Contextual and interdependent causes of climate change adaptation barriers: Insights from water management institutions in Himachal Pradesh, India

Research on adaptation barriers is increasing as the need for climate change adaptation becomes evident. However, empirical studies regarding the emergence, causes and sustenance of adaptation barriers remain limited. This research identifies key contextual causes of adaptation barriers in water institutions in the mountainous Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with representatives from twenty-six key governmental, non-governmental, academic and research institutions in the State with responsibilities spanning domestic water supply, irrigation and hydropower generation, environmental monitoring and research. It identified low knowledge capacity and resources, policy implementation gaps, normative attitudes, and unavailability and inaccessibility of data and information compounded with weak interinstitutional networks as key adaptation barriers. Although these barriers are similar to those reported elsewhere, they have important locally-contextual root causes. For instance, inadequate resources result from fragmented resources allocation due to competing developmental priorities and the desire of the political leadership to please diverse electors, rather than climate scepticism. The identified individual barriers are found to be highly inter-dependent and closely intertwined which enables the identification of leverage points for interventions to maximise barrier removal. For instance, breaking down key barriers hindering accessibility to data and information, which are shaped by systemic bureaucracies and cultural attitudes, will involve attitudinal change through sensitisation to the importance of accurate and accessible data and information and the building trust between different actors, in addition to institutional structural changes through legislation and inter-institutional agreements. Approaching barriers as a system of contextually interconnected cultural, systemic, geographical and political underlying factors enriches the understanding of adaptation enablers, thereby contributing to achieving a better adapted society

Kesuburan Perairan Ditinjau dari Kandungan Klorofil-a Fitoplankton : Studi Kasus di Sungai Wedung, Demak

Perairan Sungai Wedung merupakan ekosistem pesisir yang banyak dimanfaatkan untuk berbagai kegiatan manusia. Hal tersebut tentunya berpengaruh terhadap kesuburan perairan Sungai Wedung. Kesuburan di perairan tersebut dipengaruhi oleh plankton, faktor kimia, fisika dan juga kandungan Klorofil-A. Pengukuran kandungan klorofil-a fitoplankton merupakan salah satu alat pengukuran kesuburan suatu perairan. Klorofil-a fitoplankton adalah suatu pigmen aktif dalam sel tumbuhan yang mempunyai peran penting dalam berlangsungnya proses fotosintesis perairan. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan April – Mei 2013 di Sungai Wedung, Demak bertujuan untuk mengetahui aktivitas manusia terhadap sebaran klorofil-a, keterkaitan antara klorofil-a dan kelimpahan fitoplankton dan tingkat kesuburan perairan berdasarkan kandungan klorofil-a fitoplankton. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode studi kasus dengan teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan metode “Sample Survey Method”. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa hasil analisis data klorofil menggunakan metode anova tersarang (nested anova) diperoleh nilai P untuk stasiun cukup besar sehingga tidak memberikan perbedaan yang nyata pada taraf kepercayaan 95 %. Akan tetapi perbedaan akan nyata pada taraf 90%. Hubungan antara klorofil-a dengan kelimpahan fitoplankton secara linear menunjukkan nilai keeratan yang tinggi dengan nilai koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,93 dan koefisien determinasi sebesar 0,8633 dimana 86% klorofil-a dipengaruhi oleh kelimpahan fitoplankton. Berdasarkan nilai rata-rata klorofil-a yang diperoleh sebesar 1,039863 mg/l dapat disimpulkan bahwa perairan Sungai Wedung tergolong kedalam perairan yang bersifat oligotrofik

