The Relationship between Eating Wild Animal Meat with the Level of Uric Acid in Langowan Minahasa, Indonesia

Background; Some researchers have proven that there was a relationship between eatingmeatanduricacidlevels.Therehavebeennospecificstudiesontherelationship between eating wild animal products and uric acid levels. LangowanMinahasa is one of the tribes in Indonesia whose people love to eat wild animal meat from hunting. Objectives; The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between consumption of wild animal meat and uric acid levels in the LangowanMinahasa community. Methods; The research method used wascross sectional with 35 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Results; 42.9% of respondents eat wild animal meat more than three times a week and the mean of uric acid was 6.78mg/dL (SD = 1.27). There was a positive relationshipbetween consumption of wild animal meat with uric acid levels in the MinahasaLangowan community (r = 0.562), (p = 0.000). Conclusions; consumption of wild animal meat with uric acid levels have a positive relationship. This study recommend that the LangowanMinahasa people should reduce or even stop consuming wild animal meat and switch to consuming other protein sources. The researcher also recommended to village officials and the government to provide information to the community on the negative impact of consuming meat from hunted products, both on health and natural ecosystems

Examining Farmers\u27 Perceptions of Precision Agriculture Technologies and Their Interest in Conducting on-Farm Precision Experimentation

Precision agriculture technologies (PATs) have revolutionized the agriculture industry. These technologies have offered many benefits for farmers, including cost savings and higher yields through improved application of inputs (i.e., fertilizers and herbicides). PATs also allow farmers to conduct experiments through a process known as on-farm precision experimentation (OFPE). By conducting these experiments and collaborating with researchers, crop consultants, and extension agents, farmers can learn site-specific management practices to better address challenges on their operations. However, despite these benefits, adoption rates of PATs in the U.S. have barely eclipsed 50%. Furthermore, there may be some skepticism amongst farmers towards researchers who seek to conduct experiments without consulting with farmers. The literature on OFPE has yet to explore the factors that influence a farmer’s decision to conduct experiments and their willingness to collaborate with researchers. If OFPE is the future of agricultural research, then farmers’ views of the work done by researchers and their willingness to conduct these experiments must be explored. This study seeks to fill the gap in the literature by conducting a needs assessment on OFPE. This needs assessment is comprised of two phases. The first phase was interviews with 11 Illinois farmers to gain initial viewpoints on farmers’ perceptions of OFPE. The results from the first phase were utilized to develop a survey that was distributed to a broader, more diverse group of farmers from across the U.S. The results from the survey indicate that farmers are conducting experiments on their operations, but are not collaborating with researchers, crop consultants, or extension agents. Furthermore, farmers are willing to collaborate with researchers to conduct experiments, so long as researchers actively engage farmers throughout the research process

The Water Transfers Rule: How an EPA Rule Threatens to Undermine the Clean Water Act

Water transfer is a term that describes the movement of water from an area where water is available to another area where water is scarce. This process has enabled otherwise uninhabitable lands in the western United States to support large cities and agricultural districts. In Friends of the Everglades v. South Florida Water Management District, the Eleventh Circuit upheld a rule that removed federal water quality restrictions on water transfers. This rule codified the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) position that the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirement of the Clean Water Act (CWA) does not apply to water transfers that do not subject the water to an intervening use. The rule clarifies that a water transfer does not constitute an addition of a pollutant under the CWA that triggers the NPDES requirement. This is true even when the water source contains pollutants that the receiving body of water does not. In essence, the EPA\u27s Water Transfers Rule adopted the highly controversial unitary waters theory. This Note explores the potential effects of the EPA\u27s Water Transfers Rule and concludes that the current rule is untenable. It discusses the importance of water transfers in the western United States and how NPDES permits can limit the movement of water to areas where water is scarce. It then discusses complex water diversions that transfer water across state lines and proffers that federal oversight is necessary to control pollution that results from water diversions. Finally, this Note argues that the Water Transfers Rule should be replaced by a general NPDES permit system that balances the EPA\u27s rule and an individual NPDES requirement for each water transfer

PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM TERHADAP SAKSI DALAM PERKARA TINDAK PIDANA TERORISME DI INDONESIA

Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana perlindungan hukum terhadap saksi dalam perkara tindak pidana terorisme di Indonesia dan bagaimana proses penyelesaian perkara tindak pidana terorisme di Indonesia. Penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian skripsi ini adalah yuridis normatif yaitu penelitian hukum yang dilakukan berdasarkan norma dan kaidah dari peraturan perundangan dan dapat disimpulkan, bahwa: 1. Perlindungan bagi saksi dalam tindak pidana terorisme dilakukan oleh badan pemerintah yaitu Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme (BNPT) bersama Lembaga Perlindungan Saksi dan Korban (LPSK) bekerjasama dalam memberikan perlindungan bagi saksi dalam kasus terorisme. Kerja sama antara LPSK dengan BNPT ini merupakan inisiatif awal agar penanganan perlindungan terhadap saksi dalam kasus terorisme dapat segera terealisasikan. Seperti yang ada dalam RUU Terorisme pasal 32 dan Pasal 33 Undang-Undang No. 15 Tahun 2003 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Terorisme mengatur mengenai perlindungan terhadap saksi dalam memberikan kesaksiannya di persidangan tindak pidana terorisme. 2. Pengaturan pasal 25 Undang-Undang Nomor 15 tahun 2003 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Terorisme, bahwa untuk menyelesaikan kasus-kasus Tindak Pidana Terorisme, hukum acara yang berlaku adalah sebagaimana ketentuan Undang-Undang Nomor 8 tahun 1981 tentang Hukum Acara Pidana (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana/KUHAP). Penyelesaian suatu perkara Tindak Pidana sebelum masuk dalam tahap beracara di pengadilan, dimulai dari Penyelidikan dan Penyidikan, penyidikan, penangkapan, penggeledahan, penahanan, hak didampingi penasehat hukum dan diikuti dengan penyerahan berkas penuntutan kepada Jaksa Penuntut Umum, serta persidangan terdakwa kasus tindak pidana terorisme. Kata kunci:  Saksi, Terorism

Development Of Biomass-Derived Nanoparticles For Biological And Medical Applications

