Effect of pot size, planting date and genotype on minituber production of Marfona potato cultivar

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of pot size, planting date and type of genotype on mini-tuber production of Marfona potato cultivar (Solanum tuberosum L.) in greenhouse conditions.Four genotypes (M-129, M-128P, M-127P and M-124P) originated from virus free sprouts and a genotype of the same cultivar (Marfona) originated from apical meristem, in 3 sizes of pot and 3 planting datewere investigated. The results showed that using larger pots of 3-liter has no advantage and pots smaller than 2-liter is not suitable for mini-tuber production. Also, time of Nov 18 was the best of datefor planting of potato in studied conditions and delay in date of planting reduced the mini-tuber production. The reduction in number of mini-tubers and growing period was greater for the genotype M-129 compared with the other potato genotypes. Furthermore, higher numbers of mini-tubers were produced by the M-127P and M-124P genotypes and M-127P had the highest total weight of mini-tubers.However the number of mini-tubers per plant was higher for genotypes originated from meristem culture than genotypes obtained from sprouts. It seems that genotypes originated from potato sprouts are not as efficient as the apical meristem ones. On the other hand, later genotype showed more homogenous in growth rate and phenotype

Assessment of macrofungi diversity in Perlis State Park, Perlis, Malaysia

Macrofungi play a diverse role in ecosystems, serving as decomposers, sources of food, and providers of medicinal benefits to humans for millennia. However, the status of macrofungi diversity in Perlis State Park is poorly understood. This study aims to identify the diversity of macrofungi species in Perlis State Park. Sampling was conducted using both opportunistic and selective approaches along a transect line comprising 10 trails during the rainy season between 2019 and 2023. Identification was based on the morphological characteristics of macrofungi. A total of 69 species of macrofungi were discovered, including 59 species from Basidiomycota and 10 species from Ascomycota. These species can be categorized into eight groups, namely Cup (2), Gill (20), Shelf and Bracket (16), Bolete (7), Coral (6), Jelly (6), Earthball and Puffball (4), and Tooth (4) fungi. Of the identified macrofungi species, 33 are confirmed to be edible. Additionally, three species from the Cordycipitaceae and Ophiocordycipitaceae families within the suborders of Ascomycota are entomopathogenic. Some microfungi fall under the category of 'Least Concern (LC)' according to the IUCN Red List. Our study highlights the importance of macrofungi diversity in Perlis State Park, which can be instrumental for conservation and educational purposes

Penelusuran Fraksi Aktif Baccaurea lanceolata Dari Kabupaten Tapin, Kalimantan Selatan Sebagai Antioksidan

ABSTRAK Baccaurea lanceolata oleh masyarakat Kalimantan Selatan digunakan untuk perawatan kulit, pendekatan ilmiah untuk membuktikan klaim itu salah satunya dengan uji antioksidan, uji antioksidan ini digunakan sebagai guided untuk menelusuri fraksi aktif. Dari hasil fraksinasi dengan menggunakan corong pisah, fraksi etil asetat mempunyai aktifitas paling tinggi dengan nilai IC50 230 ppm. Sehingga fraksi ini dilanjutkan difraksinasi dengan kolom gravitasi dan didapatkan 18 fraksi, fraksi No. 16 mempunyai aktifitas paling tinggi dengan nilai IC50 142 ppm dan fraksi No. 1 mempunyai aktifitas paling rendah dengan nilai IC50 675 ppm. Kata kunci: antioksidan, Baccaurea lanceolate, fraksi. ABSTRACT Baccaurea lanceolata by the people of South Borneo is used for skin care, scientific approach to prove the claim that one of them to antioxidant test, antioxidants test is used as guided to discover the active fraction. From the results of fractionation using a separating funnel, ethyl acetate fraction had the highest activity with IC50 values of 230 ppm. So that this continued fraction fractionated by column gravity and obtained 18 fractions, fractions No. 16 has the highest activity with value IC50 142 ppm and fractions No. 1 has the lowest activity with IC50 value of 675 ppm. Key words: antioxidant, Baccaurea lanceolata, fraction

Pharmacists in Pharmacovigilance: Can Increased Diagnostic Opportunity in Community Settings Translate to Better Vigilance?

The pharmacy profession has undergone substantial change over the last two to three decades. Whilst medicine supply still remains a central function, pharmacist’s roles and responsibilities have become more clinic and patient focused. In the community (primary care), pharmacists have become important providers of healthcare as Western healthcare policy advocates patient self-care. This has resulted in pharmacists taking on greater responsibility in managing minor illness and the delivery of public health interventions. These roles require pharmacists to more fully use their clinical skills, and often involve diagnosis and therapeutic management. Community pharmacists are now, more than ever before, in a position to identify, record and report medication safety incidents. However, current research suggests that diagnostic ability of community pharmacists is questionable and they infrequently report to local or national schemes. The aim of this paper is to highlight current practice and suggest ways in which community pharmacy can more fully contribute to patient safety

