/Pembahasan : Pihak Puskesmas Pakusari Kabupaten Jember terutama penanggung jawab lansia dan petugas Posbindu PTM dapat menjangkau para lanjut usia (lansia) dengan Diabetes Mellitus (DM) melalui telepon atau layanan kesehatan jarak jauh, menyiapkan persediaan obat dan persediaan kritis minimal 2 minggu di rumah, edukasi kepada lansia terkait gaya hidup, kunjungan rumah secara berkala terutama untuk lanjut usia (lansia) yang tidak pernah menghadiri jadwal kontrol rutin.
SUPLEMEN HERBAL UNTUK DIABETES MELLITUS TIPE II : SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Authors: Hariyono  , Suhendra Agung Wibowo
Published: October 2021

Pendahuluan: Diabetes adalah penyakit endokrin dengan insiden global yang signifikan yang menempatkan pasien pada risiko komplikasi. Penderita diabetes tipe 2 diobati dengan berbagai cara, antara lain pengobatan tradisional dan pengobatan alternatif seperti jamu. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui khasiat pengobatan herbal untuk diabetes tipe 2. Metode: Sumber pencarian berasal dari 5 database (Scopus, Sage, Science direct, Ebsco, dan ProQuest) yang diterbitkan antara 2015 dan 2020:. Pencarian menggunakan kata kunci "pengobatan herbal" dan "Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2" serta HbA1c. Random control trial adalah jenis penelitian yang paling sering digunakan. Hasil: Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa berbagai pengobatan herbal, termasuk Momordica charantia, kayu manis, dan whortleberry Kaukasia, nanocurcumin, minyak kenari, dan akar Berberis integerrima, dapat digunakan untuk menurunkan glukosa darah. Diskusi: Terapi herbal juga memiliki efek sekunder lainnya, yaitu seperti kemampuan untuk mengurangi stres, meningkatkan kualitas hidup, mengatur berat badan, dan mempertahankan tingkat glikemik normal.
Students’ Problems in Semantic Meaning Analysis of Literary Works in English Handbooks
Authors: Syarifuddin Salmia , Hasyim Irmawaty
Published: October 2021

English handbooks used in High schools fill with literary works. It is either in poem, prose, or drama. These literary works are human’s creatures both in spoken and written language which fills with implicit meaning beneath the stylistic language used in that literary works. Besides, semantics is a branch of linguistics that studies meaning. This study aimed to find out problems faced by students in the analysis of the semantics meaning of literary works found in English handbooks.  This study applied the qualitative descriptive method. The result showed that the problems faced by students lied beneath the determination of semantics meanings and their types found in words, phrases, clauses, and sentences in literary works.
Investigating The Correlation Between Classroom Management and Student Interests in EFL Environment
Authors: Noer Muli Umiaty , Utami Sri Suci , Abdollah Abdollah
Published: October 2021

The research aimed were to find out the correlation between classroom management and student’s interest. This research uses quantitative with survey method that apply correlation technique there are two variable in this research, namely dependent variable and independent variable. The independent variable is classroom management while dependent variable is students interest the population of this research as two classes of ABA UMI year 2016-2017. The samples of this research are 20 respondents taken through purposive sampling technique . in analysis the data of this research, the write used ( Correlation ). The findings of this study shows that there is any significant correlation between classroom management and student’s interest at the second grade of social class ABA UMI. This is proved by the value of the pearson product moment is -025 it means the correlation. And classroom management and student’s interest is weak. And correlation  classroom management has an important role in learning process because if there is in classroom management the student’s will not be interest in learning process.
The Study of Khalawatiyah Tradition about the Barazanji
Authors: Rusdiah Rusdiah , Hudriati Andi , S Rahmadani
Published: October 2021

The study aims (1) to know the benefits of the Barazanji carried out by the Khalawatiyah tradition of the people in Parangloe society, and (2) To know the message of Khalawatiyah tradition about the Barazanji for the Parangloe society. The research designed in this study was qualitative research. The data were processed based on observation, interviews, and documentation. The writer does interviews with informants. The informants that are used in this research are the society of Khalawatiyah’s tarekat for finding the benefits and the message of Khalawatiyah tradition about the Barazanji for the parangloe society.

