Judul: Effect of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Peel Simplicia
Administration on Spatial Working Memory in Hippocampus.
Abstrak: Hipokampus merupakan salah satu bagian dari otak mamalia yang berperan penting bagi sistem limbik. Terong ungu (Solanum melongena L.) yang berasal dari famili Solanaceae diketahui memiliki potensi untuk menstimulasi neurogenesis di hipokampus. Terong ungu juga berpotensi untuk meningkatkan memori dan perlu dikaji lebih mendalam. Oleh karena itu, tujuan penelitian ini menganalisis pengaruh terong ungu terhadap neurogenesis dan kompleksitas dendrit di hipokampus. Penelitian ini menggunaan mencit jantan galur DDY yang dibagi menjadi 3 kelompok. Kelompok C atau kontrol diberi air mineral, kelompok perlakuan T1 dan T2 masing-masing diberi simplisia kulit terong ungu 0.0025 g dan 0.0063 g. Perlakuan diberikan secara oral selama 30 hari. Hasil uji perilaku menunjukan bahwa pemberian simplisia kulit terong ungu tidak berpengaruh terhadap peningkatan spasial memori (nilai signifikansi 0.54 dengan p>0.05) dan juga tidak berpengaruh terhadap kompleksitas dendrit berdasarkan uji ANOVA, meskipun jumlah NPC (nilai signifikansi 0.001 dengan p<0.05) dan sel granular (nilai signifikansi 0.0013 dengan p<0.05) mengalami peningkatan pada daerah dentata gyrus di hipokampus.
Keyword: dendritic complexity, eggplant peel, spatial working memory

Judul: Uji Simplisia Daun Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) terhadap Pembelajaran Spasial dan Neurogenesis pada Hipokampus Mencit
Abstrak: Otak merupakan pusat sistem saraf yang berfungsi mengatur kemampuan pembelajaran spasial dan pemrosesan memori, keduanya terjadi di daerah hipokampus melalui proses neurogenesis. Salah satu bahan tanaman yang berpotensi dalam meningkatkan fungsi kerja otak yaitu daun tanaman melinjo (Gnetum gnemon). Ekstrak daun melinjo dapat menghambat enzim Acethylcholinesterase dan mengembalikan fungsi kolinergik yang mana sangat penting untuk fungsi kognitif, pembelajaran, dan memori. Penelitian mengenai efek daun melinjo terhadap peningkatan memori sudah pernah dilakukan. Namun, penelitian efek pemberian daun melinjo terhadap proliferasi dan apoptosis sel di hipokampus belum diketahui. Penelitian ini bertujuan menguji pengaruh simplisia daun melinjo terhadap neurogenesis di hipokampus serta pembelajaran spasial pada mencit. Penelitian ini terdiri atas tiga kelompok perlakuan, yaitu (1) kelompok kontrol dengan larutan aquades, (2) kelompok P200 dengan pemberian simplisia daun melinjo dosis 200 mg/Kg BB, dan (3) kelompok P500 dengan pemberian simplisia daun melinjo dosis 500 mg/Kg BB. Analisis terhadap kinerja memori dilakukan menggunakan Y-maze Alteration Test. Analisis neurogenesis hipokampus dilakukan dengan metode pewarnaan Hematoksilin-eosin untuk mengamati neural progenitor cells (NPC), sel granular, dan sel apoptosis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat peningkatan densitas sel NPC secara signifikan dan sel granular yang tidak signifikan serta mampu menurunkan persentase densitas sel apoptosis yang tidak signifikan. Pemberian simplisia daun melinjo juga tidak meningkatkan kinerja memori spasial secara signifikan., Brain is the center of the nervous system that functions to regulate spatial learning abilities and memory processing, both of which occur in the hippocampus area through the process of neurogenesis. One of the plant materials that has potential to improve brain function is the leaves of the melinjo plant (Gnetum gnemon). Melinjo leaf extract can inhibit the enzyme Acetylcholinesterase and restore cholinergic function which is very important for cognitive function, learning, and memory. Research on the effect of melinjo leaves on memory improvement has been done. However, research on the effect of giving melinjo leaves on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the hippocampus is not yet known. This study aims to examine the effect of melinjo leaf simplicia on neurogenesis in the hippocampus and spatial learning in mice. This study consisted of three treatment groups, (1) the control group was given aquadest solution, (2) the P200 group was given 200 mg/Kg BW dose of melinjo leaf simplicia, and (3) the P500 groupwas given 500 mg/kg dose of melinjo leaf simplicia. Analysis of memory performance was conducted using Y-maze Alteration Test. Hippocampal neurogenesis analysis used the Hematoxylin-eosin staining method to observe neural progenitor cells (NPC), granular cells, and apoptotic cells. The results showed that there was a significant increase in NPC cell density and an insignificant granular cell density and was able to decrease the percentage of apoptotic cell density, but not significantly. Giving melinjo leaf simplicia also did not significantly improve spatial memory performance.
