Analysis of Total Organic Matter, Total Nitrogen, and Total Phosphorus in the Estuary Waters of Maros as a Source of Brackish Water for Fish Ponds Aquaculture

Indonesia is a tropical area with high rainfall, the area on land is connected by around 472 large and small rivers that flow into the sea. The estuary area is the meeting area of ??rivers or fresh water streams with the ocean. Transportation of organic matter, minerals and sediments from upstream to the estuary and from the sea containing minerals, hence estuarine waters are more fertile than other areas. In addition, estuary areas are important habitats for several types of marine and freshwater organisms to fulfill their life cycles, which are used as spawning, foraging, and nursery grounds. This study aimed to determine the total organic contents, total Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in the estuary waters of Maros as a source of brackish water for fish pond aquaculture in Maros Regency. The research was conducted in the estuary waters of Maros for three months from September to November 2020. Sampling was conducted four times with an interval of once every 15 days. Sampling was carried out at five stations based on water movements to the estuary, station A was located at the seawater, station B was located in the pond wastewater locations, station C was water sources from residential waste, station D was located in the river, and station E was the estuarine water. The results showed that the dominant water quality parameters affecting estuarine water quality were salinity, total organic matter, nitrogen content, either in the form of ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite, and phosphorus content, especially phosphate. Water entering the estuary has an impact on high concentrations of total organic matter, increased concentrations of Total N, and phosphorus. The results of water quality analysis in estuaries showed that salinity, organic matter, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and phosphate exceed the standard threshold for water quality standards for fish pond aquaculture. Thus, the waters of the Maros estuary are not suitable for aquaculture, especially for the 5 observed stations (A, B, C, D and E).

Detection of Neuroendocrine Tumour of Sphenoid Sinus on the Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET/CT: A Rare Entity

@#Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are a category of neoplasm that is characterised by its phenotypic and heterogeneity. The occurrence of this type of neoplasm in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is extremely rare accounting for only 0.2-0.8% of all cancers. NET tends to expresses somatostatin receptors (SSTR) and owning to this unique characteristic, molecular imaging has been able to detect these tumours using radiolabelled somatostatin analogue agent. Gallium-68 (Ga-68) DOTATATE PET/CT is an example of SSTR imaging and has been shown to be of importance in the assessment and staging of NET. We present a case of a rare sphenoid sinus NET in a 45-year-old gentleman whom initially presented with persistent left eye pain which led to visual loss. We described the utilization of Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of this patient which in turn dictated treatment approach.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae - The Culprit for Juvenile Dermatomyositis in A 9-Year-Old Girl: A Case Report

@#Mycoplasma pneumoniae is frequently known as an “atypical bacterium” that can cause wide-ranging extrapulmonary manifestations. Here, we outline a case of a child, aged 9-year-old, who presented with profound proximal muscle weaknesses and a vague rash, associated with markedly elevated serum creatinine kinase (CK). Muscle biopsy suggested Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) following an upper respiratory illness of M. pneumoniae origin. The child responded exceptionally well to a combined therapy of immunoglobulin, intravenous glucocorticoid and methotrexate.

Organic matter and moringa leaf extract's effects on the physiology and fruit quality of red seedless watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) / Efeitos da matéria orgânica e do extrato da folha de moringa sobre a fisiologia e qualidade do fruto da melancia vermelha sem sementes ( Citrullus lanatus )

This study was designed to assess the effects of different types of organic matter on the quality and biochemical properties of red seedlesswatermelon.The research was a single factor experiment, which involved six (6) treatments and four (4) replications. Watermelon grown and harvested from five (5) different organic matter sources, namely; vermicompost (VC), poultry manure (PM), cow dung (CD), goatdung (GD), and moringa leaf extract (MLE), at the rates of 10 ton, 20 ton, 30 ton, 30 ton, and 3000 L ha-1, respectively, were used in this study. The results revealed that the treatment of vermicompost improved the chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, stomatal conductance, internal carbon dioxide, net photosynthetic rate, fruit weight and mineral nutrient content of watermelon. The application of cow dung reduced the rind thickness and increased the TSS and antioxidant activity of the watermelon. The goat dung treatment significantly affected fruit size, juice content and the pH content of the watermelon's fruit juice. The poultry manure (PM) and moringa extract (MLE) treatments resulted in the highest anthocyanin content of all the watermelon. Although all the organic matter, in their unique ways, improved the quality of red seedless watermelon, the study shows that the vermicompost application had better growth, yield and improvement in the quality of watermelon.