The writer’s findings indicated that the benefits of the Barazanji carried out by the Khalawatiyah tradition of the people in Parangloe society are the Barazanji as inner satisfaction, the barazanji as giving bless a ceremony, the Barazanji as indicted media, the Barazanji for getting a reward, and Brazanji gives information for people to know and preserve the life history of the prophet Muhammad saw. The finding also indicated that the message of Khalawatiyah tradition about the Barazanji for the Parangloe society is the first the people must know the personality of the prophet Muhammad saw and hope to emulate all of about prophet Muhammad saw and the second people always sent shalawat to Muhammad saw.
Investigating the Role of International Phonetic Alphabet to Enhance Highschool Students’ Pronunciation Skill
Authors: Chuzaimah Chuzaimah , Fadli Falih
Published: October 2021

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) has been used to provide a unique symbol for each distinctive sound in a language.  The IPA has been widely utilized by linguists and dictionaries with modifications for easier identification. This study focuses on how IPA supports Indonesian EFL learners with their pronunciation practice particularly in senior high school context.  The present study is qualitative literary research. First, the researcher collected the data from the questionnaire, second, the researcher identified them and make it into conclusion. The result of the analysis showed that students gave their positive perspective in using the IPA symbols as they believed it could enhance their oral skills and technique for learning pronunciation. Although IPA symbols were regarded as useful and easier to learn, several students thought positively of using the phonetic symbol in their learning, most of them felt it is difficult, since the phonetic symbols each had distinctive symbols resulting in students confused to remember and comprehend. This study implies that while the learning curve is high, students were quite motivated to learn English pronunciation through IPA.
Hubungan Tingkat Pengetahuan Perawat dengan Penerapan Patient Safety di Ruang Rawat Inap Rumah Sakit Dr. Tadjuddin Chalid Kota Makassar
Authors: Jamila Nadhia Widyanthi , Sumiaty  , Septiyanti
Published: October 2021

Rumah Sakit sebagai tempat pelayanan kesehatan di perlukan mutu pelayanan kejadian yang tidak diinginkan seperti kesalahan obat, pasien cedera, dan kesalahan prosedur tidak terjadi. Jika hal-hal ini terjadi maka akan mengakibatkan kerugian pada pasien dan juga pada rumah sakit. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis hubungan Tingkat Pengetahuan Perawat dengan Penerapan Patient Safety Di Ruang rawat inap rumah sakit Dr. Tadjuddin Chalid Kota Makassar Tahun 2020. Jenis penelitian adalah kuantitatif dengan pendekatan cross sectional study. Sampel berjumlah 57 responden tapi yang kembali dan terisi dengan benar hanya 40 kuesioner, dengan 57 populasi dan 57 sampel diambil dengan cara total sampling. Data diperoleh menggunakan kuesioner. Analisis data dilakukan secara univariat dan bivariat menggunakan uji chi square.

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengetahuan perawat dengan penerapan patient safety kategori cukup sebanyak 37 orang (92,5%) dan yang menyatakan kurang sebanyak 3 orang (7,5%). Penerapan program patient safety kategori baik sebanyak 37 orang (92,5%) dan yang menyatakan kurang baik sebanyak 3 orang (7,5%). Berdasarkan uji statistik chi-square diperoleh nilai ρ = 0,00, nilai tersebut lebih kecil dari pada α=0,05 (p < dari nilai α=0,05) artinya ada hubungan yang signifikan antara Pengetahuan dengan  penerapan  pasient safety di Ruang rawat inap rumah sakit Dr. Tadjuddin Chalid Kota Makassar Tahun 2020. Dari  hasil  penelitian  ini,  dapat  disimpulkan  bahwa ada  hubungan Pengetahuan dengan penerapan patient safety Di Ruang Rawat Inap RS. Dr. Tadjuddin Chalid Makassar Tahun 2020.
Gambaran Karakteristik Bayi pada Ibu Pengguna Krim Pemutih di RSIA Sitti Khadijah 1 Makassar
Authors: Putri Handayani  , Hasriwiani Habo Abbas  , Masriadi
Published: October 2021

