A model of toxic neuropathy in Drosophila reveals a role for MORN4 in promoting axonal degeneration

Axonal degeneration is a molecular self-destruction cascade initiated following traumatic, toxic, and metabolic insults. Its mechanism underlies a number of disorders including hereditary and diabetic neuropathies and the neurotoxic side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Molecules that promote axonal degeneration could represent potential targets for therapy. To identify such molecules, we designed a screening platform based on intoxication of Drosophila larvae with paclitaxel (taxol), a chemotherapeutic agent that causes neuropathy in cancer patients. In Drosophila, taxol treatment causes swelling, fragmentation, and loss of axons in larval peripheral nerves. This axonal loss is not due to apoptosis of neurons. Taxol-induced axonal degeneration in Drosophila shares molecular execution mechanisms with vertebrates, including inhibition by both NMNAT (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase) expression and loss of wallenda/DLK (dual leucine zipper kinase). In a pilot RNAi-based screen we found that knockdown of retinophilin (rtp), which encodes a MORN (membrane occupation and recognition nexus) repeat-containing protein, protects axons from degeneration in the presence of taxol. Loss-of-function mutants of rtp replicate this axonal protection. Knockdown of rtp also delays axonal degeneration in severed olfactory axons. We demonstrate that the mouse ortholog of rtp, MORN4, promotes axonal degeneration in mouse sensory axons following axotomy, illustrating conservation of function. Hence, this new model can identify evolutionarily conserved genes that promote axonal degeneration, and so could identify candidate therapeutic targets for a wide-range of axonopathies

Aplikasi Media Informasi Website Pengenalan Tempat Pariwisata Belitung

Pariwisata menjadi salah satu sektor yang berkembang sangat cepat, bahkan di beberapa negara pariwisata menjadi faktor pendukung utama dalam perekonomian suatu negara. Belitung merupakan bagian dari Provinsi Kepulauan Bangka Belitung yang memiliki potensi pariwisata yang cukup baik dengan segala sumber daya yang dimilikinya. Tapi karena belum banyak dikenal oleh masyarakat. Maka dibuatlah penelitian ini sehingga masyarakat mengetahui tempat – tempat pariwisata yang ada di Belitung, dengan membuat perancangan sistem, melakukan analisis, dan pengujian sistem serta implementasi pada sistem aplikasi perancangan aplikasi media informasi pengenalan tempat pariwisata di belitung berbasis web. Dalam pengembangan sistem perancangan aplikasi media informasi pengenalan tempat pariwisata di belitung berbasis web penulis menggunakan beberapa metode dalam penelitiannya yaitu metode analisis untuk merencanakan, menganalisis, mendesain, dan mengimplementasi rancangan sistem, metode perancangan untuk merancang spesifikasi file sistem serta input dan output layar, metode pengumpulan data yaitu studi kepustakaan dan kuisioner dari sistem yang dibuat. Hasil dari dibangunnya perancangan aplikasi media informasi pengenalan tempat pariwisata di Belitung berbasis web diharapkan dapat memberi manfaat dan informasi tentang tempat – tempat pariwisata yang ada di Belitung kepada masyarakat. Untuk menguji sistem yang telah dibuat maka penulis melakukan survei dalam bentuk kuisioner. Maka berdasarkan kuisioner yang telah dibagikan dan diisi oleh para pengguna, dapat simpulkan bahwa aplikasi media informasi pengenalan tempat pariwisata di Belitung ini bermanfaat bagi pengguna karena membantu pengguna untuk lebih mengenal tempat – tempat pariwisata yang ada di Belitung, baik yang mengetahui atau tidak mengetahui tentang tempat pariwisata di Belitung

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Urinary Pathogens Isolated from Two Tertiary Hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is among the most common reasons for patients to seek health assistance that is commonly  encountered in office practices. This is also a leading cause of Gram negative sepsis in hospitalized patients.Objectives: This study was carried out in order to isolate, characterize and identify the pathogens associated with UTI in two teaching hospitals at Osun state, Nigeria and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.Methods: This was a prospective observational study involving standard microbiological procedures for analysing urine samples of inpatient and outpatient cases of UTI. Identification of these pathogens was performed using Microbact/API identification system.Results: Out of the 300 urine samples cultured, 88 (29.3%) yielded  significant growth of urinary pathogens while 212 (70.7%) yielded either insignificant growth or no growth of any urinary pathogen. Escherichia coli 19 (21.6%) were the commonest pathogen isolated followed by Klebsiella pneumonia 14 (15.9%), Staphylococcus aureus 12(13.6%), Candida albicans 12(13.6%), Pseudomonas aerugenosa 9 (10.2%), Klebsiella oxytoca 8 (9.1%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus 6 (6.8%), Serratia  rubidaea 3 (3.4%), Enterobacter agglomerans 2 (2.3%), Acinetobacter iwoffii 1 (1.1%), Acinetobacter baumannii 1 (1.1%), Providencia retgerri 1 (1.1%). The susceptibility of Gram negative bacteria (GNB) were mainly toward parenteral antibiotic rather than oral one, while most of the common  antibiotic showed a resistant pattern. UTI was more prevalent among  patients within hospital setting 71(80.7%) than out-patients 17(19.3%).Conclusion: This study justifies the necessity to treat patients with UTI based on antimicrobial susceptibility test result in order to prevent   evolution of resistant pathogens. Since UTI has large impact on the socio-economy and emergence of bacterial resistance, periodic surveillance of antibiotic susceptibility is strongly recommended.Keywords: Microbact; antimicrobial resistance; UTI and Osobgo

