Journals on medical research |BJSTR

Do We Really Need Lie Scales to Detect Faking on Self-Report Measures?

Overview


Objectively scored non-cognitive instruments such as Likert-Style self-report questionnaires are used routinely for information gathering, diagnosis, placement, theory building, prediction, classification, and selection within numerous disciplines including biomedicine. However, one of the most serious drawbacks to such measures is their susceptibility to response biases that can undermine valid interpretation of results. Pervasive among such biases is Socially Desirable Responding (SDR), which reflects tendencies to endorse (fake good) or deny (fake bad) socially acceptable behaviors when something can be gained by doing so. A common way to address such problems is to administer validity or so called “lie” scales intended to detect such response tendencies along with the targeted measures of interest. Examples of such validity scales include the K and L scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory [1,2], Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale [3], Edwards Social Desirability Scale [4], Eysenck Lie Scale [5], Martin-Larsen Approval-Motivation Scale [6], Jacobson-Kellogg Social Desirability Inventory [7], Self- and Other- Deception Questionnaires [8], Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR; [9]), and Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS; [10]), among others

The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR)


The BIDR and PDS are widely used companion measures that can be coupled with any self-report questionnaire to detect possible faking. They are essentially the same instruments, sharing 38 of 40 items in common and the same theoretical underpinning. Both instruments also are more comprehensive than most of the ones previously cited because they measure two distinct components of socially desirable responding: Impression Management (IM) and Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE; see, e.g., [11-13]). The SDE subscale consists of 20 items intended to measure honest but inflated self-presentation. High scores on SDE demonstrate exaggeration of skills and lack of self-awareness. The IM scale consists of 20 items that reflect uncommon but socially desirable behaviors. Higher scores on IM may reflect intentional attempts to present a socially approved but inaccurate image to others. Similarly, lower scores on IM and SDE can reflect a socially disapproved and oppositely distorted image to others. Each subscale consists of equal numbers of positively and negatively phrased items. In common applications, the BIDR includes a 7-point response metric, whereas the PDS includes a 5-point response metric, although both inventories could include either metric. Within each instrument, the lowest scale point is labeled as “not true” and highest as “very true,” with negatively keyed items reverse scored. We report results for the BIDR here due to its widespread use, effectiveness in detecting faking (see, e.g., [14-16]), and availability from its author Delroy Paulhus at no cost (https://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~dpaulhus/).

Although both the BIDR and PDS have been effectively used to detect faked responses to questionnaires, they each are 40 items in length and thus are frequently impractical to administer. One possible way to avoid using validity scales altogether is to use responses to the targeted measures themselves to detect faking directly. Over the years, many such techniques, varying in complexity, have been proposed (see e.g., [17-19]). Unfortunately, in most cases, these techniques have not fared any better than external validity scales in detecting faking.

A Simple Way to Detect Faking Without Lie Scales

One extremely simple technique that our research team recently considered for detecting faking was to use total scores for instruments that have multiple subscales measuring weakly correlated constructs. For most self-report measures, respondents can recognize responses that are socially desirable or undesirable and fake accordingly (see [19] for a comprehensive review of studies into faking responses on personality inventories). However, with multidimensional inventories with weakly correlated subscale scores, a pattern of highly desirable or undesirable responses across all subscales would be very unusual when responding honestly, and therefore provide an alternative and potentially more effective way to detect faking. After coming up with this idea, we checked back over the research literature to determine whether others had used this technique in the past. We uncovered only one such study in which Comrey and Backer [20] found that the total score from the Comrey Personality Scales was more effective in detecting faking than were validity scale scores and other indices derived from item scores within the same instrument.

Purpose of our Recent Study

Given that the Comrey and Backer [20] study is nearly 50 years old, and that their approach has seemingly not been used much thereafter, we decided to put it to the test in a new study that we recently described at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association [21]. In the remainder of this brief article, we will share results from that study in which we compared the effectiveness of the validity scales from the BIDR and total scores from the Big Five Inventory [22] in detecting instances of faking good and faking bad.

Methods

Participants and Measures

We assigned 448 college students at random to two research conditions: (1) fake good (n =224) and (2) fake bad (n =224). In each condition, respondents completed web-based versions of the Big Five Inventory (BFI; [22], also see [19,23-26]) followed by the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR; [9-10], also see [15,16,18,24,27-31]). The BFI has 44 items with five 8- to 10-item subscales that measure five superordinate dimensions of personality: Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness, answered using a 5-point Likert-style response metric (1 = disagree strongly, 2 = disagree a little, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree a little, and 5 = agree strongly). As noted earlier, the BIDR has two 20-item subscales to measure Impression Management (IM) and Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE) using a 7-point response metric (1 = not true, 4 = somewhat true, 7 = very true).

Procedure

Participants in each research condition answered the measures honestly first, and then again to convey either the best (fake good) or worst (fake bad) impressions of themselves. To use all collected data to full advantage (that is, include 448 cases in each condition), we combined fake-good scores with honest scores for the fake-bad condition and combined fake-bad scores with honest scores from the fake-good condition. When computing total scores across subscales for the BFI, responses to the Neuroticism subscale were reverse scored so that higher scores would represent more socially desirable responses. Classification accuracy (correctly labeling honest and faked responses), false-positive-error rate (labeling honest as faked responses), and false-negative-error rate (labeling faked as honest responses) were calculated for all scoring points for each scale within the BFI and BIDR under fake-good and fake-bad conditions. The score that maximized overall classification accuracy was selected as the cut score for each scale, and overall classification accuracy was compared across subscales and instruments. Using large and equal size groups for honest and faked responding was intended to provide very strict and conservative tests of classification accuracy because it would rarely be the case in practice that half of the respondents would willfully fake responses.

Results

Cut scores and indices of classification accuracy are provided in Tables 1 & 2 for faking good and faking bad, respectively. Our analyses for individual subscales revealed that Neuroticism, when reversed scored, was best for detecting faking good (90.38% classification accuracy), and that Agreeableness was best for detecting faking bad (95.19% classification accuracy). At the overall instrument level, total BFI scores were better than total BIDR scores for detecting both faking good (93.75% versus 89.90% classification accuracy) and faking bad (95.67% versus 93.00% classification accuracy).

Table 1: CT Exam Protocol.

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Note: BIDR = Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding [9]; BFI = Big Five Inventory [22].

Table 2: Cut scores and Indices of Classification Accuracy for Detecting Faking Bad.biomedres-openaccess-journal-bjstr

Note: BIDR = Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding [9]; BFI = Big Five Inventory [22].

Summary and Conclusions

Since the beginning of formal uses of objectively scored self-report measures, socially desirable responding and related tendencies to fake responses have been serious concerns for users of results from such measures. Accordingly, a wide variety of methods to discourage and detect such invalid response tendencies have been suggested and evaluated over the years. Administering validity or “lie” scales along with the targeted measures of interest is perhaps the most common technique used to detect faking but has the drawback of requiring administration of extra items. To address such inefficiencies, we revisited the technique of using total scores for measures that assess multiple, and ideally weakly correlated, constructs. To provide a strong test of the effectiveness of the “total score-based” method, we implemented it using a brief length but widely administered personality inventory along with one of most comprehensive direct measures of socially desirable responding available to large and equal size honest and faking groups. Results were very encouraging in showing that the “total score-based” method outperformed popular extended length validity scales while requiring no additional items beyond those from the targeted instrument. The total score technique also would be expected to perform even better with longer measures, additional subscales, and lower correlations among subscale scores. We, therefore, encourage further research into and application of this promising “rediscovered” procedure for detecting faking on self-report measures sharing the characteristics considered here.

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Journals on Medical drug and theraputics |BJSTR

GC-MS Analysis of Terpenoids Extracted from Buchholzia Coriacea Seed Displayed Inhibitory Potentials Against Sars Spike Protein Receptor Binding Pocket

Editorial

Chronic silicosis, interstitial pneumonia, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, siderosis, nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, connective tissue- related pulmonary fibrosis, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, acute interstitial pneumonitis, and desquamative interstitial pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, familial pulmonary fibrosis, and asbestosis are among the commonly known (internal) lung diseases, infections, and injuries [1]. Pneumonia and acute bronchitis are examples of lung infections that can cause serious side effects including pulmonary hypertension and respiratory failure. This editorial examined the general pathophysiological characteristics, mechanisms, and occurrences of various injuries. Severe lung infections initiate acute respiratory distress syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that declines lung function [2]. Simultaneously, the lungs become inflamed and make breathing difficult. Moreover, inflammation leads to the overproduction of mucus and thickening of the lining of the lungs. These unnatural alterations disturbed gas exchange for respiration and therefore, excessive inflammation can be life-threatening. Besides, harmful pathogens always remain in the contacts, and inflammation is necessary to eliminate these fatal elements. Therefore, a perfect balance between inflammation and anti-inflammation is critical for the proper functioning of the lung and its homeostasis [3]. These pathological settings initiate various diseases such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid lung disease, interstitial lung diseases, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary sarcoidosis, and pulmonary hypertension.

The cellular and molecular aspects of lung inflammation during acute and chronic inflammatory states were described. Alveolar macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells networking operate through extracellular vesicles for cell-cell crosstalk. Intercellular communications influence the releases of cytokines and mediators to modify routes. Oxidative stress initiates the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and induces airway hyperreactivity and neutrophilic inflammation, resulting in cell death. The initial oxidant insult initiates the secretion of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and proteases that activate NLRP3 inflammasome, alveolar septa destruction, remodeling, fibrosis, cell death pathways, and IL-1, and can be considered novel therapeutic targets. Furthermore, the generation of TNFα initiate inflammatory responses that propagate many diseases, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, and respiratory distress diseases. The suggested pharmacological agents reduce the impact of TNFα in the progression of diseases and inflammation. Immunological elucidation, and anti-TNFα therapeutic strategies can be discovered new therapeutic targets to cure inflammatory diseases and helpful to the diagnosis of inflammation and cell death. The features of host-pathogen, host-allergen, and host-particle interactions were shaped by infiltrating immune cells and secreted innate immune proteins. Apoptotic cell, neutrophil, alveolar macrophages and epithelial cell interactions tackled lung inflammation (Figure 1) [4].

Figure 1

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Furthermore, pharmacological manipulation can influence the routes of lung inflammation by dealing with neutrophil/eosinophil. SARC-2 infection initiates predominantly respiratory disease and various disorders of the airway, lung parenchymal, pulmonary vascular, and respiratory neuromuscular. As a result, alveolar injury promotes airway capacity and multi-organ failure that further induce hyper production of cytokines, defined as cytokine storm [5]. Clinical evidence influenced circulating leukocyte subsets and cytokine secretion, including IL-6, MCP-3, TNF, GM-CSF, IFN-induced protein 10), IL- 17, IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-1ra. By blocking proinflammatory cytokines through therapeutics such as immunoregulatory therapy, nanotechnology and corticosteroids, these storms can be prevented [6]. The concerned routes such as neutrophil NETosis, macrophages, and T cell response, that promote cytokine storm and triggered associated diseases, must be examined for searching for the therapeutics targets [5]. These illustrations proved a few similarities of it with pneumonia. The components of the cytokine storm, such as IL-6, TNF, and IL-1β, initiate vascular hyper permeability, multiorgan failure. Overall, overproduction of aforementioned components, after over a time period, becomes uncontrolled induced death. The proposed nanotherapeutics have the potential to target the inflammatory response requisite for pathogen clearance during normal proceedings (Figure 2).

