bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integration Strategies and Competitive Advantage in Manufacturing Sector: Evidence from Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: Izediuno Okafor Linus , Eugenia Ifekwem Nkiruka , Akande Bello Bashiru , Adunola Ajayi Mobolanle , Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi Omotola , Oladunke Adebiyi Omolola , Aliyu Modibbo Usman , Theodore Nnoli Ikenna 
Published: July 2024

The study examined the joint impact of vertical and horizontal strategies on competitive advantage. Data were collected from primary sources using a questionnaire Survey, administered to employees of ten manufacturing firms in Ogun state. A total of three hundred and eighty-four (384) copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the selected respondents as arrived at using the Taro Ya-mane formula. The hypotheses of the study were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis in other to determine whether to accept or reject the null hypotheses (H0). The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient rejected the null hypotheses (Null hypotheses 1 and 2) and accepted the alternative hypotheses 1 and 2. The final hypothesis was tested using multiple regression analysis. The result showed that both vertical integration strategies and horizontal integration strategy with coefficients of 0.556 and 0.843 had a positive and significant impact on competitive advantage. From the findings of the study, the study recommended that collaboration between companies in the same industry can lead to improved vertical integration and increased competitive advantage. The government should therefore encourage such collaboration through the creation of industry associations or other forums where companies can share knowledge and best practices.
The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy on Online Learning among Accounting Students
Authors: Muhammad Kamaruzzaman , Ghani Erlane K. , Johari Razana Juhaida , Mohd Ali Mazurina , Sukmadilaga Citra 
Published: July 2024

This study examines the mediating role of self-efficacy in the effective online learning of accounting students. Specifically, this study examines whether self-efficacy can mediate the influence of student attitude towards online learning and course suitability for online learning in universities. This study uses a questionnaire distributed to students from public and private universities. Six hundred and sixty-two responses were received. Using mediation analysis, this study shows that self-efficacy serves as a mediator for the relationship between attitudes towards online learning and online learning. This study shows a significant direct influence between attitudes towards online learning and online learning. The results of this study indicate that the correlation between the appropriateness of the course and online learning is similar and has a statistically significant direct influence. This study also shows that self-efficacy partially complements the mediation of the correlation. The findings in this study provide additional insight into the various factors that can impact the effectiveness of online learning environments. These findings can assist universities in formulating strategies to optimise the content, activities, and assessments within such environments, thereby increasing their overall effectiveness. Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing literature by examining self-efficacy as a mediating role in an online learning environment in Malaysian universities.
PROFIL ETIKA DAN KOMPETENSI ALUMNI PROGRAM STUDI PENDIDIKAN BIOLOGI
Authors: Hutasoit Leonard R. , Kismiati Dyah Aniza , Ratnaningsih Anna , Wahyuningsih Tri , Nurhasanah Nurhasanah , Nurdin Gusti 
Published: July 2024

Research related to alumni in a study program is often carried out to determine the quality of a university. It is no exception in distance universities such as Universitas Terbuka (UT). This study aims to determine how the ethical profile and competency profile in the field of biology education in alumni of the Biology Education study program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka. This survey study was conducted using the alumni user population of UT Biology Education students with a research sample of 35 people. There are five indicators to measure the ethical profile of alumni and five indicators related to competency profile. The five ethical indicators include respect, not looking down on others, respecting the opinions of others, behaving politely, and helping others. Alumni competency indicators consist of providing opportunities for students to master the material, carry out learning according to the curriculum, analyze student learning outcomes, play an active role in various activities, and prepare learning materials. The alumni users include the principals and vice principals of the schools where alumni teach. The sample is acquired based on the random sampling techniques. Data was obtained through interviews and questionnaires given to alumni users. Next, the data is analyzed descriptively. The result, informed us about the average ethical profile of biology education alumni was 89.57 while the average profile of competence or expertise in the field of science was 84.71. Thus, the ethical profile and competence of alumni of Biology Education at the Open University are high
VALIDITAS LEMBAR KERJA PESERTA DIDIK INKUIRI TERBIMBING PADA MATERI SISTEM EKSKRESI MANUSIA
Authors: Mitasari Zuni , Lamboya Apliana , Fidiastuti Hasminar Rachman 
Published: July 2024

This research aims to determine the validity of the guided inquiry-based student worksheet on human excretory system material at junior high school level. This type of this research, namely development research using the modified ADDIE model. The research was conducted at SMP Negeri 16 Malang. The data collection instruments include (1) LKPD validation questionnaire, which consists of material expert and media expert validation questionnaires, (2) user expert questionnaires, in this case teachers, and (3) student response questionnaires. Based on the assessment of material experts, they obtained a score of 80.9% (valid), media experts scored 96.3% (valid), teacher user experts scored 83.5% (valid), and small-scale student response scores were 70% (good), and large scale 68% (Good). The inquiry LKPD product is valid and can be continued with quasi-experiments to determine the effect of using the product on the results and learning process.
A novel polymer platform for endoscopic tattooing with high efficacy and safety
Authors: Zhang Liang , Jiang Mengni , Chen Zheng , Zhang Xinyuan , An Wei , Wang Shige , Zhao Jiulong 
Published: July 2024

