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This qualitative study examines the impact of central government policies on community resilience for disaster preparedness, explicitly focusing on the constraints faced by local governments. This study explores the challenges hindering optimal performance at the local level through 18 informants using focus group discussions with key stakeholders, including sub-district heads and village leaders. The findings reveal that central government policies pose significant hurdles to local governance in disaster-prone areas. These policies restrict local governments' decision-making authority and autonomy, impeding their ability to respond effectively to disaster risks and emergencies. Notably, the study highlights the presence of a community-led disaster management organization already in place, comprising members from within the community. The policy constraints identified include limited resource allocation, bureaucratic procedures, and a need for more flexibility in decision making. Stakeholders express concerns regarding rigid central government frameworks that do not recognize or account for the unique needs of individual communities. The study emphasizes the importance of policy reforms to empower and support local governments and their existing disaster management organizations. This research contributes to understanding community resilience by highlighting the vital role of local governance and community-led organizations in disaster preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender dynamics play a significant role in how individuals of both sexes are impacted by disasters and their ability to cope and recover from them. Resilience is viewed as both an inherent personal characteristic and a quality that can be developed through interactions with environmental factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between gender and community resilience in Indonesia and Malaysia, conducted from March 2022 to April 2022. The research design utilized a quantitative-based cross-sectional approach, and convenience sampling was employed with a total of 707 respondents. An online questionnaire, available in Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, and English, was used to collect data. The questionnaire consisted of five domains: (1) Connection and Caring; (2) Resources; (3) Transformative Potential; (4) Disaster Management; and (5) Information and Communication. On average, respondents required approximately 15-20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The results indicate a relationship between gender and resilience specifically within the domain of Disaster Management (domain 4). However, no significant relationship was found between gender and overall community resilience or resilience in the other domains. In conclusion, both genders have an equal opportunity to enhance resilience by developing aspects such as self-efficacy, persistence, low anxiety, control, and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tristaniopsis merguensis is a member of the Myrtaceae family. The leaves of T. merguensis are frequently utilized as herbal tea. The study aimed to evaluate the polyphenolic content, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of ethyl acetate fractions derived from Tristaniopsis merguensis (ETM). In addition, it also aimed to conduct an LC-HRMS analysis of a potential fraction to ascertain its suitability as an antioxidant and anticancer active ingredient. An antioxidant evaluation was carried out using the ABTS and DPPH methods. Meanwhile, an in silico study was performed using the target protein elastase (HER-2). A total of twenty metabolites of T. merguensis were identified in the potential fraction ETM.05. In antioxidant testing, the T. merguensis fraction, with code ETM.05, demonstrated potent antioxidant activity based on the ABTS and DPPH methods, with IC50 values of 64.830 ± 2.803 µg/mL and 40.252 ± 0.032 µg/mL, respectively. This resulted in the categorization of the fraction as a strong antioxidant. In the anticancer testing, ETM.05 also demonstrated potent anticancer activity, with an IC50 value of 10.66 µg/mL, which was categorized as a very strong activity in comparison to the positive control (cisplatin), which exhibited an IC50 value of 12.24 µg/mL. The in silico study indicates that the identified metabolites have the potential to bind to the target protein HER-2, which plays a role in remodeling the breast cancer process. This research suggests that the fraction ETM.05 from the ethyl acetate leaves fraction of T. merguensis has the potential to serve as an active antioxidant and anticancer source.

