Showing papers by "Indonesian Institute of Sciences published in 2019"

A research agenda for seed-trait functional ecology.

Abstract: Trait-based approaches have improved our understanding of plant evolution, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. A major challenge for the upcoming decades is to understand the functions and evolution of early life-history traits, across levels of organization and ecological strategies. Although a variety of seed traits are critical for dispersal, persistence, germination timing and seedling establishment, only seed mass has been considered systematically. Here we suggest broadening the range of morphological, physiological and biochemical seed traits to add new understanding on plant niches, population dynamics and community assembly. The diversity of seed traits and functions provides an important challenge that will require international collaboration in three areas of research. First, we present a conceptual framework for a seed ecological spectrum that builds upon current understanding of plant niches. We then lay the foundation for a seed-trait functional network, the establishment of which will underpin and facilitate trait-based inferences. Finally, we anticipate novel insights and challenges associated with incorporating diverse seed traits into predictive evolutionary ecology, community ecology and applied ecology. If the community invests in standardized seed-trait collection and the implementation of rigorous databases, major strides can be made at this exciting frontier of functional ecology.

The September 28th, 2018, Tsunami In Palu-Sulawesi, Indonesia: A Post-Event Field Survey

Abstract: On September 28th, 2018, a powerful earthquake (Mw 7.5) struck the Island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The earthquake was followed by a destructive and deadly tsunami that hit the Bay of Palu. A UNESCO international tsunami survey team responded to the disaster and surveyed 125 km of coastline along the Palu Bay up to the earthquake epicentre region. The team performed 78 tsunami runup and inundation height measurements throughout the surveyed coastline. Measured values reached 9.1 m for the runup height and 8.7 m for the inundation height, both at Benteng village. The survey team also identified ten large coastal sectors that collapsed into the sea of Palu Bay after the earthquake. The distribution of the measured tsunami data within Palu Bay exhibits a clear localised impact suggesting the contribution of secondary non-seismic local sources to the generation of the tsunami. Findings of the field reconnaissance are discussed to provide an insight into the remaining debated source of the Palu tsunami.

Water quality trend assessment in Jakarta: A rapidly growing Asian megacity

Abstract: Megacities are facing serious water pollution problems due to urbanization, rapid population growth and economic development. Water is an essential resource for human activities and socio-economic development and water quality in urban settings has important implications for human and environmental health. Urbanization and lack of sewerage has left the water in Jakarta, Indonesia in a heavily polluted condition. Rigorous assessment of urban water quality is necessary to understand the factors controlling water quality conditions. We use trend analysis to assess the current water quality conditions in Jakarta, focusing on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). In most monitoring stations analyzed, BOD and TSS concentrations have decreased over time, but from large starting concentrations. DO in most monitoring stations has increased. Although Jakarta’s water quality has shown some improvement, it remains heavily impaired. The average value of BOD is low in upper stream stations compared to middle and lower stream stations. BOD and TSS trends of some water quality stations in middle and lower streams show increasing trends. Cluster analysis results suggest three groups for BOD and TSS, and four groups for DO. Understanding water quality conditions and factors that control water quality suggest strategies for improving water quality given current trends in climate, population growth and urban development. Results from this study suggest research directions and management strategies to address water quality challenges.

Major sources and monthly variations in the release of land-derived marine debris from the Greater Jakarta area, Indonesia.

Abstract: As marine debris becomes increasingly prevalent and induces cascading impacts on marine ecosystems, monitoring of land-derived debris is key for identifying effective mitigation strategies. Indonesia plays a pivotal role in reducing land-derived debris into the oceans considering its extensive coastline, large population and high waste production. We present the first marine debris monitoring data from Indonesia’s capital, the Greater Jakarta area, by characterizing major sources and monthly variations of debris release at nine river outlets into Jakarta Bay between June 2015-June 2016. Our data show plastics as the most common debris entering Jakarta Bay representing 59% (abundance) or 37% (weight) of the total collected debris. Styrofoam was dominating among plastic debris, highlighting the urgency of reducing plastic and styrofoam uses. Higher debris releases during the rainy season (December-February) highlight the need to intensify river clean-up activities. We estimated an average daily debris release of 97,098 ± 28,932 items or 23 ± 7.10 tons into Jakarta Bay with considerably lower inputs from the capital compared to its neighboring municipalities. Within the plastics category, field monitoring data yield a daily plastic debris release of 8.32 ± 2.44 tons from the Greater Jakarta area, which is 8–16 times less than global-scale model estimates.

