A new root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne moensi n. sp. (Nematoda : Meloidogynidae), parasitizing Robusta coffee from Western Highlands, Vietnam

A new root-knot nematode, parasitizing Robusta coffee in Dak Lak Province, Western Highlands of Vietnam, is described as Meloidogyne moensi n. sp. Morphological and molecular analyses demonstrated that this species differs clearly from other previously described root-knot nematodes. Morphologically, the new species is characterized by a swollen body of females with a small posterior protuberance that elongated from ovoid to saccate; perineal patterns with smooth striae, continuous and low dorsal arch; lateral lines marked as a faint space or linear depression at junction of the dorsal and ventral striate; distinct phasmids; perivulval region free of striae; visible and wide tail terminus surrounding by concentric circles of striae; medial lips of females in dumbbell-shaped and slightly raised above lateral lips; female stylet is normally straight with posteriorly sloping stylet knobs; lip region of second stage juvenile (J2) is not annulated; medial lips and labial disc of J2 formed dumbbell shape; lateral lips are large and triangular; tail of J2 is conoid with rounded unstriated tail tip; distinct phasmids and hyaline; dilated rectum. Meloidogyne moensi n. sp. is most similar to M. africana, M. ottersoni by prominent posterior protuberance. Results of molecular analysis of rDNA sequences including the D2-D3 expansion regions of 28S rDNA, COI, and partial COII/16S rRNA of mitochondrial DNA support for the new species status

¬Predicting the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Incidence Among Pharmacist Assistant in Banjarmasin South Kalimantan

Latar belakang: Banjarmasin memiliki jumlah apotek terbanyak di wilayah Kalimantan Selatan. Salahsatu jenis pekerjaan yang ada di apotek adalah asisten apoteker. Dengan tipikal pekerjaan asisten apoteker yang indoor dan memiliki resiko yang tinggi terhadap paparan zat kimia, asisten apoteker cenderung mengalami kejadian Sick Building Syndrom. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi faktor determinan yang paling berpengaruh terhadap kejadian SBS pada asisten apoteker yang bekerja di apotek wilayah kerja Kota Banjarmasin Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian crosssectional dengan metode observasional analitik. Lokasi penelitian dilakukan pada 13 lokasi apotek yang berada di wilayah kerja Kota Banjarmasin dengan 73 orang asisten apoteker yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi sebagai respondennya. Variabel bebas dari penelitian ini adalah variabel karakteristik responden dengan sub variabel jenis kelamin, usia, kondisi psikososial dan masa kerja, variabel aspek perilaku dengan sub variabel pengetahuan, sikap dan praktik asisten apoteker terhadap SBS, serta variabel faktor lingkungan pekerja meliputi kepadatan ruang, suhu, kelembaban, kecepatan aliran udara serta pencahayaan ruangan, sedangkan kejadian SBS menjadi variabel terikat. Hasil : Sebanyak 29 responden (39.7%) responden mengalami kejadian SBS dengan sebesar 68.3% kejadian SBS dipengaruhi oleh faktor psikososial responden (OR 26,479), masa kerja (OR 9,882), tindakan yang memicu SBS oleh responden (OR 13,859) serta kondisi pencahayaan yang tidak sesuai standar (OR 8,912). Kesimpulan : Untuk mengurangi angka kejadian SBS pada asisten apoteker maka diharapkan para pihak pengelola apotek di wilayah kerja kota Banjarmasin dapat melakukan pendekatan personal untuk mengurangi resiko paparan stress, melakukan pengaturan jam kerja untuk mengurangi keterpaparan dalam jangka waktu yang berlebihan, menerapkan pengaturan pencahayaan sesuai standar serta menyediakan waktu dan tempat terbuka bagi pekerjanya untuk beristirahat

Technical Efficiency of Resource-Conserving Technologies in Rice -Wheat Systems: The Case of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh in India