Several tests have been developed for Covid-19 diagnosis. One of these tests is a PCR examination with a swab sample. The infection transmission risk to health workers during swab sampling is very high so an adequate protection standard is paramount. A special PPE for Covid-19 specimens' collection that is safer and can be used for a long time needs to be developed. The study aims to develop a prototype safe facility for collecting Covid-19 specimens with a high level of biosafety standard to prevent infection transmission, ergonomic, and can be used for an extended time. Applied research methods were used to produce a safety partition for Covid-19 specimen collection. The result was a safety partition prototype named KOPIDShield. It is completely impermeable to prevent the transmission of infectious agents from patients to health workers. It is equipped with supporting equipment that allows accurate specimen collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidences of cancer have increased sharply throughout the world. The process of finding a targeted cancer drug takes a long time and a lot of money. One method that can help overcome this is computational methods, such as virtual screening. It can be an important alternative in early-stage drug discovery. The aim of this study is to explore and analyze the potential protein targets of Bajakah tampala (Spatholobulus littoralis) as an anticancer chemotherapy. This is a bioinformatics study that uses the in silico method through the pathway analysis method with PubChem software, Swiss Target prediction, String and Cytoscope. The results showed that many phytochemicals present in Spatholobulus littoralis Hask are predicted to be anticancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 attacks the respiratory system, especially the lung. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the lung radiology of COVID-19 patients to plan the best treatment. This study aimed to describe radiological features in deceased patients at a hospital in Bandung, Indonesia. This study uses secondary data from the medical records of deceased COVID-19 patients from December 2020 to February 2021. Amongst the 129 patients who died whilst hospitalized, their chest X-ray showed pneumonia consisting of ground glass opacities (GGO) and consolidated lesions. The mean distribution of lesions was unilateral in 3 (2.33%) and bilateral in 126 (97.67%). In comparison, peripheral lesions were found in 80 (62.02%), and peripheral-medial lesions were found in 49 (37.98%). The mean of the lesions affecting the upper lung fields were 2.63 (DS 1.19), the middle lung fields were 4.39 (DS 1.82), and the lower lung fields were 4.88 (DS 1.53). When admitted to the isolation ward, the average Brixia score on a chest X-ray was 11.9 (95% CI 12.74; 11.16). In conclusion, the radiological features of COVID-19 patients who died under treatment showed ground glass opacities and consolidated lesions. The predominant distribution was on bilateral, peripheral, and lower lesions with a high Brixia score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroalgae is a protein source with the potential to yield antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exhibit a wide range of biological activities. This study aimed to find bioactive peptide-based antibacterial compounds from marine macroalgae Chondrus crispus protein hydrolysate. The peptides were isolated by solid phase extraction with a strong cation exchanger from trypsin-digested and α-chymotrypsin-digested hydrolysates. Certain fractions of the hydrolyzed protein displayed a good inhibition zone, with the α-chymotrypsin-digested fraction eluted at pH 9 exhibiting the highest inhibition against Gram-negative bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Several peptides were characterized as cationic helical peptides with hydrophobicity percentages of 16.67–77.78%. The potential antibacterial peptide P01 KKNVTTLAPLVF was identified as an α-helical cationic antibacterial peptide with 0.525 GRAVY value, amphipathic structure, and +2 total charge. Moreover, strong interaction was observed between P07 SAGSGNEGLSGW and P20 RTASSR peptide with DNA gyrase and DHFR receptors from S. aureus with binding energy -8.0 and -7.3 kcal/mol, respectively.

Anticancer peptide is one of the target in the development of new anticancer drug. Bioactive peptide can be originated from isolated free peptide or produced by hydrolysis of protein. Protein is the main component of Naja kaouthia venom, and due to the toxicity of the venom, it can be assessed as the source of anticancer peptides. This study aims to characterize the venom protein and to identify peptides from the snake venom of N. kaouthia as anticancer. Proteome analysis was employed trypsin hydrolysis of N. kaouthia venom protein completed with HRMS analysis protein database query. Preparative tryptic hydrolysis of the protein followed by reverse-phased fractionation and anti breast cancer activity testing were performed to identify the potent anticancer from the hydrolysate. Proteomic analysis by high-resolution mass spectrometry revealed that there are 20 enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins in N. kaouthia venom. The 25% methanol peptide fraction had the most active anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and showed promising selectivity (selectivity index = 12.87). Amino acid sequences of eight peptides were identified as potentially providing anticancer compounds. Molecular docking analysis showed that WWSDHR and IWDTIEK peptides gave specific interactions and better binding affinity energy with values of −9.3 kcal/mol and −8.4 kcal/mol, respectively. This study revealed peptides from the snake venom of N. kaouthia became a potent source of new anticancer agents.

Bioactive peptides play an important role in targeting cancer cells. Venom protein from Naja sumatrana can be explored as a source of bioactive peptides. This research aims to identify and study the molecular docking of bioactive peptides (BPs) from trypsin hydrolysate of N. sumatrana venom protein which was fractionated using an SPE C18 column. The venom of N. sumatrana was hydrolyzed with trypsin enzyme. The protein hydrolysate was then fractionated using an RP-SPE HyperSep Retain PEP column, and the peptide fractions were tested for their anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells using the (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Identification of peptides in the active fraction was carried out through high-resolution mass spectrometry. The identified peptides were molecularly docked with the EGFR receptor using AutoDock Vina. The results showed that the degree of hydrolysis was 74.7%. The 75% methanol fraction is the active fraction against MCF-7 cells, with an IC50 value of 4.80 μg/mL and a selectivity index of 5.00. Peptide-active anticancer fractions with the sequence of NSLLVK, SSLLVK and TVPVKR were successfully identified and exhibited high binding affinity values, good RMSD values, and the most suitable model for the epidermal growth factor receptor.

