Kajian Ekonomi Program Bank Sampah Di Makassar (Study on Economic Benefit of Garbage Bank Program in Makassar)

Garbage bank is established as a place to foster, train, assist, buy and market the results of waste management activities from the community. Garbage bank is a form of a local community initiative in efforts to solve community-based waste issues. Garbage banks are expected to provide high economic benefits for improving community welfare. The population of this study is all customers of garbage bank in Makassar as many as 40,114 people. The number of samples as many as 105 respondents. Both descriptive statistical analysis and SWOT analysis was used as the method of analysis. Then, in-depth interviews with stakeholders that consists of government, academic, private, NGO, and community leaders in formulating strategy and policy to develop of garbage bank program in the future. The results of the study indicate that generally the community associated with the garbage bank comes from the socio-economic group with the middle to lower class. The level of knowledge and community participation is still relatively low on waste management and 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) principles in waste segregation. The garbage bank program brings blessings and economic benefits to society. Beside as a source of additional income for the community, garbage banks can also encourage changes in people's behavior to live healthy and clean, care for the environment and other socio-economic benefits. Furthermore, development strategy of garbage bank should be directed to innovative and strategic programs that can increase the interest of the community to participate actively as the participants/customers of garbage banks. Then, commitment and synergy between regional government and stakeholders is a key factor in improving both economic benefits and development of garbage bank programs in the future

Perbandingan Teknik Pengambilan Keputusan Multi-Kriteria antara Metode Eckenrode dengan Metode Fuzzy Eckenrode pada Kinerja Agroindustri

Sistem pengambilan keputusan multi kriteria telah berkembang dengan berbagai metode yang beragam. Salah satu metode yang masih terus dipakai saat ini adalah metode Eckenrode. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan metode pengambilan keputusan multi kriteria dengan pendekatan metode Eckenrode biasa dengan metode Fuzzy Eckenrode pada kinerja agroindustri dalam suatu model pengambilan keputusan. Untuk mengevaluasi kedua metode ini digunakan data penilaian terhadap suatu sistem pengukuran kinerja agroindustri dari para pakar sebanyak sepuluh orang dengan metode Human Resource Scorecard (HRSC). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa metode Eckenrode dan metode Fuzzy Eckenrode mampu memberikan perangkingan suatu alternatif kriteria yang sama dalam suatu pengambilan keputusan. Namun metode Fuzzy Eckenrode menunjukkan penilaian pembobotan yang lebih jelas dibandingan dengan menggunakan metode Eckenrode biasa, sehingga sistem penilaian pembobotan melalui metode Fuzzy Eckenrode lebih direkomendasikan dalam pengambilan keputusan tingkat tinggi dengan akurasi yang juga tinggi

Model Strategi Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia Agroindustri Kopi Gayo dalam Menghadapi Masyarakat Ekonomi ASEAN

. The purpose of this study is to formulate the model of strategy for human resource development (HRD) Gayo coffee agro-industry in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) with the approach of soft system methodology (SSM). This research resulted in a conceptual modeling of human resource development strategy for stakeholders agro-industry by increasing productivity in the welfare and sustainability Gayo coffee agro-industry. Human resource development strategy for Gayo coffee agro-industry is a strategic action to deliver the competence and quality of agro-industry actors with high competitiveness, especially in the face of global competition and rivalry in the AEC region through various of HRD capacity building program. The HRD investment is an intellectual investment that has significance for the regional development and improves the welfare of the community in the area of agro-industrial production Gayo coffee

