Characteristics of Paleotsunami Sediments, a Case Study in Cilacap and Pangandaran Coastal Areas, Jawa, Indonesia

DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v8i4.166A paleotsunami study having been conducted in 2011 took two study cases in Cilacap and Pangandaran coastal areas. These two regions have been devastated by tsunami in the past and had the most severe damaged on 17 July 2006. Trenching, beach profiling, and sediment sampling had been carried out, and further analysis at the laboratory had been done, such as grain size and fossil analyses and dating. In Cilacap, an iron sand layer was found as a key bed suspected as a paleotsunami deposits due to the content of anthropogenic fragments. In Pangandaran, two layers of tsunami deposit candidates were found having thickness of 5 - 6 cm at the top as a 2006 tsunami deposit candidate, and 5 - 10 cm at the bottom as a paleotsunami deposit candidate. Both grain size and fossil analysis results could explain that Pangandaran\u27s sediments are tsunami deposits while Cilacap\u27s ones are assumed to be deposited by another process rather than a tsunami

Immunoregulatory effects of AFP domains on monocyte-derived dendritic cell function

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a tumor-associated glycoprotein that functions in regulation of both ontogenic and oncogenic growth. Recent study showed that AFP can induce apoptosis or impair monocyte-derived dendritic cell (MDDC) function. However, it is still unclear which AFP domain (D-AFP) plays major role in this function.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As expected monocytes cultured in the presence of Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) and Interleukin-4 (IL-4) developed into MDDC. Up-regulation of HLA-DR and CD11c as well as loss of CD14 molecules could be observed. Full length AFP (FL-AFP), domain 2 AFP (D2-AFP) and D3-AFP, but not D1-AFP, significantly inhibited the expression of HLA-DR^high/CD11c^highand CD80⁺/CD86^highmolecules. In contrast, CD83 expression was substantially down-regulated in all samples. Expression of CD40 was significantly suppressed by FL-AFP but not by any D-AFPs. Finally, both FL-AFP and D-AFP impaired the MDDC ability to secrete IL-12 (p70).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>D2- and D3- but not D1-AFP extensively suppresses the MDDC function. All the recombinant AFP proteins impaired the ability of MDDC to secrete IL-12.</p

Related party lending and rural bank risk: Evidence during the Covid-19 period

This study aims to investigate bank lending behaviors during the Covid-19 period and further to examine the effect of related party lending (RPL) on the rural bank risk. We posit there is significant change on the lending growth and related party lending proportion during this period. We utilize 730 rural banks in Indonesia using panel data approach from 2019 to 2022. Utilizing panel data estimations to test the impact of RPL on risk and to further investigate its interaction with the COVID-19 using system GMM, we document that RPL is negatively associated with rural bank risk proxied by loan loss provision as ex-ante credit risk and positively associated with Z-Score as bank default risk. Moreover, the COVID-19 weaken the relationship between related party lending and rural bank risk. These results provide new insight into understanding risk management implementation for minimizing these risks. We also adopt several proxies and a split sample analysis to check for the robustness. Finally, we seek for lesson learned from the crisis and propose some implication for bank and relevant authorities. © 2023 Elsevier B.V

Targeting dissemination of submergence tolerant rice in Assam, India: A geomatics approach

