Topeng Etnik Nusantara dalam Perkembanagan Budaya Global

Tulisan ini dikembangkan dari judul penelitian Pengembangan Modul Topeng Etnik Nusantara Sebagai Suplemen Pembelajaran Seni Budaya dan Prakarya Kurikulum 2013, dengan tujuan untuk mendeskripsikan jenis, nama, dan karakter topeng etnik nusantara. Pendekatan penelitian kualitatif dengan metode wawancara, observasi, dokumentasi dan mendeskripsikan topeng etnik nusantara koleksi museum, koleksi perajin, dan sumber pustaka. Analisis data deskriptif dengan pengumpulan data, penyajian data, reduksi data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Pengembangan modul menggunakan metode studi pendahuluan, pengembangan, dan pengujian. Hasil penelitian dan pembaasan menunjukan bahwa topeng etnik nusantara dideskripsikan berdasarkan jenis, nama, karakter topeng, dan asal daerahnya. Fungsi topeng sebagai pemujaan, perlambangan, pelengkap upacara, pelengkap busana tari, souvenir, dan berkembang sebagai elemen dekorasi. Dulu topeng memiliki peran penting dalam kebudayaan masyarakat sebagai benda sakral dan religius. Pada era modernisasi peran topeng bergeser menjadi karya seni profan yang memiliki nilai estetik untuk kebutuhan praktis dan ekonomis. Berbagai jenis topeng etnik nusantara seperti Topeng Plok, Topeng Jawa, Topeng Dayak, Topeng Papua, Topeng Madura, Topeng Cirebon, dan topeng Sumatera mengalamai perkembangan bentuk dan fungsinya

Degeneration and Reorganization of Vestibular Epithelia after Local Aminoglycoside Application in the Mammalian Inner Ear

The development of degeneration of vestibular end organs and their possible reorganization have been observed over a 2 year period after local application of sisomicin in the inner ear using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Degeneration of stereocilia took place as early as 5 days after the treatment in the utricule, the saccule and the cristae. At 10 days, almost the entire surface of these sensory epithelia presented a smooth aspect without specific structure. However, after 15 days, an epithelial reorganization developed with clear limits between cells. At 25 days, systematic kinociliary structures were observed at the apical surface of the cells. Five months after the treatment, the new kinocilium was still present and sometimes stereociliary-like structures appeared in the three types of vestibular organs. Two years after treatment, the kinocilium persisted and the embryonic-like ciliary tufts had disappeared. These SEM observations suggest that in mammals some vestibular epithelial regeneration is possible but stops at a stage which could correspond to an early developmental level

High impact weather and cyclones simultaneity in Catalonia

International audienceThe Western Mediterranean in general and Catalonia in particular are usually affected by high impact weather (HIW) events, mainly heavy rain (HR) and strong wind (SW). The improvement in the understanding and the accurate forecast of such events are major concerns for the meteorologists of the region. In the present study, HR and SW events in Catalonia are cross-referenced with an objective cyclone database for a 9-year period (from June 1995 to May 2004). Results show that in most of the HR events a cyclone is located close to Catalonia, in such a way that the feeding of a moist flow to the affected region was favoured. These cyclones can be either shallow and weak or deep and intense. A simultaneous cyclone also appears to be connected with many SW events. However, other SW events seem to be related to meso-scale circulations and, as a result, not always well captured in the cyclone database. Finally, coincident HR and SW events are analysed. In almost all of such events a deep cyclone is located in the vicinity of Catalonia

Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of cell lines as models of primary tumors across 22 tumor types.

Cancer cell lines are a cornerstone of cancer research but previous studies have shown that not all cell lines are equal in their ability to model primary tumors. Here we present a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis utilizing transcriptomic profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia to evaluate cell lines as models of primary tumors across 22 tumor types. We perform correlation analysis and gene set enrichment analysis to understand the differences between cell lines and primary tumors. Additionally, we classify cell lines into tumor subtypes in 9 tumor types. We present our pancreatic cancer results as a case study and find that the commonly used cell line MIA PaCa-2 is transcriptionally unrepresentative of primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Lastly, we propose a new cell line panel, the TCGA-110-CL, for pan-cancer studies. This study provides a resource to help researchers select more representative cell line models

Exploring the Immunomodulatory Moonlighting Activities of Acute Phase Proteins for Tolerogenic Dendritic Cell Generation

The acute phase response is generated by an overwhelming immune-inflammatory process against infection or tissue damage, and represents the initial response of the organism in an attempt to return to homeostasis. It is mediated by acute phase proteins (APPs), an assortment of highly conserved plasma reactants of seemingly different functions that, however, share a common protective role from injury. Recent studies have suggested a crosstalk between several APPs and the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) in the resolution of inflammation, to restore tissue integrity and function. In fact, monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs), an integral component of the MPS, play a fundamental role both in the regulation of antigen-specific adaptive responses and in the development of immunologic memory and tolerance, particularly in inflammatory settings. Due to their high plasticity, Mo-DCs can be modeled in vitro toward a tolerogenic phenotype for the treatment of aberrant immune-inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune diseases and allotransplantation, with the phenotypic outcome of these cells depending on the immunomodulatory agent employed. Yet, recent immunotherapy trials have emphasized the drawbacks and challenges facing tolerogenic Mo-DC generation for clinical use, such as reduced therapeutic efficacy and limited in vivo stability of the tolerogenic activity. In this review, we will underline the potential relevance and advantages of APPs for tolerogenic DC production with respect to currently employed immunomodulatory/immunosuppressant compounds. A further understanding of the mechanisms of action underlying the moonlighting immunomodulatory activities exhibited by several APPs over DCs could lead to more efficacious, safe, and stable protocols for precision tolerogenic immunotherapy

Accelerating global ocean observing: monitoring the coastal ocean through broadly accessible, low-cost sensor networks

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Wang, Z. A., Michel, A. P. M., & Mooney, T. A. Accelerating global ocean observing: monitoring the coastal ocean through broadly accessible, low-cost sensor networks. Marine Technology Society Journal, 55(3), (2021): 82–83, https://doi.org/10.4031/MTSJ.55.3.52.The global coastal ocean provides food and other critical resources to human societies. Yet this habitat, for which many depend, has experienced severe degradation from human activities. The rates of human-induced changes along the coast demand significantly improved coverage of ocean observations in order to support science-based decision making and policy formation tailored to specific regions. Our proposal envisions developing a global network of low-cost, easily produced and readily deployed oceanographic sensors for use on a wide variety of platforms in the coastal ocean. A substantially large number of these sensors can thus be installed on existing infrastructure, ships of opportunity, and fishing fleets, or even individually along the coast, particularly in vulnerable and disadvantaged regions. This would vastly increase the spatiotemporal resolution of the current data coverage along the coast, allowing greater equitable access. It would also offer significant opportunities for partnership with communities, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders, as well as a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors to develop and deploy sensors in scalable networks transmitting data in near-real time. Finally, it presents a vastly lowered bar for participation by citizen scientists and other engaged members of the public to address location-specific coastal problems anywhere in the world.National Science Foundation; Project Title “Collaborative Research: IDBR: Type A: A High-resolution bio-sensor to simultaneously measure the behavior, vital rates and environment of key marine organisms”; Award Number 1455593 to ZAW and TAM