Figure 2

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SARS-CoV-2 primarily affects the respiratory system and then spreads systemically to the other organs. The higher ACE-2 expression makes the alveolar epithelial cells more accessible for SARSCoV- 2 [7,8]. In its most severe form, SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a life-threatening pneumonia, advancing to the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure. Immunopathology of such infection signals toward the dysfunctional innate and adaptive immune pathways in lung alveolar cells [9]. This hyperinflammatory immune crosstalk is explained by the infiltration of activated monocytes/ macrophages and T cells, excessive release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, interleukins (IL), interferon (INF), interferon- γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIP), transforming growth factors and others [10,11]. The cytokine storm in patients with Covid-19 is associated with the elevated serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IP-10, TNF, INF-γ, MIP (1α and 1β), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [12]. In most of the cases, a direct correlation is observed between the viral burden (i.e., nasopharyngeal viral load) and cytokine levels (e.g., INF-α, γ, and TNF) [13]. The severity of illness in a small fraction of patients with cytokine storm is also related with the coexisting ailments (like cancer, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other). The chronic course of infection in such patients is either because of their pre-established chronic inflammation or the possibility of an early onset of organ failure under that cytokine storm. Higher mortality rate of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients is associated with the elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines in several reports [12,14]. Therefore, treatment strategies for an effective suppression of inflammatory cytokine’s activity, along with the restoration of the host’s homeostasis become crucial [15]. However, for various reasons, therapeutic considerations for the treatment of COVID-19 associated cytokine storm are very complex, unlike the several other cytokine storm conditions [5]. Presently, the major therapeutic candidates considered to manage cytokine storm in hospitalized patients include IL-6 inhibitors (Tocilizumab and Sarilumab), JAK/STAT (Janus kinases/signal transducers and activators of transcription) inhibitors (Ruxolitinib and Baricitinib), IL-1 receptor antagonist (Anakinra), and Corticosteroids etc [16,17]. With several candidates in the pipeline, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms is essential for their clinical success.

Acknowledgement

One of the authors, Rajiv Kumar, gratefully acknowledges his younger brother, Bitto.

Consent for Publication

Not Applicable.

This research received no particular grant from any funding agency in the public, private, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Data Availability Statement

Due to the nature of the research, [ethical, legal/commercial] supporting data is not applicable and thus not available.

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Journals on Medical Microbiology |BJSTR

GC-MS Analysis of Terpenoids Extracted from Buchholzia Coriacea Seed Displayed Inhibitory Potentials Against Sars Spike Protein Receptor Binding Pocket

Background

Human Corona Viruses

Corona viruses (CoVs), a family of viruses that cause respiratory and intestinal illnesses in humans and animals (Cui et al. [1]). They usually cause mild colds in people but the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in China in 2002-2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) on the Arabian Peninsula in 2012 show they can also cause severe disease (Cui et al. [1]). Today, HCoVs are well known for rapid evolution due to high nucleotide substitution and recombination rate (Vijgen et al. [2]). HCoVs have been appeared periodically in deferent places around the world and linked with major outbreaks of human fatal pneumonia since the beginning of the 21st century (Wu et al. [3]). First CoV outbreak as severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV) started in November, 2002 at Foshan, China (Ge et al. [4]) and later turned into global infection in 2003 with a lethal rate of 10% worldwide (Lee et al. [5]). Following one decade, second HCoV pandemic was caused by Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERS-CoV), originated in June, 2012 at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Ge et al. [4]), with a global fatality rate of 35% (de Groot et al. [6]). Recent third major HCoV explosion, occurred in December, 2019 at Wuhan province of China, caused by highly homologous novel strain of SARS-CoV, classified as severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2); designated the infection as COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) pandemic (Zhu et al. [7]). These HCoVs outbreaks are classified as continuous threat to humans and world economy because of their unpredicted emergence, rapid and easy proliferation that lead to catastrophic consequences (Zhu et al. [7]).

The virus and its host shared a complex relationship, including numerous viral and host factors, for initiation of viral infection; subsequently in potential pathogenesis (Lim et al. [8]). As intracellular obligate parasites, viruses have also advanced various strategies to hi- jack host-cell machineries (Lim et al. [8]). For HCoVs, there is no potential therapeutic agent such as drug or vaccine; thus, strict implementation of high vigilance such as for SARS-CoV-2 has been recommended for prevention and to check the infection (Cheng et al. [9]). Researchers and Authorities (WHO, CDC Atlanta and others) across the globe are working to combat the current on-going SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks, and identifying the possible origin of this novel virus to develop effective therapeutics (Cohen, et al. [10-12]). Therefore, identifying the route of origin and pathogenesis of major pathogenic HCoVs may provide cognizance in the development of potential therapeutics.

These viruses have been confronted on several occasions with prerequisite to classify a newly emerged virus associated to a severe or even fatal disease in humans under existing genera or a new species (Gorbalenya et al. [13]). In this context, current classification distributed 39 species of CoVs in 27 subgenera, 5 genera, and 2 subfamilies that categorized under family Coronaviridae, suborder Cornidovirineae, order Nidovirales, and realm Riboviria (Gorbalenya et al. [13,14]). Herein, HCoVs are categorized under subfamily Coronavirinae of family Coronaviridae, are genotypically and serologically alienated into four major genera; AlphaCoV, BetaCoV, GammaCoV, and DeltaCoV, by International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses (Wu et al. [3]). Remdesivir, a prodrug of an adenosine nucleotide analogue, is an antiviral agent with broad-spectrum activity against viruses from several families (Brown, et al. [15]). Remdesivir was previously under development for the treatment of Ebola virus disease in the wake of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreaks in West Africa. While it was a promising therapeutic agent for Ebola virus disease in preclinical studies (Warren, et al. [16]), monoclonal antibodies out performed remdesivir in a phase III clinical trial (Mulangu, et al. [17]) and remdesivir is no longer being developed in this indication. The antiviral activity of remdesivir against corona viruses, however, has rendered the drug of great interest during the current global pandemic.

The novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December, 2019. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January, 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March, 2020 spurring an international effort to rapidly identify treatments that might ease the burden on health care systems. Phase III trials of remdesivir in COVID-19 were initiated as early as February, 2020 (WHO, 2020). Based on data from the multinational phase III ACTT-1 and SIMPLE-severe trials, remdesivir received an emergency use authorization in the USA on 1 May, 2020, and a special approval for emergency use in Japan on 7 May, 2020. Remdesivir received its first conditional approval for use in patients with severe COVID-19 in Taiwan in late May, 2020 with this conditional approval requiring the pharmaceutical company to implement a risk management plan to ensure safety.

Buchholzia. Coriacea Plant

Buchholzia. coriacea was named after R. W. Buchholz who collected plants in Cameroon in the late 19th century (Anie, et al. [18]). It belongs to the Capparaceae family. The seed of B. coriacea has medicinal values. These seeds gave the plants its common name of “wonderful kola” because of its usage in traditional medicine. The seeds are covered in a purple aril which is chewed in Ivory Coast and has a sharp pungent taste. (Burkill [19]) carried out a research on the medical uses of this plant in different parts of Africa. It has been used for years to meet a variety of illnesses; since it has been used continually over many generations it is likely that wonderful kola actually has an effect against illnesses. As a result of its supposed broad-spectrum activity, there is need to conduct studies on potential utilization of wonderful kola in foods. This research is aimed at studying the molecular interaction between secondary metabolites analyzed from the terpenoids of B. coriacea, and SARS spike protein receptor binding domain using Schrödinger Suite and also to evaluate the ADME analysis of the terpenoids of B. coriacea using Qikprop.

Materials and Methods

Extraction of Terpenoid from Buchholzia Coriacea

The method described by (Jiang et al., 2016) was employed for the extraction of terpenoid from the seed of Buchholzia coriacea. The powdered seed were soaked in n-hexane for 72 hours at room temperature and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated in a rotary evaporator at 50ºC. Terpenoids were extracted from the crude by 85:15 v/v n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and silica gel (pore size 230–400 mesh, Sigma-Aldrich catalog number: 227196). Agilent 6890a GC equipped with an HP5-MS column (30 m × 0.250 mm × 0.25 μm) coupled to an Agilent 5975C Mass Spectral Detector or Flame Ionization Detector (FID) was employed for the characterization of the terpenoids.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC/MS)

The sample was injected into Gas Chromatography (GC) in a port which was heated up to 3000C where the material then volatilized. The column was wound within a special oven which controls temperatures from -200 to 3200. The column surface is coated with a material which will separate the various chemical compounds in the sample based on size and/or polarity. Sample components that are more volatile and smaller in size will travel through the column faster than others; hence, gaseous components are separated as they flow through the column into the mass spectrophotometer. The mass spectrum is used to identify the components by comparing each to reference libraries of over 275,000 unique spectra. To quantify compounds within the analyzed sample, analysts establish a standard curve of known concentrations of each material.

Ligand Library Generation and Preparation

Structures of Terpenoid compounds (two dimensional) Caffeic acid, Ferulic acid, Flavone, Gallic acid, Phenol, and Rutin were mined from PubChem online database (Kim et al., 2016) in sdf format and was prepared using ligprep tool (Schrödinger, 2021), (Using Epik at pH 7.0 with OPLS3 force field). Maestro, Schrodinger Suite 2021 (Schrödinger, 2021). A maximum of 32 possible stereoisomers per ligand were obtained.

Target Retrieval and Protein Preparation

X-ray crystallographic structure of SARS spike protein receptor binding domain (2GHV) complexed with an inhibitor as co-crystallized ligand at the active site (RNA 960) (PDB ID: 2GHV) (Asthana et al., 2014) was retrieved from Protein Data Bank (Berman et al., 2000). It was selected as a result of the presence of an inhibitor as ligand at the active site of the protein (David et al., 2018). The retrieved protein was viewed and prepared using Maestro 12.5 (Schrödinger, 2021), Protein preparation wizard, optimized at pH 7.0 and minimized using OPLS3 as force field. Charges and bond orders were assigned and water molecules were deleted. Hydrogen was added to the heavy atoms.

Receptor Grid Generation

Receptor grid shows the area between the ligand and the protein where interaction takes place. For Glide docking, grids were generated by using OPLS-3 force field by keeping the van-der Waals scaling factor of 1.0 and charge cut-off value of 0.25. A box was generated to each direction with 14 Å × 14 Å × 14 Å for docking experiments.

Extra Precision (XP) Ligand Docking

XP ligand docking was performed rather than SP docking because XP is better than SP in scoring function and it also predicts the false positive results (Friesner et al., 2006). This docking was performed in Glide of Schrödinger Maestro v9.4 (Friesner et al., 2004). Final result of docking can be found as glide score by energy minimization. For docking, van-der Waals scaling factor was set to 0.85 and 0.15 for ligand compounds and partial charges cut-off value was fixed at -10.0 kcal/mole. The lowest glide score containing compounds were then subjected to MM-GBSA analysis for binding free energy calculation and best poses were recorded for every ligand compounds.

