bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisit the green barrier development for ammonia exposure preventive countermeasure at urea fertilizer Z Factory in South Sumatera, Indonesia
Authors: Utomo S W , Sudarna  , Pratiwi D M
Published: December 2019

The release of large-scale ammonia in the air by urea fertilizer plants Z has caused negative impacts on the environment, particularly to environmental pollution and human health. Some actions have been taken as a countermeasure, one of them is the development of Green Barrier, a living filter consist of various plantation that design based on its ability to absorb certain pollution substances in the ambient air. This article aims to analyze the development of the green barrier construction and its effectiveness as an effort to prevent the spread of ammonia gas around the urea fertilizer plant Z environment. Sequential explanatory with comparative analysis of data obtained from questionnaires using Spearman Coefficient Correlation, interviews, and data on green barrier construction processes used to achieve research objectives in this study. Based on the results of the study it was found that the existence of the green barrier was more effective in reducing noise than reducing the ammonia odour. This is also supported by field observations where the construction of a green barrier is still not fully optimal due to land acquisition problems, damage to several plants on the green barrier, and many green barrier areas that have not been planted by plants which are mainly bordered by community land.
Protecting Water Resources by Sustainable Household Solid Waste Management in Jakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Wulandhary S , Soesilo T E B , Moersidik S S , Asteria D
Published: December 2019

Solid waste has been recognized as a crucial environmental problem in many urban areas in Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta. In fact, an underperforming solid waste management (SWM) is also expected to result in an increased risk of water pollution. This research aimed at exploring past and current efforts of territorial water protection in Jakarta, Indonesia, which had been attempted by changing society’s behavior in managing solid waste at household level. To do so, this study applied literature reviews and interviews to investigate solid waste management of riverbank communities. According to a report on Environmental Statistics, there were 1.81% of households in the country’s capital in 2014 who managed their solid wastes by primarily throwing them into waterbodies. Apparently, un-transported solid wastes, which were those left lying on roadsides or empty lands, per day in the South Jakarta Region reached 8%. Those untreated wastes were expected to later end up in sewers, rivers, or the sea. In Srengseng Sawah, Jakarta, SWM has been conducted by non-governmental organizations, who received retributions from the people to transport household solid wastes. To overcome potential solid waste pollution in rivers, it is necessary to change community behavior to apply a more sustainable SWM in managing their household solid waste. This is strongly influenced by the availability of solid waste infrastructure and community awareness.
Suitability of agroforestry system against climate conditions in Tugu Utara Village, Cisarua Sub-District, Bogor
Authors: Pramudianto A , Sudaryanto  , Utomo S W , Pambudi P A
Published: December 2019

Indonesia with style agrarian agricultural potential with a very large agricultural area of 40.6 million hectares. However, agricultural patterns are applied by people still tend to conventional monoculture (99.6%). Application of a monoculture in some areas does not fit with the rules of ecological, causing vulnerability to natural disasters of drought, floods, landslides, and loss of habitat function. This study aims to determine the suitability of land in the study site for the implementation of the agroforestry farming system. Mixed methods through surveys, interviews, and desk study. Tugu Utara village an upstream watershed area (DAS) Ciliwung dominated by natural forests of primary and secondary, agriculture, and gardening. Agricultural commodities featured in this area are classified as vegetables and seasonal plants found only one species of perennials that Camelia cinensis. Agriculture-based agroforestry should be applied in this area because it is based on the study of microclimates compatibility and also serves to enhance regional resilience against natural disasters especially floods and landslides.
Assessment of socioeconomic vulnerability of coastal community in management of floods in Mataram
Authors: Rahadiati A , Prihanto Y , Suryanegara E , Rudiastuti A W , Nahib I , Nursugi
Published: December 2019

Natural disasters that often occur in coastal areas are tidal floods and river floods. Flood vulnerability management of coastal areas has become increasingly important to mitigate and prevent floods. The purpose of the study was to analyze the socio-economic vulnerability of the Mataram City coast. The spatial-DPSIR approach was employed to study the socio-economic and ecological framework. The socio-economic vulnerability was analyzed using the following parameters: population density, poverty level, livelihoods, land ownership, awareness of disasters, the presence of business areas and trade areas, and physical damage to buildings. The analysis result of the coastal flood socio-economic vulnerability showed that most of the Mataram coast were classified as intermediate. The results of this study are expected to become a reference for development and management, especially in spatial planning policies for a disaster-secure coastal area.
Neem leaves extract (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) on male reproductive system: a mini-review
Authors: Seriana I , Akmal M , Darusman  , Wahyuni S
Published: December 2019