Este estudo foi desenhado para avaliar os efeitos de diferentes tipos de matéria orgânica sobre a qualidade e propriedades bioquímicas da melancia vermelha sem sementes. A pesquisa foi um experimento de fator único, que envolveu seis (6) tratamentos e quatro (4) repetições. Melancia cultivada e colhida de cinco (5) diferentes fontes de matéria orgânica, nomeadamente; vermicomposto (VC), esterco de galinha (PM), estrume de vaca (CD), esterco de cabra (GD) e extrato de folhas de moringa (MLE), nas doses de 10 ton, 20 ton, 30 ton, 30 ton e 3000 L ha-1, respectivamente, foram utilizados neste estudo. Os resultados revelaram que o tratamento do vermicomposto melhorou o teor de clorofila, a fluorescência da clorofila, a condutância estomática, o dióxido de carbono interno, a taxa fotossintética líquida, o peso do fruto e o teor de nutrientes minerais da melancia. A aplicação de esterco bovino reduziu a espessura da casca e aumentou o TSS e a atividade antioxidante da melancia. O tratamento com esterco de cabra afetou significativamente o tamanho do fruto, o teor de suco e o teor de pH do suco de fruta da melancia. Os tratamentos com esterco de galinha (PM) e extrato de moringa (MLE) resultaram no maior teor de antocianina de todas as melancias. Apesar de toda a matéria orgânica, em seus meios únicos, melhorar a qualidade da melancia vermelha sem sementes, o estudo mostra que a aplicação do vermicomposto apresentou melhor crescimento, rendimento e melhora na qualidade da melancia.

Hepcidin TH1-5 Induces Apoptosis and Activate Caspase-9 in MCF-7 Cells.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and leading cause of cancer deaths among women globally. In continuation of our investigation into the cytotoxicity of the antimicrobial peptide, Hepcidin TH1-5 on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7), we further affirm the apoptosis-inducing effect of the cysteine-rich peptide in the present study. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide (annexin V-FITC/PI) apoptosis assay was performed after treatment of the cells. In the determination of caspase activity and pathway of apoptosis, luminescent assay was also performed where caspase-3/7, caspase-8 and caspase-9 were evaluated. Results of annexin V-FITC/PI staining showed proportion of early apoptotic cell were 73.67 ± 4.93%, 61.00 ± 5.57% and 44.33 ± 2.52% at 24, 48 and 72 hours respectively, while late apoptotic cell were 6.33 ± 1.53%, 23 ± 3.56% and 34 ± 3.51% within the same time interval. Based on the data from the luminescence test, Hepcidin TH1-5 activated caspases-3/7 and -9 which suggests that the apoptosis induced was due to the peptide treatment. Hepcidin TH1-5 induced apoptosis in MCF-7 via the activation of caspase-9 of the intrinsic pathway. These results support our previous findings of the cytotoxicity of Hepcidin TH1-5 and indicate that the peptide may be a potential agent for breast cancer therapy.

Discriminating Ficus deltoidea var. bornensis from Different Localities by HPTLC and FTIR Fingerprinting.

A nondestructive, efficient, and accurate fingerprinting method using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been developed and optimized for the investigation and demonstration of the variance in chemical characteristics among extracts of Ficus deltoidea Jack var. bornensis from different but closely situated origins. The capacity of attenuated total reflectance (ATR) to differentiate these samples were studied using methanol and water extracts which were preliminarily screened using HPTLC with vitexin and isovitexin being used as markers for authentication. The mobile phase used was ethyl acetate: formic acid (0.1%): methanol at ratio of 5:5:2 (v/v/v) and the profile showed that methanol extracts had higher affinity for the markers. The FTIR spectra indicated that there was no obvious difference in spectroscopic pattern for either extracts when comparing samples from different localities but the absorption intensities of some peaks were different. Multivariate statistical analyses of PCA and HCA showed that both these techniques were capable of identifying the most similar as well as most differing samples and the identification depended on the type of extract. Overall, FTIR fingerprinting has the potential to be a fast and reliable analytical methodology for the discrimination between variants of plant from closely situated locations and hence chemically similar samples.

