Bandung Metropolitan Transportation Planning Collaboration and Perceived Transaction Cost Changes after 2 Decades of Decentralization

Roughly 2 decades ago, the Indonesian Decentralization Act 22/1999 (revised by Act 32/2004 and Act 23/2014) initiated a remarkable shift in the governance system for Indonesia: from a strongly hierarchical system to a further decentralized one. The shift has created fragmented governance for metropolitan transportation planning. Consequently, Indonesian metropolitan areas have experienced increasing transaction costs in policy coordination and difficulties in supplying sufficient transport infrastructures. Earlier research has pointed to a range of possible solutions, including strengthening local government capacity. This paper sets out to identify current perceptions regarding transaction costs in Indonesian metropolitan transportation planning. To what extent do high transaction costs create fragmented planning? Have planning actors’ perceptions changed over time? Using Q-methodology and in-depth interviews, the research identifies significant changes in actors’ perceptions, mainly towards the need to establish supra-regional institutions and regional development priorities. The findings are critical for institutional reformulation to support comprehensive transportation planning at the metropolitan level

Anticancer activity of grassy Hystrix brachyura bezoar and its mechanisms of action: An in vitro and in vivo based study

Porcupine bezoar (PB) is a calcified undigested material generally found in porcupine’s (Hystrix brachyura) gastrointestinal tract. The bezoar is traditionally used in South East Asia and Europe for the treatment of cancer, poisoning, dengue, typhoid, etc. However, limited scientific studies have been performed to verify its anticancer potential to substantiate its traditional claims in the treatment of cancers. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating the in vitro and in vivo anticancer properties of two grassy PB aqueous extract (PB-A and PB-B) using A375 cancer cell line and zebrafish model, respectively. This paper presents the first report on in vitro A375 cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle arrest assay, migration assay, invasion assay, qPCR experimental assay and in vivo anti-angiogenesis assay using the grassy PBs. Experimental findings revealed IC50 value are 26.59 ± 1.37 μg/mL and 30.12 ± 3.25 μg/mL for PB-A and PB-B respectively. PBs showed anti-proliferative activity with no significant cytotoxic effect on normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF). PBs were also found to induce apoptosis via intrinsic pathway and arrest cell cycle at G2/M phase. Additionally, the findings indicated its ability to debilitate migration and invasion of A375 cells. Further evaluation using embryo zebrafish model revealed LC50 = 450.0 ± 2.50 μg/mL and 58.7 ± 5.0 μg/mL for PB-A and PB-B which also exerted anti-angiogenesis effect in zebrafish. Moreover, stearic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and pregnenolone were identified as possible metabolites that might contribute to the anticancer effect of the both PBs. Overall, this study demonstrated that PB-A and PB-B possess potential in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects which are elicited through selective cytotoxic effect, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of migration and invasion and anti-angiogenesis. This study provides scientific evidence that the porcupine bezoar do possess anti-cancer efficacy and further justifies its traditional utility. However, more experiments with higher vertebrae models are still warranted to validate its traditional claims as an anticancer agent

Peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and infants: NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe: A prospective European multicentre observational study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about current clinical practice concerning peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and small infants. Guidelines suggest transfusions based on haemoglobin thresholds ranging from 8.5 to 12 g dl-1, distinguishing between children from birth to day 7 (week 1), from day 8 to day 14 (week 2) or from day 15 (≥week 3) onwards. OBJECTIVE: To observe peri-operative red blood cell transfusion practice according to guidelines in relation to patient outcome. DESIGN: A multicentre observational study. SETTING: The NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) trial recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. PATIENTS: The data included 5609 patients undergoing 6542 procedures. Inclusion criteria was a peri-operative red blood cell transfusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the haemoglobin level triggering a transfusion for neonates in week 1, week 2 and week 3. Secondary endpoints were transfusion volumes, 'delta haemoglobin' (preprocedure - transfusion-triggering) and 30-day and 90-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Peri-operative red blood cell transfusions were recorded during 447 procedures (6.9%). The median haemoglobin levels triggering a transfusion were 9.6 [IQR 8.7 to 10.9] g dl-1 for neonates in week 1, 9.6 [7.7 to 10.4] g dl-1 in week 2 and 8.0 [7.3 to 9.0] g dl-1 in week 3. The median transfusion volume was 17.1 [11.1 to 26.4] ml kg-1 with a median delta haemoglobin of 1.8 [0.0 to 3.6] g dl-1. Thirty-day morbidity was 47.8% with an overall mortality of 11.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate lower transfusion-triggering haemoglobin thresholds in clinical practice than suggested by current guidelines. The high morbidity and mortality of this NECTARINE sub-cohort calls for investigative action and evidence-based guidelines addressing peri-operative red blood cell transfusions strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02350348

National survey of outcomes and practices in acute respiratory distress syndrome in Singapore

The authors acknowledge the following as the total funding sources for this study: 1. SICM NICER grant: logistical, non-monetary, support from the Society of Intensive Care Medicine Singapore. This was in the form of Ngee Ann Polytechnic students (8) who collected the data for the study for one month. 2. NMRC (National medical research council) grant for Dr, Matthew Cove (partial support for this study): This was in the shape of salary support for all his research related activity. (NMRC/TA/0015/2013) (MEC)

