Analisis Semiotik antara Lingkungan Binaan dengan Lingkungan Sosial-Politik: Studi Kasus pada Arsitektur Masjid Provinsi di Indonesia

Artikel ini mempelajari hubungan arsitektur masjid provinsi di Indonesia dengan sistem sosio-politik masyarakat, khususnya masyarakat muslim dan non-muslim melalui teori semiotika. Hal ini menarik karena adanya latar belakang masyarakat yang majemuk diikuti dengan adanya keanekaragaman arsitektur masjid. Artikel ini memiliki tiga tujuan: pertama, melihat hubungan antara dimensi masjid dan populasi masyarakat muslim di suatu provinsi, kedua, melihat hubungan antara arsitektur masjid dengan jumlah masyarakat muslim dan ketiga, melihat hubungan antara penamaan masjid dengan lingkungan sosio-politik agama. Data kuantitatif 31 masjid provinsi di Indonesia dianalisis menggunakan analisis korelasi dan Fisher’s exact test. Penelitian ini berdasarkan data sekunder dari basis data Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. Hasil penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa: luas lahan masjid dan daya tampung masjid berkorelasi dengan jumlah dan proporsi masyarakat muslim di suatu provinsi. Sementara itu, arsitektur atap masjid yang berbentuk pyramidal roof ditemukan di provinsi yang penduduknya mayoritas suku Jawa. Nama masjid yang bersifat asertif ditemukan di provinsi yang jumlah masyarakat muslim dan non-muslim relatif seimbang. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa secara sadar atau tidak, kondisi lingkungan politik, agama dan etnis memiliki peran penting dalam arsitektur masjid provinsi di Indonesia.

Comparative Assessment of the Environmental Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON) and Dissolved Organic Phosphorus (DOP) from Three Wetlands in Northern Nigeria

This study assessed comparatively the environmental dynamics of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in water samples obtained from three locations (Lokoja, Jebba and Hadejia-Nguru) with five sampling sites in Northern Nigeria. These sites include Jebba, Matara-Uku, Lokoja, Baturiya and Nguru. Samples were collected during the dry and wet seasons of the year 2015 and levels of nitrogen and phosphorus determined using the persulphate wet-oxidation method. The average values for DON and DOP obtained ranged from 9.49±1.83 mg/l to 21.8±14.7 mg/l and 1.65±0.38 mg/l to 6.11±0.58 mg/l respectively. The values obtained for DON during the dry and wet seasons were Jebba (14.1±3.92), Matara-Uku (13.7±3.43), Lokoja (21.0±5.04), Baturiya (21.8±14.7), Nguru (7.14±2.40) and Jebba (13.9±1.97), Matara-Uku (11.3±2.62), Lokoja (9.59±1.46), Baturiya (9.49±1.83), Nguru (11.1±1.78) mg/l respectively. The mean values for DOP were Jebba (1.85±0.07), Matara-Uku (2.60±0.55), Lokoja (2.65±0.31), Baturiya (2.52±0.46), Nguru (1.65±0.38) and Jebba (3.70±0.16), Matara-Uku (5.55±0.24), Lokoja (6.11±0.58), Baturiya (4.93±0.90), Nguru (3.65±0.37) mg/l in the dry and wet seasons respectively. The DON concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the dry season when compared with the wet season while the DOP concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the wet season when compared with the dry season. This dynamics was attributed to run off from agricultural farm lands, hydrology and the rate of utilization of these nutrients by water plants. High concentrations of DOP and DON supportgood yield of agricultural produce of the farmlands around the wetlands.Keywords: Dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved organic phosphorus, dissolved organic matter, wetland

Decoupling of non-strange, strange and multi-strange particles from the system in Cu-Cu, Au-Au and Pb-Pb collisions at high energies