Analisis Toll Charge Using Atp/wtp for Kraksaan – Banyuwangi Toll Road

East Java is the second most populous province in Indonesia, based on census data given by Central Bureau of Statistics. The population density in East Java also in line with its density in the sector of transportation. The route has low safety level since there is PLTU Paiton that could affect the road user when there is work accident. To handle density and safety problem, a construction of Kraksaan-Banyuwangi toll was planned to support the Trans-Java Toll. In this construction plan, an investigation of ideal tariff based on user perception using ATP and WTP analysis was required. Data collection was done in Besuki sub-district with 2 locations of survey. The survey was conducted with the method of interview and closed questionnaire for 422 respondents. According to the graphic of relationship between those two methods, the result of respondents characteristic and ideal tariff of Kraksaan-Banyuwangi toll is acquired as follows: Group 1 Rp.625,00/Km, Group 2 Rp. 937.50/Km, Group 3 Rp. 1.250,00/Km, Group 4 Rp.1.562,50/Km, and Group 5 Rp. 1.875,00/Km. The ideal tariff obtained is deemed as low compared to toll tariff in the district of Surabaya, Gempol, Sidoarto and Mojokerto. The difference is regarded as normal considering the growth value of Kraksaan-Banyuwangi region that is still below the aforementioned districts– according to Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS). The low ideal tariff is also influenced by the perception of respondents towards the transportation density of the route that is still considered as normal. Since most of the respondents have never used any toll road before, they also assumed that alternative road / toll is still unimportant

Humerus shaft fracture complicated by radial nerve palsy: Is surgical exploration necessary?

Fractures of the humerus shaft often are complicated by radial nerve palsy. Controversy still exists in the treatment that includes clinical observation and eventually late surgical exploration or early surgical exploration. Algorithms have been proposed to provide recommendations with regard to management of the injuries. However, advantages and disadvantages are associated with each of these algorithms. The aim of this study was to analyze the indications of each treatment options and facilitate the surgeon in choosing the conduct for each lesion, proposing our own algorithm

Role for contrast-enhanced ultrasound in assessing complications after kidney transplant

Kidney transplantation (KT) is an effective treatment for end-stage renal disease. Despite their rate has reduced over time, post-transplant complications still represent a major clinical problem because of the associated risk of graft failure and loss. Thus, post-KT complications should be diagnosed and treated promptly. Imaging plays a pivotal role in this setting. Grayscale ultrasound (US) with color Doppler analysis is the first-line imaging modality for assessing complications, although many findings lack specificity. When performed by experienced operators, contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) has been advocated as a safe and fast tool to improve the accuracy of US. Also, when performing CEUS there is potentially no need for further imaging, such as contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, which are often contraindicated in recipients with impaired renal function. This technique is also portable to patients' bedside, thus having the potential of maximizing the cost-effectiveness of the whole diagnostic process. Finally, the use of blood-pool contrast agents allows translating information on graft microvasculature into time-intensity curves, and in turn quantitative perfusion indexes. Quantitative analysis is under evaluation as a tool to diagnose rejection or other causes of graft dysfunction. In this paper, we review and illustrate the indications to CEUS in the post-KT setting, as well as the main CEUS findings that can help establishing the diagnosis and planning the most adequate treatment

Estímulo no crescimento e na hidrólise de ATP em raízes de alface tratadas com humatos de vermicomposto: i - efeito da concentração.

O vermicomposto contém uma concentração elevada de substâncias húmicas e já é bem conhecido o efeito do seu uso sobre as propriedades do solo. No entanto,a ação direta das substâncias húmicas sobre o metabolismo das plantas é menos conhecida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de humatos extraídos de vermicomposto de esterco de curral com KOH 0,1 mol L-1 sobre o desenvolvimento e metabolismo de ATP em plântulas de alface. Após a germinação, plântulas de alface foram tratadas com os humatos em concentrações que variaram de 0 a 100 mg L-1 de C, durante quinze dias. Foram avaliados o crescimento da raiz e a atividade das bombas de H+ isoladas da fração microssomal do sistema radicular. Foi observado aumento na matéria fresca e seca do sistema radicular, bem como no número de sítios de mitose, raízes emergidas do eixo principal, na área e no comprimento radiculares, com o uso do humato na concentração de 25 mg L-1 de C. Também foi observado, nessa concentração, aumento significativo na hidrólise de ATP pelas bombas de H+, responsáveis pela geração de energia necessária à absorção de íons e pelo crescimento celular

The recovery from agro-industrial wastes provides different profiles of anti-inflammatory polyphenols for tailored applications

