Efficacy of Some Plant Extracts Against Stored-Product Pest Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Confusum (Jacquelin Du Val) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Adults

/in /by

The efficacy of five plant extracts, Lantana camara, Ruta chalepensis, Rhazya stricta, Heliotropium bacciferum and Marrubium vulgare against Tribolium confusum ware investigated by admixing plant extract with wheat grains. Mortality (%) increased with increasing concentrations, exposure periods and varying from plant to plant. L.camara and R. chalepensis induced the highest percent of mortalities (95.4 and 93.8%) at 500 ppm after 6 days of exposure respectively, for T. confusum, followed by Rh. Stricta, M. vulgare and H. baccifirum. (91.4, 84.5 and 83,3%) respectively. The lowest LC50s were for L. camara and R. chalepensis (114.61 and 117.78 ppm), after 6 days from exposure respectively, followed by Rh. Stricta, M. vulgare and H. bacciferum (175.48, 251.99 and 309.67 ppm respectively. The rate of repellency increased with increase of dose level.  L. camara had the lead in repellent action where repellent percentage was 100 % at 500 ppm followed by R. chalepensiswith, 91%. The repellency rates of other plant extracts were between 50.22 -66.54 at the same concentration which had a moderate repellent action. Statistical analysis showed that all plant extracts revealed significant deference except between H. bacciferum and M. vulgare. Among all the plant extracts L.camara and R. chalepensi were generally more toxic than other plant extracts against T. confusum.

Efficacy of Botanical Oils on Adult Mortality, Egg Laying, Hatchability and Adult Emergence of Callosobruchus. Maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchidae)

/in /by

The cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius, is the major insect pest that threatens effective legume storage. The laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the efficacy of four different botanical oils (Clove, Eucalyptus, Jojoba and Lemon) against the cowpea weevil, C. maculatus by using residual film technique. All the botanical oils were applied at two different concentration levels (0/50 and 0.75%). The results showed that all used oils significantly increased the mortality and reduced the mean number of eggs laying, hatchability and emergence percentages compared to the untreated control. The treatment of cowpea seeds with oils reduced slightly the germination but swelling percentage was higher in treated seeds than control. The results also indicated variation in the activity of botanical oils regarding the stage of the insect, the plant origin of the oils and concentration level. The present study suggested that botanical oils (Clove, Eucalyptus, Jojoba and Lemon) may be preferred option than conventional pesticides far the protecting stored pulse grains against stored products insect pests’ infestation, especially C. maculatus.

Development and Validation of a Viable and User-Friendly Spectrophotometric Analytical Method for Estimation of Assay of Formoterol and Beclomethasone in Metered Dose Inhaler Formulation

/in /by

The primary aim of this research endeavor is to innovate a viable and user-friendly UV spectroscopic approach for quantifying formoterol and beclomethasone within metered dose inhalers (MDIs). These formulations, amalgamating Beclomethasone Dipropionate (BDP) and Formoterol Fumarate (FF), are extensively employed in managing bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Although analytical techniques already exist for assessing formoterol and beclomethasone in combination dry powder inhalers, this study concentrates on devising and validating a UV spectrophotometric method for simultaneously quantifying formoterol fumarate and Anhydrous Beclomethasone Dipropionate in Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs).

The estimation is performed at a wavelength of 240 nm for Beclomethasone Dipropionate and 216 nm for Formoterol Fumarate. Both drugs demonstrate satisfactory linearity within the concentration range of 10-30 μg/ml for BDP and 0.3 to 0.9 μg/ml for FF at wavelengths of 240 nm (r^2=0.999) and 216 nm (r^2=0.999), respectively. The Beer-Lambert law is adhered to within the concentration range of 10-30 μg/ml for BDP and 0.3-0.9 μg/ml for FF.