Detecting Change in the Indonesian Seas

Abstract: 1. Introduction The Indonesian seas play a fundamental role in the coupled ocean and climate system with the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) providing the only tropical pathway connecting the global oceans. Pacific warm pool waters passing through the Indonesian seas are cooled and freshened by strong air-sea fluxes and mixing from internal tides to form a unique water mass that can be tracked across the Indian Ocean basin and beyond. The Indonesian seas lie at the climatological center of the atmospheric deep convection associated with the ascending branch of the Walker Circulation. Regional SST variations cause changes in the surface winds that can shift the center of atmospheric deep convection, subsequently altering the precipitation and ocean circulation patterns within the entire Indo-Pacific region. Recent multi-decadal changes in the wind and buoyancy forcing over the tropical Indo-Pacific have directly affected the vertical profile, strength, and the heat and freshwater transports of the ITF. These changes influence the large-scale sea level, SST, precipitation and wind patterns. Observing long-term changes in mass, heat and freshwater within the Indonesian seas is central to understanding the variability and predictability of the global coupled climate system. Although substantial progress has been made over the past decade in measuring and modelling the physical and biogeochemical variability within the Indonesian seas, large uncertainties remain. A comprehensive strategy is needed for measuring the temporal and spatial scales of variability that govern the various water mass transport streams of the ITF, its connection with the circulation and heat and freshwater inventories and associated air-sea fluxes of the regional and global oceans. This white paper puts forward the design of an observational array using multi-platforms combined with high-resolution models aimed at increasing our quantitative understanding of water mass transformation rates and advection within the Indonesian seas and their impacts on the air-sea climate system.

Investigations of Anisotropic Flow Using Multiparticle Azimuthal Correlations in pp,p-Pb, Xe-Xe, and Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

Abstract: Measurements of anisotropic flow coefficients (vn) and their cross-correlations using two- and multiparticle cumulant methods are reported in collisions of pp at √s=13 TeV, p−Pb at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √sNN=5.02 TeV, Xe-Xe at √sNN=5.44 TeV, and Pb-Pb at √sNN=5.02 TeV recorded with the ALICE detector. The multiplicity dependence of vn is studied in a very wide range from 20 to 3000 particles produced in the midrapidity region |η| v3>v4 is found in pp and p−Pb collisions, similar to that seen in large collision systems, while a weak v2 multiplicity dependence is observed relative to nucleus-nucleus collisions in the same multiplicity range. Using a novel subevent method, v2 measured with four-particle cumulants is found to be compatible with that from six-particle cumulants in pp and p−Pb collisions. The magnitude of the correlation between v2n and v2m, evaluated with the symmetric cumulants SC(m, n) is observed to be positive at all multiplicities for v2 and v4, while for v2 and v3 it is negative and changes sign for multiplicities below 100, which may indicate a different vn fluctuation pattern in this multiplicity range. The observed long-range multiparticle azimuthal correlations in high multiplicity pp and p−Pb collisions can neither be described by pythia 8 nor by impact-parameter-Glasma, music, and ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics model calculations, and hence, provide new insights into the understanding of collective effects in small collision systems.

