Determination of effective diffusion coefficient of immobilized Baker's yeast invertase in various concentration of PVA-alginate matrix

Baker's yeast invertase is immobilized in PVA-alginate matrix using an improved method. PVA beads were prepared by adding calcium alginate to improve its stability, mechanical and chemical properties. Boric acid was used as the cross-linking agent and additional chemicals consisting of 10% boric acid and sodium sulphate solution was used as a treatment solution to harden the PVA-alginate beads. The determination of the effective diffusion of PVA-alginate matrix the vital step in optimizing the preparation of immobilized and water-soluble biocatalyst. In this study the two-level full factorial design was used to investigate the effect of PVA and boric acid concentrations and diffusions coefficient. Diffusion coefficient (De) is one of the factors that significantly affect the mass transport within the immobilization matrix. De value varies for each concentration of PVA and boric acid. The result concluded that both factors significantly affect the De. A maximum De value of 5.0141 x 10(-5) cm2s-1 was obtained at boric acid and PVA concentraion of 7w/v and 10.5 w/v respectively

Oral Cancer Awareness and its Determinants among a Selected Malaysian Population

Objective: To assess oral cancer awareness, its associated factors and related sources of information among a selected group of Malaysians. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on all Malaysian ethnic groups aged >= 15 years old at eight strategically chosen shopping malls within a two week time period. Data were analysed using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression. Significance level was set at alpha<0.05. Results: Most (84.2%) respondents had heard of oral cancer. Smoking was the most (92.4%) recognized high risk habit. Similar levels of awareness were seen for unhealed ulcers (57.3%) and red/white patches (58.0%) as signs of oral cancer. Age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, occupation and income were significantly associated with oral cancer awareness (p<0.05). Conclusions: There was a general lack of awareness regarding the risk habits, early signs and symptoms, and the benefits of detecting this disease at an early stage. Mass media and health campaigns were the main sources of information about oral cancer. In our Malaysian population, gender and age were significantly associated with the awareness of early signs and symptoms and prevention of oral cancer, respectively.Article Link: http://koreascience.or.kr/article/ArticleFullRecord.jsp?cn=POCPA9_2013_v14n3_195

Elastisitas Permintaan Tenaga Kerja Dan Kekakuan Upah Riil Sektoral Di Sulawesi Selatan

EnglishThis study aimed to measure the elasticity of labor demand and the level of real wage rigidity as well as studying the dynamic behavior of real wages in South Sulawesi. The elasticity of labor demand were analyzed using an OLS method, the level of wage rigidity was analyzed using an error correction model (ECM), and dynamic behavior of real wages was analyzed using an impulse response function (IRF). The results showed that the elasticity of labor demand was inelastic to the real wages in all sectors. The elasticity of labor demand of the changes in a variety of sources of economic growth was also inelastic in all sectors. The employment opportunities in agricultural and industrial sectors were more responding to the increasing exports and investment, while other sectors more responding to the increased private consumption. Labor productivity and imports significantly reduced employment opportunities in all sectors. The industrial sector had a more real wages rigidity compared to the real wages in agricultural sector and other. Real wages rigidity of industrial sector took about 4.6 years to reach equilibrium conditions, while the agricultural sector only took about 1.5 years and other sectors needed about 2.2 years. The increased competitiveness of various exported commodities and the creation of a conducive-investment climate were a strategic step to expand employment opportunities. In addition, the policy such as setting the regional minimum wage (UMR) more suitable to market wages was also considered as a strategy to reduce wage rigidity in South Sulawesi.IndonesianStudi ini bertujuan untuk mengukur elastisitas permintaan tenaga kerja dan tingkat kekakuan upah riil serta mempelajari perilaku dinamis upah riil sektoral di Sulawesi Selatan. Elastisitas permintaan tenaga kerja dianalisis dengan metode OLS, tingkat kekakuan upah menggunakan Error Correction Model (ECM) dan perilaku dinamis upah riil menggunakan metode Impuls Respon Function (IRF). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa elastisitas permintaan tenaga kerja terhadap upah riil adalah inelastis di semua sektor. Elastisitas permintaan tenaga kerja atas Perubahan berbagai sumber-sumber pertumbuhan ekonomi juga inelastis di semua sektor. Kesempatan kerja sektor pertanian dan industri lebih merespon peningkatan ekspor dan investasi sedangkan sektor lainnya lebih merespon peningkatan konsumsi masyarakat. Produktivitas tenaga kerja dan impor signifikan mereduksi kesempatan kerja di semua sektor. Lebih lanjut, sektor industri memiliki upah riil yang lebih kaku di bandingkan upah riil sektor pertanian dan sektor lainnya. Upah riil sektor industri membutuhkan waktu sekitar 4,6 tahun untuk mencapai kondisi keseimbangannya sedangkan sektor pertanian hanya memerlukan waktu sekitar 1,5 tahun dan sektor lainnya sekitar 2.2 tahun. Peningkatan daya saing komoditi ekspor dan penciptaan iklim investasi yang kondusif merupakan langkah strategis untuk perluasan kesempatan kerja. Selain itu, kebijakan seperti penetapan UMR yang lebih sesuai dengan upah pasar juga dipandang strategis untuk mengurangi kekakuan upah di Sulawesi Selatan

