bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gangguan Pertumbuhan Janin sebagai Dampak Menurunnya Kesehatan Gigi dan Mulut Ibu Hamil
Authors: Mei Diastutik Vike , Rahmawati Iis , Armiyanti Yunita
Published: March 2024

Abstrak
Angka kejadian karies gigi dan gingivitis sering terjadi pada wanita hamil. Sekitar 60 hingga 75% wanita hamil menderita gingivitis, mengabaikan kesehatan mulut dan gigi selama kehamilan, sehingga menyebabkan kerusakan gigi, radang gusi, plak gigi, dan periodontitis. Kondisi tersebut memiliki efek buruk pada ibu hamil dan bayinya. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui pengaruh kesehatan gigi dan mulut ibu hamil terhadap pertumbuhan janin. Penelitian dilakukan di Kabupaten Probolinggo pada bulan September 2023. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian observasional analitik dengan desain penelitian cross-sectional. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner dan rekam medis/buku KIA dari Januari sampai Mei 2023. Variabel independent adalah kesehatan gigi dan mulut ibu hamil. Variabel dependent adalah pertumbuhan janin. Populasi yaitu semua ibu hamil sebanyak 21.212 orang. Sampling menggunakan simple random sampling. Sampel yaitu Sebagian ibu hamil sebanyak 96 orang. Analisis bivariat menggunakan chi-square. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan sebagian besar status kesehatan gigi dan mulut ibu hamil sehat sejumlah 67 ibu hamil (70%). Sebagian besar pertumbuhan janin normal yaitu 54 ibu hamil (56%). Ada pengaruh kesehatan gigi dan mulut ibu hamil terhadap pertumbuhan janin.Upaya yang dapat dilakukan yaitu tenaga kesehatan memberikan penyuluhan kepada ibu hamil tentang kesehatan gigi dan mulut yang juga dapat berpengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan janin.
Kata kunci: kesehatan gigi dan mulut, kehamilan, pertumbuhan janin, tinggi fundus uteri (TFU)
 
Abstract
Pregnant women are frequently at risk for gingivitis and dental cavities.  About 60 to 75% pregnant women suffer gingivitis, neglecting oral and dental health during pregnancy, resulting in tooth decay, gingivitis, dental plaque, and periodontitis. This condition has bad effects on expectant mother and babies. The aim research is determine effect expectant mother’s dental and oral health fetal growth. The research was conducted in Probolinggo Regency in September 2023. This research was analytical observational study with cross-sectional design. Data collection techniques used questionnaires and medical records/KIA books from January to May 2023. The independent variable was dental and oral health pregnant. The dependent variable fetal growth. There are 21,212 expectant mothers in the population. Basic random sampling is used in sampling. The sample consisted of 96 expectant mother. Bivariate analysis using chi-square.The majority of the study's participants, 67 expectant mother (70%), had good dental and oral health. Of the 54 expectant mother (56%), the majority had normal fetal growth. The oral and dental health of expectant mother affects the growth of the fetus. Health professionals might try to inform expectant mother about the relationship between dental and oral health and fetal development.
Keywords: dental and oral health, pregnant, fetal growth, fundus uteri height (TFU)
CPM for Project Scheduling: Case Study in Karbala Metal Silo
Authors: Fakhruddin Saleh Hayman , Saad Khalaf WaKas , Mohammed Abualrejal Hussein
Published: March 2024

يتطلب تطبيق مفهوم جدولة المشاريع في مشاريع الشركة العامة لتجارة الحبوب بصورة عامة الى مجموعة اجراءات ومتطلبات، وهي فهم ومعرفة الادوات والتقنيات والتي تسمى اساليب جدولة المشاريع، وتأخر مشروع انجاز صومعة كربلاء المعدني في محافظة كربلاء المقدسة هي عدم استخدام الأساليب والتقنيات الحديثة في التنفيذ، لذا سعى البحث الى تقديم استخدام جدولة المشاريع باستعمال أحد الاساليب العلمية المتطورة التي اثبتت مدى قدرتها على جدولة اي مشروع وامكانيتها في مبادلة بين الوقت والكلفة لانجاز المشروع. والهدف من البحث هو إيجاد وقت وكلفة اكمال مشروع الصومعة في الوقت الطبيعية والتعجيلية باستخدام المسار الحرج (CPM) والذي سيعمل على سهولة تسويق الحنطة المحلية من الفلاح وتصديرها الى المطاحن، حيث تم استخدام برنامج لتخطيط المشاريع (MS-Project) لأيجاد المسار الحرج، أيضا تم استعمال أسلوب توزيع الكلف وفق طريقة وقت الابتداء المبكر (ES) والمتأخر (LS) لحساب عملية توزيع كلف أنشطة المشروع وتحديد منطقة الوفورات المالية عند تنفيذ أنشطة المشروع. بينت النتائج المستحصلة  أهمية (CPM) وكفاءته في جدولة المشروع حيث تم اكمال المشروع في الظروف الطبيعية ب 396 يوم وكلفة كلية  دينار عراقي، اما عند تعجيل الأنشطة فان وقت اكمال المشروع كان في 307 يوم وبكلفة كلية هي 5,043,894,328 دينار، وأثبتت النتائج أيضا ان استعمال أسلوب توزيع الكلف وفق طريقة الابتداء المتأخر(LS) ساعد متخذ القرار على تحديد منطقة الوفرة المالية وحدود المناورة المالية التي يستطيع القيام بها اثناء اكمال أنشطة المشروع
HUBUNGAN TINGKAT KECUKUPAN ENERGI, LEMAK, AKTIVITAS FISIK DAN DIETARY DIVERSITY SCORE DENGAN STATUS GIZI PEGAWAI PUSKESMAS MAJALAYA KABUPATEN KARAWANG
Authors: Febriana Rena Kurnia
Published: March 2024

