Pengaruh Berat Molekul Kitosan terhadap Sifat Fisis Kertas Daur Ulang

Pada penelitian ini, dilakukan proses pembuatan kertas dari campuran kertas daur ulang dan serat jerami padi yang telah mengalami proses penghilangan lignin, dengan rasio perbandingan 9:1. Biopolimer kitosan ditambahkan ke dalam formulasi untuk meningkatkan mutu kertas daur ulang yang ditinjau dari sifat fisisnya. Untuk mendapatkan kitosan dengan berbagai berat molekul (Mv = 3,52.105- 2,55.10) dilakukan proses hidrolisis kimia dengan larutan HCl pada berbagai variasi konsentrasi dan waktu hidrolisis. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mempelajari pengaruh berat molekul dan konsentrasi kitosan yang ditambahkan terhadap sifat fisis kertas ditinjau dari kekuatan tarik dan daya serap terhadap air. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kitosan dengan berat molekul rendah dapat meningkatkan kekuatan tarik dan menurunkan daya serap air kertas daur ulang. Kekuatan tarik maksimum dan daya serap air minimum dicapai dengan penambahan kitosan pada berat molekul (Mv = 4,95.10) dan konsentrasi 8% bera

RNA interference knockdown of BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 in maize reveals novel functions for brassinosteroid signaling in controlling plant architecture

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant hormones involved in various growth and developmental processes. The BR signaling system is well established in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) but poorly understood in maize (Zea mays). BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) is a BR receptor, and database searches and additional genomic sequencing identified five maize homologs including duplicate copies of BRI1 itself. RNA interference (RNAi) using the extracellular coding region of a maize zmbril complementary DNA knocked down the expression of all five homologs. Decreased response to exogenously applied brassinolide and altered BR marker gene expression demonstrate that zmbriI-RNAi transgenic lines have compromised BR signaling. zmbriI-RNAi plants showed dwarf stature due to shortened internodes, with upper internodes most strongly affected. Leaves of zmbriI-RNAi plants are dark green, upright, and twisted, with decreased auricle formation. Kinematic analysis showed that decreased cell division and cell elongation both contributed to the shortened leaves. A BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ETHYL METHANESULFONATE-SUPPRESSOR1-yellow fluorescent protein (BES1-YFP) transgenic line was developed that showed BR-inducible BES1-YFP accumulation in the nucleus, which was decreased in zmbriI-RNAi. Expression of the BES1-YFP reporter was strong in the auricle region of developing leaves, suggesting that localized BR signaling is involved in promoting auricle development, consistent with the zmbriI-RNAi phenotype. The blade-sheath boundary disruption, shorter ligule, and disrupted auricle morphology of RNAi lines resemble KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX) mutants, consistent with a mechanistic connection between KNOX genes and BR signaling

Hgt1p, a high affinity glutathione transporter from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A high affinity glutathione transporter has been identified, cloned, and characterized from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This transporter, Hgt1p, represents the first high affinity glutathione transporter to be described from any system so far. The strategy for the identification involved investigating candidate glutathione transporters from the yeast genome sequence project followed by genetic and physiological investigations. This approach revealed HGT1 (open reading frame YJL212c) as encoding a high affinity glutathione transporter. Yeast strains deleted in HGT1 did not show any detectable plasma membrane glutathione transport, and hgt1Δ disruptants were non-viable in a glutathione biosynthetic mutant (gsh1Δ) background. The glutathione repressible transport activity observed in wild type cells was also absent in the hgt1Δ strains. The transporter was cloned and kinetic studies indicated that Hgt1p had a high affinity for glutathione (Km = 54 μM)) and was not sensitive to competition by amino acids, dipeptides, or other tripeptides. Significant inhibition was observed, however, with oxidized glutathione and glutathione conjugates. The transporter reveals a novel class of transporters that has homologues in other yeasts and plants but with no apparent homologues in either Escherichia coli or in higher eukaryotes other than plants

Relationships among Members of the Genus Myxobolus (Myxozoa: Bilvalvidae) Based on Small Subunit Ribosomal DNA Sequences