Food and agro-industrial processing produce a great amount of side-stream and waste materials that are excellent sources of functional bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds that recover them can be beneficial not only for food sustainability but also to human for many industrial applications such as flavor compounds and therapeutic applications such as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. The treatments and extraction techniques have major effects on the recovery of bioactive compounds. Along with the conventional extraction methods, numerous innovative techniques have been evolved and have been optimized to facilitate bioactive extraction more efficiently and sustainably. In this work, we have summarized the state-of-the-art technological approaches concerning novel extraction methods applied for five most produced crops in Italy; Grape Pomace (GP), Tomato Pomace (TP), Olive Pomace (OP), Citrus Pomace (CP), and Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG), presenting the extraction yield and the main class of phenolic classes, with the focus on their biological activity as an anti-inflammatory in vitro and in vivo studies via describing their molecular mechanism of action

Comparison of Therapeutic Effects between Pulsed and Continuous Wave 810-nm Wavelength Laser Irradiation for Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

Background and Objective Transcranial low-level laser therapy (LLLT) using near-infrared light can efficiently penetrate through the scalp and skull and could allow non-invasive treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the present study, we compared the therapeutic effect using 810-nm wavelength laser light in continuous and pulsed wave modes in a mouse model of TBI. Study Design/Materials and Methods TBI was induced by a controlled cortical-impact device and 4-hours post-TBI 1-group received a sham treatment and 3-groups received a single exposure to transcranial LLLT, either continuous wave or pulsed at 10-Hz or 100-Hz with a 50% duty cycle. An 810-nm Ga-Al-As diode laser delivered a spot with diameter of 1-cm onto the injured head with a power density of 50-mW/cm2 for 12-minutes giving a fluence of 36-J/cm2. Neurological severity score (NSS) and body weight were measured up to 4 weeks. Mice were sacrificed at 2, 15 and 28 days post-TBI and the lesion size was histologically analyzed. The quantity of ATP production in the brain tissue was determined immediately after laser irradiation. We examined the role of LLLT on the psychological state of the mice at 1 day and 4 weeks after TBI using tail suspension test and forced swim test. Results The 810-nm laser pulsed at 10-Hz was the most effective judged by improvement in NSS and body weight although the other laser regimens were also effective. The brain lesion volume of mice treated with 10-Hz pulsed-laser irradiation was significantly lower than control group at 15-days and 4-weeks post-TBI. Moreover, we found an antidepressant effect of LLLT at 4-weeks as shown by forced swim and tail suspension tests. Conclusion The therapeutic effect of LLLT for TBI with an 810-nm laser was more effective at 10-Hz pulse frequency than at CW and 100-Hz. This finding may provide a new insight into biological mechanisms of LLLT.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant R01AI050875)Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (DAMD17-02-2-0006)United States. Dept. of Defense. Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (W81XWH-09-1-0514)United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Military Photomedicine Program (FA9950-04-1-0079))Japan. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and TechnologyJapan Society for the Promotion of Scienc

The Importance of Security Awareness in Combating Phishing Attacks: A Case Study of Bank Rakyat Indonesia

The advent of the digital world does not always have positive impacts, it often poses serious attacks that can be highly detrimental to its users, one of which is phishing. Phishing attacks are among the attacks that have been continuously rising in the digital world. With its various forms, phishing stands out as a significant attack, particularly harmful to housewives. Therefore, cultivating security awareness is of paramount importance in preventing customers from becoming victims of phishing attacks. This research aims to explain the importance of security awareness in preventing phishing and to describe the forms of security awareness in combating phishing attacks. The methodology used in this research is quantitative and qualitative methods with simple linear regression analysis, using SPSS 29.0. The sample consists of 80 respondents who are housewives using BRI mobile banking in RT.003, West Tanjung Village, Jagakarsa District, South Jakarta. Primary data collection was conducted through an interview with a BRI informant. The results of the study show that security awareness has a significant impact on reducing phishing attacks. Therefore, enhancing security awareness to prevent phishing is crucial for both individuals and banks to protect information security and avoid becoming victims of digital crimes such as phishing