A noninvasive molecular approach: exploiting species-locus-specific PCR primers in defeating numts and DNA cross-contamination of cercopithecidae

The lack of a standardized, noninvasive molecular approach to studying genetic aspects of primates has made it hard for primatologists to decode the evolutionary history of these species. Researchers must optimize their own techniques to fully exploit the available samples. Lack of species-locus-specific primers also contributes to difficulties in using noninvasive genetic samples. Thus, the objectives of this study were to develop a standardized technique to collecting samples noninvasively, propose newly designed species-locus-specific primers, and optimize conditions for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Macaca fascicularis, M. nemestrina, Trachypithecus cristatus, and T. obscurus. Nine new species-locus-specific primers for three different loci of mitochondrial DNA, namely D-loop, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), and cytochrome b, were successfully designed. These primers proved to be efficient in amplifying larger datasets (up to ~1,000 bp) of the targeted species in the optimized PCR conditions. The species-locus-specific primers are able to anneal to host DNA alone in highly contaminated feces of highlighted species. They can also offer alternatives measures in avoiding contamination related to nuclear insertion of mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts)

Biosugar production from oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) using viscozyme

In this study, the performance of HNO3 and NaOH pretreatmentson oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) was evaluated based on the residual carbohydrate. The best pretreatment condition was ascertained for reducing sugar and biosugar produced after saccharification with viscozyme. The pretreatment with 2 % (v/v) HNO3 improved cellulose concentration from 33.14 % to 60.0 %, while hemicellulose, lignin and ash were reduced by 25.59 %, 10.0 % and 25.9 % to 10.0 %, 5.33 % and 3.0 %, respectively. Enzymatic treatment using 1g solid loading, produce highest production in terms of arabinose 10.5 g/l, glucose (1.1 g/L) and xylose (0.42 g/L) was obtained under agitation. While for 10 grams solid loading, highest level of bio-sugar was obtained with arabinose (0.8 g/L) and glucose (1.6 g/L). FESEM-EDX and FTIR images before and after saccharification successfully showed the effect of enzymatic treatment on the mesocarp fiber

Suplementasi Mineral Sulfur pada Ransum Tongkol Jagung Amoniasi dan Pengaruhnya terhadap Kecernaan secara In Vitro

