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The structural inconsistencies in commercial algal alginates have limited their reliability and quality for various applications. Therefore, the biosynthesis of structurally consistent alginates is crucial to replace the algal alginates. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the structural and alginate's structural and functional properties of Pseudomonas aeruginosa CMG1418 as a substitute. To achieve this, the CMG1418 alginates were physiochemically characterized using various techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and gel permeation chromatography. The synthesized CMG1418 alginate was then subjected to standard tests to evaluate its biocompatibility, emulsification, hydrophilic, flocculation, gelling, and rheological properties. The analytical studies revealed that CMG1418 alginate is an extracellular and polydisperse polymer with a molecular weight range of 20000–250000 Da. It comprises 76% poly-(1–4)-β-D-mannuronic acid (M-blocks), no poly-α-L-guluronate (G-blocks), 12% alternating sequences of β-D-mannuronic acid and α-L-guluronic acid (poly-MG/GM-blocks), 12% MGM-blocks, 172 degrees of polymerization, and di-O-acetylation of M-residues. Interestingly, CMG1418 alginate did not show any cytotoxic or antimetabolic activity. Moreover, compared to algal alginates, CMG1418 alginate exhibited higher and more stable flocculation efficiencies (70–90%) and viscosities (4500–4760 cP) over a wide range of pH and temperatures. Additionally, it displayed soft to flexible gelling abi¬lities and higher water-holding capacities (375%). It also showed thermodynamically more stable emulsifying activities (99–100%) that surpassed the algal alginates and commercial emulsifying agents. However, only divalent and multivalent cations could slightly increase viscosity, gelling, and flocculation. In conclusion, this study explored a structurally di-O-acetylated and poly-G-blocks-deficient, biocompatible alginate, and its pH and thermostable functional properties. This research suggests that CMG1418 alginate is a superior and more reliable substitute for algal alginates in various applications, such as viscosifying, soft gelling, flocculating, emulsifying, and water-holding.

The study examined the effect of performance appraisal practices on teachers’ job performance, and sought to investigate the effect of 1) target setting 2) performance monitoring and 3) employee feedback on teachers’ job performance. A cross-sectional survey design with a mixed-method approach was adopted. The target population of the study was composed of 211 respondents spread across four private universal secondary schools; 207 teachers and four head teachers; and a sample size of 189 respondents with 185 teachers and four head teachers selected using a simple random sampling approach coupled with a fish-bowl technique, while census inquiry was adopted to select head teachers. A self-designed closed-ended questionnaire was administered to collect data from teachers while an interview guide was adopted to collect data from head teachers. The CVI obtained for the instrument was .90 and a reliability index of 931 Cronbach alpha co-efficient. Data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and simple regression. Findings indicate that target setting (β = 0.375, p< 0.05), performance monitoring (β = 0.435, p< 0.05) and employee feedback (β = 0.375, p< 0.05) had very strong significant effect on teachers’ job performance. The study concludes that performance appraisal practices can significantly aid teachers’ job performance in private USE schools if well handled in terms of comprehensiveness, clarity and timeliness. It recommends that target setting should involve teachers and their individual differences be reflected; academic meetings should be held monthly and performance support should be extended to teachers; whilst feedback given to teachers ought to be timely, comprehensive and interactive.

The aim of this study is to investigate how an augmented reality mobile math trails program can provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful mathematical modelling activities. An explorative research design was conducted involving two mathematics teachers and 30 eight grades in Semarang, Indonesia. An Augmented Reality Mobile Math Trails App was created, and several math trail tasks were designed, then students run the activity. Data were gathered by means of participatory observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and worksheets. Data analysis began with the organisation, annotation, description of the data and statistic tests. The findings indicate that an educational program was successfully designed, which offered students a meaningful mathematical experience. A mobile app was also developed to support this program. The mobile app with augmented reality features is helpful for students as a tool that bridges the gap between real-world situations and mathematical concepts in problem-solving following the mathematical modelling cycle. The program thus contributes to a higher ability in mathematical modelling. The study identified a link between instrumented techniques in programs and mathematical modelling, as built during the instrumentation process. Further studies are essential for project development and implementation in other cities with different situations and aspects of study.

