FUNGSI PENGAWASAN EFEKTIF PADA PELAYANAN PUBLIK MENURUT AL-QUR’AN: Konsep dan Implementasinya di Indonesia

Pelayanan publik yang diselenggarakan pemerintah belum efektif dalam mewujudkan kesejahteraan masyarakat Indonesia sesuai amanat UUD 1945, ditandai masih maraknya kasus penyimpangan prosedur, penyimpangan, penyalahgunaan wewenang, penyelewengan, serta praktek mal-administasi lainnya sebagaimana ditunjukkan fakta pengaduan di Lembaga-lembaga yang kompeten. Untuk tindakan perefentif dan korektif perlu ditegakkannya fungsi pengawasan yang efektif, yang konsep dan implementasinya didasarkan pada nilai-nilai yangdiisayaratkan Al-Qur’an sebagai sumber kebenaran absolut. Karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan: (1) Memahami ayat-ayat Al-Qur’an tentang arti penting pengawasan, (2) Menemukan konsep yang diisyaratkan Al-Qur’an dalam implementasi fungsi pengawasan yang efektif pada pelayanan publik. Untuk mencapai tujuan dimaksud dilakukan penelitian dengan metode kualitatif berbasis library research, Data primer adalah ayat-ayat Al-Qur’an, dengan mengkaji kitab-kitab Tafsir melalui pendekatan Maudhu’i, dan interview dengan para Ahli Tafsir, Ahli bahasa Arab Al-Qur’an, serta Lembaga-lembaga yang kompeten dalam tugas pengawasan sebagai Narasumber (Prof. Nazaruddin Umar, MA, PhD.; Prof. Dr. KH. Quraish Shihab, MA; Prof. Dr. Aziz Fackrurrozi, MA; Prof. Dr. Rachmat Syafe’i Lc, MA), Pimpinan OMBUDSMAN RI dan Perwakilan Jawa Barat serta Pimpinan BPKP RI. Teknik Analisis dengan prosedur content analysis, langkah-langkah: Data Reduction (Reduksi Data), Data Display (Penyajian Data) serta Conclusion Drawing / Verification. Hasil penelitian dapat disimpulan bahwa: (1) Manusia tidak dapat dipercaya untuk kerja keras dalam bekerja maupun beribadah kepada Allah, karena itu penting ditegakkannya fungsi pengawasan yang konsepnya bersumber dari Al-Qur’an. Makna Pengawasan dalam perspektif ini memiliki dua makna, yaitu: pengawasan melekat yang bersifat Ilahiyah, dan makna pengawasan kolektif bersifat materi dalam bentuk amar maruf nahi munkar. (2) Implementasi fungsi pengawasan pada pelayanan publik diwujudkan melalui tiga pilar, yaitu: (a) Keimanan dan ketaqwaan individu, (b) Kontrol anggota, (c) Penerapan atau supremasi aturan, organisasi ditegakkan dengan aturan main yang jelas dan transparan, dan tidak bertentangan dengan syariah. Didukung oleh perangkat-perangkat: berlaku jujur, amanah, integritas, bil-hikmah, menegakkan etik, bersahabat dengan spiritual, dan pemberian sanksi yang tegas manakala melakukan penyimpanga

Correlation Between Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Proteinuria in Type-2 Diabetic Patients

Introduction: Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the single most common cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in many countries. Inflammation is a potential factor in the development and progression of DN and recent data indicate that diabetes includes an inflammatory component which may contribute to diabetic complications. Methods: This study was conducted at Ain Shams University Hospital on 95 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus complicated with retinopathy and fifteen age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Diabetic patients were divided into 4 groups according to the degree of proteinuria. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), urine TNF-α and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in all subjects. Correlations between these inflammatory parameters and degree of proteinuria, duration of diabetes and degree of glycemic control were examined. Results: Levels of the three inflammatory parameters were significantly higher in diabetic patients when compared to control subjects, and they were positively correlated to urinary protein excretion. There was significant positive correlation between serum and urine TNF-α and duration of diabetes, as well as between serum TNF-α and glycemic control. Serum and urine TNF-α remained as independent predictors of urine protein excretion in diabetic patients with overt proteinuria after forward stepwise multiple regression analysis. Conclusion: Serum and urine TNF-α and CRP levels are significantly elevated in this group of diabetic patients, and correlate positively with severity of proteinuria. This suggests a significant role for TNF-α in the pathogenesis and progression of renal injury in diabetes mellitus. Keywards: Diabetic nephropathy; Proteinuria; Tumor necrosis factor-

Peste des petits ruminants in large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts

Since its first report in 1942, peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV) has caused several epidemics in a wide range of susceptible hosts around the world. In the last 30 years, the evidence of natural and experimental infections and virus isolation were reported from novel but unusual hosts such as camel, cattle, buffalo, dogs, Asiatic lion and pigs. In addition, PPRV in a potential vector, biting midges (Culicoides imicola), has been reported. Either presented as clinical and/or subclinical infections, the presence of the virus in an extended range of susceptible hosts highlights the cross-species transmission and supports the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of PPRV among susceptible hosts. However, the potential role of large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts for PPRV epidemiology is still obscure. Therefore, there is a need for molecular and epidemiological investigations of the disease among usual and unusual hosts to achieve the goals of disease control and eradication programmes initiated by national and international organisations, such as the FAO and OIE. This review is the first to summarise the scattered data on PPR in large ruminants, camels and unusual hosts to obtain the global scientific communities' attention for further research on epidemiological aspects, not only in its native hosts, but also in large ruminants, camels and other unusual hosts

Horizontal DNA transfer mechanisms of bacteria as weapons of intragenomic conflict

Horizontal DNA transfer (HDT) is a pervasive mechanism of diversification in many microbial species, but its primary evolutionary role remains controversial. Much recent research has emphasised the adaptive benefit of acquiring novel DNA, but here we argue instead that intragenomic conflict provides a coherent framework for understanding the evolutionary origins of HDT. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mathematical model of a clonally descended bacterial population undergoing HDT through transmission of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and genetic transformation. Including the known bias of transformation toward the acquisition of shorter alleles into the model suggested it could be an effective means of counteracting the spread of MGEs. Both constitutive and transient competence for transformation were found to provide an effective defence against parasitic MGEs; transient competence could also be effective at permitting the selective spread of MGEs conferring a benefit on their host bacterium. The coordination of transient competence with cell-cell killing, observed in multiple species, was found to result in synergistic blocking of MGE transmission through releasing genomic DNA for homologous recombination while simultaneously reducing horizontal MGE spread by lowering the local cell density. To evaluate the feasibility of the functions suggested by the modelling analysis, we analysed genomic data from longitudinal sampling of individuals carrying Streptococcus pneumoniae. This revealed the frequent within-host coexistence of clonally descended cells that differed in their MGE infection status, a necessary condition for the proposed mechanism to operate. Additionally, we found multiple examples of MGEs inhibiting transformation through integrative disruption of genes encoding the competence machinery across many species, providing evidence of an ongoing "arms race." Reduced rates of transformation have also been observed in cells infected by MGEs that reduce the concentration of extracellular DNA through secretion of DNases. Simulations predicted that either mechanism of limiting transformation would benefit individual MGEs, but also that this tactic's effectiveness was limited by competition with other MGEs coinfecting the same cell. A further observed behaviour we hypothesised to reduce elimination by transformation was MGE activation when cells become competent. Our model predicted that this response was effective at counteracting transformation independently of competing MGEs. Therefore, this framework is able to explain both common properties of MGEs, and the seemingly paradoxical bacterial behaviours of transformation and cell-cell killing within clonally related populations, as the consequences of intragenomic conflict between self-replicating chromosomes and parasitic MGEs. The antagonistic nature of the different mechanisms of HDT over short timescales means their contribution to bacterial evolution is likely to be substantially greater than previously appreciated

A systematic review on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) oil and further confirmation of anti-inflammatory activity by chemical profiling and molecular docking

Traditionally sesame oil has been used as a popular food and medicine. The review aims to summarize the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of sesame oil (SO) and its identified compounds as well as further fatty acid profiling and molecular docking study to correlate the interaction of its identified constituents with COX-2. For this, a literature study was made using Google Scholar, Pubmed and SciFinder databases. Literature study demonstrated that SO has potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in various test systems, including humans, animals and cultured cells through various pathways such as inhibition of COX, non-enzymatic defense mechanism, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NF-kB or MAPK signaling and prostaglandin synthesis pathway. Fatty acidanalysis of SO using gas chromatography identified known 9 fatty acids.In-silico study revealed thatsesamin, sesaminol, sesamolin, stigmasterol, Δ5-avenasterol, and Δ7-avenasterol(-9.6 to -10.7 kcal/mol) were the most efficient ligand for interaction and binding with COX-2. The known fatty acid were also showed binding efficiency with COX-2 to some extent (-6.0 to -8.4 kcal/mol).In summary, it is evident that sesame oil may be one of promising traditional medicine that we could use in the prevention and management of diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation

Serum Early Prostate Cancer Antigen (EPCA) Level and Its Association with Disease Progression in Prostate Cancer in a Chinese Population

BACKGROUND: Early prostate cancer antigen (EPCA) has been shown a prostate cancer (PCa)-associated nuclear matrix protein, however, its serum status and prognostic power in PCa are unknown. The goals of this study are to measure serum EPCA levels in a cohort of patients with PCa prior to the treatment, and to evaluate the clinical value of serum EPCA. METHODS: Pretreatment serum EPCA levels were determined with an ELISA in 77 patients with clinically localized PCa who underwent radical prostatectomy and 51 patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease who received primary androgen deprivation therapy, and were correlated with clinicopathological variables and disease progression. Serum EPCA levels were also examined in 40 healthy controls. RESULTS: Pretreatment mean serum EPCA levels were significantly higher in PCa patients than in controls (16.84 ± 7.60 ng/ml vs. 4.12 ± 2.05 ng/ml, P<0.001). Patients with locally advanced and metastatic PCa had significantly higher serum EPCA level than those with clinically localized PCa (22.93 ± 5.28 ng/ml and 29.41 ± 8.47 ng/ml vs. 15.17 ± 6.03 ng/ml, P = 0.014 and P<0.001, respectively). Significantly elevated EPCA level was also found in metastatic PCa compared with locally advanced disease (P < 0.001). Increased serum EPCA levels were significantly and positively correlated with Gleason score and clinical stage, but not with PSA levels and age. On multivariate analysis, pretreatment serum EPCA level held the most significantly predictive value for the biochemical recurrence and androgen-independent progression among pretreatment variables (HR = 4.860, P<0.001 and HR = 5.418, P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Serum EPCA level is markedly elevated in PCa. Pretreatment serum EPCA level correlates significantly with the poor prognosis, showing prediction potential for PCa progression

The Cognitive Role of the Globus Pallidus interna; Insights from Disease States.

The motor symptoms of both Parkinson's disease and focal dystonia arise from dysfunction of the basal ganglia, and are improved by pallidotomy or deep brain stimulation of the Globus Pallidus interna (GPi). However, Parkinson's disease is associated with a greater degree of basal ganglia-dependent learning impairment than dystonia. We attempt to understand this observation in terms of a comparison of the electrophysiology of the output of the basal ganglia between the two conditions. We use the natural experiment offered by Deep Brain Stimulation to compare GPi local field potential responses in subjects with Parkinson's disease compared to subjects with dystonia performing a forced-choice decision-making task with sensory feedback. In dystonic subjects, we found that auditory feedback was associated with the presence of high gamma oscillations nestled on a negative deflection, morphologically similar to sharp wave ripple complexes described in human rhinal cortex. These were not present in Parkinson's disease subjects. The temporal properties of the high gamma burst were modified by incorrect trial performance compared to correct trial performance. Both groups exhibited a robust low frequency response to 'incorrect' trial performance in dominant GPi but not non-dominant GPi at theta frequency. Our results suggest that cellular processes associated with striatum-dependent memory function may be selectively impaired in Parkinson's disease even if dopaminergic drugs are administered, but that error detection mechanisms are preserved

Cancer Screening by Systemic Administration of a Gene Delivery Vector Encoding Tumor-Selective Secretable Biomarker Expression

Cancer biomarkers facilitate screening and early detection but are known for only a few cancer types. We demonstrated the principle of inducing tumors to secrete a serum biomarker using a systemically administered gene delivery vector that targets tumors for selective expression of an engineered cassette. We exploited tumor-selective replication of a conditionally replicative Herpes simplex virus (HSV) combined with a replication-dependent late viral promoter to achieve tumor-selective biomarker expression as an example gene delivery vector. Virus replication, cytotoxicity and biomarker production were low in quiescent normal human foreskin keratinocytes and high in cancer cells in vitro. Following intravenous injection of virus >90% of tumor-bearing mice exhibited higher levels of biomarker than non-tumor-bearing mice and upon necropsy, we detected virus exclusively in tumors. Our strategy of forcing tumors to secrete a serum biomarker could be useful for cancer screening in high-risk patients, and possibly for monitoring response to therapy. In addition, because oncolytic vectors for tumor specific gene delivery are cytotoxic, they may supplement our screening strategy as a “theragnostic” agent. The cancer screening approach presented in this work introduces a paradigm shift in the utility of gene delivery which we foresee being improved by alternative vectors targeting gene delivery and expression to tumors. Refining this approach will usher a new era for clinical cancer screening that may be implemented in the developed and undeveloped world