Heterogeneous impacts of community forestry on forest conservation and poverty alleviation: evidence from Indonesia

Abstract: Community forestry is a participatory approach aiming to achieve sustainable forest management while also reducing poverty among rural communities. Yet, evidence of the impacts of community forestry programmes on both forest conservation and poverty alleviation is scarce, and there is limited understanding of impacts across different social and biophysical contexts. We applied a matching method to assess the extent to which deforestation has decreased and village well-being has improved as a result of Indonesia's community forestry scheme, Hutan Desa (Village Forest). We assessed five dimensions of well-being: basic (living conditions), physical (access to health and education), financial (income support), social (security and equity) and environmental (natural hazard prevention). We found that Hutan Desa was associated with reduced deforestation and poverty. ‘Win-win’ outcomes were found in 51% of cases, comprising (a) positive outcomes for both forests and poverty, (b) a positive outcome for one aspect and a negligible outcome for the other, or (c) a positive outcome for poverty in areas where natural forest had already been lacking prior to Hutan Desa tenure. Benefits to forests and people systematically differed depending on land-use zones, reflecting subtle interactions between anthropogenic pressures and community livelihood characteristics. In Watershed Protection Zones, which are dominated by subsistence-based forest livelihoods, community forestry provided mild conservation benefits, but resulted in the greatest improvements in well-being through improved land tenure. In Limited Production Zones, community forestry provided modest benefits for both conservation and well-being because restrictions on timber harvest due to Hutan Desa designation reduced the financial well-being of logging communities. The greatest conservation benefits were experienced in Permanent or Convertible Production Zones, but well-being improvements were minimal. Here, living conditions and environmental well-being were reduced due to pressure to intensify agricultural production under increased land scarcity in these predominantly cash crop-oriented communities. Our results highlight the spatial and contextual variation in impacts of community forestry policies on poverty alleviation and forest conservation outcomes. Crucially, our study provides vital objective information for future policy development in Indonesia and other tropical countries implementing community forestry schemes. A plain language summary is available for this article.

Biosynthesis of Polyketides in Streptomyces.

Abstract: Polyketides are a large group of secondary metabolites that have notable variety in their structure and function. Polyketides exhibit a wide range of bioactivities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antiviral, immune-suppressing, anti-cholesterol, and anti-inflammatory activity. Naturally, they are found in bacteria, fungi, plants, protists, insects, mollusks, and sponges. Streptomyces is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria that has a filamentous form like fungi. This genus is best known as one of the polyketides producers. Some examples of polyketides produced by Streptomyces are rapamycin, oleandomycin, actinorhodin, daunorubicin, and caprazamycin. Biosynthesis of polyketides involves a group of enzyme activities called polyketide synthases (PKSs). There are three types of PKSs (type I, type II, and type III) in Streptomyces responsible for producing polyketides. This paper focuses on the biosynthesis of polyketides in Streptomyces with three structurally-different types of PKSs.

Scalar phenomenology in type-II seesaw model

Abstract: In this work we study the viable parameter space of the scalar sector in the type-II seesaw model. In identifying the allowed parameter space, we employ constraints from low energy precision measurements, theoretical considerations and the 125-GeV Higgs data. These tools prove effective in constraining the model parameter space. Moreover, the triplet also offers a rich collider phenomenology from having additional scalars that have unique collider signatures. We find that direct collider searches for these scalars can further probe various parts of the viable parameter space. These parts can be parametrized by the electroweak scalar triplet vacuum expectation value, the mass splitting of the singly- and doubly-charged scalars, and the doubly-charged Higgs mass. We find that different regions of the viable parameter space give rise to different collider signatures, such as the same-sign dilepton, the same-sign W and the multilepton signatures. By investigating various LEP and LHC measurements, we derive the most updated constraints over the whole range of parameter space of the type-II seesaw model.

