The Effect Of Bokashi Fertilizer Composition On Growth And Seed Production Of Potato (solanum Tuberosum L. Var. Grenola) In Polybags

Produksi benih kentang ( Solanum tuberosum L.) dapat dilakukan dalam polybag dengan media tanam yang diperkaya dengan bokashi untuk mendukung pertumbuhan dan meningkatkan hasil umbi. Penambahan pupuk kandang dalam bokashi dapat meningkatkan kandungan hara dalam bokashi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh jenis pupuk kandang dalam bokashi terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil benih kentang dalam polybag dan untuk mengetahui jenis pupuk kandang dalam bokashi yang memberikan hasil benih kentang tertinggi. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok terdiri atas 7 perlakuan jenis pupuk kandang dalam bokashi, masing masing diulang sebanyak 4 kali. Data hasil percobaan dianalisis menggunakan Sidik Ragam (Anova), dilanjut dengan Uji Beda Nyata Jujur taraf 5% untuk mengetahui perbedaan antar perlakuan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa jenis pupuk kandang dalam bokashi berpengaruh nyata terhadap pertumbuhan tanaman kentang dalam polybag. Jenis pupuk kandang dalam bokashi yang memberikan hasil benih kentang tertinggi adalah campuran pupuk kandang kambing dengan pupuk kandang sapi.Potato seeds production (Solanum tuberosum L.) can be cultivated in polybags with planting media enriched with bokashi to support growth and increase tuber yield. Adding manure to bokashi can increase the nutrient content in bokashi. This research aims to determine the effect of manure type in bokashi on the growth and potato seeds in polybags and to find out the type of manure in bokashi that gives the highest potatoes seeds yield. The research used a Randomized Block Design consisting of 7 types of manure treatment in bokashi, each repeated 4 times. The experimental data were analyzed using a variety of tests (Anova), followed by an honest significant difference test at 5% level to determine the differences between treatments. The research results showed that the type of manure in bokashi had a significant effect on the growth of potato plants in polybags. The type of manure in bokashi that gives the highest potatoes seeds yield is a mixture of goat manure and cow manure

Oxygen-sensing and Mitochondrial Control of Cell Function

The cellular response to low oxygen tension (hypoxia) is orchestrated through an elegant pathway involving a number of molecular players and is well characterised in development, physiology and pathology. The hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) comprise a family of transcription factors whose activity is responsible for mediating transcriptional responses to hypoxia and maintaining cellular oxygen homeostasis. Of particular interest, is the relationship between the HIFs and mitochondria. Mitochondria consume oxygen and generate chemical energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial function and the electron transport chain are necessary for the stabilisation of HIF-α protein in response to hypoxia and the transactivation of HIF target genes. Conversely, mitochondrial adaptation to hypoxia is controlled through a number of HIF target genes. However, the molecular relationship between the HIFs and mitochondria and vice versa is still emerging. Oxygen-dependent regulation of HIF-α protein stability is controlled by the prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) proteins. Using several approaches to stabilise and activate the HIFs, this thesis has explored the role of the oxygen-sensing machinery in regulating mitochondrial function. This work identifies altered subcellular localisation of the HIF-complex and PHD proteins. Additionally, manipulation of the oxygen-sensing pathway results in gross mitochondrial morphological and ultrastructural differences in addition to alterations in a number of mitochondrial parameters, including DNA maintenance, electron transport chain (ETC) protein expression, bioenergetics and autophagy. Together these data identify a novel role for members of the oxygen-sensing machinery in mitochondrial function

Substance Use, Emerging Substances and Poly Drug Use among Undergraduate Students in Universities in Kenya

