IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN PROGRAM BANTUAN LANGSUNG TUNAI DIMASA PANDEMI COVID-19

The Indonesian government minimizes the spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic and improves the welfare of the people in Indonesia by means of the government making new policies on social security programs, one of which is the Village Fund Direct Assistance (BLT-DD). the central government hopes that the distribution of BLT can be carried out in an orderly, fair and precise manner, namely right on target, right people, right time, right process, and right administrative report. This study uses descriptive qualitative methods, data obtained from interviews, observations, and documentation. Based on the results of the study, the implementation of the BLT program policy in the government area of Southwest Sumba Regency went well. the supporting factor in this research is the collaboration between the village government and the community to participate in the distribution of BLT. Meanwhile, the inhibiting factor is the completeness of community documents in the form of family cards (KK) and identity cards (KTP) in receiving BLT, but this can be overcome by the village government so that overall BLT distribution goes well.AsbtrakPemerintah Indonesia meminimalisir penyebaran Pandemi Covid-19 dan peningkatan kesejahteraan masyarakat di Indonesia dengan cara pemerintah membuat kebijakan baru tentang program jaminan sosial salah satunya adalah Bantuan Langsung Tunai Dana Desa (BLT-DD) Adanya Bantuan BLT-DD diwilayah pemerintahan Kabupaten Sumba Barat Daya pemerintah pusat berharap pendistribusian BLT bisa terlaksana secara tertib, adil, dan tepat yaitu tepat sasaran, tepat orang, tepat waktu, tepat proses, dan tepat laporan administrasi. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif, data yang diperoleh dari hasil wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian bahwa Implementasi kebijakan program BLT diwilayah pemerintahan Kabupaten Sumba Barat Daya berjalan dengan baik. faktor pendukung dalam penelitian ini adalah kerjasama antara pemerintah Desa dan masyarakat untuk ikut berpartisipasi dalam penyaluran BLT. Sedangkan yang menjadi faktor penghambat adalah kelengkapan dokumen masyarakat yang berupa kartu keluarga (KK) dan kartu tanda penduduk (KTP) dalam menerima BLT namun hal tersebut dapat di atasi oleh pemerintah desa sehingga secara keseluruahan penyaluran BLT berjalan dengan baik

An Electrochemical Sensor Based on Nanostructured Hollandite-type Manganese Oxide for Detection of Potassium Ions

The participation of cations in redox reactions of manganese oxides provides an opportunity for development of chemical sensors for non-electroactive ions. A sensor based on a nanostructured hollandite-type manganese oxide was investigated for voltammetric detection of potassium ions. The detection is based on the measurement of anodic current generated by oxidation of Mn(III) to Mn(IV) at the surface of the electrode and the subsequent extraction of the potassium ions into the hollandite structure. In this work, an amperometric procedure at an operating potential of 0.80 V (versus SCE) is exploited for amperometric monitoring. The current signals are linearly proportional to potassium ion concentration in the range 4.97 × 10−5 to 9.05 × 10−4 mol L−1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997

Magnitude and factors associated with nonadherence to antiepileptic drug treatment in Africa: A cross-sectional multisite study

Objectives: The epilepsy treatment gap is large in low- and middle-income countries, but the reasons behind nonadherence to treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) across African countries remain unclear. We investigated the extent to which AEDs are not taken and associated factors in people with active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) identified in cross-sectional studies conducted in five African countries. Methods: We approached 2,192 people with a confirmed diagnosis of ACE for consent to give blood voluntarily. Participants were asked if they were taking AEDs, and plasma drug concentrations were measured using a fluorescence polarization immunoassay analyzer. Information about possible risk factors was collected using questionnaire-based clinical interviews. We determined factors associated with nonadherence to AED treatment in children and adults, as measured by detectable and optimal levels, using multilevel logistic regression. Results: In 1,303 samples assayed (43.7% were children), AEDs were detected in 482, but only 287 had optimal levels. Of the 1,303 samples, 532 (40.8%) were from people who had reported they were on AEDs. The overall prevalence of nonadherence to treatment was 63.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 60.5–65.6%) as measured by detectable AED levels and 79.1% (95% CI 73.3–84.3%) as measured by optimal AED levels; self-reported nonadherence was 65.1% (95% CI 45.0–79.5%). Nonadherence was significantly (p < 0.001) more common among the children than among adults for optimal and detectable levels of AEDs, as was the self-reported nonadherence. In children, lack of previous hospitalization and learning difficulties were independently associated with nonadherence to treatment. In adults, history of delivery at home, absence of burn marks, and not seeking traditional medicine were independently associated with the nonadherence to AED treatment. Significance: Only about 20% of people with epilepsy benefit fully from antiepileptic drugs in sub-Saharan Africa, according to optimum AEDs levels. Children taking AEDs should be supervised to promote compliance

Young people's involvement in migration research - opportunities for (re)shaping research priorities and practices

Young people are frequently involved in research about their own lives and their contributions to the shaping of research priorities increasingly valued. Recently, young people’s participation in research has been extended to advisory group roles including supporting the planning, design and delivery of projects. Such involvement marks an important shift towards valuing young people’s views on how research should be conducted and is often required as part of research funding processes. In this article, we explore the value and contribution of young people’s involvement in a research project focusing on the livelihoods of young migrants in Ghana and the related possibilities for empowerment. Our collaborations remind us of the pitfalls of working from an adult centric lens, and how this may inadvertently contribute to the reproduction of adult ways of understanding young lives. Here, our project Young Person Advisory Group members share their experiences of being youth advisors – highlighting both challenges and opportunities for young people’s meaningful involvement in research

What are the living conditions and health status of those who don't report their migration status? a population-based study in Chile

BACKGROUND: Undocumented immigrants are likely to be missing from population databases, making it impossible to identify an accurate sampling frame in migration research. No population-based data has been collected in Chile regarding the living conditions and health status of undocumented immigrants. However, the CASEN survey (Caracterizacion Socio- Economica Nacional) asked about migration status in Chile for the first time in 2006 and provides an opportunity to set the base for future analysis of available migration data. We explored the living conditions and health of self-reported immigrants and respondents who preferred not to report their migration status in this survey. METHODS: Cross-sectional secondary analysis of CASEN survey in Chile in 2006. Outcomes: any disability, illness/accident, hospitalization/surgery, cancer/chronic condition (all binary variables); and the number of medical/emergency attentions received (count variables). Covariates: Demographics (age, sex, marital status, urban/rural, ethnicity), socioeconomic status (education level, employment status and household income), and material standard of living (overcrowding, sanitation, housing quality). Weighted regression models were estimated for each health outcome, crude and adjusted by sets of covariates, in STATA 10.0. RESULTS: About 1% of the total sample reported being immigrants and 0.7% preferred not to report their migration status (Migration Status - Missing Values; MS-MV). The MS-MV lived in more deprived conditions and reported a higher rate of health problems than immigrants. Some gender differences were observed by health status among immigrants and the MS-MV but they were not statistically significant. Regressions indicated that age, sex, SES and material factors consistently affected MS-MVs’ chance of presenting poor health and these patterns were different to those found among immigrants. Great heterogeneity in both the MS-MV and the immigrants, as indicated by wide confidence intervals, prevented the identification of other significantly associated covariates. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to look at the living conditions and health of those that preferred not to respond their migration status in Chile. Respondents that do not report their migration status are vulnerable to poor health and may represent undocumented immigrants. Surveys that fail to identify these people are likely to misrepresent the experiences of immigrants and further quantitative and qualitative research is urgently required