The use of peptide drugs to treat cancer is gaining popularity because of their efficacy, fewer side effects, and several advantages over other properties. Identifying the peptides that interact with cancer proteins is crucial in drug discovery. Several approaches related to predicting peptide-protein interactions have been conducted. However, problems arise due to the high costs of resources and time and the smaller number of studies. This study predicts peptide-protein interactions using Random Forest, XGBoost, and SAE-DNN. Feature extraction is also performed on proteins and peptides using intrinsic disorder, amino acid sequences, physicochemical properties, position-specific assessment matrices, amino acid composition, and dipeptide composition. Results show that all algorithms perform equally well in predicting interactions between peptides derived from venoms and target proteins associated with cancer. However, XGBoost produces the best results with accuracy, precision, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.859, 0.663, and 0.697, respectively. The enrichment analysis revealed that peptides from the Calloselasma rhodostoma venom targeted several proteins (ESR1, GOPC, and BRD4) related to cancer.

Vernonia amygdalina was reported to be used as a therapy for Diabetes Mellitus (DM). One of the mechanisms of therapy DM was to inhibit the action of the α-amylase enzyme. This study aimed to prove the presence of compounds that could inhibit the action of α-amylase. Vernonia amygdalina leaves were macerated with methanol and partitioned into n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethyl acetate (EtOAc). Furthermore, they were tested for α-amylase inhibitory activity and analyzed using liquid chromatography-high resolutions mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation (MD simulation) examined unique compounds in the extract with good activity and chromatogram results. The EtOAc extracts showed potential as α-amylase inhibitors indicated by their IC50 values, namely 3.0 μg/mL. There are five unique compounds in the EtOAc extract predicted as 3-[(2Z)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl]-2,4-dihydroxy-6-(2-phenylethyl)benzoic acid (compound 1), 2-hexylpentanedioic acid (compound 2), (2E,4E)-5-[1-hydroxy-2,6-dimethyl-4-oxo-6-({3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl] oxy}methyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-3-methylpenta-2,4-dienoic acid (compound 3), 3,5,5-trimethyl-4-(3-{[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-1-yl)oxy}butyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one (compound 4), and 2-{[(6E)-2,10-dihydroxy-2,6,10-trimethyldodeca-6,11-dien-3-yl]oxy}-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3, 4,5-triol (compound 5). The molecular docking analysis showed that compound 3 had better interaction energy (Ei) (-8.59 kcal/mol) and inhibition constant (Ki) values (0.503 μM) than acarbose. These data were supported by MD simulations based on the parameters of RMSD value, the radius of gyration, and protein-ligand interaction energy.

Legal issues related to refugees in Southeast Asia are influenced by the lack of regulations related to refugees in countries in Southeast Asia. This is related to the increasing number of refugees in Southeast Asia who are accepted by a country only based on humanitarian reasons. This study aims to examine the legal aspects related to the problem of refugees with the principle of non-refoulement related to refugees in Southeast Asia. This research is a normative legal research with a conceptual approach and legislation. The results of the study confirm that one of the legal aspects related to refugees in Southeast Asia is to strengthen regulations in each country in Southeast Asia. This includes also confirming the existence of the principle of non-refoulement by ratifying and becoming a party to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol as an effort to provide legal certainty in implementing legal policies related to refugees. In addition, the role of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) plays an important role in providing welfare and protection for refugees from violence and discrimination. This is mainly by optimizing the involvement of ASEAN countries in providing direct assistance with the distribution of food, clothing and a decent living regardless of matters relating to citizenship. This is intended so that ASEAN countries' acceptance of refugees for humanitarian reasons is also limited and guided by legal products that guarantee legal certainty as well as the implementation of the principle of non-refoulement.

Context: Vernonia amygdalina has been reported as a potential antidiabetic agent. One of the mechanisms in diabetes mellitus treatment is the inhibition of the α-amylase enzyme’s action. Objective: This study is aimed to identify the presence of secondary metabolites in Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract, which has the potential as α-amylase inhibitors through phytochemical screening combined with metabolomic analysis. Materials and methods: Methanol extract from Vernonia amygdalina leaf was partitioned into n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethyl acetate. From this process, methanol, hexane, DCM, and ethyl acetate extracts were obtained. These extracts were then being tested for phytochemical screening, α-amylase inhibition, and FTIR. Then FTIR data were used for metabolomic analysis (PCA and PLS). Results: The results of the α-amylase inhibition test showed that the ethyl acetate extract had the smallest IC50 average value, which was 3.00 μg/mL. Based on the phytochemical screening test results, the extract showed positive for the presence of compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins. From the PCA analysis (Bi-plot), the wavenumbers that were influential in the ethyl acetate extract were 1436 to 1681 and 3341 to 3348 cm−1. In theory, functional groups such as CH, CC, CO, NH, and OH appeared on the absorption. From the PLS analysis, these wavenumbers affected the activity. Conclusion: The most potential extract as an α-amylase inhibitor was the ethyl acetate extract. Based on phytochemical screening tests and metabolomic analysis, it was proven that this extract contained compounds as hypoglycemic agents.

