Biopiracy and states’ sovereignty over their biological resources

In the last several decades, indigenous communities had to contend with the misappropriation of their biological resources and associated traditional knowledge (TK) through the inappropriate exercise of intellectual property rights (IPRs). The advent of modern biotechnology has intensified this problem leaving indigenous communities increasingly vulnerable. As a counter measure, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted in 1992, proclaiming the sovereignty of states over their biological resources, and requiring their consent and the equitable sharing of benefits on mutually agreed terms as conditions for access. On October 29, 2010, the Nagoya Protocol was adopted to implement these provisions. Nevertheless, the CBD has attracted critical comments from those opposed to the idea of state sovereignty over biological resources, especially when the exercise of sovereignty transcends a state’s territorial borders. Two alternative doctrines; “the common heritage of mankind”, and “the global commons”, have been canvassed. This paper set out to analyse these arguments together with the alternative doctrines, in order to determine whether state sovereignty over biological resources as proclaimed by the CBD is justified. The merits of each doctrine were examined against the background of the problems presented to indigenous communities by the trinity of biopiracy, IPRs and modern biotechnology. The paper found that the doctrine of state sovereignty over biological resources, whilst having its limitations, is not only normatively justified, but is also, comparatively more capable of helping to protect the biological resources and associated TK of indigenous communities against piracy.Key words: Indigenous communities, biological resources, traditional knowledge, biopiracy, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), plant breeders’ rights, patents, sovereignty

The need for biosafety regulation in developing countries: Benefits and controversies

Nowadays, the rapid development of biotechnology has become a main concern for a larger part of the world. It has become one of the most promising fields which guarantee returns to businesses and offers benefits to the society. When dealing with biotechnology, the first issue that comes to mind is the safeness of the technology from tip to toe, that is, the safeness of the products of biotechnology, how they can be used on human beings and animal, and their effects on the environment. The objective of this paper is to assess the needs and adequacy of the regulation in developing countries compared to the developed countries. In order to address these concerns, governments have adopted appropriate regulations to ensure the safety of the biotechnology products, and to protect not just human but the environment universally. This paper will discuss those regulations, especially as adopted by developing countries along with their implications. It is hoped that the paper will recover the lack of the regulations in relation to developed country.Key words: Biotechnology, biosafety, developing countries, benefits, risks and controversies

Decoherence induced deformation of the ground state in adiabatic quantum computation

Despite more than a decade of research on adiabatic quantum computation (AQC), its decoherence properties are still poorly understood. Many theoretical works have suggested that AQC is more robust against decoherence, but a quantitative relation between its performance and the qubits' coherence properties, such as decoherence time, is still lacking. While the thermal excitations are known to be important sources of errors, they are predominantly dependent on temperature but rather insensitive to the qubits' coherence. Less understood is the role of virtual excitations, which can also reduce the ground state probability even at zero temperature. Here, we introduce normalized ground state fidelity as a measure of the decoherence-induced deformation of the ground state due to virtual transitions. We calculate the normalized fidelity perturbatively at finite temperatures and discuss its relation to the qubits' relaxation and dephasing times, as well as its projected scaling properties.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

PENJADWALAN OPERASI MESIN PRODUKSI DENGAN METODE CDS (CAMPBELL DUDEK SMITH) DI PT TJOKRO BERSAUDARA BALIKPAPANINDO

Penjadwalan sebagai aktivitas pembuatan jadwal, jadwal bengkel, jadwal perawatan dan sebagainya. Penjadwalan bisa dikatakan optimal apabila memiliki nilai total waktu proses (makespan) terkecil. PT. Tjokro Bersaudara Balikpapanindo saat ini masih sering terjadi kelambatan karena belum melakukan penjadwalan produksi secara optimal dan masih menerapkan metode penjadwalan FCFS (First Come First Served). Berdasarkan permasalahan diatas, metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah metode Campbell Dudek Smith (CDS). Kesimpulan penelitian ini, menghasilkan dua iterasi yaitu, iterasi pertama adalah 1956 menit dan iterasi kedua 1960 menit, dan sebelum penjadwalan menghasilkan makespan sebesar 2008 menit