Sequences representing similar to 1,700 base pairs of the 18S rRNA gene from 10 different species in the genus Myxobulus were found to group them into 3 clusters that showed little correlation with spore morphology and size or host specificity, criteria currently used for both higher and lower taxonomic placements in the Myxozoa. Of the phenotypic criteria examined, tissue tropism was most correlated with the rRNA groupings observed. Spores of similar size and shape (Myxobolus cerebralis vs. Myxobolus squamalis) were distantly related in some instances, whereas spores with divergent morphology and size were some times found to be closely related (M. cerebralis and Myxobolus insidiosus). These initial investigations into the phylogenetic relationships of putative members of the genus Myxobolus clearly indicate the potential limitations of groupings based on size and morphological properties of the spores and host species infected. We propose that 18S rRNA gene sequences, combined with information on tissue tropism, host species infected, and developmental cycles in the fish and alternate host (when and if known) be given greater consideration in taxonomic placements of myxosporeans

Approach for Diagnostic and Treatment of Achalasia

Achalasia is a rare motor disorder of the esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter. The incidence is approximately 1/100,000 per year and the prevalence rate is 10/100,000. Achalasia is quite difficult to establishbecause the symptoms might be insidious and therefore not many people come to seek medical attention until it deteriorates to final stage of the disease. There are several modalities that can be used as diagnostic toolssuch as manometry, barium esophagogram, esophagoduodenoscopy, esophageal CT-scan, until the recent one, high-resolution manometry that can classify achalasia into three different types. The treatment options are the pharmacologic intervention, endoscopic treatment, minimal invasive surgery, and radical surgery.We reported a case of 20 year old female with achalasia who came with dysphagia symptom since three years before. The diagnosis was made by historytaking, physical examination and barium meal and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The patient underwent pneumatic dilatation and since then the symptom was relieved

Examining the cross-cultural validity of the positive affect and negative affect schedule between an Asian (Singaporean) sample and a Western (American) sample

The positive affect and negative affect schedule (PANAS ) is a popular measure of positive (PA ) and negative affectivity (NA ). Developed and validated in Western contexts, the 20‐item scale has been frequently administered on respondents from Asian countries with the assumption of cross‐cultural measurement invariance. We examine this assumption via a rigorous multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, which allows us to assess between‐group differences in both strength of scale item‐to‐latent factor relationship (metric invariance test) and mean of each scale item (scalar invariance test), on a large sample of 1,065 respondents recruited from Singapore (Asian sample) and the United States (Western sample). We found that two items assessing PA ("excited" and "proud") and three items assessing NA ("guilty," "hostile," and "ashamed") exhibited metric noninvariance whereas 11 of the remaining metric invariant items exhibited scalar noninvariance, suggesting that the PA and NA constructs differ from what the PANAS is expected to measure for Asian respondents. Our findings serve as a cautionary note to researchers who intend to administer the PANAS in future studies as well as to researchers interpreting the results of past studies involving respondents from Asian countries

The discovery and comparative expression analysis of three distinct type I interferons in the perciform fish, meagre (Argyrosomus regius)

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration (KBBE-2013-07 single stage, GA 603121, DIVERSIFY.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprin

Nosocomial Clostridium Difficile Diarrhea in Patient with Malignancy

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is the main pathogen causing antibiotics associated diarrhea and colitis. This bacterium increases with hospitalization with incidence of 20-60 cases per 100,000 patients/day. C. difficile is gram positive bacilli which produce toxins in 2,700 cases in every 100,000 exposures to particular antibiotics, such as clindamycin, cephalosporin, and ampicillin. These antibiotics disrupt the intestinal normal flora and predispose to colonization of C. difficile. This case described a 53-year old male patient with squamous cell carcinoma in his left ear who came to Department of Internal Medicine, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, with the complain of diarrhea since two weeks after one month hospitalization in Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat. The characteristics of the diarrhea were 10 times per day ± 100 mL, watery consistency, green yellowish in color, and no blood in the feces. Additionally, the patient also complained of pain in all parts of his stomach, especially in the epigastric area. Earlier, patient was given ceftazidime for 30 days of hospitalization. The serology examination of C. difficile in the feces showed positive result (titer = 0.790 and control = 0.190). During the colonoscopy examination, pancolitis was found and the pathologic anatomy result was found appropriate for infective colitis. Thereafter, antibiotic administration was ceased and metronidazole was administered intravenously three times a day. The diarrhea stopped after seven days and the patient was discharged