Aceh Free Pasung: Releasing the mentally ill from physical restraint

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Physical restraint and confinement of the mentally ill (called <it>pasung </it>in Indonesia) is common in Aceh. In early 2010, the local government initiated a program called <it>Aceh Free Pasung </it>2010. The main goal of the program is to release the mentally ill in the province from restraint and to provide appropriate medical treatment and care. The aim of the paper is to report the findings of a preliminary investigation of the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who have been admitted to the Banda Aceh Mental Hospital as part of the <it>Aceh Free Pasung </it>program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at the Banda Aceh Mental Hospital, where people who had been restrained or confined in the community are being admitted for psychiatric treatment and, where necessary, physical rehabilitation, as part of the <it>Aceh Free Pasung </it>program.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-nine of former ex-<it>pasung </it>patients were examined. The majority (88.1%) of the patients were male, aged 18 to 68 years. The duration of <it>pasung </it>varied from a few days to 20 years, with a mean duration of 4.0 years. The reasons for applying <it>pasung </it>are many, with concerns about dangerousness being most common. The great majority (89.8%) had a diagnosis of schizophrenia.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The development of a community mental health system and the introduction of a health insurance system in Aceh (together with the national health insurance scheme for the poor) has enabled access to free hospital treatment for people with severe mental disorders, including those who have been in <it>pasung</it>. The demographic and clinical characteristics of this group of ex-<it>pasung </it>patients are broadly similar to those reported in previous studies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Aceh Free <it>Pasung </it>program is an important mental health and human rights initiative that can serve to inform similar efforts in other parts of Indonesia and other low and middle-income countries where restraint and confinement of the mentally ill is receiving insufficient attention.</p

Mistisme Islam: Membincang Epistemologi Kaum Sufi

The spiritual emptiness of modern humans stems from the epistemology of Western positivism, which fails to fulfill its promise to bring humans to a happy standard of living. Therefore, it is necessary to study alternative epistemology for future knowledge for the sake of human happiness itself. As a mystical science in Islam, Sufism invites people to directly absorb knowledge from the "Source of Knowledge," Allah SWT. This kind of knowledge, of course, not only gives intellectual satisfaction but also heals the spiritual emptiness of today's man. This literature study concludes the research results through an analytical description. The study's results explain that Sufi epistemology emphasizes the subject (human) to obtain correct knowledge. Subjects who want to know must first purify their souls (qalb). After the soul is pure, then, like a mirror, the soul will catch and reflect that knowledge from Allah SWT because the proper knowledge in the study of Sufism is the light of Allah. To absorb light, the mirror must first be cleaned. That way, actual knowledge or nur will bring people happiness, not just intellectual satisfaction.

Child abuse development at Special Child Development Institute (LPKA) Banda Aceh and Darussaadah Aceh Social Institution

The increase of children as Napza users in Aceh is a new problem for all parents. There are two main problems in this study, namely the pattern of coaching drug-addicted children in LPKA and Darussaadah Aceh Social Institution. This study is about the pattern of special guidance provided for children who abuse drugs in Aceh children's special development institutions and child rehabilitation institutions. This research is a combination of normative and empirical research. The results of this study show that LPKA carries out guidance in general. There is no difference between children assisted by drug cases and those with other cases. Meanwhile, in LRSAMP Darussa'adah social care institution, regular psychological guidance is carried out to rehab children addicted to drugs, like other children in Darussa'adah. The obstacle faced by LPKA-Aceh is the absence of SOP for special guidance for drug abuse from the Ministry of Human Rights. LPKA is not a place for rehabilitation of children of drug abuse, so these children are guided the same as other foster children. In LPKA, children of drug abuse are united with other foster children due to limited space. While the absence of a standard guidebook as a model for rehabilitation of children who abuse drugs is one of LRSAMP's challenges. The organization cannot move forward without referrals from the work area below, a lack of volunteer human resources, and the absence of parents of children who want to rehabilitate their child's self-abuse of drugs

Debranching improves morpho - physiological characters, fruit quality and yield of tomato