This study aims to develop a model for integrating character education in integrated thematic learning in Indonesian elementary schools that is valid, practical and effective. Besides this research aims to see the differences in student characters between the control class and the experimental class. This research is a mixed method and development research (R&D) using 4-D steps. For this study, the one-group pretest and post-test one-group experimental time series design was used. The subject of the research was the second grade students of elementary school in Gadut Padang with 2 classes (IIB and IID). The results showed that the integration model of character education in integrated thematic learning that had been developed or fostered, as well as field trials through experiments were valid, practical, and effective. Specifically or specifically there is a significant difference in character between the control class and the experimental class when using the integration model of character education. Qualitatively the 4 characters that were developed look already entrenched from the application during the learning process.

This research is intends develop integrated thematic learning materials by using discovery learning (DL) model in the 5th grade of elementary school. It categorize this research into research and development study. The model includes four phases, defining, designing, developing, and disseminating phases. However, it did not include the disseminating phases. The subjects of the research were 5th grade students. The results of the research show that the validity score of the learning materials developed is 3,36. Questionnaire and interviews with the teachers and the students reveal that the materials developed are practical. The score given by the teachers is 96, 43%, and by the students is 84, 5%. Based on the results, we conclude it that the integrated thematic learning materials developed by using (DL) model are valid and practical to be use in the learning process.

Presentation skills are considered as the most vital proficiencies required in higher education. This research paper examined the difficulties of oral presentation EFL learners encountered, strategies used to make oral presentation well and the perceived role of lecturer in improving EFL learners' oral presentation skills. With regard to achieving these objectives, questionnaires distributed to 150 EFL learners, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS by conducting frequencies and percentages, independent sample t-test and ANOVA tests. The results of the study revealed that learners had a problem with oral fluency, accuracy and pronunciation during oral presentation, feel frightened when a lot of people are watching them, afraid of being assessed by their classmates in front of the class, having low self-confidence. Furthermore, considering a crucial role of lecturer in improving oral presentation skills, this study also discovered that lecturer has to show learners videos of good speakers for enhancing their presentation skills and lecturer has to give learners freedom to choose their own topics that lower their anxiety. It is hoped that the ideas discussed will provide the learners and lecturers with basic guidelines of how to improve the learners' oral presentation and assist learners to work their way out of anxiety.

Tujuan penelitian awal ini untuk mengumpulkan informasi tentang gaya belajar dan kesukaan siswa SD yang berguna untuk mengembangkan buku literasi membacasebagai bentuk pemantapan nilai sosial budaya di SD agar berdaya guna untuk Gerakan Literasi Sekolah. Hal ini dilandasi oleh masih ditemukan kasus siswa SD yang melakukan kekerasan terhadap teman sendiri. Model pengembangan literasi membaca untuk siswa SD yang digunakan adalah model Plomp dengan langkah:preliminary research, prototyping, dan assessment. Temuan penelitian dalam analisis awal yaitu siswa cenderung kurang termotivasi untuk membaca disebabkan bahan bacaan yang kurang menarik. Analisis kebutuhan menunjukkan bahwa siswa SD sangat menyukai cerita rakyat. Cerita rakyat yang perlu dikembangkan yaitu cerita rakyat nusantara yang tersebar di seluruh Indonesia dalam setiap provinsi. Diharapkan praktisi pendidikan menggunakan buku yang berisi tentang cerita rakyat dalam proses pembelajaran dan menjalankan Gerakan Literasi Sekolah. Hasil validasi bahan ajar menunjukkan bahwa bahan ajar literasi membaca dengan menggunakan cerita rakyat sudah valid dan dapat diujicobakan. Kata kunci: literasi membaca, cerita rakyat,sekolah dasar READING LITERACY TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL VALUES AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS Abstract This preliminary study aims to collect information about elementary school students’ learning styles and preferences that are useful for developing reading literacy books to strengthenthe socio-cultural values in elementary schools in order to be effective for the School Literacy Movement. This is as based on the fact that there are cases of elementary school students committing violence against their own friends. The development model of reading literacy for elementary school students was Plomp’s model with the steps of preliminary research, prototyping, and assessment. The research findings in the preliminary analysis show that students tend to have less motivation to read due to reading materials which are not interesting enough. The needs analysis results show that elementary school students really like folklore. The folklore to be developed comprises traditional Indonesian folklore spreading throughout the country in every province. It is expected that educational practitioners use a book about folklore in the learning process and the School Literacy Movement. The results of the teaching materials validation show that reading literacy learning materials using folklore are valid and can be tried out. Keywords: reading literacy, folklore, elementary school