Endoscopic tattooing plays a pivotal role in modern endoscopic localization of gastrointestinal lesions, facilitating further surgical intervention and aiding in the postoperative identification and repositioning of lesions. However, traditional endoscopic tattoo dyes often suffer from drawbacks such as side effects, short tattoo duration, and high overall costs. In this study, we developed polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-modified polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles by oxidizing pyrrole in a PVP aqueous solution to create a PPy/PVP nanoparticle solution. This innovation aims to enhance endoscopic tattooing efficiency and mitigate the limitations associated with current tattooing methods. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations confirmed the biosafety of PPy/PVP nanoparticles. Endoscopic tattooing experiments conducted in a pig model demonstrated the dye’s stability within the digestive tract. Similarly, subcutaneous tissue tattooing experiments performed in a mouse model revealed the sustained stability of the PPy/PVP tattoo dye for at least 180 days. With its robust stability, safety, and longevity, PPy/PVP nanoparticles hold promise as novel tattoo dyes for marking intestinal lesion sites. This advancement has the potential to enhance the accuracy of lesion localization and long-term tracking.
11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 transgenic mesenchymal stem cells attenuate inflammation in models of sepsis
Authors: Mahida Rahul Y. , Yuan Zhengqiang , Kolluri Krishna K. , Scott Aaron , Parekh Dhruv , Hardy Rowan S. , Matthay Michael A. , Perkins Gavin D. , Janes Sam M. , Thickett David R. 
Published: July 2024

BackgroundHuman bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration reduces inflammation in pre-clinical models of sepsis and sepsis-related lung injury, however clinical efficacy in patients has not yet been demonstrated. We previously showed that Alveolar Macrophage (AM) 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-1 (HSD-1) autocrine signalling is impaired in critically ill sepsis patients, which promotes inflammatory injury. Administration of transgenic MSCs (tMSCs) which overexpress HSD-1 may enhance the anti-inflammatory effects of local glucocorticoids and be more effective at reducing inflammation in sepsis than cellular therapy alone.MethodsMSCs were transfected using a recombinant lentiviral vector containing the HSD-1 and GPF transgenes under the control of a tetracycline promoter. Thin layer chromatography assessed HSD-1 reductase activity in tMSCs. Mesenchymal stem cell phenotype was assessed by flow cytometry and bi-lineage differentiation. HSD-1 tMSCs were co-cultured with LPS-stimulated monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from healthy volunteers prior to assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokine release. HSD-1 tMSCs were administered intravenously to mice undergoing caecal ligation and puncture (CLP).ResultsMSCs were transfected with an efficiency of 91.1%, and maintained an MSC phenotype. Functional HSD-1 activity was demonstrated in tMSCs, with predominant reductase cortisol activation (peak 8.23 pM/hour/100,000 cells). HSD-1 tMSC co-culture with LPS-stimulated MDMs suppressed TNFα and IL-6 release. Administration of transgene activated HSD-1 tMSCs in a murine model of CLP attenuated neutrophilic inflammation more effectively than transgene inactive tMSCs (medians 0.403 v 1.36 × 106/ml, p = 0.033).ConclusionThe synergistic impact of HSD-1 transgene expression and MSC therapy attenuated neutrophilic inflammation in a mouse model of peritoneal sepsis more effectively than MSC therapy alone. Future studies investigating the anti-inflammatory capacity of HSD-1 tMSCs in models of sepsis-related direct lung injury and inflammatory diseases are required.
MDSCs use a complex molecular network to suppress T-cell immunity in a pulmonary model of fungal infection
Authors: Kaminski Valéria Lima , Borges Bruno Montanari , Santos Bianca Vieira , Preite Nycolas Willian , Calich Vera Lucia Garcia , Loures Flávio Vieira 
Published: July 2024

BackgroundParacoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic endemic fungal disease prevalent in Latin America. Previous studies revealed that host immunity against PCM is tightly regulated by several suppressive mechanisms mediated by tolerogenic plasmacytoid dendritic cells, the enzyme 2,3 indoleamine dioxygenase (IDO-1), regulatory T-cells (Tregs), and through the recruitment and activation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We have recently shown that Dectin-1, TLR2, and TLR4 signaling influence the IDO-1-mediated suppression caused by MDSCs. However, the contribution of these receptors in the production of important immunosuppressive molecules used by MDSCs has not yet been explored in pulmonary PCM.MethodsWe evaluated the expression of PD-L1, IL-10, as well as nitrotyrosine by MDSCs after anti-Dectin-1, anti-TLR2, and anti-TLR4 antibody treatment followed by P. brasiliensis yeasts challenge in vitro. We also investigated the influence of PD-L1, IL-10, and nitrotyrosine in the suppressive activity of lung-infiltrating MDSCs of C57BL/6-WT, Dectin-1KO, TLR2KO, and TLR4KO mice after in vivo fungal infection. The suppressive activity of MDSCs was evaluated in cocultures of isolated MDSCs with activated T-cells.ResultsA reduced expression of IL-10 and nitrotyrosine was observed after in vitro anti-Dectin-1 treatment of MDSCs challenged with fungal cells. This finding was further confirmed in vitro and in vivo by using Dectin-1KO mice. Furthermore, MDSCs derived from Dectin-1KO mice showed a significantly reduced immunosuppressive activity on the proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Blocking of TLR2 and TLR4 by mAbs and using MDSCs from TLR2KO and TLR4KO mice also reduced the production of suppressive molecules induced by fungal challenge. In vitro, MDSCs from TLR4KO mice presented a reduced suppressive capacity over the proliferation of CD4+ T-cells.ConclusionWe showed that the pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) Dectin-1, TLR2, and TLR4 contribute to the suppressive activity of MDSCs by inducing the expression of several immunosuppressive molecules such as PD-L1, IL-10, and nitrotyrosine. This is the first demonstration of a complex network of PRRs signaling in the induction of several suppressive molecules by MDSCs and its contribution to the immunosuppressive mechanisms that control immunity and severity of pulmonary PCM.
Change in left ventricular function and outcomes following high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention with Impella-guided hemodynamic support
Authors: Farhan Serdar , Freilich Michael , Giustino Gennaro , Vogel Birgit , Baber Usman , Sartori Samantha , Kamran Haroon , Mehran Roxana , Dangas George , Krishnan Prakash , Kini Annapoorna , Sharma Samin K. 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionHigh-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HRPCI) are a potential treatment option for patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and coronary artery disease. The extent to which such intervention is coupled with improvement in LVEF and associated with favorable outcomes is unknown.MethodsWe aimed to characterize the incidence and correlates of LVEF improvement after Impella-guided HRPCI, and compare clinical outcomes in patients with versus without LVEF improvement. Data on consecutive patients undergoing Impella-guided HRPCI from a single center registry were analyzed. LVEF-improvement was defined as an absolute increase of LVEF of ≥10% measured at ≥30‐days after intervention. The primary outcome was a composite of all‐cause death, myocardial infarction or target vessel revascularization within 1-year.ResultsOut of 161 consecutive patients undergoing Impella-guided HRPCI from June 2008 to December 2017, 43% (n = 70) demonstrated LVEF-improvement (baseline LVEF of 25.09 ± 6.19 to 33.30 ± 11.98 post intervention). Patients without LVEF-improvement had higher frequency of previous MI (61.5% vs. 37.1%, p = 0.0021), Q-waves on ECG (17.6% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.024) and higher SYNTAX scores (30.8 ± 17.6 vs. 25.2 ± 12.2; p = 0.043). After correction of these confounders by multivariable analysis, no significant differences were found regarding the composite endpoint in patients with versus without LVEF-improvement (34.9% vs. 38.3%; p = 0.48).DiscussionIn this single-center retrospective analysis, we report the following findings. First, LVEF improvement of at least 10% was documented in over 40% of patients undergoing Impella supported high-risk PCI. Second, a history of MI, Q-waves on admission ECG, and higher baseline SYNTAX scores were independent correlates of no LVEF improvement. Third, one year rates of adverse CV events were substantial and did not vary by the presence or absence of LVEF improvement Prospective studies with longer follow-up are needed to elucidate the impact of LVEF improvement on clinical outcomes.
Dormant season warming amplifies daytime CO2 emissions from a temperate urban salt marsh
Authors: Vieillard Amanda M. , Girguis Peter , Fulweiler Robinson W. 
Published: July 2024

