Judul: The Effect of Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) Simplicia on Spatial Memory Performance and Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus
Abstrak: Hipokampus merupakan salah satu dari sedikit wilayah dalam otak yang mengalami neurogenesis saat dewasa. Neurogenesis pada hipokampus mempengaruhi proses penyimpanan memori, salah satunya adalah memori spasial. Neurogenesis dipengaruhi oleh senyawa antioksidan. Bit merah (Beta vulgaris) mempunyai kandungan flavonoid yang berpotensi sebagai antioksidan kuat. Penelitian ini bertujuan menguji efek simplisia bit merah (Beta vulgaris) terhadap kinerja memori spasial dan neurogenesis pada dentate gyrus dalam hipokampus. Penelitian dilakukan pada 3 kelompok mencit (Mus musculus) jantan galur DDY, yaitu kelompok kontrol, kelompok yang diberi bit merah dengan dosis 100 mg/kg BB, dan kelompok yang diberi bit merah dengan dosis 200 mg/kg BB selama 30 hari dengan sonde lambung. Memori spasial diuji menggunakan Y-arm maze. Analisis neurogenesis di hipokampus dilakukan dengan membuat preparat histologi otak dengan pewarna Hematoksilin-eosin (HE). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terjadinya peningkatan densitas neural progenitor cell (NPC) dan penurunan densitas sel apoptosis. Namun, kinerja memori spasial tidak meningkat secara signifikan setelah pemberian simplisia bit merah (Beta vulgaris)., The hippocampus is one of the few regions in the brain that undergoes neurogenesis as an adult. Neurogenesis in the hippocampus affects the memory storage process, one of which is spatial memory. Neurogenesis is influenced by antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) contains flavonoids which have the potential to be antioxidants. This study aims to evaluate the effects of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) simplicia on the performance of spatial memory and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus. The study was conducted on 3 groups of male DDY mice (Mus musculus), namely the control group, the group that was given beetroot at a dose of 100 mg/kgBW, and the group that was given red beet at a dose of 200 mg/kgBW for 30 days per-orally. Spatial memory was tested using a Y-arm maze. The analysis of neurogenesis in the hippocampus was carried out by making histological preparations of the brain with Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) dye. The results showed an increase in neural progenitor cell (NPC) density and a decrease in apoptotic cell density. However, the spatial memory performance did not improve significantly after the administration of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) simplicia.
Keyword: antioksidan, bit merah, memori spasial, neurogenesis, Y-arm maze, antioxidants, beetroot, spatial memory

Judul: Ekstrak Biji Anggur Merah (Vitis vinifera) sebagai Pengatur Kompleksitas Dendrit Hippocampus dan Pembelajaran Spasial serta Memori Mencit.
Abstrak: Hippocampus merupakan salah satu bagian dari otak yang berhubungan dengan fungsi pembelajaran dan pemrosesan memori. Pembentukan sel neuron baru terjadi pada salah satu bagian hippocampus, yaitu dentate gyrus (DG). Biji anggur merah (Vitis vinifera) mengandung senyawa bioaktif, seperti resveratrol yang memiliki potensi untuk meningkatkan kompleksitas dendrit dalam jaringan saraf. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh pemberian ekstrak biji anggur merah terhadap kompleksitas dendrit hippocampus, pembelajaran spasial serta memori mencit. Penelitian ini terdiri atas 5 kelompok mencit, yaitu kelompok kontrol negatif yang diberi 0.3 ml air mineral (pelarut), kelompok perlakuan biji anggur merah yang diberi dosis 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg/kg BB/ekor mencit dalam pelarut, dan kelompok kontrol positif (bayam merah) yang diberi dosis 130 mg/kg BB/ekor mencit dalam pelarut. Masing-masing kelompok terdiri atas 3 mencit (Mus musculus) yang diberi perlakuan secara oral selama 30 hari. Tingkat kinerja memori dan kemampuan pembelajaran spasial mencit diukur melalui uji perilaku menggunakan aparatus Y-arm maze, novel object recognition, dan morris water maze. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pemberian perlakuan ekstrak biji anggur merah berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap kemampuan pembelajaran spasial dan memori mencit. Selain itu, pemberian ekstrak biji anggur merah dosis 200 mg memiliki efek yang lebih tinggi pada kemampuan memori jangka panjang mencit. Peningkatan kemampuan pembelajaran spasial dan memori mencit dalam uji perilaku diikuti dengan peningkatan rata-rata jumlah percabangan dendrit di DG hippocampus.
Keyword: ekstrak biji anggur, neuron, otak, pewarnaan golgi, uji perilaku

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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