Collembola (springtails) is an important soil biology indicator to monitor toxicity or ecological disturbances in the ecosystem. The impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice cv Rojolele events expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter resistant to yellow rice stem borer (YSB, Scirpophaga incertulas Walker) on non-target Collembola community was assessed. The experiment was performed at four locations under confined field trials according to the Indonesia's environmental safety regulation on genetically engineered crops. Six transgenic rice events were tested with non-transgenic Rojolele and the moderately resistant IR42 rice varieties as controls. The experimental design was randomised block design with three replicates. Collembola were collected from the bunds between plots using pitfall and Berlese funnel traps at seedling, vegetative and generative stages, as well as at harvesting time. The results showed that Collembola abundance and diversity were significantly affected by both experimental sites and observation times. However, no significant differences in Collembola diversity and abundance between Bt rice and non-Bt controls were observed. Thus, we can conclude that the cultivation of the Bt rice cv Rojolele events expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa protein fusion do not adversely affect biodiversity and abundance of Collembola at the four confined rice fields.
The provision of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in developing economies is limited by lack of financial and other resources. There are no national reimbursement policies for RRT in many countries in Asia. The Southeast Asia countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia have adopted a strategy of encouraging public-private partnerships to increase the RRT rates in their respective countries. The private organizations include both for-profit and philanthropic bodies. The latter raise funds from ordinary citizens, corporations, and faith-based groups, as well as receive subsidies from the government to support RRT for patients in need. The kidney foundations of these countries play a leadership role in this public-private partnership. Many of the private organizations that support RRT are providers of treatment in addition to offering financial assistance to patients, with hemodialysis being the most frequently supported modality. Public-private partnership in funding RRT is sustainable over the long term with proper organization and facilitated by support from the government.