Tingginya prevalensi gizi lebih sebesar 13.47% dan obesitas 24,28% dan Jawa Barat masuk kedalam 5 besar provinsi dengan konsumsi tinggi kolesterol dan lemak yaitu sebanyak 50,1 % penduduk Jawa Barat. Petugas kesehatan yang mengalami gizi lebih berdampak pada kinerja pelayanan kesehatan dimana petugas kesehatan memiliki tanggung jawab untuk memberikan pelayanan kesehatan yang baik bagi masyarakat. Penelitian ini bertujuan Mengetahui ada tidaknya hubungan kecukupan energi, lemak, aktivitas fisik dan Dietary Diversity Score dengan status gizi pegawai Puskesmas Majalaya Karawang. Penelitian ini bersifat analitik dengan desain cross sectional dan menggunakan teknik total sampling. Responden penelitian ini 50 pegawai Puskesmas Majalaya Karawang. Pengukuran kecukupan energi, lemak, aktivitas fisik dan Dietary Diversity Score dengan menggunakan kuesioner dan pengukuran berat badan dan tinggi badan menggunakan timbangan digital dan Gea stature meter. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah uji chi square. Hasil hasil uji chi square mengetahui kecukupan energi, lemak, aktivitas fisik dan Dietary Diversity Score dengan status gizi. Hasil analisis variabel kecukupan energi diperoleh p=0,004, kecukupan lemak  diperoleh p=0,005, aktivitas fisik diperoleh p=0,157, dan Dietary Diversity Score diperoleh p=0,239.
PENGARUH KETERSEDIAAN FASILITAS, PERAN TENAGA KESEHATAN, DUKUNGAN KELUARGA, SELF EFFICIACY DAN SIKAP IBU IBU HAMIL TERHADAP PERILAKU IBU HAMIL MELAKUKAN PEMERIKSAAN KEHAMILAN PADA MASA PANDEMI COVID -19 DI RSUD CIBINONG
Authors: Febiardi Reza
Published: March 2024

ANC merupakan suatu kegiatan memeriksakan keadaan ibu dan janin secara teratur selama kehamilan berlangsung dan sekaligus mendeteksi jika adanya penyimpangan. Pentingnya dilakukan kunjungan ANC, yaitu melalui ANC berbagai informasi serta edukasi terkait kehamilan dan persiapan persalinan bisa diberikan kebada ibu sedini mungkin. Tujuan penelitiani ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh ketersediaan fasilitas, peran tenaga kesehatan, dukungan keluarga, self-efficacy, dan sikap ibu hamil terhadap perilaku ibu hamil dalam melakukan pemeriksaan kehamilan selama pandemi Covid-19 di Rumah Sakit Cibinong. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain penelitian cross-sectional. Populasinya adalah semua ibu hamil yang datang ke RSUD Cibinong Bogor pada bulan Mei sampai bulan Agustus tahun 2021 dengan jumlah 100 orang. Sampel yang digunakan adalah 80 ibu hamil sebagai responden. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah Structural Equation Model (SEM).Hasil pengujian hipotesis dengan Structural Equation Model (SEM) menemukan bahwa variabel perilaku oleh ibu hamil di Kabupaten Bogor dipengaruhi oleh pengaruh Ketersediaan Fasilitas dengan nilai t statistic 11,85 > t tabel (1,96) berpengeruh signifikans dengan besar pengaruh 23,29%, peran tenaga kesehatan dengan t statistic sebesar 3,39 > t tabel (1,96)  berpngerahub signifikans dnegan besar pengaruh 6,87%, dan sikap ibu hamil dengan t statistic sebesar 3,83 > t tabel (1,96) berpngearuh signifikans dengan besar pengaruh 15,43% di Kabupaten Bogor. Ketersediaan fasilitas merupakan faktor dominan yang mempengaruhi perilaku oleh ibu hamil di Rumah Sakit Cibinong. Semakin buruk ketersediaan fasilitas di Rumah Sakit Cibinong, semakin rendah perilaku ibu hamil di Kabupaten Bogor. Diperlukan upaya pengadaan fasilitas yang memadai bagi ibu hamil untuk memudahkan kunjungan rutin setelah persalinan serta pelayanan kesehatan yang menyediakan ruang konsultasi bagi ibu hamil.
HUBUNGAN KEBIASAAN PENGGUNAAN GADGET TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN SOSIAL PADA ANAK PRASEKOLAH
Authors: Sofyan Maulana Agus , Mujiyanti Sri
Published: March 2024

