The case for metadata harvesting

Metadata harvesting is an increasingly popular model of interaction between the mutually autonomous parties of medium, medium-large federations of digital library services. With a harvesting protocol, in particular, resource descriptions locally available at each party can be served to remote applications for the implementation of federated services, such as resource discovery. This article offers a systematic explanation of the success of the model and its standard implementations in the context of current initiatives for national and international federations

Edukasi Pencegahan Penyakit Paru Akibat Paparan Debu Silika pada Pengrajin Batu Akik di Kota Padang

Meningkatnya minat masyarakat terhadap batu akik sebagai perhiasan dalam beberapa tahun terakhir di Indonesia mendorong meningkatnya jumlah pengrajin batu akik. Pengrajin batu akik terpapar pada partikel batu yang utamanya terdiri atas silika. Tanpa proteksi diri yang sesuai, pengrajin berisiko mengalami penyakit akibat debu silika. Untuk melindungi pengrajin, diperlukan suatu program edukasi kesehatan dan keselamatan kerja. Tujuan kami adalah untuk menyebarluaskan informasi mengenai penyakit akibat debu silika dan upaya pencegahannya pada komunitas pengrajin batu akik di Kota Padang. Sebanyak dua puluh pengrajin diundang dan dinilai pengetahuan, sikap, dan perilakunya terhadap kesehatan dan keselamatan kerja menggunakan kuesioner. Bahan edukasi disampaikan dalam bahasa setempat, diikuti dengan diskusi. Pada tiap peserta juga dibagikan booklet edukasi dan masker standar. Analisis kuesioner menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar peserta memiliki tingkat pendidikan yang rendah, tingkat pendapatan bervariasi, perokok, bekerja setiap hari, dan memiliki pengetahuan yang terbatas mengenai upaya kesehatan dan keselamatan kerja. Evaluasi lebih lanjut diperlukan untuk menilai apakah program ini berhasil memodifikasi perilaku kerja pengrajin akik

Edukasi Pemakaian Plastik sebagai Kemasan Makanan dan Minuman Serta Risikonya terhadap Kesehatan pada Komunitas di Kecamatan Bungus Teluk Kabung, Padang

Paparan terhadap zat tambahan pada plastik (plasticizers) berdampak luas terhadap kesehatan, khususnya pada janin dan anak. Plastik digunakan secara luas sebagai kemasan makanan dan minuman. Mengetahui bagaimana memilih dan menggunakan jenis plastik yang tepat yang akan berkontak dengan makanan penting untuk menghindari risiko paparan bahan kimia berbahaya pada plastik. Program pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan diseminasi temuan ilmiah terkini mengenai dampak plasticizers terhadap kesehatan melalui program edukasi masyarakat yang ditargetkan pada pemuka masyarakat di Kecamatan Bungus Teluk Kabung, Padang. Edukasi disampaikan dalam bahasa lokal dan diikuti dengan diskusi bebas dengan peserta. Dampak program dinilai menggunakan kuesioner pra- dan pasca-intervensi. Analisis respon pra-intervensi menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar peserta tidak mengetahui cara menggunakan plastik yang benar sebagai kemasan makanan dan minuman dan tidak mengetahui klasifikasi plastik. Namun, sebagian besar setuju bahwa penggunaan plastik harus dibatasi dalam pemrosesan makanan dan usia anak rentan terhadap bahaya plasticizers. Analisis pasca-intervensi menunjukkan terjadinya Perubahan respon peserta. Disimpulkan bahwa program edukasi ini secara efektif memodifikasi sikap dan pengetahuan peserta mengenai risiko penggunaan plastik dalam pemrosesan dan kemasan produk makanan dan minuman

An investigation of plant conservation strategies employed in Makhanda, South Africa: an educational exploration