Prime MM-GBSA

Binding free energy calculation was also carried out for the protein ligand complexes. MM-GBSA is a combined method for binding free energy calculation which was used in this experiment that accumulates OPLSAA molecular mechanics energies (EMM), an SGB solvation model for polar solvation (GSGB), and a non-polar solvation term (GNP) composed of the non-polar solvent accessible surface area and van-der Waals interactions (Rastelli et al., 2010). The best poses from the Glide score were used for binding free energy calculation. The total free energy of binding: ΔGbind = Gcomplex – (Gprotein + Gligand), where G = EMM + GSGB + GNP

Ligand based ADME Analysis

Analysis of physiological descriptors of a compound such as adsorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion behaviour of the ligand compounds ADME analysis was done in QikProp module of Schrodinger (Natarajan et al., 2015). It also predicts the physico- chemical nature of the compounds as well as their pharmacokinetics properties. In this study, we used the Qikprop 3.2 module of Schrodinger (Sharma et al., 2011). There are also several other descriptors also analyzed such as Predicted IC50 for blocking HERG K+channel in-vitro, predicted octanol or water partition coefficient [log P(o/w)], number of hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA), number of hydrogen bond donors (HBD), predicted aqueous solubility (log s), solvent-accessible surface area (SASA), skin permeability (logKp), MDCK cell permeability (MDCK), binding to human serum albumin (logKhsa), blood-brain partition coefficient (logBB), percentage human oral absorption rate (Table 1).

Table 1: 2D structure of terpenoids from buchholzia coriacea extract obtained from NCBI PUBCHEM and EMBL-EBI database.

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Results

(Tables 2-4) and (Figures 1-7).

Table 2: Docking score of SARS spike protein receptor binding domain (2GHV) with the secondary metabolites analysed from B. coriacea and remdesivir as the standard drug.

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Table 3: ADME properties of some secondary metabolites analysed from B. coriacea using QIKPROP.

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Table 4: ADME properties of some secondary metabolites analysed from B. coriacea using QIKPROP.

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Note: WHERE;
Total solvent accessible surface area, SASA = 300.0-1000.0
Hydrogen bonds donor, HB donor = 0.0-6.0
Hydrogen bonds acceptor, HB acceptor = 2.0-20.0
Predicted IC50 value for blockage of HERG K+ channels, QPlogHERG = Concern below -5
Predicted qualitative human oral absorption, HOA (%) = >80% is high, <25% is poor
Predicted blood/brain partition coefficient, QPlogBB = -3.0-1.2
Predicted value for serum protein binding QPlogKHsa
Predicted octanol/water partition coefficient, QPlog Po/w = -2.0-6.5

Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Figure 5

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Figure 6

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Figure 7

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Discussion and Conclusion

Discussion

The corona viral surface spike protein S is a type-I transmembrane glycoprotein that mediates initial host binding via the cell surface receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), as well as the subsequent membrane fusion events required for cell entry. The SARSCoV surface spike protein S mediates viral entry into the host cell and includes two functional domains as follows: S1 (Gly13–Arg667) and S2 (Ser668–Thr1255). S1contains the host-specific receptor binding domain (RBD), whereas S2 mediates fusion between viral and host cell membranes (Xu, et al. [20]). Angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2) was identified as a functional receptor for the SARS-CoV (Li, et al. [21]). The recently determined structure of the S1-RBD in complex with the extracellular domain of ACE2 illustrates the structural basis for the initial step of virus-host recognition. As the mediator of host-specific SARS infection and a major viral surface antigen, the S protein is an attractive candidate for both vaccine development and immunotherapy. Marasco and co-workers in 2005 previously identified a potent neutralizing human monoclonal antibody against the S1 RBD, designated “80R,”fromtwonon-immune (i.e not restricted by B cell re-combination) human antibody libraries. 80R binds S1 with nano-molar affinity, blocks the binding of S1 to ACE2, prevents the formation of syncytia in-vitro (Sui et al. [22]), and inhibits viral replication in-vivo.

Deletion studies have shown that the 80R epitope on S1 is located in the minimal ACE2 binding domain, between residues 324 and 503 (Sui, et al. [23]). Terpenoid compounds used in this study were extracted from Buchholzia coriacea. Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS), the compounds were quantified and characterized to give rutin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, flavone, and phenol which have strong antioxidant properties. This study tends to predict the best inhibitor for SARS spike protein receptor binding domain (2GHV) from terpenoid compounds of Buchholzia coriacea using molecular docking approach. The binding affinity of the standard drug remdesivir was compared with other ligands of the compounds derived from B. coriacea. After docking of the phytochemicals with SARS spike protein receptor binding domain, the docking scores were as follows; rutin -7.545 kcal/mol, caffeic acid -7.297 kcal/ mol, flavone -7.276 kcal/mol, ferulic acid -6.696 kcal/mol, gallic acid -6.071 kcal/mol, phenol -4.732 kcal/mol and remdesivir -4.740 kcal/ mol [24-38]. From the result of ADME analysis, the blood brain barrier permeability of the tested compounds was nearly between the acceptable ranges which is very important for a drug to pass through those barriers rutin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, flavone, and phenol showed QPlogBB value of -4.278, -1.661 -1.559, -1.066, 0.078, and 0.101 respectively.

Where the acceptable range is -3.0 to 1.2, rutin could not adhere to the QPlogBB result therefore, would not be able to penetrate blood brain barrier while the remaining compounds sailed through. The secondary metabolites: rutin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, phenol and flavones showed the number of hydrogen bonds donor value of 9, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 respectively. Where acceptable range is 0.0-6.0 and also showed the number of hydrogen bonds acceptor value of 20.55, 4.25, 3.5, 3.5, 0.75 and 2.5 respectively. These are in the value of acceptable range (2.0-20.0) [39-59]. Rutin could not sail through the hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor because it has exceeded the acceptable range while phenol having the least number could also not sail through because it could not meet up the acceptable range. The other compounds were able to adhere to the range.

Rutin, caffeic acid, flavone, ferulic acid, gallic acid and phenol showed solvent accessible surface area value of 767.872, 389.661, 457.137, 408.488, 341.213 and 276.612 respectively where the acceptable range value is 300.0-1000. All compounds sailed through the solvent accessible surface area value except phenol which could not meet up the acceptable range. Predicted IC50 value for blocking Human ethera- go-go related gene (HERG) K+ channel for caffeic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid and phenol were in the acceptable range (below -5), while rutin (-5.127) and flavone (-5.451) were above the acceptable range. The predicted octanol or water partition coefficient for the compounds were also analysed rutin, caffeic acid, flavone, ferulic acid, gallic acid and phenol showed -2.567, 0.539, 3.553, 1.389, -0.577 and 1.459 respectively where the acceptable range is -2.0-6.5. Human oral absorption rate was greater for flavone (100%), phenol (100%), ferulic acid (68.81%), caffeic acid (54.072%), gallic acid (41.457%) and rutin (0%) [60-70]. where the acceptable percentage < 25% is poor and > 80% is good. Caffeic acid, gallic acid and ferulic acid with the binding affinities -7.297 kcal/mol, -6.071 kcal/mol and -6.696 kcal/ mol greater than the binding affinity of the standard drug (remdesivir) -4.740 kcal/mol sailed through the 8 ADME analysis. Therefore, they could be lead compounds in the treatment of SARS-COV [71-74].

Conclusion

Conclusively, further wet research should be carried out on caffeic acid, gallic acid and ferulic acid using in-vivo analysis to validate the result. Clinical verification is needed to ascertain them as better drugs with little or no side effects in the management of SARS-COV.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the Director of Research, Center for Biosafety and Drug Development (CBDD), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria for allowing us to use his laboratory.

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Open access clinical and medical journal |BJSTR

Advances in the Study of the Effects of Anesthetics on the Neural Circuit of the Brain

Background

Approximately 250 million individuals worldwide undergo surgical anesthesia annually [1], a crucial practice aimed at alleviating pain, ensuring patient safety, and facilitating optimal surgical conditions during surgery or invasive procedures. Anesthesia refers to the administration of anesthetics to induce a regulated, temporary state of sensory loss or unconsciousness in individuals. It effectively addresses patients’ conditions through four aspects: analgesia, sedation, muscle relaxation, and loss of consciousness [2]. Prior studies indicate that general anesthesia does not globally suppress the brain as a whole; instead, it modulates the functioning of specific neural networks [3-5], particularly by regulating neural circuits. Neural circuits consist of intricate connections established among various types of neurons in the brain. The interplay between the electrophysiological characteristics of neurons in vivo and the organization of neural circuits gives rise to a sophisticated neuronal network [6]. Neural circuits exert their influence within organisms through various configurations such as series, parallel, feedforward, feedback, positive feedback, negative feedback, and more [7].

Research has demonstrated the association of neural circuits with the processes of pain generation and consciousness. For instance, Redinbaugh, et al. (2018) identified that thalamocortical circuits play a specific role in regulating the onset and cessation of consciousness in macaques [8]. Additionally, local circuits involving medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-midbrain periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) neurons have been implicated in the development of chronic pain [9]. The administration of anesthetics significantly mitigates the risk of pain by modulating these neural circuits. Understanding the current state of research, identifying research focal points, and forecasting future directions are essential for advancing knowledge in a particular field. Bibliometric analysis, employing mathematical, statistical, and quantitative methods, effectively examines the internal relationships and distribution patterns within literature [10]. Despite the increasing publication of relevant papers on nerve circuitry in anesthesia, there remains a dearth of systematic reports on measurement studies in this domain.

Hence, this study aims to address this gap by comprehensively analyzing all research papers on neural circuits and anesthesia indexed in the Web of Science (WOS). Our analysis encompasses publication trends, global contributions, keyword analysis, and more, aiming to delineate the predominant trends in the application of neural circuits in anesthesia research and provide guidance for future investigations. This paper employs bibliometric analysis to visually present four key aspects of anesthesia and neural circuits: publication trends, global contributions, reference mapping, and keyword co-occurrence. Additionally, it synthesizes information on neural circuits and their targets pivotal in the induction of general anesthesia by commonly used anesthetics. This synthesis serves to furnish a theoretical foundation for subsequent scholars interested in advancing research within this field.

Materials and Methods

The primary keywords utilized for the search were (“Anesthesia”) OR (“Anesthetics”) AND (“neuronal circuit” OR “neural circuit” OR “nerve circuits”). Relevant literature on anesthesia and neural circuits was collected from the Web of Science (WOS) database. The search methodology and screening process are outlined in Figure 1A. Our focus was on original articles, excluding other types such as commentaries and reviews. All data, presented in plain text format, encompassed information on countries/regions, titles, keywords, authors, institutions, and journals. The search was concluded on September 13th, 2022, to mitigate any discrepancies arising from database updates. For the analysis of country/region contributions and keyword significance, VOS viewer 1.6.18 was employed. In the network generated by VOS viewer, the size of each node indicated the number of publications, with larger nodes representing more publications. Links between nodes depicted the relevance among various parameters (countries/regions, institutions, authors, or keywords), with thicker links indicating stronger connections. Furthermore, domain overlay analysis was conducted using both VOS viewer 1.6.18 and Pajek 645.16. Data processing and visualization, including publication year statistics, citation frequency analysis, and the calculation of average citation time and H-index for each country, institution, or author per project, were carried out using Microsoft Excel 2019 and Origin. Given that our analysis was based on publicly available datasets, an ethical statement was deemed unnecessary for this study.

Results Publication Trend

A total of 164 articles concerning the utilization of neural circuits in anesthesia were incorporated into the final bibliometric analysis. Examination of annual publication figures revealed a notable upward trajectory in research output over the years, particularly evident from 2010 to 2017 (with 5-15 papers annually) and 2018 to 2022 (with 10-25 articles annually). A significant surge in publications from 2019 to 2021 underscores the growing popularity and widespread attention garnered by the application of anesthesia in neural circuits (Figure 1B).

Figure 1

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Global Contribution

Regional co-authorship analysis revealed interconnectedness among 18 countries and regions, with the USA serving as a research hub, maintaining close collaborations with China, Germany, and the UK (Figure 2A). Despite relatively lower research outputs from Japan, Italy, and Israel, the intensity and volume of their contributions suggest strong interrelations with other countries and significant influence on international research. To visualize the global distribution of publications by country, VOS viewer was utilized and normalized using the correlation intensity method, with a minimum publication threshold set at two. Approximately 19 countries, including the United States (USA), China, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), and others, met this threshold (Figure 2B). In terms of publication numbers, the USA emerged as the most prolific contributor with 85 publications, followed by China (39), the UK (14), and Japan (12) (Table 1). Notable journals such as Science, Current Biology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Nature Reviews Neurology played a significant role in disseminating research on anesthesia and neural circuits (Figures 2C & 2D). Regarding total citations, the top three countries were the US (3181), China (551), and the UK (486). The highest average citation rates were recorded for Switzerland (96.20), Canada (92.88), and Israel (56.14) (Table 1). These findings underscore the predominant influence of the USA and China in this field.

Figure 2

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Authors Distribution

The three most prolific authors in terms of articles published from 1997 to 2022 were Brown Emeryn (12 publications), Akeju Oluwaseun (8 publications), and Purdon Patrick (7 publications), all based in the United States. Following them was Hai-Long Dong (5 publications) from China (Table 2). When considering citations, the top three authors were Brown Emeryn (1126 citations), Purdon Patrick (937 citations), and Pavone Kara (562 citations), also all from the United States (Table 2).

Journal Distribution

An overlay analysis of the cited journals reveals that ‘Anesthesiology’ is the journal with the highest number of citations, followed by ‘Frontiers in Neural Circuits’ (Figure 2C). Notably, in recent years, journals like ‘Current Neuropharmacology’ and ‘Frontiers in Neuroscience’ have experienced a rise in citations (Figure 2D).

Table 1: The Top 11 countries contributing to publications related to neural circuits for anesthesia or anesthetics.

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Table 2: The top authors in the field of Neural Circuits for anesthesia or anesthetics ranked by publication and citation numbers.

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Reference Mapping

We compiled the 25 most cited references (Figure 3B), with the most cited being Franks N, 2008, published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, volume 9, issue 5, pages 370-386 (doi: 10.1038/nrn2372).

Keyword Copolymerization Analysis

Keywords serve as a succinct representation of the core themes within a paper. Conducting a co-occurrence analysis aids in systematically comprehending the research hotspots, progress, and internal relationships within the domain of anesthesia-related neural circuits. In our study, we set the threshold for keyword occurrences in titles at a minimum of 5. Using VOS viewer for this analysis, we established a threshold of at least 16 occurrences for a keyword to be deemed significant. As a result, 234 keywords were identified and grouped into six clusters: general anesthesia, consciousness, propofol, isoflurane, ketamine, and brain (Figures 4A & 4B). The temporal distribution of these keywords was visualized based on the average year of publication, demonstrating ongoing updates and advancements in research pertaining to anesthesia or anesthetic-related neural circuits. Recently emerging keywords such as ‘plasticity’, ‘bispectral index’, and ‘propofol’ underscore growing research interests in these areas (Figure 4C). A co-polymerization analysis, conducted using Cite Space, revealed a concentration of studies on keywords including ‘mechanism’, ‘isoflurane’, ‘synaptic plasticity’, and ‘volatile anesthetic’ from 1994 to 2022 (Figure 4D). Over the last three years, there has been a consistent trend in the number of citations across all keywords. Clustering analysis along the time axis suggests that ‘neural circuits’, ‘mechanisms’, ‘isoflurane’, ‘synaptic plasticity’, and ‘volatile anesthesia’ have been focal points of recent research, potentially indicating directions for future investigations (Figure 4E).

Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Discussion and Prospect

Overview of Research on the Neural Circuit in General Anesthesia

This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on anesthesia and neural circuits, focusing on publications, contributing countries, references, and keywords. The analysis reveals a steady increase in publications from 2019 to 2021, reflecting growing interest and attention in this field. Notably, nineteen countries and regions have contributed papers on anesthesia and associated neural circuits, with China and the USA emerging as the most prolific and influential contributors. Among individual authors, the top three, all from the US, include Brown Emeryn (12 publications), Akeju Oluwaseun (8), and Purdon Patrick (7), followed by Hai-Long Dong (5) from China. In terms of citations, the leading authors are also from the USA, with Brown Emeryn (1126 citations), Purdon Patrick (937), and Pavone Kara (562) garnering the highest citation counts. This underscores the significant role that the USA plays in research related to anesthesia and neural circuits. Keyword analysis reveals current focus areas in this field, including general anesthesia, consciousness, propofol, isoflurane, ketamine, and brain studies. The keyword timeline clusters suggest that neural circuits, mechanisms, isoflurane, synaptic plasticity, and volatile anesthesia are prominent research hotspots in recent years and likely directions for future research.

Concept and Function of General Anesthetics

General anesthetics, administered via inhalation, intravenous injection, or intramuscular injection, exert a reversible depressant effect on the central nervous system. Clinically, they are categorized into two main types: intravenous and inhalation anesthetics [11]. These agents vary in potency and efficacy for different neurobiological effects (Table 3). They possess sedative and analgesic properties; for instance, isoflurane and propofol are commonly utilized for sedation [12,13]. Moreover, certain anesthetics have therapeutic applications for specific conditions; for example, isoflurane can be employed in the treatment of epilepsy [14], while propofol has demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating depression [15]. Nitrous oxide and ketamine induce analgesia by inhibiting glutamate and nicotinic receptors while activating potassium channels, such as TREK-1. Dexmedetomidine mediates analgesia through the locus coeruleus-norepinephrinergic circuit [16]. Each anesthetic influences unique oscillatory dynamics, potentially associated with the modulation of neural circuits downstream of the brainstem and hypothalamus [17], and alters electroencephalogram (EEG) wave patterns and frequencies. Notably, Oluwaseun Akeju’s study administering dexmedetomidine and propofol to volunteers revealed a deeper unconsciousness induced by prolonged large-amplitude slow oscillations [18].

Table 3: Molecular structure and function of commonly used clinical anesthetics.

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Ketamine, for instance, reduces γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSC)-induced β/γ (13-40 Hz) brain wave oscillations [19]. The actions of anesthetics involve multiple neural groups; for instance, propofol and sevoflurane inhibit neuronal activity and/or increase inhibitory synaptic connections in thalamocortical circuits [20] and induce loss of consciousness (LOC) by activating dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing neurons in the nucleus ambiguous [21]. The role of anesthesia in memory formation is significant. Research by Nir Samuel, et al. revealed that circuits within the macaque’s amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex maintain aversive memory acquisition under ketamine and midazolam sedation [22]. In Drosophila, pentazocine released from dorsal paired medial neurons (DPM) inhibits memory formation during isoflurane anesthesia [23]. Improper use of anesthetics can lead to adverse effects; for instance, etomidate increases susceptibility to pneumonia in trauma patients [24], and propofol can cause propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS), potentially resulting in refractory bradycardia and cardiac arrest [14]. In surgical applications, however, anesthetics significantly reduce risks and enhance safety.

Study on Neural Circuit Involved in Different Anesthetics

Based on the insights derived from the aforementioned analyses, we conducted a comprehensive review of studies focusing on anesthesia and neural circuits, with particular emphasis on areas such as sleep, memory, or unconsciousness (Table 4, Figures 5 & 6). We delve into their potential relevance to clinical anesthesia and elucidate the specific pathways implicated in their effects, such as the inhibition of NMDA receptor activity and the upregulation of GABA channel opening (Figure 7). Therefore, drawing on the findings of these analyses, we conducted a review of studies on anesthesia and neural circuits, particularly those related to sleep, memory, or unconsciousness (Table 4, Figures 5 & 6). We explore their potential relevance to clinical anesthesia and the specific pathways implicated in their effects, such as the inhibition of NMDA receptor activity and the upregulation of GABA channel opening (Figure 7).

Table 4: EEG waves evoked by different anesthetics and the neural circuits involved.

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Figure 5

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Figure 6

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Figure 7

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Sevoflurane: Sevoflurane, a well-tolerated volatile anesthetic commonly utilized for inhalation induction, is particularly suitable for pediatric patients. Its clinical effects may include bradycardia, hypotension, cough, and vomiting. Sevoflurane enhances the activity of GABAA-type and glycine receptors [25] and activates double-pore potassium channels [26-30], influencing EEG wave patterns. Notably, sevoflurane induces a significant increase in EEG power in children from infancy to 6 years of age, stabilizing at around 21 years. α wave (8-13 Hz) coherence is a prominent EEG feature associated with sevoflurane-induced unconsciousness in adults [31]. Multiple nuclei groups are implicated in sevoflurane anesthesia. The vestibular nucleus (VN), midbrain pontine tegmental area (MPTA), central medial thalamus (CMT), dorsomedial thalamus (DMT), and parietal association cortex (PAC) within the thalamocortical circuit have been identified as mediators of sevoflurane anesthesia [32]. Additionally, neural circuits regulating consciousness under sevoflurane anesthesia enhance endogenous sleep network activity by activating the ventral lateral preoptic area (VLPO) nucleus in the hypothalamus [33,34]. The induction of prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) glutamatergic and GABAergic-VLPO circuits in the DMH boosts neuronal activity [35]. The inhibition of postsynaptic GABAA receptors and background potassium channels in the medial parabrachial nucleus (MPB) facilitates anesthesia induction [36], while the inhibition of presynaptic Ca2+ channels in hippocampal interneurons and the reduced firing frequency of CMT neurons suppress emergence during anesthesia [37].

Emergence from sevoflurane anesthesia involves various circuits and nuclei. Research by Sarah L. Reitz, et al. found that activation of preprotachykinin-1 (Tac-1) neurons in the preoptic area (POA) induced emergence in mice [38]. Similarly, neurons with dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are involved in consciousness regulation under sevoflurane anesthesia and promote emergence [21]. Blue light stimulation enhances neuronal activity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) under sevoflurane, inducing high levels of c-Fos expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and lateral hypothalamus (LH), thereby facilitating emergence [39]. Transient stimulation of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT)-bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) pathway also induces behavioral emergence in mice and reduces anesthesia depth during induced burst suppression [40]. It has been observed that sevoflurane not only induces anesthesia but also enhances the intrinsic excitability of cerebellar granule cells, shaping neuronal communication without altering the neural circuit [41].