Keyword: Apoptotic Cell, Melinjo Leaf Simplicia, Neural Progenitor Cells (NPC), Spatial Memory, Y-Maze Alteration Test

Judul: Thermal Characteristics and Dynamics of Tropical Cyclone over Western North Pacific Ocean: A Case Study of Typhoon Songda (Chedeng) 2011
Abstrak: The frequent occasion of Tropical Cyclone (TC) over Western North Pacific (WNP) Ocean lies from 10˚N to 26˚N and 121˚E to 170˚E. Sources of TC development come from warm ocean temperature where latent heat is released during condensation processes and subsequently concentrated in the boundary layer. Relative humidity at 850-700 hPa is responsible to produce the most intense storm. Meanwhile, weak vertical wind shear between 850-200 hPa is one of the dynamical factors that lead to the development of TC. Pressure level of 850-200 hPa is chosen to minimize the thermodynamic effect in the lower troposphere. Typhoon Songda (Chedeng in the Philippines) or TSC lasted from May 18th to 30th, 2011 and strengthened into powerful Super Typhoon stage between May 24th and 27th. Long curving track and the exhibition of all sequences of TC life cycle, TSC is then considered as an ideal case of TC. The objective of the study with case of TSC is to investigate the role of thermal characteristics and dynamics on TC intensity. The research is carried out by using Advanced Research of Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF ARW model) version 3.3. Two domains are employed in the model. The first domain situate from 02˚N to 40˚N and 118˚E to 149˚E and cover spatial resolution () of 33.1 km. The second domain situate from 09˚N to 27˚N and 119˚E to 132˚E with of 11 km. Timestep of the model () is 120 seconds. The model is supported by the following physical parameterization, i.e., Yonsei University Scheme (YSU) in the boundary layer, Kain-Fritsch scheme (KF) in the cumulus, and WRF Single-Moment 3-class scheme in the microphysics. Initial meteorological condition prior to the formation of the cyclone is generated using WRF ARW standard-release model. Sensitivity of the model output is obtained from a selected single-parameter change scenarios, namely, 10 % to 20 % decrease and increase of wind shear initial data at 850-200 hPa, and by 10 % to 20 % decrease of relative humidity initial data at 850-700 hPa. The result showed that the negative correlations between wind shear and intensity are found in wind shear scenarios. Wind shears of 10 ms-1 which lead to strengthening of the wind intensity in the early period of Typhoon development are found in wind shear scenarios. The effect of wind shear changes on wind intensity is statistically significant in the 20 % wind shear scenarios. During mature stage, weak wind intensity occurred when wind shear increase as given in the WRF standard-release and the 20 % decreasing scenario. Different situation is found in the 20 % increasing scenario where wind shear tend to weak and lead to strong wind intensity at this stage. Meanwhile, the reduction of moisture supply at 850-700 hPa resulting from 20 % decreasing relative humidity play a major role in the weakening of wind intensity and reduces mechanical energy of the cycle process as much as 300 J kg-1.
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