Soil Dehydrogenase Activity: a Comparison Between the Ttc and Int Method. a Review

Soil enzyme activities are very sensitive to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances and show a quick response to the induced change. Soil dehydrogenase enzyme are one of the main components of soil enzymatic activities participating in and assuring the correct sequence of all the biochemical routes in soil biogeochemical cycles. Dehydrogenase activity is measured by two methods using the TTC and INT substrate. Different biotic and abiotic factors such as incubation time and temperature, pre-incubation, soil aeration and moisture content have significant effect on dehydrogenase activity in soil. Dehydrogenase enzyme is often used as a measure of any disruption caused by pesticides, trace elements or management practices to the soil, as well as a direct measure of soil microbial activity. This review describes the role of intracellular enzyme-dehydrogenase in the soil environment, and the most common laboratory procedure used for measure dehydrogenase activity by two methods using the TCC and INT substrate

Sustainable Campus Through Organic Waste Management Program Implementation

Implementing an organic waste management program is a crucial step in realizing a sustainable campus. Organic waste management such as yard waste management program in Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, is crucial to maintaining a sustainable environment. The university's efforts to implement sustainable waste management practices, such as recycling and create an alternative energy sources like biodigester, have significantly reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills and creates valuable resources such as heat and liquid organic fertilizer. The application of liquid organic fertilizer from a biodigester on the university's green house resulted in an increased Pakcoy growth parameters and productions. By using liquid organic fertilizer from a biodigester is a sustainable and effective way to fertilize green areas at Sam Ratulangi University. By implementing this practice, the university can reduce waste and support healthy plant growth while also promoting environmental stewardship

Small-Scale Biogas Reactors Converting Organic Waste to Energy and Ferlilizer: A Case Study of Sam Ratulangi University Green Campus Project

Organic Waste Management (OWM) has been a major problem worldwide in most of the cities among developing countries such as Indonesia. Sam Ratulangi University (UNSRAT) is located in the rural setting of the medium city of Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, was committed to achieving minimum waste across all campus locations, by averting some waste through reduced consumption and diverting the rest through recycling, composting, or reusing. A large amount of yard waste such as grass, leaves, and branches is produced on campus in UNSRAT, which is a problem that needs to be effectively solved. Composting is a sustainable OWM practice that converts organic waste into valuable products such as liquid organic fertilizer and biogas. OWM and bioenergy production are complementary to each other, because the application of compost back into the soil can contribute to sustainable soil health, and biogas is the principal renewable energy source that manages potentially harmful organic wastes. Thus, in the present article, recycling of organic waste has recently become an important topic and the intensification of organic waste conversion strategies was elaborated and analyzed frequently. The result indicated that creating a small-scale biogas reactor is more cost-effective, eco-friendly, and presents a sustainable waste treatment method within UNSRAT campus into valuable products that promote the university as a green campus. Keyword: bioenergy; biogas reactor; organic waste; organic liquid fertilize

Penggulungan Daun Pada Padi Lokal Sulut Saat Kekurangan Air

Ketersediaan air merupakan salah satu faktor pembatas produksi padi di Indonesia. Kajian sifat tahan kering pada padi lokal Sulawesi Utara (Sulut) perlu dilakukan, dalam upaya mendukung tercapainya tujuan strategis meningkatkan kemampuan wilayah Sulawesi untuk menjadi pilar ketahanan pangan nasional. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengevaluasi sifat tahan kering pada empat varietas padi local Sulut (Burungan, Superwin, Temo dan Ombong) pada saat kekurangan air berdasarkan karakter penggulungan daun. Setelah 14 hari perlakuan, skor penggulungan daun pada tanaman yang diairi berkisar 3-4, sedangkan pada tanaman yang tidak diairi rata-rata 9. Pada perlakuan tidak diairi skor penggulungan daun terendah pada Superwin (7,26) dibandingkan pada Burungan (8,86), Temo (8,57) dan Ombong (8,85). Berdasarkan karakter skor penggulungan daun, sifat tahan kering Superwin lebih besar dibandingkan dengan ketiga padi lokal Sulut lainnya, sehingga varietas ini potensial untuk ditanam di daerah kekurangan air.Water availability is one factor limiting rice production in Indonesia. The evaluation of drought resistance in North Sulawesi local rice is important to elevate Sulawesi capability as food security supporter. This study was conducted to evaluate drought resistance in four local rice cultivars (Burungan, Superwin, Temo and Ombong) under water deficit condition based on the leaf rolling score. After 14 days of treatment, mean of leaf rolling score in well-watered plants was 3-4, whereas in water deficit plants was 9. Under water deficit, Superwin had the lowest score (7.26) compared with Burungan (8.86), Temo (8.57), and Ombong (8.85). Based on the leaf rolling score character, drought resistance in Superwin was larger than the other 3 local rice cultivars, so that Superwin was potential to be cultivated in the water limited area

Genome-wide association study identifies human genetic variants associated with fatal outcome from Lassa fever

Infection with Lassa virus (LASV) can cause Lassa fever, a haemorrhagic illness with an estimated fatality rate of 29.7%, but causes no or mild symptoms in many individuals. Here, to investigate whether human genetic variation underlies the heterogeneity of LASV infection, we carried out genome-wide association studies (GWAS) as well as seroprevalence surveys, human leukocyte antigen typing and high-throughput variant functional characterization assays. We analysed Lassa fever susceptibility and fatal outcomes in 533 cases of Lassa fever and 1,986 population controls recruited over a 7 year period in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. We detected genome-wide significant variant associations with Lassa fever fatal outcomes near GRM7 and LIF in the Nigerian cohort. We also show that a haplotype bearing signatures of positive selection and overlapping LARGE1, a required LASV entry factor, is associated with decreased risk of Lassa fever in the Nigerian cohort but not in the Sierra Leone cohort. Overall, we identified variants and genes that may impact the risk of severe Lassa fever, demonstrating how GWAS can provide insight into viral pathogenesis

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.

Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century