Isoflurane: Isoflurane, a halogen-class inhalation anesthetic, was introduced clinically before sevoflurane and is predominantly used for animal anesthesia. Its molecular formula is C3H2ClF5O. Isoflurane targets two-pore potassium channels, NMDA receptors, glycine receptors, and GABAA receptors. Its interaction with GABAA receptors, particularly within thalamocortical circuits, modifies inhibitory postsynaptic current production in excitatory spiny stellate cells and cone cells of the auditory cortex [42]. Similarly to sevoflurane, isoflurane prevents action potential inhibition by activating potassium channels in the CMT and reducing central thalamic neuronal firing [37]. Isoflurane’s effects extend to the modulation of GABAergic neurons in the lateral septum, which send inhibitory signals to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), influencing the emergence and depth of anesthesia [43,44]. It directly activates neurons in the VLPO [45] and alters the activity of multicellular biological interneurons [46].

Activation of the histaminergic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) induces emergence from isoflurane anesthesia. In Drosophila, TMN damage following isoflurane exposure leads to a loss of the righting reflex and extended emergence time, although it does not significantly affect sensitivity to other anesthetics like propofol, pentobarbital, and ketamine [47]. Post-isoflurane anesthesia, stimulation of anterior nuclear giant cells (aNGC) robustly activates specific neuronal groups in the reticular activating system, enabling extensive reactivation of cortical function and motor behavior in rodents. This involves coordinating multiple emergence-promoting circuits, such as the locus coeruleus and parabrachial nucleus [48]. Mice lacking excitatory amino acid transporter protein 3 (EAAT3) show increased sensitivity to isoflurane-induced anesthesia, mediated by the hypothalamic sleep neural circuit [49]. Light stimulation activates orexinergic neurons in the BF-LC pathway, promoting emergence and motor recovery in rats [50,51]. Research suggests that isoflurane anesthesia primarily affects cortical rather than subcortical structures in mice, leading to diminished thalamus-cortex connections [32]. Connectivity between the solitary bundle nucleus and the ventral lateral or suspected nucleus at the head of the medulla oblongata also decreases under isoflurane anesthesia [52]. Isoflurane influences memory by inhibiting interneurons within the cortical hippocampal circuit [53]. It also impacts neurons in the anterior border of the medial prefrontal limbic and inferior limbic areas, affecting associative learning processes [54]. Additionally, isoflurane affects the activity of cortical limbic and reward-related areas, such as the basal nucleus and limbic thalamic nuclei, which play roles in sensory association processes, emotions, and learning and memory-related behaviors [55].

Ketamine: Ketamine, a general anesthetic administered intravenously, is chemically related to phencyclidine and has the formula C13H16ClNO HCl. It antagonizes NMDA receptors and non-competitively inhibits norepinephrine transporter proteins. Additionally, ketamine upregulates AMPA receptors and activates μ opioid receptors, providing anesthetic, analgesic, amnesic, and sedative effects [56]. It also inhibits Na+ and Ca2+ channels and interacts with monoaminergic, cholinergic, muscarinic, and nicotinic receptors [57]. Distinct from other anesthetics, ketamine selectively inhibits the medial thalamic nucleus, blocks reticular tract conduction in the spinal cord, and activates the limbic system, thereby inducing “dissociative anesthesia”, which is independent of its analgesic properties [58-60].

Ketamine’s blockage of NMDA receptors in cortical interneurons is more pronounced than in pyramidal neurons, resulting in the relative inhibition of the former and hyperactivity in glutamate-mediated pyramidal neurons. This leads to rigidity, shallow sedation, amnesia, and significant analgesia [61,62]. At higher doses, ketamine induces unconsciousness typical of general anesthesia [63]. First introduced in the 1960s as an anesthetic [64], ketamine has potential for psychiatric dependence and is unique among intravenous anesthetics for its analgesic properties. Its clinical use is sometimes limited due to side effects like rapid heart rate, hypertension, and hallucinations [65]. However, its lower respiratory depression capability makes it a preferred choice in settings without reliable ventilatory support. Ketamine has been explored for treating mood disorders [66], addiction [67], schizophrenia [68], and for pain relief [69,70].

Under ketamine anesthesia, EEG characteristically shows a γ burst [71,72], a decrease in α power, and an increase in γ power. This γ power amplification is pronounced in anesthetized rats and monkeys [73]. Ketamine affects the thalamocortical network by altering sensorimotor rhythm amplitudes and interregional blood flow but does not inhibit the thalamus directly [74.,75]. It activates various emergence centers, such as the mesencephalon and brainstem [76], instead of the ventral lateral preoptic nucleus [77]. Ketamine enhances connections between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, remodels cortico-marginal-striatal circuits, and alters overall brain functional connectivity [66]. It consistently elevates activity in the medial substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, frontal cortex, and ventral striatum, potentially improving depression scores in major depressive disorder [78,79] patients through its rapid and sustained effects on the midbrain’s limbic neural network. During ketamine administration, feedback connections in the frontoparietal network progressively weaken and become significantly inhibited post-loss of consciousness [72,80]. Anesthesia studies in monkeys have revealed changes in brain activity regionally, with increases in the fractional amplitude of low and medium frequency fluctuations in various brain regions [81]. Resting-state functional MRI confirms acute changes in brain circuit intensity and connectivity under ketamine, notably disrupting the functional connectivity of the default mode, cognitive control, and medullary affective networks. Currently, conventional treatments for major depressive disorder are slow-acting and less effective with a higher recurrence rate [82,83]. Recently, ketamine has garnered attention as a rapid-acting antidepressant but remains underexplored in anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness studies.

Propofol: Propofol, chemically known as 2,6-diisopropylphenol with the molecular formula C12H18O, is a widely used and extensively studied short-acting intravenous anesthetic in clinical practice. It primarily suppresses neuronal activity by enhancing GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition in the cortex, thalamus, and brainstem [27,84-86]. Propofol facilitates the opening of chloride channels, increasing inward chloride flow, and consequently hyperpolarizing postsynaptic membranes [87]. It is commonly used for the induction and maintenance of sedation and general anesthesia, especially in outpatient procedures. However, its administration can lead to side effects such as respiratory depression, apnea, hypotension, injection pain, and allergies. Dosage of propofol is critical [88], a lower dosage may cause excitation instead of sedation, linked to the activation of AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) [89] in neurons and LTS cell-mediated excitation of cortical interneurons [90-92]. Conversely, a higher dosage can result in unconsciousness [93,94]. The EEG patterns under propofol anesthesia are characterized by frontal alpha oscillations (8 to 12 Hz), delta oscillations (1 to 4 Hz), and slow oscillations (0.1 to 1 Hz). Large amplitude slow oscillations, indicating prolonged neuronal silence, are induced to deepen unconsciousness [18]. α oscillations, synchronized between the thalamus and medial prefrontal cortex, can trigger coherent thalamocortical δ oscillations, which are critical for consciousness.

The transition from sedation to unconsciousness might be attributed to alterations in the GABAergic network across the cortex, thalamus, and brainstem, resulting in an inhibited brain state [93,94]. However, research by Li Ma, et al. indicates that this inhibition is not uniform across the brain. Disproportionate inhibition of functional connectivity in frontal and parietal regions can induce coherent oscillations and intensify certain frontoparietal interactions in the motoneuron [95]. Similarly, Laura D Lewis, et al.’s intracranial cortical EEG recordings during propofol anesthesia revealed uneven local cortical dynamics, suggesting that some cortical areas under anesthesia might be in a state of emergent inhibition while adjacent areas exhibit continuous activity [96]. This uneven activity is evident in the nucleus accumbens during anesthesia, where a significant increase in c-Fos expression in VLPO neurons is observed, leading to loss of consciousness [76]. Stimulating the nucleus ambiguus (NAc) can prolong propofol-induced loss of consciousness by inhibiting functional connectivity between NAc-dorsal raphe (DR) and NAc-cingulate cortex (CG) [97]. Additionally, propofol reduces the excitability of cholinergic neurons in the mouse basal forebrain via GABAA receptors, affecting the basal forebrain’s critical role in sleep-wake regulation [98]. In terms of memory behavior effects, propofol’s sustained activation of GABAA-type receptors leads to long-term potentiation (LTP) injury in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, reducing cortical neuron density [99]. This decrease in excitatory input to cortical pyramidal neurons, along with reduced activity of pyramidal and cortical inhibitory interneurons, has been linked to impaired cognitive and behavioral cortical circuits in neonatal mice, resulting in cognitive and behavioral deficits [100].

Etomidate: Etomidate is a non-barbiturate intravenous anesthetic, primarily mediating anesthesia by enhancing GABAA receptors [101]. It acts rapidly and minimally impacts the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, making it particularly suitable for geriatric patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and an ideal induction agent for cardiac anesthesia [102]. However, etomidate’s inhibition of adrenal cortical endosteroid synthesis has sparked considerable controversy. There is currently no consensus on whether its use should be limited to specific scenarios, especially in cases of infectious shock and critical care patients [103-105]. In a study by Zhang L, et al., EEG data from 20 patients who underwent etomidate- induced general anesthesia were analyzed. The findings suggested that the neural circuit mechanisms inducing unconsciousness were associated with evoked δ-, θ-, α-, and β-wave oscillations, along with enhanced δ-wave coherence [106]. At present, detailed information on the neural circuits involved in etomidate anesthesia remains temporarily unavailable.

Dexmedetomidine: Dexmedetomidine, an agonist of central and peripheral α2-adrenergic receptors (α2-AdRs), induces hyperpolarization, decreases norepinephrine release, and produces sedative, anxiolytic, and analgesic effects. During sedation, spindle oscillations (12 to 16 Hz) in the EEG pattern are significantly induced, akin to those observed during general anesthesia with propofol18. Dexmedetomidine acts on brainstem sleep circuits, binding to presynaptic α2-adrenergic receptors in the locus coeruleus (LC) [107] and mediating sedation that mimics NREM sleep [107,108]. Nelson LE, et al. demonstrated that dexmedetomidine-induced sedation could be reversed by impairing the LC or by injecting an α2-AdR inhibitor into the LC of rats [108]. They observed that activating α2-AdR in nodal papillae nuclei to inhibit the ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) subsequently inhibited the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) via GABA release, similar to selective injections of anesthetics or GABA agonists into the nucleus. However, dexmedetomidine does not significantly alter cortical EEG frequencies, and subcortical function remains connected in anesthetized mice, maintaining interaction between the cortex and thalamus [32,109]. Notably, dexmedetomidine does not reliably induce unconsciousness; its primary use is in sedation, particularly beneficial in “awake craniotomy” where patient communication is necessary [108]. It synergistically enhances the effects of other sedative and analgesic drugs, thus reducing their required dosages. Its clinical application extends to ICU sedation and as a supplement in intraoperative general anesthesia. Our findings are summarized below. Firstly, the presence of neural connections does not always imply functionality.

