NON HIERARCHICAL K-MEANS ANALYSIS TO CLUSTERING PRIORITY DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL SUBSIDIES IN INDONESIA

The growth rate of inflation in Indonesia continues to increase from day to day. The inflation rate in Indonesia reached 1.17% in September 2022 which is the highest inflation rate in the last seven years. One of the causes of high inflation is caused by the increasing demand for motor vehicle fuel. Therefore, there is a need for appropriate action from the government in determining related policies. K-Means multivariate cluster analysis is a non-hierarchical cluster method that is popularly used, one of which is used in Machine Learning algorithms, especially Unsupervised Learning. The purpose of this research is to clustering that are priority distribution of subsidies in Indonesia based on the characteristics formed. The data in this study consist of the percentage of poverty, the percentage of total transportation, the percentage of transportation use, and the percentage of area. Data were analyzed using multivariate cluster analysis with the K-Means method. Based on the research results, information was obtained that the data fulfilled a representative sample with value of KMO >50%. In addition, there are 4 optimal clusters which are the results of the calculation of the Elbow and Silhoutte methods, so 4 provincial clusters are formed with their respective characteristics. Cluster 1 is a province that is highly prioritized to receive fuel subsidies, Cluster 2 is a province that is not highly prioritized for fuel subsidies, Cluster 3 is a province that is prioritized to receive fuel subsidies, and Cluster 4 is a province that is not prioritized to receive fuel subsidies

Insecticidal potentials of plant oils against Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in stored chickpea

Pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L., is an important pest of stored chickpea and widely distributed in the world. Chemical insecticides and fumigants are common control tactics against pulse beetle, even though they have caused serious drawbacks. As an alternative control method, botanical compounds and their constituents have been successfully used against this pest. We tested the protective efficacy of 18 edible and non-edible oils in storage in ambient room condition. The efficacy was evaluated considering oviposition, adult emergence, seed infestation and seed weight loss caused by pulse beetle. All the tested oils effectively checked the oviposition, adult emergence, seed infestation and weight loss compared to control. However, the oils of neem, castor, karanja, and sesame at 4.0 to 8.0 ml/kg seed showed significant reduction of oviposition, and completely inhibited adult emergence, seed infestation and weight loss of chickpea seeds. The mustard oil could reduce the oviposition, adult emergence, seed infestation and seed weight loss at 8.0 ml/kg. Tested oils did not show any adverse effects on seed germination up to three months of storage. Therefore, neem, castor, karanja, and sesame oils can be used as environmentally safe management tactic for C. chinensis in protecting pulse seeds in store

A pay-for-performance innovation integrating the quantity and quality of care in maternal, newborn and child health services in Bangladesh

The Population Council explored the possibilities of introducing a Pay-for-Performance (P4P) scheme in Bangladesh to improve maternal, newborn and child healthcare (MNCH) services. Based on the consultation and with guidance from the Government of Bangladesh, the Population Council and UNICEF provided technical assistance to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to test two P4P strategies for MNCH service providers to improve service volume and quality of care, and for poor clients to receive services subsidized through vouchers or coupons. The first strategy is a combination of pay-for-performance for providers and subsidized coupons for poor pregnant women, newborns, and under-five children, while the second strategy employs only the pay-for-performance incentives for the providers. Both strategies performed well relative to the comparison site, however strategy II with incentives for providers alone can be introduced at the low-performing but poorer regions; while the poorest areas with greater geographical draw back will benefit from a combination of a demand plus supply side P4P approach. The report acknowledges that monetary incentives alone are NOT enough to improve the MNCH services and that long-term solutions require putting a stronger system in place

Incentivizing providers to improve maternal, newborn and child health services in Bangladesh: Pay-for-performance model refinement and advocacy (P4P MRA) final report

An operations research project by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh tested the feasibility of a pay-for-performance (P4P) approach, which offered financial incentives to reward service providers for meeting and exceeding specified performance targets for maternal, newborn, and child health services. In response to the encouraging findings, the DGHS implemented a follow-up project, with technical assistance from Population Council and UNICEF, to utilize the experiences and findings of the P4P OR project. Despite it short duration, implementation of the revised P4P scheme induced improvements in service volume and quality of care. These projects contributed toward increasing institutional delivery, requiring less incentive cost compared to that of the DSF program, and enhancing client satisfaction by reducing out-of-pocket expenses. Despite the brief implementation period, contribution of P4P interventions in rapidly raising the level of institutional deliveries creates optimism toward meeting the MDG of reducing maternal and infant mortality

Research prioritisation on prevention and management of preterm birth in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a special focus on Bangladesh using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method

Background Fifteen million babies are born preterm globally each year, with 81% occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of newborn deaths and significantly impact health, quality of life, and costs of health services. Improving outcomes for newborns and their families requires prioritising research for developing practical, scalable solutions, especially in low-resource settings such as Bangladesh. We aimed to identify research priorities related to preventing and managing preterm birth in LMICs for 2021-2030, with a special focus on Bangladesh. Methods We adopted the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method to set research priorities for preventing and managing preterm birth. Seventy-six experts submitted 490 research questions online, which we collated into 95 unique questions and sent for scoring to all experts. A hundred and nine experts scored the questions using five pre-selected criteria: answerability, effectiveness, deliverability, maximum potential for burden reduction, and effect on equity. We calculated weighted and unweighted research priority scores and average expert agreement to generate a list of top-ranked research questions for LMICs and Bangladesh. Results Health systems and policy research dominated the top 20 identified priorities for LMICs, such as understanding and improving uptake of the facility and community-based Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), promoting breastfeeding, improving referral and transport networks, evaluating the impact of the use of skilled attendants, quality improvement activities, and exploring barriers to antenatal steroid use. Several of the top 20 questions also focused on screening high-risk women or the general population of women, understanding the causes of preterm birth, or managing preterm babies with illnesses (jaundice, sepsis and retinopathy of prematurity). There was a high overlap between research priorities in LMICs and Bangladesh. Conclusions This exercise, aimed at identifying priorities for preterm birth prevention and management research in LMICs, especially in Bangladesh, found research on improving the care of preterm babies to be more important in reducing the burden of preterm birth and accelerating the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3 target of newborn deaths, by 2030

