The Potential of Nanocellulose Acetate as Surfactant for Water-Vegetable Oil Systems

Indonesia, as an agricultural country, has a variety of abundant plants. Cellulose is a component in plants that can be modified to increase its economic value. Resizing cellulose to nanocellulose and modification of nanocellulose to nanocellulose acetate can increase its potential as a surfactant. Resizing cellulose can be done using the strong acid hydrolysis method. An acetic anhydride reagent was utilized to convert the surface hydroxyl functional group into acetyl. The successful production and modification of nanocellulose were confirmed using fourier transform infrared and particle size analysis characterization. The infrared absorption spectrum of cellulose and nanocellulose showed no difference in peaks. Particle size distribution showed that nanocellulose I (CNC I) and nanocellulose II (CNC II) has sizes of 142 nm and 319 nm, respectively. The property of nanocellulose molecules in an oil-water system was simulated using molecular dynamics with GROMACS 2020.6 software. Appropriate trends can be seen in the interfacial tension of water-vegetable oil systems. The value of interfacial tension decreases with the addition of nanocellulose acetate compared to the addition of nanocellulose. With the agreement between the experimental and computational results, nanocellulose acetate can act as a surfactant

Legal Functionalization of Integrated Service Institutions Empowering Women and Children (P2TP2A) In the Prevention, Handling, And Assistance of Victims of Violence Against Women And Children in The Cianjur Regency

The eradication of violence against women and children is one of the benchmarks for the success of regional development. Many cases of violence can be handled by the government, which is represented by the Integrated Service Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children (abbreviated: P2TP2A). The purpose of this study is to analyze how the tasks, functions, and obstacles faced by P2TP2A Cianjur Regency, as an institution appointed by the local government in the prevention and prosecution of women and children who are victims of violence in Cianjur Regency and the efforts made by the local government to support P2TP2A, to be used as an evaluation to be even better in its functionalization. The method in this study uses a normative juridical and sociological juridical approach with descriptive research specifications. It uses data analysis, namely qualitative normative analysis, in that the data obtained will be arranged systematically for further qualitative analysis. Based on the results of this study, it is known that there are rampant cases of violence against women and children as victims in the Cianjur Regency. To overcome this, P2TP2A Cianjur Regency provides services for victims, including prevention programs and enforcement programs (curative and rehabilitative). The enforcement program here focuses on assisting victims, where there are three types of assistance: medical help, psychological juridical aid, and service. In implementing these programs, several obstacles were found that became obstacles that must be resolved immediately. One of them is the low level of attention and commitment of the Cianjur Regency Government in supporting the implementation of P2TP2A programs both materially and immaterially

Kindling the First Stars II: Dependence of the Predicted PISN Rate on the Pop III Initial Mass Function

Population III (Pop III) stars formed out of metal free gas in minihalos at $z>20$. While their ignition ended the Dark Ages and begin enrichment of the IGM, their mass distribution remains unconstrained. To date, no confirmed Pop III star has been observed and their direct detection is beyond the reach of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) without gravitational lensing. However, a subset of massive Pop III stars end their lives in pair instability supernova (PISN). With typical energies of $\sim10^{53}$~erg, PISN light curve peaks are bright enough to be detectable by JWST and the Roman Space Telescope. The fundamental question of this work is whether or not observed PISN can be used as a diagnostic of the Pop III IMF. In this work, we use a model of the formation of the first stars to determine the dependence of PISN rates at $z~>~5$ for a range of Pop III power law IMFs ($\alpha~=~0.2~-~2.35$) and, critically, the method by which the IMF is populated. At $z~>~15$, we predict typical rates of $10^{-2}~-~10^2$ per deg$^{2}$ per year which will produce $10^{-3}~-~0.1$/year in a single NIRCam pointing and $0.003~-~30$/year in a single Roman pointing with $0.1~-~1000$ per year detected in the HLTDS. Our work highlights that theoretical modeling of PISN rates is required if upcoming PISN studies with JWST and Roman are going to constrain the Pop III IMF.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysic

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT WORKSHEET MODEL IN ASSESSING TEACHER QUALITY BASED ON CURRICULUM 2013