The existence of structural connections does not guarantee functional connectivity, which necessitates further exploration. Secondly, the current understanding of neural circuits in anesthesia is largely based on animal experiments, suggesting variability in neural circuits between humans and animals due to differences in nervous system development. Therefore, more reliable experimental models are needed for validation. Thirdly, variations in brain structure, synaptogenesis, neuronal differentiation, neurochemical signaling, and myelination at different stages of cerebral development indicate that adult neural network systems cannot be directly applied to children’s brains of various ages [110,111]. Fourthly, no single brain region or mechanism has been definitively linked to consciousness, indicating that consciousness arises from complex functional interactions across different neural circuits and neurons in varying temporal and spatial contexts. Identifying where and when anesthesia targets or takes effect remains a challenging endeavor. It is also difficult to discern common mechanisms among the diverse changes in unconsciousness induced by different anesthetics [112].

Conclusion

In conclusion, our bibliometric analysis of the literature on anesthesia and neural circuits reveals a growing interest in understanding the intricate relationship between anesthetic agents and neural circuitry. Specifically, there is significant research focusing on the involvement of cortex-cortex and thalamus-cortex pathways with anesthetics such as sevoflurane, isoflurane, and propofol. Dexmedetomidine, primarily used for sedation, has been investigated for its effects on brainstem sleep circuits but does not reliably induce unconsciousness. Ketamine, while garnering attention for its potential as a rapid-acting antidepressant, has limited research on its neural circuitry during anesthesia. Studies on the neural circuits related to etomidate are scarce and require further investigation. Overall, our analysis highlights a notable gap in research regarding the precise neural circuits involved in the mechanisms of general anesthesia. Further exploration in this area is crucial for advancing our understanding of anesthesia-induced unconsciousness and developing safer and more effective anesthetic agents and techniques.

Availability of Data and Materials

Not applicable.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

Not applicable.

Consent for Publication

All information and images contained in this article obtained informed consent from all authors.

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ Contributions

Shi-Feng Wang collected the data and wrote the article, Jin-lin Mei and Le-Chen Shen completed the picture production, Qiu-Xia Xiao participated in manuscript revision, and Liu-lin Xiong reviewed the full text.

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Journals on Biomedical Science | BJSTR

Examination on Updating the Life of Mechanical Product in Transportation Arranged in Quantum-Ferried Life Protype and Sample Size

Introduction

The system functioned by machinery brings (produced) power to maintain an organized effect that entails movement & forces and gets mechanical advantages by precisely realizing undisclosed mechanisms. By conducting the vapor compression cycle, a domestic refrigerator lets cooled air from evaporator to refrigerator and freezer division. In the meantime, foods in refrigerator and freezer department may be held recently. Refrigerator is arranged of compressor, condenser, capillary, and evaporator [2]. It might be designed to correctly function over the conditions truly deployed by the consumer. If there are design frailty, product may not instantly function in its assumed lifetime (Figure 1). As finding design frailty by reliability testing and modifying it, an engineer can optimally function it [1]. This organized procedure detains:

(1) ALT scheme,
(2) Load scrutiny,
(3) ALTs with modifications, and
(4) The consideration to discern whether product gets to the designed BX life. For a case investigation, the mechanical product during transportation will be inspected.

Methods

We adopted a cross-sectional study design to determine healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted via a self-administered questionnaire to 373 healthcare workers in five selected healthcare facilities in the Ashanti region sampled through the multistage random technique. There is no standardised and validated device for assessing KAPs on COVID-19. The questionnaire was constructed from two questionnaires that were previously used to determine healthcare workers’ KAP towards COVID-19. Sections of the instruments of Limbu et al. and Kamali et al. were used [6,7].

Measurement

Knowledge and attitude were assessed using a five-point Likert scale, and scoring was conducted by assigning numbers 1-5 to the scale: strongly agree – 5; agree – 4; neutral – 3; disagree – 2; strongly disagree -1. The more frequent answers of 4 and 5 revealed adequate knowledge and a positive attitude, whereas limited knowledge and negative attitude were indicated by more frequent scores of 3 and below. The scoring of the practices of the healthcare workers towards COVID-19 prevention was conducted by assigning 0 to an incorrect answer and 1 to a correct answer. The practice questions were 17 with three options (Yes, NO, and lack of facility/inadequate equipment). The total score was calculated and divided by the number of questions and later multiplied by 100 to obtain the cumulative percentage. The respondents who scored 80%-100% on the knowledge, attitude, and practice questions were considered to have very good knowledge, excellent attitude, and practices 60%-79% had good knowledge, attitude, and practices, and a score less than 60% was considered limited knowledge, poor attitude, and poor practices. The questionnaire comprised 60 items, of which almost all were close-ended questions.

1. Part 1: Comprises the demographic information and source of information on COVID-19.
2. Part 2: Focused on questions about the respondents’ knowledge of COVID-19,
3. Part 3: Included questions on the respondents’ attitude towards COVID-19,
4. Part 4: The respondents answered questions about COVID-19 prevention.

Figure 1

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Parametric ALT in System Functioned by Machinery

Finding in the Schrodinger’s mathematical problem can be discovered:

Linear transport shall be indicated:

For an incident, solid-state diffusion, J, shall be condensed

When Equation (3) takes the reverse, the life-stress (LS) model can be elucidated:

To find the acceleration factor (AF), announced by the relation between the elevated-level stress and common stress, AF may be expressed as:

To reach the allocated time for designed lifetime – B1 life of ten years, sample size united by Equation (6) can be indicated as [2]:

Case Examination: Refurbishing the Fatigue Lifetime of a Household Product Subjected to Random Shakes in Transported by Railroad

Refrigerators were conveyed from the LA situated in the western coast of the U.S. to consumers who lived in the US, the part of the country near the Atlantic Ocean. This trip for an entire travel period – seven days – was 7,200 km. As uttered by market data, after products subjected to random vibrations on rail transit way were transported, refrigerators did not work because the mount rubbers & soldering in compressor were fatigued and the connecting tubes were broken, going along with engineers to request for taking the place of it. Namely, in the US, the interval when earliest failure occurred for two days was approximately 2,500 km during rail transportation. In Chicago, 27% of the carried refrigerators was failed. As the products transported the 7,200-km distance from the western coast of the U.S. to Boston, 67% of the refrigerators was failed. It was evident that the unsuccessful refrigerator had design frailties. To rightly work the product within its assumed lifetime during transportation, as recognizing them by parametric ALT, the company had to alter them (Figure 2). Because of the basis load, Y, force transmissibility, Q, may be defined:

where X is the unchanging solution on the mechanical system, FT is the applied force, Y is the extent of foundation excitations, r is the frequency ratio  is the damping proportion  K is the spring constant.

Figure 2

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As the stress during transit originates from the transported vibration loads, FT, which can be expressed as the power spectral density (PSD) of acceleration on the regulated frequency band, Equation (5) can be defined:

So, discovered on Equation (6), AF may be indicated:

where a1 is the elevated PSD on the assigned frequency band, a0 is the common PSD on the assigned frequency band, R, is amplitude proportion of gravitational acceleration. As inspecting the computed vibration, the natural frequencies for horizontal and vertical vibration were 5 Hz and 9 Hz. The damping proportion was anticipated to be ς = 0.1 with a settling period of 2 sec and approximately 5.3 overshoot. The frequency ratio at the natural frequency ωn also was anticipated to be r .

To attain the AF of random shakes found from the field, elevated PSD to the product were applied to the shaking table for each orientation (Figure 3). From Equation (8), the force transmissibility, Q, had the magnitude of approximately 5.3. Due to acceleration of 1 Grms, the AF was 4.0, roughly calculated to that of worst-case of 0.25 Grms. Employing a cumulative damage constant, λ , of 2.0, the entire AF from Equation (10) was set to be 450.0. As the calculated shape parameter on Weibull plot was 6.41 and the life aim – B1 life for the whole travel distance had, for three samples, the test time attained from Equation (7) was approximated to have 40 min. Namely, if the refrigerator was failed less than once in assigned period – 40 min., product was suitable for the whole travel distance of 7,200 km to live the product fatigued because of random vibration.

Figure 3

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Results and Conclusions

In the 1st ALT, the unsuccessfulness for the stress — 1.00 Grms at the natural frequency (r = 1.0,ς ≈ 0.1) were found. Namely, for these circumstances, at 20 min, mount rubber & soldering were fatigued and tubes on the samples were broken. It happened because of no pillar in the area of stress raiser for the mount rubber to endure the random loads because of parallel vibrations. As action plans, the product was redesigned as the altered rubber mount in compressor, C1 (Figures 4 & 5). In 2nd ALT, the product is successful till 60 min. When product reached at an acceleration of 1.00 Grms in the shake table, the natural frequency on the parallel direction was altered from 5Hz to 8 Hz by the enlarged damping (Figure 6). To enlarge the fatigue lifetime of refrigerator during transit, ALT was developed. The quantum- conveyed life-stress model and sample size were suggested. As an occasion inpsection, enhancing the lifetime of a product fatigued by random vibrations in rail transportation was investigated. As the mount rubbers in compressor was redevised, there were no issues for assigned time – 40 min. So, the product was assured to endure the fatigue produced and fulfil the refrigerator lifetime – B1 life for the whole travel distance.

Figure 4

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Figure 5

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Figure 6

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American medical journal |BJSTR

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Workers towards COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Introduction

The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is not the first and will most probably not be the last respiratory pandemic that the world experiences. Influenza and coronaviruses have historically infected people with pandemic potential. Three deadly coronaviruses lead to the loss of several lives since the discovery of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus (SARS-CoV) in 2003 in the Guangdong province of China, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Virus (MERS-CoV) in 2013 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 in Wuhan, China [1]. There have been other instances of novel human coronavirus (HCoV) emergence causing pandemics, although the COVID-19 pandemic is the first known caused by Human coronavirus. There has been multiple healthcare-associated spread of MERS; 13% to 70% were among healthcare workers (HCWs). The influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in 2009, the emergence of the influenza A (H5N1), SARS-CoV, and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic prompted a rise in patient screening for respiratory infections. Preventive measures for COVID-19 have increased the importance of infection prevention and control measures to prevent intra-hospital spread of respiratory illnesses, providing an opportunity to change practice for other respiratory infections [2].

COVID-19 spreads from person to person through the inhalation of aerosols from infected Individuals. COVID-19 is highly infectious, and its primary clinical symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, headache, and dyspnoea. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency of global concern [3]. The SARS-CoV-2 caused a global pandemic. Among the critical matters are healthcare workers’ infection and healthcare-associated spread of the disease. The WHO issued interim infection prevention and control guidelines, such as social distancing, hand washing, testing, and tracing, affecting community members to limit healthcare workers’ exposure to SARS-CoV-2 viruses during patient care [4]. These workers are at the frontline of the COVID-19 response, and daily exposed to the pathogen. Unfortunately, healthcare workers experience significant challenges in adhering to the guidelines. One such reason is limited knowledge of the disease. As in the rest of the world, the SARSCov- 2 infected healthcare workers in Ghana. The healthcare workers in Ghana followed the WHO interim guidelines for preventing and controlling COVID-19. The Ministry of Health (MOH) also published provisional standard treatment guidelines for COVID-19 and encouraged the training of all healthcare workers to protect themselves from the virus and to prevent its spread. Usually, in institutions in Ghana, healthcare workers do not observe the protocols. Not all the healthcare facilities in Ashanti had sufficient resources, such as PPE and isolation facilities for suspected COVID-19 cases [5].