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is the tropical plant of the familyMeliaceaethat has been used as medicine. Almost all parts, i.e., leaves, stems, bark, roots, seeds, and flowers can be used to medicate multiple diseases. Apart from medicine and other health benefits, neem is a very promising plant as it could be used to reduce the rate of population growth. The aim of this review is to figure out the effect of neem leaves on the male reproductive system which can be developed into safe and reversible male contraception. The article review used online databases to conduct keyword searches and investigate the active compounds in neem leaves that could serve as antifertility, the effect of neem leaves on reproductive hormones and spermatogenesis. Several studies show that neem leaves can affect the male reproductive system by interfering spermatogenesis, e.g., reducing the amount, motility, and morphology of the spermatozoa, affecting the structure and function of the testes which cause a decrease in the quality of spermatozoa. Abnormal spermatozoa could reduce spermatozoa ability to fertilize. Thus neem leaves can be proposed as male contraceptives.
Ecotourism development impacts on plant diversity in a cultural park of Setu Babakan, Jakarta Indonesia
Authors: Kristiyanto
Published: December 2019

Improving ecotourism areas was a part of the strategy to the welfare of local people, but its would be impacted by their local knowledge to maintain plant diversity-related, alongside the tourism attitude has shown to their surroundings unfriendly. The aim of this research is to discover the plant diversity index (H’) and Evenness (E). For the data collection method, the line transect was carried out by plotting the site where each site of location research has a size of 20x20 m, and the lake and the road on the side of the location were the object research. The result of this research obtained at least 83 plants species in all areas, which each of site of research were the lake of site is H’= 2.377 and the road of site is H’ = 2.887, whereas E = 0.118 in the lake of site and the road of site is E = 0.084. Therefore, the ecotourism paradigm would be increased to the welfare of local people and its part of sustainable development.
Ecotourism in Sebangau National Park: an avenue to enhance local community livelihoods while protecting the ecosystem
Authors: Meilani M M , Andayani W , Faida L R W , Maryudi A
Published: December 2019

Ecotourism has been a preferable option in utilizing resources within a protected area (PA) in developing countries as it is considered as a bridge between nature conservation and rural economic development. The aims of this study are: To evaluate the implementation of ecotourism in a national park and to investigate the key factors influencing the socio-economic outcomes of ecotourism for rural and remote communities. This study uses Sebangau National Park (SNP) in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, as a case study. This exploratory research was conducted using the qualitative method approach. Data collection included focus group discussion, in-depth interview, observation, and secondary data. A descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data. Results of the study show that despite local communities’ complaints on ecotourism development including its low income, local communities perceived that ecotourism is a feasible option for their livelihood sources. They were optimistic that in the future, income from ecotourism can be competed with other livelihood sources such as logging, fishing, collecting rattan, and tapping jelutung or rubber resin. However, the local community realized that their involvement in ecotourism activities needed several requirements including knowledge and skills about ecotourism as well as the involvement of other stakeholders.
Application of liquid organic fertilizers for supporting organic arabica coffee development at Sub-district of Sukasada, Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia
Authors: Kariada I K , Arsana K D
Published: December 2019

Sub-district of Sukasada is one of arabica coffee centre in Buleleng District of Bali. This coffee areas has been developed for organic coffee with the certification from Geographical Indication (GI), Control Union (CU) and Rain Forest certifications. Area which has been covered around 400 Ha under 7 Farmers Group to support the sustainability of organic coffee development. It is important to implement onfarm research for developing local specific eco- friendly technology. Reseach was implemented in 2018 at Wanagiri village, Sukasada subdistrict of Buleleng. The purpose of research was to increase the yield of coffee through producing and applying the liquid fertilizer from liquid waste of wet processing. Research design used was block design, with four treatments and 4 replications in each treatment have 20 plants as samples. Coffee variety of Kopyol was used for treatment with age already 5 years after planting. Trial components are : P0 = farmers way (5 kg/tree), P1 = 200 ml bio urine/tree + 5 kg compost/tree, P2 = 100 ml bio urine/tree + 100 mlt liquid organic fertilizer from liquid waste of wet coffee processing + 5kg compost/tree, P3 = 200 ml liquid organic fertilizer from liquid waste of wet coffee processing + 5 kg compost/tree, P4 = 200 ml wet organic fertilizer + 5 kg compost/tree. Variables measured was number of produvtive branch, number dompol per productive branch, number of seed per dompol, and production per hectare through taxation methode. From the above treatments, P3 provide the highest yield 0.87 kg OSE coffee/tree/year, followed by P2 0.82 kg, P1 0.59 kg, P4 0.56 kg and the lowest was from P0 0.51 kg OSE coffee per tree per year.
Acceleration of dissemination of Mandarin Citrus (Cv. Batu 55) superior variety in supporting import substitution
Authors: Sulistyaningrum A , Hardiyanto  , Hilman Y , Puspitasari  , Devy N F , Sastro Y
Published: December 2019

