Pengaruh Partisipasi Penyusunan Anggaran dan Peran Kuasa Pengguna Anggaran terhadap Kinerja Pemerintah Daerah Kabupaten Kepulauan Talaud

This research aims to discover the effects of Participation in Budget Preparation and the Role of Authority of the Budget User on the Regional Government Performance. The research was conducted in the Talaud Regency, one of the Autonomy Regions in North Sulawesi. The samples were taken using purposive sampling. The research sample was the Authorized Officials of Budget Users in Satuan Kerja Perangkat Daerah Pemerintah Kabupaten Kepulauan Talaud which were as many as 103 people.The Multiple Linear Regression, descriptive statistics, classic assumption test, correlation coefficient ( R) , determination coefficient ( R² ) and hypothesis testing ( t test and F test ) were used to analyze the data. This method of analysis used the Software Statistical Products and Solution Services ( SPSS) version 20.0.The results of the research shows that the Participation in Budget Preparation and the Role of Authority of the Budget User on the Regional Government Performance both partially and simultaneously. Therefore, the hypotheses proposed in the research were accepted

Attitude and practices of household heads towards leishmaniases infections in marigat sub-county, Baringo County, Kenya

Objective: To assess the attitude and practices of household heads towards  leishmaniases in Marigat division.Design: A cross-sectional study.Setting: Marigat Sub-County, Baringo County, Kenya.Subjects: Four hundred and twenty two participants were enrolled into the study.Results: The belief that Kalaazar is more serious than malaria was reported to be (82.1%) by the household respondents. Majority (92.6%) of respondents reported that they will seek medical advice if they realize they are infected. The fear of death was the  major reason for seeking treatment (68.4%). There were various  leishmaniases preventive practices that were employed by the respondents’  households to prevent them from being infected with kalaazar. The preventive practices included use of bed nets which were being used by (88%) of respondents, spraying their houses with insecticides (16%), observing personal hygiene  (46%), practising proper waste disposal (34%), installed window mesh in the households (5%), use sterilised water (19%) and applying sand fly repellents (14%). The households using bed nets (χ2 =7.397, df = 1, P= 0.007), households spraying their houses with insecticides (χ2= 7.813, df = 1, P =0.005), households observing personal hygiene (χ2 = 10.144, df = 1, P =0.001), and households that were using sterilised water (χ2 = 7.151, df = 1, P =0.007) had significant partial effects to the occurrence of kalaazar disease.Conclusion: There was a strong evidence of association between the isolation of patients and occurrence of kalaazar disease (χ= 12.908, df =1, P<0.001). The study also showed that there was strong evidence of relationship on risk of contracting  leishmaniases in young boys (χ = 19.038, df = 1, P<0.001) followed by young girls (χ = 10.623, df = 1, P = 0.001). The isolation of patients with  leishmaniases infections, fear of death and the negative impacts of the disease are the major issues associated with leishmaniases. The use of bed nets and spraying houses with insecticides are among the preferred methods to prevent the sand fly bites

Peningkatan Kemampuan Menulis Surat Pribadi Melalui Metode Latihan Terbimbing Siswa Kelas V SD Inpres Tomoli Selatan

Masalah utama pada penelitian ini adalah rendahnya hasil belajar siswa kelas V SD Inpres Tomoli Selatan pada materi menulis surat pribadi. Ada beberapa hal yang menyebabkan permasalahan tersebut, di antaranya: 1) siswa kurang memahami konsep yang diajarkan dan 2) metode yang digunakan guru dalam melaksanakan pembelajaran membuat siswa kurang aktif. Untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa tersebut, maka peneliti menerapkan metode latihan terbimbing dalam mengajarkan materi menulis surat pribadi. Metode latihan terbimbing memungkinkan adanya peningkatan aktivitas siswa dalam kegiatan pembelajaran, sehingga pengajaran tidak lagi terpusat pada guru tetapi pada siswa. Rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah apakah dengan melalui metode latihan terbimbing dapat ditingkatkan kemampuan siswa kelas V SD Inpres Tomoli Selatan dalam menulis surat pribadi? Untuk menjawab permasalahan di atas, maka peneliti melakukan penelitian tindakan kelas dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif. Rancangan penelitian ini mengacu pada model Kemmis dan Mc Taggart yang terdiri dari empat komponen, yaitu 1) perencanaan, 2) pelaksanaan tindakan, 3) observasi dan 4) refleksi. Data yang dikumpulkan pada penelitian ini adalah berupa data aktivitas guru dan siswa selama proses pembelajaran yang diperoleh dengan menggunakan lembar observasi dan data hasil belajar siswa yang diperoleh dengan memberikan tes individu kepada siswa. Pada penelitian yang telah dilaksanakan, diperoleh hasil bahwa siswa kelas V SD Inpres Tomoli Selatan mengalami peningkatan daya serap klasikal mencapai 61,5% pada siklus I menjadi 86% pada siklus II. Peningkatan daya serap klasikal pada siklus II disebabkan karena peneliti lebih menekankan pada penguasaan konsep dalam menulis surat dengan menggunakan metode latihan terbimbing. Sementara pada siklus I, peneliti belum menekankan pada penguasaan konsep. Berdasarkan hasil tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahwa penerapan metode latihan terbimbing dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa

Genetic diversity assessment of farmers’ and improved potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars from Eritrea using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Sixty three potato clones (51 farmers’ and 12 varieties) from Eritrea, 18 and 12 varieties from Kenya and Rwanda, respectively were characterized using 12 highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The study was designed to assess the genetic diversity and varietal distinctness among the different samples. In total, 91 alleles ranging between 2 (STM1053) to 13 (STM0031) alleles per marker were scored. All but 97.8 SSR markers were highly polymorphic with an average PIC value of 0.87 (0.51 to 0.98). All of the 51 farmers’ cultivars were clearly distinct from each other. Samples from Eritrea showed the highest genetic diversity as explained by the diversity index (h). The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that the local farmers’ Eritrean samples are different from the Kenyan, Rwandese and even the imported varieties. Genetic distance analysis generated three clusters correlating with the PCoA findings. Cluster I consisted of 45 samples with 6 sub-clusters; Cluster II consisted of 29 samples with a majority (26) from Eritrea while cluster III consisted of 19 samples. Potato materials from Eritrea appeared to cluster separately from the other samples, which reflects a contribution from the Tuberosum germplasm prominent in temperate regions, unlike from the Andigenum germplasm for Kenyan and Rwandan potato materials. Most of the Eritrean samples in cluster I are farmers’ cultivars with intermediate maturity, good performance and better tuber quality characteristics. Cluster II contains mainly the imported variety from Eritrea characterized by late emergence and late maturity. The Kenyan and Rwandese were grouped mainly in Cluster III. In summary, the farmers’ cultivars are distinct from the Kenyan and Rwandese materials and represent more genetic diversity than the varieties imported into Eritrea. This finding is of interest to national breeding program to use the farmer’s materials as source of genetic variation for traits of interest.Keywords: Potato, simple sequence repeat (SSR), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), cluster analysis, Eritrea, multivariat

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy study of 4-ATP on gold nanoparticles for basal cell carcinoma fingerprint detection

The surface-enhanced Raman signals of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) attached to the surface of colloidal gold nanoparticles with size distribution of 2 to 5 nm were used as a labeling agent to detect basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin. The enhanced Raman band at 1075 cm-1 corresponding to the C-S stretching vibration in 4-ATP was observed during attachment to the surface of the gold nanoparticles. The frequency and intensity of this band did not change when the colloids were conjugated with BerEP4 antibody, which specifically binds to BCC. We show the feasibility of imaging BCC by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, scanning the 1075 cm-1 band to detect the distribution of 4ATP-coated gold nanoparticles attached to skin tissue ex vivo

Endoreplication Controls Cell Fate Maintenance

Cell-fate specification is typically thought to precede and determine cell-cycle regulation during differentiation. Here we show that endoreplication, also known as endoreduplication, a specialized cell-cycle variant often associated with cell differentiation but also frequently occurring in malignant cells, plays a role in maintaining cell fate. For our study we have used Arabidopsis trichomes as a model system and have manipulated endoreplication levels via mutants of cell-cycle regulators and overexpression of cell-cycle inhibitors under a trichome-specific promoter. Strikingly, a reduction of endoreplication resulted in reduced trichome numbers and caused trichomes to lose their identity. Live observations of young Arabidopsis leaves revealed that dedifferentiating trichomes re-entered mitosis and were re-integrated into the epidermal pavement-cell layer, acquiring the typical characteristics of the surrounding epidermal cells. Conversely, when we promoted endoreplication in glabrous patterning mutants, trichome fate could be restored, demonstrating that endoreplication is an important determinant of cell identity. Our data lead to a new model of cell-fate control and tissue integrity during development by revealing a cell-fate quality control system at the tissue level

Conserved CDC20 Cell Cycle Functions Are Carried out by Two of the Five Isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana

The CDC20 and Cdh1/CCS52 proteins are substrate determinants and activators of the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) E3 ubiquitin ligase and as such they control the mitotic cell cycle by targeting the degradation of various cell cycle regulators. In yeasts and animals the main CDC20 function is the destruction of securin and mitotic cyclins. Plants have multiple CDC20 gene copies whose functions have not been explored yet. In Arabidopsis thaliana there are five CDC20 isoforms and here we aimed at defining their contribution to cell cycle regulation, substrate selectivity and plant development.Studying the gene structure and phylogeny of plant CDC20s, the expression of the five AtCDC20 gene copies and their interactions with the APC/C subunit APC10, the CCS52 proteins, components of the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC) and mitotic cyclin substrates, conserved CDC20 functions could be assigned for AtCDC20.1 and AtCDC20.2. The other three intron-less genes were silent and specific for Arabidopsis. We show that AtCDC20.1 and AtCDC20.2 are components of the MCC and interact with mitotic cyclins with unexpected specificity. AtCDC20.1 and AtCDC20.2 are expressed in meristems, organ primordia and AtCDC20.1 also in pollen grains and developing seeds. Knocking down both genes simultaneously by RNAi resulted in severe delay in plant development and male sterility. In these lines, the meristem size was reduced while the cell size and ploidy levels were unaffected indicating that the lower cell number and likely slowdown of the cell cycle are the cause of reduced plant growth.The intron-containing CDC20 gene copies provide conserved and redundant functions for cell cycle progression in plants and are required for meristem maintenance, plant growth and male gametophyte formation. The Arabidopsis-specific intron-less genes are possibly "retrogenes" and have hitherto undefined functions or are pseudogenes

Baseline Morbidity in 2,990 Adult African Volunteers Recruited to Characterize Laboratory Reference Intervals for Future HIV Vaccine Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND: An understanding of the health of potential volunteers in Africa is essential for the safe and efficient conduct of clinical trials, particularly for trials of preventive technologies such as vaccines that enroll healthy individuals. Clinical safety laboratory values used for screening, enrolment and follow-up of African clinical trial volunteers have largely been based on values derived from industrialized countries in Europe and North America. This report describes baseline morbidity during recruitment for a multi-center, African laboratory reference intervals study. METHODS: Asymptomatic persons, aged 18-60 years, were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study at seven sites (Kigali, Rwanda; Masaka and Entebbe, Uganda; Kangemi, Kenyatta National Hospital and Kilifi, Kenya; and Lusaka, Zambia). Gender equivalency was by design. Individuals who were acutely ill, pregnant, menstruating, or had significant clinical findings were not enrolled. Each volunteer provided blood for hematology, immunology, and biochemistry parameters and urine for urinalysis. Enrolled volunteers were excluded if found to be positive for HIV, syphilis or Hepatitis B and C. Laboratory assays were conducted under Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Of the 2990 volunteers who were screened, 2387 (80%) were enrolled, and 2107 (71%) were included in the analysis (52% men, 48% women). Major reasons for screening out volunteers included abnormal findings on physical examination (228/603, 38%), significant medical history (76, 13%) and inability to complete the informed consent process (73, 13%). Once enrolled, principle reasons for exclusion from analysis included detection of Hepatitis B surface antigen (106/280, 38%) and antibodies against Hepatitis C (95, 34%). This is the first large scale, multi-site study conducted to the standards of GCLP to describe African laboratory reference intervals applicable to potential volunteers in clinical trials. Approximately one-third of all potential volunteers screened were not eligible for analysis; the majority were excluded for medical reasons

A Mitosis Block Links Active Cell Cycle with Human Epidermal Differentiation and Results in Endoreplication

How human self-renewal tissues co-ordinate proliferation with differentiation is unclear. Human epidermis undergoes continuous cell growth and differentiation and is permanently exposed to mutagenic hazard. Keratinocytes are thought to arrest cell growth and cell cycle prior to terminal differentiation. However, a growing body of evidence does not satisfy this model. For instance, it does not explain how skin maintains tissue structure in hyperproliferative benign lesions. We have developed and applied novel cell cycle techniques to human skin in situ and determined the dynamics of key cell cycle regulators of DNA replication or mitosis, such as cyclins E, A and B, or members of the anaphase promoting complex pathway: cdc14A, Ndc80/Hec1 and Aurora kinase B. The results show that actively cycling keratinocytes initiate terminal differentiation, arrest in mitosis, continue DNA replication in a special G2/M state, and become polyploid by mitotic slippage. They unambiguously demonstrate that cell cycle progression coexists with terminal differentiation, thus explaining how differentiating cells increase in size. Epidermal differentiating cells arrest in mitosis and a genotoxic-induced mitosis block rapidly pushes epidermal basal cells into differentiation and polyploidy. These observations unravel a novel mitosis-differentiation link that provides new insight into skin homeostasis and cancer. It might constitute a self-defence mechanism against oncogenic alterations such as Myc deregulation