Quantum dots (QDs) are a subset of nanoparticles (NPs) that have several unique optical and electrical properties that make them viable for fluorescent cell labeling applications. However, these QDs in the past were composed of toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, and therefore, graphene-based QDs (GQDs) have been examined as an alternative material for these cell labeling applications for their increased biocompatibility. Furthermore, GQDs can produced singlet oxygen (1O2) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), making them capable of being used as a PS agent for cancer treatment. Additionally, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (hMSNs) are capable of being an alternative treatment to cancer as hMSNs have displayed exceptional drug loading and delivery abilities. The work described in this dissertation will have four primary goals that are all essential for fluorescent cell imaging and cancer treatment using QDs and NPs. The first goal is to investigate current analytical methods for NPs toxicity determination and detection, as well as new protocols for toxicity evaluation. The second goal is to synthesize GQDs using biomass-derived material and hMSNs by a modified Stöber method to improve their biocompatibility and biodegradation. The third is to characterize the newly synthesized GQDs and hMSNs using various analytical methods to better determine their chemical and physical properties. The final goal is to apply the GQDs for fluorescent cell imaging and PDT treatment applications, and the hMSNs for drug loading and delivery into cancer cells. The first project focuses on the investigation of current and advancing analytical methods for nanotoxicity determination and nanoparticle detection. The advancing field of nanoscience has produced lower mass, smaller size, and expanded chemical composition nanoparticles over recent years. These new nanoparticles have challenged traditional analytical methods in terms of qualitative and quantitative analysis. Such advancements of nanoparticles and nanomaterials have captured the attention of toxicologists with concerns regarding the environment and human health impacts. The second project focuses on graphene quantum dots (GQDs), a subset of fluorescent nanomaterials, that have piqued recent interest due to their photoluminescence properties, low toxicity and biocompatibility features for bioanalysis and bioimaging. However, it is still a challenge to prepare highly near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent GQDs using a facile pathway. In this project, NIR GQDs were synthesized from the biomass-derived organic molecule, cis-cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid and their applicability for cell-labeling was tested using RAW 264.7 and MCF-7 cells. The third project focuses on red and near infrared emission GQDs, which is a highly desirable feature for fluorescent nanoparticles in biological applications. This is mainly due to longer wavelengths which may penetrate tissues, organs, skin, and other organic components while less autofluorescence interference is produced. Additionally, GQDs that contain unique optical and electrical features have been targeted for their use in cell labeling applications as well as environmental analysis. However, GQDs are frequently reported to have blue-green emission light and not the more advantageous red/NIR emission light. Furthermore, porphyrins are a subgroup of heterocyclic macrocycle organic compounds and have been used previously to synthesize nanomaterials and for nanoparticle doping in order to incorporate the red/NIR emission light property into particles that otherwise do not contain the desired emission light. Meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine (TCPP) is one type of porphyrin with a large conjugated π-electron system and four carboxyl groups on its exterior benzene rings. These two key characteristics of TCPP makes it ideal for incorporation into GQDs as it would design and synthesize red-emissive material as well as give rise to excellent water solubility. In this work, TCPP is used in tangent with cis-cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid (CBDA-2), a biomass derived organic molecule, to synthesize “green” porphyrin-based graphene quantum dots (PGQDs) with red-emission. Their imaging application was tested using HeLa cells via confocal microscopy. In the fourth project, the GQDs used previously were combined with silica-based nanoparticles for fluorescent imaging and dual cancer treatment applications. Nano-based cancer therapeutics have been researched and developed, with some nanomaterials being shown to possess anticancer properties. GQDs are one such class of nanoparticles due to their valuable characteristics such as photoluminescence, biocompatibility, and water solubility. When it comes to cancer treatment, GQDs contain the ability to generate 1O2, a reactive oxidative species (ROS), allowing for the synergistic imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. However, due to their small particle size, GQDs struggle to remain in the target area for long periods of time in addition to being poor drug carriers. To combat this, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (hMSNs) have been extensively researched for drug delivery applications. hMSNs also contain exceptional biocompatibility in addition to high drug-loading capacities and easy surface functionalization. This project investigates the utilization and combination of GQDs and hMSNs to make GQDs-hMSNs for an enhanced double treatment of cancer; using GQDs for 1O2 generation and fluorescent imaging in vitro that would have biodegradable hMSNs synthesized around them to serve as the drug deliverer into the target cancer cell. RAW 264.7 cells were utilized again for the GQDs-hMSNs biological and medical applicational use

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PENYERAPAN LULUSAN PROFESI NERS UNIVERSITAS KLABAT

Salah satu tolak ukur mutu suatu program studi adalah kecepatan penyerapan alumni yang dihasilkan dalam dunia pekerjaan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk menganalisa faktor-faktor apa saja yang mempengaruhi penyerapan lulusan  profesi NERS Universitas Klabat di dunia kerja dalam persepsi para alumni. Penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif, yang melibatkan 71 alumni yang meresponse google form yang dikirimkan pada group alumni Fakultas Keperawatan profesi Ners Universitas Klabat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat 20 faktor yang berperan dalam penyerapan lulusan profesi NERS di lapangan pekerjaan, namun lima faktor teratas adalah sikap, ketrampilan, lulusan dari universitas unggulan, sertifikat dan pengetahuan. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang ada, peneliti ingin mengajukan saran kepada Fakultas Keperawatan Universitas Klabat, agar memperbanyak praktek untuk pengembangan soft skill para mahasiswa, serta pengembangan kepribadian dalam membentuk sikap atau attitude para calon perawat, mengasah skill para mahasiswa dan melaksakan sertifikasi sesuai kebutuhan pasar sehingga dalam dunia pekerjaan, para alumni akan dengan mudah mendapatkan pekerjaan