Currently, the supply of national citrus has not been able to meet domestic needs, especially for yellow citrus which was still dependent on imports. The trade balance of Indonesian citrus always deficit, in 2018 Indonesian citrus exported amounted to 1,220 tons and the number of imported was much higher reaching 85,273 tons. The government’s future program was directed to produce yellow citrus which termed “keprokisasi” in the context of import substitution. Indonesian Center for Horticulture Research and Development (ICHORD) have produced superior varieties of mandarin citrus namely Batu 55, which have characteristics that are seemly with consumer, even it is considered superior to imported citrus in freshness. To increase the population of Batu 55, in 2018-2019 the Ministry of Agriculture has distributed 38,450 disease-free seedlings to growers in various regions in Indonesia. The study was to evaluate the program in the distribution of Mandarin citrus of Cv. Batu 55 superior variety. The results found that through the program can be estimated that in the next 4 years that the production will increase 481.55 - 1,284.13 tons, and it will have sustainability. At the age of 11 years, the production ranges from 3,021.48 - 4,154.53 tons. For that reason, the development of the program can reduce the dependence on imported citrus.
The role of government guarantees in environmental and social management for infrastructure development
Authors: Susanto D , Abadi I , Wardhana Y M
Published: December 2019

The Indonesian government is currently focusing on infrastructure development to stimulate economic growth with equal distribution of infrastructure throughout Indonesia. Good Infrastructure availability will improve connectivity between regions so that the flow of goods and services becomes more efficient. However, infrastructure development has challenges in managing the impact on complex environmental and social conditions. The Indonesian government encourages to accelerate infrastructure development, one of which is by providing government guarantees through the Badan Usaha Penjaminan Infrastruktur (BUPI). The existence of the BUPI can accelerate infrastructure development by providing guarantees to Project by requiring feasibility of environmental and social aspects. These conditions encourage sustainable infrastructure development by look carefully at ecological equilibrium, social conditions of the community, and respect for local culture.
Marine mammals interactions with tuna fishing activities in Indonesian seas
Authors: Soede L P , Natasasmita D , Mahendra I G , Rizki W
Published: December 2019

For decades, marine scientists have known that fisheries throughout the world result in mortality for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). Incidental catch (also known as by-catch) in fisheries is considered the biggest threat to the survival of cetaceans globally. Migratory species such as cetaceans are exposed to various threats because they are nomadic. From a conservation and management perspective, the level of protection given to cetaceans differs according to their geographical location. This study was conducted to determine the extent of by-catchin the study area and identify measures taken by fishers to minimize by-catch. During a 20-day period, 222 fishers were interviewed in six locations - East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Ternate, Morotai, Seram, and Biak - to identify the interaction between marine mammals and tuna fishing activities, particularly related with the usage of different fishing gear and fishing practices. Twenty cetacean species from by-catchwere identified by respondents including three species of baleen whales and 17 species of toothed whales (including dolphins). Results from this survey indicated that interactions between marine mammals and tuna fisheries in Indonesian seas are primarily due to cetacean predation on tuna (e.g., pilot whales). To manage and minimize cetacean by-catchin the Indonesian seas, one of the recommendations from the authors of this study is the development of a Marine Mammal Mitigation Plan.
From green open space to green infrastructure: The potential of green open space optimization towards sustainable cities in Bekasi City & Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Ajrina H , Kustiwan I
Published: December 2019

Urban growth dynamics have resulted an increase in population and rapid conversion of green open space (GOS) into built-up areas. Despite the minimum standard provision has been stated 30% on spatial regulation Law No 26/2007, Bekasi City Government has been struggling to preserve their remaining valuable green open spaces. This paper aims to propose a concept emphasizing the provision of green open space using green infrastructure by the linkages between green open spaces in the form of areas (hubs) which connected by a corridor (links). Built upon theoretical bases of the benefits of green open space that cannot be limited by administrative boundaries, the study uses Bekasi City and Bekasi Regency at the regional scale as a study case. This study calculated the potential area of green infrastructure and compared ecosystem services produced before and after the application of the concept. The result showed that the application of the Green Infrastructure concept has significantly increased the quantity (area) as well as the quality (ecological function) of green open space. An interconnected green open space was also able to enhance the ecosystem services by absorbing carbon dioxide. All of these potential benefits have implications on the Green Infrastructure development strategy to establish a more sustainable city.
Test the quality of robusta coffee probiotic snail through different time fermentation
Authors: Sudarma I W , Arsana I G K D , Kariada K
Published: December 2019

