A Peroxisomal Lon Protease and Peroxisome Degradation by Autophagy Play Key Roles in Vitality of Hansenula polymorpha Cells

In eukaryote cells various mechanisms exist that are responsible for the removal of non-functional proteins. Here we show that in the yeast Hansenula polymorpha (H. polymorpha) a peroxisomal Lon protease, Pln, plays a role in degradation of unfolded and non-assembled peroxisomal matrix proteins. In addition, we demonstrate that whole peroxisomes are constitutively degraded by autophagy during normal vegetative growth of WT cells. Deletion of both H. polymorpha PLN and ATG1, required for autophagy, resulted in a significant increase in peroxisome numbers, paralleled by a decrease in cell viability relative to WT cells. Also, in these cells and in cells of PLN and ATG1 single deletion strains, the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species had increased relative to WT controls. The enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species may be related to an uneven distribution of peroxisomal catalase activities in the mutant cells, as demonstrated by cytochemistry. We speculate that in the absence of HpPln or autophagy unfolded and non-assembled peroxisomal matrix proteins accumulate, which can form aggregates and lead to an imbalance in hydrogen peroxide production and degradation in some of the organelles.

Pengaruh Pemberian Pupuk Kandang Ayam dan Pupuk NPK Mutiara Terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Tanaman Bawang Merah (Allium ascalonicum L.)

Bawang merah (Allium ascalonicum L.) di Indonesia telah lama dibudidaya oleh petani sebagai usaha tani komersial dan merupakan salah satu tanaman hortikultura yang banyak diminati dipasaran dan banyak digunakan sebagai bahan bumbu masakan, untuk meningkatkan produksi bawang merah dibutuhkan unsur hara yang cukup, salah satunya dengan pemberian Pupuk Kandang Ayam dan Pupuk NPK Mutiara. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Desa Hendea, Kecamatan Sampolawa, Kabupaten Buton Selatan mulai bulan 2 Juli 2024 sampai selesai. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) dengan 5 perlakuan dan dikelompokan atas 3 kelompok sehingga diperoleh 15 unit percobaan. Pengamatan meliputi tinggi tanaman (cm), jumlah daun (helai), jumlah anakan, jumlah umbi, berat umbi basah (g), dan berat umbi kering (g). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa Pemberian Pupuk Kandang Ayam dan Pupuk NPK Mutiara Bawang Merah berpengaruh terhadap tinggi tanaman, jumlah daun, jumlah anakan, jumlah umbi, berat umbi basah, dan berat umbi kering bawang merah (Allium ascalonicum L.)

Peroxisomal Proteostasis Involves a Lon Family Protein That Functions as Protease and Chaperone

Proteins are subject to continuous quality control for optimal proteostasis. The knowledge of peroxisome quality control systems is still in its infancy. Here we show that peroxisomes contain a member of the Lon family of proteases (Pln). We show that Pln is a heptameric protein and acts as an ATP-fueled protease and chaperone. Hence, Pln is the first chaperone identified in fungal peroxisomes. In cells of a PLN deletion strain peroxisomes contain protein aggregates, a major component of which is catalase-peroxidase. We show that this enzyme is sensitive to oxidative damage. The oxidatively damaged, but not the native protein, is a substrate of the Pln protease. Cells of the pln strain contain enhanced levels of catalase-peroxidase protein but reduced catalase-peroxidase enzyme activities. Together with the observation that Pln has chaperone activity in vitro, our data suggest that catalase-peroxidase aggregates accumulate in peroxisomes of pln cells due to the combined absence of Pln protease and chaperone activities.

Testosterone depot injection in male hypogonadism: a critical appraisal

Testosterone compounds have been available for almost 70 years, but the pharmaceutical formulations have been less than ideal. Traditionally, injectable testosterone esters have been used for treatment, but they generate supranormal testosterone levels shortly after the 2- to 3-weekly injection interval and then testosterone levels decline very rapidly, becoming subnormal in the days before the next injection. The rapid fluctuations in plasma testosterone are subjectively experienced as disagreeable. Testosterone undecanoate is a new injectable testosterone preparation with a considerably better pharmacokinetic profile. After 2 initial injections with a 6-week interval, the following intervals between two injections are almost always 12-weeks, amounting eventually to a total of 4 injections per year. Plasma testosterone levels with this preparation are nearly always in the range of normal men, so are its metabolic products estradiol and dihydrotestosterone. The “roller coaster” effects of traditional parenteral testosterone injections are not apparent. It reverses the effects of hypogonadism on bone and muscle and metabolic parameters and on sexual functions. Its safety profile is excellent due to the continuous normalcy of plasma testosterone levels. No polycythemia has been observed, and no adverse effects on lipid profiles. Prostate safety parameters are well within reference limits. There was no impairment of uroflow. Testosterone undecanoate is a valuable contribution to the treatment options of androgen deficiency