Effects of in ovo herbicide exposure in newly hatched domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) and ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Agriculture is a valuable economic resource in western Canada, but for decades farmers have focused on intensive production practices while ignoring the long-term health and maintenance of the land. In recent years, the use of conservation agricultural techniques has been encouraged in an effort to conserve prairie landscape while sustaining cropland productivity. Sustainable agricultural practices that promote soil and water conservation and benefit wildlife and prairie biodiversity include conservation tillage and planting of winter cereal crops. Many species of wild birds nest in the ground cover provided by minimum tillage and fall seeded cropland in the spring. Although habitat quality in conservation areas is superior for birds, there is potential for eggs of ground nesting birds to be exposed to herbicides during spring weed control operations. Herbicides commonly used on the prairies to control weed growth in conservational systems include 2,4-D and Buctril-M®. Since the subtlethal effects of exposure to these herbicides may include DNA damage and immunomodulation, the overall goal of this study was to assess whether in ovo exposure to the herbicides 2,4-D and Buctril-M® adversely affects genetic material and/or immune system function in newly hatched domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) and ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), as surrogates for wild bird species.Study design attempted to reproduce actual field exposures by use of an agricultural field spray simulator to apply formulated herbicides (as opposed to pure active ingredients) at recommended crop application rates. In three separate experiments, fertile chicken eggs were sprayed with 2,4-D ester formulation or with Buctril-M® formulation, and fertile duck eggs were sprayed with 2,4-D ester formulation, during either an early (embryonic day 6) or late (embryonic day 15 for chickens or embryonic day 21 for ducks) stage of incubation. Genotoxicity and immune system function were evaluated in the hatchlings as the main toxicological endpoints to assess potential subtle effects from herbicide exposure, but additional measures of general health and development were also evaluated. Two endpoints were used to assess subtle changes to genetic integrity. The comet assay was used to detect structural damage (strand breaks) in avian lymphocyte DNA, as an index of acute genotoxic effects. Flow cytometry was used to examine potential clastogenic effects of the herbicides, by determining if chromosomal changes resulted in variability in the DNA content of avian erythrocytes. Several endpoints were examined to evaluate potential exposure-induced effects on the immune system. Immunopathological assessment of chicks and ducklings included differential lymphocyte counts, as well as immune organ weights and histopathology. The cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in hatchlings were assessed using the delayed-type hypersensitivity test and measurement of systemic antibody production in response to immunization, respectively. Exposure of fertile chicken and duck eggs to Buctril-M® or 2,4-D had no effects on the biomarkers of genetic integrity in this study. Differences in herbicide treatment (high and low concentrations) and times of exposure (early and late incubation stages) did not translate into noticeable factor effects in final model analyses for any of the genotoxicity assay variables evaluated in newly hatched chickens exposed in ovo to 2,4-D. Similarly, comet assay outcomes in chicks exposed to Buctril-M® were not significantly associated with either herbicide treatment or time of exposure as fixed effect factors. Results of the comet assay using peripheral lymphocytes from ducklings provided evidence of potential primary genetic damage associated with the time of spray exposure in ovo. Comet tail DNA content was significantly associated (P = 0.0269) with exposure times, suggesting that ducks may be increasingly sensitive to spray exposure conditions at an early stage of embryological development. Effects of exposure timing were not attributable to herbicide treatment. Although 2,4-D exposure time was associated with DNA strand breakage in ducklings, there was no evidence of chromosomal damage. However, an association between the HPCV values (a measure of DNA content variability) and time of spray exposure was observed in the experiment where 21-day-old chickens were treated in ovo with Buctril-M®. The mean HPCV value for the early exposure group (E6) was significantly greater (P = 0.0210) than that of the group treated later in incubation (E15). However, Buctril-M® the concentration of herbicide did not have any influence on this outcome, and the reason for the difference between exposure times is uncertain, but may be attributed to stress associated with manipulations during spraying. An increase in HPCV, reflecting greater intercellular DNA variability, is indicative of increased incidence of chromosomal damage, which may be an effect of disturbance during early periods of incubation as a result of exposure conditions.Among the panel of immunotoxicity tests conducted to evaluate the effects of in ovo exposure to 2,4-D and Buctril-M® on the developing avian immune system, only heterophil/ lymphocyte (H/L) ratios and relative immune organ weights were significantly associated with either herbicide treatment or time of spray exposure in all three experiments. In 21-day-old chicks exposed in ovo to 2,4-D, relative bursa weight was associated with the different herbicide treatments (P = 0.0006). Relative bursa weights were significantly lower in chicks in the low dose group, while the opposite effect was observed in the high dose chicks, compared with the controls. It is unlikely that the observed decrease in bursa weight in the low dose group is causally related to herbicide exposure because a consistent dose-response effect was not observed, but this outcome may be explained by a compensatory immune response. The relative spleen weights of newly hatched chickens exposed in ovo to Buctril-M® exhibited a significant association with herbicide treatment (P = 0.0137). Relative spleen weights for birds in the low dose treatment groups were significantly different than both the control (P = 0.0179) and high dose groups (P = 0.0125). However, there was no significant difference between high dose and control groups, and this outcome reduces the likelihood of a causal relationship between spleen weight and herbicide exposure. In the parallel experiment involving in ovo exposure to 2,4-D to ducklings, relative bursa weight was associated with time of spray exposure (P = 0.0434). Ducklings that hatched from eggs exposed to spray on day 6 of incubation exhibited greater mean relative bursa weights than the birds exposed to spray at a later incubation stage (E21). This result implies that spray exposure during earlier stages of development may result in conditions which affect the humoral immune response, if increased bursal weight is associated with increased B lymphocyte and antibody production. In the same experiment, mean H/L ratios in peripheral blood samples from 21-day-old ducklings were significantly different between the groups treated with the high concentration of 2,4-D and water (control) (P = 0.0395). Although ratios from the birds in the low dose groups were not significantly different from the control groups, changes in H/L ratio values demonstrate a dose dependent relationship with increasing herbicide exposure.Residue analysis of chicken and duck eggs in this study measured transfer of herbicide through the shell and into the embryo 24 hours and up to 5 days (chickens only) after spraying. Mean 2,4-D residue concentrations were higher in both chicken and duck eggs from the high dose (10X) groups than in eggs exposed to the recommended field rate of herbicide application (1X). Embryo residue concentrations in the chicken eggs increased from the day following exposure to 5 days after spraying, in both low and high dose groups. This observation indicates that the risk of contaminant-induced adverse effects may continue to increase for at least several days after exposure, thereby influencing the concentration of herbicide to which the developing embryo is exposed.On the Canadian prairies, wild bird eggs are potentially to be exposed to 2,4-D and Buctril-M® during various stages of embryonic development. The present study examined effects of herbicide exposure at two distinct times during incubation, and demonstrated the potential for subtle impacts on genetic integrity and the immune system. Results indicate that spray exposure during earlier stages of organogenesis may cause more significant adverse effects. Given the possible harmful consequences of the observed changes on the long-term health of wild birds, further research is needed in order to better characterize the risks of in ovo agrochemical exposure in prairie ecosystems