A research has been conducted test the quality of robusta coffee snails probiotic through different time fermentation. The research was carried out at Gunung Kutul areal Pucaksari village sub district of Busungbiu Buleleng regency Bali province on April till November 2018. The research used randoms samples RAL with 4 treatments and 5 replications with 20 samples. Parameters observed included physical and taste test including physical quality of water content defect content of defective value and coffe flavour, aroma, body acidity, flavour. The result show that increasing time fermentation can reduce caffeine levels and increase the acidity of coffee beans and reduce the weight of coffee beans. Rendement coffee robusta bean of wet seeds was 52.85% still relatively high and there was no contamination in the levels of impurities, foul odors and fungi. The colour of coffee beans becomes darker along with the length of time fermentation due to the increasingly optimal microbial work at the time of fermentation. In coffee fermentation treatment for 3 days appeared the most prominent formation of oleic acid as much as 50,148 ppm followed by palmitic acid as much as 36,943 ppm and stearic acid as much as 17,112 ppm where coffee fermented with 3 days was classified as specialty coffee with scorre 83.50 % if compare with fermentation 0 day appeared formation as oleic acid as much as 45,142 ppm, palmitic acid as much as 34,047 ppm, stearic acid as much as 15,153 ppm and value score 82,83 %. Coffee fermentation with snail microbe contain miristat acid in coffee beans. Miristat acid has anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic properties, source energy, decrease level colesterol
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF KECOMBRANG FRUIT SIMPLICIA EKSTRACT (Nicolaia speciosa) AGAINST GRAM POSITIVE BACTERIA Staphylococcus aureus FNCC 0047 IN VITRO
Authors: Ashif Muhammad , Peramiarti IDSAP , Afifah
Published: December 2019

The survival of microorganisms depends on the environment. Unhealthy environment causes food intoxication problems resulting in food poisioning. One alternative that can be done to prevent the occurrence of food poisioning by using traditional medicines made from natural ingredients, especially kecombrang fruit simplicia extract. This study aims to determine the activity ofkecombrang fruit simplicia extract against Staphylococcus aureus FNCC 0047 bacteria. The design used was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) which was arranged with 10 treatment factors and repeated 3 times, resulting in 30 experimental units. The factors studied were the concentration of the kecombrang fruit simplicia extract consisting of concentrations of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%. The variable observed in this study was the antibacterial activity ofS.aureus FNCC 0047 with the well-diffusion method. The data obtained were analyzed by parametric analysis of one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the level of 5% then significant results were continued with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at the level of 5%. Kecombrang fruit simplicia extract has antibacterial activity against the growth of Gram positive S. aureus FNCC 0047 bacteria with the most effective concentration in inhibiting the growth ofS.aureus FNCC 0047 bacteria is 40%. In this case, the extract of the kecombrang fruit simplicia has the ability to inhibit the growth ofS. aureus FNCC 0047 bacteria.
Palm Oil Marketing Model through Performance Analysis Approach in Simalungun Regency
Authors: Apriyanti Ira , Ramadhani Juwita
Published: December 2019

The one of indicator that can demonstrate market performance is profit gained on industry. Market performance analysis can be seen by calculating marketing margin and farmer share. The length of existing marketing channels may not necessarily indicate that the marketing performance is inefficient. If the marketing chain is long and able to increase consumer satisfaction then it can be said that the marketing system is efficient.

Some problems on marketing of palm oil commodity in Simalungun Regency are: producer’s farmers are generally small farmers who have weak bargaining power, not much know the market situation and price certainty. The market in palm oil commodities are still dominated by large farmers and other market participants who have a network or links with the consumer makes the low of farmer share.

The purpose of this research is to determine the marketing strategy of palm oil using marketing performance approach to: (a) Analyze the margin and farmer share, to know the performance of palm oil industry in Simalungun Regency. (b) Analyze the relationship between structure, conduct and performance of the palm oil industry in Simalungun Regency.

The analytical method used in this research is marketing channel analysis and analysis of market structure that seen from market concentration and barrier in and out of market, analysis of market behavior seen from marketing function that is exchange function, physical function and facility function. Market performance analysis is seen from farmer share and marketing margin.
Automatic Pick-and-Place Packaging System with Vacuum Lifter
Authors: Farooqi Awais , Yusoff Nukman Bin , Chung Lim Siong
Published: December 2019

Flexible packaging manufacturing is one of the most essential industry of the world nowadays. This research aims to develop an economical & ergonomically designed pick-and- place sorting system for bag-making machines in the packaging industry. It provides a standard universal setup that is feasible to adapt with any type of bag-making machine as a pick-and-place attachment. This automated system can be installed at pickup location of the bag-making machine for the operation of pick-and-place of packaging bags, which is able to distribute packaging bags into the accepted bags platform without the supervision of a physical operator. This pick-and-place sorting system is able differentiate between two coloured bags while accepting the correct dimension of it to place it at a location of ‘accepted bag’ else at a location of ‘rejected bag’. The proposed machine system can sort-out three different dimensions of test samples by accepting bags with a fiducial mark and correct dimension only, while rejecting the bags without fiducial mark and of incorrect dimensions. A standalone mechanical structure based on stepper motors, electronics design and embedded control system was developed that includes an IR-proximity sensor, as a fiducial mark/colour detector and a loadcell based dimension analyser, to differentiate between different dimensions of the test samples.
Nexus between Green Intellectual Capital and Organizational Learning Capability. Evidence from Malaysian Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Yusoff Yusmazida Mohd , Omar Muhamad Khalil , Zaman Maliza Delima Kamarul
Published: December 2019