Changes in symptom clusters in patients undergoing radiation therapy

The goals of the study were to determine the occurrence rates for and the severity of symptoms at the middle, end, and 1 month after the completion of radiation therapy (RT), to determine the number and types of symptom clusters at these three time points, and to evaluate for changes over time in these symptom clusters. Symptom occurrence and severity were evaluated using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) in a sample of patients (n = 160) who underwent RT for breast or prostate cancer. At each time point, an exploratory factor analysis was done to determine the number of symptom clusters (i.e., symptom factors) based on the MSAS symptom severity ratings. The majority of the patients were male and married with a mean age of 61.1 years. The five symptoms with the highest occurrence rates across all three time points were lack of energy, pain, difficulty sleeping, feeling drowsy, and sweats. Although the number of symptoms and the specific symptoms within each symptom cluster were not identical across the three time points, three relatively similar symptom clusters (i.e., “mood-cognitive” symptom cluster, “sickness-behavior” symptom cluster, “treatment-related”, or “pain” symptom cluster) were identified in this sample. The internal consistency coefficients for the mood-cognitive symptom cluster and sickness-behavior symptom cluster were adequate at ≥0.68. Three relatively stable symptom clusters were found across RT. The majority of the symptom cluster severity scores were significantly higher in patients with breast cancer compared to patients with prostate cancer

Increasing the reference populations for the 55 AISNP panel: the need and benefits

Ancestry inference for an individual can only be as good as the reference populations with allele frequency data on the SNPs being used. If the most relevant ancestral population(s) does not have data available for the SNPs studied, then analyses based on DNA evidence may indicate a quite distantly related population, albeit one among the more closely related of the existing reference populations. We have added reference population allele frequencies for 14 additional population samples (with >1100 individuals studied) to the 125 population samples previously published for the Kidd Lab 55 AISNP panel. Allele frequencies are now publicly available for all 55 SNPs in ALFRED and FROG-kb for a total of 139 population samples. This Kidd Lab panel of 55 ancestry informative SNPs has been incorporated in commercial kits by both ThermoFisher Scientific and Illumina for massively parallel sequencing. Researchers employing those kits will find the enhanced set of reference populations useful

Self medication with antibiotics in Yogyakarta City Indonesia: a cross sectional population-based survey

Extent: 8p.Background: Self medication with antibiotics has become an important factor driving antibiotic resistance. This study investigated the period prevalence, patterns of use, and socio-demographic factors associated with self medication with antibiotics in Yogyakarta City Indonesia. This cross-sectional population-based survey used a pre-tested questionnaire which was self-administered to randomly selected respondents (over 18 years old) in Yogyakarta City Indonesia in 2010 (N = 625). Descriptive statistics, chi-square and logistic regression were applied. Results: A total of 559 questionnaires were analyzed (response rate = 90%). The period prevalence of self medication with antibiotics during the month prior to the study was 7.3%. Amoxicillin was the most popular (77%) antibiotic for self medication besides ampicilline, fradiomisin-gramisidin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin to treat the following symptoms: the common-cold including cough and sore throat, headache, and other minor symptoms; with the length of use was mostly less than five days. Doctors or pharmacists were the most common source of information about antibiotics for self medication (52%). Antibiotics were usually purchased without prescription in pharmacies (64%) and the cost of the purchases was commonly less than US $1 (30%). Previous experience was reported to be the main reason for using non-prescribed antibiotics (54%). There were no socio-demographic variables significantly associated with the actual practice of using non-prescribed antibiotics. However, gender, health insurance, and marital status were significantly associated with the intent to self medicate with antibiotics (P < 0.05). Being male (Odds Ratio = 1.7 (1.2 - 2.6)) and having no health insurance (Odds Ratio = 1.5 (1.0 -2.3)) is associated with the intent to self medicate with antibiotics. Conclusions: This study is the first population-based study of self-medication with antibiotics among the Indonesian population. Usage of non-prescribed antibiotics as well as intent of doing so is common across socio-demographic categories. Given the findings, factors influencing people's intentions to self medicate with antibiotics are required to be investigated to better understand such behavior. Impact of health insurance coverage on self medication with antibiotics should also be further investigated.Aris Widayati, Sri Suryawati, Charlotte de Crespigny and Janet E Hille

Brown Adipose Tissue in Humans Is Activated by Elevated Plasma Catecholamines Levels and Is Inversely Related to Central Obesity

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that adult human possess active brown adipose tissue (BAT), which might be important in controlling obesity. It is known that ß-adrenoceptor-UCP1 system regulates BAT in rodent, but its influence in adult humans remains to be shown. The present study is to determine whether BAT activity can be independently stimulated by elevated catecholamines levels in adult human, and whether it is associated with their adiposity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We studied 14 patients with pheochromocytoma and 14 normal subjects who had performed both ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) and plasma total metanephrine (TMN) measurements during 2007-2010. The BAT detection rate and the mean BAT activity were significantly higher in patients with elevated TMN levels (Group A: 6/8 and 6.7±2.1 SUVmean· g/ml) than patients with normal TMN concentrations (Group B: 0/6 and 0.4±0.04 SUVmean· g/ml) and normal subjects (Group C: 0/14 and 0.4±0.03 SUVmean·g/ml). BAT activities were positively correlated with TMN levels (R = 0.83, p<0.0001) and were inversely related to body mass index (R = -0.47, p = 0.010), visceral fat areas (R = -0.39, p = 0.044), visceral/total fat areas (R = -0.52, p = 0.0043) and waist circumferences (R = -0.43, p = 0.019). Robust regression revealed that TMN (R = 0.81, p<0.0001) and waist circumferences (R = -0.009, p = 0.009) were the two independent predictors of BAT activities. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Brown adipose tissue activity in adult human can be activated by elevated plasma TMN levels, such as in the case of patients with pheochromocytoma, and is negatively associated with central adiposity