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect supplementation of mineral sulphur on the digestibility of ammoniated corn cobs ration. The objective of this experiment is to determine the optimum level of sulphur supplementation to in vitro digestibility of rations. Rations consisted of 50% ammoniated corn cobs and 50% concentrate. As treatments, was various levels of sulphur at0, 0,13, 0,16, 0,21 and 0,32% of DM basis. Parameters measured included: digestibility of DM, OM, CP and fiber fractions. Data were statistically analyzed by variance analysis in a block randomized design. Results showed that the treatments gave highly significant (P<0,01) effect on the digestibility. Digestibility of DM. OM, CP and fibers fractions increased as increasing level of sulphur supplementation. The best digestibility was found on 0,16% level of sulphur supplementation

Suplementasi Mineral Sulfur pada Ransum Tongkol Jagung Amoniasi dan Pengaruhnya terhadap Kecernaan secara In Vitro

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect supplementation of mineral sulphur on the digestibility of ammoniated corn cobs ration. The objective of this experiment is to determine the optimum level of sulphur supplementation to in vitro digestibility of rations. Rations consisted of 50% ammoniated corn cobs and 50% concentrate. As treatments, was various levels of sulphur at0, 0,13, 0,16, 0,21 and 0,32% of DM basis. Parameters measured included: digestibility of DM, OM, CP and fiber fractions. Data were statistically analyzed by variance analysis in a block randomized design. Results showed that the treatments gave highly significant (P<0,01) effect on the digestibility. Digestibility of DM. OM, CP and fibers fractions increased as increasing level of sulphur supplementation. The best digestibility was found on 0,16% level of sulphur supplementation

Pengaruh Pemberian Dosis Mineral Ca dan Lama Fermentasi Pelepah Sawit terhadap Kandungan Lignin, Kecernaan BK, BO, PK dan Fraksi Serat (NDF, ADF, Hemiselulosa dan Selulosa) Menggunakan Kapang Phanerochaete Chrysosporium

Pelepah sawit dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai pakan ternak tetapi terkendala karena tingginya kandungan lignin. Strategi yang dapat dilakukan untuk menurunkan kandungan lignin pelepah sawit adalah melalui fermentasi menggunakan kapang Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc). Pertumbuhan kapang Phanerochaete chrysosporium dipengaruhi oleh ketersediaan mineral dalam substrat. Untuk itu diperlukan penambahan mineral sesuai dengan kebutuhan kapang dimana salah satunya adalah mineral kalsium (Ca). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pengaruh pemberian dosis mineral Ca dan lama fermentasi dalam menurunkan kandungan lignin, meningkatkan kecernaan BK, BO, PK, NDF, ADF, Selulosa dan Hemiselulosa pelepah sawit yang difermentasi menggunakan kapang Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) pola faktorial untuk menghitung persentase penurunan lignin dan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) pola faktorial dengan tiga kali ulangan. Faktor A yaitu pemberian dosis mineral Ca yaitu A0: kontrol (pelepah + Pc) + 0 ppm Ca, A1: kontrol + 1000 ppm Ca, A2 : kontrol + 1500 ppm Ca, A3 : kontrol + 2000 ppm Ca. Faktor B adalah lama waktu fermentasi yaitu Y1: 10 hari, Y2 : 15 hari dan Y3 : 20 hari. Data dianalisis menggunakan analisa varian (Anova) dan untuk melihat perbedaan antar perlakuan dilakukan uji lanjut Duncan\u27s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) (Steel and Torrie, 1991). Hasil sidik ragam menunjukkan perlakuan memberikan pengaruh berbeda nyata (P<00.1) terhadap penurunan kandungan lignin, kecernaan BK, BO, PK, NDF, ADF, Hemiselulosa dan Selulosa. Penelitian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa fermentasi pelepah sawit menggunakan kapang Phanerochaete chrysosporium pada dosis mineral Ca 2000 ppm dengan lama fermentasi 10 hari dapat menurunkan kandungan lignin 26,79% dengan kecernaan BK 51,44%., BO 53,24%., PK 47,54%., NDF 47,48%., ADF 42,24%., Selulosa 45,44% dan Hemiselulosa 48,34%