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Fulltext New COVID-19 variant (B.1.1.7): Forecasting the occasion of virus and the related meteorological factors

Rendana M, Idris WMR

J Infect Public Health, 2021 Oct;14(10):1320-1327.
PMID: 34175236 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.05.019

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization has reported fifty countries have now detected the new coronavirus (B.1.1.7 variant) since a couple of months ago. In Indonesia, the B.1.1.7 cases have been found in several provinces since January 2021, although they are still in a lower number than the old variant of COVID-19. Therefore, this study aims to create a forecast analysis regarding the occasions of COVID-19 and B.1.1.7 cases based on data from the 1st January to 18th March 2021, and also analyze the association between meteorological factors with B.1.1.7 incidences in three different provinces of Indonesia such as the West Java, South Sumatra and East Kalimantan.
METHODS: We used the Autoregressive Moving Average Models (ARIMA) to forecast the number of cases in the upcoming 14 days and the Spearman correlation analysis to analyze the relationship between B.1.1.7 cases and meteorological variables such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, sunshine, and wind speed.
RESULTS: The results of the study showed the fitted ARIMA models forecasted there was an increase in the daily cases in three provinces. The total cases in three provinces would increase by 36% (West Java), 13.5% (South Sumatra), and 30% (East Kalimantan) as compared with actual cases until the end of 14 days later. The temperature, rainfall and sunshine factors were the main contributors for B.1.1.7 cases with each correlation coefficients; r = -0.230; p < 0.05, r = 0.211; p < 0.05 and r = -0.418; p < 0.01, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: We recapitulated that this investigation was the first preliminary study to analyze a short-term forecast regarding COVID-19 and B.1.1.7 cases as well as to determine the associated meteorological factors that become primary contributors to the virus spread.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia/epidemiology
Fulltext Polystyrene Microplastics Exposure: An Insight into Multiple Organ Histological Alterations, Oxidative Stress and Neurotoxicity in Javanese Medaka Fish (Oryzias javanicus Bleeker, 1854)

Usman S, Abdull Razis AF, Shaari K, Amal MNA, Saad MZ, Mat Isa N, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 09 07;18(18).
PMID: 34574375 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189449

Microplastics (MPs) have become pollutants of concern due to their unknown human health effect and negative impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. There is increasing number of experimental research on MPs globally with its effects not fully understood; recent animal studies explore its effects on the intestines, yet on other vital organs. Javanese medaka fish was exposed to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) beads for a period of 21 days. Histological alterations, intestinal oxidative stress, permeability and neurotoxicity were evaluated. Significant inflammatory changes and tissue damage were observed in the intestine, liver and kidney. Intestinal oxidative stress and permeability were found to be significantly increased. In the brain, neurotoxicity characterised by a significant induction of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme were elucidated. This study provided an insight into the multiple organ effect of microplastics exposure, necessitating further exploration and identification of biomarkers to be utilised for biomonitoring population at risk in the future.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Atmospheric PCDDs/PCDFs levels and occurrences in Southeast Asia: A review

Zain SMSM, Latif MT, Baharudin NH, Anual ZF, Mohd Hanif N, Khan MF

Sci Total Environ, 2021 Aug 20;783:146929.
PMID: 34088111 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146929

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are toxic compounds derived from anthropogenic sources that stay in the environment for long periods. Ambient air has become the most important pathway for the transfer of PCDDs/PCDFs from emission sources to the environment. This review intends to summarise the information available on atmospheric PCDDs/PCDFs in the countries of Southeast Asia to provide a detailed description of the trends in PCDDs/PCDFs emissions, key sources, and levels in urban, rural, and industrial air as reported in peer-reviewed literature since 2000 and by the United Nations Environment Programme. As the largest country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the major PCDDs/PCDFs emitter, accounting for 72.81% of the total release of PCDDs/PCDFs in the air from all available inventories in this region, while Brunei Darussalam is the lowest emitter, contributing to less than 0.02%. Open burning processes have become the largest source of ambient PCDDs/PCDFs in the region (69.62%), followed by waste incineration (10.69%), and ferrous and non-ferrous metal production (8.78%). PCDDs/PCDFs levels in rural areas ranged between 10 and 38 fg TEQ m-3; however, where open burning waste has occurred, the levels rose to 12-29 times higher. In urban areas, ambient levels were 15 times greater than in rural areas, varying from 23 to 565 fg TEQ m-3. Atmospheric concentrations near industrial palm oil and waste incinerator sites were between 64 and 1530 fg TEQ m-3. The non-cancer risk of ambient exposure to PCDDs/PCDFs through inhalation is low among populations near facilities emitting PCDDs/PCDFs. The lack of local technical capacity, the high economic costs, and the lack of established human resource capacities have been the major challenges in conducting ambient PCDDs/PCDFs studies in most countries in the region.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Coastal meteorology on the dispersion of air particles at the Bachok GAW Station