Investigation of Moringa oleifera leaf extract and its cancer-selective antiproliferative properties

Moringa oleifera is a tree native to a number of Asian, African, and Central American countries and has been used in traditional medicine for an assortment of medicinal uses for centuries. Due to bioactive compounds within Moringa leaves, it is believed that Moringa leaf extract may possess cancer-selective antiproliferative properties. Previous research has been conducted in regards to this topic, but poor experimental design due to lack of necessary controls limits the legitimacy of anticancer claims. While previous research has shown that Moringa leaf extract has the potential to kill cancer cells, the research fails to demonstrate the effects of Moringa leaf extract on healthy cells. In order for anticancer claims to be sufficient and yield the possibility of a future cancer treatment, Moringa leaf extract must not harm non-cancerous cells. This is essential in order to be considered a cancer-selective killing agent. The current study was designed using tissue type pairs including both cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines. These cell lines were treated with increasing concentrations of Moringa leaf extracts. After 48 hours, cell proliferation was measured with CellTiter 96 Aqueous Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay, and statistical analyses were completed. Results showed that the Moringa leaf extract had no statistically significant effect on either of the breast cell lines, cancerous or non-cancerous. However, the results suggest there is a statistically significant difference in cell proliferation between the lung cell lines. Low concentrations increased cell proliferation in the healthy lung cells while having no significant effect on the cancerous lung cells. The effects reversed at higher concentrations. This could be due to the difference in cell responses between cancerous lung cells and healthy lung cells. Microscopy findings provided qualitative results that helped determine the method of cell death occurring by cells treated with Moringa leaf extract. Ideally, an effective cancer treatment would cause cancerous cells to die by apoptosis, rather than necrosis. However, the findings suggest necrosis is the primary mode of death occurring in the cancerous lung cells, while the cancerous breast cells showed no signs of cell death. This research contradicts previous findings that Moringa leaf extract is a cancer killing agent; therefore, more research should be completed to understand these new findings