Farmers are commercially cultivated tomato with different levels of shoot pruning but this production practice has not been defined clearly. The experiment was conducted under sub-tropical condition to assess the effect of different levels of debranching on morpho-physiological, reproductive and yield contributing characters in determinate tomato cultivar cv. Binatomato-5. The debranching levels were: i) control, ii) only mainstem (MS), iii) MS with 2 branches, iv) MS with 3 branches and v) MS with 4 branches. Based on recommended spacing (50 cm × 50 cm), the higher fruit yield plant⁻¹ as well as ruit yield per hectare were observed in more branch bearing plants of the treatment control (MS with 5-6 branches), MS with 3 branches and MS with 4 branches due to production of higher number of fruits plant⁻¹ with being the highest in MS with 3 branches due to increase fruit size. The lowest fruit yield per plant as well as per hectare was observed in uniculm plants due to lower number of fruits per plant. This study suggests that plants that have MS with three branches may be recommended for commercial cultivation of tomato under sub-tropical condition

Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum truncatum and its influence on soybean seed quality

Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum truncatum and its influence on soybean seed quality were evaluated by artificial inoculation. C. truncatum enabled to establish as latent infection without showing any visible symptom in all seed components with maximum frequency values of 100% for seed coat, 43.0% for cotyledon and 30.0% for embryonic axes after 4 days of incubation period. The infection level remained the same in all seed components until the end of the incubation period. Fungal infection reduced seed germination by 29.2% and viability by 26.9% than un-inoculated seeds in vitro. Moreover, infection increased the electrolyte leakages compared with control. Under glasshouse conditions, pathogenicity of C. truncatum on seeds and seedlings was more virulent than that of controlled conditions. In the glass house, C. truncatum reduced seed germination and seedling survival by 46.4% and 75.8%, respectively and caused pre- and post-emergence damping-off of seedlings. However, fungal infection by C. truncatum increased protein and oleic acid content and reduced linoleic acid content, but did not change in extracted oil and other fatty acids when compared with un-inoculated seeds after 4 days of incubation

Quality issues facing Malaysian higher learning institutions: a case study of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

This chapter analyses the extent to which Malaysian universities have responded to the pressing call for enhancing institutional quality and advocating academic excellence. Malaysian universities have been challenged by both internal and external assessments that suggest that they are not on a par with their international competitors. As a result there have been great demands for an urgent remedy. This chapter explores the progress that has been made in responding to those demands and the limitations that have been encountered. In so doing it provides a case study that focuses on engineering programmes in particular. The chapter is intended to answer the question: can institutional quality improvement deliver the human capital that Malaysia needs in order to remain globally competitive

The effects of temperature stress on the quality and yield of soya bean [(Glycine max L.) Merrill.]

Reproductive development and growth by crops is especially important for human welfare because we depend on crop fruits and seeds, directly and indirectly, for most of our food. Seed production by crops depends on vegetative development and growth, development of pollen and egg, pollination, and fertilization. The final size of individual seeds generally hinges on cell division within the embryo, followed by seed filling and maturation process. Environmental conditions prior to the shift to reproductive development usually affect by influencing photosynthesis per unit of leaf area, canopy development and interception of solar radiation per unit of ground area, and initiation of potential fruiting site; a strong positive correlation between canopy photosynthesis per unit of ground area and seed number exists for most crops. For many crops where they are now grown, an increase of just a few °C significantly reduce yield. Dependence on soybeans for food and feed has increased rapidly in many countries during the last 30 years. Nutritionists believe that utilization of soybeans should continue to increase in order to provide better nourishment for people throughout the world. For this goal to be realize, present production areas must produce more soybeans and new production areas must be established

Potential for enhancement of root growth and nodulation of soybean co-inoculated with Azospirillum and Bradyrhizobium in laboratory systems