Design of Acceptance Decision Support System for New Employees in the Technician Position Using AHP and TOPSIS Methods at CV. Techindo Global Solution

An agency cannot be separated from the role of human resources (HR) working in it. The quality of human resources is one factor to improve the productivity of an institution's performance. Therefore, an assessment in employee selection is an important part of providing qualified employees for the company. Problems that occur in CV Techindo Global Solutions is the process of receiving employees who are still using the manual way and based on subjective assessment results so that the process of acceptance of employees to be slow and inaccurate. The absence of an application program in support of decision making for employee recruitment. Based on this, the author designed the decision support system of employee appraisal on CV. Techindo Global Solutions using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and TOPSIS (Technique For Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) methods. Employee acceptance system is done by using Analytic Hierarchy Process method to determine the weight of each criterion and the use of Technique For Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution to conduct ranking alternatives in the form of employee data. This system is built with PHP and MySQL programming language as database. With the program using AHP and TOPSIS method, the new employee's assessment is better than the individual assessment and with the decision support information system, the process of receiving the employee can be helped from the evaluation side

Phylogeny, hybridization, and life history evolution of Rhinogobius gobies in Japan, inferred from multiple nuclear gene sequences.

最も多様な淡水性ハゼ科魚類、ヨシノボリ類の進化史を解明 -回遊魚の淡水域への適応進化と大規模な種間交雑-. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2015-05-26.Rhinogobius fishes (Gobiidae) are distributed widely in East and Southeast Asia, and represent the most species-rich group of freshwater gobies with diversified life histories (i.e., amphidromous, fluvial, and lentic). To reveal their phylogenetic relationships and life history evolution patterns, we sequenced six nuclear and three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) loci from 18 species, mainly from the mainland of Japan and the Ryukyu Archipelago. Our phylogenetic tree based on nuclear genes resolved three major clades, including several distinct subclades. The mtDNA and nuclear DNA phylogenies showed large discordance, which strongly suggested mitochondrial introgression through large-scale interspecific hybridization in these regions. On the basis of the molecular dating using geological data as calibration points, the hybridization occurred in the early to middle Pleistocene. Reconstruction of the ancestral states of life history traits based on nuclear DNA phylogeny suggests that the evolutionary change from amphidromous to freshwater life, accompanied by egg size change, occurred independently in at least three lineages. One of these lineages showed two life history alterations, i.e., from amphidromous (small egg) to fluvial (large egg) to lentic (small egg). Although more inclusive analysis using species outside Japan should be further conducted, the present results suggest the importance of the life history evolution associated with high adaptability to freshwater environments in the remarkable species diversification in this group. Such life history divergences may have contributed to the development of reproductive isolation

Electoral institutions and repression in dictatorships

We argue that the relationship between authoritarian elections and repression depends on the electoral system in use. Proportional representation (PR) systems co-opt more heterogeneous political groups to contest and receive seats in the legislature and thus, dictators are less likely to use broad-based repression. Under plurality rules, by contrast, the regime has more incentives to mobilize turnout and deter collective action. Examining electoral systems from 1990 to 2010, we find that elections only reduce broad-based repression under PR systems, which are less commonly used in non-democracies. Our results highlight the importance of formal institutions in shaping political outcomes even in dictatorships

Ethnic ties, organized opposition and voter defection in authoritarian elections

Existing studies of ethnic voting mainly focus on democratic elections. In electoral autocracies, politically subordinate ethnicity can help citizens coordinate against the incumbent. However, we argue that collective action will be constrained when the group grows large, as it becomes costly for its members to form common behavioural norms and carry out effective sanctions through shared ethnic ties under authoritarian repression. Drawing on unique historical surveys in Taiwan, we study how Taiwanese ethnicity and local ethnic demography jointly induced voters’ defection against the hegemonic KMT regime. We find that the pro-defection or anti-incumbent effect of Taiwanese ethnicity fell as the share of Taiwanese citizens in a township increased. However, the relative size of the Taiwanese group no longer undermined pro-defection ethnic voting after the KMT lifted the ban on opposition parties. Our results illustrate that formal organizations play a critical role in sustaining the informational salience of ethnicity in the elections

Extended Lifetime in Computational Evolution of Isolated Black Holes

Solving the 4-d Einstein equations as evolution in time requires solving equations of two types: the four elliptic initial data (constraint) equations, followed by the six second order evolution equations. Analytically the constraint equations remain solved under the action of the evolution, and one approach is to simply monitor them ({\it unconstrained} evolution). The problem of the 3-d computational simulation of even a single isolated vacuum black hole has proven to be remarkably difficult. Recently, we have become aware of two publications that describe very long term evolution, at least for single isolated black holes. An essential feature in each of these results is {\it constraint subtraction}. Additionally, each of these approaches is based on what we call "modern," hyperbolic formulations of the Einstein equations. It is generally assumed, based on computational experience, that the use of such modern formulations is essential for long-term black hole stability. We report here on comparable lifetime results based on the much simpler ("traditional") $\dot g$ - $\dot K$ formulation. We have also carried out a series of {\it constrained} 3-d evolutions of single isolated black holes. We find that constraint solution can produce substantially stabilized long-term single hole evolutions. However, we have found that for large domains, neither constraint-subtracted nor constrained $\dot g$ - $\dot K$ evolutions carried out in Cartesian coordinates admit arbitrarily long-lived simulations. The failure appears to arise from features at the inner excision boundary; the behavior does generally improve with resolution.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure