THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP ROLE IN DRIVING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT AT THE SOCIAL AFFAIRS OFFICE OF MALUKU PROVINCE

Penelitian ini merupakan suatu Penelitian Kuantitatif yang bersifat asosiatif. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis dan menjelaskan peran pemimpin dalam meningkatkan performa para pegawai di kantor Dinas Sosial Provinsi Maluku. Sampel penelitian terdiri dari 37 individu yang merupakan bagian dari populasi penelitian. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah melalui distribusi kuesioner. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa setelah melakukan perhitungan terhadap data yang diperoleh dari lapangan menggunakan rumus korelasi product moment, ditemukan bahwa nilai korelasi sebesar 0,756. Selanjutnya, nilai korelasi ini diuji signifikansinya menggunakan uji t pada tingkat kepercayaan 95% (dengan tingkat signifikansi 0,05). Hasil dari uji t-test menunjukkan angka sebesar 6,827, yang mengindikasikan bahwa nilai t-test tersebut lebih besar daripada nilai t-tabel yang sebesar 2,021 (6,827 > 2,021). Dari hasil ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang kuat antara peran pemimpin dan kinerja pegawai di Dinas Sosial Provinsi Maluku

LMI-based multiobjective integral sliding mode control for rotary inverted pendulum system under load variations

This paper presents a multiobjective integral sliding mode controller (ISMC) for a rotary inverted pendulum system under the influence of varying load. Firstly, the nonlinear system is approximated to facilitate the desired control design via extended linearization and deterministic approach. By using both of these techniques, the nonlinear system is formulated into a nonlinear state-space representation where the uncertainties are retained in the model. Next, the design objectives are formulated into linear matrix inequalities (LMI) which are then solved efficiently through convex optimization algorithms. With proper selection variables, numbers of the decision variables for LMIs are reduced. Hence, it will reduce the numerical burden and believes the calculated values more viable in practice. Finally, simulation works are conducted and comparison is made between the proposed controller, such as normal ISMC and LQR. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller and the performance is evaluated through integral of absolute-value error (IAE) performance index

Coconut oil and cholesterol as challenge agents to induce hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in hamster animal model

Hyperlipidemia is a condition of high lipid levels in the plasma and often linked with the deposition of lipid droplets in the aorta which initiate the progression of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a common cardiovascular disorder initiated by the formation of foams cells in the vascular wall which leads to turbulent blood flow, injury to the endothelial layer and subsequent vascular thrombosis. Since the early 1980’s, Golden-Syrian hamsters have been widely used as an animal model in the research of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. The use of hamsters in the hyperlipidemic and atherosclerotic model is due to their lipoprotein profile that is closer to human setting, sensitive to high-fat high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet and a suitable rodent model. Atherosclerosis can be induced in hamsters through dietary challenge with HFHC diet. Over the decades, coconut oil (CNO) was commonly used as the source of fat in the diet design of high saturated fatty acids (SFA) composition. In this review, we summarized published literature with designs involving CNO plus cholesterol-induced hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis or both. The factors that may influence the ability of CNO and cholesterol combination to induce hyperlipidemia such as the period of dietary intervention, hamster strains and the dietary amount were evaluated and summarized

The effect of Piper betle on wound healing in male Sprague Dawley rats

Piper betle (PB) leaves have been traditionally used in many Asian countries for the healing of wounds and other ailments. The aim of this study was to examine the wound healing effect of PB on skin injury-inflicted Sprague-Dawley rats. Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were inflicted with wounds and then divided into three groups consisting of a control (normal wound healing without dressing), saline (wound healing aided by gauze soaked in saline) and PB (gauze impregnated with PB paste) dressings. Wounds were created on the back of rats with 6-mm sterilized punch biopsy needle. Wounds were examined on days 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 for dryness, exudation, and scar formation. Rats were sacrificed on day 14 and the granulation tissue formed on the wound was then excised for histological examination using Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. The formation of granulation tissue in rats treated with PB showed higher progress to wound closure with shorter days (on day 3) compared to the control and saline group (on day 5). PB dressing minimized the formation of scar tissue significantly (p<0.05) compared to the control and saline groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that PB has good wound healing effect with less scarring and perhaps it can be used to treat wound complementary to the present method

Alpha-tocotrienol is the most abundant tocotrienol isomer circulated in plasma and lipoproteins after postprandial tocotrienol-rich vitamin E supplementation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tocotrienols (T3) and tocopherols (T), both members of the natural vitamin E family have unique biological functions in humans. T3 are detected in circulating human plasma and lipoproteins, although at concentrations significantly lower than α-tocopherol (α-T). T3, especially α-T3 is known to be neuropotective at nanomolar concentrations and this study evaluated the postprandial fate of T3 and α-T in plasma and lipoproteins.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ten healthy volunteers (5 males and 5 females) were administered a single dose of vitamin E [526 mg palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) or 537 mg α-T] after 7-d pre-conditioning on a T3-free diet. Blood was sampled at baseline (fasted) and 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 24 h after supplementation. Concentrations of T and T3 isomers in plasma, triacylglycerol-rich particles (TRP), LDL, and HDL were measured at each postprandial interval.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After TRF supplementation, plasma α-T3 and γ-T3 peaked at 5 h (α-T3: 4.74 ± 1.69 μM; γ-T3: 2.73 ± 1.27 μM). δ-T3 peaked earlier at 4 h (0.53 ± 0.25 μM). In contrast, α-T peaked at 6 h (30.13 ± 2.91 μM) and 8 h (37.80 ± 3.59 μM) following supplementation with TRF and α-T, respectively. α-T was the major vitamin E isomer detected in plasma, TRP, LDL, and HDL even after supplementation with TRF (composed of 70% T3). No T3 were detected during fasted states. T3 are detected postprandially only after TRF supplementation and concentrations were significantly lower than α-T.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Bio-discrimination between vitamin E isomers in humans reduces the rate of T3 absorption and affects their incorporation into lipoproteins. Although low absorption of T3 into circulation may impact some of their physiological functions in humans, T3 have biological functions well below concentration noted in this study.</p

Postprandial metabolic fate of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E differs significantly from that of -tocopherol

Background: The detection of tocotrienols in human plasma has proven elusive, and it is hypothesized that they are rapidly assimilated and redistributed in various mammalian tissues. Objective: The primary study objective was to evaluate the postprandial fate of tocotrienols and -tocopherol in human plasma and lipoproteins. Design: Seven healthy volunteers (4 males, 3 females) were administered a single dose of vitamin E [1011 mg palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) or 1074 mg -tocopherol] after a 7-d conditioning period with a tocotrienol-free diet. Blood was sampled at baseline (fasted) and 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 24 h after supplementation. Concentrations of tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers in plasma, triacylglycerol-rich particles (TRPs), LDLs, and HDLs were measured at each interval. Results: After intervention with TRF, plasma tocotrienols peaked at 4 h (4.79 \ub1 1.2 \ub5g/mL), whereas -tocopherol peaked at 6 h (13.46 \ub1 1.68 \ub5g/mL). Although tocotrienols were similarly detected in TRPs, LDLs, and HDLs, tocotrienol concentrations were significantly lower than -tocopherol concentrations. In comparison, plasma -tocopherol peaked at 8 h (24.3 \ub1 5.22 \ub5g/mL) during the -tocopherol treatment and emerged as the major vitamin E isomer detected in plasma and lipoproteins during both the TRF and the -tocopherol treatments. Conclusions: Tocotrienols are detected in postprandial plasma, albeit in significantly lower concentrations than is -tocopherol. This finding confirms previous observations that, in the fasted state, tocotrienols are not detected in plasma. Tocotrienol transport in lipoproteins appears to follow complex biochemically mediated pathways within the lipoprotein cascade

Preliminary Groundwater Assessment using Electrical Method at Quaternary Deposits Area

Alternative water sources using groundwater has increasingly demand in recent years. In the past, proper and systematic study of groundwater potential was varies due to several constraints. Conventionally, tube well point was drilled based on subjective judgment of several parties which may lead to the uncertainties of the project success. Hence, this study performed an electrical method to investigate the groundwater potential at quaternary deposits area particularly using resistivity and induced polarization technique. Electrical method was performed using ABEM SAS4000 equipment based on pole dipole array and 2.5 m electrode spacing. Resistivity raw data was analyzed using RES2DINV software. It was found that groundwater was able to be detected based on resistivity and chargeability values which varied at 10 – 100 Ωm and 0 – 1 ms respectively. Moreover, suitable location of tube well was able to be proposed which located at 80 m from the first survey electrode in west direction. Verification of both electrical results with established references has shown some good agreement thus able to convince the result reliability. Hence, the establishment of electrical method in preliminary groundwater assessment was able to assist several parties in term groundwater prospective at study area which efficient in term of cost, time, data coverage and sustainability