Assam, situated in the north-eastern region of India, covers an area of 78,438 sq. km. Rice occupies about two-third of the total cropped area in the state, and is grown in 2.47 million ha area during kharif (rainy) and rabi (summer) seasons. The 2.04 t/ha rice (paddy) productivity in Assam is below the national average of 3.29 t/ha of rice productivity of India, despite having good alluvial soils. Rice productivity in Assam is mainly constrained by the frequent spells of floods during kharif season. An estimated of 0.475 million ha (ca 19% of the net sown area) in the state is chronically flood-prone. Swarna Sub1, a flood-tolerant rice variety has been developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) by introduction of Sub1 gene in the parent variety Swarna, providing it submergence tolerance up to 15 days. The Government of Assam wanted to introduce this variety in the state in 2011. To facilitate effective dissemination of Swarna-Sub1 rice seeds, this study used remote sensing and GIS to identify villages experiencing flash food with maximum duration of 15 days. Such endeavor involved analysis of 21 flood-prone districts of Assam using flood inundation layer, based on Radarsat-2 multi-temporal data (C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, SAR wide range at 100 m resolution with HH polarization; SAR narrow range at 50 m resolution; standard range at 25 m resolution). All available SAR data from 2007 to 2010 were used. The year-wise layers of different flood dates were digitized in ArcGIS and areas where flood water stagnated for 15 days or less in different flood cycles in a year were clipped. This process was repeated for all the four flood years and a merged data layer was created. The merged data layer was intersected with village administrative boundary and villages were selected. These selected villages represent the submergence areas of 15 days or less, recommended locations for dissemination of Sub1 rice variety seeds. A total of 6997 villages in 21 districts were identified for seed dissemination through an IRRI-implemented project- Stress Tolerant Rice for Farmers in Africa and South Asia (STRASA). Dissemination of Swarna-Sub1 seeds was carried out under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) of the Government of India during 2011. In 2012, more seed multiplication was carried out and in 2013, about 30,000 ha was covered by Swarna-Sub1 in Assam. Following its success, Sub1 gene was introgressed into two most popular rice varieties of Assam-Ranjit and Bahadur. These varieties, Ranjit-Sub1 and Bahadur-Sub1, were released for cultivation in 2018. Sub1 rice varieties have now covered a significant area in Assam. This study demonstrated the use case of remote sensing and GIS technologies to target dissemination of flood-tolerant rice varieties with the ultimate goal of reducing vulnerability of rice farmers to flood-induced crop production loss and thereby increasing farmers\u27 rice productivity and also helped farmers grow flood tolerant rice in those flooded areas where no crop could be taken otherwise

Characteristics of Paleotsunami Sediments, A Case Study in Cilacap and Pangandaran Coastal Areas, Jawa, Indonesia

DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v8i4.166A paleotsunami study having been conducted in 2011 took two study cases in Cilacap and Pangandaran coastal areas. These two regions have been devastated by tsunami in the past and had the most severe damaged on 17 July 2006. Trenching, beach profiling, and sediment sampling had been carried out, and further analysis at the laboratory had been done, such as grain size and fossil analyses and dating. In Cilacap, an iron sand layer was found as a key bed suspected as a paleotsunami deposits due to the content of anthropogenic fragments. In Pangandaran, two layers of tsunami deposit candidates were found having thickness of 5 - 6 cm at the top as a 2006 tsunami deposit candidate, and 5 - 10 cm at the bottom as a paleotsunami deposit candidate. Both grain size and fossil analysis results could explain that Pangandaran’s sediments are tsunami deposits while Cilacap’s ones are assumed to be deposited by another process rather than a tsunami.</p

Immunohistochemical Detection of Coxiella Burnetii in Cattle Spleen Organs From Ampel Slaughterhouse, Boyolali Regency

Q-fever is a zoonotic bacterial disease that caused by Coxiella burnetii. These microorganism are gram negative and obligate intracellular bacteria. This study was conducted to detect C. burnetii in cattle organs which collected from Ampel slaughterhouse Boyolali Regency. In this study, spleen, heart, lung, liver and kidney were collected from 100 cattle. The samples were tested by immunohistochemical (IHC) method using polyclonal anti- C. burnetii antibodies. Immunohistochemical examination found the presence of C. burnetii in the cytoplasm of macrophage cells with specific brown color only in the spleen as many as 4 out of 100 cattle showing immunoreactive (4%). The four positive individual samples were from Simental cattle. These results indicate that Q-fever was found in local cattle in Boyolali Regency