In the northern region of Ghana, the Savelugu Hospital closed for two weeks following an outbreak of COVID-19 among hospital staff and patients. A lack of knowledge of healthcare workers resulted in delayed identification and treatment of COVID-19 patients and a rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Negative attitudes regarding their responsibilities toward preventing the spread of COVID-19 and poor practices of preventive protocols in managing COVID-19 patients put themselves, their patients, and the community at risk. The healthcare workers who contracted COVID-19 transmitted the infection to their colleagues, families, relatives, and friends. To guarantee the control of respiratory infections, such as the COVID-19 infection, healthcare workers’ knowledge of prevention and control measures is essential. It is also important to determine the factors affecting their attitude to have adequate practices to early diagnose and treat patients and prevent the spread of infections. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the KAP of healthcare workers in the Ashanti region of Ghana towards COVID-19.

Methods

We adopted a cross-sectional study design to determine healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted via a self-administered questionnaire to 373 healthcare workers in five selected healthcare facilities in the Ashanti region sampled through the multistage random technique. There is no standardised and validated device for assessing KAPs on COVID-19. The questionnaire was constructed from two questionnaires that were previously used to determine healthcare workers’ KAP towards COVID-19. Sections of the instruments of Limbu et al. and Kamali et al. were used [6,7].

Measurement

Knowledge and attitude were assessed using a five-point Likert scale, and scoring was conducted by assigning numbers 1-5 to the scale: strongly agree – 5; agree – 4; neutral – 3; disagree – 2; strongly disagree -1. The more frequent answers of 4 and 5 revealed adequate knowledge and a positive attitude, whereas limited knowledge and negative attitude were indicated by more frequent scores of 3 and below. The scoring of the practices of the healthcare workers towards COVID-19 prevention was conducted by assigning 0 to an incorrect answer and 1 to a correct answer. The practice questions were 17 with three options (Yes, NO, and lack of facility/inadequate equipment). The total score was calculated and divided by the number of questions and later multiplied by 100 to obtain the cumulative percentage. The respondents who scored 80%-100% on the knowledge, attitude, and practice questions were considered to have very good knowledge, excellent attitude, and practices 60%-79% had good knowledge, attitude, and practices, and a score less than 60% was considered limited knowledge, poor attitude, and poor practices. The questionnaire comprised 60 items, of which almost all were close-ended questions.

1. Part 1: Comprises the demographic information and source of information on COVID-19.
2. Part 2: Focused on questions about the respondents’ knowledge of COVID-19,
3. Part 3: Included questions on the respondents’ attitude towards COVID-19,
4. Part 4: The respondents answered questions about COVID-19 prevention.

Statistical Analysis

The demographic characteristics are compared with the level of KAP scores using the Chi-square test. A 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to quantify the strength of the association between sociodemographic characteristics and KAP scores of healthcare workers. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05 (two-sided).

Results

Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

In our study,373 healthcare workers filled out questionnaires received from all the facilities. The mean age was 30.96 years (SD=6.25; ranged,20-39) Table 1. shows the demographic characteristics of the participants.

Table 1: Demographic characteristics of 373 healthcare workers in the study.

biomedres-openaccess-journal-bjstr

Source of Information Regarding COVID-19

Healthcare workers’ sources of information regarding COVID-19 are represented in Figure 1. Most healthcare workers received information regarding COVID-19 from the news media (32.7%, n=122), and 21.7% reported they obtained their information from the website of their hospital. Others remarked on social media (20.9%, n=78) and international organisations, such as the WHO (20.9%, n=78). Few reported receiving information from friends and relatives (3.8%, n=14).

Figure 1

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Healthcare Worker’s Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Score on COVID-19

Findings from the study revealed that 11% had exceptional knowledge, and a few (3.2%) had limited knowledge of COVID-19. They obtained less than 60% on the knowledge questions. Most respondents, indicating 85.8%, had good knowledge of COVID-19 (Table 2). The study revealed that 56.6% of the healthcare worker respondents had good attitudes towards COVID-19 whereas 22.3% had poor attitudes. (Table 3). Less than 50% of the healthcare worker respondents had excellent practices towards COVID-19 prevention in the Ashanti Region (Table 4). The KAP scores are also presented in Figure 2. The results from the bivariate analysis revealed there was a significant positive association between the healthcare worker respondents’ attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 (p=0.022). The respondents’ good attitude related positively to their knowledge of COVID-19 (p=0.048) (Table 5).

Table 2: Knowledge category.

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Table 3: Attitude category.

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Table 4: Practice categories.

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Table 5: Bivariate analysis of healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 by using theChi-Square.

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Figure 2

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Discussion

Findings from the study revealed that most respondents, indicating 85.8%, had good knowledge of COVID-19. The result is comparable with two studies conducted in Nigeria, where the healthcare worker respondents’ knowledge of COVID-19 was 88.75%, and 82.4% respectively [8,9]. The findings of the present study about good knowledge of COVID-19 were low compared to two studies conducted in Pakistan [10,11].Conversely, the percentage of healthcare worker respondents of this study who obtained good marks for their understanding of COVID-19 is much higher than that of studies conducted in Thailand and Nepal [12,13].The differences in the knowledge level of the respondents in the mentioned studies may relate to most healthcare workers having had relevant training on COVID-19, whereas others received no training before the studies were conducted. Secondly, the study revealed that 56.6% of the healthcare worker respondents had good attitudes towards COVID-19. This finding compares well with that of two studies conducted in Nepal, where 53% and 54% of good attitudes were recorded [6,14].

The finding of the present study is also low compared to a study conducted in Ethiopia [15]. The difference in the healthcare worker respondents’ attitudes could be owing to variances in the study setting, the timeframe of the study, and the cut-off points for the attitude scores. Less than 50% of the healthcare worker respondents had excellent practices towards COVID-19 prevention in the Ashanti Region. In a similar study in Uganda, only 37% of the healthcare worker respondents had good practices towards preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease [16]. Much higher scores were identified in studies in China, and Yemen, where 89.7% and 87.7% of the healthcare worker respondents had good practices towards COVID-19 prevention [17,18]. In the current study, most of the healthcare worker respondents who exhibited poor preventive practices indicated that a lack of personal protective equipment and few isolation facilities in the Ashanti region were to be blamed. The was a significant positive association between the healthcare worker respondents’ positive attitudes and practices towards COVID-19. The respondents’ attitudes related positively to their knowledge of COVID-19. The Health Belief Model and the KAP theory explain this. “Knowledge is the foundation of behaviour (practice), and attitudes are the driving force of behaviour change” [19].

“A person’s intention of a specific behaviour is alienated from his/ her attitude towards that particular behaviour”.19 The study established a high knowledge level among the healthcare worker respondents regarding COVID-19. An increase in knowledge level helps to reduce misinformation, eventually leading to a good attitude. Acquisition of knowledge by the respondents enabled them to know their susceptibility to COVID-19 infection, the severity of the disease, the benefits of preventive actions, and their ability to initiate new preventive behaviours. In addition, our study results revealed that COVID-19 KAP differs by sociodemographic factors. According to the Health Belief Model, the modifying factors refer to factors influencing behaviour change. It includes the person’s age, gender, ethnicity, personality, knowledge, and socioeconomic status [20]. The healthcare worker respondents with a higher level of education had excellent practices to prevent the spread of the infection. The finding follows studies conducted in China and Ethiopia [21,22]. The variations may be related to higher education programmes preparing graduates to develop the habit of doing research, and this helped them to search for relevant information regarding COVID-19 and the prevention of the spread of the infection. Pertinent information acquisition leads to behaviour change and, therefore, good preventive practices. Another reason might be that those with a higher level of education may have a better understanding of the spread, effect, prevention, and control of infections.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our findings suggest that Healthcare workers in the Ashanti region demonstrated good knowledge and positive attitude however, a divergence remains in their preventive practices towards COVID-19, suggesting that interventions should go far beyond just knowledge and attitude; however, strategies should be developed to prevent the healthcare-associated spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in all health facilities across the globe.

Ethical Consideration

Written permission to conduct the research was obtained from the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the University of Pretoria (reference no. 357/2022) before data collection. Permission to conduct the study in the selected healthcare facilities was obtained from the Regional Director of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ashanti Region.

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Journals on Biomedical Engineering |BJSTR

Evaluation of a Biodegradable Synthetic Matrix for Lateral Ankle Ligament Surgical Repair Augmentation: An Open Label Controlled Multicenter Retrospective Review

Introduction

Ankle sprains account for up to 40% of all athletic injuries, and 85% of ankle injuries involve the lateral ligamentous complex [1]. Initial patient treatment is conservative, but continued ligament laxity may require surgical intervention. Chronic recurrent lateral ankle instability occurs after 10% to 20% of acute ankle sprains [2]. Although multiple surgical procedures for anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) repair or ligament reconstruction are well described, the modified Broström repair technique is most widely utilized [3,4]. Yet, reoperation rates have been reported as high as 14% following surgical repair [5]. Lateral ligament repair can be performed alone or with augmentation. For patients with poor tissue quality, medical comorbidities and complex repairs, the use of autograft, allograft, or synthetic augmentation devices may improve healing. Early tissue necrosis and resorption of avascular tissue grafts can lead to loss of biomechanical properties and ultimate load to failure [6-8]. Several synthetic grafts have been developed as alternatives to auto- or allograft replacements. Soft tissue augmentation devices have historically been designed with a rigid structure unmatched to the elastic modulus of the targeted musculoskeletal tissues [3,9]. A degradable biomaterial matrix woven from wet-spun fibers of polycaprolactone based-polyurethane urea (PUUR) provides an augmentation device closer to the elastic modulus of ligament. PUUR textile strips (Artelon Flexband®, Marietta, GA), have been reported for numerous orthopedic soft tissue reconstructive applications [9-13]. PUUR elastomers have an extensive safety record and are widely used biomaterials in catheters, vascular prosthesis, and artificial hearts due to their adaptable mechanical properties and documented biocompatibility [14- 17]. The biomechanical properties of PUUR and the woven textile nature create manufacturing adaptability to optimize tensile properties to mimic native tissue. This improves functional kinematics by providing resistance to stress relaxation and creep while decreasing stress shielding.

Although PUUR has been used in >60,000 cases to date in the reconstruction of soft tissues throughout the body, a direct comparison of lateral ankle ligament repair, with and without PUUR augmentation, has not been previously conducted. The purpose of this study was to perform a retrospective medical chart review to assess the safety and efficacy determined by clinical evaluation, VAS, and physical therapy milestones in patients undergoing a modified Broström procedure with and without PUUR augmentation. In addition, patients enrolled in the retrospective study were contacted to complete a longer-term patient outcome and satisfaction survey following at least 1-year post-operative.