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: a Rare Neoplasm Presenting with Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are rare tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that arise from primitive mesenchymal cells. GISTs occur throughout the GI tract but are usually located in the stomach and small intestine. GISTs are known with myoid, neural or mixed features of differentiation. Clinical findings are gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, and weight loss. GISTs express a heterogeneous clinical course not easily predicted. The histologic features that correlate best with development of recurrence and metastasis are mitotic activity, tumor size and the presence of tumor necrosis and most recently, mutation in the c-kit gene. Some authors specifically use the term GIST to refer to only those mesenchymal tumors that express CD117, whereas others believe that the diagnosis can be made in the absence of CD117 positivity based on clinical and morphologic features. Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice, since chemotherapy and radiation are ineffective. Long-term follow-up is imperative and recurrence rates are high. We report the case of a 60 years old female patient who presented with intermittent melena, chronic dyspepsia, and anemia. Upper digestive tract endoscopy showed a submucosal tumor, broad-based, centrally ulcerated, projection of >5 cm in the gastric corpus-antral wall as the cause of the upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopic biopsies were negative for neoplastic changes. After triple eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori and treatment continued with proton pump inhibitor agent, the patient underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction. Histopatological studies on the surgical resection specimen revealed a GIST of smooth muscle with spindle cell, no evidence of mitotic activity but of uncertain biological behavior. One year after surgery the patient is was improved with no signs of residual Malignancy. However, metastases were found later in the liver in the next two year

Performance analysis of sigfox deployment

Low-power wide area network (LPWAN) has become a promising communication technology as alternative solutions on long range communications, low power consumption and low cost that overcome the problems faced by traditional communications. An example of LPWAN technology is Sigfox that uses a zero generation (0G) technology. However, there is not many literatures discussed on this technology especially on its applications. The objective of this paper is to study the coverage of Sigfox in Malaysia by tracing its network coverage using a Sigfox module that is integrated with an Arduino microprocessor. In this paper, we reported the experiments performed on real device and field test as well as observed the performance of the proposed technology. This system was tested using two different Sigfox development module which has device ID 4126D0 and 3E3D05. Two locations were selected to observe the connectivity of the Sigfox network. The results showed Sigfox deployment gave impact on a coastal location compared to urban area. Based on this finding, Sigfox is expected to have an improvised performance in the future especially applications in rural and coastal areas

LINE-1 methylation in leukocyte DNA, interaction with phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase variants and bladder cancer risk

BACKGROUND: Aberrant global DNA methylation is shown to increase cancer risk. LINE-1 has been proven a measure of global DNA methylation. The objectives of this study were to assess the association between LINE-1 methylation level and bladder cancer risk and to evaluate effect modification by environmental and genetic factors. METHODS: Bisulphite-treated leukocyte DNA from 952 cases and 892 hospital controls was used to measure LINE-1 methylation level at four CpG sites by pyrosequencing. Logistic regression model was fitted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Interactions between LINE-1 methylation levels and environmental and genetic factors were assessed. RESULTS: The risk of bladder cancer followed a nonlinear association with LINE-1 methylation. Compared with subjects in the middle tertile, the adjusted OR for subjects in the lower and the higher tertiles were 1.26 (95% CI 0.99–1.60, P=0.06) and 1.33 (95% CI 1.05–1.69, P=0.02), respectively. This association significantly increased among individuals homozygous for the major allele of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene (corrected P-interaction<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this large-scale study suggest that both low and high levels of global DNA methylation are associated with the risk of bladder cancer

Pre-Injury Demographic Patterns of Patients Sustaining Hip Fractures in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures entail a growing economic burden on the health care system. Study is warranted to further our understanding of its patterns and to create increased awareness in health care providers and the public. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was extracted from the ongoing National Orthopaedic Registry of Malaysia (NORM), for the period June 2008 till December 2009. Patients aged 50 years and above without previous pathological fracture hip fractures were included in the study. RESULTS: Most hip fracture patients were 70 years and above (69.5%) with a mean (SD) age of 73.8 (10.3) years. Females represented the majority of the patients in this study (68.4%). Low energy trauma (i.e. trivial fall) was to the main mechanism of hip fractures in this study (81.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Aging adults should be made aware of timely preventive strategies (including osteoporosis prevention) fall prevention measures, and encouraged to maintain physically active lifestyles

Characterisation of Aquilaria hirta based on morphology evaluation and volatile chemical compound

