Populasi Kupu-kupu (Lepidoptera ) di Pulau Mantehage, Sulawesi Utara

POPULASI KUPU-KUPU (LEPIDOPTERA ) DI PULAU MANTEHAGE, SULAWESI UTARA ABSTRAK Kupu-kupu berperan penting dalam ekosistem dan dapat membantu proses penyerbukan pada tumbuhan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji populasi kupu-kupu di Pulau Mantehage, Sulawesi Utara. Pengambilan sampel kupu-kupu dilakukan dari Maret sampai Mei 2013 di Pulau Mantehage, Sulawesi Utara. Kupu-kupu dikoleksi dengan menggunakan metode sweeping yang diterapkan secara acak sepanjang 500m. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kupu-kupu di Pulau Mantehage ada 19 spesies yang termasuk ke dalam 4 famili yaitu Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae dan Riodinidae. Spesies kupu-kupu yang paling banyak ditemukan yaitu Catopsilia scylla asema. Famili yang paling banyak ditemukan yaitu Famili Nymphalidae dengan jumlah spesies sebanyak 11 spesies. Kupu-kupu yang paling sedikit yaitu Famili Riodinidae yang memiliki jumlah satu spesies. Kata kunci : Populasi kupu-kupu, Pulau Mantehage, Sulawesi Utara. POPULATION OF BUTTERFLY (LEPIDOPTERA) IN MANTEHAGE ISLAND, NORTH SULAWESI ABSTRACT Butterfly has ecological functions for pollination and as biodicator of ecosystem change. This study was conducted for studying butterfly population in Mantehage Island, North Sulawesi. Butterfly sampling conducted in March until May 2013 in Mantehage island, North Sulawesi. Butterfly were collected by using random sweeping along 500 m. The result showed there were 19 species in 4 families i.e. Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae dan Riodinidae. The most commonly butterfly found was Catopsilia scylla asema. The most common family was Nymphalidae with numbers of species were 11 species. The least family was Riodinidae with only 1 species

PENERAPAN TEKNOLOGI BUDIDAYA IKAN (SILVOFISHERY) DI KAWASAN HUTAN MANGROVE BAGI MASYARAKAT PESISIR BOLAANG MONGONDOW SELATAN

Tujuan PKM ini untuk mencari solusi dalam persoalan yang dihadapi. yaitu: 1) Masyarakat belum memanfaatkan lingkungan mangrove, sebagai tempat untuk pemeliharaan ikan; 2) Pemahaman tentang fungsi dan manfaat mangrove bagi kehidupan organisme air masih sangat kurang, serta belum mengetahui bahaya/ancaman yang ditimbulkan akibat penebangan pohon mangrove oleh masyarakat setempat; 3) Sebagian besar ekosistem mangrove yang ada di wilayah ini telah rusak, karena ditebang untuk dijadikan bahan rumah ataupun sebagai kayu bakar; 4) Pengelolaan pembukuan nelayan masih bersifat konvensional, mengakibatkan banyak pengeluaran dan pemasukan tidak tercatat, hal ini mempersulit dalam penghitungan keuntungan yang diperoleh. Target khusus untuk mengatasi persoalan-persoalan di atas adalah melalui penyuluhan dan pelatihan, pendampingan, dan pendidikan manajemen usaha dan ekonomi secara langsung di lapangan kepada nelayan. Metode pelatihan dilakukan berdasarkan metode otodidak, memberikan ceraman (teori dan praktek) dan diskusi. Pelaksanaan kegiatan dilakukan selama 10 (sepuluh) bulan, dengan tahapan persiapan, pelatihan/ pendampingan, pemantauan, dan monitoring dan evaluasi. Target luaran yang dicapai pada akhir penyuluhan dan pelatihan ini adalah semua anggota kelompok maupun keluarganya mempunyai pengetahuan tentang:1) Fungsi dan manfaat konservasi mangrove, 2) Mitra memahami teknologi budidaya ikan metode silvofishery dan mempraktekkannya pembuatan tambak tumpang sari yang mengkombinasikan tambak dengan penanaman mangrove sehingga akan tersedianya ikan hasil budidaya metode silvofishery; 3) memahami dan mempraktekan dalam membuat pencatatan uang masuk dan keluar serta mampu menganalisis cash flow, sehingga mereka bisa mengatur dan mengetahui keuntungan mereka melalui pembukuan yang baik dan pada akhirnya akan meningkatkan pengetahuan dan produksi ikan di Desa Deaga.   The purpose of this community service (shorten PKM) in Deage Village is to find solutions to the village’s community lack of (1) concern in making use of mangrove area for rearing Nile tilapia using silvofishery technique, (2) understanding about the function and benefit of mangrove for the life of aquatic organisms and the danger of cutting off mangrove, 3) awareness of the disctruction of mangrove forest that they cut down for building houses and for firewoods as well as 4) financial knowledge that led to their monthly high expenditure and low income. To overcome the problems, our team provided the Deaga’s community with counseling, training and mentoring in planting mangroves and education in business, economy and management directly at the field. The training method was based on adult learning methods in form of theory (lecture and group discussion) and practice mangrove plantation and building pond for silvofishery. The PKM was implemented for 10  months, covering key aspects such as preparation, training/assistance, monitoring and evaluation. The achieved targets or outcomes of this community service at the end of this program included (1) improvement in community’s knowledge about and awereness of the functions and benefits of mangroves conservation implemented through the plantation of 500 mangrove trees, 2) a better understanding of the silvofishery fish culture technology shown by the availability of 2 intercropping ponds built by the community combining a lake and mangrove as silvofishery fish cultivation method and 3) a better practice in recording their life expense (income and expenditure) and in analyzing cash flow, allowing them to manage their money through a proper book keeping, which in turn increased fisheries knowledge and fish production in Deaga Village

Development of an organ failure score in acute liver failure for transplant selection and identification of patients at high risk of futility.

INTRODUCTION: King's College Hospital criteria are currently used to select liver transplant candidates in acetaminophen-related acute liver failure (ALF). Although widely accepted, they show a poor sensitivity in predicting pre-transplant mortality and cannot predict the outcome after surgery. In this study we aimed to develop a new prognostic score that can allow patient selection for liver transplantation more appropriately and identify patients at high risk of futile transplantation. METHODS: We analysed consecutive patients admitted to the Royal Free and Beaujon Hospitals between 1990 and 2015. Clinical and laboratory data at admission were collected. Predictors of 3-month mortality in the non-transplanted patients admitted to the Royal Free Hospital were used to develop the new score, which was then validated against the Beaujon cohort. The Beaujon-transplanted group was also used to assess the ability of the new score in identifying patients at high risk of transplant futility. RESULTS: 152 patients were included of who 44 were transplanted. SOFA, CLIF-C OF and CLIF-ACLF scores were the best predictors of 3-month mortality among non-transplanted patients. CLIF-C OF score and high dosages of norepinephrine requirement were the only significant predictors of 3-month mortality in the non-transplanted patients, and therefore were included in the ALF-OFs score. In non-transplanted patients, ALF-OFs showed good performance in both exploratory (AUC = 0.89; sensitivity = 82.6%; specificity = 89.5%) and the validation cohort (AUC = 0.988; sensitivity = 100%; specificity = 92.3%). ALF-OFs score was also able to identify patients at high risk of transplant futility (AUC = 0.917; sensitivity = 100%; specificity = 79.2%). CONCLUSION: ALF-OFs is a new prognostic score in acetaminophen-related ALF that can predict both the need for liver transplant and high risk of transplant futility, improving candidate selection for liver transplantation

Collagen-based fibrillar multilayer films cross-linked by a natural agent.

Surface functionalization plays an important role in the design of biomedical implants, especially when layer forming cells, such as endothelial or epithelial cells, are needed. In this study, we define a novel nanoscale surface coating composed of collagen/alginate polyelectrolyte multilayers and cross-linked for stability with genipin. This buildup follows an exponential growth regime versus the number of deposition cycles with a distinct nanofibrillar structure that is not damaged by the cross-linking step. Stability and cell compatibility of the cross-linked coatings were studied with human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The surface coating can be covered by a monolayer of vascular endothelial cells within 5 days. Genipin cross-linking renders the surface more suitable for cell attachment and proliferation compared to glutaraldehyde (more conventional cross-linker) cross-linked surfaces, where cell clumps in dispersed areas were observed. In summary, it is possible with the defined system to build fibrillar structures with a nanoscale control of film thickness, which would be useful for in vivo applications such as inner lining of lumens for vascular and tracheal implants.journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't2012 Jul 092012 06 13importe

Genome landscapes and bacteriophage codon usage

Across all kingdoms of biological life, protein-coding genes exhibit unequal usage of synonmous codons. Although alternative theories abound, translational selection has been accepted as an important mechanism that shapes the patterns of codon usage in prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes. Here we analyze patterns of codon usage across 74 diverse bacteriophages that infect E. coli, P. aeruginosa and L. lactis as their primary host. We introduce the concept of a `genome landscape,' which helps reveal non-trivial, long-range patterns in codon usage across a genome. We develop a series of randomization tests that allow us to interrogate the significance of one aspect of codon usage, such a GC content, while controlling for another aspect, such as adaptation to host-preferred codons. We find that 33 phage genomes exhibit highly non-random patterns in their GC3-content, use of host-preferred codons, or both. We show that the head and tail proteins of these phages exhibit significant bias towards host-preferred codons, relative to the non-structural phage proteins. Our results support the hypothesis of translational selection on viral genes for host-preferred codons, over a broad range of bacteriophages.Comment: 9 Color Figures, 5 Tables, 53 Reference

Modification of macroporous titanium tracheal implants with biodegradable structures: tracking in vivo integration for determination of optimal in situ epithelialization conditions.

Previously, we showed that macroporous titanium implants, colonized in vivo together with an epithelial graft, are viable options for tracheal replacement in sheep. To decrease the number of operating steps, biomaterial-based replacements for epithelial graft and intramuscular implantation were developed in the present study. Hybrid microporous PLLA/titanium tracheal implants were designed to decrease initial stenosis and provide a surface for epithelialization. They have been implanted in New Zealand white rabbits as tracheal substitutes and compared to intramuscular implantation samples. Moreover, a basement membrane like coating of the implant surface was also designed by Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method with collagen and alginate. The results showed that the commencement of stenosis can be prevented by the microporous PLLA. For determination of the optimum time point of epithelialization after implantation, HPLC analysis of blood samples, C-reactive protein (CRP), and Chromogranin A (CGA) analyses and histology were carried out. Following 3 weeks the implant would be ready for epithelialization with respect to the amount of tissue integration. Calcein-AM labeled epithelial cell seeding showed that after 3 weeks implant surfaces were suitable for their attachment. CRP readings were steady after an initial rise in the first week. Cross-linked collagen/alginate structures show nanofibrillarity and they form uniform films over the implant surfaces without damaging the microporosity of the PLLA body. Human respiratory epithelial cells proliferated and migrated on these surfaces which provided a better alternative to PLLA film surface. In conclusion, collagen/alginate LbL coated hybrid PLLA/titanium implants are viable options for tracheal replacement, together with in situ epithelialization.journal articleresearch support, non-u.s. gov't2012 Aug2012 03 02importe

Precise detection of rearrangement breakpoints in mammalian chromosomes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genomes undergo large structural changes that alter their organisation. The chromosomal regions affected by these rearrangements are called breakpoints, while those which have not been rearranged are called synteny blocks. We developed a method to precisely delimit rearrangement breakpoints on a genome by comparison with the genome of a related species. Contrary to current methods which search for synteny blocks and simply return what remains in the genome as breakpoints, we propose to go further and to investigate the breakpoints themselves in order to refine them.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Given some reliable and non overlapping synteny blocks, the core of the method consists in refining the regions that are not contained in them. By aligning each breakpoint sequence against its specific orthologous sequences in the other species, we can look for weak similarities inside the breakpoint, thus extending the synteny blocks and narrowing the breakpoints. The identification of the narrowed breakpoints relies on a segmentation algorithm and is statistically assessed. Since this method requires as input synteny blocks with some properties which, though they appear natural, are not verified by current methods for detecting such blocks, we further give a formal definition and provide an algorithm to compute them.</p> <p>The whole method is applied to delimit breakpoints on the human genome when compared to the mouse and dog genomes. Among the 355 human-mouse and 240 human-dog breakpoints, 168 and 146 respectively span less than 50 Kb. We compared the resulting breakpoints with some publicly available ones and show that we achieve a better resolution. Furthermore, we suggest that breakpoints are rarely reduced to a point, and instead consist in often large regions that can be distinguished from the sequences around in terms of segmental duplications, similarity with related species, and transposable elements.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our method leads to smaller breakpoints than already published ones and allows for a better description of their internal structure. In the majority of cases, our refined regions of breakpoint exhibit specific biological properties (no similarity, presence of segmental duplications and of transposable elements). We hope that this new result may provide some insight into the mechanism and evolutionary properties of chromosomal rearrangements.</p

Hybrid Titanium/Biodegradable Polymer Implants with an Hierarchical Pore Structure as a Means to Control Selective Cell Movement

UNLABELLED: In order to improve implant success rate, it is important to enhance their responsiveness to the prevailing conditions following implantation. Uncontrolled movement of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts is one of these in vivo problems and the porosity properties of the implant have a strong effect on these. Here, we describe a hybrid system composed of a macroporous titanium structure filled with a microporous biodegradable polymer. This polymer matrix has a distinct porosity gradient to accommodate different cell types (fibroblasts and epithelial cells). The main clinical application of this system will be the prevention of restenosis due to excessive fibroblast migration and proliferation in the case of tracheal implants. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A microbead-based titanium template was filled with a porous Poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) body by freeze-extraction method. A distinct porosity difference was obtained between the inner and outer surfaces of the implant as characterized by image analysis and Mercury porosimetry (9.8±2.2 µm vs. 36.7±11.4 µm, p≤0.05). On top, a thin PLLA film was added to optimize the growth of epithelial cells, which was confirmed by using human respiratory epithelial cells. To check the control of fibroblast movement, PKH26 labeled fibroblasts were seeded onto Titanium and Titanium/PLLA implants. The cell movement was quantified by confocal microscopy: in one week cells moved deeper in Ti samples compared to Ti/PLLA. CONCLUSIONS: In vitro experiments showed that this new implant is effective for guiding different kind of cells it will contact upon implantation. Overall, this system would enable spatial and temporal control over cell migration by a gradient ranging from macroporosity to nanoporosity within a tracheal implant. Moreover, mechanical properties will be dependent mainly on the titanium frame. This will make it possible to create a polymeric environment which is suitable for cells without the need to meet mechanical requirements with the polymeric structure

Phylogenetic and Molecular Characterization of a 23S Ribosomal-Rna Gene Positions the Genus Campylobacter in the Epsilon-Subdivision of the Proteobacteria and Shows That the Presence of Transcribed Spacers Is Common in Campylobacter Spp

The nucleotide sequence of a 23S rRNA gene of Campylobacter coli VC167 was determined. The primary sequence of the C. coli 23S rRNA was deduced, and a secondary-structure model was constructed. Comparison with Escherichia coli 23S rRNA showed a major difference in the C. coli rRNA at approximately position 1170 (E. coli numbering) in the form of an extra sequence block approximately 147 bp long. PCR analysis of 31 other strains of C. coli and C. jejuni showed that 69% carried a transcribed spacer of either ca, 147 or ca. 37 bp. Comparison of all sequenced Campylobacter transcribed spacers showed that the Campylobacter inserts were related in sequence and percent G+C content. All Campylobacter strains carrying transcribed spacers in their 23S rRNA genes produced fragmented 23S rRNAs. Other strains which produced unfragmented 23S rRNAs did not appear to carry transcribed spacers at this position in their 23S rRNA genes. At the 1850 region (E. coli numbering), Campylobacter 23S rRNA displayed a base pairing signature most like that of the beta and gamma subdivisions of the class Proteobacteria, but in the 270 region, Campylobacter 23S rRNA displayed a helix signature which distinguished it from the alpha, beta, and gamma subdivisions. Phylogenetic analysis comparing C. coli VC167 23S rRNA and a C. jejuni TGH9011 (ATCC 43431) 23S rRNA with 53 other completely sequenced (eu)bacterial 23S rRNAs showed that the two campylobacters form a sister group to the alpha, beta, and gamma proteobacterial 23S rRNAs, a positioning consistent with the idea that the genus Campylobacter belongs to the epsilon subdivision of the class Proteobacteria

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a cholestatic disorder characterized by (i) pruritus with onset in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, (ii) elevated serum aminotransferases and bile acid levels, and (iii) spontaneous relief of signs and symptoms within two to three weeks after delivery. ICP is observed in 0.4–1% of pregnancies in most areas of Central and Western Europe and North America, while in Chile and Bolivia as well as Scandinavia and the Baltic states roughly 5–15% and 1–2%, respectively, of pregnancies are associated with ICP. Genetic and hormonal factors, but also environmental factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of ICP. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy increases the risk of preterm delivery (19–60%), meconium staining of amniotic fluid (27%), fetal bradycardia (14%), fetal distress (22–41%), and fetal loss (0.4–4.1%), particularly when associated with fasting serum bile acid levels > 40 μmol/L. The hydrophilic bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (10–20 mg/kg/d) is today regarded as the first line treatment for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Delivery has been recommended in the 38th week when lung maturity has been established