Rahim HA, Khan MF, Ibrahim ZF, Shoaib A, Suradi H, Mohyeddin N, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2021 Aug 15;782:146783.
PMID: 33838363 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146783

Meteorology over coastal region is a driving factor to the concentration of air particles and reactive gases. This study aims to conduct a research to determine the level of year-round air particles and the interaction of the meteorological driving factors with the particle number and mass in 2018, which is moderately influenced by Southeast Asian haze. We obtained the measurement data for particle number count (PNC), mass, reactive gases, and meteorological factors from a Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) station located at Bachok Marine Research Center, Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia. For various timeseries and correlation analyses, a 60-second resolution of the data has been averaged hourly and daily and visualized further. Our results showed the slight difference in particle behavior that is either measured by unit mass or number count at the study area. Diurnal variations showed that particles were generally high during morning and night periods. Spike was observed in August for PM2.5/PNC2.5 and PM10/PNC10 and in November for PMCoarse/PNCCoarse. From a polar plot, the particles came from two distinct sources (e.g., seaside and roadside) at the local scale. Regional wind vector shows two distinct wind-blown directions from northeast and southwest. The air mases were transported from northeast (e.g., Philippines, mainland China, and Taiwan) or southwest (e.g., Sumatra) region. Correlation analysis shows that relative humidity, wind direction, and pressure influence the increase in particles, whereas negative correlation with temperature is observed, and wind speed may have a potential role on the decline of particle concentration. The particles at the study area was highly influenced by the changes in regional wind direction and speed.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Mining of Opinions on COVID-19 Large-Scale Social Restrictions in Indonesia: Public Sentiment and Emotion Analysis on Online Media

Tri Sakti AM, Mohamad E, Azlan AA

J Med Internet Res, 2021 08 09;23(8):e28249.
PMID: 34280116 DOI: 10.2196/28249

BACKGROUND: One of the successful measures to curb COVID-19 spread in large populations is the implementation of a movement restriction order. Globally, it was observed that countries implementing strict movement control were more successful in controlling the spread of the virus as compared with those with less stringent measures. Society's adherence to the movement control order has helped expedite the process to flatten the pandemic curve as seen in countries such as China and Malaysia. At the same time, there are countries facing challenges with society's nonconformity toward movement restriction orders due to various claims such as human rights violations as well as sociocultural and economic issues. In Indonesia, society's adherence to its large-scale social restrictions (LSSRs) order is also a challenge to achieve. Indonesia is regarded as among the worst in Southeast Asian countries in terms of managing the spread of COVID-19. It is proven by the increased number of daily confirmed cases and the total number of deaths, which was more than 6.21% (1351/21,745) of total active cases as of May 2020.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore public sentiments and emotions toward the LSSR and identify issues, fear, and reluctance to observe this restriction among the Indonesian public.
METHODS: This study adopts a sentiment analysis method with a supervised machine learning approach on COVID-19-related posts on selected media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube). The analysis was also performed on COVID-19-related news contained in more than 500 online news platforms recognized by the Indonesian Press Council. Social media posts and news originating from Indonesian online media between March 31 and May 31, 2020, were analyzed. Emotion analysis on Twitter platform was also performed to identify collective public emotions toward the LSSR.
RESULTS: The study found that positive sentiment surpasses other sentiment categories by 51.84% (n=1,002,947) of the total data (N=1,934,596) collected via the search engine. Negative sentiment was recorded at 35.51% (686,892/1,934,596) and neutral sentiment at 12.65% (244,757/1,934,596). The analysis of Twitter posts also showed that the majority of public have the emotion of "trust" toward the LSSR.
CONCLUSIONS: Public sentiment toward the LSSR appeared to be positive despite doubts on government consistency in executing the LSSR. The emotion analysis also concluded that the majority of people believe in LSSR as the best method to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. Overall, Indonesians showed trust and expressed hope toward the government's ability to manage this current global health crisis and win against COVID-19.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Antibiotic Use among the Population of Boyolali, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Karuniawati H, Hassali MAA, Suryawati S, Ismail WI, Taufik T, Hossain MS

