A Comparative Study Between Alcoholics of Koraga Community, Alcoholics of General Population and Healthy Controls for Antioxidant Markers and Liver Function Parameters

Objectives: It is well established that long-term alcohol consumption leads to liver cirrhosis and other related disorders. Sufficient work has been done on biochemical markers of liver damage and antioxidant status of chronic alcoholics in general population. In the current study chronic alcoholics from a community called Koraga are analysed for the same parameters in a view to assess the extent of liver damage as compared to healthy controls and other alcoholics. Methods: Serum and urine samples from Koraga alcoholics (n=28), general alcoholics (n=30) and healthy controls (n=31) were analysed for liver function parameters and antioxidant markers. Liver function parameters were determined by automated analyzer. Markers of antioxidant status were estimated spectrophotometrically. The data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: There was significant increase in serum AST, serum ALT, serum GST and urine GST in both general and Koraga alcoholics when compared to healthy controls (p<0.0001). Serum ALT, serum GST and urine GST activity was significantly higher in general alcoholics when compared to Koraga alcoholics (p<0.001). Serum and urine total thiol levels were significantly lower in general alcoholics when compared to healthy controls and Koraga alcoholics (p<0.0001). We have observed no difference in total thiols level between healthy controls and Koraga alcoholics, in fact, there was significant increase in urine total thiols level in Koraga alcoholics compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). On Pearson’s correlation serum AST, serum ALT correlated positively with serum and urine GST (p<0.0001) and negatively with serum total thiols (p<0.0001). Serum GST correlated negatively with serum total thiols (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Results of our study possibly indicate that the extent of alcohol induced liver damage in Koraga subjects is comparatively lower than general alcoholics, even though the alcohol consumption is found to be higher in them. There may be some mechanism that is rendering them resistant to alcoholic liver damage which needs to be explored through further studies at molecular level

THE EXPRESSION OF Hsa-miR-21-5p AS MINIMAL INVASIVE MARKER TO ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

AbstractBreast cancer remains the leading cause of death among women, and there is a need to develop minimally invasive marker. In our previous study based on clinicopathologic in pre-chemotherapy patients showed miR-21 was upregulated 1.32 times higher at advanced stage compared with early stage. Therefore the matched patients for post-chemotherapy samples were used. The aim of this research is to examine the expression of miR-21 as potential marker to adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. The samples were taken by using cross sectional method with total 39 blood plasma samples from breast cancer patients in adjuvant chemotherapy and 12 healthy control samples. Plasma was obtained from blood samples and then RNA isolated were performed. Total RNA was reverse transcribed using cDNA synthesis. The expression of miR-21 was then analyzed using specific primer for miR-21 and miR-16 as the reference gene. Livak Method was used to calculate the expression level in each group. The result showed that there is significant downregulated expression of miR-21 in postchemotherapy 2.61 fold compared with pre-chemotherapy (p<0.05). The expression of miR-21 upregulated 2.2 folds (p<0.05) in pre-chemotherapy compared with healthy control, while in post-chemotherapy compared with healthy control, the expression of miR-21 was 0.8 fold (p<0.05). In conclusion, Hsa-miR-21-5p can be used as marker for adjuvant chemotherapy response in breast cancer because there is significant different expression between prechemotherapy, post-chemotherapy and healthy control. The continuation research in the near future for detecting the expression of tumor suppressor protein regulated by miR-21 is needed.Keywords: breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy, miR-21, minimal invasive marke

PEMBUATAN ANTI-PROSTAGLANDIN F2alfa TERLABEL ALKALIN FOSFATASE : Suatu Upaya Penelusuran Jalur Luteolitik Prostaglandin F2alfa Sebagai Hormon Gertak Birahi Dengan Menggunakan Teknik Imunohistokimia

