ENSO and IOD teleconnections for African ecosystems: evidence of destructive interference between climate oscillations

Rainfall and vegetation across Africa are known to resonate with the coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomena of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). However, the regional-scale implications of sea surface temperature variability for Africa's photosyntheis have received little focused attention, particularly in the case of IOD. Furthermore, studies exploring the interactive effects of ENSO and IOD when coincident are lacking. This analysis uses remotely sensed vegetation change plus a land surface model driven with observed meteorology to investigate how rainfall, vegetation, and photosynthesis across Africa respond to these climate oscillations. In addition to the relatively well-known ENSO forcing, the IOD induces large departures of photosynthesis across much of Africa associated with anomalies in rainfall and vegetation greenness. More importantly, sizeable independent effects can be suppressed or even reversed by destructive interferences during periods of simultaneous ENSO and IOD activity. For example, effects of positive IOD on southeastern Africa tended to dominate those of El Niño during their coincidence spanning 1997–1998, with sign reversal of El Niño's typically strong suppression of photosynthesis in this region. These findings call into question past analyses examining teleconnections to ENSO or IOD in isolation, and indicate the need to consider their simultaneous states when examining influences on hydroclimatic and ecological conditions across Africa

Persepsi dan Tingkat Kepuasan Taruna terhadap Pelayanan Perpustakaan (Studi Kasus di STP Jurusan Penyuluhan Perikanan Bogor)

Dalam pemanfaatan pelayanan Perpustakaan diperoleh data bahwa taruna berkunjung ke perpustakaan kurang dari rata-rata 2 kali dalam sebulan sebanyak 27,8%, berkunjung sebanyak 3 sampai 4 kali per bulan sebanyak 45,8% dan yang berkunjung lebih dari 5 kali sebanyak 26,4%. Hasil analisis tingkat Indek Kepuasan Taruna (IKP) terhadap 14 unsur pelayanan di unit Perpustakaan. Hasil analisis terhadap 14 unsur pelayanan perpustakaan terhadap taruna sebagai pengguna bahwa hanya satu unsur yang meperoleh indek kepuasaan dengan katagori sangat baik, 2 unsur pelayanan indek kepuasasan dengan katagori kurang baik, dan 11 unsur indek kepusan pada katagori baik. Untuk mengetahui mutu pelayanan dan kinerja unit perpustakaan maka dilakukan analisis dengan rumus Un x 0,0071 dalam hal ini Un adalah nilai rata-rata per unsur pelayanan, dan 0,071 adalah nilai bobot rata-rata tertimbang. Hasil analisis memperlihatkan bahwa nilai kepuasan tertinggi diperoleh pada unsur 5 (U5) yaitu tanggung jawab petugas pelayanan, sedangkan nilai kepuasan pelayanan yang paling rendah pada unsur 10 (U10) yaitu kelengkapan buku yang dibutuhkan

Effect of Nursing Job on Fertility Potential of Nurses in Babylon Province

Objective: The aim of the study: To study the effect of nursing job on nurses fertility potential. Back ground: Fertility potential refers to the ability of couples to reproduce and depends on both female and male partners. Human Fertility Potential is a very sensitive process which can be influenced by many factors such as jobs opportunities.  Fertility potential can be measured by ovarian reserve markers. Methods: This is a case control study conducted in Hilla Teaching hospital and Babylon teaching hospital for maternity and pediatric; form: May 2015 - November 2015.  Fifty women were included in this study working as nurses in gynecological and obstetric department (Number =50) and eighty-one women as a control group (Number = 81). Assessment of effect of nursing job was done by standard questionnaire and basal Hormonal levels (follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol hormone, prolactin hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone) were determine women by using (mini VIDAS) method. Result: There is a significant difference in the residence, educational level, menstrual cycle regularity between nurses and control group (p<0.05). Significant differences (p<0.05) were identified in cycle day two serum level of Estradiol and Prolactin hormones, between the nurses group and control group . Conclusion: Nurses working in gynecological and obstetric wards are liable for the effects of shift work which may disturb circadian rhythm and may cause cycle irregularities and alter endocrine function and possibly the regulation of reproductive hormones and fertility. Key words: Fertility potential, follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol hormone, prolactin hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, nursing job

Potensi Hayati Serat Purun Tikus (Eleocharis Dulcis) Dalam Proses Adsorpsi Kandungan Logam Berat Merkuri (Hg), Tss Dan Cod Pada Limbah Cair Pertambangan Emas

- Activity of gold mining in Kalimantan potentially can give waste that include into “Bahan Beracun Berbahaya (B3)” such as mercury. An effort to make out this contamination is adsorption method. Eleocharis dulcis contain high amount of cellulose, about 40,92% so it can be used as an adsorbent. The purpose of this research are studying the capability of eleocharis dulcis as a natural adsorbent, studying the process of biocomposite making from eleocharis dulcis with iron oxide nanoparticle, and studying the influent of result iron oxide nanoparticle added to biocomposite in order to make a lower amount of heavy metal mercury (Hg), Total Suspended Solid (TSS) dan Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in waste water of gold mining. Eleocharis dulcis (PT) through delignification process use 1% NaOH solution and then the PT-D is made to become biocomposite with iron oxide nanoparticle apply “one-pot solvothermal reaction” method. The biocomposite have two variation: without amina cluster added (PT-M) and with amina cluster added (PT-MA). It's characterization are consist of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Adsorption process is applied for 8 hours with mixing rate is 150 rpm. Analysis after adsorption process including three methods: AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer) method for Hg analysis, titrimetric method for COD, and gravimetric method for TSS. The result of adsorption process for mercury (Hg), COD, and TSS are optimally at pH 7 which the value of their effectiveness are 65,04%, 80%, and 81,25%. The maximum amount of Hg adsorption capacity for PT-D, PT-M, and PT-MA respectively are 6,504 mg/g, 6,984 mg/g, and 6,911 mg/g. The addition of iron oxide nanoparticle can increase adsorben capability of eleocharis dulcis

