Pengaruh Pemberian Pupuk Kalsium terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Tanaman Kedelai (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)

Fiska M, Amnah R, Wahyuni SH, Hadayani S, Nasution J, Haraha P, Siregar EA, Aziz A.  2022. Effect of calcium on growth and production of soybean plants (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In: Herlinda S et al. (Eds.), Prosiding Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal ke-10 Tahun 2022, Palembang 27 Oktober 2022. pp. 871-877. Palembang: Penerbit & Percetakan Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI).Soybean is one of the legume crops and is the world's main source of protein and vegetable oil. Calcium is one of the essential elements needed by plants for growth and production. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of calcium fertilizer on the growth and production of soybeans. This research was carried out from November 2020 to February 2021. The method in this study was a non-factorial randomized block design (RAK) with 4 types of calcium fertilizer treatments: 0 g/polybag (C0), 0.375 g/polybag (C1), 0.525 g/polybag (C2) and 0.865 g/polybag (C3). The results showed that calcium fertilizer had an effect on the number of pods, weight of pods, weight of filled pods, and weight of seeds. The calcium fertilizer treatment that gave the best results on the growth and production of soybeans was found in the C2 treatment at a dose of 0.525 g

Respiratory Tract Infections in Diabetes – Lessons From Tuberculosis and Influenza to Guide Understanding of COVID-19 Severity

Patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) are more likely to develop severe respiratory tract infections. Such susceptibility has gained increasing attention since the global spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020. The earliest reports marked T2D as an important risk-factor for severe forms of disease and mortality across all adult age groups. Several mechanisms have been proposed for this increased susceptibility, including pre-existing immune dysfunction, a lack of metabolic flexibility due to insulin resistance, inadequate dietary quality or adverse interactions with antidiabetic treatments or common comorbidities. Some mechanisms that predispose patients with T2D to severe COVID-19 may indeed be shared with other previously characterized respiratory tract infections. Accordingly, in this review, we give an overview of response to Influenza A virus and to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections. Similar risk factors and mechanisms are discussed between the two conditions and in the case of COVID-19. Lastly, we address emerging approaches to address research needs in infection and metabolic disease, and perspectives with regards to deployment or repositioning of metabolically active therapeutics

Clinical and Serological Findings of COVID-19 Participants in the Region of Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Makkah in Saudi Arabia hosts the largest annual religious event in the world. Despite the many strict rules enacted, including Hajj cancellation, city lockdowns, and social distancing, the region has the second highest number of new COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia. Public health interventions that identify, isolate, and manage new cases could slow the infection rate. While RT-PCR is the current gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 identification, it yields false positive and negative results, which mandates the use of complementary serological tests. Here, we report the utility of serological assays during the acute phase of individuals with moderate and severe clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19). Fifty participants with positive RT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in this study. Following RT-PCR diagnosis, serum samples from the same participants were analyzed using in-house ELISA (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and microneutralization test (MNT) for the presence of antibodies. Of the 50 individuals analyzed, 43 (86%) showed a neutralizing antibody titer of ≥20. Univariate analysis with neutralizing antibodies as a dependent variable and the degree of disease severity and underlying medical conditions as fixed factors revealed that patients with no previous history of non-communicable diseases and moderate clinical manifestation had the strongest neutralizing antibody response “Mean: 561.11”. Participants with severe symptoms and other underlying disorders, including deceased individuals, demonstrated the lowest neutralizing antibody response. Anti-spike protein antibody responses, as measured by ELISA, showed a statistically significant correlation with neutralizing antibodies. This reinforces the speculation that serological assays complement molecular testing for diagnostics; however, patients’ previous medical history (anamnesis) should be considered in interpreting serological results

Clinical and Serological Findings of COVID-19 Participants in the Region of Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Makkah in Saudi Arabia hosts the largest annual religious event in the world. Despite the many strict rules enacted, including Hajj cancellation, city lockdowns, and social distancing, the region has the second highest number of new COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia. Public health interventions that identify, isolate, and manage new cases could slow the infection rate. While RT-PCR is the current gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 identification, it yields false positive and negative results, which mandates the use of complementary serological tests. Here, we report the utility of serological assays during the acute phase of individuals with moderate and severe clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19). Fifty participants with positive RT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in this study. Following RT-PCR diagnosis, serum samples from the same participants were analyzed using in-house ELISA (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and microneutralization test (MNT) for the presence of antibodies. Of the 50 individuals analyzed, 43 (86%) showed a neutralizing antibody titer of ≥20. Univariate analysis with neutralizing antibodies as a dependent variable and the degree of disease severity and underlying medical conditions as fixed factors revealed that patients with no previous history of non-communicable diseases and moderate clinical manifestation had the strongest neutralizing antibody response “Mean: 561.11”. Participants with severe symptoms and other underlying disorders, including deceased individuals, demonstrated the lowest neutralizing antibody response. Anti-spike protein antibody responses, as measured by ELISA, showed a statistically significant correlation with neutralizing antibodies. This reinforces the speculation that serological assays complement molecular testing for diagnostics; however, patients’ previous medical history (anamnesis) should be considered in interpreting serological results. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; ELISA; micro-neutralization assay; IgM; IgA; IgG ELISA; Makkah; Saudi Arabi