The environmental degradation have been concerned by many previous scholars claimed that the high demand for sustainable practices particularly in manufacturing sector due to the large amount and wide distribution of energy consumption. It is an urgent task for organizations to implement the innovation to cope with this issue. Apart from that, most scholars have suggested various possible solutions. Regrettably, very few studies have examined the importance of intellectual capital related to green protection known as green intellectual capital to achieve better performance. Furthermore, as the manufacturing is the main sector that focus on the transformation of low-carbon economy required organizations to keep themselves learned and updated about their business challenges. In spite of that, the role of management that facilitate learning to each member which under the concept of organizational learning capability is very important to obtain superior performance. Data were gathered from 168 manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia, and analysed using Partial Least Square approach. Results show that green relational capital has positive relationship with organizational learning capability while green human capital and green structural did not. Finally, the implications, limitations and future studies are discussed.
Integration of UI Greenmetric performance measurement on ISO 14001 implementation in higher education
Authors: Nurcahyo R , Handika F S , Gabriel D S , Habiburrahman M
Published: December 2019

Increasing sustainability concern in the world, encouraging the growth of higher education participation. Many higher education institutions adopt Environmental Management System (EMS) ISO 14001 and UI GreenMetrcis performance measurement separately to achieve sustainability. The two systems have similar goal but different approach related to sustainability. The objective of this research is to integrate UI Greenmetric performance measurement on ISO 14001 implementation in higher education. The similarity goals of them, making the analysis of the using of UI GreenMetric performance measurement in the implementation of ISO 14001 EMS in higher education needs to be done. Based on that analysis, it is known the agreement level of relationship between EMS ISO 14001 and UI GreenMetric by using frequency analysis, as well as the level of their implementations in higher education through mixed method. The result is UI GreenMetric performance measurement can be used to implement ISO 14001 EMS, so that it can support the achievement of environmental performance in higher education.
Performance measurement using supply chain operation reference (SCOR) model: a case study in a small-medium enterprise (SME) in Indonesia
Authors: Kusrini E , Rifai M A B , Miranda S
Published: December 2019

Nowadays, measuring supply chain performance is a topic that attracts many researchers. Performance measurement can be used as a reference to improve performance in order to compete in the market. This study aims to measure the supply chain performance in a small and medium enterprise (SME) producing sports clothes in Yogyakarta. This research utilizes the performance attributes from the Supply Chain Operation Reference Model (SCOR). The business process is identified as the baseline to determine performance metrics on each process (plan, source, make, deliver, return and enable) and performance attributes, i.e. reliability, responsiveness, agility, cost, and asset management efficiency. According to the experts within the company, there are only 27 of 40 performance metrics obtained valid. The overall performance score is at a good level with a value of 77.89. Among the metrics, it is found 9 metrics in marginal and average level while the remaining metrics gained the value of more than 70. This supply chain performance analysis can support the company decision making in order to improve its performance at an excellent level.
The essential of engineering education involving critical thinking and problems solving skills among mechanical engineer employees
Authors: Ismail W Omar Ali Saifuddin Wan , Hamzah Noraini , Fatah Ireana Yusra Abdul , Muhammad Azry Khoiry
Published: December 2019

Engineering Education is a course that emphasis on soft skills that are related to critical thinking and the ability in solving problems. Creative and Critical Thinking Skills (CCTS) is a type of skill that had introduced and strongly emphasized in the education system, starting from primary school. Recently, all the exam questions in primary, secondary schools and public universities oriented to the principle of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in (RMK 11 - Transforming Education System). The objective of this education program is to produce students that are more competent in solving problems by applying effectively various forms of knowledge that had studied theoretically. This study aims to examine the extent to which the needs of elements of critical thinking and problem-solving skills to produce competitive engineers from industries point of view. Feedback from respondents was taken through quantitative methods using a set of questionnaires. A total of 300 respondents have participated in this study. The study is expected to be a guide for future mechanical engineers who would be involved by the requirements of the mainstream industry.
A System Dynamics Approach to Investigate The Effects of Disruption on The Supply Chain with A Mitigation Strategy
Authors: Abdullah MA , Hishamuddin H , Bazin Nen
Published: December 2019