The integrated biological indicator as a tool for detection of river pollution

Water quality of the River Pontian Kecil is influenced by both organic and inorganic nature of pollutant. The predominant sources of Pontian Kecil contamination at Johor, Malaysia are agricultural activities and pollution derived from urban area located in the area within the river corridor. This river and its tributaries is important to human as water supply, domestic water uses, irrigation, fisheries and recreation. It should be controlled under the Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) as beneficial water. The use of biological indicator is to predict local condition that can result in a variety of spatial scales that biological indicator can be addresses. Biological indicator was applied as a tool to measure the water resources condition, biological restoration goals, enforcement and compliance, and establishing baseline data for Nature Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). The effect of future development along the river corridor on water quality could not be ruled out. A study on water quality, biological indicator and the existing species of flora and fauna are used in observing the effects of the activities within the river. The relevant sources are identified, an appropriate prevention and control measure

A methodological analysis of demolition works in Malaysia

As Malaysia continues to progress towards achieving a developed status, shortage of land and space will require existing structures to be demolished, in order to make way for new development. The dilemma of insufficient land in urban areas to sustain growth and cater for increasing modernization demands will augment to a critical level. Therefore, there is dire need to expedite research in the field of demolition works within the country. This research was aimed at developing an overview as well as assessing the potential of demolition operations in Malaysia. Two varying methodologies were adopted comprising a case study and a questionnaire survey. The former looked into the Lumba Kuda Flats demolition operations which formed part of the Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu project. On the other hand, the latter targeted feedback from the local industry’s professionals

Encapsulation of nonmetallic fractions recovered from printed circuit boards waste with thermoplastic

The present work includes a process for encapsulation by combining substantially simultaneously dry nonmetallic printed circuit boards (PCBs) powder and recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) in an extruder to form a homogenous matrix. The extruded materials were then molded into standard tensile, flexural, and impact properties testing specimens. Nonmetallic PCB mainly consists of large amount of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin materials. Incorporation of 50 wt% nonmetallic PCB in rHDPE matrix had increased the flexural strength and modulus by 35% and 130%, respectively. Tensile strength reported to be constant without much improvement. However, the Young's modulus has increased by 180%, with incorporation of 50 wt% nonmetallic PCB. The addition of 6 phr (parts per hundred) maleated polyethylene (MAPE) resulted in 2-fold increase in tensile and flexural strength. Regarding the leaching properties, Cu was identified as the metal that leached at the highest level from the raw nonmetallic PCB, at 59.09 mg/L. However, after the nonmetallic PCB was filled in rHDPE/PCB composites, the concentration of Cu was reduced far below the regulatory limit, to only 3 mg/L. Thermal properties of composites were studied, and it was found out that incorporation of nonmetallic PCB fillers in rHDPE resulted in low thermal conductivity, whereas mechanical strength of the composites showed maximum improvements at 220 degrees C. Overall, the encapsulation technique using nonmetallic PCB waste has formed a monolithic waste form that provides a barrier to the dispersion of wastes into the environmen

Accelerated weathering properties of compatibilized composites made from recycled HDPE and nonmetallic printed circuit board waste

The main aim of this work is to examine the influence of the contents of nonmetallic printed circuit board (PCB) waste component on the photodegradation of recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) composites. The properties tested were chemical changes, flexural properties, color stability, water absorption, leaching properties, and crystallinity changes of the composites after exposure to 2,000 h of accelerated weathering. Surface degradation for composites with nonmetallic PCB was less compared to unfilled rHDPE mainly because glass fibers covered almost the whole surface of specimens, acting as a protective layer, thus, slowing down the photodegradation reaction. Incorporation of compatibilizer in rHDPE/PCB composites had played an important role in resisting degradation due to UV exposure. All the composite samples became lighter in the early stages of weathering exposure; however, compatibilized composites showed less lightening and reduction on strength and modulus. Carbonyl index increases with exposure time indicating that the oxidation reaction continuously occurred during the aging process. Incorporation of compatibilizer had successfully reduced the water absorption uptake by the composites and effectively delayed some degradation properties of weathering

Effect of weathering on the properties of recycled high density polyethylene based nonmetallic printed circuit boards waste composite

The weathering performances of nonmetallic printed circuit boards (PCB) - filled recycled high - density polyethylene (rHDPE) was investigated in this study. The compression molded rHDPE/PCB composite was exposed to both natural and accelerated weathering attacks. The durability of rHDPE/PCB composites was compared to neat unfilled rHDPE and virgin HDPE (vHDPE). When the exposure time increased, the color of rHDPE faded faster than vHDPE. The surface of composites with 3 0 and 50 wt% nonmetallic PCB flaked off after being exposed to both weathering conditions. Prolonged weathering exposure also caused loss of impact strength of all the samples with and without nonmetallic PCB fille r. In general, composites with 3 0 and 50 wt% nonmetallic PCB is more resistible to weathering attacks as compared to unfilled rHDPE