Improving the energy values of rice straw and oil palm empty fruit bunch in ruminant feeding

Rice straw and oil palm empty fruit bunch were treated with urea and commercial effective microorganisms to study their ability to breakdown fibres, improved in protein and energy values. In rice straw, the crude protein and crude fibre treated with urea and urea + effective microorganisms showed significant differences from the untreated control. The neutral detergent fibre and nitrogen free extract values in the rice straw treatment did not show significant differences. Metabolizable energy values decreased with the treatment groups compared to the control. The results of keeping the treated rice straw in anaerobic plastic bags up to 30 days showed no significant breakdown of fibre components in the control and urea treated groups. But there is a significant dropped in the neutral detergent fibre in urea+effective microorganisms treatment. In oil palm empty fruit bunch, there were no significant differences seen in the crude protein, crude fibre, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, nitrogen free extract and metabolisable energy values. Storage showed decreased in energy values in all treated groups. The addition of urea and microbes showed improved protein level and in the reduction of the fibre components in rice straw only

Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) Capsule Material Selection and Its Robustness Analysis in Oil and Gas Pipeline

This paper discussed on the material selection and its robustness analysis towards the design of magnetic flux leakage capsule that most applied in oil and gas pipeline. Magnetic Flux Leakage is among the most famous and expensive technique in large scale oil and gas pipe diagnosis system. This technique applies strong magnetic fields to detect any strange in the inner surface of the pipes such as corrosion, crack or other symptoms which is bad to the pipe condition. The aim of this research is to study and develop a small scale, low cost and portable Magnetic Flux Leakage diagnosis system which suitable in detecting the defect in the inner side of steel pipe or steel tank structures. This system uses strong permanent magnet to generate strong magnetic field while Hall Effect sensor act as a receiver. It is found that the best suitable material for the Magnetic Flux Leakage Capsule is carbon steel

A review of non-invasive imaging: the opportunity of magnetic induction tomography modality in agarwood industry

The needs for non-invasive technique in agarwood industry could enhance and preserve the future of this industry in Malaysia as well as in most of the Asia countries. Normally karas tree which produces agarwood needs at least more than ten years to yield a matured agarwood resin. Thus cutting down the immature trees without pre-assessment on the agarwood content would become a waste of resources. This paper discusses the NDE techniques in wood industry which has the potential to be applied in karas tree for pre-assessment of agarwood volume embedded inside the trees. Finally future research in agarwood imaging using Magnetic Induction Tomography modality is addressed

Jaundice assessement of newborn baby: a short review on Kramel’s Rule and magnetic induction spectroscopy

Jaundice is a yellow discolouration of white eyes (sclera), skin and mucous membrane which is clinically apparent when the level of serum bilirubin rises up to 5 mg/dl. Jaundice could cause abnormalities in the newborn infant when production of bilirubin exceeds the normal range. Formation of bilirubin starts from degradation of hemoglobin and haemoprotein, which is released from red blood cell. Current technique in evaluating jaundice of new born infant is based on Kramer’s Rule but unfortunately it is not very applicable to the babies with dark skin. Thus Magnetic Induction Spectroscopy (MIS) is introduced as an alternative to this issue as MIS is a non-invasive, non-intrusive and electrodeless measurement scheme. This paper will go through short overview on jaundice measurement as well as MIS modality