Optimization of cabinet drying conditions for dried moringa leaves by Response Surface Methodology

The present study has been carried out to optimize the cabinet drying conditions using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for drying moringa leaves. Moringa leaves were dried by a cabinet dryer using different drying temperatures 40–70 °C and air velocity 1.3–1.65 m/s. A central composite design was applied to optimize the drying conditions. The combined effect of these variables on the responses (moisture content, L*, a*/b* value, and vitamin C) was investigated. The findings show that the generated regression models effectively captured the real link between the independent variables and the outcomes as well as sufficiently described the variation in the data. The moisture content, L* value, a*/b* value, and vitamin C content of dried moringa leaves were 3.76–8.30%, 42.17-45.39, −0.498 to −0.581, 10.50–19.57 mg/100g, respectively. The study found that the maximum vitamin C content was 19.57 mg/100g at 33.7 °C and 1.45 m/s air velocity. On the other hand, minimum moisture content was found 3.76% at 76.2 °C and 1.45 m/s air velocity. The optimum conditions for maximization of vitamin C and minimization of moisture content were the drying temperature and air velocity of 40 °C and 1.45 m/s, respectively. Moisture content, L*, a*/b*, and vitamin C content at optimum conditions were 6.282%, 44.282, −0.536, 17.711 mg/100g, respectively. Therefore, the current study suggests that the derived model is suitable for the enhanced retention of color ratio, lightness, and vitamin C content with a longer shelf life, which can afterward be practical in large-scale production in the food industry

Morphometric Variations Between Triploid and Diploid Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Several scientific methods have been described in the identification of triploid fish. However, many of these methods are not applicable for routine management purposes due to their complexity and cost. In this study, the possibility of using morphological variation as a least cost and less complex method of distinguishing triploid and diploid African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) was examined. Triploid catfish were produced by cold shock of fertilized eggs in 5°C for 20 mins (at approximately 3 mins after fertilization). The fish were incubated, hatched and raised for 3 months. Ploidy levels of the fish were then ascertained by observing the erythrocyte shape. Triploid erythrocyte was ellipsoidal in shape while diploid was round. Morphological characterization was then carried out on 100 samples each of triploid and diploid African catfish. Although significant differences were observed in many parameters, the principal morphometric difference between triploid and diploid African catfish could not be clearly distinguished. It was therefore concluded that morphological characteristics is not ideal for discriminating triploids and diploids of African catfish. The used of erythrocyte characteristics still remains the cheapest and relatively effective method for triploid and diploid determination in African catfish

MORPHOMETRIC VARIATIONS BETWEEN TRIPLOID AND DIPLOID Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Nekoliko znanstvenih metoda ranije je opisano za prepoznavanje triploidnih riba. Međutim, mnoge od tih metoda nisu primjenjive u svrhu rutinskog upravljanja radi njihove složenosti i troškova. U ovom radu istraživana je mogućnost korištenja morfoloških varijacija kao jeftine i jednostavne metode razlikovanja triploidnih i diploidnih afričkih somova Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822). Triploidski somovi su proizvedeni metodom hladnog šoka oplođenih jaja na 5°C tijekom 20 minuta (približno 3 min. nakon oplodnje). Ribe su bile inkubirane, izvaljene i uzgajane tijekom 3 mjeseca. Plodnost riba utvrđena je promatranjem oblika eritrocita. Triploidni eritrocit bio je elipsoidnog oblika dok je diploidi bio okrugli. Morfološka karakterizacija je provedena na 100 uzoraka triploidnih i na 100 uzoraka diploidnih afričkih somova. Iako su značajne razlike zabilježene u mnogim parametrima, glavna morfometrijska razlika između triploidnih i diploidnih afričkih somova nije se mogla jasno razlikovati. Stoga je zaključeno da morfološka svojstva nisu idealna za razlikovanje triploida i diploida afričkog soma. Upotreba eritrocitnih karakteristika i dalje je najjeftiniji i relativno učinkovit način za triploido i diploidno određivanje afričkih somova.Several scientific methods have been described in the identification of triploid fish. However, many of these methods are not applicable for routine management purposes due to their complexity and cost. In this study, the possibility of using morphological variation as a least cost and less complex method of distinguishing triploid and diploid African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) was examined. Triploid catfish were produced by cold shock of fertilized eggs in 5°C for 20 mins (at approximately 3 mins after fertilization). The fish were incubated, hatched and raised for 3 months. Ploidy levels of the fish were then ascertained by observing the erythrocyte shape. Triploid erythrocyte was ellipsoidal in shape while diploid was round. Morphological characterization was then carried out on 100 samples each of triploid and diploid African catfish. Although significant differences were observed in many parameters, the principal morphometric difference between triploid and diploid African catfish could not be clearly distinguished. It was therefore concluded that morphological characteristics is not ideal for discriminating triploids and diploids of African catfish. The used of erythrocyte characteristics still remains the cheapest and relatively effective method for triploid and diploid determination in African catfish