Transverse momentum spectra of the non-strange, strange and multi-strange particles in central and peripheral Copper-Copper, Gold-Gold and Lead-Lead collisions are analyzed by the blast wave model with Boltzmann Gibbs statistics. The model results are approximately in agreement with the experimental data measured by BRAHMS, STAR, SPS, NA 49 and WA 97 Collaborations in special transverse momentum ranges. Bulk properties in terms of kinetic freeze out temperature, transverse flow velocity and freezeout volume are extracted from the transverse momentum spectra of the particles. Separate freeze out temperatures are observed for the non-strange, strange and multi-strange particles which maybe due to different reaction cross-sections of the interacting particles and it reveals the triple kinetic freezeout scenario in collisions at BRAHMS, STAR, SPS, NA 49 and WA 97 Collaborations, however the transverse flow velocity and freezeout volume are mass dependent and they decrease with the increasing the rest mass of the particles. Furthermore, the kinetic freezeout temperature, transverse flow velocity and kinetic freezeout volume in central nucleus-nucleus collisions are larger than those in peripheral collisions. Besides, the larger kinetic freezeout temperature and freezeout volume are observed in the most heaviest nuclei collisions, indicating their dependence on the size of interacting syste

Physical and structural stability of the monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (Herceptin®), intravenous solutions.

A major limitation of biological therapeutics is their propensity for degradation particularly in aqueous solutions hence resulting in their short shelf-life. In this study, the stability of trastuzumab (Herceptin®) intravenous (i.v.) solutions, an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), indicated for the treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer, stored under refrigerated conditions, was evaluated over 28 days. No change in visual appearance or average particle size was observed. The pH values of the trastuzumab i.v. solutions remained stable over time. Interestingly, no change in trastuzumab monomer concentration was observed throughout the 28-day study, as determined by SEC-HPLC. SDSPAGE showed only a monomer band corresponding to the molecular weight of trastuzumab. Circular dichroism spectra obtained following 28-day storage demonstrated integrity of the secondary structural conformation of trastuzumab. Results from this study show that trastuzumab i.v. solutions remain physically and structurally stable on storage at 2-8°C for 28 days. These findings suggest that trastuzumab in solution may not be as sensitive to degradation as expected for a mAb and therefore may have important implications in extending trastuzumab shelf life for clinical use and reducing associated healthcare cost

Histological study on the effect of transplanted human umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem cells on albino rats subjected to myocardial infarction

Background: Heart failure is a significant burden to health care systems in the world. One of its major causes is myocardial infarction (MI). Recent developments in stem cells may offer ways to manage heart failure by replacing damaged cardiac muscle with healthy tissue. This study aimed at examining the regenerative effect of intravenously transplanted human umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem cell in a rat model of acute MI. Methods: Forty adult female rats were equally randomized into 5 groups. Groups I and II received saline alone or saline followed by isolation buffer respectively to serve as control groups. The other 3 groups were subjected to induction of acute MI using subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline hydrochloride. In groups III and IV, animals were sacrificed after one week and four weeks respectively. One week after induction of MI, animals in group V received intravenous injection of 4 x 106 CD34+ stem cells separated from the human umbilical cord blood of male fetuses, and were sacrificed after 3 weeks from cell injection. At the end of the experiment, heart tissue was processed for both light and electron microscopic histological studies, and for PCR analysis of the male-specific SRY gene. Results: Light microscopic results of group III revealed increased diameter and necrosis of cardiomyocytes, decreased cross-striations, vascular congestion and mononuclear cellular infiltration. Group IV revealed multiple extensive fibrotic areas. Group V revealed smaller fibrotic areas compared to Group IV. Ultrastructural results confirmed findings of the light microscope. PCR analysis revealed that 63% of heart samples were positive for the presence of SRY gene. Conclusion: CD34+ stem cells can transdifferentiate into cardiomyocyte and regenerate the injured heart subjected to MI.Keywords: HUCB, CD34+ stem cells, myocardial infarction, transdifferentiatio