Krim pemutih merupakan campuran bahan kimia atau bahan lainnya dengan khasiat bisa memucatkan noda hitam pada kulit. Tujuan penlitian ini untuk mengetahui gambaran karakteristik bayi yang dilahirkan oleh ibu pengguna krim pemutih di RSIA Sitti Khadijah 1 Makassar. Metode penelitian menggunakan jenis penelitian deskrptif dengan pendekatan kuantitatif. Jumlah populasi 83, Teknik pengambilan sampel yaitu purposive sampling, jumlah sampel sebanyak 40 yang sesuai dengan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa karakteristik bayi pada ibu pengguna krim pemutih yaitu jenis kelamin bayi laki-laki sebesar (45,0%) danjenis kelamin bayi perempuan sebesar (55,0%), berat badan bayi tertinggi yaitu 3,1 kg sebesar (20,0%) dan terendah yaitu 2,4 kg sebesar (2,5%), tinggi badan bayi tertinggi yaitu 49 cm sebesar (40,0%) dan terendah 44 cm sebesar (2,5%), umur bayi tertinggi yaitu 14 hari sebesar (32,5%) dan umur bayi terendah yaitu 8 hari sebesar (2,5%), jenis krim kategori semisolid sebesar (35,0%) dan kategori padat sebesar (5,%), frekuensi pemakaian krim pemutih dengan kategori pemakaian tertinggi 1 kali sehari sebesar (87,5%) dan terendah 2 kali sebesar (12,5%), durasi pemakaian krim pemutih kategori tertinggi 2 tahun sebesar (17,5%) dan terendah 3 tahun sebesar (12,5%), volume krim pemutih tertinggi 50 gr sebesar (45,0%) dan terendah 10 gr sebesar (5,0%). Dari hasil penelitian yang telah dilaksanakan dapat disimpulkan bahwa mayoritas ibu di RSIA Sitti Khadijah 1 Makassar rutin menggunakan krim pemutih setiap harinya. Dan diharapkan agar ibu meminimalisir penggunaan krim pemutih selama kehamilan serta para ibu senantiasa memantau tumbuh kembang bayi secara berskala agar mengetahui jika ada kelainan pada bayi
Perancangan Aplikasi Pendataan Keluarga Miskin dengan Menggunakan Metodologi Unified Approach
Authors: Fitriani Leni , Purnama Rifan Miptah
Published: October 2021

Sistem informasi  sangat diperlukan untuk dapat mendukung manusia dalam mengolah data dan menghasilkan sebuah informasi yang akurat. Sistem manual yang seharusnya sudah tergantikan dengan sistem informasi yang telah terkomputerisasi sudah banyak dilakukan pleh instansi pemerintah. Kendala yang dihadapi sekarang mengenai hal efisiensi waktu, pembuatan aplikasi dan proses dalam pendataan. Laporan bagian pendataan dan penginputan data yang sekarang masih dalam bentuk manual di tulis tangan hal ini bisa menyulitkan di dalam proses untuk pencarian data, serta data yang hilang. Pendataan untuk keluarga miskin ini sangat penting untuk dapat mengetahui siapa saja keluarga miskin yang nantinya akan mendapatkan bantuan dari pemerintah. Tujuan dalam penelitian ini untuk membuat aplikasi pendataan keluarga miskin di kelurahan maripari. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan metode Unified Approach dengan tahapan analisis, desain dan programing. Hasil dalam penelitian ini  diharapkan bisa menjadi alternatif untuk pemecahan permasalahan dalam pendataan keluarga miskin. Dengan dibuatnya aplikasi pendataan ini diharapkan dapat meminimalisir masalah yang sering terjadi pada sistem manual yang ada dan dapat membantu untuk menyelesaikan laporan untuk pendataan keluarga miskin.
DOES THE FREQUENCY OF ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS DECREASE DURING THE RAMADAN MONTH?
Authors: SEYİT Murat , YILMAZ Atakan , YILMAZ Sevda , ÖZEN Mert
Published: October 2021

The pathophysiological mechanism of acute cholecystitis (AC), which is essentially the inflammation of the gallbladder, is blockage of the cystic duct, and its most common cause is gallstones. On the other hand, fasting held in Ramadan is a worship practised by Muslims within the period from dawn to sunset by avoiding any eating and drinking act. Within this framework, our study ultimately intends to reveal the variation of AC in two different time periods. We retrospectively compared the demographic characteristics, admittance times, biochemical parameters of the subjects diagnosed with AC and hospitalized in the general surgery between 2012 and 2018. We also evaluated diagnosis classification, length of hospitalization, presence of intensive care stay, presence of operation during hospitalization, and the underlying comorbid diseases of the subjects. 225 patients were hospitalized in the general surgery service after being diagnosed with AC in the ED over the course of six years, yet the total number of subjects recruited for the study is 46. Whereas 10 patients (21.7%) were admitted and hospitalized during the Ramadan month, 36 (78.3%) patients in the other group were hospitalized one month before and after the Ramadan. 16 (34.8%) of the hospitalized patients underwent emergency surgery, while 30 (65.2%) patients were operated electively. The comparison of the two cohorts in our study revealed no significant difference in relation to the demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, imaging methods, underlying comorbid diseases, and the length of hospital stay. Nevertheless, clinical investigations seem to have revealed a difference between groups.
Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Prenatal Sugar Consumption Predict Gestational Weight Gain and/or Postpartum Mental Health in a Health Professional Shortage Area
Authors: Scott Lucinda L. , Aubuchon-Endsley Nicki
Published: October 2021