Clinical and Serological Findings of COVID-19 Participants in the Region of Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Makkah in Saudi Arabia hosts the largest annual religious event in the world. Despite the many strict rules enacted, including Hajj cancellation, city lockdowns, and social distancing, the region has the second highest number of new COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia. Public health interventions that identify, isolate, and manage new cases could slow the infection rate. While RT-PCR is the current gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 identification, it yields false positive and negative results, which mandates the use of complementary serological tests. Here, we report the utility of serological assays during the acute phase of individuals with moderate and severe clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19). Fifty participants with positive RT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in this study. Following RT-PCR diagnosis, serum samples from the same participants were analyzed using in-house ELISA (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and microneutralization test (MNT) for the presence of antibodies. Of the 50 individuals analyzed, 43 (86%) showed a neutralizing antibody titer of >= 20. Univariate analysis with neutralizing antibodies as a dependent variable and the degree of disease severity and underlying medical conditions as fixed factors revealed that patients with no previous history of non-communicable diseases and moderate clinical manifestation had the strongest neutralizing antibody response "Mean: 561.11". Participants with severe symptoms and other underlying disorders, including deceased individuals, demonstrated the lowest neutralizing antibody response. Anti-spike protein antibody responses, as measured by ELISA, showed a statistically significant correlation with neutralizing antibodies. This reinforces the speculation that serological assays complement molecular testing for diagnostics; however, patients' previous medical history (anamnesis) should be considered in interpreting serological results.Peer reviewe

Clinical and Serological Findings of COVID-19 Participants in the Region of Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Makkah in Saudi Arabia hosts the largest annual religious event in the world. Despite the many strict rules enacted, including Hajj cancellation, city lockdowns, and social distancing, the region has the second highest number of new COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia. Public health interventions that identify, isolate, and manage new cases could slow the infection rate. While RT-PCR is the current gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 identification, it yields false positive and negative results, which mandates the use of complementary serological tests. Here, we report the utility of serological assays during the acute phase of individuals with moderate and severe clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19). Fifty participants with positive RT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in this study. Following RT-PCR diagnosis, serum samples from the same participants were analyzed using in-house ELISA (IgM, IgA, and IgG) and microneutralization test (MNT) for the presence of antibodies. Of the 50 individuals analyzed, 43 (86%) showed a neutralizing antibody titer of ≥20. Univariate analysis with neutralizing antibodies as a dependent variable and the degree of disease severity and underlying medical conditions as fixed factors revealed that patients with no previous history of non-communicable diseases and moderate clinical manifestation had the strongest neutralizing antibody response “Mean: 561.11”. Participants with severe symptoms and other underlying disorders, including deceased individuals, demonstrated the lowest neutralizing antibody response. Anti-spike protein antibody responses, as measured by ELISA, showed a statistically significant correlation with neutralizing antibodies. This reinforces the speculation that serological assays complement molecular testing for diagnostics; however, patients’ previous medical history (anamnesis) should be considered in interpreting serological results

Adaptive Evolution Signatures in Prochlorococcus: Open Reading Frame (ORF)eome Resources and Insights from Comparative Genomics.

peer reviewedProchlorococcus, a cyanobacteria genus of the smallest and most abundant oceanic phototrophs, encompasses ecotype strains adapted to high-light (HL) and low-light (LL) niches. To elucidate the adaptive evolution of this genus, we analyzed 40 Prochlorococcus marinus ORFeomes, including two cornerstone strains, MED4 and NATL1A. Employing deep learning with robust statistical methods, we detected new protein family distributions in the strains and identified key genes differentiating the HL and LL strains. The HL strains harbor genes (ABC-2 transporters) related to stress resistance, such as DNA repair and RNA processing, while the LL strains exhibit unique chlorophyll adaptations (ion transport proteins, HEAT repeats). Additionally, we report the finding of variable, depth-dependent endogenous viral elements in the 40 strains. To generate biological resources to experimentally study the HL and LL adaptations, we constructed the ORFeomes of two representative strains, MED4 and NATL1A synthetically, covering 99% of the annotated protein-coding sequences of the two species, totaling 3976 cloned, sequence-verified open reading frames (ORFs). These comparative genomic analyses, paired with MED4 and NATL1A ORFeomes, will facilitate future genotype-to-phenotype mappings and the systems biology exploration of Prochlorococcus ecology

PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions. </jats:sec

Training of trainers stem build program for primary science teachers: An initiative towards stem education in school

STEM education in Malaysia is still in its infancy and initiatives to increase STEM field participation were outlined in the Malaysian Blueprint 2013-20125. STEM initiatives is a continuous process starting from preschool until tertiary level to ensure participation in the STEM fields hence providing STEM workforce. Therefore, it is necessary for teachers to be equipped with knowledge and teaching approach for STEM education especially from primary school because this is the foundation and build connection science with the real life situation. This is to ensure that the mindset towards STEM fields can be cultivated and sown from early schooling level. Primary science teachers were given a three phase training program to on STEM pedagogical approach in implementing STEM activities in school. Thus, this paper will share experiences of how the training was implemented and the impact obtained by the teachers readinessn to implement STEM education in primary schools. teachers showed effort and confidence to carry out the activity but needs more training on the STEM pedagogical approach