ANALISIS KINERJA SIM e-SPTPD MENGGUNAKAN METODE PIECES DI BADAN PENDAPATAN DAERAH KABUPATEN GORONTALO

Operated in finance and public services, the Regional Agency of Gorontalo Regency conducts local taxcollection activities, including tax reporting and payment. In the reporting process, the Regional RevenueAgency of Gorontalo Regency develops and applies the regional tax payment and reporting system throughonline-based information technology or SIM e-SPTPD. During the implementation, the users sometimesencounter several obstacles, such as a slow system, inconsistent data (missing data), and users who areilliterate about the system. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the influence of user perception on thesuccess of SIM e-SPTPD performance using the PIECES method with six independent variables(Information, Economy, Control, Efficiency, and Service), one dependent variable (Performance), andother variables related to SIM e-SPTPD performance. The study was conducted on 40 respondents whoused SIM e-SPTPD. Data in this study were collected through observation, interview, and questionnairemethods, which were then processed using multiple linear regression to test the hypothesis. From the study,the Information, Economy, and Efficiency variables positively influence the Performance variable.Meanwhile, Control and Service variables have a negative influence on Performance variables. Partially,the Information, Economy, and Efficiency variables influence the Performance variables, and the Controland Sevice were otherwise. In contrast, the variables mentioned did not influence the Performance variablesimultaneously

Double-Skin Façade (DSF) Application to Address the Performance Problems of the Contemporary Buildings in Yemen

The double-skin façade (DSF) recently received significant attention from specialists and researchers due to its possibility to improve the building's performance. In Yemen, which has various climates, contemporary buildings suffer from many performance problems due to the weak interaction of their facades with the surrounding environment. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the DSF possibilities in enhancing the contemporary buildings' performance in Yemen by reviewing previous studies investigating the DSF system and the performance of contemporary Yemen buildings to identify and summarize the solutions and treatments offered by the DSF to improve these buildings' performance. The analysis revealed that implementing the DSF system can enhance the performance of the contemporary buildings in Yemen in terms of interior comfort and energy-saving when reaching the proper design of this system that appropriately responds to the region's climate. Yet, there are problems that the DSF may not fully meet, represented by building loads and construction and maintenance costs

Effect of salinity and sodicity stresses on physiological response and productivity in Helianthus annuus

Soil salinity and sodicity (alkalinity) are serious land degradation issues worldwide that are predicted to increase in the future. The objective of the present study is to distinguish the effects of NaCl and Na2CO3 salinity in two concentrations on the growth, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, membrane integrity, total lipids, yield parameters and fatty acids (FAs) composition of seeds of sunflower cultivar Sakha 53. Plant growth, LOX activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were reduced by salts stresses. On the contrary, salinity and alkalinity stress induced stimulatory effects on membrane permeability, leakage of UV-metabolites from leaves and total lipids of sunflower shoots and roots. Crop yield (plant height, head diameter, seed index and number of seeds for each head) that is known as a hallmark of plant stress was decreased by increasing concentrations of NaCl and Na2CO3 in the growth media. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) composition of salt-stressed sunflower seeds varied with different levels of NaCl and Na2CO3

Indoor Air Pollutants and Health in the United Arab Emirates

Background: Comprehensive global data on the health effects of indoor air pollutants are lacking. There are few large population-based multi–air pollutant health assessments. Further, little is known about indoor air health risks in the Middle East, especially in countries undergoing rapid economic development

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

NILAI PH DAN TOTAL ASAM LAKTAT SUSU PASTEURISASI DENGAN PENAMBAHAN EKSTRAK DAUN BINAHONG (Anredera cordifolia (Ten) Steenis) SELAMA PENYIMPANAN

The utilization of Binahong leaf extract in pasteurized milk is an alternative to maintain the quality of pasteurized milk. The research objective was to determine the quality of pasteurized milk with the addition of binahong leaf extract and different storage times for pH values and lactic acid content. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial pattern with 2 (two) factors. The first factor (A) is the concentration of Binahong leaf extract (0%, 4%, 5%, 6%) and the second factor (B) is storage time (0 days, 3 days, 6 days, 9 days) of each the treatment, repeated 3 times. The results showed that the concentration of Binahong leaf extract, interaction time, and interaction had a very significant effect on the pH value of pasteurized milk. The effect of Binahong leaf extract and storage time had a significant effect on lactic acid content, but the interaction between the two treatments had no significant effect. The conclusion of this research is that the higher the concentration of Binahong leaf extract, the pH value decreases, and the lactic acid content of pasteurized milk increases. The longer the storage decreased the pH value,  but increased the lactic acid content of pasteurized milk. The concentration of Binahong leaf extract 0-6% and storage time of 6 days still has good pasteurized milk quality

Flavonoids of Neotorularia aculeolata Plant

Neotorularia aculeolata belongs to the family Cruciferae that has several uses in the Egyptian folk medicine for many years. Nothing could be traced about the chemical composition of the plant. Extraction, isolation and purification of the air-dried plant material using different chromatographic techniques (PC, TLC & CC) provided seven flavonoids. Identification of the isolated compounds using different chemical and physical techniques (UV, 1H-NMR and C 13 NMR spectroscopy) allowed to characterize these compounds as kaempferol, kaempferol-7-O-rhamnoglucoside {Kaempferol-7-neohesperidoside}, quercetin, rutin, quercetin-3-O- β-D-glucoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside-3`-methylether, quercetin-3,7-di-O-α-L-rhamnoside-3`-methylether and myricetin

Heavy metal residues in beef carcasses in Beni-Suef abattoir, Egypt

A total of 300 samples were collected from cattle slaughtered in the Beni-Suef abattoir in Egypt. Samples included muscle, liver and kidney. Animals were randomly selected from the slaughter line. The age of the slaughtered cattle was less than three years (18-30 months). Samples were packed separately in plastic bags, identified and stored at -18°C until analysis which was performed at the Max Rubner Institute in Kulmbach, Germany, for the following heavy metals residues: lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chromium and nickel in beef muscle, liver and kidney samples. The results revealed that the overall mean residual levels of lead were 8.77 µg/kg, 42.70 µg/kg and 109.42 µg/kg fresh weight in muscle, liver and kidney samples, respectively, while the mean residual levels of cadmium were 1.40 µg/kg, 14.16 µg/kg and 62.56 µg/kg fresh weight, respectively, and the mean arsenic residual levels were 5.06 µg/kg, 4.64 µg/kg and 14.92 µg/kg fresh weight, respectively. The mean residual levels of mercury were 3.91 µg/kg, 5.81 µg/kg and 10.14 µg/kg fresh weight, respectively, and the residual levels of chromium were 11.20 µg/kg, 21.85 µg/kg and 25.49 µg/kg fresh weight, respectively. Finally, the mean residual levels of nickel were 21.17 µg/kg, 14.59 µg/kg and 34.95 µg/kg fresh weight, respectively. The mean values of all heavy metals examined were low and did not exceed the permissible limits adopted by different organisations. Most heavy metals accumulated in higher concentrations in the kidney in comparison to the liver and muscle