First Observation of an Attractive Interaction between a Proton and a Cascade Baryon

Abstract: This Letter presents the first experimental observation of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a multistrange baryon (hyperon) Ξ-. The result is extracted from two-particle correlations of combined p-Ξ-⊕p¯-Ξ¯+ pairs measured in p-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV at the LHC with ALICE. The measured correlation function is compared with the prediction obtained assuming only an attractive Coulomb interaction and a standard deviation in the range [3.6, 5.3] is found. Since the measured p-Ξ-⊕p¯-Ξ¯+ correlation is significantly enhanced with respect to the Coulomb prediction, the presence of an additional, strong, attractive interaction is evident. The data are compatible with recent lattice calculations by the HAL-QCD Collaboration, with a standard deviation in the range [1.8, 3.7]. The lattice potential predicts a shallow repulsive Ξ- interaction within pure neutron matter and this implies stiffer equations of state for neutron-rich matter including hyperons. Implications of the strong interaction for the modeling of neutron stars are discussed.

Enhancing coastal livelihoods in Indonesia: an evaluation of recent initiatives on gender, women and sustainable livelihoods in small-scale fisheries

Abstract: In recent decades, there have been considerable efforts to enhance, diversify, or implement alternative livelihood activities in marginalized coastal communities, to ease reliance on deteriorating coastal resources, reduce poverty and improve well-being outcomes. To date, gender has been notably absent from the literature on small-scale fisheries and associated livelihood improvement programs, despite increasing evidence of the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment in achieving such outcomes in other contexts. In this paper, drawing from an evaluation of the effectiveness of 20 livelihood development projects implemented in coastal communities in Indonesia since 1998, we report on how gender was considered in these projects. We assessed whether and how gender was included in project rationales, and how men and women were included in project activities. We found that, despite the women being reached by many project activities, particularly efforts to increase women’s productive capacity through training and group-based livelihoods enterprises, 40% of the projects had no discernible gender approach and only two of the 20 projects (10%) applied a gender transformative approach that sought to challenge local gender norms and gender relations and empower women beneficiaries. Our assessment suggests the need for greater understanding of the role of gender in reducing poverty and increasing well-being outcomes in coastal communities. Lessons from comparable agricultural settings suggest that this may be facilitated by locally situated gender social relations analysis, integration of gender throughout livelihood improvement project cycles, gendered capacity building activities and shared learning from the evaluation of the gendered outcomes of project activities.

Measurement of Υ(1S) Elliptic Flow at Forward Rapidity in Pb-Pb Collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV

Abstract: The first measurement of the Υ(1S) elliptic flow coefficient (v2) is performed at forward rapidity (2.5 < y < 4) in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The results are obtained with the scalar product method and are reported as a function of transverse momentum (pT) up to 15 GeV/c in the 5%–60% centrality interval. The measured Υ(1S)v2 is consistent with 0 and with the small positive values predicted by transport models within uncertainties. The v2 coefficient in 2 < pT < 15 GeV/c is lower than that of inclusive J/ψ mesons in the same pT interval by 2.6 standard deviations. These results, combined with earlier suppression measurements, are in agreement with a scenario in which the Υ(1S) production in Pb–Pb collisions at LHC energies is dominated by dissociation limited to the early stage of the collision, whereas in the J/ψ case there is substantial experimental evidence of an additional regeneration component.

Nanochitosan antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans dual-species biofilms

Abstract: Chitosan nanoparticle (nanochitosan) has a broad antimicrobial spectrum against diverse pathogenic microorganisms. However, its effect on dental caries-associated microorganisms, such as Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans is yet to be explored. These microorganisms are known for causing early childhood caries. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating nanochitosan inhibition capacity against dual-species biofilms of S. mutans and C. albicans. In this study, nanochitosan antimicrobial activity is reported against mono and dual biofilm species of S. mutans and/or C. albicans at 3 and 18 h incubation time. Nanochitosan inhibition capacity was observed through biofilm mass quantity and cell viability. The present study successfully synthesized nanochitosan with average diameter of approximately 20–30 nm, and also established dual-species biofilms of S. mutans and C. albicans in vitro. With nanochitosan treatment, the cell viability of both microorganisms significantly decreased with the increasing concentration of nanochitosan. There was no significant decrease in biofilm mass both in the dual and single-species biofilms after 3 h of incubation. However, greater inhibition of biofilm was observed at 18 h incubation.