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) : wet season campaigns

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) involved two wet season and one dry season field campaigns. This paper reports on the wet season campaigns. The first was conducted at five sites along the Kalahari Transect in Zambia (Kataba Forest) and Botswana (Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River Crossing, Tshane) during February 2000 and concentrated primarily on characterizing the land surface with respect to exchanges of matter and energy with the atmosphere. The second, conducted in February 2001, focused on fluxes of water, gases and energy between the canopy and the atmosphere at Maun, Botswana, and at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Eddy covariance measurements at Skukuza and Maun were designed to collect a near-continuous record of the seasonality and inter-annual variability in savanna carbon, water and energy exchanges in representative savanna ecosystems. This paper gives brief descriptions of the sites, the measurements made, and the methods used. It highlights some preliminary results, particularly from the first campaign, and outlines the next stages of the SAFARI 2000 projec

Neutronics, steady-state, and transient analyses for the Poland MARIA reactor for irradiation testing of LEU lead test fuel assemblies from CERCA : ANL independent verification results.

The MARIA reactor at the Institute of Atomic Energy (IAE) in Swierk (30 km SE of Warsaw) in the Republic of Poland is considering conversion from high-enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel assemblies (FA). The FA design in MARIA is rather unique; a suitable LEU FA has never been designed or tested. IAE has contracted with CERCA (the fuel supply portion of AREVA in France) to supply 2 lead test assemblies (LTA). The LTAs will be irradiated in MARIA to burnup level of at least 40% for both LTAs and to 60% for one LTA. IAE may decide to purchase additional LEU FAs for a full core conversion after the test irradiation. The Reactor Safety Committee within IAE and the National Atomic Energy Agency in Poland (PAA) must approve the LTA irradiation process. The approval will be based, in part, on IAE submitting revisions to portions of the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) which are affected by the insertion of the LTAs. (A similar process will be required for the full core conversion to LEU fuel.) The analysis required was established during working meetings between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and IAE staff during August 2006, subsequent email correspondence, and subsequent staff visits. The analysis needs to consider the current high-enriched uranium (HEU) core and 4 core configurations containing 1 and 2 LEU LTAs in various core positions. Calculations have been performed at ANL in support of the LTA irradiation. These calculations are summarized in this report and include criticality, burn-up, neutronics parameters, steady-state thermal hydraulics, and postulated transients. These calculations have been performed at the request of the IAE staff, who are performing similar calculations to be used in their SAR amendment submittal to the PAA. The ANL analysis has been performed independently from that being performed by IAE and should only be used as one step in the verification process

Bioremediation Ability of the Local Isolate Enterobacter cloacae from Disposal Site

Illegal dumping is a serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately to preserve human health and the environment as if the pollution that arises from it reaches the groundwater, complications of the remediation processes will increase. To decontaminate the organic and inorganic components, bioremediation seems to be the most environmentally friendly and economically viable technique without further treatment as reported by many studies. In this investigation, samples were taken from the soil of the main dumping area in Koysinjaq in Kurdistan Region of Iraq to determine the most potent bacteria to remediate the existed pollutants. The existence of non-essential minerals and organic compounds in the soil sample was detected using X-ray fluorescence device, and ethane and 1,2-dichloroethane solvents separating technique, respectively. Then, from the same samples, three different naturally occurring bacteria were isolated and cultured under optimized conditions then stimulated for a good result. Finally, spectrophotometer was set at wavelength of 600 nm and used to detect the heaviest growth of bacteria after incubating the cultured bacteria on a mineral salt broth medium with the extracted pollutants at pH 7.0 overnight at 32°C. Based on the highest absorbance, the most effective type of bacteria (Enterobacter cloacae) was chosen among others to remediate the organic components in which approximately 90% of them are plastics, medical waste, municipal waste, electrical items, and hydrocarbons, and some heavy metals, for instance aluminum and lead, which were found in the soil

Olmesartan modulates proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression and improves dextran sulfate - induced ulcerative colitis in rats

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by sudden attacks of remissions and exacerbations with increased incidence of cancer colon. The present study aims to determine the possible ameliorative mechanisms of Olmesartan in UC induced experimentally in rat.Methods: Adult albino rats were randomly grouped into control, UC model non treated group: Rats received dextran sodium (DSS) orally for 21 days with intra-colic administration of acetic acid (AA) for 3 consecutive days for induction of UC model, Olmesartan (1, 5, 10mg/kg/orally) and UC + Olmesartan in different doses (1 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg/kg/day orally).Results: DSS orally and AA intra-rectal produced sever colitis manifested by significant weight loss, watery and bloody diarrhea. Significant increase in serum and colonic tissue levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukine-1β. Pro-apoptotic Bax protein, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and expression of PCNA significantly increased in colonic tissue. Lipid peroxidation (MDA) significantly elevated while reduced glutathione (GSH) was depleted in UC non-treated group compared with normal control group. Treatment with Olmesartan (5 mg, 10 mg/kg/day, orally) ameliorated mucosal ulceration and improved inflammatory signs as confirmed by immunohistochemical and histopathological examination. Also, Olmesartan significantly attenuates overexpression of PCNA in colonic mucosa.Conclusions: Our results point out that Olmesartan had ameliorative effects on UC by its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects and attenuates PCNA expression which is the main cause of dysplasia and colorectal cancer. Olmesartan may be a promising therapeutic drug for treating UC and protection of colorectal carcinoma.