Prevalensi di seluruh dunia terdapat 5-25% anak usia pra-sekolah mengalami gangguan perkembangan. Sekitar 9,5% sampai 14,2% anak prasekolah memiliki masalah sosial emosional yang berdampak negatif terhadap perkembangan dan kesiapan sekolahnya. Salah satu faktor yang mempengaruhi perkembangan sosial adalah penggunaan gedget yang terlalu sering. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk Untuk mengetahui Hubungan Kebiasaan Penggunaan Gadget Terhadap Perkembangan Sosial Anak Prasekolah di TK Pelita 2 Desa Bayah Timur Kecamatan Bayah Tahun 2023. Jenis penelitian ini kuantitatif, dengan desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah Cross Sectional. Sampel yang digunakan sebenyak 44 orang dengan teknik pengambilan sampel total sampling. Berdasarkan Uji Chi-square di dapatkan hasil p value  = (0,004) <0,05.  Angka tersebut menunjukan adanya hubungan antara penggunaan gedget dengan perkembanagan sosial anak di TK Pelita 2 Desa Bayah Timur Kecamatan Bayah Tahun 2023. Oleh karena itu, Agar tidak mengganggu perkembangan anak, orang tua sebaiknya membatasi penggunaan gadget pada anak serta mengajarkan anak untuk bersosialisasi dengan teman sebayanya
PERBANDINGAN EFEKTIVITAS TERAPI RANITIDINE DAN OMEPRAZOLE TERHADAP LAMA RAWAT INAP PASIEN DISPEPSIA
Authors: Nabilah Ayi , Harfiani Erna , Hasanah Uswatun , Yusmaini Hany
Published: March 2024

Dispepsia merupakan gangguan saluran pencernaan atas yang sering dikeluhkan oleh berbagai kalangan masyarakat. Konsensus Nasional Penatalaksanaan Dispepsia dan Infeksi Helicobacter pylori merekomendasikan tata laksana awal dispepsia salah satunya adalah obat antisekresi asam lambung. Obat antisekresi asam lambung yang paling sering digunakan pada pasien dispepsia rawat inap yaitu omeprazole dan ranitidine. Mekanisme obat yang berbeda menyebabkan efektivitas obat yang berbeda pula yang memengaruhi lama rawat inap pasien. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan terapi omeprazole dan ranitidine terhadap lama rawat inap pasien dispepsia dewasa. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deksriptif – analitik observasional dengan pendekatan potong lintang terhadap pasien dispepsia di RSUD dr. Dradjat Prawiranegara Serang. Penelitian dilakukan pada 64 pasien yang memenuhi kriteria dan diperoleh hasil rata-rata lama rawat inap pasien dispepsia dengan terapi omeprazole adalah 1,91 (±0,893) hari. Sedangkan, rata-rata lama rawat inap pasien dispepsia dengan terapi ranitidine adalah 2,16 (±1,194) hari. Hasil analisis bivariat perbandingan lama rawat inap terhadap kedua kelompok menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbedaan bermakna/signifikan dengan nilai p>0,05 (p-value=0,542). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbedaan yang bermakna lama rawat inap pasien dispepsia yang diberikan terapi omeprazole dengan ranitidine di RSUD dr. Dradjat Prawiranegara Serang.
TPACK Framework Into TEFL for Meaningful-Effective EFL Learning and Teaching at Indonesian Context
Authors: Anwar Choiril , Yuliasri Issy , Faridi Abdurrachman , Pratama Hendi , Hartono Hartono
Published: March 2024

This literature review study was conducted to reviewing and exploring more thoroughly how the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) is implemented in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to achieve meaningful and effective EFL teaching-learning. Employing a qualitative approach, we the present researchers gather various types of relevant literatures dealing with the discussed issue and then the information or data obtained are analyzed by utilizing thematic analysis where the data are classified according to the theme, rigorously interpreted, and then qualitatively described as well as concluded comprehensively. The findings of this review study hopefully strengthen the authors’ belief that the implementation of English language teaching integrated with TPACK leads to a meaningful and affective EFL teaching and learning. In addition to that, these reviews of related literatures will be fruitful references for other researchers to conduct any correlated studies.
Learning EFL Listening and Speaking Skills via Blackboard: Students’ Attitudes, Challenges, and Assessment
Authors: Alzubi Ali Abbas Falah
Published: March 2024

Online learning can be considered an important means of education during emergencies. However, educational institutions, including students and teachers, need to have enough preparation, as a result, many issues, such as challenges, the effectiveness of assessment methods, and attitudes toward learning online, have emerged. This study describes the reality of using the Blackboard platform to learn EFL listening and speaking skills from a student perspective. It examines students’ experiences and attitudes in learning EFL listening and speaking skills via Blackboard. Also, it reflects students’ views on the acquired EFL listening and speaking skills, challenges of learning via Blackboard, and the effectiveness of assessment methods. The study followed the descriptive-diagnostic approach to achieve its objectives. The results showed that students highly valued the Blackboard platform to learn listening and speaking skills. Also, they liked to be assessed using the online assessment methods. In addition, students’ most technical problems were recorded during exams and virtual classes due to poor Internet. Furthermore, they improved their learning of listening and speaking skills via Blackboard.
Practical Curriculum Development in TVET: Integrating Taylorism and Connectivism for Operational Skill Enhancement
Authors: Tao Lizhi , Prasert Ruannakarn , Jiraporn Chano , Ran Wang
Published: March 2024