Aplikasi teknologi gertak birahi secara hormonal masih dinilai terlalu mahal bagi peternak di Indonesia. Harga hormon yang mahal serta keberhasilan yang belum begitu memuaskan menarik minar profesi kedokteran hewan untuk terus meneliti dengan tujuan untuk memperoleh suatu metoda gertak birahi yang mudah, murah, efisien dan selanjutnya dapat menunjang program inseminasi buatan dan transfer embrio Preparat hormon yang dapat digunakan untuk gertak birahi pada ternak adalah hormon progesteron dan Prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a ). Aplikasi pemberian PGF2a dapat secara intramuskular, subkutan dan intrauterin (Hafez,2000) akan tetapi terdapat kendala yaitu besarnya dosis yang dipakai serta memerlukan ketrampilan khusus. Untuk itu dilakukan altematif pemberian PGF2a secara submukosa vulva dengan asumsi dosis lebih rendah, caranya mudah, tidak memerlukan keahlian khusus sehingga menjadi lebih murah dan efisien. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah membuat suatu model teknologi pembuatan anti- PGF2a yang dapat digunakan pada ternak lain serta untuk membakukan teknik gertak birahi dengan hormon PGF2a. Manfaat penelitian ini dapat untuk mengkaji pembuatan anti- PGF2a serta jalur luteolitik yang dilalui hormon PGF2a sebagai gertak birahi yang diberikan secara submukosa vulva. Metode penelitian ini terdiri dari dua tahap, tahap I pembuatan antibodi PGF2a. Dengan cara imunisasi PGF2a. Pada 8 ekor kelinci lokal jantan dengan dosis imunisasi 250 µg, 500 µg dan 750 pg dengan penambahan ajuvant CFA, booster dilakukan tiga kali dengan penambahan IFA. Pengambilan darah dilakukan sebanyak 9 kali. Selanjutnya dilakukan isolasi dan purifikasi serum dengan SAS 50%. Serum hasil purifikasi dilakukan uji karakterisasi dengan metoda dot blot, indirect elisa dan SDS PAGE. Selanjutnya dilakukan labelling anti- PGF2a dengan ensim alkalin fosfatase. Penelitian tahap II pembuktian jalur luteolitik dengan cara penyuntikan PGF2a secara submukosa vulva pada kambing dengan dosis 7,5 mg (perlakuan) dan 7,5 mg PBS (kontrol). Setelah 2 jam penyuntikan kambing dipotong, saluran reproduksi diambil dan dibuat preparat histologis serta dilakukan pewarnaan imunohistokimia. Hasil penelitian tahap I pada uji karakterisasi dengan metoda dot blot terlihat bahwa pada timbulnya antibodi PGF2a +CFA sudah mulai nampak pada bleeding I (minggu ke-3) dan tingkat kegelapan yang paling tajam terlihat pada kelompok II dan III pada bleeding ke 4,5,6 (minggu ke-6,7 dan 8) hal ini menunjukkan bahwa konsentrasi antibodi cukup tinggi. Dengan metoda Indirect Elisa, pada preimun dan ulangan kontrol menampakkan titer negatif terhadap anti- PGF2a sedang pads kelompok perlakuan mulai bleeding ke-2 menunjukkan titer positif karena nilai titer anti- PGF2a diatas nilai dua kali COV (cut of value) , hal ini menunjukkan respon imun terbaik terhadap PGF2a dengan terbentuknya anti- PGF2a dihasilkan pada bleeding ke-5 Perlakuan II. Dan penentuan berat molekul antibodi dengan metode SDS-PAGE 10% terlihat bahwa antigen (PGF2a) dapat mendeteksi antibodi (anti- PGF2a) sebagai suatu pita-pita protein dengan rataan BM sebesar 139,7237kD. Penelusuran jalur luteolitik pada alat kelamin kambing betina dengan teknik imunohistokimia menunjukkan adanya warna kecoklatan pada slide-slide saluran alat kelamin betina yang meliputi vulva, vagina serviks, korpus uteri dan kornua uteri pada pemotongan dua jam setelah penyuntikan hormon PGF2a secara submukosa vulva, hal ini menunjukkan bahwa jalur luteolitik hormon PGF2a yang diberikan secara submukosa vulva dapat dirunut perjalanannya dengan mengggunakan anti-prostglandinF2a terlabel alkalin fosfatase dengan menggunakan teknik imunohistokimia

Strongly hyperpolarized gas from parahydrogen by rational design of ligand-capped nanoparticles

The production of hyperpolarized fluids in continuous mode would broaden substantially the range of applications in chemistry, materials science, and biomedicine. Here we show that the rational design of a heterogeneous catalyst based on a judicious choice of metal type, nanoparticle size and surface decoration with appropriate ligands leads to highly efficient pairwise addition of dihydrogen across an unsaturated bond. This is demonstrated in a parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) experiment by a 508-fold enhancement (±78) of a CH3 proton signal and a corresponding 1219-fold enhancement (±187) of a CH2 proton signal using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). In contrast, bulk metal catalyst does not show this effect due to randomization of reacting dihydrogen. Our approach results in the largest gas-phase NMR signal enhancement by PHIP known to date. Sensitivity-enhanced NMR with this technique could be used to image microfluidic reactions in-situ, to probe nonequilibrium thermodynamics or for the study of metabolic reactions

