118 research outputs found
Survey Dan Pemetaan Status Hara-P Di Kecamatan Kabanjahe Kabupaten Karo
The research of survey and mapping nutriens status of P2O5 at Kabanjahe sub-district, regensi Karo, aims to determine the spread of the availability of P2O5 in agricultural areas for plants. The survey was conducted using a free grid survey methode with with density 6.25 ha each of the grid and analysis of P2O5 content of 25% HCl extract. Analysis of the levels of P2O5 done in the laboratory of Research and Technology of the North Sumatra University, Medan. The results showed that the P2O5 classified into 5 criteria such as; very low 18.74 ha, 10 ha Low, Medium 70 ha, 140 ha of high and very high 343.75 ha. From the results obtained by laboratory analysis of soil samples with the highest P2O5 content is 2,376 % and lowest content is 0,016 %
Aplikasi Pupuk Sp-36 Dan Pupuk Kandang Ayamterhadap Ketersediaan Dan Serapan Fosfor Serta Pertumbuhan Tanaman Jagung Pada Ultisol Kwala Bekala
The objective of this study about the application of SP - 36 fertilizer and chicken manure onphosphorus availability and uptake and growth of maize on Ultisols taken from Kwala Bekala. Theresearch was conducted in the screen house and Chemical and Soil Fertility Laboratory , Faculty ofAgriculture , University of North Sumatra . This study used randomized block designed whichconsist of 2 factors and 3 replications . The first factor is SP - 36 which consists of 4 levels : 1 . P0 (0 ) , 2 . P1 ( 50 ) , P2 ( 100 ) , P3 ( 150 ) and the second factor is chicken manure : 1 . A0 ( 0 ), 2 . A1( 25 ) , 3 . A2 ( 50 ) , 4 . A3 ( 75 ) . The results showed SP - 36 fertilizer application indicatedsignifican increased soil pH , P-plant uptake , plant height, dry weight and dry root plant, decreasedAl -exchangeable. Application of chicken manure significantly increased soil pH , soil C-organic, P- available soil , P-plant uptake , plant height , dry weight and dry root plant, and decreased Al -exchangeable . Interaction of SP - 36 fertilizer application and chicken manure significantlyincreased the root dry plant
Epidemiology of recreational exposure to freshwater cyanobacteria – an international prospective cohort study
BACKGROUND: Case studies and anecdotal reports have documented a range of acute illnesses associated with exposure to cyanobacteria and their toxins in recreational waters. The epidemiological data to date are limited; we sought to improve on the design of some previously conducted studies in order to facilitate revision and refinement of guidelines for exposure to cyanobacteria in recreational waters. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the incidence of acute symptoms in individuals exposed, through recreational activities, to low (cell surface area <2.4 mm(2)/mL), medium (2.4–12.0 mm(2)/mL) and high (>12.0 mm(2)/mL) levels of cyanobacteria in lakes and rivers in southeast Queensland, the central coast area of New South Wales, and northeast and central Florida. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed; models adjusted for region, age, smoking, prior history of asthma, hay fever or skin disease (eczema or dermatitis) and clustering by household. RESULTS: Of individuals approached, 3,595 met the eligibility criteria, 3,193 (89%) agreed to participate and 1,331 (37%) completed both the questionnaire and follow-up interview. Respiratory symptoms were 2.1 (95%CI: 1.1–4.0) times more likely to be reported by subjects exposed to high levels of cyanobacteria than by those exposed to low levels. Similarly, when grouping all reported symptoms, individuals exposed to high levels of cyanobacteria were 1.7 (95%CI: 1.0–2.8) times more likely to report symptoms than their low-level cyanobacteria-exposed counterparts. CONCLUSION: A significant increase in reporting of minor self-limiting symptoms, particularly respiratory symptoms, was associated with exposure to higher levels of cyanobacteria of mixed genera. We suggest that exposure to cyanobacteria based on total cell surface area above 12 mm(2)/mL could result in increased incidence of symptoms. The potential for severe, life-threatening cyanobacteria-related illness is likely to be greater in recreational waters that have significant levels of cyanobacterial toxins, so future epidemiological investigations should be directed towards recreational exposure to cyanotoxins
Comparing faceted and smoothed tool surface descriptions in sheet metal forming simulation
This study deals with different tool surface description
methods used in the finite element analysis of sheet metal
forming processes. The description of arbitrarily-shaped tool
surfaces using the traditional linear finite elements is compared
with two distinct smooth surface description approaches:
(i) Bézier patches obtained from the ComputerAided
Design model and (ii) smoothing the finite element
mesh using Nagata patches. The contact search algorithm is
presented for each approach, exploiting its special features in
order to ensure an accurate and efficient contact detection. The
influence of the tool modelling accuracy on the numerical
