ECONOMIC VALUATION OF MANGROVE FOREST IN TONGAS DISTRICT, PROBOLINGGO REGENCY, EAST JAVA

It is a literature review study and was undertaken from 1 December to 15 December 2021. This research aims to identifying the economic value of mangrove forest in Tongas District, Problonggo Regency, East Java. The object being researched was the mangrove forest in Tongas District. The study conducted by objectifying mangrove wood as furniture and other materials, while the mangrove ecosystem is a place to maintain the hydrological cycle and quality, as well as a tourist attraction. The economic valuation will be given from the prices in the marketplaces including the online one. The result of this research showed that the yearly benefits of the ecosystem of mangrove area at Tongas District can be grouped into: (1) direct benefit of IDR 6.638.421; (2) indirect benefits of IDR 3.651.710.094.700; and (3) optional benefits of IDR 325.000. With the total value is IDR. 3.651.717.058.121 per year. With indirect values occupy the highest. So, it can be said, if the role of Mangrove forests as environmental providers is very high. It indicates if there is high need to protect the forest.

Enhancing Agricultural Product Supply Chain Management Using Blockchain Technology: Concept

In traditional agricultural supply chain management, due to involvement of many stakeholders in the entire procedure ranging from farmers, retailers to final vendors, it is merely the producer of the agricultural products i.e., farmers get its direct benefit. The middle stakeholders are always more beneficial than farmers and hence, the conditions of farmers are always the same though they sometimes get good earning and it is becoming a very serious concern in India. The major reason behind it, the transparency and traceability of the entire supply chain of this agricultural products journey from farm to vendor shop. In addition, consumers are becoming more conscious of where their food and food products come from. Block chains have distributed ledger technology (DLT) which has potential to provide transparency and trust for agricultural product supply chains at its different stages and even useful for improving its efficiency. This can boost confidence of all stakeholders who are involved in this farming supply chain. This research paper proposes the same concept in its subsequent sections.

An ethical analysis of vaccinating children against COVID-19: benefits, risks, and issues of global health equity

COVID-19 vaccination of children has begun in various high-income countries with regulatory approval and general public support, but largely without careful ethical consideration. This trend is expected to extend to other COVID-19 vaccines and lower ages as clinical trials progress. This paper provides an ethical analysis of COVID-19 vaccination of healthy children. Specifically, we argue that it is currently unclear whether routine COVID-19 vaccination of healthy children is ethically justified in most contexts, given the minimal direct benefit that COVID-19 vaccination provides to children, the potential for rare risks to outweigh these benefits and undermine vaccine confidence, and substantial evidence that COVID-19 vaccination confers adequate protection to risk groups, such as older adults, without the need to vaccinate healthy children. We conclude that child COVID-19 vaccination in wealthy communities before adults in poor communities worldwide is ethically unacceptable and consider how policy deliberations might evolve in light of future developments.

Valuation of Mangrove Direct Benefit in Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara

Mangroves have various functions and roles, both economic and ecological. In Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency, the function and role of mangroves are economically and ecologically beneficial, but their value has not been measured. This study aims to determine the valuation of direct benefits of mangroves in Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency. The approach taken in determining the economic value of mangrove products and services is financial analysis and economic analysis. In financial analysis, a direct approach is used, namely by using market values for marketed commodities and determining the value of substitutes for goods and services that are not marketed. While in the economic analysis, the shadow price or accounting price, namely the value adjusted in such a way as to describe the true value of mangrove goods and services. The results showed that the value of the direct benefit of mangroves in the study area was ± IDR 88.162.750/ha/year. Valuation of the value of direct benefits of mangroves at the location comes from mangrove products and services in the form of firewood and charcoal products, construction wood, capture fisheries products, fish and shrimp larvae stocks, wildlife, preservatives and dyes, food ingredients, and medicines, animal feed, salt, recreation, and tourism, as well as education and research.

An ethical analysis of vaccinating children against COVID-19: benefits, risks, and issues of global health equity

COVID-19 vaccination of children over 12 has begun in various high-income countries with regulatory approval and general public support, but largely without careful ethical consideration. This trend is expected to extend to other COVID-19 vaccines and lower ages as clinical trials progress. This paper provides an ethical analysis of COVID-19 vaccination of healthy children. Specifically, we argue that it is currently unclear whether routine COVID-19 vaccination of healthy children is ethically justified in most contexts, given the minimal direct benefit that COVID-19 vaccination provides to children, the potential for rare risks to outweigh these benefits and undermine vaccine confidence, and substantial evidence that COVID-19 vaccination confers adequate protection to risk groups, such as older adults, without the need to vaccinate children. We conclude that child COVID-19 vaccination in wealthy communities before adults in poor communities worldwide is ethically unacceptable and consider how policy deliberations might evolve in light of future developments.