In this paper, a system dynamics approach is used to simulate a three stages supply chain system experiencing supply disruption. The supply chain system consists of single supplier, manufacturer and retailer. The model is developed suggesting backlogged and inventory as the primary performance measure. The model is tested under three conditions, which are normal condition, disruption condition and disruption with a mitigation strategy. The main findings from the study are lead time changes on the entire system directly impact the inventory of the entire stages in the system. Furthermore, the disruption occurence produces an adverse effect on supply chain performance for a period longer than the actual period of the disruption and likewise, influence system performance. The study further identifies that by incorporating safety stock as a mitigation strategy in the event of a supply disruption, will significantly reduce the disruption impact. The proposed simulation model and experimental findings are important to assist management in their inventory and risk control decision-making in the event of disruptions.
The Development of SORREL Systematic Roselle Harvesting System for Efficient Transfer Process
Authors: Ali E A , Kamarudin K M , Me R Che , Sulaiman R , Alli H
Published: December 2019

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) belongs to the family of Malvaceae or Hibiscus the Malaysian national flower. In Malaysia, this plant is first introduced in the state of Terengganu as one of the alternatives to replace tobacco plants in sandy soils. Studies conducted on Roselle plantation in Malaysia identified too many repetitive steps in harvesting and deseeding process, as well as separating different grades of Roselle flowers and its logistics. The paper focuses on the improvement of harvesting and deseeding Roselle flowers, aiming to hybridize both processes into one effective process. The reason of developing such combination is to prevent frequent transferring of Roselle flowers to avoid damages, at the same time increasing the quality of harvest. This study also considers embedding few appropriate but simple technologies for systematic harvesting, making sure the Roselle flowers collected are in top quality and in best hygiene by user-friendly, ergonomic and safe to use processes.
Development of Robotic Rovers: A Review
Authors: Herman Nurul Aqilah , Ramli Roshahliza M , Adib Mohd Azrul Hisham Mohd , Widia Mirta
Published: December 2019

The robotic rover is defined as a small vehicle that can move over rough ground and it is initially used by NASA for space exploration. However, this type of rover is expensive, using complicated and complex materials and software as well as large in size. Robotic rover fills the gap without endangering personnel involves in life-threatening condition or scenario that human sometimes needs to deal with. It can be considered to be deployed in assisting safety authorities to collect information and insights as well as work lift in search and rescue operations. In this paper, the progress that has been made towards the development of robotic rover which has been done in previous years are reviewed, including the design, functions, specifications, and applications, to meet requirements in performing a variety of tasks including hazardous identification, site surveillance and monitoring. Subsequent to this, a few analyses on the design and development of the proposed robotic rover are also discussed. The ultimate aim is to come out with such rover that is portable, small in size and low cost, together with user-friendly functions and specifications for future potential applications.
Biogenic synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using inedible borassus flabellifer seed coat: characterization, antimicrobial, antioxidant activity and in vitro cytotoxicity analysis
Authors: Sandhya J , Kalaiselvam S
Published: December 2019

An environment friendly green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using the seed coat extract of B.flabellifer was investigated. The nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, UV–vis spectroscopy, FTIR, TGA, SEM and EDS. The x-ray diffraction spectrum showed the formation of crystalline inverse spinel magnetite nanoparticles with crystallite size of 35 nm and the UV–vis absorption recorded characteristic peak at 352 nm for iron oxide nanoparticles. The surface functionalization of the nanoparticles was confirmed from the various functional group peaks present in the FTIR spectrum and the thermal decomposition of the synthesized nanoparticles from TGA. The morphological study using SEM showed the formation of hexagonal shaped, well dispersed nanoparticles. The cytocompatibilty of the iron oxide nanoparticles was studied using MTT assay and haemolytic analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles against E. coli, S. aureus, B.subtilis, Shigella, A.niger and Candida albicans were measured and the nanoparticles showed significant activity against all the microorganisms which increased with increase in the nanoparticle concentration. The free radical scavenging activity of the nanoparticles against DPPH, Hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical was performed which showed efficient antioxidant activity.
BCdatabaser: on-the-fly reference database creation for (meta-)barcoding
Authors: Keller Alexander , Hohlfeld Sonja , Kolter Andreas , Schultz Jörg , Gemeinholzer Birgit , Ankenbrand Markus J
Published: December 2019

DNA barcoding and meta-barcoding have become irreplaceable in research and applications, where identification of taxa alone or within a mixture, respectively, becomes relevant. Pioneering studies were in the microbiological context, yet nowadays also plants and animals become targeted. Given the variety of markers used, formatting requirements for classifiers and constant growth of primary databases, there is a need for dedicated reference database creation. We developed a web and command-line interface to generate such on-the-fly for any applicable marker and taxonomic group with optional filtering, formatting and restriction specific for (meta-)barcoding purposes. Also, databases optionally receive a DOI, making them well-documented with meta-data, publicly sharable and citable.