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI HASIL USAHATANI BUAH MANGGIS (Studi Kasus Pada Sentra Produksi Manggis di Kecamatan Kiarapedes Kabupaten Purwakarta)

ABSTRAK Saepul Anwar, 2019.“ Analisis Faktor – Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Hasil Usahatani Buah Manggis Pada Sentra Produksi Manggis di Kecamatan Kiarapedes Kabupaten Purwakarta”. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian untuk skripsi. Studi Ekonomi Pembangunan Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis Universitas Pasundan Bandung. Usahatani buah manggis merupakan salah satu komoditas yang potensial yang banyak dibudayakan di Kecamatan Kiarapedes Kabupaten Purwakarta. Untuk dapat tumbuh dan menghasilkan buah dengan baik, petani sebagai pemilik usahatani buah manggis membutuhkan pemanfaatan faktor-faktor produksi yang optimal. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana pengaruh luas lahan, jumlah tenaga kerja, jumlah pohon dan umur pohon terhadap hasil usahatani buah manggis pada sentra produksi manggis di Kecamatan Kiarapedes Kabupaten Purwakarta. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Kecamatan Kiarapedes Kabupaten Purwakarta pada bulan Juli 2019. Pemilihan lokasi dilakukan secara sengaja dengan responden berjumlah 71 orang petani. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan metode survey berupa data primer dan data sekunder. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis dengan menggunakan model fungsi Cobb-Douglas yang diolah dengan teknik analisis OLS (Ordinary Least Square) dengan bantuan program Eviews versi 10. Dari hasil penelitian dapat ditarik kesimpulan baik secara simultan maupun secara parsial bahwa luas lahan, jumlah tenaga kerja, jumlah pohon dan umur pohon berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap hasil usahatani buah manggis di Kecamatan Kiarapedes Kabupaten Purwakarta. Kata Kunci : Usahatani, produksi ,faktor produksi, buah manggi

Spontaneous emergence of Josephson junctions in homogeneous rings of single-crystal Sr<inf>2</inf>RuO<inf>4</inf>

Funder: JSPS-EPSRC Core-to-Core program (A. Advanced Research Network)Funder: JSPS research fellow (KAKENHI Grant No. JP16J10404)Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003246Funder: Grant-in-Aid JSPS KAKENHI JP26287078 and JP17H04848AbstractThe chiral p-wave order parameter in Sr2RuO4 would make it a special case amongst the unconventional superconductors. A consequence of this symmetry is the possible existence of superconducting domains of opposite chirality. At the boundary of such domains, the locally suppressed condensate can produce an intrinsic Josephson junction. Here, we provide evidence of such junctions using mesoscopic rings, structured from Sr2RuO4 single crystals. Our order parameter simulations predict such rings to host stable domain walls across their arms. This is verified with transport experiments on loops, with a sharp transition at 1.5 K, which show distinct critical current oscillations with periodicity corresponding to the flux quantum. In contrast, loops with broadened transitions at around 3 K are void of such junctions and show standard Little–Parks oscillations. Our analysis demonstrates the junctions are of intrinsic origin and makes a compelling case for the existence of superconducting domains.</jats:p

Sumbangan koperasi terhadap pembangunan sosial komuniti pekebun kecil sawit

Penglibatan masyarakat dalam organisasi koperasi bukan sahaja dapat membantu mereka untuk mendapat manfaat ekonomi tetapi juga memberi ruang kepada aktiviti sosial yang dijalankan oleh pihak koperasi. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menilai sumbangan sosial yang diberikan oleh Koperasi Penanaman Sawit Mampan terhadap ahli komuniti pekebun kecil sawit. Seramai 46 ahli Koperasi Penanaman Sawit Mampan (KPSM) Saratok telah terlibat sebagai responden dalam kajian ini. Borang soal selidik digunakan sebagai instrumen bagi mendapatkan data kajian dan analisa deskriptif telah dijalankan. Analisa ini merangkumi analisis min, kekerapan, peratusan serta sisihan piawai. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa koperasi KPSM Saratok telah memberi sumbangan sosial terhadap komuniti pekebun kecil sawit dari aspek peningkatan hubungan pekebun kecil sawit (PKS), peningkatan penglibatan komuniti dalam aktiviti sawit, pemantauan aktiviti pertanian komuniti, penyediaan peluang pekerjaan, peningkatan kemahiran dan kemudahan dalam pengurusan aktiviti

Caregiver delivered sensory electrical stimulation for post stroke upper limb spasticity: A single blind crossover randomized feasibility study

We developed a 64 channel sensory electrical stimulator which delivers a dynamic and variable ‘Sensory Barrage’ Stimulation (SBS). Our aim was to assess the feasibility of caregivers delivering the stimulation in the community for a clinical trial comparing single channel Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) with SBS for post stroke upper limb spasticity. We trained caregivers of 16 participants with post stroke upper limb spasticity to sequentially administer SBS and TENS for 60 min daily for four weeks each, with a washout period of two weeks in between. Outcome measures tested were recruitment and retention rates, compliance with interventions and daily recording of Participant -reported Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). We also collected results of Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Leeds Arm Spasticity Impact Scale (LASIS) and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) for spasticity. Out of 21 potential participants, 16 consented and 15 completed the protocol. Ten participants received TENS for 80% (23/28) of the intended hours. Eleven participants completed NRS for at 80% (45/56) of the study days. All participants attended all visits. The MAS reduced by at least one in five participants after SBS and in three after TENS. Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of four points increase in ARAT was seen in five participants following TENS, and in four following SBS. A MCID of 18% decrease in NRS was reported by eight participants after TENS and three after SBS. This study demonstrated the feasibility of undertaking a trial of sensory electrical stimulation for post-stroke spasticity with caregivers delivering intervention in community. The study was not powered to detect efficacy of the interventions. Trial registration number: NCT02907775.Date 20-9-2016

Percutaneous injuries among dental professionals in Washington State

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous exposure incidents facilitate transmission of bloodborne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). This study was conducted to identify the circumstances and equipment related to percutaneous injuries among dental professionals. METHODS: We used workers' compensation claims submitted to the Department of Labor and Industries State Fund during a 7-year period (1995 through 2001) in Washington State for this study. We used the statement submitted by the injured worker on the workers' compensation claim form to determine the circumstances surrounding the injury including the type of activity and device involved. RESULTS: Of a total of 4,695 accepted State Fund percutaneous injury claims by health care workers (HCWs), 924 (20%) were submitted by dental professionals. Out of 924 percutaneous injuries reported by dental professionals 894 (97%) were among dental health care workers in non-hospital settings, including dentists (66, 7%), dental hygienists (61, 18%) and dental assistants (667, 75%). The majority of those reporting were females (638, 71%). Most (781, 87%) of the injuries involved syringes, dental instruments (77, 9%), and suture needles (23%). A large proportion (90%) of injuries occurred in offices and clinics of dentists, while remainder occurred in offices of clinics and of doctors of medicine (9%), and a few in specialty outpatient facilities (1%). Of the 894 dental health care workers with percutaneous injuries, there was evidence of HBV in 6 persons, HCV in 30 persons, HIV in 3 persons and both HBV and HVC (n = 2) exposure. CONCLUSION: Out of hospital percutaneous injuries are a substantial risk to dental health professionals in Washington State. Improved work practices and safer devices are needed to address this risk

The Kinase Inhibitor SFV785 Dislocates Dengue Virus Envelope Protein from the Replication Complex and Blocks Virus Assembly

Dengue virus (DENV) is the etiologic agent for dengue fever, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific anti-viral drug. As a remedy for this, we explored the use of compounds that interfere with the action of required host factors and describe here the characterization of a kinase inhibitor (SFV785), which has selective effects on NTRK1 and MAPKAPK5 kinase activity, and anti-viral activity on Hepatitis C, DENV and yellow fever viruses. SFV785 inhibited DENV propagation without inhibiting DENV RNA synthesis or translation. The compound did not cause any changes in the cellular distribution of non-structural 3, a protein critical for DENV RNA synthesis, but altered the distribution of the structural envelope protein from a reticulate network to enlarged discrete vesicles, which altered the co-localization with the DENV replication complex. Ultrastructural electron microscopy analyses of DENV-infected SFV785-treated cells showed the presence of viral particles that were distinctly different from viable enveloped virions within enlarged ER cisternae. These viral particles were devoid of the dense nucleocapsid. The secretion of the viral particles was not inhibited by SFV785, however a reduction in the amount of secreted infectious virions, DENV RNA and capsid were observed. Collectively, these observations suggest that SFV785 inhibited the recruitment and assembly of the nucleocapsid in specific ER compartments during the DENV assembly process and hence the production of infectious DENV. SFV785 and derivative compounds could be useful biochemical probes to explore the DENV lifecycle and could also represent a new class of anti-virals