Gastropod Community An Vertical Distribution Pattern Of Littoraria Scabra (Linnaeus, 1758) In Mangrove Ecosystem, Tombariri District, Nort Sulawesi

The Coast water of Tombariri District is an area that has a main ecosystem like mangroves, seagrass, and reef.  This research is to aim to know the species various, the structure of the gastropod community, and the vertical distribution pattern of Littoraria scabra in the mangrove ecosystem in Tombariri District, North Sulawesi.  Process of gastropod sampling horizontally where transects were put horizontal coastline on every location including Mokupa, Elu, and Tambala.   Every transect long has 65 m and also has every transect has 15 quadrats where every quadrat is one-meter square. Therefore, every transect has 15 quadrats, so a total of 45 quadrats. Every quadrant was put systematic method, that is, at terrestrial closing mangrove of 5 quadrats, middle mangrove of 5 quadrats, and coast close mangrove of 5 quadrats.  Process of sampling particularly L.scabra where taking vertically, especially on microhabitats that is, roots, stems, branches, and leaves of mangroves. High measuring by meter unit,  conducted from the ground where L.scabra found at mangrove until the top vegetation.  Based on the result of observation on the identification of gastropod sampling found in the mangrove ecosystem, Tombariri District, North Sulawesi as many 235 of individuals consisting of 5 orders, 23 families, and 32 genera having 78 species.  The density of species on every location Mokupa, Elu and Tambala, that is, (D) = 4.60, 5.47, and 5.60 in ind/m2, index of diversity,(H) = 2.54, 3.07, and 3.51 and index of dominance, ID = 0.04, 0.07 and 0.13. Keywords: Microhabitat, density, diversity, and dominance Abstrak Perairan pantai Kecamatan Tombariri merupakan daerah yang memiliki ekosistim utama pesisir seperti mangrove, lamun, dan terumbu karang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui jenis-jenis, struktur komunitas gastropoda dan pola distribusi vertikal spesies Littoraria scabra di ekosistem mangrove Kecamatan Tombariri, Sulawesi Utara. Proses pengambilan sampel gastropoda secara horizontal, di mana transek ditempatkan sejajar garis pantai pada setiap lokasi yakni di Mokupa, Elu, dan Tambala. Panjang setiap transek 65 m dan setiap transek memiliki 15 kuadrat di mana kuadrat berukuran 1 x 1 m.  Setiap transek punya 15 kuadrat sehingga total  kuadrat seluruh transek adalah 45 kuadrat. Penempatan kuadrat menggunakan metode sistematik yaitu di bagian darat 5 kuadrat, pertengahan 5 kuadrat  dan  mangrove pinggir  laut 5 kuadrat. Proses pengambilan sampel secara vertikal khusus Littoraria scabra, di mikrohabitat akar, batang, cabang dan daun mangrove,Sementara pengambilan sampel L.scabra diukur ketinggian di mana spesies Littoraria scabra ditemukan ldi pohon mangrove dengan menggunakan meteran, dimulai dari dasar sampai ke ujung pohon mangrove. Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan dan identifikasi sampel gastropoda yang ditemukan di ekosistem mangrove Kecamatan Tombariri, Sulawesi Utara ditemukan sebanyak 235 individu yang terbagi ke dalam 5 ordo, 23 famili dan 32 genera dari 78 spesies. Kepadatan Jenis pada masing-masing lokasi = 4,60, 5,47, dan 5,60 ind/m2. Keanekaragaman H’= 2,54, 3,07, dan 3,51. Dominansi C= 0,04, 0,07, dan 0,13. Kata Kunci : Mikrohabitat, Kepadatan, Keanekaragaman, Dominansi

Morphology and Anatomy of Macroalgae Community in Rap Rap Coastal Waters, Tongkaina Village, Manado City