This study has evaluated the technical efficiency of farmers engaged in rice-wheat cropping systems in North-eastern India, who are using Resource-Conserving Technologies (RCTs) such as Zero Tillage (ZT) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR). These technology promotions are being carried out under the intervention of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project, primarily funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The resource-conserving technologies are being promoted as part of conservation agriculture supported by the project. The data used in this study have been derived from the socioeconomic surveys conducted in Eastern Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar in North-eastern India during the kharif season of 2009 and rabi season of 2010. A stochastic frontier analysis was carried out to investigate and compare the determinants of technical efficiency among the farmers receiving intervention and those who are not. The study has revealed that farmers receiving CSISA intervention have realized higher levels of technical efficiency. Additionally, farmers who are receiving subsidies and farmers who are planting more diversified crops have higher levels of technical efficiency.Conservation agriculture, Direct seeded rice, India, Resource-conserving technology, Technical efficiency, Stochastic frontier, Zero tillage, Agricultural and Food Policy, O30, Q18, O22,

Elastic properties of grafted microtubules

We use single-particle tracking to study the elastic properties of single microtubules grafted to a substrate. Thermal fluctuations of the free microtubule's end are recorded, in order to measure position distribution functions from which we calculate the persistence length of microtubules with contour lengths between 2.6 and 48 micrometers. We find the persistence length to vary by more than a factor of 20 over the total range of contour lengths. Our results support the hypothesis that shearing between protofilaments contributes significantly to the mechanics of microtubules.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Competition between Kondo and RKKY correlations in the presence of strong randomness

We propose that competition between Kondo and magnetic correlations results in a novel universality class for heavy fermion quantum criticality in the presence of strong randomness. Starting from an Anderson lattice model with disorder, we derive an effective local field theory in the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) approximation, where randomness is introduced into both hybridization and Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions. Performing the saddle-point analysis in the U(1) slave-boson representation, we reveal its phase diagram which shows a quantum phase transition from a spin liquid state to a local Fermi liquid phase. In contrast with the clean limit of the Anderson lattice model, the effective hybridization given by holon condensation turns out to vanish, resulting from the zero mean value of the hybridization coupling constant. However, we show that the holon density becomes finite when variance of hybridization is sufficiently larger than that of the RKKY coupling, giving rise to the Kondo effect. On the other hand, when the variance of hybridization becomes smaller than that of the RKKY coupling, the Kondo effect disappears, resulting in a fully symmetric paramagnetic state, adiabatically connected with the spin liquid state of the disordered Heisenberg model. .....

Efek Asam Metoksiasetat Terhadap Kondrogenesis Jari Anggota Tubuh Depan Mencit (Mus Musculus) Swiss Webster

Asam metoksiasetat (MAA) dapat mengakibatkan kelainan digit anggota tubuh depan mencit Swiss Webster (SW). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gangguan kondrogenesis jari anggota tubuh depan akibat perlakuan dengan MAA. MAA diberikan secara gavage pada mencit SW umur kebuntingan 11 hari. Penentuan kondrogenesis dilakukan pada rigi jari III dan IV dengan mengamati sayatan plantar tunas anggota tubuh yang diwarnai Hematoksilin-Eosin. Komponen matriks ekstraseluler; asam hialuronat (AH) dan kondroitin sulfat (KS) diwarnai dengan Alcian blue 1%, sedangkan kolagen (KOL) ditentukan dari hasil pewarnaan Azan Heidenhain. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, bahwa sel mesenkim di wilayah bakal rigi jari IV dan sekitarnya mengalami apoptosis. Sel mesenkim yang bermigrasi ke tempat kondensasi rigi jari IV jumlahnya menurun, sehingga diferensiasi sel mesenkim menjadi kondroblas terganggu, sintesis asam hialuronat AH sedikit, dan hanya meningkat ketika sel mesenkim terkondensasi. Demikan juga kehadiran KS terlambat dan kandungannya rendah, bahkan kolagen tidak ditemukan karena komponen sel yang menyusun rigi jari IV masih berupa kondroblas. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan, bahwa MAA mengganggu kondensasi mesenkim pada pembentukan rigi jari akibat jumlah sel yang berkurang, sehingga menghambat diferensiasi sel maupun sintesis komponen matriks ekstrasel rigi jari