Availability and implementation

source code: https://www.github.com/molbiodiv/bcdatabaser, webservice: https://bcdatabaser.molecular.eco, documentation: https://molbiodiv.github.io/bcdatabaser.
Neural inductive matrix completion with graph convolutional networks for miRNA-disease association prediction
Authors: Li Jin , Zhang Sai , Liu Tao , Ning Chenxi , Zhang Zhuoxuan , Zhou Wei
Published: December 2019

Motivation

Predicting the association between microRNAs (miRNAs) and diseases plays an import role in identifying human disease-related miRNAs. As identification of miRNA-disease associations via biological experiments is time-consuming and expensive, computational methods are currently used as effective complements to determine the potential associations between disease and miRNA.

Results

We present a novel method of neural inductive matrix completion with graph convolutional network (NIMCGCN) for predicting miRNA-disease association. NIMCGCN first uses graph convolutional networks to learn miRNA and disease latent feature representations from the miRNA and disease similarity networks. Then, learned features were input into a novel neural inductive matrix completion (NIMC) model to generate an association matrix completion. The parameters of NIMCGCN were learned based on the known miRNA-disease association data in a supervised end-to-end way. We compared the proposed method with other state-of-the-art methods. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve results showed that our method is significantly superior to existing methods. Furthermore, 50, 47 and 48 of the top 50 predicted miRNAs for three high-risk human diseases, namely, colon cancer, lymphoma and kidney cancer, were verified using experimental literature. Finally, 100% prediction accuracy was achieved when breast cancer was used as a case study to evaluate the ability of NIMCGCN for predicting a new disease without any known related miRNAs.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/ljatynu/NIMCGCN/

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Differential Expression Gene Explorer (DrEdGE): a tool for generating interactive online visualizations of gene expression datasets
Authors: Tintori Sophia C , Golden Patrick , Goldstein Bob
Published: December 2019

Differential Expression Gene Explorer (DrEdGE) is a web-based tool that guides genomicists through easily creating interactive online data visualizations, which colleagues can query according to their own conditions to discover genes, samples or patterns of interest. We demonstrate DrEdGE’s features with three example websites generated from publicly available datasets—human neuronal tissue, mouse embryonic tissue and Caenorhabditis elegans whole embryos. DrEdGE increases the utility of large genomics datasets by removing technical obstacles to independent exploration.

Availability and implementation

Freely available at http://dredge.bio.unc.edu.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Towards an integrative understanding of stamen–corolla tube modifications and floral architecture in Boraginaceae s.s. (Boraginales)
Authors: Jeiter Julius , Langecker Stella , Weigend Maximilian
Published: December 2019

Morphological studies rarely address floral organ modifications or their integration into floral architecture and floral function. Boraginaceae show two prominent types of stamen–corolla tube modifications: faucal and basal scales. Both types, especially faucal scales, are widely used in classification. Here, the ontogeny and morphology of faucal and basal scales are studied in 29 species from eight tribes and all three subfamilies of Boraginaceae s.s. (=Boraginoideae sensu APG IV) using scanning electron microscopy. Integration into floral architecture is visualized with micro-computed tomography (µCT). Faucal and basal scales are present in 18 and 27 species, respectively. Both types of scales develop late in flower ontogeny, but with variable timing. Faucal scales are morphologically far more variable than basal scales. Faucal scales are located close to the anthers and sometimes are involved in anther cone formation. Basal scales cover either the gynoecial disc nectary or the entire ovary. The different scale morphologies identified here enclose complex internal spaces, but they show no obvious phylogenetic patterns. This probably indicates strong functional constraints and adaptive pressures. This is a first in-depth study of the morphology and development of stamen–corolla tube modifications in Boraginaceae s.s., demonstrating that in situ three-dimensional visualization of floral architecture with µCT provides unprecedented insights into the evolution and functional integration of stamen–corolla tube modifications in Boraginales.
Redeployment or robocalypse? Workers and automation in Ohio manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Waldman-Brown Anna
Published: December 2019

A case study on small and medium metalworking firms in Ohio explores how US-based factory owners conceptualise automation and the impact that newly introduced technologies have on workers. The cost and risk of replacing entire production processes and the still-relevant capabilities of old equipment encourage the interviewed firms to complement rather than replace existing technologies and workers. An incremental, piecemeal strategy makes it less likely that companies will introduce more integrated automation systems that may presage fully-automated manufacturing.
Annotation and curation of the causality information in LncRNADisease
Authors: Jia Kaiwen , Gao Yuanxu , Shi Jiangcheng , Zhou Yuan , Zhou Yong , Cui Qinghua
Published: December 2019

Disease causative non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are of great importance in understanding a disease, for they directly contribute to the development or progress of a disease. Identifying the causative ncRNAs can provide vital implications for biomedical researches. In this work, we updated the long non-coding RNA disease database (LncRNADisease) with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) causality information with manual annotations of the causal associations between lncRNAs/circular RNAs (circRNAs) and diseases by reviewing related publications. Of the total 11 568 experimental associations, 2297 out of 10 564 lncRNA-disease associations and 198 out of 1004 circRNA-disease associations were identified to be causal, whereas 635 lncRNAs and 126 circRNAs were identified to be causative for the development or progress of at least one disease. The updated information and functions of the database can offer great help to future researches involving lncRNA/circRNA-disease relationship. The latest LncRNADisease database is available at http://www.rnanut.net/lncrnadisease.
Physiological monitoring of the complex multimorbid heart failure patient – diabetes and monitoring glucose control
Authors: Seferović Petar M , Jhund Pardeep S
Published: December 2019