There is an increase in the use of substances and the peak levels of substance use are seen among young people aged between 18-25. Substance use presents a barrier to learning, it impairs cognitive ability and distorts judgment. There is limited information on the magnitude of substance use and a countrywide study has not been conducted to determine the extent of substance use, emerging substances and poly drug use among undergraduate students in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of substance use, emerging substances and poly drug use among the undergraduates in Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. The target population was 451,081 undergraduate students, where 390,456 were in public and 60,625 in private chartered universities. The sample size was 1,500 participants selected from seven public and five private universities, from ten counties across the country. A World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire - Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was used to determine the extent of substance use, poly drug use and emerging substances among the undergraduate students. The key substances were alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and shisha among others. The findings revealed prevalence of lifetime substance use of 48.6% and the prevalence of current use of 37.9%. Public universities (M=.48, SD= .50) had higher prevalence of current use than private universities (M=.26, SD= .43) with t (1435) = 8.94, p<.05. Alcohol was the most commonly used substance and shisha was an emerging substance. Poly drug use was reported at 162 (11.3%) among the current users. The prevalence of substance use is high. There is a need for universities to develop and implement interventions for the emerging substances and poly drug use to mitigate the potential risk of developing substance use disorders

PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN METODE RESITASI TERHADAP PRESTASI BELAJAR SISWA JURUSAN TEKNIK BANGUNAN MATA PELAJARAN ILMU BANGUNAN DI KELAS XA PROGRAM KEAHLIAN TEKNIK KONSTRUKSI BATU BETON DI SMK N2 PENGASIH KULON PROGO

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pembelajaran dengan metode resitasi terhadap prestasi belajar siswa teknik bangunan mata pelajaran ilmu bangunan dikelas XA Program Keahlian Teknik Konstruksi Batu Beton di SMK N.2 Pengasih Kulon Progo. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah menggunakan metode quasi eksperimen dengan bentuk Non- Equivalent Control Group Design. Variabel dalam penelitian ini yaitu, variabel bebas berupa kelas kontrol dan kelas eksperimen, sedangkan variabel terikat berupa hasil belajar siswa. Subyek penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas XA Program Keahlian Konstruksi Batu Beton di SMK N 2 Pengasih Kulon Progo yang berjumlah 32 siswa. Sampel dalam penelitian ini mengambil semua siswa kelas XA yang berjumlah 32 siswa, 16 siswa sebagai kelompok Eksperimen (XA2) dan 16 siswa sebagai kelompok Kontrol (XA1). Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan tes pilihan ganda berupa pretest dan posttest. Pengujian persyaratan hipotesis menggunakan uji normalitas (menggunakan teknik analisis chi kuadrat) dan uji homogenitas. Validitas instrument soal tes dilakukan dengan judgement expert dan uji coba instrument. Reliabilitas instrument tes dihitung dengan rumus Kuder-Richardson (KR-20). Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah uji-t kelompok terpisah (independent sample test). Uji-t digunakan untuk mengetahui perbedaan tingkat hasil belajar siswa. Hasil penelitian diketahui bahwa ada perbedaan antara hasil belajar menggunakan metode resitasi dengan metode konvensional. Dimana thitung 2,095. Pvalue Sig. = 0,045 ttabel (2,095 > 2,045) . Kata kunci : pembelajaran, metode resitasi, prestasi belajar

Changes of SERCA activity have only modest effects on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content in rat ventricular myocytes

ABSTRACT: Changes of the activity of the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) affect the amplitude of the systolic Ca(2+) transient and thence cardiac contractility. This is thought to be due to alterations of SR Ca(2+) content. Recent work on mice in which the expression of SERCA is decreased found that a large reduction of SERCA expression resulted in a proportionately much smaller decrease of SR Ca(2+) content. The aim of the current work was to investigate the quantitative nature of the dependence of both the amplitude of the systolic Ca(2+) transient and SR Ca(2+) content on SERCA activity during acute partial inhibition of SERCA. Experiments were performed on rat ventricular myocytes. Brief application of thapsigargin (1 μm) resulted in a decrease of SERCA activity as measured from the rate of decay of the systolic Ca(2+) transient. This was accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude of the systolic Ca(2+) transient which was linearly related to that of SERCA activity. However, the fractional decrease in the SR Ca(2+) content was much less than that of SERCA activity. On average SR Ca(2+) content was proportional to SERCA activity raised to the 0.38 ± 0.07 power. This shallow dependence of SR content on SERCA activity arises because Ca(2+) release is a steep function of SR Ca(2+) content. In contrast SR Ca(2+) content was increased 4.59 ± 0.40 (n = 8)-fold by decreasing ryanodine receptor opening with tetracaine (1 mm). Therefore a modest decrease of SR Ca(2+) content results in a proportionately larger fall of Ca(2+) release from the SR which can balance a larger initiating decrease of SERCA. In conclusion, the shallow dependence of SR Ca(2+) content on SERCA activity is expected for a system in which small changes of SR Ca(2+) content produce larger effects on the amplitude of the systolic Ca(2+) transient

