NMR solution structure and position of transportan in neutral phospholipid bicelles

AbstractTransportan is a chimeric cell-penetrating peptide constructed from the peptides galanin and mastoparan, which has the ability to internalize living cells carrying a hydrophilic load. In this study, we have determined the NMR solution structure and investigated the position of transportan in neutral bicelles. The structure revealed a well-defined α-helix in the C-terminal mastoparan part of the peptide and a weaker tendency to form an α-helix in the N-terminal domain. The position of the peptide in relation to the membrane, as studied by adding paramagnetic probes, shows that the peptide lies parallel to, and in the head-group region of the membrane surface. This result is supported by amide proton secondary chemical shifts

Biodiversity and Aquatic Vegetation Succession in Biawak Island Marine Protected Area, Indramayu-West Java

The existence of aquatic vegetation in the coastal waters is correlated with the water quality parameters. Seagrass and macroalgae are aquatic plants often found to form a coastal ecosystem that depends on water quality, both physically and chemically. Research on the existence of aquatic plants in Biawak Island, Indramayu, West Java, was conducted in 2016 and 2019 by combining in situ data and secondary data. The purpose of this study was to observe the dynamics of seagrass ecosystems as aquatic plants on Biawak Island and their correlation with the succession that occurred in the aquatic environment in Biawak Island as part of the Biawak Archipelago Marine Protected Area (MPA). The research method integrates a descriptive analysis and its correlation between the submerged aquatic plants and their environment. The results showed that seagrasses in Biawak Island tend to disappear and be replaced by macroalgae. The type of seagrass found in 2016 was Enhalus Acoroides covered by epiphytes perished in 2019. The abundance of macroalgae, especially Halimeda macroloba, indicates the existence of nutrient enrichment and high turbidity, causing the seagrass to be replaced by macroalgae. Another biodiversity found in the region was clams and sea cucumber, while branching coral conditions experienced bleaching and degradation. An environmental condition contains high nutrients strengthening the nutrient enrichment for a particular time. Therefore, integrated management regarding terrestrial and shipping lines track needs to be addressed to maintain the sustainability of the natural resources in the Biawak archipelago

Kualitas perairan Natuna pada musim transisi

Abstrak. Perairan Natuna, khususnya pada Kawasan Konservasi Laut Daerah (KKLD) I diprioritaskan untuk mendukung kegiatan perikanan berkelanjutan, sehingga penting diketahui kualitasperairannya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui karakteristik kualitas air berdasarkan parameter fisika maupun kimia sebagai basis data terkini mengenai kualitas perairan Natuna pada musim transisi. Penelitian dilakukan di 31 stasiun pada bulan November 2012. Parameter kualitas air yang diukur antara lain kecerahan, derajat keasaman (pH), oksigen terlarut, suhu, salinitas, padatan tersuspensi total atau Total Suspended Solids (TSS) dan nutrien (nitrat, fosfat, silikat). Parameter pH, oksigen terlarut, suhu, dan salinitas diukur secara in-situ menggunaan alat water quality meter (TOA-DKK), kecerahan diukur menggunakan secchi disk, sedangkan sampel air di bawa ke laboratorium untuk dianalisis konsentrasi nutrien dan TSS. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan nilai kisaran kecerahan yaitu 2-20,9 (m), pH 8,09-8,27, oksigen terlarut 6,34-7,96 (mg/l), suhu 29,2-30,6 (°C), salinitas 27,9-30,4 (PSU), TSS 3-26 (mg/l), nitrat 0,005-0,078 (mg/l), fosfat 0,005-0,015 (mg/l) dan silikat 0,045-0,704 (mg/l). Hasil penelitian dibandingkan dengan baku mutu air laut untuk biota laut berdasarkan Keputusan Menteri Lingkungan Hidup Nomor 51 Tahun 2004. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, kondisi perairan Natuna masih tergolong baik untuk menunjang kehidupan biota laut.Kata kunci: Parameter kimia; Parameter fisika; Natuna; musim transis

On the Perils of Stabilizing Prices When Agents are Learning.

We show that price level stabilization is not optimal in an economy where agents have incomplete knowledge about the policy implemented and try to learn it. A systematically more accommodative policy than what agents expect generates short term gains without triggering an abrupt loss of con- fidence, since agents update expectations sluggishly. In the long run agents learn the policy implemented, and the economy converges to a rational expectations equilibrium in which policy does not stabilize prices, economic volatility is high, and agents suffer the corresponding welfare losses. However, these losses are outweighed by short term gains from the learning phase

Cadangan Karbon Ekosistem Mangrove di Sulawesi Utara dan Implikasinya Pada Aksi Mitigasi Perubahan Iklim

Sulawesi Utara adalah salah satu provinsi yang menerapkan kebijakan rencana aksi nasional/daerah (RAN/RAD) gas rumah kaca sebagai bagian dari usaha nasional dalam mitigasi perubahan iklim. Salah satu kegiatan mitigasi berbasis lahan di Sulawesi Utara adalah pengukuran dan monitoring biomas dan stok karbon di hutan termasuk hutan pantai yang luasan pengukuran masih terbatas. Pada tahun 2013-2015, Tim Penelitian Karbon Biru melakukan penelitian di empat lokasi di Sulawesi Utara yang bertujuan untuk menganalisis kondisi ekologis dan kemampuan ekosistem pesisir terutama mangrove dalam menyimpan karbon serta implikasi pada mitigasi gas rumah kaca. Lokasi penelitian terletak di Ratatotok – Kabupaten Minahasa Tenggara, Kema – Kabupaten Minahasa Utara, Pulau Lembeh – Kota Bitung dan  Pulau Sangihe – Kabupaten Sangihe. Jenis mangrove yang teridentifikasi adalah 17 spesies dan 3 spesies diantaranya yaitu B. gymnorrhiza, R. mucronata dan S. alba ditemukan di semua lokasi. Keanekaragaman spesies berkisar dari rendah sampai sedang dan penyebaran spesies tidak merata.  Kapasitas penyimpanan karbon adalah sebesar 343,85 Mg C ha-1 di Ratatotok, 254,35 Mg C ha-1 di Lembeh, 387,95 Mg C ha-1 di Kema, dan 594,83 Mg C ha-1 di Sangihe. Lebih dari 59% simpanan karbon berada pada sedimen. Nilai rata-rata simpanan karbon di keempat lokasi penelitian sebesar 456,86 M C ha-1 atau 5,70 Tg C setelah dikonversi dengan luas total ekosistem mangrove Sulawesi Utara. Nilai ini setara dengan penyerapan CO2 dari atmosfer sebesar 20,70 Tg CO2e. Potensi emisi akibat perubahan lahan mangrove mencapai 0,42 Tg CO2e. Upaya meningkatkan kontribusi penurunan emisi Sulawesi Utara dapat dicapai dengan melakukan intervensi pengurangan emisi melalui rehabilitasi dan konservasi ekosistem mangrove

FAIR Metadata Standards for Low Carbon Energy Research—A Review of Practices and How to Advance

The principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) have been put forward to guide optimal sharing of data. The potential for industrial and social innovation is vast. Domain-specific metadata standards are crucial in this context, but are widely missing in the energy sector. This report provides a collaborative response from the low carbon energy research community for addressing the necessity of advancing FAIR metadata standards. We review and test existing metadata practices in the domain based on a series of community workshops. We reflect the perspectives of energy data stakeholders. The outcome is reported in terms of challenges and elicits recommendations for advancing FAIR metadata standards in the energy domain across a broad spectrum of stakeholders

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure