Homogenitas dan Stabilitas Kit ELISA OTA, serta Aplikasinya untuk Mendeteksi Okratoksin A pada Pakan Unggas

Okratoksin A (OTA) adalah salah satu mikotoksin berbahaya yang dihasilkan oleh kapang Aspergillus sp. dan Penicillium sp yang sering mengkontaminasi produk pertanian. Mikotoksin ini bersifat nefrotoksik, imunotoksik, teratogenik, karsinogenik, neurotoksik dan genotoksik pada manusia dan hewan ternak. Untuk mengetahui tingkat kontaminasi OTA dibutuhkan teknik deteksi yang sensitif, cepat, akurat dan ekonomis. Pada penelitian sebelumnya telah dihasilkan kit ELISA berbasis antibodi polikonal untuk mendeteksi OTA pada bahan pakan ternak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui homogenitas dan stabilitas KIT ELISA OTA yang dikembangkan dengan format kompetitif langsung (dc-ELISA), serta keragaannya dalam mendeteksi OTA pada pakan unggas. Uji homogenitas dilakukan terhadap 10 kit, sedangkan uji stabilitas dilakukan terhadap 3 kit yang disimpan selama 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, dan 40 minggu dalam lemari pendingin (4-8 oC). Analisis statistik dengan uji F menunjukkan bahwa 10 kit ELISA OTA yang diuji memberikan hasil yang homogen (Fhitung < Ftabel). Hasil uji stabilitas terhadap 3 kit ELISA OTA tidak menunjukkan perubahan yang berarti selama masa penyimpanan (stabil). Kit juga menunjukkan konsistensi yang baik dalam mendeteksi OTA pada pakan dan bahan pakan ternak unggas. Pengujian sampel lapang menggunakan kit ELISA tersebut menunjukkan bahwa seluruh sampel asal Jawa Barat dan Lampung terkontaminasi OTA dengan rataan konsentrasi masih di bawah batas ambang residu (BMR) untuk ternak unggas, yaitu 100 ppb. Berdasarkan hasil yang diperoleh dapat disimpulkan bahwa kit ELISA yang dikembangkan memiliki homogenitas dan stabilitas yang memenuhi persyaratan, serta dapat diaplikasikan untuk mendeteksi OTA pada pakan ternak unggas

Sistem Informasi Kalender Tanam Terpadu: Status Terkini Dan Tantangan Kedepan

. The accuracy in determining time of planting is one of determining factors in securing good harvest and increasing yield of food crop. Local wisdom and other conventional ways applied previously in determining cropping pattern are no longer appropriate because of shifting seasons. As a guideline for extension workers in determining cropping pattern and time of planting, Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development has published information system of integrated cropping calendar to secure national rice production in coping with climate variability and climate change. This paper aims to describe the development of web-based Information System of Integrated Cropping Calendar at a sub-district level. The system is constructed by integrating three sub-systems, namely sub-system data, model and query and can be accessed through the website address at www.litbang.deptan.go.id. The main information that can be obtained from this system is initial estimate of paddy planting time for the upcoming planting season. In addition, the users can obtain information on disaster prone areas such as droughts, floods and pests attack. Other informations are recommended technology for varieties, seed requirement and fertilizers, that be prepared by users prior to growing season period. Therefore, this system needs to be improved for all sub-districts in Indonesia at least three times a year of the beginning of each growing season. The challenges of developing integrated cropping calendar system for the future are: (1) global warming increases unpredictable weather that impacts on the accuracy of planting time estimate, (2) decreases in productivity and yield production which would require an increasingly technological innovation informations, and (3)land conversion and fragmentation of agricultural land resulting in reduction of paddy field area. Maintenance and development of this system are still needed, to improve the quality of data and information in order to meet the user needs

Optimizing the efficiency and implementation of cash transfers to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV, taken daily, is an effective strategy to clinically suppress the virus, providing the dual benefit of improved survival and vastly decreasing the risk of transmission. However, this highly effective intervention has not yet reached all who could benefit. Cash transfers are increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to motivate behavior change and improve HIV care and treatment outcomes, including engagement in HIV care and adherence to ART. Despite a growing evidence base and strong theoretical foundation for the cash transfer approach, key questions remain. To address these questions and begin to bridge the "know-do gap" with respect to cash transfers, our team is employing an implementation science approach to iterative development of an incentive-based intervention to promote ART uptake and adherence among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Lake Zone region, Tanzania. METHODS: We will conduct a type I hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial to test the effectiveness of a cash transfer intervention on the outcome of HIV viral suppression, and concurrently examine the potential for real-world implementation with a mobile health technology (mHealth) system. Specifically, our team will expand the intervention to 32 clinics and enroll 1984 PLHIV to (a) evaluate its effectiveness by conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial with clinics as the unit of randomization and 12-month viral suppression as the primary outcome and (b) evaluate the implementation challenges and successes at multiple levels (patient, provider, clinic). DISCUSSION: This trial will provide evidence not only about the real-world effectiveness of cash transfers for retention in HIV care and viral suppression, but also on the implementation challenges and successes that will facilitate or hinder wider scale-up within Tanzania and beyond. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04201353 . Registered on December 17, 2019

Antimicrobial activity and brine shrimp toxicity of extracts of Terminalia brownii roots and stem