With the continuous development of the global economy and the adjustment of industrial structure, there is a growing demand for high-quality skilled talents with practical operational skills. This study aims to explore how to integrate Taylorism and Connectivism in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to enhance the effectiveness of operational skill cultivation. In the first phase of the research, we focused on the operational skill of escalator troubleshooting, gaining in-depth insights into the current situation in this field. Subsequently, we proposed and implemented an innovative curriculum development framework (BTCC), which fully utilizes the practical orientation of Taylorism and the interactive learning philosophy of Connectivism. This framework focuses on developing a course to enhance the operational skills of escalator troubleshooting. Finally, validated in an actual TVET environment, the research results, referred to as the Innovative Practical Course (ETSC), show that the new course significantly improves students’ proficiency in escalator troubleshooting skills and promotes active learning and collaboration in practice. This study provides practical and adaptable escalator troubleshooting course development experience for vocational colleges, offering a feasible approach to address the challenges in cultivating related operational skills.
Utilizing Emerging Technology Trends and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
Authors: Moncayo Cueva Hugo Luis , Cuesta-Chávez Giovanna , Ramírez Andrea , Zambrano Pintado Ruth Narciza
Published: March 2024

Today’s higher education is characterized by accelerated technological advances and a growing need for adaptation. This research focuses on the utilization of emerging technological trends and artificial intelligence (AI) as innovative solutions to enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning. The problem lies in the necessity of strategically harnessing the potential of emerging technologies and AI in higher education. The objective is to thoroughly examine the implementation of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence within the realm of higher education. A comprehensive systematic review was conducted, involving the analysis of 240 articles selected from searches within the Scopus, SpringerLink, and Web of Science databases the selection process employed rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, to achieve this, we utilized the PRISMA methodology with a systematic approach. Consequently, our findings indicate that the integration of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence in higher education offers valuable guidance for decision-making and enhances the effectiveness of educational strategies in the digital era.
How Will the SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling Affect the Integrity of University Leaders?
Authors: Woodard Megan R. , Perry Eretta Y. Brown , Barnes Cari V. , McClary Ashley A. , Bell Reginald L.
Published: March 2024

On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) ruled on addressing the legality of race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions programs in Students for Fair Admission, Inc. Based on the ruling, our study examined the literature to answer one research question: How will the SCOTUS affirmative action ruling affect the integrity of university leaders? We now understand how post-affirmative action could affect the integrity of university leaders. We now know more about (1) leaders’ perspectives post-SCOTUS ruling, (2) leaders’ influences on the educational culture, and (3) the effects that leaders’ integrity could have after the SCOTUS Title VI 2023 ruling. We make five conjectures about what we believe will guide university leaders’ integrity post-SCOTUS ruling.
Physical Violence Detection System to Prevent Student Mental Health Disorders Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Putri Sukmawati Anggraeni , Rifai Achmad , Nawawi Imam
Published: March 2024

Physical violence in the educational environment by students often occurs and leads to criminal acts. Apart from that, repeated acts of physical violence can be considered non-verbal bullying. This bullying can hurt the victim, causing physical disorders, mental health, impaired social relationships and decreased academic performance. However, monitoring activities against acts of violence currently being carried out have weaknesses, namely weak supervision by the school. A deep Learning-based physical violence detection system, namely LSTM Network, is the solution to this problem. In this research, we develop a Convolutional Neural Network to detect acts of violence. Convolutional Neural Network extracts features at the frame level from videos. At the frame level, the feature uses long short-term memory in the convolutional gate. Convolutional Neural Networks and convolutional short-term memory can capture local spatio-temporal features, enabling local video motion analysis. The performance of the proposed feature extraction pipeline is evaluated on standard benchmark datasets in terms of recognition accuracy. A comparison of the results obtained with state-of-the-art techniques reveals the promising capabilities of the proposed method for recognising violent videos. The model that has been trained and tested will be integrated into a violence detection system, which can provide ease and speed in detecting acts of violence that occur in the school environment.
Effects of a humanized CD47 antibody and recombinant SIRPα proteins on triple negative breast carcinoma stem cells
Authors: Kaur Sukhbir , Reginauld Bianca , Razjooyan Sam , Phi Trung , Singh Satya P. , Meyer Thomas J. , Cam Margaret C. , Roberts David D.
Published: March 2024

Signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα, SHPS-1, CD172a) expressed on myeloid cells transmits inhibitory signals when it engages its counter-receptor CD47 on an adjacent cell. Elevated CD47 expression on some cancer cells thereby serves as an innate immune checkpoint that limits phagocytic clearance of tumor cells by macrophages and antigen presentation to T cells. Antibodies and recombinant SIRPα constructs that block the CD47-SIRPα interaction on macrophages exhibit anti-tumor activities in mouse models and are in ongoing clinical trials for treating several human cancers. Based on prior evidence that engaging SIRPα can also alter CD47 signaling in some nonmalignant cells, we compared direct effects of recombinant SIRPα-Fc and a humanized CD47 antibody that inhibits CD47-SIRPα interaction (CC-90002) on CD47 signaling in cancer stem cells derived from the MDA-MB- 231 triple-negative breast carcinoma cell line. Treatment with SIRPα-Fc significantly increased the formation of mammospheres by breast cancer stem cells as compared to CC-90002 treatment or controls. Furthermore, SIRPα-Fc treatment upregulated mRNA and protein expression of ALDH1 and altered the expression of genes involved in epithelial/mesenchymal transition pathways that are associated with a poor prognosis and enhanced metastatic activity. This indicates that SIRPα-Fc has CD47-mediated agonist activities in breast cancer stem cells affecting proliferation and metastasis pathways that differ from those of CC-90002. This SIRPα-induced CD47 signaling in breast carcinoma cells may limit the efficacy of SIRPα decoy therapeutics intended to stimulate innate antitumor immune responses.
Influence of type of aluminium stearate on triboelectrification of dry-coated surfaces of functionalised glass beads
Authors: Goh Wei Pin , Guo Jiachen , Jia Xiaodong , Ghadiri Mojtaba
Published: March 2024

