Financial Integration between Indonesia and Its Major Trading Partners

This study examines stock market integration among the emerging stock market of Indonesia and its major trading partners (Japan, the US, Singapore and China). We employ the newly proposed autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration and recent weekly stock market data spanning from July 1998 to December 2007. The results indicate the Indonesian stock market is cointegrated with the stock markets of the US, Japan, Singapore and China. Thus, this implies that the opportunities for international investors to gain benefits from international portfolio diversification in those markets are limited. In addition, any development in Japan, the US, Singapore and China markets should be considered by the Indonesian government in making policies regarding to the stock market of Indonesia.Stock Market Integration; Portfolio Diversification; Trading Partners

Surrogate Assisted Optimisation for Travelling Thief Problems

The travelling thief problem (TTP) is a multi-component optimisation problem involving two interdependent NP-hard components: the travelling salesman problem (TSP) and the knapsack problem (KP). Recent state-of-the-art TTP solvers modify the underlying TSP and KP solutions in an iterative and interleaved fashion. The TSP solution (cyclic tour) is typically changed in a deterministic way, while changes to the KP solution typically involve a random search, effectively resulting in a quasi-meandering exploration of the TTP solution space. Once a plateau is reached, the iterative search of the TTP solution space is restarted by using a new initial TSP tour. We propose to make the search more efficient through an adaptive surrogate model (based on a customised form of Support Vector Regression) that learns the characteristics of initial TSP tours that lead to good TTP solutions. The model is used to filter out non-promising initial TSP tours, in effect reducing the amount of time spent to find a good TTP solution. Experiments on a broad range of benchmark TTP instances indicate that the proposed approach filters out a considerable number of non-promising initial tours, at the cost of omitting only a small number of the best TTP solutions

Human and The Challenges of Islamic Education: Interpretation Studies on Human Concepts

This study aims to identify and analyze human and the challenges of Islamic education. The discussion is focused on how the nature and characteristics of humans as individuals in the world of education? How could Islamic education be able to interact with humans? How can Islamic Education be able to touch the dimensions of human nature and characteristics? The data was obtained through a literature study and then analyzed for its relevance to the actual facts which are happening today. The existence of distortions and deviations from nature as well as moral decadence has caused symptoms as if forgetting the essence of the human being himself. Thus, Islamic Education is a strategic point in terms of moral development so that moral values ??and ethics will be found in it. While the study of interpretation of al-Qur’an as an answer to rediscover the nature and characteristics of humans as the main actors in al-Qur’an itself and the role of humans in this matter. Therefore, Islamic education is important to implement all of those problems which could be able to restore human nature as a superior being

Analisis Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Materi Relasi dan Fungsi pada Siswa SMP Negeri 3 Satap Tabongo

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif yang bertujuan untuk melihat kemampuan pemecahan masalah pada siswa kelas VIII SMP Negeri 3 Satap Tabongo yang dimana analisis terhadap soal yang diberikan. Sampel yang terdapat dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 20 siswa. Teknik yang digunakan dengan memberikan soal tes uraian  relasi dan fungsi pada sisiwa sehingga dari jawaban siswa tersebut akan dianalisis berdasarkan indicator kemampuan pemecahan masalah. Untuk mengukur bagaimana kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa digunakan 4 indicator, antara lain: (1) kemampuan mengidentifikasi masalah, (2) kemampuan merencanakan penyelesaian masalah, (3) kemampuan penyelesaian masalah, (4) kemampuan memeriksa kembali jawaban. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa kemampuan pemecahan masalah masih  tergolong pada kategori cukup dengan persentase 48,34%. Selanjutnya untuk hasil setiap indicator juga tergolong pada kategori cukup karena mencapai persentase masing-masing 54,33%, 48,17%, 40,47%, 41,67%

Inhibitory effect of Labisia pumila leaf extract on angiogenesis via down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor

Purpose: To investigate the anti-angiogenic activity of a methanol leaf extract of Labisia pumila (ME), and its bioactive water fraction (WF), using in vitro models.Methods: The antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of ME and WF were assessed using DPPH and Folin–Ciocalteu reagents. Antiproliferative effects of extracts towards human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated using MTT assay. Isolated rat aortic ring and matrigel tube formation assays were performed to assess the antiangiogenic potential of Me and its WF. Levels of VEGF protein in the cell lysates were measured using ELISA kit.Results: Among all the extracts prepared, ME and its WF showed higher total phenolic contents and exhibited moderate antioxidant effects. Significant (p < 0.001) suppression of microvessels outgrowth with half-maximal concentration (IC50) values of 20 and 26 μg/mL for ME and WF, was observed in rat aortic ring assay. ME and its WF halted proliferation and tube formation capacity of HUVECs in in vitro assays. Marked reduction in VEGF levels was observed in lysates of HUVECs treated with ME and its WF.Conclusion: Labisia pumila leaf extract and its water fraction halted angiogenesis by blocking VEGF secretion leading to inhibition of endothelial cells proliferation and differentiation which is suggested to be due to its phenolic antioxidant contents.Keywords: Labisia pumila, Anti-angiogenesis, Antioxidant, Tube formation, Rat aort