Macroalgae are low-level plants that generally grow attached to certain substrates such as corals, mud, sand, rocks, and other hard objects. Macroalgae are algae that have a macroscopic body shape and size. A community is a group of beings living together in the same place. Thus the macroalgae community is a group of lower plants that have macroscopic body sizes living together. The coastal area of Rap-Rap Beach is located in Tongkaina Village, Manado City, North Sulawesi Province. This location is one of the stable macroalgae habitats, meaning that there is still little habitat damage that occurs, so macroalgae can still be obtained directly from nature. This coast is also known as mangrove ecotourism and the path to Bunaken Island. The purpose of this study is to describe the morphology and anatomy of each macroalgae species. Data collection using the Line Transect method with a squared sampling technique was carried out at the lowest low tide. Temperature measurement using a thermometer and salinity using a refractometer, and for determination of substrate visually see the type of substrate. Keywords: morphology, anatomy, community, macroalgae, Rap Rap. Abstrak Makroalga merupakan tumbuhan tingkat rendah yang umumnya tumbuh melekat pada substrat tertentu seperti pada karang, lumpur, pasir, batu dan benda keras lainnya. Makroalga yaitu alga yang memiliki bentuk dan ukuran tubuh makroskopik. Komunitas adalah kelompok makhluk yang hidup secara bersama-sama dalam suatu tempat yang bersamaan. Dengan demikian komunitas makroalga adalah kelompok tumbuhan rendah yang memiliki ukuran tubuh makroskopik yang hidup bersamaan. Wilayah pesisir Pantai Rap-Rap terletak di Kelurahan Tongkaina, Kota Manado, Provinsi Sulawesi Utara. Lokasi ini merupakan salah satu habitat makroalga yang stabil artinya masih sedikit kerusakan habitat yang terjadi, sehingga makroalga masih dapat diperoleh secara langsung dari alam. Pesisir ini juga dikenal sebagai ekowisata mangrove dan jalur ke Pulau Bunaken. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mendeskripsikan morfologi dan anatomi masing-masing spesies makroalga. Pengambilan data menggunakan metode Line Transect dengan teknik sampling kuadrat yang dilakukan pada saat surut terendah. Pengukuran suhu menggunakan Thermometer dan salinitas menggunakan Refraktometer, dan untuk penentuan substrat dilihat secara visual jenis dari substrat tersebut. Kata kunci: morfologi, anatomi, komunitas, makroalga, Rap Rap

Successful implementation of new technologies in nursing care: a questionnaire survey of nurse-users

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A growing number of new technologies are becoming available within nursing care that can improve the quality of care, reduce costs, or enhance working conditions. However, such effects can only be achieved if technologies are used as intended. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of determinants influencing the success of the introduction of new technologies as perceived by nursing staff.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study population is a nationally representative research sample of nursing staff (further referred to as the Nursing Staff Panel), of whom 685 (67%) completed a survey questionnaire about their experiences with recently introduced technologies. Participants were working in Dutch hospitals, psychiatric organizations, care organizations for mentally disabled people, home care organizations, nursing homes or homes for the elderly.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Half of the respondents were confronted with the introduction of a new technology in the last three years. Only half of these rated the introduction of the technology as positive.</p> <p>The factors most frequently mentioned as impeding actual use were related to the (kind of) technology itself, such as malfunctioning, ease of use, relevance for patients, and risks to patients. Furthermore nursing staff stress the importance of an adequate innovation strategy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A prerequisite for the successful introduction of new technologies is to analyse determinants that may impede or enhance the introduction among potential users. For technological innovations special attention has to be paid to the (perceived) characteristics of the technology itself.</p

Are children with tuberculosis in Pakistan managed according to National programme policy guidelines? A study from 3 districts in Punjab

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The adherence to policies of National TB Control Programme (NTP) to manage a case of tuberculosis (TB) is a fundamental step to have a successful programme in any country. Childhood TB services faces an unmet challenge of case management due to difficulty with diagnosis and relatively new policies. For control of childhood TB in Pakistan, NTP developed and piloted its guidelines in 2006-2007. The objective of this study was to compare the documented case management practices of pediatricians and its impact on the outcome before and after introducing NTP policy guidelines.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>An audit of case management practices of a historical cohort study was done in children below 15 years who were put on anti-tuberculosis treatment at all nine public hospitals in three districts in province of Punjab. The study period was two years pre-intervention (2004-05) and two years post-intervention (2006-07) after implementation of new NTP policy guidelines for childhood TB. There were 920 childhood TB cases registered during four years, 189 in pre-intervention period and 731 in post-intervention period. The practices changed significantly in post-intervention period for use of tuberculin skin test (63% of pulmonary cases, 19% of extrapulmonary cases and 67% for site unknown), and for the use of chest x-ray (69% of pulmonary cases, 16% of extrapulmonary cases and 74% for site unknown). Diagnostic scores were recorded for only a minority of cases (18%). The proportion of correct drugs pre- and post-intervention remained same. There were unknown treatment outcomes in 38 out of 141 cases (27%) in pre-intervention and in 483 out of 551 cases (87%) post-intervention, all among the 692 cases without documented treatment supporter.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study has shown that pediatricians have started following parts of the national policy guidelines for management of childhood TB. The documented use of diagnostic tools is increased but record keeping of case management practices remained inadequate. This seems to increase case finding substantially but the treatment outcomes were poor mainly due to unknown outcomes. Development and implementation of standardized operational tools and regular monitoring system may improve the services.</p

An economic appraisal of the Australian Medical Sheepskin for the prevention of sacral pressure ulcers from a nursing home perspective