Cause-specific mortality of children younger than 5 years in communities receiving biannual mass azithromycin treatment in Niger: verbal autopsy results from a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The Macrolides Oraux pour Réduire les Décès avec un Oeil sur la Résistance (MORDOR) trial found that biannual mass distribution of azithromycin to children younger than 5 years in Niger reduced the primary outcome of all-cause mortality by 18%. We aimed to determine the causes of mortality among deceased children using verbal autopsy. METHODS: In this 2-year cluster-randomised controlled trial, 594 community clusters in Niger were randomly allocated (1:1 ratio) to receive biannual mass distributions of either oral azithromycin (approximately 20 mg per kg of bodyweight) or placebo targeted to children aged 1-59 months. Participants, study investigators, and field workers were masked to treatment allocation. Between Nov 23, 2014, and July 31, 2017, 3615 child deaths were recorded by use of biannual house-to-house censuses, and verbal autopsies were done between May 26, 2015, and May 17, 2018, to identify cause of death. Cause-specific mortality, as assessed by verbal autopsy, was a prespecified secondary outcome. This trial is completed and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02047981. FINDINGS: Between Nov 23, 2014, and July 31, 2017, 303 communities (n=40 375 children at baseline) in Niger received mass azithromycin and 291 communities (n=35 747 children at baseline) received placebo. Treatment coverage was 90·3% (SD 10·6) in the azithromycin group and 90·4% (10·1) in the placebo group. No communities were lost to follow-up. In total, 1727 child deaths in the azithromycin group and 1888 child deaths in the placebo group were reported from the population censuses. Of these, the cause of death for 1566 (90·7%) children in the azithromycin group and 1735 (91·9%) children in the placebo group were ascertained by verbal autopsy interviews. In the azithromycin group, 437 (27·9%) deaths were due to malaria, 252 (16·1%) deaths were due to pneumonia, and 234 (14·9%) deaths were due to diarrhoea. In the placebo group, 493 (28·4%) deaths were due to malaria, 275 (15·9%) deaths were due to pneumonia, and 251 (14·5%) deaths were due to diarrhoea. Relative to communities that received placebo, child mortality in communities that received azithromycin was lower for malaria (incidence rate ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·66-0·92; p=0·0029), dysentery (0·65, 0·44-0·94; p=0·025), meningitis (0·67, 0·46-0·97; p=0·036), and pneumonia (0·83, 0·68-1·00; p=0·051). The distribution of causes of death did not differ significantly between the two study groups (p=0·98). INTERPRETATION: Mass azithromycin distribution resulted in approximately a third fewer deaths in children aged 1-59 months due to meningitis and dysentery, and a fifth fewer deaths due to malaria and pneumonia. The lack of difference in the distribution of causes of death between the azithromycin and placebo groups could be attributable to the broad spectrum of azithromycin activity and the study setting, in which most childhood deaths were due to infections. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