EFL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

This study aims to delve into EFL pre-service teachers' perceptions of teaching assistance provided through the teaching assistance Program. This study selected 8 pre-service teachers from Universitas Muhammadiyah Kendari purposively and used interview as the primary method of data collection. Through a description of thematic analysis, this study identified key themes related to EFL pre-service teachers' understanding of the teaching assistance program, the role of teaching assistance, and the benefits and challenges faced during the program. The findings demonstrated that EFL pre-service teachers comprehended the goals and advantages of the program, which included gaining practical experience in an elementary school context and improving their teaching abilities.  But they also had to deal with a number of issues, such inadequate communication with the school staffs, lack of supporting teaching and learning facilities, and the used to be high standards set by both teachers and students. Benefits of instructional help, including improved interpersonal and professional abilities, were also discovered in this study.   The current study proposes that pre-service teachers should be given extended time to prepare, endure more comprehensive instruction, and open more effective collaboration with teachers in the school in order to benefit from the adjustable teaching experiences. Consequently, this research contributes meaningful and valuable insights for enhancing the implementation of the teaching assistance program

“Harvesting Thorns”: Comedy as Political Theatre in Syria and Lebanon

At the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 70s, political comedy grew exponentially in Syria and Lebanon. This phenomenon was represented mainly in the performances of three troupes: Thorns Theatre (Al-Shuk Theatre مسرح الشوك), Tishreen Troupe (Ferqet Tishreen فرقة تشرين ), and Ziyad Al-Rahbani Theatre (Masrah Ziyad Al-Rahbani مسرح زياد الرحباني ). These works met with great success throughout the Arab world due to the audacity of the themes explored and their reliance on the familiar traditions of Arab popular theatre. Success was also due to the spirit of the first Arab experimental theatre established by pioneers like Maroun Al-Naqqash (1817-1855) and Abu Khalil Al-Qabbani (1835-1902), who in the second half of the nineteenth century mixed comedy, music, songs and dance as a way to introduce theatre performance to a culture unaccustomed to it. However, this theatre started to lose its luster in the early 1990s, due to a combination of political and cultural factors that will be examined in this essay. This thesis depends on historical research methodology to reveal the political, social and cultural conditions that led to the emergence and development (and subsequent retreat) of political theatre in the Arab world. My aim is to, first, enrich the Arab library with research material about this theatre which lacks significant critical attention; and second to add new material to the Western Library, which is largely lacking in research about modern and contemporary Arab theatre and culture. Lastly, this analysis is aimed at developing a theory of political comedy and its cultural relevance to Arab theatre as this form has contributed for many decades to a rise in social and political awareness in the Arab world

Reputational Risk: A Bibliometric Review of Relevant Literature

This paper focuses on analyzing the level of research development regarding reputational risk on a general basis to identify what topics remain to be investigated. As a result, it offers a broader scope of research, including research debates, resolutions, and gaps that are relevant to the topic. A bibliometric analysis has been employed in this study to identify the topic’s trends and pinpoint potential gaps in the literature. The data were collected from the Scopus database for the period of 1994–2022, where the search resulted in a total of 659 documents relating in any way to reputational risk that fit the selection criteria. Research shows that conducted investigations are in favor of reputation risk and e-commerce, reputation insurance, corporate social responsibility, operational risk, risk management, and sustainability reporting. However, some of the articles' results on related topics were contradictory, and others found no evidence relating to reputation risk; some other topics were not fully examined or presented in the literature. Therefore, the current topic-related literature does not suffice, and further research is required to cover more topics on reputation risk and further highlight alignment between similar studies. This study has brought to light the relevant papers related to reputational risk and demonstrated potential gaps in the literature by investigating articles’ contradictory results on the researched topics, in turn conveying which topics need further examination. Thus, the literature will continue to evolve as members of the global academic community strive to fill the gaps and identify potential rescue strategies for jeopardized business entities. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-025 Full Text: PD