The research is a part of a three-year research; it was the implementation stage of the complete research. It employed Educational Research and Development (R&D) design, which was modified in several features. The main objective of the research was to produce a comprehensive student worksheet which focuses on scientific project referring to the implementation of Curriculum 2013. The instruments used in the research were cognitive skill test, scientific attitude scale, observation sheet and interview. The implementation stage of the research utilized inquiry-based worksheet that was integrated with Animal Physiology subject, problem-based-learning (PBL) worksheet which was associated with Animal Ecology course, and project-based learning (PjBL) worksheet which was merged with Biotechnology subject. The research involved 60 students of Biology Education Department of Unpas from academic year 2013-2014. 30 of them were the control group and the rests were experimental group. The research shows that there is a difference in terms of students’ cognitive skill of the two groups. The cognitive skill of students in control group has an average of 2,47 (fair) and that of the experimental group is 3,56 (very good). The analysis on scientific attitude scale also shows a difference in terms of students’ affective skill: the control group’s average on this aspect is 2,70 and experiment group’s is 3,56 (very good). Assessment on students’ psycho-motor skill also presents similar trend as the control group’s average is 2,67 (good) and that of experiment group is 3,83 (very good). The averages differences of the observed skills are supported by the data from statistical average comparison test–with the level of significance of α = 0,05–which shows that the differences are significant. From the statistical data, it can be concluded that the model of learning which employs LKS is potential to provide students real experiences of scientific processes in the future, namely observation process that is problem-solving oriented. The ability to do the process in various projects can improve students thinking, which later leads to better attitudes

Implementation of project-based learning in assessing the creativity abilities of prospective biology teachers

Developing the 21st century abilities is a challenge for educational institutions, especially when it comes to learning that encourages students to be creative. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the creative capacities of prospective biology teacher students by implementing Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in nutrition science subjects. Performance observation sheets and portfolios were employed in this study, which involved 40 students of biology education at a private educational institution in Bandung. This study used an experimental class by first determining the criteria for the percentage of at least 70%. The results of the study show that the percentage with an average value of 51.80% is included in the sufficient category but is still below the specified average standard. The novelty indicator is 50.65% in the sufficient category the useful indicator is 39.53%, the effect on others is 22.30% and the ability to generalize is 31.53% which is still in the less category. Based on this, overall student creativity after the implementation of PjBL learning in the Nutrition Science course still needs to be improved. Findings of learning using PjBL are able to positively correlate with increasing student learning motivation and independence

Prevalence of Anemia among Children and Adolescents of Bangladesh:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

© 2023 The Authors. Published by MDPI. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031786The prevalence of anemia is high among children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries because of undernutrition resulting from their poor socioeconomic status and lack of knowledge on proper nutrition. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of anemia among children and adolescents aged between 6 months and 19 years in Bangladesh. Databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched to identify the studies that reported the prevalence of anemia among children and adolescents. A total of 24 studies, including the data of 14,062 cases, were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis of the time period between 1997 and 2019. The random-effects model was used to calculate the summary estimates. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021246960). The pooled prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency anemia (IDA), and non-severe and severe anemia were 46.8% [95% CI: 36.0–57.6], 13.6% [95% CI: 8.0–19.2], 56.4% [95% CI: 39.6–73.1] and 0.7% [95% CI: 0.1–1.4], respectively. Prevalence of anemia exhibited the highest among the children aged ≤2 years. Briefly, 91.67% of the studies were of high quality. No significant publication bias was found; however, two outlier studies were detected. The prevalence of anemia among children and adolescents was estimated as high in Bangladesh.Published versio

Reflections on the past, present, and potential futures of knowledge hierarchies in ocean biodiversity governance research