Research on the isolation, toxicity test, antimalarial test, and identification of the active compound from the ethyl acetate fraction of Stylissa massa sponge from Oenggae waters, Rote Island, has been conducted. This study aimed to investigate the antimalarial activity of the ethyl acetate fraction of the Stylissa massa sponge. Isolation was carried out by the extraction method using a mixed solvent of methanol: dichloromethane of 3: 2 (v/v), then the extract was partitioned in a solvent mixture of ethyl acetate: water of 1: 2 (v/v). The ethyl acetate extract obtained was separated by column chromatography using the gradient polarity system method. The toxicity test of each fraction was carried out by the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BSLT) method, and the antimalarial test was carried out by the haematin polymerization inhibition method. Identification of compounds from the active fraction in the antimalarial test was carried out using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The extraction yield was 1.14 g (0.23%) of the ethyl acetate extract in the form of a dark brownish-yellow oily solid. Separation by column chromatography resulted in 15 fractions. Toxicity test results showed the four most active fractions with LC50 values, which are very promising for new drug discovery. The IC50 value in the antimalarial activity test of the four fractions indicated that the Stylissa massa sponge ethyl acetate extract was more active than the standard chloroquine compound (115 μg/mL). The LC-MS analysis indicates that fraction 11 contains two compounds that have been reported, and 1 compound is unknown. In contrast, fraction 14 indicates that it contains three compounds that have been reported and one unknown compound.

Salam leaf (Syzygium polyanthum) is an Indonesian traditional herbs with high bioactive compound potential. Unfortunately, as an alternative method that is friendly to heat-susceptible bioactive compound, the ultrasonication extraction method has not been widely used to extract Salam leaves. Meanwhile, the processing time and the ratio of the use of solvents are some of the determinants of the performance of this method. Hence, this research examined the ultrasonication method for extracting bioactive compounds from Salam leaf from the time and ratio of the solvent used. The results were showed that the best condition was from the solvent ratio to sample of 12:1 for 15 min extraction time. These conditions gave results in an 18.57% yield of salam leaf extract, 74.20 ± 0.19 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g salam leaf extract of total phenolic content, 22.00 ± 0.08 mg Quercetin equivalent/g salam leave extract of total flavonoid content, 78.79% of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, and IC50 antioxidant activity of 20.25 µg/ml salam leave extract. The best extraction conditions are able to provide Salam leaf extract with very strong antioxidant potential.

Andrographis paniculata is widely used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries. It has been classified as a safe and non-toxic medicine by traditional Chinese medicine. The investigation of the biological activities of A. paniculata is still focused on the crude extract and isolation of its main active compound, andrographolide, and its derivatives. However, the use of andrographolide alone has been shown to exacerbate unwanted effects. This highlights the importance of developing a fraction of A. paniculata with enhanced efficacy as an herbal-based medicine. In this study, the extraction and fractionation of A. paniculata, followed by quantitative analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a DAD detector, were established to quantify the andrographolide and its derivative in each fraction. Biological activities, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory activities, were evaluated to study their correlations with the quantification of active substances of A. paniculata extract and its fractions. The 50% methanolic fraction of A. paniculata exhibited the best cytotoxic activities against CACO-2 cells, as well as the best anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive activities compared to other extracts. The 50% methanolic fraction also displayed the highest quantification of its main active compound, andrographolide, and its derivatives, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, neoandrographolide, and andrograpanin, among others.

In this study, the chloro-substituted hydroxyxanthones were prepared by cyclodehydration of acid derivatives and substituted phenol in the presence of Eaton reagent, followed by halogenations step to electrophilic substitution of chlorine in a moderate yield. The in vitro anticancer activity study on various cell lines revealed that the chloro functional group increases the anticancer activity of the hydroxyxanthone derivatives. The molecular docking study showed that there was a binding interaction between chloro-hydroxyxanthone and the amino acid residues such as Asp810, Cys809, Ile789, His790, and Leu644 of protein tyrosine kinase receptor (1T46.pdb).

Snake envenomation is a severe economic and health concern affecting countries worldwide. Snake venom carries a wide variety of small peptides and proteins with various immunological and pharmacological properties. A few key research areas related to snake venom, including its applications in treating cancer and eradicating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, have been gaining significant attention in recent years. The goal of the current study was to analyze the global profile of literature in snake venom research. This study presents a bibliometric review of snake venom-related research documents indexed in the Scopus database between 1933 and 2022. The overall number of documents published on a global scale was 2999, with an average annual production of 34 documents. Brazil produced the highest number of documents (n = 729), followed by the United States (n = 548), Australia (n = 240), and Costa Rica (n = 235). Since 1963, the number of publications has been steadily increasing globally. At a worldwide level, antivenom, proteomics, and transcriptomics are growing hot issues for research in this field. The current research provides a unique overview of snake venom research at global level from 1933 through 2022, and it may be beneficial in guiding future research.