results is analysed using two sheet forming examples, the
unconstrained cylindrical bending and the reverse deep drawing
of a cylindrical cup. Smoothing the contact surfaces with
Nagata patches allows creating more accurate tool models,
both in terms of shape and normal vectors, when compared
with the conventional linear finite element mesh. The computational
efficiency is evaluated in this study through the total
number of increments and the required CPU time. The mesh
refinement in the faceted description approach is not effective
in terms of computational efficiency due to large discontinuities
in the normal vector field across facets, even when
adopting fine meshes.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial
support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)
via the projects PTDC/EME-TME/118420/2010 and PEst-C/EME/
UI0285/2013 and by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE –
Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade, under the project
CENTRO-07-0224-FEDER-002001 (MT4MOBI). The first author is
also grateful to the FCT for the PhD grant SFRH/BD/69140/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Bioactivity of Benthic and Picoplanktonic Estuarine Cyanobacteria on Growth of Photoautotrophs: Inhibition versus Stimulation
Understanding potential biochemical interactions and effects among cyanobacteria and other organisms is one of the main keys to a better knowledge of microbial population structuring and dynamics. In this study, the effects of cyanobacteria from benthos and plankton of estuaries on other cyanobacteria and green algae growth were evaluated. To understand how the estuarine cyanobacteria might influence the dynamics of phytoplankton, experiments were carried out with the freshwater species Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlorella sp., and the marine Synechocystis salina and Nannochloropsis sp. exposed to aqueous and organic (70% methanol) crude extracts of cyanobacteria for 96 h. The most pronounced effect observed was the growth stimulation. Growth inhibition was also observed for S. salina and M. aeruginosa target-species at the highest and lowest concentrations of cyanobacterial extracts. The methanolic crude extract of Phormidium cf. chalybeum LEGE06078 was effective against S. salina growth in a concentration-dependent manner after 96 h-exposure. All of the cyanobacterial isolates showed some bioactivity on the target-species growth, i.e., inhibitory or stimulating effects. These results indicate that the analyzed cyanobacterial isolates can potentially contribute to blooms’ proliferation of other cyanobacteria and to the abnormal growth of green algae disturbing the dynamic of estuarine phytoplankton communities. Since estuaries are transitional ecosystems, the benthic and picoplanktonic estuarine cyanobacteria can change both freshwater and marine phytoplankton succession, competition and bloom formation. Furthermore, a potential biotechnological application of these isolates as a tool to control cyanobacteria and microalgae proliferation can be feasible. This work is the first on the subject of growth responses of photoautotrophs to cyanobacteria from Atlantic estuarine environments
Injectable gellan gum-based nanoparticles-loaded system for the local delivery of vancomycin in osteomyelitis treatment
Infection spreading in the skeletal system
leading to osteomyelitis can be prevented by the prolonged
administration of antibiotics in high doses. However systemic
antibiotherapy, besides its inconvenience and often
low efficacy, provokes numerous side effects. Thus, we
formulated a new injectable nanoparticle-loaded system for
the local delivery of vancomycin (Vanc) applied in a
minimally-invasive way. Vanc was encapsulated in poly(Llactide-
co-glycolide) nanoparticles (NPs) by double-emulsification.
The size (258 ± 11 nm), polydispersity index
(0.240 ± 0.003) and surface potential (-25.9 ± 0.2 mV)
of NPs were determined by dynamic light scattering and
capillary electrophoresis measurements. They have a
spherical morphology and a smooth topography as
observed using atomic force microscopy. Vanc loading and
encapsulation efficiencies were 8.8 ± 0.1 and
55.2 ± 0.5 %, respectively, based on fluorescence spectroscopy
assays. In order to ensure injectability, NPs were
suspended in gellan gum and cross-linked with ; also a
portion of dissolved antibiotic was added to the system.
The resulting system was found to be injectable (extrusion
force 11.3 ± 1.1 N), reassembled its structure after
breaking as shown by rheology tests and ensured required
burst release followed by sustained Vanc delivery. The
system was cytocompatible with osteoblast-like MG-63
cells (no significant impact on cells’ viability was detected). Growth of Staphylococcus spp. reference strains
and also those isolated from osteomyelitic joints was
inhibited in contact with the injectable system. As a result
we obtained a biocompatible system displaying ease of
application (low extrusion force), self-healing ability after
disruption, adjustable drug release and antimicrobial
properties
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