Governance of the ocean and its biodiversity is deeply entangled within social, political and cultural histories. The evolution of marine science has been subject to similar influences, and we (the authors) consider these factors to create, embed and reinforce knowledge hierarchies in ocean governance processes and associated research that set societal patterns of prioritisation and exclusion. Such knowledge hierarchies have constructed dominant Western-oriented knowledge systems as ‘rational’ and ‘objective’ approaches to environmental governance in contrast to non-Western knowledge systems and have led to a dominance of natural (normal) sciences over centralised biodiversity governance. The extraction and incorporation of traditional knowledge into the Western-oriented scientific canon through myriad historical and contemporary processes in ocean biodiversity governance often reproduce knowledge hierarchies, do not benefit knowledge holders and are often considered incomplete, inappropriate or absent. As we address current ocean biodiversity and conservation challenges, researchers must be aware of the history of knowledge extraction, impositions and assumptions within their fields. Researchers must also actively acknowledge and address these histories in their work to avoid marginalisation and support ethical, empathetic, and rigorous knowledge production that meets the needs of society. In this paper, through a development of the concept of knowledge hierarchies, we explore case studies of research diverse in geography and discipline ranging from action research in Namibia, the application of arts-based methodologies in legal proceedings to research focused at an international level, and the concept of ocean literacies, all of which are located under the umbrella of a project specifically targeting transformative ocean governance. It becomes evident that knowledge hierarchies are multi-layered, perpetuating, and often reproduced even when attempting to address hierarchies through such methods as the integration or ‘bringing together’ of diverse knowledge systems. Effective change will therefore require sensitive and multi-faceted approaches to knowledge hierarchies, including processes of embracing discomfort, which will be important to work with, as well as through. While there will be continued tensions between hierarchies, it is a sine qua non that researchers need to build a commitment to understanding where powers lie, rather than ignoring such imbalances or, similarly, by idealising approaches

Evolution of seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 in blood donors in Sarajevo Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies

Background: Sarajevo Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has recorded several waves of high SARS-CoV-2 transmission and has struggled to reach adequate vaccination coverage. We describe the evolution of infection- and vaccine- induced SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and persistence. Methods: We conducted repeated cross-sectional analyses of blood donors aged 18–65 years in Sarajevo Canton in November–December 2020 and 2021. We ana- lyzed serum samples for anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) and anti-spike (anti-S) antibodies. To assess immune durability, we conducted longitudinal analyses of seropositive participants at 6 and 12 months. Results: One thousand fifteen participants were included in Phase 1 (November– December 2020) and 1152 in Phase 2 (November–December 2021). Seropreva- lence increased significantly from 19.2% (95% CI: 17.2%–21.4%) in Phase 1 to 91.6% (95% CI: 89.8%–93.1%) in Phase 2. Anti-S IgG titers were significantly higher among vaccinated (58.5%) than unvaccinated infected participants across vaccine products (p < 0.001), though highest among those who received an mRNA vaccine. At 6 months, 78/82 (95.1%) participants maintained anti-spike seroposi- tivity; at 12 months, 58/58 (100.0%) participants were seropositive, and 33 (56.9%) had completed the primary vaccine series within 6 months. Among 11 unvaccinated participants who were not re-infected at 12 months, anti-S IgG declined from median 770.1 (IQR 615.0–1321.7) to 290.8 (IQR 175.7–400.3). Anti-N IgG antibodies waned earlier, from 35.4% seropositive at 6 months to 24.1% at 12 months

Hepatitis D double reflex testing of all hepatitis B carriers in low-HBV- and high-HBV/HDV-prevalence countries

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, and mortality compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) monoinfection. Reliable estimates of the prevalence of HDV infection and disease burden are essential to formulate strategies to find coinfected individuals more effectively and efficiently. The global prevalence of HBV infections was estimated to be 262,240,000 in 2021. Only 1,994,000 of the HBV infections were newly diagnosed in 2021, with more than half of the new diagnoses made in China. Our initial estimates indicated a much lower prevalence of HDV antibody (anti-HDV) and HDV RNA positivity than previously reported in published studies. Accurate estimates of HDV prevalence are needed. The most effective method to generate estimates of the prevalence of anti-HDV and HDV RNA positivity and to find undiagnosed individuals at the national level is to implement double reflex testing. This requires anti-HDV testing of all hepatitis B surface antigen-positive individuals and HDV RNA testing of all anti-HDV-positive individuals. This strategy is manageable for healthcare systems since the number of newly diagnosed HBV cases is low. At the global level, a comprehensive HDV screening strategy would require only 1,994,000 HDV antibody tests and less than 89,000 HDV PCR tests. Double reflex testing is the preferred strategy in countries with a low prevalence of HBV and those with a high prevalence of both HBV and HDV. For example, in the European Union and North America only 35,000 and 22,000 cases, respectively, will require anti-HDV testing annually