The effect of pre-mixing by mechanical stirring before hydrothermal and hydrothermal time on the crystalline phases and morphology of titania has been studied. It was shown that nanotubes titania can be obtained after 5 h hydrothermal at 150 °C. The XRD patterns and Raman spectra of the produced powders showed the existence of anatase and titanate crystalline phases. At the longest stirring, TiO2 (B) was observed. High textural coefficient for [200] plane of anatase (TC200) confirmed oriented growth of one-dimensional anatase along [200]. All powders resulted at various stirring time were nanotubes, as confirmed by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). It was found that the longer the stirring, the higher the surface area of the nanotubes. All powders showed type-IV isotherm for nitrogen gas adsorption/desorption, indicating the existence of mesoporous materials. However, long hydrothermal induced the nanospheres formation, hence reducing the surface area. The band-gap of the resulted titania nanotubes were ranging from 3.11–3.16 eV. The photocatalytic performance toward the degradation of methylene blue of the titania nanotubes was higher (~50%) compared to the bulk TiO2 (~5%) under visible-light and was comparable under UV-light (~60%). These results pave a way of producing visible-sensitive TiO2 photocatalyst by altering the morphology.

A study to differentiate the pure medicinal herbs from the mix medicinal herbs with chemical drug material has been done. For this purpose, we conducted fingerprinting of commercial medicinal herbs and chemical drug material allopurinol using 1H-NMR followed with chemometrics analysis. Nine commercial traditional herbal medicines claimed for rheumatic were used as samples as well as allopurinol as the chemical drug standard. Extraction of samples was done by ultrasonicator for 15 min in methanol-d4 containing 0.01% TMSP as an internal standard. Each type of herbal medicine was prepared in three replicates. The phytochemical analysis was done by 500 MHz JEOL NMR. The chemometrics analysis was done using SIMCA software following the 1H NMR spectra processing with MNOVA software. All spectra showed no contamination with allopurinol. The specific signals of allopurinol at aromatic regions were confirmed not present when the spectra were stacked together. Hence, the result of OPLS-DA analysis convinced that the herbs were clearly separated the medicinal herbs into 3 classes. Jamu 1 is separated from others showed very high intensity of several signals which may indicate an addition of chemical medicines but not allopurinol. The clear separation of other two groups may corresponds to the similarity of ingredients. These results also showed that most of traditional medicines which produced by small industries, the traditional medicines contain no active pharmaceutical ingredients (allopurinol) indicating a high safety of Indonesia traditional medicines.

A study of TiO2(rod)-SiO2 composites coated with polyaniline (PANI) has been performed. PANI was synthesized through in-situ polymerization of aniline at various concentration (0.0137, 0.0274, and 0.0411 M) on the composite under acidic condition. PANI was confirmed by the appearance of C=N, C=C vibrations and the redshift of the band-gap from 3.14 eV for the TiO2(rod)-SiO2 into 3.0 eV for the TSP01 composite. It is also shown that the polymerization does not change the crystal structure of TiO2(rod)-SiO2 as confirmed by the XRD pattern. The TEM image shows a mixed structure of SiO2 coated by TiO2(rod)-PANI layers and the oxides coated by PANI layers. Therefore, the surface area of the resulted TiO2(rod) and the composites did not change significantly. The T TiO2(rod)-SiO2-PANI composite give small improvement under visible irradiation from 20.25 to 25.59% (around 5% from the bulk of TiO2(rod)) and from 25.03 to 25.59% (around 2% from TiO2(rod)-SiO2 composite). The mixed structure of the composites, as well as the formation of excessive layers of PANI, are possibly the case for the low photoactivity. Further improvement to obtain a core-shell structure with a thin layer of PANI is still sought.

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is a serious problem for skin health thus the interest in the research to develop sunscreen agent has been increasing. Chalcone is a promising compound to be developed as its chromophore absorbs in the UV region. Therefore, in the present work, we synthesized eight chalcone derivatives through Claisen–Schmidt condensation at room temperature. The evaluation of the optical properties of each chalcone derivatives in the UV region was conducted through spectroscopic and computational studies. The synthesized chalcones were obtained in good yields and they were active in the UV region. The results revealed that more methoxy substituents to chalcone leads toward red shift. All chalcone derivatives have high molar absorptivity value (21,000–56,000) demonstrating that they have the potential to be used as the sunscreen agent. The cytotoxicity assay showed that chalcone derivatives were demonstrating low toxicity toward normal human fibroblast cell, which is remarkable. Therefore, we concluded that the synthesized chalcones in this work were potential to be developed as novel sunscreen agents in real application.