This study investigated whether the amount of third trimester added sugar consumption interacted with pre-pregnancy BMI (PPBMI) to predict gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum mental health in Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for primary care and mental health. Participants included pregnant women aged 18 to 36, with data collected in-person at 33-37 weeks gestation and 6 months postpartum using an anthropometric measurement, Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ), Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Prenatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS), and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). No moderated mediation models were statistically significant. Results indicated that greater PPBMI predicted decreased GWG and increased 6-month postpartum depression symptoms. There was a significant, positive correlation between prenatal added sugar intake and 6-month postpartum depression, anxiety, and perceived stress symptoms. Support for associations between increasing PPBMI and increasing depression symptoms at 6 months postpartum in this sample of women in an HPSA for primary care and mental health highlights the importance of starting preventative care for women prior to pregnancy. Correlations between greater added sugar intake in the third trimester and increased depression, anxiety, and perceived stress symptoms at 6 months postpartum supports the need for more research directly investigating those relationships, which could inform perinatal prevention/intervention research.
The Essential Need to Clearly Define Addiction Criticism in Literature Studies
Authors: Walter Jason
Published: October 2021

Upon reading The Second Edition of The Bedford Glossary of Critical Literary Terms, I was surprised to find that many traditionally uncharted fields of exploration in literature are being given critical attention; postcolonial studies, race (and literary studies), queer theory, feminist criticism, cultural criticism, ecocriticism, disability criticism, and gender criticism have emerged and evolved tremendously in recent years [1]. We are living in Prospero’s “Brave New World” in which traditionally marginalized voices are being involved in the larger intellectual discussion. We’re addressing that making fun of the mute or mentally handicapped in literature is a microcosm of society’s larger prevailing attitudes towards the disabled. Likewise, we’re accessing how personifying Nature in literature can further the prevailing attitudes that Nature is merely a subservient means for men to use to preserve humans’ reflective image. Literature criticism has made great strides, but we still have much more room to grow because an essential question remains unaddressed: Why isn’t addiction criticism a clearly defined field of study in literature?
Magnetic Agarose Microspheres/Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel as a Trackable Bulking Agent for Vesicoureteral Reflux Treatment
Authors: Chen Hong , Wu Pan , Xu Hong , Wang Changchun
Published: October 2021

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is one of the most common congenital anomalies in the kidney and the urinary tract. Endoscopic subureteral injection of a bulking agent has become popular in VUR treatment due to its high success rates, few complications, and a straightforward procedure. In this study, a novel magnetic bulking agent was prepared by embedding Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles in cross-linked agarose microspheres with diameters of 80–250 μm and dispersing the magnetic microspheres in a hyaluronic acid hydrogel. The bulking agent has good biocompatibility and biosecurity validated by the tests of cytotoxicity, in vitro genotoxicity, animal irritation, skin sensitization, acute systemic toxicity, and pathological analysis after the injection of the bulking agent extract solution into healthy mice as well as injection of the bulking agent into VUR rabbits. The VUR rabbits were created by incising the roof of the intravesical ureter to enlarge the ureteral orifice. The success rate of the bulking agent in treating VUR rabbits using a subureteral transurethral injection technique was 67% (4/6) or 80% (4/5, excluding the unfinished rabbit), and no migrated particles were found in the organs of the rabbits. The transverse relaxation rate of the bulking agent was 104 mM−1s−1. After injection, the bulking agent was long-term trackable through magnetic resonance imaging that can help clinicians to inspect the VUR treatment effect. For the first time, this study demonstrates that the bulking agent with a long-term stable tracer is promising for endoscopic VUR treatment.
Dictyostelium discoideum as a Model to Assess Genome Stability Through DNA Repair
Authors: Pears Catherine J. , Brustel Julien , Lakin Nicholas D.
Published: October 2021

