Hypertension and Cognitive Decline in Male Elderly

There is a high prevalence of hypertension in elderly. Patients with long duration hypertension will suffer from vascular structure damage including brain vessel. Chronic disturbance in brain vascularization will lead to cognitive decline. This research aimed to assess the association between hypertension and cognitive decline in elderly. Sixty male elderly (60-75 years old) from posyandu lansia in Surakarta were involved in this research. They were divided into 2 groups, hypertensive and normotensive, each group consisted of 30 subjects. Subjects with a history of head injury, intracranial tumor, and cerebrovascular disease were excluded from this study. Hypertension status was obtained from the medical record. Hypertension level was based on Joint National Committee VII (JNC VII). Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-INA). The mean age was 65.73±4.07 years old in the hypertensive group and 65.17±3.16 years old in normotensive group. There were significant differences in total MoCA-INA scores between hypertensive and normotensive (22±4.28 versus 24±5.56, p<0.01). Hypertension level had a negative correlation with total MoCA-INA score (r = - 0.318, p<0.01). We conclude that cognitive function in elderly with hypertension is lower than normotensive. Hypertension level has a strong correlation with cognitive decline in elderly

Penerapan Strategi Pembelajaran Active Knowledge Sharing Disertai Media Video untuk Meningkatkan Keaktifan Belajar Biologi Siswa Kelas Vii-e SMP Negeri 16 Surakarta Tahun Pelajaran 2010/2011

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan keaktifan belajar biologi siswa kelas VII-E SMP Negeri 16 Surakarta tahun pelajaran 2010/2011 melalui penerapan strategi pembelajaran Active Knowledge Sharing disertai media video.Penelitian ini merupakan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (Classroom Action Research). Penelitian mengacu pada model spiral dimana penelitian dilakukan dalam beberapa siklus untuk mencapai target yang sudah ditetapkan. Setiap siklus terdiri dari perencanaan, tindakan, observasi, refleksi. Subjek penelitian adalah siswa kelas VII-E SMP Negeri 16 Surakarta tahun pelajaran 2010/2011. Sumber data diperoleh dari guru dan siswa, tempat dan peristiwa berlangsungnya pembelajaran dan dokumentasi atau arsip. Teknik pengumpulan data dengan observasi, angket dan wawancara. Pemeriksaan validitas data dengan menggunakan teknik triangulasi metode dan teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah deskripsif kualitatif.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan persentase keaktifan belajar biologi siswa pada masing-masing aspek yang terdiri atas visual activities, oral activities, listening activities, writing activities, drawing activities, motor activities, mental activities, emotional activities. Rata-rata persentase setiap aspek keaktifan belajar biologi siswa pra siklus sebesar 47,5% sedangkan dilihat dari setiap indikator rata-rata persentase sebesar 56,38%. Setelah diberikan tindakan pada siklus I rata-rata persentase tiap aspek sebesar 69,01% dan rata rata setiap indikator sebesar 69,96%, seluruh aspek keaktifan belajar biologi siswa mengalami perbaikan, kenaikan persentase terdapat pada aspek oral activities. Refleksi pada siklus I menunjukkan beberapa siswa masih bekerja secara individual daripada berdiskusi dan bertukar pengetahuan dengan kelompoknya sehingga diskusi tidak berjalan dengan baik, sehingga diperlukan revisi tindakan pada siklus II. Rata-rata persentase aspek keaktifan belajar biologi siswa pada siklus II sebesar 82,11% sedangkan dilihat dari capaian rata rata indikator sebesar 82,81%, seluruh aspek mengalami perbaikan sesuai target. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah penerapan strategi Active Knowledge Sharing disertai media video dapat meningkatkan keaktifan belajar biologi siswa kelas VII-E SMP Negeri 16 Surakarta tahun pelajaran 2010/2011

Kualitas Spermatozoa Semen Beku Sapi Simental Dengan Suhu Dan Lama Thawing Yang Berbeda

This study aims to investigate the quality of Simental frozen semen based on the temperatures and duration of thawing. The materials used in this study were frozen semen of Simental cattle. The study used a laboratory experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial with 6 treatments and 10 replications. The thawing temperatures were 37°C and 25°C and the durations of thawing were 7 seconds, 15 seconds and 30 seconds. The variables observed in this study were the motility, viability and abnormality of Simental frozen semen. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The difference in advanced test was done by using the smallest Real Difference Test. The results showed that the temperature and duration of thawing and the interaction of temperature and duration of thawing provide a highly significant difference (P <0.01) on motility, viability and abnormality of Simental frozen semen. The highest motility (45,5%) and viability (75,65%) were found on 37°C and during 30 seconds of thawing, and the lowest abnormality was 4,71%. This study concludes that the optimal thawing temperature and the lenght of thawing for Simental frozen semen is 37°C and 30 seconds respectively

Embryo Development of Tree Frog Polypedates Leucomystax at Campus of State University of Malang

Tree frogs live in natural places which are unpolluted. Regarding their role as an ecological indicator, the decrease of frogs population in a particular habitat indicates the danger of environment quality decrease. Moreover, this condition can harm the frogs themselves. All kinds of frogs breed in aqueous environment such as ponds, marshes, and farming fields. One of the tree frogs, Polypedates leucomystax, which belongs to Familia Rachophoridae, is widely spread in Indonesia. This frog has yellowish brown skin with black spots or six lines extending from head to the posterior tip of body. A breeding couple of the frog produces foam nests on the water or plants around water body, where they will nest their fertilized eggs. This species produces over a hundred embryos in one spawning season. These embryos require appropriate conditions to develop normally in the nature. Frog embryo development may becomes a reference to understand how the frog population survives. This study focused on P. leucomystax with regards to its decrease in number due to the drying up of the environment and a lot lost of trees in Campus of State University of Malang. The development of P. leucomystax embryos in the reproduction foam was observed until it reached a tadpole stage. The result showed that the embryos developed in the foam until they hatched then they move out of the foam into the water under which they would continue their development. Considering that water body is a critical requirement for the development of P. leucomystax embryos, it is our responsibility to make any efforts to conserve not only the trees but also any type of water bodies including ponds, marshes, and farming fields as well

Illegal forest activities in Berau and Kutai Timur: impacts, driving forces and remedies

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