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many devices are in use to prevent pressure ulcers, but from most little is known about their effects and costs. One such preventive device is the Australian Medical Sheepskin that has been proven effective in three randomized trials. In this study the costs and savings from the use of the Australian Medical Sheepskin were investigated from the perspective of a nursing home.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An economic model was developed in which monetary costs and monetary savings in respect of the sheepskin were balanced against each other. The model was applied to a fictional (Dutch) nursing home with 100 beds for rehabilitation patients and a time horizon of one year. Input variables for the model consisted of investment costs for using the sheepskin (purchase and laundry), and savings through the prevented cases of pressure ulcers. The input values for the investment costs and for the effectiveness were empirically based on a trial with newly admitted rehabilitation patients from eight nursing homes. The input values for the costs of pressure ulcer treatment were estimated by means of four different approaches.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Investment costs for using the Australian Medical Sheepskin were larger than the monetary savings obtained by preventing pressure ulcers. Use of the Australian Medical Sheepskin involves an additional cost of approximately €2 per patient per day. Preventing one case of a sacral pressure ulcer by means of the Australian Medical Sheepskin involves an investment of €2,974 when the sheepskin is given to all patients. When the sheepskin is selectively used for more critical patients only, the investment to prevent one case of sacral pressure ulcers decreases to €2,479 (pressure ulcer risk patients) or €1,847 (ADL-severely impaired patients). The factors with the strongest influence on the balance are the frequency of changing the sheepskin and the costs of washing related to this. The economic model was hampered by considerable uncertainty in the estimations of the costs of pressure ulcer treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>From a nursing home perspective, the investment costs for use of the Australian Medical Sheepskin in newly admitted rehabilitation patients are larger than the monetary savings obtained by preventing pressure ulcers.</p

The Cellular Phenotype of Roberts Syndrome Fibroblasts as Revealed by Ectopic Expression of ESCO2

Cohesion between sister chromatids is essential for faithful chromosome segregation. In budding yeast, the acetyltransferase Eco1/Ctf7 establishes cohesion during DNA replication in S phase and in response to DNA double strand breaks in G2/M phase. In humans two Eco1 orthologs exist: ESCO1 and ESCO2. Both proteins are required for proper sister chromatid cohesion, but their exact function is unclear at present. Since ESCO2 has been identified as the gene defective in the rare autosomal recessive cohesinopathy Roberts syndrome (RBS), cells from RBS patients can be used to elucidate the role of ESCO2. We investigated for the first time RBS cells in comparison to isogenic controls that stably express V5- or GFP-tagged ESCO2. We show that the sister chromatid cohesion defect in the transfected cell lines is rescued and suggest that ESCO2 is regulated by proteasomal degradation in a cell cycle-dependent manner. In comparison to the corrected cells RBS cells were hypersensitive to the DNA-damaging agents mitomycin C, camptothecin and etoposide, while no particular sensitivity to UV, ionizing radiation, hydroxyurea or aphidicolin was found. The cohesion defect of RBS cells and their hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents were not corrected by a patient-derived ESCO2 acetyltransferase mutant (W539G), indicating that the acetyltransferase activity of ESCO2 is essential for its function. In contrast to a previous study on cells from patients with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, another cohesinopathy, RBS cells failed to exhibit excessive chromosome aberrations after irradiation in G2 phase of the cell cycle. Our results point at an S phase-specific role for ESCO2 in the maintenance of genome stability

Well being of obstetric patients on minimal blood transfusions (WOMB trial)

Background: Primary postpartum haemorrhage is an obstetrical emergency often causing acute anaemia that may require immediate red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. This anaemia results in symptoms such as fatigue, whic

The impact of missing data on clinical trials : a re-analysis of a placebo controlled trial of Hypericum perforatum (St Johns wort) and sertraline in major depressive disorder.

CAPRISA, 2013.Rationale and objective Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) is used to treat depression, but the effectiveness has not been established. Recent guidelines described the analysis of clinical trials with missing data, inspiring the reanalysis of this trial using proper missing data methods. The objective was to determine whether hypericum was superior to placebo in treating major depression. Methods A placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted for 8 weeks to determine the effectiveness of hypericum or sertraline in reducing depression, measured using the Hamilton depression scale. We performed sensitivity analyses under different assumptions about the missing data process. Results Three hundred forty participants were randomized, with 28 % lost to follow-up. The missing data mechanism was not missing completely at random. Under missing at random assumptions, some sensitivity analyses found no difference between either treatment arm and placebo, while some sensitivity analyses found a significant difference from baseline to week 8 between sertraline and placebo (−1.28, 95 % credible interval [−2.48; −0.08]), but not between hypericum and placebo (0.56, [−0.64;1.76]). The results were similar when the missing data process was assumed to be missing not at random. Conclusions There is no difference between hypericum and placebo, regardless of the assumption about the missing data process. There is a significant difference between sertraline and placebo with some statistical methods used. It is important to conduct an analysis that takes account of missing data using valid statistically principled methods. The assumptions about the missing data process could influence the results