Preserving genome integrity through repair of DNA damage is critical for human health and defects in these pathways lead to a variety of pathologies, most notably cancer. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is remarkably resistant to DNA damaging agents and genome analysis reveals it contains orthologs of several DNA repair pathway components otherwise limited to vertebrates. These include the Fanconi Anemia DNA inter-strand crosslink and DNA strand break repair pathways. Loss of function of these not only results in malignancy, but also neurodegeneration, immune-deficiencies and congenital abnormalities. Additionally, D. discoideum displays remarkable conservations of DNA repair factors that are targets in cancer and other therapies, including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases that are targeted to treat breast and ovarian cancers. This, taken together with the genetic tractability of D. discoideum, make it an attractive model to assess the mechanistic basis of DNA repair to provide novel insights into how these pathways can be targeted to treat a variety of pathologies. Here we describe progress in understanding the mechanisms of DNA repair in D. discoideum, and how these impact on genome stability with implications for understanding development of malignancy.
Senescence and Immunoregulation in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Ruhland Megan K. , Alspach Elise
Published: October 2021

Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, but despite the many lives that have been extended by these therapies many patients do not respond for reasons that are not well understood. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is comprised of heterogeneous cells that regulate tumor immune responses and likely influence immunotherapy response. Senescent (e.g., aged) stroma within the TME, and its expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype induces chronic inflammation that encourages tumor development and disease progression. Senescent environments also regulate the function of immune cells in ways that are decidedly protumorigenic. Here we discuss recent developments in senescence biology and the immunoregulatory functions of senescent stroma. Understanding the multitude of cell types present in the TME, including senescent stroma, will aid in the development of combinatorial therapeutic strategies to increase immunotherapy efficacy.
Mapping, Structure and Modulation of PPI
Authors: Martino Elisa , Chiarugi Sara , Margheriti Francesco , Garau Gianpiero
Published: October 2021

Because of the key relevance of protein–protein interactions (PPI) in diseases, the modulation of protein-protein complexes is of relevant clinical significance. The successful design of binding compounds modulating PPI requires a detailed knowledge of the involved protein-protein system at molecular level, and investigation of the structural motifs that drive the association of the proteins at the recognition interface. These elements represent hot spots of the protein binding free energy, define the complex lifetime and possible modulation strategies. Here, we review the advanced technologies used to map the PPI involved in human diseases, to investigate the structure-function features of protein complexes, and to discover effective ligands that modulate the PPI for therapeutic intervention.
User-Operated Audiometry Project (UAud) – Introducing an Automated User-Operated System for Audiometric Testing Into Everyday Clinic Practice
Authors: Sidiras Christos , Sanchez-Lopez Raul , Pedersen Ellen Raben , Sørensen Chris Bang , Nielsen Jacob , Schmidt Jesper Hvass
Published: October 2021

Hearing loss is the third leading cause of years lived with disability. It is estimated that 430 million people worldwide are affected, and the number of cases is expected to increase in the future. There is therefore increased pressure on hearing health systems around the world to improve efficiency and reduce costs to ensure increased access to quality hearing health care. Here, we describe the User-Operated Audiometry project, the goal of which is to introduce an automated system for user-operated audiometric testing into everyday clinic practice as a means to relieve part of this pressure. The alternative to the existing referral route is presented in which examination is executed via the user-operated system. This route is conceptualized as an interaction between the patient, the system, and the hearing care professional (HCP). Technological requirements of the system and challenges that are related to the interaction between patients, the user-operated system, and the HCPs within the specific medical setting are discussed. Lastly, a strategy for the development and implementation of user-operated audiometry is presented, which includes initial investigations, a validation study, and implementation in a real-life clinical situation.
Associations Between Strong Earthquakes and Local Rainfall in China
Authors: Zhao Dajun , Chen Lianshou , Yu Yubin
Published: October 2021

Strong earthquakes are a major cause of natural disasters and may also be related to heavy rainfall events. Both phenomena have received considerable attention in seismology and meteorology, two relatively independent disciplines, but we do not yet know whether there is a connection between them. We investigated the characteristics of daily rainfall over seismic areas in China. Our statistical analyses showed that there is a strong correlation between strong earthquakes (Ms ≥ 6.0) and rainfall over the seismic area, with 74.9% of earthquakes in China accompanied by seismic epicenter rainfall and 86.6% by seismic area rainfall. The statistics also showed that the daily precipitation over the seismic area, including the epicenter, was mainly light rain, with only a few instances of torrential or storm rain, with 80% of the rainfall events lasting two or more days. The maximum cumulative precipitation corresponded well with the strong earthquakes occurring over steep terrain, such as the Taiwan central mountains and the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The earthquake area rainfall had a higher frequency than the 30-years climatological average and was dominated by earthquake events in the wet season. The WRF-ARW numerical simulation of seismic local rainfall during the devastating Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in May 2008 showed that the geothermal heat from the earthquake strengthened the local convergence of moisture and vertical motion near the epicenter and the upward transport of the sensible heat flux, which favored seismic rainfall. The results of this study show that rainfall in the seismic area is closely related to strong earthquakes and can be triggered and enhanced by geothermal heat.
Mechanism of Action, Resistance, Synergism, and Clinical Implications of Delamanid Against Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Khoshnood Saeed , Taki Elahe , Sadeghifard Nourkhoda , Kaviar Vahab Hassan , Haddadi Mohammad Hossein , Farshadzadeh Zahra , Kouhsari Ebrahim , Goudarzi Mehdi , Heidary Mohsen
Published: October 2021