Triboelectrification of powders and grains is deleterious in a large number of manufacturing operations, due to its adverse effect on process consistency and reliability. To mitigate it, charge neutralisers are commonly employed. However, their selection is often based on trial and error. This study is conducted to systematically examine the influence of the ionic polarity strength of a charge neutraliser, specifically aluminium stearate (AlSt), on charge transfer. AlSt has three types with different numbers of stearate chains, thereby influencing the electron exchange propensity of the molecule. The experiments involved surface-treated glass beads in the sieve size range of 90–150 µm (to make them hydrophilic by acid washing or hydrophobic by silanisation), then coated with the three forms of AlSt (mono-, di- and tri-) for charge mitigation. These coated beads were subjected to aerodynamic dispersion to cause triboelectrification, in order to quantitatively evaluate their charge neutralising effect. The experiments were conducted with four contact surfaces: stainless steel, copper, aluminium, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Both acid-washed and silanised glass beads exhibited negative charging against aluminium, copper and stainless steel (typically around 22–44 nC/g), but positive charging against PTFE (around 90 nC/g and 19 nC/g for acid-washed and silanised, respectively), despite having significantly different surface functional groups. A complex trend is observed for the effect of the amount of AlSt present on the surfaces, the type of AlSt and the surface treatment. A relatively good charge reduction behaviour was seen for AlSt-coated acid washed glass beads, but for silanised glass beads, AlSt coating actually increases their charge level.
Unveiling the potential of Daldinia eschscholtzii MFLUCC 19-0629 through bioactivity and bioinformatics studies for enhanced sustainable agriculture production
Authors: Brooks Siraprapa , Weaver Jack A. , Klomchit Anthikan , Alharthi Shumukh A. , Onlamun Thanyarat , Nurani Rithika , Vong Thienthu Khanh , Alberti Fabrizio , Greco Claudio
Published: March 2024

Endophytic fungi constitute a rich source of secondary metabolites that can be manipulated to produce desirable novel analogs for combating current agricultural challenges for crop production, especially controlling plant disease. The endophytic fungus Daldinia eschscholtzii MFLUCC 19-0629, was newly isolated from tropical ancient plants, Oncosperma sp., and displays a broad-spectrum of antifungal and antibacterial activities against several plant pathogens including Ralstonia solanacearum, Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Colletotrichum acutatum, Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum, Corynespora cassiicola and Stemphylium spp. A high-quality genome sequence was obtained using Oxford nanopore technology, the accuracy and length of reads resulting in no need for Illumina or other sequencing techniques, for D. eschscholtzii MFLUCC 19-0629, resulting in a genome size of 37.56 Mb assembled over 11 contigs of significant size, likely to be at the chromosomal level. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that this strain is biosynthetically talented encoding 67 predicted biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Only eight of the 67 BGCs matched or demonstrated high similarity to previously characterized BGCs linked to the production of known secondary metabolites. The high number of predicted unknown BGCs makes this strain a promising source of novel natural products. The discovery that D. eschscholtzii MFLUCC 19-0629 has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against seven major plant pathogenic microorganisms relevant to crop production and its complete genome sequence carries immense importance in the advancement of novel microbial biocontrol agents (MBCAs). This also unveils the prospect of uncovering new compounds that could be utilized for sustainable agriculture and pharmaceutical purposes.
Novel strategy for depolymerization of avermectin fermentation residue to value-added amino acid product
Authors: Ma Chi , Mao Zhengxin , Liu Qingfen
Published: March 2024

Avermectin fermentation residue (AFR) is rich in proteins, which can be depolymerized to value-added amino acids for in-plant reuse. The hydrochloric acid (HCl) hydrolysis is performed and investigated under different conditions, including HCl concentration, solid-liquid ratio, temperature, and time. The hydrolysis degree (HD) of 67.7% can be achieved. The empirical correlation of HD is established with a good practicability to control the HD and predict the experimental conditions. Solid-liquid reaction is confirmed to be dominant during the hydrolysis process. There are 17 kinds of amino acids in the hydrolysate, benefiting the reuse. Avermectin is not detected in the hydrolysate and AFR, and the mass of AFR is reduced by 53.8 wt%. This work provides a novel strategy for the environmentally friendly treatment and meanwhile the resource recovery of AFR.
Cytokine IL-5 and HGF: combined prediction of non-/low immune response to hepatitis B vaccination at birth in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers
Authors: Ou Guanyong , Qing Ling , Zhang Li , Yang Yang , Ye Guoguo , Peng Ling , Li Yanjie , Yang Liuqing , Liu Yingxia
Published: March 2024

Background

The immune response to hepatitis B vaccine may be influenced by numerous factors, and patients with non/low response re-exposed to hepatitis B virus remain susceptible. Thus, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of non/low immune response in infants born to Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers is essential.

Methods

100 infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers from 2015 to 2020 were enrolled in the study, further divided into the non/low response group (n=13) and the moderate strong response group (n=87) based on the quantification of hepatitis B surface antibody at 12 months of age. The differential expression of 48 immune-related cytokines in the two groups was compared and analyzed in detail. The key cytokines were further identified and clinically predictive models were developed.