The proposed methods are subjected to validation following ICH guidelines to assess accuracy, method precision, specificity, among other parameters. As a result, the proposed method can be effectively employed for the simultaneous determination of Beclomethasone Dipropionate and Formoterol Fumarate in routine analytical applications, offering a rapid and reliable solution for pharmaceutical analysis in the field.

Effects of Fresh Azolla microphylla Supplementation on Pelleted Basal Diet to Local Muscovy Duck Breed Production Performances

/in /by

The study was aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding fresh Azolla microphylla on pelleted basal feed on the Local muscovy duck breed  production performances. The research was done for 2 months August to September 2023, in the Muscovy duck farm, Paguyuban Petani Mandiri Kademangan, (PPMK), Blitar Regency, and feed analysis was done in the Nutrition and Animal Feed Laboratory, Faculty of Animal Science, Muhammadiyah Malang University. The research method used is experiment using a completely randomized design consisting of 3 treatments and 5 replications, each experimental unit used 4 ducks, reared and plotted randomly in the litter cage. The research variables observed were: day old duck weight, final weight, feed intake, FCR and performance index. The results of the study of the effect of supplementation 10% of fresh Azolla microphylla on the best performance index of Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), can be apply for duck feed.

Enhancing Network Security through Advanced Authentication and Key Management Mechanisms

/in /by

This paper introduces the SEAKS-PKMv2 protocol, a robust security mechanism aimed at addressing vulnerabilities within the PKMv2 framework, particularly focusing on mutual authentication, key management, and encryption in mobile WiMAX networks. By integrating RSA-based and EAP-based authentication methods, SEAKS-PKMv2 establishes a secure environment that mitigates risks such as replay, man-in-the-middle and interleaving attacks. The protocol adopts a distributed authentication and localized key management approach, facilitating efficient and secure network access and data transmission. Through simulation, we evaluate the SEAKS-PKMv2 protocol’s performance in terms of packet delivery ratio, overhead, processing time, and resilience against rogue relay station attacks. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in network security and efficiency, confirming the effectiveness of SEAKS-PKMv2 in enhancing the integrity and confidentiality of communications in distributed network settings.

The Effect of Capital Structure on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) Performance of Companies Listed in the Plastics Industry

/in /by

The relationship between capital structure and company performance was examined in this study. From 2019 to 2023, information was gathered from 29 plastic firms that were listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE). Each company’s performance was gauged using three variables: ROA, ROE, and EPS. The major components of capital structure are the ratios of total debt to total assets (DA), total debt to equity (DE), short-term debt to total assets (SDTA), and long-term debt to total assets (LDTA). In addition, the model incorporates growth rate (GROWTH) and company size (SIZE) as control variables. Consequently, every performance characteristic of the company is negatively impacted by the majority of the capital structure variables. Notably, this study not only demonstrates the weak association between SDTA and SDTA but also the negative correlation between ROE and capital structure, which was considered minor in many earlier studies. Furthermore, prior research had not consistently shown ROE. Additionally, the study’s findings indicate that size and company performance are positively correlated and have no effect on growth pace.

Application of MLR Method and Pearson Correlation on Nickel Extraction from Laterite Using Nitric Acid

/in /by

Indonesia is a country rich in laterite mining especially in Celebes island and northern Moluccas.  Laterite is a mineral rich with precious nickel. Nitric acid leaching has been used for nickel extraction from laterite under the influence of nitric acid concentration (2.0 M, 4.0 M, and 6.0 M) and leaching temperature (65oC, 70oC, and 75oC) during 60 min. at 300 rpm.  The preliminary study aims to apply multiple linear regression (MLR) method to examine the dominant effect between acid concentration and leaching temperature on nickel extraction, and also Pearson correlation to study  significant correlation between the variables involved (acid concentration, leaching temperature, and nickel concentration). The method and results is related to  acid leaching at varied temperature  set up as predictors and  nickel concentration as dependent variable in the MLR equation using the enter method. The MLR method showed that acid concentration gave significant effect on nickel concentration, however, the leaching temperature showed no significant effect on nickel extraction at t ≤ 0.05. The Pearson correlation showed acid concentration correlated significantly with nickel concentration. The Kolmogrov-Smirnov (K-S) test showed normality for distribution of nickel concentration. The acid leaching method is potential for nickel extraction from laterite using extensive range of acid concentrations and leaching temperatures to improve nickel extraction.