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remain a primary global threat to the end of tuberculosis (TB) era. Delamanid (DLM) is a nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazole derivative utilized to treat MDR-TB. DLM has distinct mechanism of action, inhibiting methoxy- and keto-mycolic acid (MA) synthesis through the F420 coenzyme mycobacteria system and generating nitrous oxide. While DLM resistance among MTB strains is uncommon, there are increasing reports in Asia and Europe, and such resistance will prolong the treatment courses of patients infected with MDR-TB. In this review, we address the antimycobacterial properties of DLM, report the global prevalence of DLM resistance, discuss the synergism of DLM with other anti-TB drugs, and evaluate the documented clinical trials to provide new insights into the clinical use of this antibiotic.
Effects of N Fertilization During Cultivation and Lactobacillus plantarum Inoculation at Ensiling on Chemical Composition and Bacterial Community of Mulberry Silage
Authors: Li Ping , You Minghong , Du Zhouhe , Lu Yongxiang , Zuo Chunyan , Zhao Man , Wang Honglin , Yan Xu , Chen Chao
Published: October 2021

As unconventional forage source, mulberry (Morus alba L.) has been cultivated to alleviate animal feed shortages. This study aimed to investigate the effects of N fertilization during cultivation and Lactobacillus plantarum inoculation at ensiling on the chemical composition and bacterial community of mulberry silage. Mulberry was separately cultivated under two N fertilization rates (N1, 390 kg/ha/year; N2, 485 kg/ha/year) in 2016–2019, harvested on 30 April (the first-cut) and 15 June (the second-cut) in 2019, and then chopped for producing small bag silage. The silage was treated without (control) or with L. plantarum (LP, a recommended application rate of 105 cfu/g on fresh matter basis). After storage of 60 days in dark room at ambient temperature, silage was sampled for analysis of chemical and microbial compositions. Higher (P < 0.05) final pH value and acetic acid content and lower (P < 0.05) lactic acid content were found in silage of mulberry under N2 fertilization, resulting in more dry matter loss than that under N1 fertilization. Compared with control, inoculation of LP at ensiling increased (P < 0.05) lactic acid content and decreased (P < 0.05) final pH value, acetic acid and propionic acid contents of silage, by advancing the dominance of Lactobacillus and reducing the abundance of Enterococcus and Enterobacter. In particular, inoculation of LP at ensiling decreased (P < 0.05) dry matter loss and butyric acid content of first-cut silage. In conclusion, inoculation of LP at ensiling could reduce the undesirable effects from high N fertilization rate during cultivation on silage quality of mulberry harvested at different growing seasons.
Transsynaptic N-Cadherin Adhesion Complexes Control Presynaptic Vesicle and Bulk Endocytosis at Physiological Temperature
Authors: Dagar Sushma , Teng Zenghui , Gottmann Kurt
Published: October 2021

At mammalian glutamatergic synapses, most basic elements of synaptic transmission have been shown to be modulated by specific transsynaptic adhesion complexes. However, although crucial for synapse homeostasis, a physiological regulation of synaptic vesicle endocytosis by adhesion molecules has not been firmly established. The homophilic adhesion protein N-cadherin is localized at the peri-active zone, where the highly temperature-dependent endocytosis of vesicles occurs. Here, we demonstrate an important modulatory role of N-cadherin in endocytosis at near physiological temperature by synaptophysin-pHluorin imaging. Different modes of endocytosis including bulk endocytosis were dependent on N-cadherin expression and function. N-cadherin modulation might be mediated by actin filaments because actin polymerization ameliorated the knockout-induced endocytosis defect. Using super-resolution imaging, we found strong recruitment of N-cadherin to glutamatergic synapses upon massive vesicle release, which might in turn enhance vesicle endocytosis. This provides a novel, adhesion protein-mediated mechanism for efficient coupling of exo- and endocytosis.
Modeling the Heterodimer Interfaces of Melatonin Receptors
Authors: Tse Lap Hang , Wong Yung Hou
Published: October 2021