Reviews of herbal and their secondary metabolites in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and peptic ulcer.

Peptic ulcer is a disease of the Gastro-intestinal tract (GIT), which includes both gastric and duodenal ulcers. The occurrence of peptic ulcer disease has been attributed to the imbalance between aggressive factors like acid, pepsin, and Helicobacter infection on one hand and the local mucosa defenses like bicarbonate and mucus secretion and prostaglandins synthesis on the other hand. The most serious complications of peptic ulcer disease include hemorrhage, perforation, penetration, and gastric outlet obstruction. Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores. IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome. Ulcerative colitis is associated with a general inflammatory process that affects many parts of the body. Sometimes these associated extra-intestinal symptoms are the initial signs of the disease, such as painful arthritic knees in a teenager and may be seen in adults also. Several classes of pharmacological agents have proved to be effective in the management of the acid peptic disorders viz., antacids, acid suppressive agents, anticholinergic, cytoprotective agents, etc. A widespread search has been launched to identify new anti-ulcer therapies from natural sources to replace currently used drugs of doubtful efficacy and safety. Herbs, medicinal plants, spices, vegetables and crude drug substances are considered to be a potential source to control various diseases including gastric ulcer and ulcerative colitis. In the scientific literature, a large number of medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites with anti-ulcer potential have been reported. As the gastro protective effect can be linked to different mechanisms, once demonstrated the activity, the extracts and more appropriately the active compounds should be assessed for action mechanisms to elucidate their mode of action. Besides, new action mechanisms may be discovered.

E-cadherin expression correlates with histologic type but not tumour grade in invasive breast cancer.

The traditional classification of infiltrating breast carcinomas into ductal and lobular can be diagnostically challenging in a small proportion of cases with equivocal histological features and in in-situ lesions with overlapping features. Distinguishing between the infiltrating ductal (IDC) and lobular (ILC) carcinomas is clinically important because of the different pattern of systemic metastases and prognostic evaluation. E-cadherin is a potentially useful immunohistochemical marker which may serve to differentiate between the two tumour types. We therefore studied E-cadherin expression in 32 cases of breast carcinomas comprising 16 IDCs and 16 ILCs. The correlation between E-cadherin expression and the histological grade of IDCs was also analysed. Our results showed complete loss of E-cadherin expression in all ILCs, while the IDCs consistently showed variable E-cadherin positivity. No significant correlation was found between E- cadherin expression and the histological grade of IDCs. We conclude from this study that E-cadherin is a useful marker to differentiate between IDC and ILC of the breast. A larger study of IDCs is now needed to further evaluate the correlation between E-cadherin and tumour grade to estimate its prognostic potential.

Effect of early neonatal exposure to deltamethrin on the purkinje cell number in rat cerebellum

Deltamethrin is a widely used insecticide belonging to the class of pyrethroid. Although the neurotoxicity of pyrethroids including deltamethrin is well established, it is still unclear whether exposure to deltamethrin during neonatal period has any deleterious effect on the survival of the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. In the study, we investigated the total number of Purkinje cells in experimental rats exposed to deltamethrin using a stereological method, the fractionator. Deltamethrin in a dose of 1 mg/kg/day (corresponds to 20% of LD50 ) was administered through oral gavage to male pups from 2nd to 5th postnatal day (PND). At PND 21 the animals were sacrificed and their cerebelli were removed. The cerebelli were systematically sampled using the fractionator method and stained with cresyl fast violet. The number of the Purkinje cells was counted for each cerebellum. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the total number of Purkinje cells in the deltamethrin-treated group as compared to the control animals. This suggests that deltamethrin exposure at the current dosage during the neonatal period do not have any significant effect on the survival of the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum.

Interferon induced glomerular disease in a patient with chronic hepatitis C

Chronic hepatitis C manifests with many extrahepatic features including renal involvement. However, less commonly, interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C can also result in renal involvement and we describe a case when interferon therapy resulted in minimal change glomerulopathy, a form of involvement which, carries a good prognosis. Our patient developed nephrotic syndrome while on interferon therapy and HCV RNA levels were undetectable at that time. The disease showed excellent response to steroid therapy.