Employee Satisfaction, Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance

This study explores the extent to which employee turnover, a proxy variable to employee loyalty, helps mediate the relationship between Taiwanese firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and financial outcome. The results show that a firm’s CSR performance is negatively correlated with employee turnover and turnover variability, and moreover, employee turnover is negatively correlated with a firm’s financial performance. The result is especially noteworthy for studies regarding Taiwanese companies since quite a few of them are original equipment manufacturers (hereafter also referred to as OEMs), of intermediate goods. For the sample firms, although the contribution of social responsibility appears to have insignificantly direct benefit on financial performance, we document that the extent to which CSR conducts influence on long-term financial outcomes may be moderated and mediated by employee enthusiasm.

Seed germination of Leersia perrieri (Poaceae), a rare crop wild relative from Madagascar

Madagascar is home to a diversity of aquatic grasses. One of these is a rare rice relative, Leersia perrieri (known as Ahitsiriry or Tsingirifiry in the Malagasy language), which is found in a restricted area around the Mahajanga wetlands. A germination test was carried out on two types of local substrate and a control with randomised selected seeds. Seed germination on the control and clay substrates reached 50% while on the organic substrate germination failed to reach 40% during 22 days of observation. The GLM analysis of the final germination showed significant differences between the three treatments. The germination percentage (GP%) was higher in the control and significantly decreased on the clay and organic substrates. Our results help explains our field observations where L. perrieri tends to form monodominant stands on clay substrate, and dispersed multispecies assemblages with fewer individuals on organic soils. This work will be of direct benefit to our panned conservation activities and eventually germplasm availability for crop improvement research.

e-RUPI: A Purpose Specific Digital Voucher

e-RUPI is an advanced online resolution that has been launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Health Authority, and partner banks. It is just like a prepaid voucher that can be used by users to redeem an amount without a card, online payment application, or without accessing internet banking services. The present learning has explored the existing literature and aimed to discuss the merits and demerits of this emerging prepaid voucher, in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been found that the e-RUPI initiative of the Modi government will be fruitful for the beneficiaries as they will receive a direct benefit. It will be reliable and secure for both companies and customers. It suffers from ICT-related risks such as cyber fraud, hacking, lack of efficiency, and attitude of people towards adoption of this new resolution.

Bridging Potential in Friend Networks and Cognitive Function in Older Korean Americans

Objectives To examine the associates of bridging potential in networks of friends and its impact on cognitive function in older Korean Americans. Methods Data came from 308 participants in Central Florida who were part of the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA). Using data from a name generator of three close friends in local Korean communities, non-overlapping networks were quantified for bridging potential. Linear regression models for bridging potential and cognitive function were examined. Results Bridging potential was greater among those with stronger social ties with friends in general and higher levels of activity engagement. The direct benefit of bridging potential on cognitive function was also confirmed. In addition, bridging potential was found to mediate the effect of social ties with friends on cognitive function. Discussion Findings underscore the interconnectedness of older immigrants’ social and cognitive function and shed light on interventions.

Ex vivo Fusion Confocal Microscopy of Colorectal Polyps: A Fast Turnaround Time of Pathological Diagnosis

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Colorectal cancer screening programs have accomplished a mortality reduction from the disease but have created bottlenecks in endoscopy units and pathology departments. We aimed to explore the feasibility of ex vivo fusion confocal microscopy (FuCM) to improve the histopathology diagnostic efficiency and reduce laboratory workload. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Consecutive fresh polyps removed at colonoscopy were scanned using ex vivo FuCM, then went through histopathologic workout and hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) diagnosis. Two pathologists blinded to H&amp;E diagnosis made a diagnosis based on FuCM scanned images. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Thirty-six fresh polyps from 22 patients were diagnosed with FuCM and H&amp;E. Diagnostic agreement between H&amp;E and FuCM was 97.2% (kappa = 0.96) for pathologist #1 and 91.7% (kappa = 0.87) for pathologist #2. Diagnostic performance concordance between FuCM and H&amp;E to discern adenomatous from nonadenomatous polyps was 100% (kappa = 1) for pathologist #1 and 97.2% (kappa = 0.94) for pathologist #2. Global interobserver agreement was 94.44% (kappa = 0.91) and kappa = 0.94 to distinguish adenomatous from nonadenomatous polyps. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Ex vivo FuCM shows an excellent correlation with standard H&amp;E for the diagnosis of colorectal polyps. The clinical direct benefit for patients, pathologists, and endoscopists allows adapting personalized surveillance protocols after colonoscopy and a workload decrease in pathology departments.