With the aim of searching for new antibacterial compound from marine soft corals, the investigation had been conducted on antibacterial activity of an extract from soft corals Sarcophyton trocheliophorum in the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions. The antibacterial activity was tested against two Gram-positive bacteria, viz. Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), and two Gram-negative bacteria, viz. Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Vibrio cholerae (ATCC 14035) using the agar disc diffusion assay. Among them, the n-hexane fraction was the most active against three tested bacteria, viz. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio cholerae at the concentration 125 µg/ml, with inhibition zone 14.2, 18.2, 13.8 mm, respectively. Isolation and purification of the active component from the n-hexane fraction led to a known cembranoid-type diterpene, sarcophytoxide. The chemical structure of the isolated compound was determined by IR, MS and NMR, as well as compared to data from the literature. Sarcophytoxide showed moderate activity against B. subtilis, S. aureus and V. cholerae, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125, 100, 125 mg/ml, respectively.

Objective: To investigate the antioxidant, antibacterial, antimalarial activities and cytotoxicity of the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions from a crude extract of Lobophytum sp. Methods: This organism was collected from the Selayar Islands (South Sulawesi). The antioxidant activity was performed by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging method. All fractions from the crude extract of Lobophytum sp. were examined for their cytotoxicity using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay and heme polymerization inhibitory activity assay for antimalarial activity. Results: It was found that the ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions exhibited heme polymerization inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 11.7, 14.3 and 12.0 μg/mL, respectively, while the n-butanol fraction showed moderate antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 150.00 and 92.74 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides information on antioxidant, antibacterial and antimalarial activities as well as the cytotoxicity of all fractions from the crude extract of Lobophytum sp. This is a new report of antimalarial substances derived from Lobophytum sp.

Background: Hand hygiene reminders for healthcare workers (HCWs) are commonly used to empower patients. However, this approach overlooks the role of family carers in delivering direct contact care in Asian countries. Limited knowledge exists regarding empowerment strategies for patients and their family carers in infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive exploration of IPC empowerment within the context of family involvement in care provision across Bangladesh, Indonesia, and South Korea., Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted in 5 tertiary-level hospitals in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and South Korea. A total of 64 participants were interviewed through 57 interviews, including 6 group interviews, comprising 2 groups: (1) patients and their family and private carers; and (2) HCWs., Results: The study identified barriers to engaging patients and family carers in IPC measures. These included concerns about the patient-HCW hierarchical relationship, lack of knowledge about healthcare-associated infection, IPC, and patient zone, perceptions of IPC as a barrier to family connections, and disempowerment of patients in IPC due to family bonds., Conclusions: This study provides diverse perspectives on IPC empowerment, revealing challenges faced by patients, family carers, and HCWs. The interlaced relationship established by social norms of family carer provision hinders the empowerment of family carers. Acknowledging the cultural influence on health care arrangements and its implication for IPC empowerment is crucial in mitigating these barriers., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 outbreak demonstrates how unprepared the world is for a different type of crisis, especially non-physical calamities. Revitalizing community involvement in disaster management is essential for making a community resilient. Due to differing sociocultural contexts, the resilience perceptions of communities in different parts of the world may vary. This study aims to understand community resilience factors after the COVID-19 disaster in Indonesia and Malaysia. Data from 2034 questionnaires using 5-interrelated domains in the Communities Advancing Resilience (CART) Toolkit Survey were collected. This study was conducted across Indonesia and Malaysia from March to April 2022. A quantitative-based cross-sectional study design and convenience sampling were applied. Respondents for this study were Indonesian and Malaysian citizens above 18 years of age who met the inclusion criteria. A total of 2034 respondents, 715 from Indonesia and 1,315 from Malaysia responded to the survey. The results suggest that Indonesian and Malaysian communities' Transformative Potential and Informative-Communication domains differ significantly. Indonesian communities demonstrated a higher mean value on Transformative Potential domains than Malaysian communities did, while Malaysian communities indicated a higher mean value on Informative-Communication domains. This study concludes that compared to Malaysian communities, Indonesian communities have a more significant potential for transformation because they can frame collective experiences, gather, and analyze pertinent data, evaluate community performance, and develop resilience-building abilities. On the other hand, Malaysian communities are more resilient in providing information and communication. We found the need to develop a community resilience model that incorporates specific cultural and local requirements. Cooperation between the two countries would open many possibilities to emphasize the capability to bounce back sooner after a catastrophe such as the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve Sustainable Development Goals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Irasanti, Respati, Januarita, Yuniarti, Chen and Marzo.)

