Pengaruh Jamur Gliocladium SP. dan Bakteri Pseudomonas Fluorencens dalam Menekan Perkembangan Penyakit Layu Fusarium pada Tanaman Pisang Mas (Musa Paradisiaca L.) Hasil Kultur Invitro

The objective of the study is to determine the potence of natural agent, a mmushroom of Gliocladium sp. and bacterium Peudomonas fluorencens in resisting against the withering disease (Fusarium Oxysporum f.sp. Cubense) and their effect to the growth of the in-vitrocultured banana plant (Musa paradisiaca L). Thiswas conducted in the experimental farm of Agriculture Faculty, University of Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, in the period of June to December 2013.This research is a single experiment using Randomized Completely Block Design. The treatment was the administration of Gliocladium sp. In three different doses of 10 g/polybag (G1),20 g/ polybag (G2), 30 g/ polybag (G3), and the giving of Pseudomonas fluorencens inthree different dosage of10 ml/l water/ polybag (PF1),20 ml/l water/polybag (PF2) and 30 ml/l water/polybag(PF3) and one control group of no treatment (K0).Based on the result of data analysis, it is proved that the treatment of natural agents of Gliocladiumsp and Pseudomonas fluorencenshas induced the plants resistance against the withering disease of FusariumOxysporumf.sp. Cubense in the banana, as it is indicated bythe increase of phenol compounds, i.e. glychoseda, saponin, and thanin. However, the treatment has no significant effect on the plant growth either on their leaves or their stalk diameter

Effect of Coconut Water in Reducing Fatigue among Workers in North Sumatera

Background: Coconut (Cocos nucifera L) is regular part of the diets of many people in the tropics and subtropics. Its sugar content and mineral composition ma¬kes it an ideal rehydrating and refreshing drink. Coconut water is believed to be useful in preventing and relieving many health problems, including dehy-dration, constipation, digestive problems, fatigue, heatstroke, diarrhea, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. This study aimed to examine the effect of coconut water in reducing fatigue among workers in North Sumatera. Subjects and Method: A quasi-experiment one group before and after design was carried out at Chips Factory, Tadukan Raga, Deli Serdang, North Sumatera. A sample of 20 workers was selected for this study. The dependent variable was fatigue. The independent variable was the consumption of 2 liter coconut water. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by paired t-test. Results: Fatigue decreased 46.01% after consumption of 2 liter coconut water and it was statistically significant. Conclusion: Coconut water consumption decreases fatigue among workers. Keywords: coconut water, fatigu

Pengembangan Durian Batu Busuak, Kelurahan Lambung Bukit, Kota Padang

Kampung Batu Busuk Kelurahan Lambung Bukit Kecamatan Pauh merupakan salah satu sentra produksi buah durian di Sumatera Barat.Walaupun nama durian Batu Busuk sudah terkenal dan banyak dicari oleh pencinta durian pada saat musim durian, namun belum ada upaya untuk mengangkat durian Batu Busuk untuk bisa dikenal lebih luas. Langkah awal untuk mengangkat nama durian Batu Busuk adalah membenahi identitas varietas durian Batu Busuk, karena sampai sekarang karakteristik dari durian Batu Busuk yang sesungguhnya tidak jelas.Tanaman yang sudah dikarakterisasi juga perlu diperbanyak agar kedepan, buah yang dihasilkan oleh kelurahan Batu Busuk adalah buah dengan karakter unggul tertentu. Masyarakat atau petani yang menanam durian juga perlu memiliki keahlian memperbanyak durian unggulnya. Penerapan ipteks yang dilakukan pada kegiatan pengabdian pada masyarakat ini menggunakan beberapa metode antara lain penyuluhan, demonstrasi aplikasi dan demplot pembibitan durian. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa kegiatan penyuluhan yang dilakukan berhasil meningkatkan pengetahuan masyarakat Batu Busuk mengenai arti penting pendaftaran varietas durian. Kegiatan demplot pembibitan durian dan demonstrasi teknik sambung meningkatkan pengetahuan dan keterampilan masyarakat mengenai propagasi durian

A hidden crisis: strengthening the evidence base on the current failure of rural groundwater supplies

New ambitious international goals for universal access to safe drinking water depend critically on the ability of development partners to accelerate and sustain access to groundwater. However, available evidence (albeit fragmented and methodologically unclear) indicates >30% of new groundwater-based supplies are non-functional within a few years of construction. Critically, in the absence of a significant systematic evidence base or analysis on supply failures, there is little opportunity to learn from past mistakes, to ensure more sustainable services can be developed in the future. This work presents a new and robust methodology for investigating the causes of non-functionality, developed by an interdisciplinary team as part of a UK-funded development research project. The approach was successfully piloted within a test study in NE Uganda, and forms a basis for future research to develop a statistically significant systematic evidence base to unravel the underlying causes of failur

SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women and their newborns

There remain a number of uncertainties globally about the risks posed to women who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. Furthermore, our understanding of the spread of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa is limited, owing to low testing rates in many parts of the continent. PeriCOVID Africa, in conjunction with the WHO/HRP Alliance, plans to address these knowledge gaps by harnessing research infrastructures in place in five sub-Saharan African countries in order to screen more than 50,000 pregnant women and their infants for SARS-CoV-2, while monitoring pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. We anticipate that the results of this study will provide much needed information about the risks that SARS-CoV-2 poses to pregnant women and their babies, as well as establishing potential routes of mother-to-child transmission

A hidden crisis: strengthening the evidence base on the current failures of rural groundwater supplies

New ambitious international goals for universal access to safe drinking water depend critically on the ability of development partners to accelerate and sustain access to groundwater. However, available evidence (albeit fragmented and methodologically unclear) indicates >30% of new groundwater-based supplies are non-functional within a few years of construction. Critically, in the absence of a significant systematic evidence base or analysis on supply failures, there is little opportunity to learn from past mistakes, to ensure more sustainable services can be developed in the future. This work presents a new and robust methodology for investigating the causes of non-functionality, developed by an interdisciplinary team as part of an UPGro catalyst grant. The approach was successfully piloted within a test study in NE Uganda, and forms a basis for future research to develop a statistically significant systematic evidence base to unravel the underlying causes of failure

Etiology and Antimicrobial Resistance of Culture-Positive Infections in Ugandan Infants: A Cohort Study of 7000 Neonates and Infants

Background: Epidemiological evidence about the etiology and antimicrobial resistance of neonatal infections remains limited in low-resource settings. We aimed to describe the etiology of neonatal infections in a prospective observational cohort study conducted at two hospital sites in Kampala, Uganda. Methods: Babies admitted to either unit with risk factors or signs of sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis had a blood culture, nasopharyngeal swab, and lumbar puncture (if indicated) collected. Basic demographics were collected, and babies were followed up until discharge or death to determine admission outcome. Blood cultures were processed using the BACTEC system and identification confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Cerebrospinal fluid was processed using standard microbiological testing and swabs were processed using the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of bacterial isolates to World Health Organization–recommended first-line antibiotics (ampicillin or benzylpenicillin and gentamicin) were assessed using e-tests. Results: A total of 7323 infants with signs or risk factors for sepsis had blood cultures, 2563 had nasopharyngeal swabs, and 23 had lumbar punctures collected. Eleven percent of blood cultures and 8.6% of swabs were positive. Inpatient mortality was 12.1%, with 27.7% case fatality observed among infants with Gram-negative bloodstream infections. Escherichia coli (14.8%), Acinetobacter spp. (10.3%), and Klebsiella spp. (7.6%), were notable contributors to Gram-negative sepsis, whereas Group B Streptococcus was the predominant Gram-positive pathogen identified (13.5%). Almost 60% of Gram-negative pathogens were ampicillin- and gentamicin-resistant. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates high levels of antimicrobial resistance and inpatient mortality from neonatal sepsis in the first months of life in Uganda. This underscores the pressing need for revised, context-specific antimicrobial treatment guidelines that account for the evolving landscape of antimicrobial resistance in neonatal sepsis

Maternal and Placental Antibody Responses in SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Natural Infection During Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: As COVID-19 becomes endemic, understanding antibody response and transfer during pregnancy is crucial to inform policy and vaccination schedules. While good immunogenicity has been shown from SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, few data are available demonstrating functional responses in pregnant populations and infants. METHODS: A prospective, multi-site observational study was completed across 14 centers in England from April 23, 2020, to December 21, 2022. Demographic, COVID infection and vaccination data were collected. Maternal and cord blood samples were taken at delivery, with maternal and neonatal blood samples taken at 6 weeks for participants who had been infected or vaccinated. Antibody concentrations were measured using antibody-dependent complement deposition, antibody-dependent neutrophil phagocytosis, ACE2 inhibition and Roche and EuroImmun antibody binding assays at the UK Health Security Agency. RESULTS: Maternal vaccination and infection both produced an antibody response in 100% of mothers and 93.8% and 92.9% of neonates, respectively, which persisted at 6 weeks in 95%. The strongest response was seen in mothers who were both vaccinated and infected. Anti-spike antibody response decreased almost 25-fold from first to third trimester vaccination (P=0.013). Placental transfer of antibodies post-infection showed varied results depending on the assay used, with higher transfer ratios observed in assays measuring Fc-mediated antibody effector functions and IgG-specific responses. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal vaccination is associated with good immunogenicity and successful antibody transfer to the neonate, particularly with vaccination in early pregnancy. Further study is needed to determine the mechanism by which the timing of vaccination affects antibody transfer. When measuring placental transfer of antibodies, consideration of the assay to use is essential