Strategies to Improve the Sales Performance of Car Loan Products in Bank Shinhan Indonesia

/in /by

In internal Bank Shinhan, My Car Loan is one of their top consumer products.  However, when compared to other car financing competitors, Bank Shinhan was far behind in terms of sales performance.  Hyundai Motors Indonesia has four official financial partners to support its car purchasing, namely: Maybank Finance, Mandiri Tunas Finance, Sunindo KB Finance, and Bank Shinhan. The company is the only bank-based financial partner, while the three others were multi-finance companies that specialized in car financing.  Moreover, two of them, Mandiri Tunas Finance and Maybank were already well-known players in the car financing industry. Meanwhile, Bank Shinhan is a new player with low brand awareness among the public. In this research, the data collection methods were interviews and questionnaires. As for the research method, for the questionnaire data, the author used the NPS (Net Promoter Score) method and reliability test. As for the interview data, the author used the TA (thematic analysis) method. With this research, the author aimed to get insights to propose new strategies.

The Efforts of Arab and Muslim Scientists in Pharmacy, Practically and Theoretically – Treating Poisons as an Example

/in /by

Pharmacy is considered a science and a profession in all human civilizations. Toxic substances are considered health problems that many people face and require prevention and treatment. Arabs and Muslims, in general, have shown interest in pharmacy, and specifically in toxins, both practically and theoretically. This is the focus of this research, which aims to introduce the science of pharmacy, highlight the efforts of Arabs and Muslims in it, especially in combating toxins through prevention, treatment, classification, and definition. The research also aims to introduce some of the works they have written in this field and assess their usefulness, using a descriptive-analytical approach and a historical approach to trace the significant contributions of Arabs and Muslims in pharmacy and toxins over time. The research, with reference to specialized sources in each field, concludes with several key findings, including the significant contribution of Islamic civilization to pharmacy and toxins, benefiting many other nations from these efforts.

Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy to Increase Brand Equity of BPJS Kesehatan

/in /by

BPJS Kesehatan, the implementing body of the JKN Programme, is confronted with the challenge of maintaining program sustainability due to a significant number of inactive participants in the PBPU segment, a situation primarily attributed to the organization’s low brand equity. The primary research objective of this study is to To develop integrated marketing communication strategy to increase BPJS Kesehatan brand equity. The methodelogy used is qualitative and quantitative research. Despite possessing commendable competitive advantages and offering the most affordable healthcare options, BPJS Kesehatan’s struggle stems from deficiencies in marketing communication. Internally, the organization recognizes its potential to build brand equity but acknowledges a gap in marketing communication effectiveness and message coherence. Externally, the PBPU segment exhibits low brand equity, notably in terms of loyalty and awareness towards the JKN program. The identified target demographic for BPJS Kesehatan within the PBPU segment includes individuals aged 18-35, residing in urban and densely populated areas, with an upper-class socioeconomic status. While these individuals generally express trust in BPJS Kesehatan, they lack awareness of the program details. To address these challenges, a recommended strategy involves implementing an Integrated Marketing Communication approach with a specific theme: “ease of health insurance, which is reliable.” Key messages emphasizing affordability, accessibility, quality, value, convenience, technology, and social impact should be conveyed. Utilizing diverse marketing channels such as television, online video, social media campaigns, mobile app optimization, and events can enhance communication effectiveness. Additionally, BPJS Kesehatan should consider developing supplementary benefits to augment services and increase participant loyalty. It is also crucial to empower employees to serve as effective communicators, enhancing their assertive communication skills to bolster the organization’s overall communication strategy.