Gambaran Lingkungan Tidur dan Aktivitas Fisik pada Lanjut Usia di Posyandu Anggrek 1 Desa Gelung Kecamatan Paron Kabupaten Ngawi

Sleeping environment and physical activity is the factors that affect the quality of sleep in the elderly. Excessive physical activity will result in a person being easy fatigue and it will have an impact on the quality of sleep in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical activity and sleeping environment of the elderly. This study was conducted in January 2021. The sample used in this study were 54 respondents from Posyandu Anggrek 1 Paron, Ngawi. The technique for collect the data in this study is total sampling technique. PASE questionnaire is used as a research instrument which has obtained r count values by 0.409 – 0.64 with the reliability at 0.718 of validity result, and the sleep environment questionnaire which has r count values by 0.458 to 0.648 with reliability at 0.708 of the validity of the acquisition. The results showed that there were 22 elderly at Posyandu Anggrek doing heavy physical activity (40.7%), 18 elderly doing light physical activity (33.3%) and 14 elderly doing moderate physical activity (25.9%). A total of 43 elderly had adequate sleeping environment (79.6%), 8 elderly had a good sleeping environment (14.8%) and 3 elderly had poor sleeping environment (5.6%). Thus, it can be concluded that the majority of elderly posyandu anggrek 1 perform heavy physical activity and have a sufficient sleep environment. Keywords : Physical activity, Elderly, Sleeping Environment, Posyand

PENGARUH PENDIDIKAN KESEHATAN TERHADAP PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN DAN SIKAP IBU TENTANG ISPA PADA ANAK BALITA DI DESA BLULUKAN WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS COLOMADU II KABUPATEN KARANGANYAR

Dalam upaya peningkatan kesehatan masyarakat, pemerintah Republik Indonesia melakukan kebijaksanaan yang dikenal dengan “Indonesia Sehat 2015”, yang tujuannya yaitu meningkatkan peran serta masyarakat dalam memelihara kesehatan masyarakat secara mandiri. Agar masyarakat baik individu, kelompok, maupun masyarakat mampu mengatasi masalah kesehatannya secara mandiri, diperlukan peran perawat sebagai pendidik yaitu melalui kegiatan pembelajaran atau pendidikan kesehatan. Pendidikan kesehatan tentang ISPA bertujuan agar masyarakat memahami tentang penyakit infeksi saluran pernafasan, cara pencegahan, dan pengobatnya. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh pendidikan kesehatan terhadap tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap ibu tentang ISPA pada anak balita di Desa Bulukan wilayah kerja Puskesmas Colomadu II, Kabupaten Karanganyar. Metode penelitian ini adalah Quasi Eksperiment dengan rancangan penelitian pre-test post-test control group design yaitu percobaan yang belum secukupnya mempunyai sifat-sifat suatu percobaan sebenarnya atau semu. Populasi penelitian adalah semua ibu-ibu yang mempunyai anak balita di desa Blulukan, wilayah kerja Puskesmas Colomadu. Sample penelitian adalah 82 ibu dan dibagi kelompok eksperimen dan kelompok kontrol. Kelompok eksperimen dikenai pendidikan kesehatan tentang inspeksi saluran pernafasan sedangkan kelompok control tidak. Instrument penelitian untuk mencari data tentang pengetahuan menggunakan kuesioner. Analisis data menggunakan uji t-test. Hasil penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa: (1) terdapat perbedaan tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap ibu antara sebelum dan sesudah mendapatkan pendidikan kesehatan tentang ISPA, (2)tidak terdapat perbedaan tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap ibu pada kelompok kontrol, (3)terdapat pengaruh pendidikan kesehatan terhadap tingkat pengetahuan ibu tentang ISPA,dan (4) terdapat pengaruh pendidikan kesehatan terhadap sikap ibu tentang ISPA pada anak balita di Desa Blulukan wilayah kerja Puskesmas Colomadu II Kabupaten Karanganyar. Kata kunci: pengetahuan ibu, pendidikan kesehatan, Insfeksi Saluran Pernafasa

PAM-4 and duobinary direct modulation of a hybrid InP/SOI DFB laser for 40 Gb/s transmission over 2 km single mode fiber

We demonstrate 40 Gb/s PAM-4 and Duobinary direct modulation of a heterogeneously integrated InP on SOI DFB laser. Transmission measurement was performed using a 2 km NZ-DSF with a PRBS 2(15) and 1.5 V-pp swing voltage

A controlled study of team-based learning for undergraduate clinical neurology education

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Team-based learning (TBL), a new active learning method, has not been reported for neurology education. We aimed to determine if TBL was more effective than passive learning (PL) in improving knowledge outcomes in two key neurology topics - neurological localization and neurological emergencies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a modified crossover study during a nine-week internal medicine posting involving 49 third-year medical undergraduates, using TBL as the active intervention, compared against self-reading as a PL control, for teaching the two topics. Primary outcome was the mean percentage change in test scores immediately after (post-test 1) and 48 hours after TBL (post-test 2), compared to a baseline pre-test. Student engagement was the secondary outcome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean percentage change in scores was greater in the TBL versus the PL group in post-test 1 (8.8% vs 4.3%, p = 0.023) and post-test 2 (11.4% vs 3.4%, p = 0.001). After adjustment for gender and second year examination grades, mean percentage change in scores remained greater in the TBL versus the PL group for post-test 1 (10.3% vs 5.8%, mean difference 4.5%,95% CI 0.7 - 8.3%, p = 0.021) and post-test 2 (13.0% vs 4.9%, mean difference 8.1%,95% CI 3.7 - 12.5%, p = 0.001), indicating further score improvement 48 hours post-TBL. Academically weaker students, identified by poorer examination grades, showed a greater increase in scores with TBL versus strong students (p < 0.02). Measures of engagement were high in the TBL group, suggesting that continued improvements in scores 48 hours post-TBL may result from self-directed learning.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Compared to PL, TBL showed greater improvement in knowledge scores, with continued improvement up to 48 hours later. This effect is larger in academically weaker students. TBL is an effective method for improving knowledge in neurological localization and neurological emergencies in undergraduates.</p

Assessment of Yeasts as Potential Probiotics: A Review of Gastrointestinal Tract Conditions and Investigation Methods

Probiotics are microorganisms (including bacteria, yeasts and moulds) that confer various health benefits to the host, when consumed in sufficient amounts. Food products containing probiotics, called functional foods, have several health-promoting and therapeutic benefits. The significant role of yeasts in producing functional foods with promoted health benefits is well documented. Hence, there is considerable interest in isolating new yeasts as potential probiotics. Survival in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), salt tolerance and adherence to epithelial cells are preconditions to classify such microorganisms as probiotics. Clear understanding of how yeasts can overcome GIT and salt stresses and the conditions that support yeasts to grow under such conditions is paramount for identifying, characterising and selecting probiotic yeast strains. This study elaborated the adaptations and mechanisms underlying the survival of probiotic yeasts under GIT and salt stresses. This study also discussed the capability of yeasts to adhere to epithelial cells (hydrophobicity and autoaggregation) and shed light on in vitro methods used to assess the probiotic characteristics of newly isolated yeasts

Preclinical Assessment of the Treatment of Second-Stage African Trypanosomiasis with Cordycepin and Deoxycoformycin

There is an urgent need to substitute the highly toxic arsenic compounds still in use for treatment of the encephalitic stage of African trypanosomiasis, a disease caused by infection with Trypanosoma brucei. We exploited the inability of trypanosomes to engage in de novo purine synthesis as a therapeutic target. Cordycepin was selected from a trypanocidal screen of a 2200-compound library. When administered together with the adenosine deaminase inhibitor deoxycoformycin, cordycepin cured mice inoculated with the human pathogenic subspecies T. brucei rhodesiense or T. brucei gambiense even after parasites had penetrated into the brain. Successful treatment was achieved by intraperitoneal, oral or subcutaneous administration of the compounds. Treatment with the doublet also diminished infection-induced cerebral inflammation. Cordycepin induced programmed cell death of the parasites. Although parasites grown in vitro with low doses of cordycepin gradually developed resistance, the resistant parasites lost virulence and showed no cross-resistance to trypanocidal drugs in clinical use. Our data strongly support testing cordycepin and deoxycoformycin as an alternative for treatment of second-stage and/or melarsoprol-resistant HAT