PENGEMBANGAN BUKU PETUNJUK PRAKTIKUM IDENTIFIKASI MAKROALGA DI KAWASAN PANTAI LUMBUNG PUCANGLABAN TULUNGAGUNG

ABSTRAK Skripsi dengan judul “Pengembangan Buku Petunjuk Praktikum Identifikasi Makroalga di Kawasan Pantai Lumbung Pucanglaban Tulungagung” ditulis oleh Muhammad Maliki Ibrahim, NIM. 17208163053, dosen pembimbing Haslinda Yasti Agustin, S.Si., M.Pd. Kata kunci : Morfologi, Makroalga, Pantai Lumbung, Buku petunjuk praktikum. Kabupaten Tulungagung merupakan salah satu kabupaten di Jawa Timur yang memiliki banyak pantai. Salah satu pantai di kabupaten ini adalah pantai Lumbung. Pantai Lumbung terletak di desa Pucanglaban kecamatan Pucanglaban kabupaten Tulungagung. Pantai Lumbung merupakan pantai dengan ciri khas berkarang. Banyak organisme laut seperti ikan, kerang, rumput laut hidup, dan lain-lain hidup di pantai ini. Penelitian ini membahas tentang identifikasi Makroalga yang ada di pantai Lumbung. Alasan pemilihan lokasi di pantai ini adalah karena belum ada penelitian atau pendataan mengenai morfologi Makroalga khususnya divisi Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, dan Phaeophyta di pantai tersebut. Alasan lainnya adalah pantai Lumbung jarang terjamah manusia, kondisi pantai masih asri, dan jauh dari pemukiman penduduk. Selain itu, penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi”oleh kurangnya bahan ajar yang menarik dan diterapkan”di luar kelas”pada”mata kuliah Botani Cryptogamae khususnya pada topik Makroalga. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk 1) mengetahui karakteristik morfologi makroalga yang ditemukan di Pantai Lumbung Kabupaten Tulungagung 2) menganalisis faktor abiotik (pH, salinitas, dan suhu air laut) yang berkaitan dengan keberadaan organisme makroalga 3) menghasilkan buku petunjuk praktikum sebagai bahan ajar biologi” 4) menganalisis hasil validasi ahli dan keterbacaan mahasiswa mengenai buku petunjuk praktikum yang telah dihasilkan.Penelitian ini merupakan Research and Development (RnD) dengan model pengembangan 4D sampai tahap develop (pengembangan). Penelitian ini diawali dengan pengamatan morfologi Makroalga. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan transek kuadrat dengan rincian 3 stasiun dan 3 plot. Ukuran kuadrat (plot) yang digunakan adalah 1x1 m. Jarak antar stasiun 20 m sedangkan jarak antar plot 5 m. Setiap plot dilakukan pengukuran faktor abiotik meliputi derajat keasaman (pH), suhu, salinitas, dan jenis substrat. Morfologi makroalga yang diiidentifikasi meliputi nama spesies, panjang, lebar, diameter, warna, bentuk talus, blade, stipe, gas bladder, holdfast, dan tipe percabangan. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian diketahui bahwa 1) jumlah makroalga yang ditemukan meliputi 3 filum, 10 ordo, 10 famili, 13 genus, dan 13 spesies. Jenis yang ditemukan yaitu Ulva lactuca, Chaetomorpha crassa, Bornetella sphaerica, Codium tomentosum, Gracilaria gracilis, Gigartina papillata, Palmaria palmata, Halosaccion glandiforme, Gelidium spinosum, Galaxaura rugosa, Sargassum muticum, Hormophysa cuneiformis, dan Padina pavonica. 2) Faktor abiotik berkaitan erat dengan kualitas air dan kehidupan makroalga. Berikut adalah hasil fakor abiotik yang diukur diantaranya (pH) 8,5-8,6, suhu 27-28oC, dan salinitas 3,4 – 3,6% dengan jenis substrat karang berpasir. Bahan ajar yang dihasilkan adalah petunjuk praktikum Morfologi Makroalga yang terdiri dari dua topik yaitu topik 1 tentang Aturan Tatanama Tumbuhan dan topik 2 tentang Identifikasi Morfologi Makroalga. Komponen yang termuat dalam petunjuk praktikum adalah kata pengantar, daftar isi, tata tertib praktikum, prosedur penggunaan petunjuk praktikum, format penulisan”laporan,”indikator pencapaian, dasar teori, tujuan praktikum, alat dan”bahan, prosedur kerja, tabel data hasil pengamatan,”diskusi, refleksi, daftar rujukan, serta tabel identifikasi”yang dapat memudahkan praktikan dalam mempelajarinya, yang dicetak dalam kertas HVS A4 ukuran (21 x 29,7) dengan desain yang menarik. 4) Buku petunjuk praktikum yang telah dikembangkan selanjutnya divalidasi oleh beberapa ahli. Persentase skor yang didapat dari ahli materi 1 sebesar 73%, ahli materi 2 sebesar 72%, ahli media sebesar 86%, dan keterbacaan mahasiswa sebesar 86,5%, sehingga rata-rata hasil penilaian validasi mendapat persentase skor 79,4 %. Berdasarkan perhitungan tersebut maka diperoleh interval 61≤ skor ≤80, artinya dari rata-rata interval tersebut menunjukkan bahwa media ini mendapat kriteria baik (tanpa revisi). Kesimpulannya media buku petunjuk praktikum morfologi makroalga sudah sesuai dan layak digunakan sebagai bahan ajar matakuliah Botani Cryptogamae

Perception of Patients Towards Nurses’ Attitudes: Implication on the Public Image of Nursing

Background: The negative public image of Nurses is not in agreement with the important work they do. There is therefore a need to investigate what attracted this negative image to Nurses. Aim: The study aims to investigate patients’ perception of nurses’ attitudes and how that impact on their perception of the public image of nurses Method: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to select 380 patients attending clinics/admitted in the wards in a tertiary hospital, Zaria systematically. The ensuing data was subjected to rigorous quantitative analysis with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Result: While the majority of the respondents were of the opinion that nurses are not friendly or tend to shout at them (166 or 51.4% and 165 or 51% respectively), the majority were also of the view that the nurses were competent and efficient in professional service delivery such as; administering the medication on time (117 or 87%, n=134), doing the necessary temperature checks (239 or 74%, n=323), and overall dedication to duty (294 or 91%, n=323). Conclusion: Patients have negative perceptions towards nurses’ attitudes as such; nurses need to work on their social skills and attitudes in order to complement their technical competence as a way of improving patient perception and public image. Among the recommendations for achieving this are training of nurses on positive attitude and stress management, formal recognition of friendly Nurses, and wearing of name tags to easy identified by patients. Keywords: Perception, Public image, Nursing, Patient