Investigation of USP30 inhibition to enhance Parkin-mediated mitophagy: tools and approaches

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in Parkinson disease (PD). Mutations in Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, can cause juvenile-onset Parkinsonism probably through impairment of mitophagy. Inhibition of the de-ubiquitinating enzyme USP30 may counter this effect to enhance mitophagy. Using different tools and cellular approaches, we wanted to independently confirm this claimed role for USP30. Pharmacological characterization of additional tool compounds that selectively inhibit USP30 are reported. The consequence of USP30 inhibition by these compounds, siRNA knockdown and overexpression of dominant-negative USP30 in the mitophagy pathway in different disease-relevant cellular models was explored. Knockdown and inhibition of USP30 showed increased p-Ser65-ubiquitin levels and mitophagy in neuronal cell models. Furthermore, patient-derived fibroblasts carrying pathogenic mutations in Parkin showed reduced p-Ser65-ubiquitin levels compared to wild-type cells, levels that could be restored using either USP30 inhibitor or dominant-negative USP30 expression. Our data provide additional support for USP30 inhibition as a regulator of the mitophagy pathway

Chronic myocardial infarction promotes atrial action potential alternans, afterdepolarisations and fibrillation

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increased in patients with heart failure resulting from myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to determine the effects of chronic ventricular MI in rabbits on the susceptibility to AF, and underlying atrial electrophysiological and Ca2+-handling mechanisms. Methods and results: In Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts, under beta-adrenergic-stimulation with isoproterenol (1 µM; ISO), 8 weeks MI decreased AF threshold, indicating increased AF-susceptibility. This was associated with increased atrial action potential duration-alternans at 90% repolarisation, by 147%, and no significant change in mean APD or atrial global conduction velocity (n=6-13 non-MI hearts, 5-12 MI). In atrial isolated myocytes, also under beta-stimulation, L-type Ca2+ current (ICaL) density and intracellular Ca2+-transient amplitude were decreased by MI, by 35% and 41%, respectively, and the frequency of spontaneous depolarisations (SDs) was substantially increased. MI increased atrial myocyte size and capacity, and markedly decreased transverse-tubule density. In non-MI hearts perfused with ISO, the ICaL-blocker nifedipine, at a concentration (0.02 µM) causing an equivalent ICaL-reduction (35%) to that from the MI, did not affect AF-susceptibility, and decreased APD. Conclusion: chronic MI in rabbits remodels atrial structure, electrophysiology and intracellular Ca2+-handling. Increased susceptibility to AF by MI, under beta-adrenergic-stimulation, may result from associated production of atrial APD-alternans and SDs, since steady-state APD and global conduction velocity were unchanged under these conditions, and may be unrelated to the associated reduction in whole-cell ICaL. Future studies may clarify potential contributions of local conduction changes, and cellular and sub-cellular mechanisms of alternans, to the increased AF-susceptibility

Identification of ER-000444793, a Cyclophilin D-independent inhibitor of mitochondrial permeability transition, using a high-throughput screen in cryopreserved mitochondria