The potential enhancement of root growth and nodulation in vegetable soybean (AGS190) was studied with application of Azospirillum brasilense (Sp7) and A. lipoferum (CCM3863) co-inoculated with two Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains (TAL102 and UPMR48). Significant root growth stimulation and nodulation were observed in Azospirillum as well as during its co-inoculation with Bradyrhizobium. Nodule formation is linked with the initiation of new roots; nodules were almost absent even in Bradyrhizobium inoculated plant due to the absence of new roots development in clipped rooted seedlings. Total root length, root number, specific root length, root dry matter, root hair development and shoot dry matter were significantly increased by Azospirillum alone and its co-inoculum. Co-inoculated plants significantly influenced the number of nodules and its fresh weight. A. brasilense seemed to perform better in root growth and nodule development compared to A. lipoferum

Field performance of bio-primed seeds to suppress Colletotrichum truncatum causing damping-off and seedling stand of soybean.

The soybean is prone to be attacked by Colletotrichum truncatum at seed and seedling stages, resulting in pre- and post-emergence damping-off. The efficacy of bio-priming for the control of damping-off of soybean caused by C. truncatum and the final seedling stand using two fungal biocontrol agents (BCAs) Trichoderma harzianum and T. virens and one bacterial BCA Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated under field conditions. Treatments consisted of chemo-primed with Benlate® as a positive control; bio-primed with P. aeruginosa; bio-primed with T. harzianum; bio-primed with T. virens; bio-primed with the mixture of T. virens and T. harzianum and the controls as hydro-primed and non-primed seeds. Trichoderma isolates used singly or as a mixture established on the seed surface with germinating hyphae, whereas the strain P. aeruginosa colonized profusely as determined by increased colony forming units (CFU) from 1.2 × 109 to 5.1 × 109 seed−1 after 12 h of bio-priming. All bio-priming treatments significantly reduced pre- and post-emergence damping-off relative to hydro- and non-primed seed controls. In general, bio-priming with P. aeruginosa was the most effective treatment for controlling pre and post-emergence damping-off, with reductions in disease incidence with increases ranging from 48.6% to 51.9% and 65.0% to 97.2%, respectively. Moreover, P. aeruginosa resulted in enhancement of seed germination and healthy seedling stand ranging from 32.4% to 60.0% and 56.0% to 73.9%, respectively. Bio-priming with T. harzianum reduced pre- and post-emergence damping-off by 42.8–46.8% and 35.0–85.1%, respectively. However, P. aeruginosa was generally comparable to T. harzianum and the fungicide Benlate®. The combination treatment of T. harzianum and T. virens produced compareable results to T. harzianum alone, and T. virens was the least effective of the bio-primed treatments. Bio-priming with P. aeruginosa or T. harzianum offered an effective biological seed treatment system and an alternative to the fungicide Benlate® for control of damping-off of soybean caused by C. truncatum of soybean

Emission of Carbon Dioxide Influenced by Different Water Levels from Soil Incubated Organic Residues

We studied the influence of different organic residues and water levels on decomposition rate and carbon sequestration in soil. Organic residues (rice straw, rice root, cow dung, and poultry litter) including control were tested under moistened and flooding systems. An experiment was laid out as a complete randomized design at 25°C for 120 days. Higher CO2-C (265.45 mg) emission was observed in moistened condition than in flooding condition from 7 to 120 days. Among the organic residues, poultry litter produced the highest CO2-C emission. Poultry litter with soil mixture increased 121% cumulative CO2-C compared to control. On average, about 38% of added poultry litter C was mineralized to CO2-C. Maximum CO2-C was found in 7 days after incubation and thereafter CO2-C emission was decreased with the increase of time. Control produced the lowest CO2-C (158.23 mg). Poultry litter produced maximum cumulative CO2-C (349.91 mg). Maximum organic carbon was obtained in cow dung which followed by other organic residues. Organic residues along with flooding condition decreased cumulative CO2-C, k value and increased organic C in soil. Maximum k value was found in poultry litter and control. Incorpored rice straw increased organic carbon and decreased k value (0.003 g d−1) in soil. In conclusion, rice straw and poultry litter were suitable for improving soil carbon