Pengaruh Pemberian Temulawak (Curcuma xhanthorrhiza) terhadap Pertambahan Bobot Badan Kambing di Desa Sukaresik, Kecamatan Sindangkasih, Kabupaten Ciamis

Populasi kambing di Desa Sindangkasih pada tahun 2020 adalah 1135 ekor. Jumlah tersebut sangat potensial untuk ditingkatkan kembali dengan cara memanipulasi pakan. Salah satu teknik manipulasi pakan yang dapat dilakukan adalah dengan pemberian tepung temulawak. Penelitian bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh pemberian tepung temulawak terhadap pertambahan bobot badan ternak kambing dan menganalisis usaha penggemukan ternak kambing yang diberi tepung temulawak. Materi yang digunakan adalah kambing lokal dengan rataan bobot badan awal 20,5 kg. Metode penelitian menggunakan kaji terap 2 perlakuan yaitu P0=kontrol dan P1 = kontrol + tepung temulawak 12 gr/ekor + 40 ml air. Peubah yang diukur dalam kaji terap adalah pertambahan bobot badan harian (PBBH). Peubah analisis usaha yang dihitung diantaranya pendapatan, B/C ratio, R/C ratio, BEP harga, BEP Produksi dan Marginal Benefit Cost Ratio (MBCR). Data dianalisis menggunakan Independent t-test. Data analisis usaha dianalisis secara deskriptif. Hasil kaji terap yang dilakukan pada ternak kambing menunjukkan terdapat perbedaan yang nyata dengan pemberian tepung temulawak terhadap PBBH. Hasil analisis usaha pada kedua perlakuan menunjukkan untuk perlakuan P1 lebih menguntungkan peternak dengan pendapatan Rp 1.329.145. Nilai R/C ratio dan B/C ratio paling tinggi pada P1 dan nilai MBCR sebesar 23,132. Secara finansial pendapatan paling tinggi yaitu pada P1 dengan pemberian tepung temulawak 12 gr + 40 ml air, artinya pemberian tepung temulawak mampu memeningkatkan bobot badan kambing dan pendapatan peternak di Desa Sukaresik.

Subsidizing Fuel-Efficient Cars: Evidence from China’s Automobile Industry

This paper examines the response of vehicle purchase behavior to China’s largest national subsidy program for fuel-efficient vehicles during 2010 and 2011. Using variation from the program’s eligibility cutoffs and the rollout of the subsidy program, the program is found to boost sales for subsidized vehicle models, but also to create a substitution effect within highly fuel-efficient vehicles. Estimates imply that ignoring the substitution effect would lead one to conclude that the program is welfare enhancing, whereas in fact the marginal cost of the program exceeds the marginal benefit by as much as 300 percent. (JEL D12, H25, L25, L62, O14, P23, P36)

The added value of recent-infection testing in population-based HIV surveys

Background: There is no clear consensus on how best to use increasingly available data derived from large populationbased surveys featuring HIV infection status ascertainment. In particular, for the purpose of estimating HIV incidence, there is considerable scope for better elucidation of the benefit of adding ‘recent infection’ ascertainment, which adds considerable additional cost and complexity to surveys which are already costly and complex. Methods: Using an epidemic/survey simulation tool developed for this and some closely related investigations, we explore the value added by ‘recent infection’ data from population surveys, to support HIV incidence estimation. This directly piggy-backs on to two companion pieces which have explored, independently, the use of the ‘synthetic cohort’ paradigm of Mahiane et al (analysing age/time structure of prevalence, in conjunction with estimates of mortality) and the paradigm of Kassanjee et al (focusing on ‘recent infection’ data). Results: Our headline findings are that: 1) Recent infection data adds marginal benefit to surveillance focused on the early years after sexual debut, which can reasonably be taken to be a core sentinel group in which surveillance is significantly more efficient than attempts to cover all ages; and 2) by contrast, recent infection data is crucial for the reliable estimation of incidence trends when only two cross sectional surveys are available. We detail numerous components of a general and robust approach to analysing data when both the Mahiane and Kassanjee analyses are in play. Conclusion: Our main results present non-trivial dilemmas for survey design, as recency data is crucial for stabilising the more timely estimates, but of marginal benefit for the most important sentinel group. We hope that adaptation of our analysis, to simulated scenarios closely aligned to specific contexts facing expensive choices, will support rational investments in, and use of, precious surveillance opportunities and data sets.

Defensive Medicine Practices: Scale Development and Validation

Aim Defensive medicine refers to practices with low marginal benefit to patients that doctors may undertake to protect themselves from legal liability. We aimed to develop a scale to measure the practice of defensive medicine. Method We identified aspects of defensive medicine previously reported in the literature and conducted and analyzed semi-structured interviews with 21 physicians in Sakarya to augment and clarify these aspects between May 15, 2018, and June 15, 2018. Informed by these results, we developed, pilot tested, refined, and fielded a 10-item survey to 1724 doctors in Turkey between April 1, 2019, and July 16, 2019. We examined the psychometric properties of the scale using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Results The 10-item scale provided measures of 2 factors: positive defensive medicine (assurance) and negative defensive medicine (avoidance), with Cronbach’s alpha >0.8 for the scale and both subscales in both the EFA and CFA subsamples and excellent goodness-of-fit measures. Conclusions We developed a highly reliable scale to measure positive and negative defensive medicine practice that may be suitable for future research on physician decision making.