INTEGRATION OF STOCK MARKETS BETWEEN INDONESIA AND ITS MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS

Using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Vector Autoregressive (VAR) frameworks, this study examines the integration between the emerging stock market of Indonesia and its major trading partners (i.e., Japan, the U.S., Singapore, and China). During the period of July 1998 to December 2007, the Indonesian stock market is found to be integrated with its major trading partners. Thus, this implies that there is a limited room available for investors to gain risk-reduction benefits through diversifying their portfolio in those markets. Meanwhile, in the short run, the Indonesian market responds more to shocks in the U.S. and Singapore than in Japan and China. In designing policies pertaining to its stock market, the Indonesian government should take into account any development in the stock markets of its major trading partners, particularly the U.S. and Singaporean markets

MODEL PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS PROYEK DENGAN PERANCANGAN PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER PADA MATA PELAJARAN SBDP DI SEKOLAH DASAR

This study aims to describe the Project-Based Learning Model with Character Education Design in SBdP Subjects in Elementary Schools. The approach of this research is qualitative with case study method. This research was conducted at Babarsari State Elementary School, Depok District, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta. The primary sources of this research are class teachers and principals. While secondary sources in this study are books, documents, and scientific articles related to the research. Data collection techniques used observation interviews and documentation. Test the validity of the data using data triangulation. And data analysis using Miles and Huberman analysis techniques, namely by codifying data, presenting data, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study prove that the Project-Based Learning Model with Character Education Design in SBdP Subjects in Elementary Schools, by determining the main character values, such as creativity, cooperation, responsibility, honesty, and sustainability, forms a holistic and effective learning approach

A STUDY OF HUMAN SKILL ACHIEVEMENT IN MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ATTITUDE

The principle of sustainable technical skill development is an integrated skill approach in the long terms by the instruments of science, technologies, economics and global considerations. The prospect of full implemented successfully needs a workforce which is equipped with sustainable development with related knowledge, skill and attitude (KSA). This study is related to the human skill achievement referred to the capability of technical staff in public universities. Purposely is to establish the procedures for the management and control of capital equipment. It also is to satisfy the requirements of the federal and state government and good business practices respecting control over the capital equipments. This study will be a significant endeavor for Human Resource Development (HRD) to measure the capability of human factors through KSA. The methodology of this descriptive study by searching the related topic literatures, white papers, technical papers, conference proceedings, and web-pages or even communicate to the personnel in selected public universities in Malaysia. The finding of this study will contribute to develop Overall Equipment Efficiency Model (OEEM) that could be measurable throughout to the technical skill performance among technicians in the engineering lab derived from KSA components. Therefore, human skill developments are the first competence bench marking in the capital equipment management in Malaysian public universities was identified

Using durian rind as bridging material to overcome fluid loss and lost circulation problems in drilling operations

Lost circulation is one of the drilling operational problems. It refers to the total or partial loss of drilling fluid into highly permeable zones or natural or induced fractures. This problem is likely to occur when the hydrostatic head pressure of drilling fluid in the hole exceeds the formation pressure. Today, managing lost circulation remains a significant challenge to oilwell drilling operations because it may contribute to high non-productive time. It is imperative to note that the overbalance pressure situation also can cause the invasion of mud filtrate into production zones which will result in formation damage. To address these problems, an experimental investigation has been done on durian rind as an alternative fluid loss and lost circulation materials in water-based mud. Durian rind was selected as a mud loss control material because it contains close to 20% pectin which may complement the formation of high quality mat-like bridges across openings of the formation. The test involved the use of standard mud testing equipment and a lost circulation test cell. Durian rind powder was prepared by cleaning and cutting the durian rind into small pieces of 1 to 2 cm, and then dried them in an oven at 60°C for 48 hours before grinding into five different sizes from coarse to ultra-fine while Hydro-plug, the commercial lost circulation material was supplied by Scomi Energy. The fluid loss test was conducted using a standard low pressure filter press while the bridging test was carried out at 100 psi of pressure difference and ambient temperature using a lost circulation cell. Fine durian in the water-based mud gave the best fluid loss control compared to coarse durian rind, fine and coarse Hydro-plug. The experimental results also showed that at 15 lb/bbl (42.8 kg/m3) optimum concentration, coarse and intermediate durian rind have outperformed Hydro-plug by showing an excellent control of mud losses in 1 and 2 mm simulated fractures