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Aug 04;18(16).
PMID: 34444015 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168258

Misuse and overuse of antibiotics are potential causes of the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance (ABR). Having information about the knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning antibiotics use by the public might help control ABR growth. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the levels and associated factors of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of antibiotics use among the public. A questionnaire was designed and validated, which consisted of a total of 51 questions with four sections: demographics (6), knowledge (20), attitude (12), and practice (13) to measure KAP. Univariate analysis (using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis analysis) was applied to assess the differences in the mean scores of KAP. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with KAP. Finally, using Spearman analysis we have examined the correlation between responses to the KAP. The sample size of this study was 575, with a 99.96% response rate. Regarding knowledge, 73.12% of respondents stated that antibiotics could be used to treat viral infections, and 63.35% of respondents answered that antibiotics could reduce fever. Concerning attitude, 50% of respondents had considered stopping taking antibiotics as soon as symptoms had disappeared. In analyzing practice, we found 40% of respondents obtained antibiotics from a pharmacy without a prescription from a physician, a nurse, or a midwife. Statistical analysis revealed that KAP about antibiotic use was significantly associated with gender, area of residence, level of education, and monthly income (p < 0.05). Our findings concluded that men, respondents with low income, those with low-level education, and those living in rural areas are more prone to excessive use of antibiotics without knowing the adverse effects of improper use and how it can contribute to high ABR. So it is urgently necessary to strengthen policies on antibiotics use, including drug provision, distribution, and sales. In addition, people with low KAP should be a priority consideration in education outreach initiatives.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Microplastic contamination in the Skipjack Tuna (Euthynnus affinis) collected from Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia

Andreas, Hadibarata T, Sathishkumar P, Prasetia H, Hikmat, Pusfitasari ED, et al.

Chemosphere, 2021 Aug;276:130185.
PMID: 33743420 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130185

Indonesia is the second-largest contributor of microplastics (MPs) pollution in the marine ecosystem. Most MPs pollution-related studies in Indonesia focus on seawater, sediment, with less information found on the commercially important fish species used for human consumption. Skipjack Tuna (Euthynnus affinis) is one of the major exporting fishery commodities from Indonesia. This exploratory study aimed to determine MPs presence in the digestive tract of Skipjack Tuna from the Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia. The fish samples were collected from five different fish traditional auction market along the Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia, namely Pangandaran, Pamayang Sari, Ciletuh, Santolo, and Palabuhan Ratu. The gastrointestinal tract of Skipjack tuna was pretreated using alkaline destruction and filtered. The presence of MPs in the treated samples was visually identified using an optical microscope, while Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) contaminants were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 19 suspected MPs particles were found in the form of filament (84%), angular (11%), and round (5%). This result would provide a better indication of the MPs contamination in marine life species in the Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia, as useful information for marine environmental monitoring program in the future.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Genome of a middle Holocene hunter-gatherer from Wallacea

Carlhoff S, Duli A, Nägele K, Nur M, Skov L, Sumantri I, et al.