Angiogenesis and Anti-Angiogenic Treatment in Prostate Cancer: Mechanisms of Action and Molecular Targets

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Many therapeutic advances over the last two decades have led to an improvement in the survival of patients with metastatic PC, yet the majority of these patients still succumb to their disease. Antiagiogenic therapies have shown substantial benefits for many types of cancer but only a marginal benefit for PC. Ongoing clinical trials investigate antiangiogenic monotherapies or combination therapies. Despite the important role of angiogenesis in PC, clinical trials in refractory castration-resistant PC (CRPC) have demonstrated increased toxicity with no clinical benefit. A better understanding of the mechanism of angiogenesis may help to understand the failure of trials, possibly leading to the development of new targeted anti-angiogenic therapies in PC. These could include the identification of specific subsets of patients who might benefit from these therapeutic strategies. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the pathways involved in the angiogenesis, the chemotherapeutic agents with antiangiogenic activity, the available studies on anti-angiogenic agents and the potential mechanisms of resistance.

Increasing Cropping Intensity and Crop Productivity of Four Crops Based Mustard-Boro-T. Aus-T. Aman Cropping Pattern

A field trial on soil test based (STB) fertilizer doses was conducted during the year of 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 in Jashore region (AEZ-11) to find out the most suitable fertilizer doses for four crop based cropping pattern considering the agronomic feasibility and economic return of the system. The experiment consisted of eight different treatments viz. T1: 100% NPKSZnB (STB), T2: T1 + 25% N, T3: T1 + 25% NP, T4: T1 + 25% NK, T5:T1 + 25% PK, T6:T1 + 25% NPK, T7: 75% of T1, T8: Native fertility. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was followed. Data revealed that seed yield of mustard was remarkably influenced by fertilizer treatments while grain yield of other components of the cropping system was not affected significantly by the treatments except control or native fertility. It was observed that 25% more NPK over 100% STB dose provided the highest yield of all the component crops. The highest rice equivalent yield (3.34 t ha-1) was recorded from T6 and the lowest (1.88 t ha-1) from T8 treatment. Maximum gross return (Tk. 420000/ha) and marginal benefit cost ratio (4.08) were also obtained from T6 treatment. So, 25% NPK+ 100% STB dose of fertilizer could be followed for productive and remunerative rice based cropping system Mustard-Boro-T. Aus-T.Aman in AEZ-11. Bangladesh Agron. J. 2021, 24(1): 109-117

Dark Patterns: Social Media, Gaming, and E-Commerce

Dark Patterns are defined as “tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to” (Bringull, 2017). They are implemented to manipulate users with deceptive design tactics using studies on human behavior, and are coined as “anti-user”, since the marginal benefit of corporations are being prioritized over users. This proceeding specifically studies the prevalent dark patterns in the fields of Social Media, Gaming, and E-Commerce platforms. Though Grey et al. initially characterized dark patterns into 12 types of dark patterns (Gray et al., 2018), there are plenty of studies where more categorizations of dark patterns are found in different fields. Finally, this paper sheds light on what could be the next steps for the stakeholders, such as designers, engineers and the overall socio technical system, to better regulate dark patterns in order to minimize user concerns, as well as reduce unethical design practices.

Sales Strategy considering Advertising in Advance-Selling and Spot-Selling Integration Mode for Fresh Product

In this paper, we look into the optimal sales strategy of e-commerce platform which sells fresh-product advertising in advance-selling period and spot-selling period, respectively, when advance-selling and spot-selling integration mode is applied. The study found that, with the increase of advertising investment, the marginal benefit of e-commerce platform is declining; whether advertising during the advance-selling period or the advertising during the spot-selling period, the e-commerce platform can improve its profit, but under the same advertising effect factor, the optimal advertising investment for the sale period is smaller, and the profit when advertising in the advance-selling period is greater. When advertising in different periods, the optimal advertising and price strategy depends on the maximum valuation of consumers about the product and the advertising effect factor.

Evaluation of Ivermectin as a Potential Treatment for Mild to Moderate COVID-19: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial in Eastern India

Background: There has been a growing interest in ivermectin ever since it was reported to have an in-vitro activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This trial was conducted to test the efficacy of ivermectin in mild and moderate coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Methods: A double blind, parallel, randomised, placebo-controlled trial conducted among adult COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate disease severity on admission in a COVID dedicated tertiary healthcare of eastern India. Enrolment was done between 1st August and 31st October 2020. On day 1 and 2 post enrolment, patients in the intervention arm received ivermectin 12 mg while the patients in the non-interventional arm received placebo tablets. Results: About one-fourth (23.6%) of the patients in the intervention arm and one-third (31.6%) in the placebo arm were tested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) negative for SARS-CoV-2 on 6th day. Although this difference was found to be statistically insignificant [rate ratio (RR): 0.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4-1.4; p=0.348]. All patients in the ivermectin group were successfully discharged. In comparison the same for the placebo group was observed to be 93%. This difference was found to be statistically significant (RR: 1.1; 95% CI; 1.0-1.2; p=0.045). Conclusions: Inclusion of ivermectin in treatment regimen of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients could not be said with certainty based on our study results as it had shown only marginal benefit in successful discharge from the hospital with no other observed benefits.