Results

We found that 13 cytokines were lowly expressed and one cytokine was highly expressed in the non/low response group, compared with the moderate strong response group at birth. In addition, 9 cytokines were lowly expressed and one cytokine was highly expressed in the non/low response group at 12 months of age. Furthermore, we found that IL-5 and HGF were promising predictors for predicting the immunization response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants, and the combination of the two cytokines showed the best predictive efficiency, with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.844.

Conclusion

The present study provides a theoretical basis on cytokines for developing and implementing effective immunotherapies against non/low immune response in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers.
Students’ satisfaction and learning experiences at higher agricultural education institutions in Saudi Arabia: an empirical inquest
Authors: Alotaibi Bader Alhafi , Muddassir Muhammad , Abbas Azhar , Nayak Roshan K. , Azeem Muhammad Imran
Published: March 2024

Aim

This study aims to explore various factors that affect students’ satisfaction regarding postgraduate agricultural programs and the likelihood of recommending such programs to others.

Methods

Data were collected using structured paper-based questionnaires from a random sample of 127 students who were undertaking master and doctoral programs in eight different disciplines within agricultural sciences at King Saud University.

Results

The findings showed that majority of the students expressed high academic learning experiences and were satisfied with their program of study. Multiple regression analysis revealed that students’ academic learning experience, faculty support, and the rationale for attending the university had significant positive influence on their satisfaction with the enrolled programs. Moreover, the students’ satisfaction and faculty support also showed significant positive correlation with their likelihood to recommend agricultural programs to others.

Suggestions

In order to further enhance the impact of agricultural programs, we suggest improvements in the university curriculum as well as faculty services to make current agricultural programs up-to-date and relevant to meet the kingdom’s national agricultural and human resource development goals. There should be a particular focus on enhancing students’ research and written communication skills as postgraduate agricultural programs entail a significant component of these highly essential skills.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics but not response to treatment can distinguish children with definite growth hormone deficiency from short stature unresponsive to stimulation tests
Authors: Lanzetta Maria Andrea , Dalla Bona Eva , Tamaro Gianluca , Vidonis Viviana , Vittori Giada , Faleschini Elena , Barbi Egidio , Tornese Gianluca
Published: March 2024

Introduction

It has been proposed that not all children with short stature displaying an inadequate response to tests for growth hormone (GH) secretion truly suffer from GH deficiency (GHD). Only children with a monogenic cause of GHD or an identifiable combined hormonal deficiency or anatomical anomaly in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis should be considered definite GHD (dGHD). The remaining patients can be defined as a separate group of patients, “short stature unresponsive to stimulation tests” (SUS). The aim of this proof-of-concept study, was to assess whether SUS patients treated with rhGH exhibit any differences compared to GHD patients undergoing the same treatment.

Methods

Retrospective analysis on 153 consecutive patients with short stature and pathological response to two GH stimulation tests. Patients with dGHD were defined as those with a clear genetic or anatomical hypothalamic-pituitary anomaly, as well as those with combined pituitary hormone deficiencies and those with a known insult to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (i.e. total brain irradiation) (n=38, 25%); those without any of the previous anomalies were defined as SUS (n=115, 75%).

Results

At diagnosis, dGHD and SUS populations did not differ significantly in sex (F 32% vs 28%, p=0.68), age (11.9 vs 12.1, p=0.45), height SDS at diagnosis (-2.2 vs. -2.0, p=0.35) and prevalence of short stature (height <-2 SDS) (56% vs 51%, p=0.45). IGF-1 SDS were significantly lower in dGHD (-2.0 vs -1.3, p<0.01). After 1 year of treatment, the prevalence of short stature was significantly reduced in both groups (31% in dGHD vs. 21% in SUS, p<0.01) without any significant differences between groups (p=0.19), while the increase in IGF-1 SDS for bone age was greater in the dGHD category (+1.9 vs. +1.5, p<0.01), with no further difference in IGF-1 SDS between groups. At the last available follow-up, 59 patients had reached the near adult height (NAH) and underwent retesting for GHD. No differences in NAH were found (-0.3 vs. -0.4 SDS, 0% vs. 4% of short stature). The prevalence of pathological retesting was higher in dGHD (60% vs. 10%, p<0.01) as well as of overweight and obesity (67% vs. 26%).

Conclusion

Stimulation tests and the equivalent benefit from rhGH therapy, cannot distinguish between dGHD and SUS populations. In addition, lower IGF-1 concentrations at baseline and their higher increase during treatment in dGHD patients, and the lack of pathological retesting upon reaching NAH in SUS patients, are facts that suggest that deficient GH secretion may not be the cause of short stature in the SUS studied population.
Surgical treatment of cryptorchidism: current insights and future directions
Authors: Pakkasjärvi Niklas , Taskinen Seppo
Published: March 2024