Melatonin receptors are Class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that regulate a plethora of physiological activities in response to the rhythmic secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland. Melatonin is a key regulator in the control of circadian rhythm and has multiple functional roles in retinal physiology, memory, immunomodulation and tumorigenesis. The two subtypes of human melatonin receptors, termed MT1 and MT2, utilize overlapping signaling pathways although biased signaling properties have been reported in some cellular systems. With the emerging concept of GPCR dimerization, melatonin receptor heterodimers have been proposed to participate in system-biased signaling. Here, we used computational approaches to map the dimerization interfaces of known heterodimers of melatonin receptors, including MT1/MT2, MT1/GPR50, MT2/GPR50, and MT2/5-HT2C. By homology modeling and membrane protein docking analyses, we have identified putative preferred interface interactions within the different pairs of melatonin receptor dimers and provided plausible structural explanations for some of the unique pharmacological features of specific heterodimers previously reported. A thorough understanding of the molecular basis of melatonin receptor heterodimers may enable the development of new therapeutic approaches against aliments involving these heterodimeric receptors.
A Computer-Aided Diagnosis System and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System for Dual Validation of Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration of Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules
Authors: Liang Xiaowen , Huang Yingmin , Cai Yongyi , Liao Jianyi , Chen Zhiyi
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The fully automatic AI-Sonic computer-aided design (CAD) system was employed for the detection and diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of the AI-Sonic CAD system with the use of a deep learning algorithm to improve the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA).

Methods

A total of 138 thyroid nodules were collected from 124 patients and diagnosed by an expert, a novice, and the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS). Diagnostic efficiency and feasibility were compared among the expert, novice, and CAD system. The application of the CAD system to enhance the diagnostic efficiency of novices was assessed. Moreover, with the experience of the expert as the gold standard, the values of features detected by the CAD system were also analyzed. The efficiency of FNA was compared among the expert, novice, and CAD system to determine whether the CAD system is helpful for the management of FNA.

Result

In total, 56 malignant and 82 benign thyroid nodules were collected from the 124 patients (mean age, 46.4 ± 12.1 years; range, 12–70 years). The diagnostic area under the curve of the CAD system, expert, and novice were 0.919, 0.891, and 0.877, respectively (p < 0.05). In regard to feature detection, there was no significant differences in the margin and composition between the benign and malignant nodules (p > 0.05), while echogenicity and the existence of echogenic foci were of great significance (p < 0.05). For the recommendation of FNA, the results showed that the CAD system had better performance than the expert and novice (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Precise diagnosis and recommendation of FNA are continuing hot topics for thyroid nodules. The CAD system based on deep learning had better accuracy and feasibility for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules, and was useful to avoid unnecessary FNA. The CAD system is potentially an effective auxiliary approach for diagnosis and asymptomatic screening, especially in developing areas.
The Correlation Between Survival Benefit of Preoperative Radiotherapy and Pretreatment Carcinoembryonic Antigen Level in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhong Xiaohong , Lin Huaqin , Shao Lingdong , Chen Gang , Wu Junxin
Published: October 2021

Background

Preoperative radiotherapy followed by radical surgery is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer; however, its long-term survival benefit remains controversial. This study aimed to determine the relationship between pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and the long-term prognosis of preoperative radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients.

Methods

Data of LARC patients who underwent surgery between 2011 and 2015 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, and patients were accordingly divided into surgery (S) group and radiotherapy followed by surgery (RT+S) group. The primary outcomes were cancer-specific survival (CSS) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM). CSS was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, while CSM was evaluated using a competitive risk model. Subgroup analysis was also conducted, which was stratified by pretreatment CEA levels.