Growing evidence suggests persistent mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening is a key pathophysiological event in cell death underlying a variety of diseases. While it has long been clear the mPTP is a druggable target, current agents are limited by off-target effects and low therapeutic efficacy. Therefore identification and development of novel inhibitors is necessary. To rapidly screen large compound libraries for novel mPTP modulators, a method was exploited to cryopreserve large batches of functionally active mitochondria from cells and tissues. The cryopreserved mitochondria maintained respiratory coupling and ATP synthesis, Ca(2+) uptake and transmembrane potential. A high-throughput screen (HTS), using an assay of Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial swelling in the cryopreserved mitochondria identified ER-000444793, a potent inhibitor of mPTP opening. Further evaluation using assays of Ca(2+)-induced membrane depolarisation and Ca(2+) retention capacity also indicated that ER-000444793 acted as an inhibitor of the mPTP. ER-000444793 neither affected cyclophilin D (CypD) enzymatic activity, nor displaced of CsA from CypD protein, suggesting a mechanism independent of CypD inhibition. Here we identified a novel, CypD-independent inhibitor of the mPTP. The screening approach and compound described provides a workflow and additional tool to aid the search for novel mPTP modulators and to help understand its molecular nature

Mechanical properties of ceria nanorods and nanochains; The effect of dislocations, grain-boundaries and oriented attachment

We predict that the presence of extended defects can reduce the mechanical strength of a ceria nanorod by 70%. Conversely, the pristine material can deform near its theoretical strength limit. Specifically, atomistic models of ceria nanorods have been generated with full microstructure, including: growth direction, morphology, surface roughening (steps, edges, corners), point defects, dislocations and grain-boundaries. The models were then used to calculate the mechanical strength as a function of microstructure. Our simulations reveal that the compressive yield strengths of ceria nanorods, ca. 10 nm in diameter and without extended defects, are 46 and 36 GPa for rods oriented along [211] and [110] respectively, which represents almost 10% of the bulk elastic modulus and are associated with yield strains of about 0.09. Tensile yield strengths were calculated to be about 50% lower with associated yield strains of about 0.06. For both nanorods, plastic deformation was found to proceed via slip in the {001} plane with direction ã??110ã?? - a primary slip system for crystals with the fluorite structure. Dislocation evolution for the nanorod oriented along [110] was nucleated via a cerium vacancy present at the surface. A nanorod oriented along [321] and comprising twin-grain boundaries with {111} interfacial planes was calculated to have a yield strength of about 10 GPa (compression and tension) with the grain boundary providing the vehicle for plastic deformation, which slipped in the plane of the grain boundary, with an associated ã??110ã?? slip direction. We also predict, using a combination of atomistic simulation and DFT, that rutile-structured ceria is feasible when the crystal is placed under tension. The mechanical properties of nanochains, comprising individual ceria nanoparticles with oriented attachment and generated using simulated self-assembly, were found to be similar to those of the nanorod with grain-boundary. Images of the atom positions during tension and compression are shown, together with animations, revealing the mechanisms underpinning plastic deformation. For the nanochain, our simulations help further our understanding of how a crystallising ice front can be used to 'sculpt' ceria nanoparticles into nanorods via oriented attachment. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Interfacial layering in a three-component polymer system

We study theoretically the temporal evolution and the spatial structure of the interface between two polymer melts involving three different species (A, A* and B). The first melt is composed of two different polymer species A and A* which are fairly indifferent to one another (Flory parameter chi_AA* ~ 0). The second melt is made of a pure polymer B which is strongly attracted to species A (chi_AB 0). We then show that, due to these contradictory tendencies, interesting properties arise during the evolution of the interface after the melts are put into contact: as diffusion proceeds, the interface structures into several adjacent "compartments", or layers, of differing chemical compositions, and in addition, the central mixing layer grows in a very asymmetric fashion. Such unusual behaviour might lead to interesting mechanical properties, and demonstrates on a specific case the potential richness of multi-component polymer interfaces (as compared to conventional two-component interfaces) for various applications.Comment: Revised version, to appear in Macromolecule