Nature, 2021 Aug;596(7873):543-547.
PMID: 34433944 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03823-6

Much remains unknown about the population history of early modern humans in southeast Asia, where the archaeological record is sparse and the tropical climate is inimical to the preservation of ancient human DNA1. So far, only two low-coverage pre-Neolithic human genomes have been sequenced from this region. Both are from mainland Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherer sites: Pha Faen in Laos, dated to 7939-7751 calibrated years before present (yr cal BP; present taken as AD 1950), and Gua Cha in Malaysia (4.4-4.2 kyr cal BP)1. Here we report, to our knowledge, the first ancient human genome from Wallacea, the oceanic island zone between the Sunda Shelf (comprising mainland southeast Asia and the continental islands of western Indonesia) and Pleistocene Sahul (Australia-New Guinea). We extracted DNA from the petrous bone of a young female hunter-gatherer buried 7.3-7.2 kyr cal BP at the limestone cave of Leang Panninge2 in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Genetic analyses show that this pre-Neolithic forager, who is associated with the 'Toalean' technocomplex3,4, shares most genetic drift and morphological similarities with present-day Papuan and Indigenous Australian groups, yet represents a previously unknown divergent human lineage that branched off around the time of the split between these populations approximately 37,000 years ago5. We also describe Denisovan and deep Asian-related ancestries in the Leang Panninge genome, and infer their large-scale displacement from the region today.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia/ethnology
Fulltext Geographical separation and ethnic origin influence the human gut microbial composition: a meta-analysis from a Malaysian perspective

Dwiyanto J, Ayub Q, Lee SM, Foo SC, Chong CW, Rahman S

Microb Genom, 2021 Aug;7(8).
PMID: 34463609 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000619

Ethnicity is consistently reported as a strong determinant of human gut microbiota. However, the bulk of these studies are from Western countries, where microbiota variations are mainly driven by relatively recent migration events. Malaysia is a multicultural society, but differences in gut microbiota persist across ethnicities. We hypothesized that migrant ethnic groups continue to share fundamental gut traits with the population in the country of origin due to shared cultural practices despite subsequent geographical separation. To test this hypothesis, the 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 16 studies comprising three major ethnic groups in Malaysia were analysed, covering 636 Chinese, 248 Indian and 123 Malay individuals from four countries (China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia). A confounder-adjusted permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) detected a significant association between ethnicity and the gut microbiota (PERMANOVA R2=0.005, pseudo-F=2.643, P=0.001). A sparse partial least squares - discriminant analysis model trained using the gut microbiota of individuals from China, India and Indonesia (representation of Chinese, Indian and Malay ethnic group, respectively) showed a better-than-random performance in classifying Malaysian of Chinese descent, although the performance for Indian and Malay were modest (true prediction rate, Chinese=0.60, Indian=0.49, Malay=0.44). Separately, differential abundance analysis singled out Ligilactobacillus as being elevated in Indians. We postulate that despite the strong influence of geographical factors on the gut microbiota, cultural similarity due to a shared ethnic origin drives the presence of a shared gut microbiota composition. The interplay of these factors will likely depend on the circumstances of particular groups of migrants.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Improving the phylogenetic resolution of Malaysian and Javan mahseer (Cyprinidae), Tor tambroides and Tor tambra: Whole mitogenomes sequencing, phylogeny and potential mitogenome markers

Lim LWK, Chung HH, Lau MML, Aziz F, Gan HM

Gene, 2021 Jul 30;791:145708.
PMID: 33984441 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145708

The true mahseer (Tor spp.) is one of the highest valued fish in the world due to its high nutritional value and great unique taste. Nevertheless, its morphological characterization and single mitochondrial gene phylogeny in the past had yet to resolve the ambiguity in its taxonomical classification. In this study, we sequenced and assembled 11 complete mahseer mitogenomes collected from Java of Indonesia, Pahang and Terengganu of Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sarawak of East Malaysia. The mitogenome evolutionary relationships among closely related Tor spp. samples were investigated based on maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree construction. Compared to the commonly used COX1 gene fragment, the complete COX1, Cytb, ND2, ND4 and ND5 genes appear to be better phylogenetic markers for genetic differentiation at the population level. In addition, a total of six population-specific mitolineage haplotypes were identified among the mahseer samples analyzed, which this offers hints towards its taxonomical landscape.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Estimating induced land use change emissions for sustainable aviation biofuel pathways

Zhao X, Taheripour F, Malina R, Staples MD, Tyner WE

Sci Total Environ, 2021 Jul 20;779:146238.
PMID: 33744564 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146238