BACKGROUND: Ternimalia brownii Fresen (Combretaceae) is widely used in traditional medicine to treat bacterial, fungal and viral infections. There is a need to evaluate extracts of this plant in order to provide scientific proof for it's wide application in traditional medicine system. METHODS: Extraction of stem bark, wood and whole roots of T. brownii using solvents of increasing polarity, namely, Pet ether, dichloromethane, dichloromethane: methanol (1:1), methanol and aqua, respectively, afforded dry extracts. The extracts were tested for antifungal and antibacterial activity and for brine shrimp toxicity test. RESULTS: Extracts of the stem bark, wood and whole roots of T. brownii exhibited antibacterial activity against standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, and Bacillus anthracis and the fungi, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Aqueous extracts exhibited the strongest activity against both bacteria and fungi. Extracts of the roots and stem bark exhibited relatively mild cytotoxic activity against brine shrimp larvae with LC(50 )values ranging from 113.75–4356.76 and 36.12–1458.81 μg/ml, respectively. The stem wood extracts exhibited the highest toxicity against the shrimps (LC(50 )values 2.58–14.88 μg/ml), while that of cyclophosphamide, a standard anticancer drug, was 16.33 (10.60–25.15) μg/ml. CONCLUSION: These test results support traditional medicinal use of, especially, aqueous extracts for the treatment of conditions such as diarrhea, and gonorrhea. The brine shrimp results depict the general trend among plants of the genus Terminalia, which are known to contain cytotoxic compounds such as hydrolysable tannins. These results warrant follow-up through bioassay-directed isolation of the active principles

Reviewing progress: 7 Year Trends in Characteristics of Adults and Children Enrolled at HIV Care and Treatment Clinics in the United Republic of Tanzania.

To evaluate the on-going scale-up of HIV programs, we assessed trends in patient characteristics at enrolment and ART initiation over 7 years of implementation. Data were from Optimal Models, a prospective open cohort study of HIV-infected (HIV+) adults (>=15 years) and children (<15 years) enrolled from January 2005 to December 2011 at 44 HIV clinics in 3 regions of mainland Tanzania (Kagera, Kigoma, Pwani) and Zanzibar. Comparative statistics for trends in characteristics of patients enrolled in 2005--2007, 2008--2009 and 2010--2011 were examined. Overall 62,801 HIV+ patients were enrolled: 58,102(92.5%) adults, (66.5% female); 4,699(7.5%) children.Among adults, pregnant women enrolment increased: 6.8%, 2005--2007; 12.1%, 2008--2009; 17.2%, 2010--2011; as did entry into care from prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs: 6.6%, 2005--2007; 9.5%, 2008--2009; 12.6%, 2010--2011. WHO stage IV at enrolment declined: 27.1%, 2005--2007; 20.2%, 2008--2009; 11.1% 2010--2011. Of the 42.5% and 29.5% with CD4+ data at enrolment and ART initiation respectively, median CD4+ count increased: 210cells/muL, 2005--2007; 262cells/muL, 2008--2009; 266cells/muL 2010--2011; but median CD4+ at ART initiation did not change (148cells/muL overall). Stavudine initiation declined: 84.9%, 2005--2007; 43.1%, 2008--2009; 19.7%, 2010--2011.Among children, median age (years) at enrolment decreased from 6.1(IQR:2.7-10.0) in 2005--2007 to 4.8(IQR:1.9-8.6) in 2008--2009, and 4.1(IQR:1.5-8.1) in 2010--2011 and children <24 months increased from 18.5% to 26.1% and 31.5% respectively. Entry from PMTCT was 7.0%, 2005--2007; 10.7%, 2008--2009; 15.0%, 2010--2011. WHO stage IV at enrolment declined from 22.9%, 2005--2007, to 18.3%, 2008--2009 to 13.9%, 2010--2011. Proportion initiating stavudine was 39.8% 2005--2007; 39.5%, 2008--2009; 26.1%, 2010--2011. Median age at ART initiation also declined significantly. Over time, the proportion of pregnant women and of adults and children enrolled from PMTCT programs increased. There was a decline in adults and children with advanced HIV disease at enrolment and initiation of stavudine. Pediatric age at enrolment and ART initiation declined. Results suggest HIV program maturation from an emergency response

Risk Factors for Small-for-Gestational-age and Preterm Births among 19,269 Tanzanian Newborns.

Few studies have differentiated risk factors for term-small for gestational age (SGA), preterm-appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and preterm-SGA, despite evidence of varying risk of child mortality and poor developmental outcomes. We analyzed birth outcome data from singleton infants, who were enrolled in a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of neonatal vitamin A supplementation conducted in Tanzania. SGA was defined as birth weight <10th percentile for gestation age and sex using INTERGROWTH standards and preterm birth as delivery at <37 complete weeks of gestation. Risk factors for term-SGA, preterm-AGA, and preterm-SGA were examined independently using log-binomial regression. Among 19,269 singleton Tanzanian newborns included in this analysis, 68.3 % were term-AGA, 15.8 % term-SGA, 15.5 % preterm-AGA, and 0.3 % preterm-SGA. In multivariate analyses, significant risk factors for term-SGA included maternal age <20 years, starting antenatal care (ANC) in the 3(rd) trimester, short maternal stature, being firstborn, and male sex (all p < 0.05). Independent risk factors for preterm-AGA were maternal age <25 years, short maternal stature, firstborns, and decreased wealth (all p < 0.05). In addition, receiving ANC services in the 1(st) trimester significantly reduced the risk of preterm-AGA (p = 0.01). Significant risk factors for preterm-SGA included maternal age >30 years, being firstborn, and short maternal stature which appeared to carry a particularly strong risk (all p < 0.05). Over 30 % of newborns in this large urban and rural cohort of Tanzanian newborns were born preterm and/or SGA. Interventions to promote early attendance to ANC services, reduce unintended young pregnancies, increased maternal height, and reduce poverty may significantly decrease the burden of SGA and preterm birth in sub-Saharan Africa