Salt marshes provide many important ecosystem services, key among them being carbon sequestration. However, a large degree of uncertainty remains in salt marsh carbon budgets, particularly during colder months of the year when salt marsh microbial and vegetative activity is assumed to dormant. We also lack data on urban systems. In this study, we used an easily portable carbon dioxide sensor package to directly measure net carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes throughout the winter in a temperate, urban salt marsh. We sampled across the dormant season both on normal (cold) temperature days and on days that were anomalously warm (defined here as air temperatures 2.8°C above the long-term average). We demonstrated that median (±mad) daytime CO2 fluxes doubled on the warm days, compared to cold days (1.7 ± 2 mmol m−2 h−1, 0.7 ± 1.3 mmol m−2 h−1, respectively). We also show that net CO2 emissions scaled with soil temperature. The high day-to-day variability, however, implies that infrequent or sparse measurements cannot sufficiently capture the temporal dynamics of dormant season salt marsh net CO2 fluxes. The magnitude of the net CO2 source from our sampling during the dormant season leads us to hypothesize that, as mean annual temperatures continue to increase, dormant season CO2 emissions from salt marshes will increasingly offset growing season carbon dioxide uptake. This change compromises the carbon sequestration capacity, and therefore the climate mitigation potential of these ecosystems. Future studies should focus on quantifying the impact of dormant season CO2, and other greenhouse gases on salt marsh carbon budgets.
Single-cell atlas of rainbow trout peripheral blood leukocytes and profiling of their early response to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus
Authors: Perdiguero Pedro , Jiménez-Barrios Pablo , Morel Esther , Abós Beatriz , Tafalla Carolina 
Published: July 2024

The recent development of single cell sequencing technologies has revolutionized the state-of-art of cell biology, allowing the simultaneous measurement of thousands of genes in single cells. This technology has been applied to study the transcriptome of single cells in homeostasis and also in response to pathogenic exposure, greatly increasing our knowledge of the immune response to infectious agents. Yet the number of these studies performed in aquacultured fish species is still very limited. Thus, in the current study, we have used the 10x Genomics single cell RNA sequencing technology to study the response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), an important trout pathogen. The study allowed us to obtain a transcriptomic profile of 12 transcriptionally distinct leukocyte cell subpopulations that included four different subsets of B cells, T cells, monocytes, two populations of dendritic-like cells (DCs), hematopoietic progenitor cells, non-specific cytotoxic cells (NCC), neutrophils and thrombocytes. The transcriptional pattern of these leukocyte subpopulations was compared in PBL cultures that had been exposed in vitro to IPNV for 24 h and mock-infected cultures. Our results revealed that monocytes and neutrophils showed the highest number of upregulated protein-coding genes in response to IPNV. Interestingly, IgM+IgD+ and IgT+ B cells also upregulated an important number of genes to the virus, but a much fainter response was observed in ccl4+ or plasma-like cells (irf4+ cells). A substantial number of protein-coding genes and genes coding for ribosomal proteins were also transcriptionally upregulated in response to IPNV in T cells and thrombocytes. Interestingly, although genes coding for ribosomal proteins were regulated in all affected PBL subpopulations, the number of such genes transcriptionally regulated was higher in IgM+IgD+ and IgT+ B cells. A further analysis dissected which of the regulated genes were common and which were specific to the different cell clusters, identifying eight genes that were transcriptionally upregulated in all the affected groups. The data provided constitutes a comprehensive transcriptional perspective of how the different leukocyte populations present in blood respond to an early viral encounter in fish.
First-line treatments for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy: a China-based cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Yi Lidan , Zhou Zhen , Zeng Xiaohui , Tan Chongqing , Liu Qiao 
Published: July 2024

ObjectiveTo determine the cost-effectiveness of imported immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as atezolizumab and durvalumab, and domestic ICIs like serplulimab and adebrelimab, in combination with chemotherapy for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) in China.MethodsUsing a 21-day cycle length and a 20-year time horizon, a Markov model was established to compare the clinical and economic outcomes of five first-line ICIs plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone, as well as against each other, from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Transition probabilities were estimated by combining the results of the CAPSTONE-1 trial and a published network meta-analysis. Cost and health state utilities were collected from multiple sources. Both cost and effectiveness outcomes were discounted at a rate of 5% annually. The primary model output was incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). A series of sensitivity analyses were preformed to assess the robustness of the model.ResultsIn the base-case analysis, the addition of first-line ICIs to chemotherapy resulted in the ICERs ranged from $80,425.31/QALY to $812,415.46/QALY, which exceeded the willing-to-pay threshold set for the model. When comparing these first-line immunochemotherapy strategies, serplulimab plus chemotherapy had the highest QALYs of 1.51286 and the second lowest costs of $60,519.52, making it is the most cost-effective strategy. Our subgroup-level analysis yielded results that are consistent with the base-case analysis. The sensitivity analysis results confirmed the validity and reliability of the model.ConclusionIn China, the combination of fist-line ICIs plus chemotherapy were not considered cost-effective when compared to chemotherapy alone. However, when these fist-line immunochemotherapy strategies were compared with each other, first-line serplulimab plus chemotherapy consistently demonstrated superiority in terms of cost-effectiveness. Reducing the cost of serplulimab per 4.5 mg/kg would be a realistic step towards making first-line serplulimab plus chemotherapy more accessible and cost-effective.