The Forest Observation System, building a global reference dataset for remote sensing of forest biomass

Abstract: Forest biomass is an essential indicator for monitoring the Earth's ecosystems and climate. It is a critical input to greenhouse gas accounting, estimation of carbon losses and forest degradation, assessment of renewable energy potential, and for developing climate change mitigation policies such as REDD+, among others. Wall-to-wall mapping of aboveground biomass (AGB) is now possible with satellite remote sensing (RS). However, RS methods require extant, up-to-date, reliable, representative and comparable in situ data for calibration and validation. Here, we present the Forest Observation System (FOS) initiative, an international cooperation to establish and maintain a global in situ forest biomass database. AGB and canopy height estimates with their associated uncertainties are derived at a 0.25 ha scale from field measurements made in permanent research plots across the world's forests. All plot estimates are geolocated and have a size that allows for direct comparison with many RS measurements. The FOS offers the potential to improve the accuracy of RS-based biomass products while developing new synergies between the RS and ground-based ecosystem research communities.

The Antiviral Effect of Indonesian Medicinal Plant Extracts Against Dengue Virus In Vitro and In Silico

Abstract: Dengue infections are still a worldwide burden, especially in Indonesia. There is no specific medication against the dengue virus. Recently, many types of research have been conducted to discover a new drug for dengue virus using natural resource extracts. Indonesia, as a tropical country, has a wide biodiversity. There are several medicinal plants in Indonesia that are believed to possess anti-dengue activity, such as Myristica fatua, Cymbopogon citratus, and Acorus calamus plants. We conducted an in vitro laboratory experiment of several extracts from Indonesian herbs combined with in silico analysis. The extracts were evaluated for safety and antiviral activity in Huh7it-1 cell lines, using a single dose of 20 µg/mL and dose-dependent (5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 µg/mL) of plant extracts against dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) NGC strain. The DMSO 0.1% was used as a negative control. The cytotoxic aspect was assessed by counting the cell viability, while the antiviral activity was calculated by counting the average inhibition. The selectivity index (SI) of plant extracts were performed from a ratio of CC50/EC50 value. In silico analysis was conducted to determine the free energy of binding between NS5 of dengue virus with bioactive compounds contained in Myristica fatua, Cymbopogon citratus and Acorus calamus extract plants. We determined that all extracts were not toxic against Huh7it-1 cell lines. The methanolic extracts of A. calamus, C. citratus, and M. fatua showed inhibition of DENV-2 at a dose of 20 µg/mL to 96.5%, 98.9%, and 122.7%, respectively. The dose-dependent effects showed that M. fatua has the best inhibition activity towards DENV-2. Molecular docking result showed that artesunic acid within M. fatua has the best free energy of binding (−7.2 kcal/mol), followed by homoegonol (−7.1 kcal/mol) which was slightly different from artesunic acid among others. The methanolic extracts of A. calamus, C. citratus, and M. fatua showed prospective anti-dengue activities both in vitro and in silico. Future research should be conducted to find the pure extracts of all useful herbs as a new candidate of antiviral drug.

Rapid and low temperature synthesis of Ag nanoparticles on the ZnO nanorods for photocatalytic activity improvement

Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the potential semiconductors for photocatalytic applications. However, ZnO has a high recombination rate between electrons and holes, which reduces the efficiency of its photocatalytic activity. Thus, a nanohybrid structure between ZnO and a noble metal, such as Ag, has been proposed because it is cost effective, is chemically stable, and has enhanced photocatalytic activity. In general, ZnO/Ag nanohybrids are not easily synthesized due to the self-nucleation of Ag NPs during the deposition on ZnO. In this study, the Ag nanoparticles were deposited on the ZnO nanorods (NRs) prepared on glass substrate by using the facile and rapid hydrothermal method at low temperature 80 °C for 90 min. The result analysis shows that the Ag nanoparticles deposition process did not change the morphological and microstructural properties of the ZnO NRs. The Ag NPs with the diameter range of 10–20 nm spread uniformly on the surface of the ZnO NRs. The photodegradation efficiency of methyl blue using the ZnO/Ag nanohybrids was higher than pure ZnO NRs. The ease of electron transfer between the ZnO and the Ag NPs was a major cause of the increased photocatalytic activity in both UV and visible-light irradiation.