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are expected to play an essential role in achieving the aviation industries' goal of carbon-neutral growth. However, producing biomass-based SAFs may induce changes in global land use and the associated carbon stock. The induced land use change (ILUC) emissions, as a part of the full life-cycle emissions for SAF pathways, will affect whether and to what extent SAFs reduce emissions compared with petroleum-based jet fuels. Here, we estimate the ILUC emission intensity for seventeen SAF pathways considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), covering five ASTM-certified technologies, nine biomass-based feedstocks, and four geographical regions. We introduce the SAF pathways into a well-established computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, GTAP-BIO, and its coupled emission accounting model, AEZ-EF, to study economy-wide implications of SAF production and estimate ILUC emissions intensity for each pathway. The estimated SAF ILUC emission intensities, using a 25-year amortization period, range from -58.5 g CO2e MJ-1 for the USA miscanthus alcohol (isobutanol)-to-jet (ATJ) pathway to 34.6 g CO2e MJ-1 for the Malaysia & Indonesia palm oil Hydrotreated Esters of Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathway. Notably, the vegetable oil pathways tend to have higher ILUC emission intensities due to their linkage to palm expansion and peatland oxidation in Southeast Asia. The cellulosic pathways studied provide negative ILUC emissions, mainly driven by the high carbon sequestrations in crop biomass and soil. Using the core life-cycle emissions established by ICAO, we show that fifteen of the assessed pathways have a lower full life-cycle emission intensity than petroleum-based jet fuels (89 g CO2e MJ-1), offering promising options to reduce aviation emissions.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight Status of University Students during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-National Comparative Study

Tan ST, Tan CX, Tan SS

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 07 03;18(13).
PMID: 34281062 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18137125

The temporary closure of learning institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reduced the physical activity of students across all ages. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of physical inactivity and the patterns of physical activity among university students in confinement. This cross-sectional study involved 147 Malaysian students and 107 Indonesian students. Body weight before the pandemic and during the pandemic was self-reported by the respondents, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess the physical activity and sedentary behavior of the respondents. The findings revealed that 79.6% of Malaysians and 77.6% of Indonesians were physically active during the confinement. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the duration devoted to vigorous-intensity activity (MMalaysian = 0.00 MET minutes/week and MIndonesian = 480.00 MET minutes/week) and moderate-intensity activity (MMalaysian = 0.00 MET minutes/week and MIndonesian = 0.00 MET minutes/week) among the studied population. During the pandemic, Malaysian students (M = 1386.00 MET minutes/week) devoted a significantly higher duration to walking (M = 1386.00 MET minutes/week) and sedentary behavior (9.16 ± 4.47 h/day) than Indonesian students (M = 990.00 MET minutes/week and sedentary behavior = 7.85 ± 4.27 h/day). Overall, no significant difference was noted in the total physical activity of Malaysian and Indonesian students during the pandemic (MMalaysian = 2826.00 MET minutes/week and MIndonesian = 1782.00 MET minutes/week). Findings from Spearman's rank correlation test suggested that there was a weak inverse correlation between the duration engaged in vigorous-intensity activity and weight change among the Malaysian students (rs = -0.199, p = 0.016), after adjusting for gender and age. Overall, the closure of learning institutions and exercise facilities has further prevented individuals from complying with the WHO recommendation of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the period of home confinement.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Severity of anxiety disorder and other factors associated with disease severity among COVID-19 patients in a hospital, Bali, Indonesia