Aquilaria hirta is one of the agarwood tree species in Malaysia that produces a unique resinous wood and essential oil used in perfumery, medicinal, cosmetic and religious ceremonies. Currently, it has been listed as vulnerable (VU) and threatenad species in the IUCN Red List. This study aims to characterise the morphology of A. hirta via scanning electron microscopic analysis, and to identify the volatile chemical compounds of the wood and its essential oil using gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Aquilaria hirta was identified by the presence of hirsute on the abaxial side of leaves and midrib. The field emission scanning electron microscope analysis showed plant vessel pits can be seen in the healthy wood images compared with resinous wood images due to presence of resin and microorganisms. A total of 19 compounds were identified in resinous A. hirta wood consisting of 5.97% sesquiterpenes and 20.32% oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The major compounds are kessane, γ-cadinene, α-caryophyllene, β-caryophylene and caryophyllene oxide. There were 35 compounds found in A. hirta oil comprising 0.45% monoterpenes, 23.51% sesquiterpenes and 19.53% oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Major compounds detected were γ-cadinene, nor-ketoagarofuran, allo-aromadendrene, γ-gurjunene and β-gurjunene. This study provides a reference for the identification of A. hirta species based on morphology evaluation and volatile chemical compounds profile of the essential oil and wood

An experimental study of sexual function improving effect of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg)

BACKGROUND: Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) has been mentioned in Unani medicine to be of value in the management of male sexual disorders. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the aphrodisiac effect of 50% ethanolic extract of nutmeg along with its likely adverse effects and acute toxicity using various animal models. METHODS: The suspension of the extract was administered (100, 250 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) to different groups of male rats daily for seven days. The female rats involved in mating were made receptive by hormonal treatment. The general mating behaviour, libido and potency were studied and compared with the standard reference drug sildenafil citrate. Likely adverse effects and acute toxicity of the extract were also evaluated. RESULTS: Oral administration of the extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg, produced significant augmentation of sexual activity in male rats. It significantly increased the Mounting Frequency, Intromission Frequency, Intromission Latency and caused significant reduction in the Mounting Latency and Post Ejaculatory Interval. It also significantly increased Mounting Frequency with penile anaesthetisation as well as Erections, Quick Flips, Long Flips and the aggregate of penile reflexes with penile stimulation. The extract was also observed to be devoid of any adverse effects and acute toxicity. CONCLUSION: The resultant significant and sustained increase in the sexual activity of normal male rats without any conspicuous adverse effects indicates that the 50% ethanolic extract of nutmeg possesses aphrodisiac activity, increasing both libido and potency, which might be attributed to its nervous stimulating property. The present study thus provides a scientific rationale for the traditional use of nutmeg in the management of male sexual disorders

Exploring the potential of biologically active phenolic acids from marine natural products as anticancer agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) dimerizes upon ligand bindings to the extracellular domain that initiates the downstream signaling cascades and activates intracellular kinase domain. Thus, activation of autophosphorylation through kinase domain results in metastasis, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. The main objective of this research is to discover more promising anti-cancer lead compound against EGRF from the phenolic acids of marine natural products using in-silico approaches. Phenolic compounds reported from marine sources are reviewed from previous literatures. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out using the online tool CB-Dock. The molecules with good docking and binding energies scores were subjected to ADME, toxicity and drug-likeness analysis. Subsequently, molecules from the docking experiments were also evaluated using the acute toxicity and MD simulation studies. Fourteen phenolic compounds from the reported literatures were reviewed based on the findings, isolation, characterized and applications. Molecular docking studies proved that the phenolic acids have good binding fitting by forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues at the binding site of EGFR. Chlorogenic acid, Chicoric acid and Rosmarinic acid showed the best binding energies score and forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues compare to the reference drug Erlotinib. Among these compounds, Rosmarinic acid showed the good pharmacokinetics profiles as well as acute toxicity profile. The MD simulation study further revealed that the lead complex is stable and could be future drug to treat the cancer disease. Furthermore, in a wet lab environment, both in-vitro and in-vivo testing will be employed to validate the existing computational results