The school curriculum in South Africa gives educators the freedom to design and organise learning experiences according to their local circumstances and availability of resources. In that context, this study advocates conservation education through use of plants on school grounds and visits to local herbaria and botanical gardens as part of the school curriculum. Trees growing on street verges in town suburbs are also a resource that could be using for teaching. School learners from three schools representing different areas of Makhanda (Grahamstown) participated in plant-related activities and were surveyed to determine their prior knowledge about plants and plant conservation. Learners answered a series of questions in writing using a funnel sequence and the inverted funnel sequence in questionnaire design. This motivated respondents to co-operate and fully complete a questionnaire. In addition, the non-participant observation technique was used to capture behavioural reactions to the activities in order to supplement the data generated through questionnaires and interviews. This proved to be a purposeful, systematic and a selective way of watching and listening to an interaction phenomenon as it takes place. Interviews and questionnaires revealed that most Makhanda residents (especially in rural and township areas) use traditional medicine and medicinal plants to treat many diseases. They also use plants for cultural activities. Traditional remedies are practised among the rural and township communities because of ease of availability, convenience, and also due to social, psychological and cultural reasons. Medicinal plants have been increasingly recognized for their role not only for health care, but also for improving the economic status. Community members and street vendors were also questioned using semi-structured interviews. Open-ended questions were used successfully to assess the person’s knowledge, attitudes, opinions, beliefs and feelings. This type of interview ensures that a specific question does not lose its purpose. These interviews were used to determine how community members see, interpret and relate to nature. In the interviews, I also assessed the real needs of the local communities because there is a tendency to think that our power, knowledge and resources can give us the right to predict what communities really need without actually asking them. When our imposed initiatives fail, we often accuse these communities of a lack of interest in our issue of interest. Documents on plants and their uses kept in the Selmar Schönland Herbarium were compared with the information given by community members and street vendors. Xhosa plant names and ethnobotanical information given by the community members and street vendors was used to augment existing information on plant use. A further aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of plant resources provided by the street trees and gardens for education. Makhanda streets were sampled and, of the 1 435 plants that were countered from 17 streets, only 15 indigenous species were represented, while 20 alien species were recorded. These trees can be used for lessons on both alien and indigenous plants. Notable differences in tree density and species richness were evident across suburbs with the highest density and richness found in the more affluent suburbs and poor representation of trees in the township. This will affect learner perceptions and viewpoints. The results from the analysed data revealed that use of the school grounds, botanical gardens, the local herbarium and town streets are effective in plant conservation education in schools and communities. These types of resources could be used for environmental education for future generations in South Africa and all over the world

Hubungan Kadar 25-Hidroksivitamin D Serum dengan Latensi Tidur pada Perempuan Remaja Akhir

Tinjauan sistematis dan metanalisis melaporkan bahwa defisiensi vitamin D berhubungan dengan gangguan tidur yang lebih tinggi. Reseptor vitamin D terdapat pada area batang otak yang dikenal sebagai pacemaker cells yang berperan dalam tahap pertama tidur (latensi tidur). Studi epidemiologi menyatakan bahwa perempuan lebih berisiko mengalami kualitas tidur buruk dibandingkan laki-laki. Kondisi kesehatan generasi mendatang bergantung pada keadaan kesehatan perempuan mulai dari masa pranikah. Berdasarkan data statistik menunjukkan perkawinan sering terjadi pada usia 19-24 tahun yang tergolong pada kelompok usia remaja akhir. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menentukan hubungan kadar 25-Hidroksivitamin D (25(OH)D) serum dengan latensi tidur pada perempuan remaja akhir. Penelitian dilakukan dengan desain cross-sectional pada mahasiswa Program Studi Kedokteran Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Andalas. Sepertiga (32,6%) subjek penelitian memasuki fase tidur lebih dari 15 menit. Lebih dari separuh (65%) pernah mengalami sulit tidur yaitu tidak memasuki fase tidur dalam waktu 30 menit sebanyak kurang dari 1 kali sampai dengan 3 kali dalam seminggu. Lebih dari separuh (60%) subjek penelitian mengalami defisiensi vitamin D (<11 ng/ml). Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara kadar 25(OH)D serum dengan latensi tidur (p<0,001; r=-0,437) pada perempuan remaja akhir. Simpulan studi ini ialah semakin rendah kadar vitamin D maka akan semakin buruk latensi tidur individu tersebut

Investigation of the plant species diversity, density, abundance and distribution in Grahamstown, South Africa

The plant species play very important role as they are not just planted to make the streets look beautiful but are a vital part of the ecosystem. They are a major source of the oxygen, help control, stabilise the climate and feed animals. The choice of planting alien trees instead of indigenous trees on the street was a big mistake. Therefore there is a need to pay attention on it now that there is high growth of urbanisation. This research has the primary objectives to investigate the plant species diversity, density, abundance and distribution in the Grahamstown streets and identify the key challenges faced by local forestry officials concerned with the provision of street trees. Streets were randomly sampled in the Grahamstown area. A total of 1467 plants were sighted in 17 streets comprising of only 15 indigenous species and 20 alien species. This means the 57% of trees were alien species and only 43% of the trees were indigenous. Significant differences in tree density and species richness were evident across suburbs (Grahamstown West), differences being more significantly different in the more affluent suburbs and poorly represented in the township (Grahamstown East area).Keywords: Plant species diversity, abundance and distributio

Pengaruh Pemberian Ekstrak Biji Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) Terhadap Kadar Kolesterol LDL Pada Tikus Galur Wistar (Rattus norvegicus) Model Hiperkolesterolemia

Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) merupakan tumbuhan asli Indonesia yang mudah diperoleh dan ekstrak biji melinjo mengandung berbagai macam stilbenoid yang tergolong senyawa resveratrol beserta turunannya. Penelitian terdahulu menunjukkan bahwa resveratrol dapat menurunkan kadar kolesterol LDL serum melalui penghambatan HMG-KoA reduktase. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah meneliti pengaruh pemberian ekstrak biji melinjo terhadap penurunan kadar kolesterol LDL pada tikus yang diberi diet tinggi lemak. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan randomized pre-post test control group design yang terdiri dari lima kelompok (n=5). Diet tinggi lemak diberikan berupa pakan otak sapi selama 29 hari (2 ml/hari). Kelompok perlakuan diberi ekstrak biji melinjo dosis 250, 500, dan 2000 mg/kgbb/hari. Ekstrak biji melinjo mulai diberikan hari ke-16 sampai hari ke-29. Kadar kolesterol LDL serum diperiksa dengan spektrofotometer. Data dianalisis dengan paired sample t-test dan One-Way ANOVA. Hasil paired sample t-test menunjukkan terdapat penurunan bermakna kadar kolesterol LDL serum setelah pemberian ekstrak biji melinjo pada kelompok yang mendapat dosis 2000 mg/kgbb/hari (p=0,003), sedangkan pada dosis lain tidak terdapat penurunan LDL serum yang bermakna. Uji One-Way ANOVA antar kelompok perlakuan menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbedaan kadar kolesterol LDL serum yang bermakna (p=0,531). Disimpulkan bahwa pemberian ekstrak biji melinjo dapat menurunkan kadar kolesterol LDL serum pada tikus yang diinduksi diet tinggi lemak pada dosis 2000 mg/kgbb/hari

Effect Of 6 Weeks Of Core Strengthening Exercises On Pulmonary Function Test In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated the effects of core strengthening exercises on various pulmonary conditions. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of core strengthening exercises using a Pressure Biofeedback Unit (PBU) with breathing exercises on Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) in patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).OBJECTIVE:  This study aimed to compare core strengthening exercises with PBU along with breathing exercises and breathing exercises alone on Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).METHODS: Sixteen patients with mild to severe COPD based on PFT reports were assigned to either the exercise group (EG) - core strengthening exercise with PBU along with breathing exercises or the control group (CG) - breathing exercises. All participants underwent PFT, core strength test, COPD assessment test (CAT), and MMRC dyspnea grading pre and post to intervention. The intervention protocol for EG was 3 days/week for 6 weeks which was provided in Pulmonary rehabilitation setup of D.Y. Patil Hospital, Navi Mumbai, and for CG was 5 days/week for 6 weeks through tele- rehabilitation. The results obtained were analyzed using Paired ‘t’ test for dependent measures, the Unpaired ‘t’ test for independent measures, and ‘Z’ test for qualitative data with a significance threshold of p<0.05.RESULTS: There were 8 participants in each group. Both EG and CG showed no significant effects of protocol post 6 weeks on PFT values. Comparison between EG and CG shows a higher value in CG for FEV 1 with p=0.0002 and FEV 1 /FVC with p=0.0001 in post 6 weeks as well as in baseline. No significant difference was noted between both groups for the CAT score. Significant improvement was noted in the core strength test with p=0.0001 and MMRC with p=0.0001 post 6 weeks for EG. CONCLUSION: Results obtained from the study suggest that core strengthening exercise with PBU along with breathing exercises has no superior effects in comparison with breathing exercises alone on Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) in patients with COPD.   &nbsp

Gestational Monosodium Glutamate Exposure Effects on Anogenital Distance of Male Rat Pups

High-dose Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) expo sure increases the estrogen level in pregnant rats. However, there are limited data available on whether the MSG-related maternal hormonal effects can affect male litters' genitalia phenotype. This study aimed to analyze the impact of MSG on estrogen level in pregnant rats and anogenital distance in male pups. Experiment for this study was performed at the animal facility of Biomedical Laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, from April 2019 to February 2020. Pregnant Wistar rats were given MSG orally at 2 and 4 mg/g body weight (BW) for 20 days. On day 21, pregnant rats were sacrificed and blood was drawn intracardially. Estradiol serum level was measured by ELISA. Male pups were counted, and the anogenital distance (AGD) was measured. Maternal serum estradiol levels were statistically analyzed by One-Way ANOVA and the AGD of male litters were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results showed that perinatal MSG exposure increased the estradiol level (26.3±4.5 pg/ml; 37.5±6.7 pg/ml; 62.1±8.2 pg/ml in control, 2 mg/g BW, and 4 mg/g BW group, respectively [mean±SD; p=<0.001]) and decreased the AGD (4 mm; 3 mm; 1.5 mm in control, 2 mg/g BW, and 4 mg/gBW group, respectively [median; p=<0.01]) in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, MSG exposure during pregnancy is a risk factor for male rat feminization.