Suryana K K, Widiana RIG, Suharsono H, Pujasakti MP, Putra WWS, Yaniswari NMD

Med J Malaysia, 2021 07;76(4):461-465.
PMID: 34305105

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on human life including the tourism sector (TS). Bali as a tourism destinations and the TS as major incomes of its population is greatly impacted, causing many to be jobless among those involved in TS. This situation may give psychological impact causing anxiety disorder (AD).
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between severe anxiety disorder and other factors with COVID-19 disease severity.
METHODS: This was cross-sectional study during March - November 2020. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 was done by using RT-PCR from throat swabs, based on WHO's interim guidelines. AD was measured using self-reporting Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). All participants underwent, history taking, physical examinations, blood routine examination and chest radiography. Association between severe AD and other factors with COVID-19 disease severity were analyzed. Chi-square test (bivariate) and Logistic regression (multivariate) with the precision value of 95% was done and p-value less than 5% was considered significant.
RESULTS: Positive rate of Covid-19 patients was 43% (292 / 678). Among those 292 with Covid-19, 74 (25.3%) participants had severe disease. Multivariate analysis showed severe anxiety (OR 696.11; 95%CI: 78.54 to 6169.98; p<0.001), hypertension (OR 37.02; 95%CI: 4.49 to 305.39; p=0.001) and neutrophyl lymphocyte ratio (NLR) less than 2.89 (OR 0.15; 95%CI: 0.04 to 0.62; p=0.009).
CONCLUSION: Severe anxiety, hypertension and NLR less than 2.89 are potential independent risk factors for severe infection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia/epidemiology
Application of DEA-Based Malmquist Productivity Index on Health Care System Efficiency of ASEAN Countries

Singh S, Bala MM, Kumar N, Janor H

Int J Health Plann Manage, 2021 Jul;36(4):1236-1250.
PMID: 33855765 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3169

This study assesses and compares the productive efficiency of the national healthcare system of the ASEAN region which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam amidst rising mortality rate from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era. Nonparametric data envelopment analysis technique based on the Malmquist Productivity Index is performed and its components, total factor productivity change, technical change and technological change are compared across the region. Two different models are considered in assessing and comparing the technical efficiency of the national healthcare system across the region with life expectancy at birth and mortality rate from NCDs as parallel health care output for both the models. The mean value of total factor productivity is 0.983 and 0.974 which suggests that national healthcare system productivity efficiency decays by 1.7% for Model I and 2.6% for Model II, respectively. This suggests that the health care system inefficiencies across the ASEAN region have not made life expectancy to improve as much as it should be and curtailed the mortality rate from growing chronic NCDs within a decade. The region is likely to lag behind in achieving SDGs 3 target 4 on reducing by one-third premature mortality from chronic NCDs unless the health care system's technical efficiency is improved across the region. The finding suggests a microlevel study on each country to identify major sources of healthcare system inefficiency in a bid to ameliorate it.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext The Impact of the COVID-19 Self-Isolation Policy on the Occupations of Vulnerable Groups

Amirudin A, Urbański M, Saputra J, Johansyah MD, Latip L, Tarmizi A, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Jun 15;18(12).
PMID: 34203631 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126452

Today, the spread of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact on world public health and bring about considerable human suffering partly due to government policies on reducing the spread. COVID-19 has significantly affected human health and it has impacted on the occupation of vulnerable groups such as tour guides, drivers and shop assistants. Of these, the present study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 self-isolation policy on the occupation of vulnerable groups in Semarang City, Indonesia. To achieve this objective, this study uses a qualitative method with an ethnography approach considering a rational or non-rational thinking model. The binary opposition thinking pattern pioneered by Lévi-Strauss was used in the interview process with 25 informants in Semarang City, Indonesia. The data analyzed the response pattern of informants through the taxonomy analysis. Three levels of vulnerability among groups relating to occupation were identified; jobs lost, income decreased, and delayed salary. The result of the analysis found that the group who obeyed self-isolation was categorized as a rational thinking; these groups stay at home, do not go to work, and have no income. Besides that, the group who ignored self-isolation is categorized as non-rational thinking; they work, as usual, get their salary, and believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is a disaster and they pray for their safety to God. In conclusion, COVID-19 brings a significant impact on occupation in the forms of postponing, declining, and missing income besides the health effects among vulnerable groups in Semarang city, Indonesia. In avoiding COVID-19 infection, the circumstances of vulnerable groups are worse when self-isolation is required. Thus, this study suggests that the government needs to assist vulnerable groups by focusing on strategic policies, such as strategies for survival, providing access to basic needs, including health, and offering livelihood plans by providing access to medical services and other source of income.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Antibacterial activity of Citrus hystrix toward Salmonella spp. infection