Results

A total of 2,760 patients were eligible for this study, including 350 (12.7%) patients in the S group and 2,410 (87.3%) in the RT+S group. There were no significant differences in the CSS and CSM rates at 1, 3, and 4 years between the S and RT+S groups before and after PSM (all p > 0.05). Pretreatment CEA levels were independently associated with CSS and CSM after adjusting for age, sex, stage, pathological factors, and treatment factors (all p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that preoperative radiotherapy would benefit patients with elevated CEA in terms of CSS and CSM (both p < 0.05) but not those patients with normal CEA (both p > 0.05). Further analysis showed that preoperative radiotherapy was an independent protective factor for CSS and CSM in patients with elevated CEA levels (both p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Pretreatment CEA level may be considered a potential biomarker to screen LACR patients who would benefit from preoperative radiotherapy in terms of long-term prognosis.
Development and Validation of Prognostic Model in Transitional Bladder Cancer Based on Inflammatory Response-Associated Genes
Authors: Xie Zhiwen , Cai Jinming , Sun Wenlan , Hua Shan , Wang Xingjie , Li Anguo , Jiang Juntao
Published: October 2021

Background

Bladder cancer is a common malignant type in the world, and over 90% are transitional cell carcinoma. While the impact of inflammatory response on cancer progression has been reported, the role of inflammatory response-associated genes (IRAGs) in transitional bladder cancer still needs to be understood.

Methods

In this study, IRAGs were download from Molecular Signature Database (MSigDB). The transcriptional expression and matched clinicopathological data were separately obtained from public databases. The TCGA-BLCA cohort was used to identify the differentially expressed IRAGs, and prognostic IRAGs were filtrated by univariate survival analysis. The intersection between them was displayed by Venn diagram. Based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis method, the TCGA-BLCA cohort was used to construct a risk signature. Survival analysis was conducted to calculate the overall survival (OS) in TCGA and GSE13507 cohort between two groups. We then conducted univariate and multivariate survival analyses to identify independently significant indicators for prognosis. Relationships between the risk scores and age, grade, stage, immune cell infiltration, immune function, and drug sensitivity were demonstrated by correlation analysis. The expression level of prognostic genes in vivo and in vitro were determined by qRT-PCR assay.

Results

Comparing with normal tissues, there were 49 differentially expressed IRAGs in cancer tissues, and 12 of them were markedly related to the prognosis in TCGA cohort for transitional bladder cancer patients. Based on LASSO regression analysis, a risk model consists of 10 IRAGs was established. Comparing with high-risk groups, survival analysis showed that patients in low-risk groups were more likely to have a better survival time in TCGA and GSE13507 cohorts. Besides, the accuracy of the model in predicting prognosis is acceptable, which is demonstrated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Age, stage, and risk scores variables were identified as the independently significant indicators for survival in transitional bladder cancer. Correlation analysis represented that the risk score was identified to be significantly related to the above variables except gender variable. Moreover, the expression level of prognostic genes in vivo and in vitro was markedly upregulated for transitional bladder cancer.

Conclusions

A novel model based on the 10 IRAGs that can be used to predict survival time for transitional bladder cancer. In addition, this study may provide treatment strategies according to the drug sensitivity in the future.
Establishment and Validation of an Integrated Model to Predict Postoperative Recurrence in Patients With Atypical Meningioma
Authors: Chen Xiao-Yong , Chen Jin-Yuan , Huang Yin-Xing , Xu Jia-Heng , Sun Wei-Wei , Chen Yue- , Ding Chen-Yu , Wang Shuo-Bin , Wu Xi-Yue , Kang De-Zhi , You Hong-Hai , Lin Yuan-Xiang
Published: October 2021

Background

This study aims to establish an integrated model based on clinical, laboratory, radiological, and pathological factors to predict the postoperative recurrence of atypical meningioma (AM).

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study of 183 patients with AM was conducted. Patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 128) and an external validation cohort (n = 55). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and evaluation of clinical usage were used to select variables for the final nomogram model.

Results

After multivariable Cox analysis, serum fibrinogen >2.95 g/L (hazard ratio (HR), 2.43; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–5.63;p = 0.039), tumor located in skull base (HR, 6.59; 95% CI, 2.46-17.68;p < 0.001), Simpson grades III–IV (HR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.01–7.34;p = 0.047), tumor diameter >4.91 cm (HR, 7.10; 95% CI, 2.52–19.95;p < 0.001), and mitotic level ≥4/high power field (HR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.16–6.74;p = 0.021) were independently associated with AM recurrence. Mitotic level was excluded after LASSO analysis, and it did not improve the predictive performance and clinical usage of the model. Therefore, the other four factors were integrated into the nomogram model, which showed good discrimination abilities in training cohort (C-index, 0.822; 95% CI, 0.759–0.885) and validation cohort (C-index, 0.817; 95% CI, 0.716–0.918) and good match between the predicted and observed probability of recurrence-free survival.

Conclusion

Our study established an integrated model to predict the postoperative recurrence of AM.