Cryptorchidism presents with an incidence of 1-5% with potential long-term implications on future fertility and overall health. This review focuses on surgical treatment modalities, their impact on testicular development, and function while addressing the Nordic consensus statement as well as current European Association of Urology (EAU) and American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines. Congenital and acquired cryptorchidism present distinctive challenges in surgical management, with different implications for fertility. While congenital cryptorchidism entails a risk to fertility and warrants early intervention, both retractile testes and acquired cryptorchidism also pose risks to fertility potential, underscoring the importance of evaluating treatment options. Testicular location and the child’s age form the basis of a practical classification system for undescended testicles. Early diagnosis by clinical examination enables timely treatment. Imaging is reserved for selected cases only. Following guidelines, orchidopexy is recommended between 6-12 months of age for congenital cryptorchidism. Evidence increasingly suggests the benefits of early surgery for promoting testicular health and fertility potential. Current surgical options range from open to laparoscopic techniques, with the choice largely determined by the location and accessibility of the undescended testicle. The advancement in laparoscopic approaches for non-palpable testes underscores the evolving landscape of surgical treatment. Sequential surgeries may be required depending on the mobility of the undescended testes. More research is needed to explore both the potential and limitations of hormonal therapy, which is secondary to surgical treatment and can selectively have a role as adjunct to surgery. Long-term follow-up is imperative to evaluate fertility outcomes, risk of testicular malignancy, and psychological impact. By integrating current guidelines with the latest evidence, this review intends to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of cryptorchidism, thereby optimizing patient management and outcomes.
Modeling and simulation of a Renzoku puzzle pattern-based PV array configuration for a partially shaded PV system
Authors: Aljafari Belqasem , Balachandran Praveen Kumar , Samithas Devakirubakaran , Thanikanti Sudhakar Babu , Nwulu Nnamdi I.
Published: March 2024

The world depends heavily on electrical energy for accessing technologies. For the generation of electricity, technology can utilize renewable energy sources like solar energy and wind energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems occupy space among consumers due to their feasibility, flexibility, cost, and simple implementation procedures. The solar PV system experiences many factors causing power loss like partial shading, hotspots, and diode failure. In this work, a new static PV array configuration, named Renzoku puzzle pattern-based array configuration, is proposed. This proposed configuration technique was designed to overcome the drawbacks of the previously proposed array configurations in terms of power generation, fewer mismatch losses, a high shade-dispersion rate, and consistent performance under any level of partial shading. The proposed array configuration has been validated using both simulation and hardware. The simulation is carried out in a 9 × 9 PV array in MATLAB/Simulink®. The performance analysis, results, and corresponding characteristic curves are presented in this manuscript.
Spatiotemporal analysis of drought severity using SPI and SPEI: case study of semi-arid Borana area, southern Ethiopia
Authors: Worku Mitiku Adisu
Published: March 2024

Drought is a complex natural hazard that can cause damage to socio-economic and biophysical systems in any climatic region. The main objective of this paper was to analyze the spatiotemporal drought in the semi-arid Borana area of southern Ethiopia from 1981 to 2018. The climate data was obtained from the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute. Standardized precipitation index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at 3- and 12-month timescales were adopted to characterize drought during these periods and wet seasons in time and space. The results revealed that moderate to extreme drought conditions at various stations frequently hit months stretching from March to June and September to November. The years 1984, 1985, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2011 were known to be the driest years, among others. A total of 484, 563, 573 and 620 combined moderate, severe and extreme drought events were observed across all stations using SPI-3, SPEI-3, SPI-12 and SPEI-12, respectively. Internal variability among the stations was noticed regarding the frequency and magnitude of drought. Ganna (March to May), the season that was supposed to be the main rainy season in the region, was by far drier than Hagayya (September to November), the short rainy period. In general, this study found a high frequency and intense magnitude of drought that varies across the stations. Therefore, any localized adaptation and mitigation strategies intended to tackle or minimize drought-associated impacts should take into account this local variability.
Approaching sustainability and circularity along waste management systems in universities: an overview and proposal of good practices
Authors: Giurea Ramona , Carnevale Miino Marco , Torretta Vincenzo , Rada Elena Cristina
Published: March 2024

In recent years, the importance of sustainability and circularity in waste management systems has become increasingly evident. As the world grapples with the environmental consequences of excessive waste generation, it has become crucial to find innovative and sustainable solutions. Universities, as centres of knowledge and research, play a vital role in achieving sustainability and circularity in waste management. The key contribution of this study is to provide: 1) a systematic review of the existing literature concerning sustainable waste management systems (SWMS) implemented in universities; 2) an analysis of the studies presented in this paper identifying applicable approaches and sustainable practices to provide novel guidelines by including waste management system in a circular and sustainable model within universities. Through research, collaboration, education, implementation of sustainable practices, and support for entrepreneurship, universities can strongly contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable waste management practices. As the world continues to face the challenges of waste generation, universities will continue to be at the forefront of finding innovative, sustainable, and circular solutions.
Nuclease-free precise genome editing corrects MECP2 mutations associated with Rett syndrome
Authors: Bijlani Swati , Pang Ka Ming , Bugga Lakshmi V. , Rangasamy Sampath , Narayanan Vinodh , Chatterjee Saswati
Published: March 2024