Measurement of D0, D+, D∗+ and Ds+ production in pp collisions at √s=5.02 TeV with ALICE

Abstract: The measurements of the production of prompt ${{\mathrm{D}}^0}$ , ${{\mathrm{D}}^+}$ , ${{\mathrm{D}}^{*+}}$ , and ${{\mathrm{D}}^+_{\mathrm{s}}}$ mesons in proton–proton (pp) collisions at $\sqrt{s}=5.02~\mathrm {TeV}$ with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are reported. D mesons were reconstructed at mid-rapidity ( $|y|<0.5$ ) via their hadronic decay channels $\mathrm{D}^0 \rightarrow {\mathrm{K}}^-\pi ^+$ , $\mathrm{D}^+\rightarrow {\mathrm{K}}^-\pi ^+\pi ^+$ , ${\mathrm{D}}^{*+} \rightarrow {\mathrm{D}}^0 \pi ^+ \rightarrow {\mathrm{K}}^- \pi ^+ \pi ^+$ , ${{\mathrm{D}}^{+\mathrm{s}}\rightarrow \phi \pi ^+\rightarrow {\mathrm{K}}^{+} {\mathrm{K}}^{-} \pi ^{+}}$ , and their charge conjugates. The production cross sections were measured in the transverse momentum interval $0

Vertical GaN Nanowires and Nanoscale Light-Emitting-Diode Arrays for Lighting and Sensing Applications

Abstract: For various lighting and monolithic sensor systems application, vertically aligned three-dimensional (3D) gallium nitride (GaN)- and indium gallium nitride (InGaN)/GaN-based LED nanowire arrays with sub-200 nm feature sizes (down to 35 nm) were fabricated using a nanosphere lift-off lithography (NSLL) technique combined with hybrid top-down etching (i.e., inductively coupled plasma dry reactive ion etching (ICP-DRIE) and wet chemical etching). Owing to the lithographic opening and well-controlled surface functionalization prior to the polystyrene nanosphere (PN) deposition, vertical GaN nanowire arrays with an area density of 9.74 × 108 cm–2 and an aspect ratio of >10 could be realized in a specified large area of 1.5 × 1.5 mm2. Optoelectrical characteristics of the nanoLEDs were further investigated in cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements, in which multiquantum well (MQW) shows a clear CL-emission at a wavelength of 465 nm. Thus, using NSLL to manufacture low-cost but highly ordered 3D GaN-based nanowir...

First Results of a Bathymetric Survey of Palu Bay, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia following the Tsunamigenic Earthquake of 28 September 2018

Abstract: On 28 September 2018, a 7.7 Mw strike-slip earthquake struck Central Sulawesi at 0.18°S, 119.85°E, ~ 10 km northwest of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi Province, affecting more than 230,000 people. The rapid arrival of the wave suggests a tsunami source within Palu Bay. A bathymetric campaign was conducted in Palu Bay and the region south of Cape Manimbaya from 9 to 18 October 2018. One of the goals was to identify a potential source for the tsunami. The bathymetry data show a prominent submarine channel within Palu Bay with sinuosity controlled by the Palu-Koro Fault. The submarine channel continues into deeper water south and west of Cape Manimbaya with a sinuosity index of up to 1.770. Several submarine slumps were identified within the bay, due to the arcuate head scarp, the abrupt change in slope and debris on the seafloor, or the undulating shape of the slope. One possible source location near the mouth of Palu Bay is identified from the estimated volume of displaced sediment. The bathymetry data also show traces of the Palu-Koro Fault and suggestions of uplift of Cape Manimbaya related to activity of the Palu-Koro Fault.