Background: Poor compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) measures has been a longstanding issue globally. To date, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been the primary target for policy and strategy revisions. Recent studies exploring the contributing factors to the spread of COVID-19 across countries in Asia have suggested that the scope of focus should be extended to family carers who provide patient care activities. This study aimed to explore factors affecting patients' and their family carers' IPC compliance in hospitals in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and South Korea., Method: A qualitative study incorporating 57 semi-structured interviews was conducted in five tertiary-level hospitals across the three focus countries between July 2019 and February 2020. Interviews were undertaken with: (1) patients, family carers and private carers; and (2) healthcare workers, including nurses, doctors, and hospital managers. Drawing upon the principles of grounded theory, data were inductively analyzed using thematic analysis., Results: A total of three main themes and eight subthemes are identified. Key themes focused on the assumptions made by healthcare workers regarding the family/private carers' level of understanding about IPC and training received; uncertainty and miscommunication regarding the roles of family/private carers; variations in carer knowledge toward IPC and healthcare-associated infections, and the impact of cultural values and social norms., Conclusion: This exploratory study offers novel findings regarding the factors influencing IPC compliance among patients and their family/private carers across various cultural settings, irrespective of resource availability. The role of cultural values and social norms and their impact on IPC compliance must be acknowledged when updating or revising IPC policies and guidelines., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Park, Pardosi, Respati, Nurhayati, Islam, Chowdhury and Seale.)

Introduction: Several studies exhibited varying reports of perception toward vaccine effectiveness, vaccine hesitancy, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. As this fluctuated with evidence generation, this study explored the perception toward vaccine effectiveness in rural and urban communities among various countries., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted online from April to August 2021 using convenience sampling among people from different countries approved by the Asia Metropolitan University Medical Research and Ethics. We adapted the questionnaire from the World Health Organization's (WHO) survey tool and guidance on COVID-19. The logistic regression models were performed to show perception toward vaccine effectiveness., Results: A total of 5,673 participants responded to the online survey. Overall, 64% of participants agreed that the vaccine effectively controlled viral spread, and 23% agreed that there was no need for vaccination if others were vaccinated. Males had 14% higher odds of believing that there was no need for vaccination. Less social media users had 39% higher odds of developing the belief that there is no need for vaccination than all other people vaccinated., Conclusion: People's perceptions toward vaccine acceptance have fluctuated with the information flow in various social media and the severity of COVID-19 cases. Therefore, it is important that the current scenario of peoples' perception toward vaccine acceptance and determinants affecting the acceptance are explored to promote the vaccination approach against COVID-19 prevention and transmission effectively., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Marzo, Shrestha, Sapkota, Acharya, Shrestha, Pokharel, Ahmad, Patalinghug, Rahman, Salim, Bicer, Lotfizadeh, Wegdan, Moura Villela, Jermsittiparsert, Hamza, Saleeb, Respati, Fitriyana, Bhattacharya, Heidler, Qalati, Aung, Abid, Abeje, Pokhrel, Roien, King and Su.)

Introduction: It is clear that medical science has advanced much in the past few decades with the development of vaccines and this is even true for the novel coronavirus outbreak. By late 2020, COVID-19 vaccines were starting to be approved by national and global regulators, and across 2021, there was a global rollout of several vaccines. Despite rolling out vaccination programs successfully, there has been a cause of concern regarding uptake of vaccine due to vaccine hesitancy. In tackling the vaccine hesitancy and improving the overall vaccination rates, digital health literacy (DHL) could play a major role. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the digital health literacy and its relevance to the COVID-19 vaccination., Methods: An internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to August 2021 using convenience sampling among people from different countries. Participants were asked about their level of intention to the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants completed the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI), which was adapted in the context of the COVID Health Literacy Network. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression were used for analysis purpose., Results: Overall, the mean DHL score was 35.1 (SD = 6.9, Range = 12-48). The mean DHL score for those who answered "Yes" for "support for national vaccination schedule" was 36.1 (SD 6.7) compared to 32.5 (SD 6.8) for those who either answered "No" or "Don't know". Factors including country, place of residence, education, employment, and income were associated with the intention for vaccination. Odds of vaccine intention were higher in urban respondents (OR-1.46; C.I.-1.30-1.64) than in rural respondents. Further, higher competency in assessing the relevance of online information resulted in significantly higher intention for vaccine uptake., Conclusion: Priority should be given to improving DHL and vaccination awareness programs targeting rural areas, lower education level, lower income, and unemployed groups., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Marzo, Su, Ismail, Htay, Essar, Chauhan, Patalinghug, Kucuk Bicer, Respati, Fitriyana, Baniissa, Lotfizadeh, Rahman, Salim, Villela, Jermsittiparsert, Aung, Hamza, Heidler, Head, Brackstone and Lin.)