Rett syndrome is an acquired progressive neurodevelopmental disorder caused by de novo mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene which encodes a pleiotropic protein that functions as a global transcriptional regulator and a chromatin modifier. Rett syndrome predominantly affects heterozygous females while affected male hemizygotes rarely survive. Gene therapy of Rett syndrome has proven challenging due to a requirement for stringent regulation of expression with either over- or under-expression being toxic. Ectopic expression of MECP2 in conjunction with regulatory miRNA target sequences has achieved some success, but the durability of this approach remains unknown. Here we evaluated a nuclease-free homologous recombination (HR)-based genome editing strategy to correct mutations in the MECP2 gene. The stem cell-derived AAVHSCs have previously been shown to mediate seamless and precise HR-based genome editing. We tested the ability of HR-based genome editing to correct pathogenic mutations in Exons 3 and 4 of the MECP2 gene and restore the wild type sequence while preserving all native genomic regulatory elements associated with MECP2 expression, thus potentially addressing a significant issue in gene therapy for Rett syndrome. Moreover, since the mutations are edited directly at the level of the genome, the corrections are expected to be durable with progeny cells inheriting the edited gene. The AAVHSC MECP2 editing vector was designed to be fully homologous to the target MECP2 region and to insert a promoterless Venus reporter at the end of Exon 4. Evaluation of AAVHSC editing in a panel of Rett cell lines bearing mutations in Exons 3 and 4 demonstrated successful correction and rescue of expression of the edited MECP2 gene. Sequence analysis of edited Rett cells revealed successful and accurate correction of mutations in both Exons 3 and 4 and permitted mapping of HR crossover events. Successful correction was observed only when the mutations were flanked at both the 5′ and 3′ ends by crossover events, but not when both crossovers occurred either exclusively upstream or downstream of the mutation. Importantly, we concluded that pathogenic mutations were successfully corrected in every Rett line analyzed, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of HR-based genome editing.
Leukemic mutation FLT3-ITD is retained in dendritic cells and disrupts their homeostasis leading to expanded Th17 frequency
Authors: Flynn Patrick A. , Long Mark D. , Kosaka Yoko , Long Nicola , Mulkey Jessica S. , Coy Jesse L. , Agarwal Anupriya , Lind Evan F.
Published: March 2024

Dendritic cells (DC) are mediators between innate and adaptive immune responses to pathogens and tumors. DC development is determined by signaling through the receptor tyrosine kinase Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) in bone marrow myeloid progenitors. Recently the naming conventions for DC phenotypes have been updated to distinguish between “Conventional” DCs (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). Activating mutations of FLT3, including Internal Tandem Duplication (FLT3-ITD), are associated with poor prognosis for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Having a shared myeloid lineage it can be difficult to distinguish bone fide DCs from AML tumor cells. To date, there is little information on the effects of FLT3-ITD in DC biology. To further elucidate this relationship we utilized CITE-seq technology in combination with flow cytometry and multiplex immunoassays to measure changes to DCs in human and mouse tissues. We examined the cDC phenotype and frequency in bone marrow aspirates from patients with AML to understand the changes to cDCs associated with FLT3-ITD. When compared to healthy donor (HD) we found that a subset of FLT3-ITD+ AML patient samples have overrepresented populations of cDCs and disrupted phenotypes. Using a mouse model of FLT3-ITD+ AML, we found that cDCs were increased in percentage and number compared to control wild-type (WT) mice. Single cell RNA-seq identified FLT3-ITD+ cDCs as skewed towards a cDC2 T-bet- phenotype, previously shown to promote Th17 T cells. We assessed the phenotypes of CD4+ T cells in the AML mice and found significant enrichment of both Treg and Th17 CD4+ T cells in the bone marrow and spleen compartments. Ex vivo stimulation of CD4+ T cells also showed increased Th17 phenotype in AML mice. Moreover, co-culture of AML mouse-derived DCs and naïve OT-II cells preferentially skewed T cells into a Th17 phenotype. Together, our data suggests that FLT3-ITD+ leukemia-associated cDCs polarize CD4+ T cells into Th17 subsets, a population that has been shown to be negatively associated with survival in solid tumor contexts. This illustrates the complex tumor microenvironment of AML and highlights the need for further investigation into the effects of FLT3-ITD mutations on DC phenotypes and their downstream effects on Th polarization.
Level of IL-6, TNF, and IL-1β and age-related diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tylutka Anna , Walas Łukasz , Zembron-Lacny Agnieszka
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Chronic low-grade inflammation is an important aspect of morbidity and mortality in older adults. The level of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or IL-1β) is a risk factor in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and is also associated with sarcopenia and frailties. The objective of this study was to assess each cytokine: IL-6, TNF, and IL-1β separately in the elderly with comorbidities against controls without diseases according to the data published in the available literature.

Methods

The electronic bibliographic PubMed database was systematically searched to select all the relevant studies published up to July 2023. The total number of the subjects involved in the meta-analysis included patients with diseases (n=8154) and controls (n=33967).

Results

The overall concentration of IL-6 was found to be higher in patients with diseases compared to controls and the difference was statistically significant, with a p-value of <0.001 (SMD, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.12–0.19). The heterogeneity was considerable with Q = 109.97 (P <0.0001) and I2 = 79.2%. The potential diagnostic usefulness of IL-6 was confirmed by odds ratio (OR) analysis (OR: 1.03, 95% CI (1.01; 1.05), p=0.0029). The concentration of both TNF and IL-1β was elevated in the control group compared to patients and amounted to SMD -0.03; 95% CI, -0.09–0.02, p-value 0.533 and SMD-0.29; 95% CI, -0.47– -0.12; p = 0.001, respectively. For TNF, however, the difference was statistically insignificant.

Discussion

IL-6, unlike TNF and IL-1β, could be a useful and convenient marker of peripheral inflammation in older adults with various comorbidities.