The concept of self-regulated learning in the field of educational psychology has been developed to comprehend how students learn autonomously. Motivation is a pivotal factor in learners' academic outcomes, and its connection with self-regulated learning is extensive. While self-regulated learning and motivational beliefs are both believed to play important roles in EFL learning, very little is known about their interplay in the Afghan context, and research on the relationship among these variables seems scarce. Therefore, to contribute to this knowledge gap, the overarching aim of the present survey was to investigate the phenomenon of self-regulated learning and motivational beliefs among EFL learners in higher education. Quantitative research was carried out on a sample size of 123 EFL learners. The data was collected through a survey questionnaire and analysed using SPSS v24 where both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as one-way ANOVA, correlation, and regression were used. The findings indicated that the majority of the learners experience a high level of test anxiety. Further, the results also revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning. Foreign language learning can be enhanced by designing environments in a way that fosters self-regulated learning skills. Further research could be conducted with a larger sample size from other public universities to generate a more fine-grained understanding.

The aim of this study is to investigate how an augmented reality mobile math trails program can provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful mathematical modelling activities. An explorative research design was conducted involving two mathematics teachers and 30 eight grades in Semarang, Indonesia. An Augmented Reality Mobile Math Trails App was created, and several math trail tasks were designed, then students run the activity. Data were gathered by means of participatory observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and worksheets. Data analysis began with the organisation, annotation, description of the data and statistic tests. The findings indicate that an educational program was successfully designed, which offered students a meaningful mathematical experience. A mobile app was also developed to support this program. The mobile app with augmented reality features is helpful for students as a tool that bridges the gap between realworld situations and mathematical concepts in problem-solving following the mathematical modelling cycle. The program thus contributes to a higher ability in mathematical modelling. The study identified a link between instrumented techniques in programs and mathematical modelling, as built during the instrumentation process. Further studies are essential for project development and implementation in other cities with different situations and aspects of study.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is marked by the accumulation of fibrillary aggregates composed of pathological tau protein. Although neuroinflammation is frequently observed in conjunction with tau pathology, current preclinical evidence does not sufficiently establish a direct causal role in tau tangle formation. This study aimed to evaluate whether chronic Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) stimulation, induced by a high dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg), exacerbates neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy that expresses human truncated 151-391/3R tau, an early feature of sporadic AD. Methods: We utilized a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy subjected to chronic TLR4 stimulation via weekly intraperitoneal injections of LPS over nine consecutive weeks. Neurofibrillary tangle formation, microglial activation, and tau hyperphosphorylation in the brainstem and hippocampus were assessed through immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and detailed morphometric analysis of microglia. Results: Chronic LPS treatment led to a significant increase in the number of Iba-1+ microglia in the LPS-treated group compared to the sham group (p < 0.0001). Notably, there was a 1.5- to 1.7-fold increase in microglia per tangle-bearing neuron in the LPS-treated group. These microglia exhibited a reactive yet exhausted phenotype, characterized by a significant reduction in cell area (p < 0.0001) without significant changes in other morphometric parameters, such as perimeter, circumference, solidity, aspect ratio, or arborization degree. Despite extensive microglial activation, there was no observed reduction in tau hyperphosphorylation or a decrease in tangle formation in the brainstem, where pathology predominantly develops in this model. Discussion: These findings suggest that chronic TLR4 stimulation in tau-transgenic mice results in significant microglial activation but does not influence tau tangle formation. This underscores the complexity of the relationship between neuroinflammation and tau pathology, indicating that additional mechanisms may be required for neuroinflammation to directly contribute to tau tangle formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the nonlinear dynamic deflection, natural frequency, and wave propagation in functionally graded (FG) porous piezoelectric microscale tubes under periodic load, hygrothermal conditions, and an external electric field. The piezoelectric material used to make the smart microtubes has pores that may be smoothly changed or uniformly distributed over the tube wall. Here, three types of porosity distribution are taken into consideration. The nonlinear motion equations are constructed using a novel shear deformation beam theory and the modified couple stress theory (MCST). The nonlinear motion equations are solved using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta technique and the Galerkin approach. The effects of various geometric parameters, porosity distribution type, porosity factor, periodic load amplitude and frequency, material length scale parameter, moisture, and temperature on the nonlinear dynamic deflection, natural frequency, and wave frequency of FG porous piezoelectric microtubes are explored through a number of parametric investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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