Ulhaq ZS, Hendyatama TH, Hameed F, Santosaningsih D

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin (Engl Ed), 2021 6 6;39(6):283-286.
PMID: 34088449 DOI: 10.1016/j.eimce.2020.05.016

INTRODUCTION: Citrus hystrix is widely used by Indonesians as a traditional medicine for gastrointestinal diseases, including Salmonella spp. infection. We investigated the antibacterial activity of the ethanolic peel extract of C. hystrix against Salmonella typhimurium.
METHODS: The antibacterial activity was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract was determined at a concentration of 0.625% by agar dilution assay. Later, the in vivo antibacterial activity was examined by the administration of 16mg of the extract daily for three consecutive days in a mouse model infected with S. typhimurium.
RESULTS: The bacterial loads of S. typhimurium in the ileum, liver, and spleen decreased after 24h of administration of the extract (p=0.00008, p=0.00084, and p=0.00003, respectively).
CONCLUSION: The ethanolic peel extract of C. hystrix shows antibacterial activity against S. typhimurium, indicating the potential of C. hystrix as an effective treatment for Salmonella spp. infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Metagenomic datasets of air samples collected during episodes of severe smoke-haze in Malaysia

James GL, Latif MT, Isa MNM, Bakar MFA, Yusuf NYM, Broughton W, et al.

Data Brief, 2021 Jun;36:107124.
PMID: 34095374 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107124

Transboundary emissions of smoke-haze from land and forest fires have recurred annually during the dry period (June to October, over the past few decades) in South East Asia. Hazardous air quality has been recorded in Malaysia during these episodes. Agricultural practices such as slash-and-burn of biomass and peat fires particularly in Sumatera and Kalimantan, Indonesia, have been implicated as the major causes of the haze. Past findings have shown that a diversity of microbes can thrive in air including in smoke-haze polluted air. In this study, metagenomic data were generated to reveal the diversity of microorganisms in air during days with and without haze. Air samples were collected during non-haze (2013A01) and two haze (2013A04 and 2013A05) periods in the month of June 2013. DNA was extracted from the samples, subjected to Multiple Displacement Amplification and whole genome sequencing (Next Generation Sequencing) using the HiSeq 2000 Platform. Extensive bio-informatic analyses of the raw sequence data then followed. Raw reads from these six air samples were deposited in the NCBI SRA databases under Bioproject PRJNA662021 with accession numbers SRX9087478, SRX9087479 and SRX9087480.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Phylogenetic analysis of nucleoprotein gene of Rabies virus in Malaysia from 2015 to 2018

Leow BL, Khoo CK, Syamsiah Aini S, Roslina H, Faizah Hanim MS

Trop Biomed, 2021 Jun 01;38(2):72-78.
PMID: 33973576 DOI: 10.47665/tb.38.2.043

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease caused by rabies virus (RABV) and remains a public health problem in Malaysia. Malaysia was declared rabies-free in 2012, however rabies outbreaks occurred at few states in Peninsular Malaysia three years later; and for the first time, in Sarawak (East Malaysia) in 2017 which has caused more than 20 human deaths. This study describes the phylogenetic analysis of the complete nucleoprotein (N) gene of RABV from animal samples in Malaysia from year 2015 to 2018. The N gene of 17 RABVs from Perlis, Kedah and Sarawak were amplified and sequenced. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid similarities of N gene analysis indicated that there is high similarity among the local RABVs. Phylogenetic analysis of the N gene revealed that all Malaysia RABVs belonged to the Asian clade. Among these, RABVs from Peninsular Malaysia were clustered together with RABVs from Thailand, Vietnam and other Southeast Asia countries except Indonesia. However, RABVs from Sarawak were grouped together with Indonesian strains from Kalimantan. Our study provides baseline genetic information of the potential origins of the circulating RABVs in Malaysia. This crucial information helped the authority in policies making and strategies to be taken in outbreak control. Continuous surveillance program to monitor the disease trend, strict border control, vaccination of dog and cat population and public awareness are important steps to control the spread of the RABV.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Wallace's line, Wallacea, and associated divides and areas: history of a tortuous tangle of ideas and labels