Background: Mass vaccination campaigns have significantly reduced the COVID-19 burden. However, vaccine hesitancy has posed significant global concerns. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics that influence perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, acceptability, hesitancy and decision making to take vaccine among general adult populations in a variety of socioeconomic and cultural contexts., Methods: Using a snowball sampling approach, we conducted an online cross-sectional study in 20 countries across four continents from February to May 2021., Results: A total of 10,477 participants were included in the analyses with a mean age of 36±14.3 years. The findings revealed the prevalence of perceptions towards COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness (78.8%), acceptance (81.8%), hesitancy (47.2%), and drivers of vaccination decision-making (convenience [73.3%], health providers' advice [81.8%], and costs [57.0%]). The county-wise distribution included effectiveness (67.8-95.9%; 67.8% in Egypt to 95.9% in Malaysia), acceptance (64.7-96.0%; 64.7% in Australia to 96.0% in Malaysia), hesitancy (31.5-86.0%; 31.5% in Egypt to 86.0% in Vietnam), convenience (49.7-95.7%; 49.7% in Austria to 95.7% in Malaysia), advice (66.1-97.3%; 66.1% in Austria to 97.3% in Malaysia), and costs (16.0-91.3%; 16.0% in Vietnam to 91.3% in Malaysia). In multivariable regression analysis, several socio-demographic characteristics were identified as associated factors of outcome variables including, i) vaccine effectiveness: younger age, male, urban residence, higher education, and higher income; ii) acceptance: younger age, male, urban residence, higher education, married, and higher income; and iii) hesitancy: male, higher education, employed, unmarried, and lower income. Likewise, the factors associated with vaccination decision-making including i) convenience: younger age, urban residence, higher education, married, and lower income; ii) advice: younger age, urban residence, higher education, unemployed/student, married, and medium income; and iii) costs: younger age, higher education, unemployed/student, and lower income., Conclusions: Most participants believed that vaccination would effectively control and prevent COVID-19, and they would take vaccinations upon availability. Determinant factors found in this study are critical and should be considered as essential elements in developing COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to boost vaccination uptake in the populations., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Vaccines are effective and reliable public health interventions against viral outbreaks and pandemics. However, hesitancy regarding the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is evident worldwide. Therefore, understanding vaccination-related behavior is critical in expanding the vaccine coverage to flatten the infection curve. This study explores the public perception regarding COVID-19 vaccination and identifies factors associated with vaccine hesitancy among the general adult populations in six Southeast Asian countries., Methods: Using a snowball sampling approach, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among 5260 participants in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam between February and May 2021. Binary logistic regression analysis with a backward conditional approach was applied to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy., Results: Of the total, 50.6% were female, and the median age was 30 years (range: 15-83 years). The majority of the participants believed that vaccination effectively prevents and controls COVID-19 (81.2%), and 84.0% would accept COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. They agreed that health providers' advice (83.0%), vaccination convenience (75.6%), and vaccine costs (62.8%) are essential for people to decide whether to accept COVID-19 vaccines. About half (49.3%) expressed their hesitancy to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. After adjustment for other covariates, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was significantly associated with age, residential area, education levels, employment status, and family economic status. Participants from Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam were significantly more likely to express hesitancy in receiving COVID-19 vaccines than those from Philippines., Conclusions: In general, participants in this multi-country study showed their optimistic perception of COVID-19 vaccines' effectiveness and willingness to receive them. However, about half of them still expressed their hesitancy in getting vaccinated. The hesitation was associated with several socioeconomic factors and varied by country. Therefore, COVID-19 vaccination programs should consider these factors essential for increasing vaccine uptake in the populations., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The COVID-19 pandemics caused an unprecedented mortality, distress, and globally poses a challenge to mental resilience. To our knowledge, this is the first study that aimed to investigate the psychological distress among the adult general population across 13 countries. This cross-sectional study was conducted through online survey by recruiting 7091 respondents. Psychological distress was evaluated with COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). The crude prevalence of psychological distress due to COVID-19 is highest in Vietnam, followed by Egypt, and Bangladesh. Through Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis, the respondents from Vietnam holds the highest level of distress, while the respondents from Sri Lanka holds the lowest level of distress with reference to Nepal.Female respondents had higher odds of having reported psychological distress, and those with tertiary education were less likely to report psychological distress compared to those with lower level of education. The findings indicate that psychological distress is varies across different countries. Therefore, different countries should continue the surveillance on psychological consequences through the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor the burden and to prepare for the targeted mental health support interventions according to the need. The coping strategies and social support should be provided especially to the lower educational attainment group., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)