Heart failure (HF) is a global epidemic, particularly affecting the elderly and/or frail patients often with comorbidities. Amongst the comorbidities, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is highly prevalent and associated with higher morbidity and mortality. We review the detection and treatment of T2DM in HF and the need to balance the risk of hypoglycaemia and overall glycaemic control. Despite large attributable risks, T2DM is often underdiagnosed in HF. Therefore there is a need for systematic monitoring (screening) for undetected T2DM in HF patients. Given that patients with HF are at greater risk for developing T2DM compared with the general population, an emphasis also has to be placed on regular reassessment of glycaemic status during follow-up. Therefore, glucose-lowering therapies (e.g. sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors) with a known benefit for the prevention or delay of HF hospitalization could be considered early in the course of T2DM, to optimise treatment and reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk. Although intensive glycaemic control has been shown to effectively reduce the risk of microvascular complications in T2DM, these same trials have shown either no reduction in CV outcomes, or even an increase in mortality with tight glycaemic control (i.e. targeting HbA1c levels <7.0%). More lenient glycaemic targets (e.g. HbA1c levels 7.0-8.0%) may be more appropriate for HF patients with T2DM. The 2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of HF proposed metformin as the first-line therapy, given its long-standing use and low risk of hypoglycaemia. More recently, several novel glucose lowering-medications have been introduced, including dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), and SGLT-2 inhibitors. The most consistent reduction in the risk of HF hospitalisation has been shown with the three SGLT-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin) which now offer improved outcomes in patients with both HF and T2DM.
Self-consistent stick-slip recurrent behaviour of elastoplastic faults in intraplate environment: a Lagrangian solid mechanics approach
Authors: So Byung-Dal , Capitanio Fabio A
Published: December 2019

Our understanding of the seismicity of continental interiors, far from plate margins, relies on the ability to account for behaviours across a broad range of time and spatial scales. Deformation rates around seismic faults range from the slip-on-fault during earthquakes to the long-term viscous deformation of surrounding lithosphere, thereby presenting a challenge to modelling techniques. The aim of this study was to test a new method to simulate seismic faults using a continuum approach, reconciling the deformation of viscoelastoplastic lithospheres over geological timescales. A von Mises yield criterion is adopted as a proxy for the frictional shear strength of a fault. In the elastoplastic fault models a rapid change in strength occurs after plastic yielding, to achieve stress–strain equilibrium, when the coseismic slip and slip velocity from the strain-rate response and size of the fault are calculated. The cumulative step-function shape of the slip and temporally partitioned slip velocity of the fault demonstrated self-consistent discrete fault motion. The implementation of elastoplastic faults successfully reproduced the conceptual models of seismic recurrence, that is strictly periodic and time- and slip-predictable. Elastoplastic faults that include a slip velocity strengthening and weakening with reduction of the time-step size during the slip stage generated yield patterns of coseismic stress changes in surrounding areas, which were similar to those calculated from actual earthquakes. A test of fault interaction captured the migration of stress between two faults under different spatial arrangements, reproducing realistic behaviours across time and spatial scales of faults in continental interiors.
Tranexamic acid and convulsive seizures after isolated coronary artery bypass surgery: the role of cardiopulmonary bypass and renal function
Authors: Hulde Nikolai , Zittermann Armin , Deutsch Marcus-Andre , von Dossow Vera , Gummert Jan F , Koster Andreas
Published: December 2019

In cardiac surgical patients, tranexamic acid (TXA) has been associated with an increased risk of convulsive seizure (CS). We aimed to investigate whether in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) impacts the risk of CS. We studied 4198 propensity score matched patients. Patients who underwent CABG surgery without CPB, received a single bolus of 1 g TXA. Patients who underwent CABG with CPB, additionally received a TXA dose of 0.5 g in the CPB prime and an infusion of 0.2 g/h until the end of CPB. The risk of CS in the CPB group and the group without CPB was 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively (risk ratio 1.08, 95% confidence interval 0.51–2.30; P > 0.99). Kidney function was significantly associated with the risk of CS (P = 0.005), the latter being highest in patients with glomerular filtration rates <30 ml/min/1.73 m2 (2.2%) and lowest in those patients with values >60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (0.4%). Our data in patients undergoing isolated CABG indicate no significant effect on CS risk by use of CPB when TXA doses of up to ∼2 g are given. However, caution regarding TXA administration is necessary in patients with renal impairment.