Ali JR, Heaney LR

Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 2021 06;96(3):922-942.
PMID: 33502095 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12683

Due to its position between the highly distinct Oriental and Australasian biogeographical realms, much effort has been spent demarcating associated separations and transitions in the faunal assemblages of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Initially, sharp boundary lines were proposed, with the earliest dating from the mid-1800s. Notably, the one published by Alfred R. Wallace in 1863, based upon land-mammal and land-bird distributions, has since achieved iconic status and today its significance is recognized well beyond the confines of the biogeography community. Over the next four decades many such divides were engraved onto plates and inked onto charts of SE Asia using additional information, different organisms or other criteria. However, it became apparent that, as Wallace had noted, all such lines were to some degree permeable, and by the 1880s transition zones were being put forward instead; the label 'Wallacea' was introduced in 1924. Interestingly, the last decade has seen new divides and sub-regions being proposed, some departing markedly from earlier offerings. Although currently there is general agreement regarding much of the terminology associated with both the lines and the areas, the record of publication indicates that this consensus has emerged obliquely, and in some cases is weakly founded. This review does not present new data nor new analyses; rather it summarizes the development of ideas and reflects upon attendant issues that have emerged. After reviewing the key proposals, recommendations are presented that should in future alleviate perceived difficulties or inadequacies. Reference to specific divides must be true to their original definitions; there are many instances where the secondary literature has portrayed them incorrectly and with some this has rippled through into later publications. Moreover, Wallace's 1863 line is not the one that he finally settled upon (in 1910); its path around Sulawesi was transferred from the west to the east of the Island. Ideally, Huxley's divide (1868) should carry his name rather than Wallace's; the latter never accepted the proposition. Lydekker's Line (1896) ought to be labelled the Heilprin-Lydekker Line in recognition of Angelo Heilprin's 1887 contribution. Concerning transition zones, ideally Wallacea should correspond to its original 1924 description, which incorporated the Philippine islands bar the Palawan group. Notably, though, a smaller form (introduced by Darlington in 1957, used frequently from 1998 onwards) in which all of the Philippine islands are excluded is entrenched within the recent literature, but this is often without evident justification. It should also be recognized that the 'reduced' (=southern) Wallacea area was effectively defined by Heilprin in 1887, but was then labelled the 'Austro-Malaysian Transition Zone'. Finally, the application in recent years of modern analytical techniques has not led to a consensus view on where the lines/areas should run/be placed; with such a large, diverse set of organisms, each with differing histories, this is perhaps not surprising.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia
Fulltext Effect of large-scale social restriction (PSBB) during COVID-19 on outdoor air quality: Evidence from five cities in DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia

Anugerah AR, Muttaqin PS, Purnama DA

Environ Res, 2021 06;197:111164.
PMID: 33872645 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111164

The variation in the concentration of outdoor air pollutants during the COVID-19 lockdown was studied in Jakarta, Indonesia. The term lockdown was replaced by large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Indonesia by more flexible regulations to save the economy. Data on five air pollutants, namely, PM10, SO2, CO, O3, and NO2, from five monitoring stations located in five regions in Jakarta (West, East, Central, North, and South Jakarta) were utilized. We analyzed the changes in the concentrations of outdoor air pollutants before lockdown from January 1 to April 9, 2020, and during lockdown from April 10 to June 4, 2020. Overall, the CO concentration (39.9%) demonstrated the most significant reduction during lockdown, followed by NO2 (7.5%) and then SO2 (5.7%). However, we unexpectedly found that during lockdown, the PM10 concentration in Jakarta increased by 10.9% due to the southwest monsoon during the seasonal change in Jakarta. Among the five cities in Jakarta, East and Central Jakarta experienced the maximum improvement in their air quality, whereas North Jakarta had the least air quality improvement. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to study the effect of lockdown on outdoor air quality improvement in Indonesia using ground-level measurement data. The findings of the study provide additional strategies to the regulatory bodies for the reduction of temporal air pollutants in Jakarta, Indonesia, by restricting people mobility as a supplementary initiative.

Matched MeSH terms: Indonesia

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