Methods

Patient Identification

Following appropriate ethics approval, a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with chronic lateral ankle instability who underwent a modified Broström procedure either alone (MB) or with PUUR augmentation (PUUR) between January 2018 and June 2022 was conducted. Patients that had surgery performed by any of the nine participating foot and ankle surgeons and had postoperative hospital or ASC safety and efficacy data were evaluated for eligibility. All study surgeons performed both augmented and non-augmented repairs. At all participating study institutions, consecutive chart review was performed to identify patients who met all of the inclusion and none of the exclusion criteria (Table 1). 226 patients met study qualifications (MB = 83, PUUR = 143). Data was extracted from both written and electronic medical records. Physician and patient reported outcomes and revision rates were established via chart review from patient scheduled and unscheduled follow up clinic visits. Clinical post-surgical follow up for this procedure typically concludes at 12 weeks, therefore, to collect longer-term outcome measures outside of the clinical follow up window, we attempted to contact all patients via phone at a minimum of one year post operative and asked to complete a satisfaction and functional survey.

Table 1: Study Selection Criteria.

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Surgical Technique

PUUR used in the study consisted of strips of varying size (0.3- 0.5cm X 8-32cm). For patients that underwent augmentation with the PUUR matrix, the modified Broström procedure was performed first followed by tensioning of the PUUR device anchored on either end via bone tunnels (Figure 1). Using the provided kit, guide wires were placed into the anterior fibula and into extra-articular talus body/ neck junction. Bone tunnels were created and the PUUR graft was inserted into the talus first. The modified Brostrom procedure was completed and the PUUR graft was placed overtop or superficial to the repair and inserted into the fibula bone tunnel. Additional procedures such as synovectomy and arthroscopy were commonly performed as needed. A summary of additional procedures in each group is presented (Table 2).

Figure 1

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Table 2: Concomitant Procedures

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Characteristics and Outcome Assessments

Patient demographics, diagnosis, and injury history including previous treatments for the index ankle were collected. Clinical evaluations included physician’s assessment of healing progression measured by typical patient post-op examination (i.e. wound healing, stability measurements, ROM, swelling, etc). Visual analog scale (VAS) for pain (collected at 2 of 4 participating institutions) was recorded prior to surgery and at 2-, 6-, and 12-week post-surgical visits. Only patients with baseline VAS and VAS at least two follow-up visits were included in VAS analysis. Safety data was assessed by collecting adverse events and complications. While all adverse events were collected, events relating to procedure specific outcomes, including delayed wound healing, wound infection, neuritis, and peri-implant osteolysis were analyzed in greater detail. Complications defined by patients necessitating a return to the operating room were also reported and classified as relating to product, procedure, or neither. Postoperative rehabilitation milestones including non-weight bearing duration, time to physical therapy initiation, total physical therapy duration, and time to transition from boot to brace with ultimate unrestricted full weight bearing (FWB) were analyzed. Given the multi-center study design, the post-operative rehabilitation programs were not standardized across study sites, however, the approach was similar for all sites and the following summary represents an aggregate protocol. From immediate post-operative: non-weight bearing (NWB; 0-4wks), transition to CAM boot with weight bearing as tolerated (WBAT) and transition to PT initiation (2-6wks), transition out of CAM boot to lace-up brace and progression to FWB (6-10 weeks), sport-specific activity initiation (10-12wks) and return to play (RTP; 12+wks). Progression throughout each stage was determined by the physician and collected from the clinical medical records. Identified patients who were at least 1-year post-operative were solicited by phone, and if willing, consented for participation in phone surveys. Ultimately, 46/143 (32.2%) of PUUR patients and 40/83 (48.2%) of MB patients completed the survey which measured residual pain, instability, any additional procedures including revision surgery, quality of life ratings, and overall satisfaction.

Statistical Analysis

All data were recorded in Microsoft Excel (2011, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA). The data are presented as frequencies, means, standard errors, ranges, and percentages. All outcomes for the study were defined as the average change in the outcome from baseline. At each timepoint (2-, 6- and 12-weeks post-operative), the mean change from baseline in both groups was evaluated. Where comparisons were possible, scores were analyzed using a student’s t test; a P-value of less than .05 was considered significant. For the comparison of proportions, Chi-square test was used, and a P-value of less than .05 was considered significant.

Results

Patient Characteristics

A total of 226 patients who underwent an MB procedure alone (n=83) or with PUUR augmentation (n=143) were enrolled in the study. There were no differences in patient pre-operative demographics between the two groups (Table 3). Significantly more PUUR patients underwent concomitant procedures at the time of their ATFL repair compared to the MB group (99.3%; 142/143 vs. 80.1%; 67/83; P < .0001). The type and distribution of the most common concomitant procedures between both groups are provided in Table 2. Physician assessment of healing progression was similar between the two groups at the 2-, 6- and 12-week clinical follow-up visits.

Table 3: Patient Demographics.

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VAS

VAS was collected before surgery and at each follow-up visit from patients at 2 of the 4 study sites. Preoperatively, there was no significant difference in pain between groups (MB 6.39, PUUR 5.54, P = 0.08). PUUR augmented patients (n=44) demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores compared to MB alone (n=33) at the 2 (4.68 ± 0.35 vs. 6.26 ±0.37, P< .001), 6 (2.95 ± 0.32 vs. 5.42 ± 0.50, P<.0001) and 12 (2.75 ± 0.26 vs. 4.77 ± 0.41, P<.0001) week post-operative visits (Figure 2). At 6- and 12-week postoperative visits, the mean VAS was significantly reduced compared to baseline in both groups.

Figure 2

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Adverse Events and Complications

Complications: There were 9 reported complications, 3 in the MB group (3.6%) and 6 (4.2%) in the PUUR group (p = 0.83). No complications were reported as product related. There were 2 revisions (2.40%) in the MB group and 1 revision (0.70%) in the PUUR group. The PUUR revision patient sustained a significant ankle repeat injury following a serious fall approximately 1-year post-surgery. This required a revision of the lateral ligament repair with PUUR matrix along with peroneal tenosynovectomy, 1st metatarsal dorsiflexion osteotomy, and ankle arthroscopy with synovectomy. One revision in the MB group occurred 10 days postoperative from reportedly chronic neuropathic pain requiring repeat surgical evaluation with ankle arthroscopic debridement, lateral ankle ligament assessment, and peroneal synovectomy. The second isolated MB group revision was disclosed by the patient in a follow-up call and had occurred outside of the study site of care, requiring anchor removal with soft tissue repair. There were 5 remaining complications in the PUUR group. One patient experienced a deep wound infection requiring irrigation and debridement and antibiotics. Another patient fell down a flight of stairs sustaining a bimalleolar ankle fracture. A separate patient presented with peroneal tendon split tear and underwent peroneal tenolysis. A diabetic patient underwent partial first metatarsal excision, FHL tenolysis and sesamoid excision due to a great toe ulceration. The final patient underwent a tibial osteotomy and open talar osteochondral treatment for a progressive lesion. No cases of implant failure, periimplant fracture, or foreign body reaction were observed. The final complication in the MB group was a patient that required gastrocnemius recession with associated ankle arthrotomy and posterior capsular release.

Adverse Events: Adverse events were collected from all enrolled patients. A total of 53 adverse events (22.1% of patients) occurred. The most common adverse events were delayed wound healing (n = 19 patients)neuritis (n = 7 patients), and superficial wound infection (n = 6 patients). Delayed wound healing occurred in a similar number of patients in both groups (PUUR = 10 vs. MB = 9) and was correlated with a significant increase in BMI (P=.020). Neuritis occurred in 4 MB and 3 PUUR patient. Superficial wound infection did not occur in any MB patients and occurred in 6 PUUR patients, though no deep infection developed. Amongst the remaining [21] additional adverse events, all were classified as either mild or moderate and no adverse events were related to the PUUR device. There were no serious adverse events reported in either group.

Postoperative Rehabilitation: A summary of the major post-operative rehabilitation milestones collected with the number of subjects with evaluable data for each milestone is presented in Table 4. Early PT milestones were similar between groups. Non-weightbearing duration after surgery was similar (PUUR: 4.0 ± 0.1 wks. vs. MB: 3.7 ± 0.2 wks). Similarly, there was no difference in the mean time to physical therapy initiation (PUUR 5.03 ± 0.19 weeks vs. MB 4.96 ± 0.26 weeks); or total physical therapy duration (PUUR 10.1 ± 0.93 weeks vs. MB 11.2 ± 3.2 weeks). However, the time to unrestricted FWB in commercial footwear with or without bracing for patients in the PUUR augmented group was significantly faster compared to MB alone. PUUR augmented patients transitioned to normal footwear an average of 2.4 weeks faster than MB patients (9.04 ± 0.34 wks vs. 11.4 ± 1.79 wks. P = .047).

Table 4: Post-operative Rehabilitation Milestone Summary.

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Patient Survey: In an effort to gain longer term follow up data, best attempts were made to contact all patients that were at least 12 months postoperative to assess residual ankle pain, instability, additional procedures, revisions, quality of life, and overall procedure satisfaction. Patients that provided consent completed the short satisfaction survey. Mean follow-up was 20.8 ± 0.87 months for PUUR patients (n = 46) and 32.5 ± 2.76 months for MB patients (n = 40) (Table 5). Although this is a limited patient response, and clearly does not represent a lost-to-follow up population, this is not surprising given our requests to complete the patient survey were unsolicited and unexpected by these patients. There was a significant difference in both the number of responders (p = 0.02) and length of follow up (p<0.0001) between study groups. Overall, there were no significant differences in answers to survey questions between groups. Patient satisfaction on a ten-point scale with 0 representing not satisfied and 10 representing very satisfied was rated high in both groups (PUUR = 8.5 vs. MB = 8.9; P = .305). Similarly, most patients indicated they would repeat the procedure and would recommend the surgery to a family member. Approximately 50% of patients in both groups reported some degree of occasional pain, though there was no difference in severity between groups. Residual ankle instability was similar across groups (PUUR 26.1% and MB = 20%). A single isolated MB patient reported having a revision surgery outside of the care of a study surgeon.

Table 5: Patient Satisfaction Survey.

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Discussion

This is the first controlled study to assess the safety and clinical efficacy of a PUUR matrix woven textile for ATFL augmentation during modified Broström repair. Pain scores for both groups were significantly decreased from preoperative levels through 12-weeks follow-up (PUUR: 5.5 to 2.35 and MB: 6.4 to 3.29). However, pain in the PUUR group was significantly lower at all follow-up clinical visits (2, 6, 12 weeks) compared to isolated MB group which may be more notable given the greater complexities of the surgical procedures in the augmentation group. The range of patient reported pre-to post-op changes in VAS scores (approximately 6 – 2) over similar time points is consistent with previous publications. In a similar ATFL repair study, Kulwin et al., did not report a comparative decrease in early postoperative pain between patients that underwent MB alone vs. MB patients augmented with suture tape [18]. This discrepancy could be due to differences in study design, surgical procedure, or device used in augmentation. In their report of isolated ATFL repair with augmentation, Xu et al. also reported decreases in pain from pre-surgery in patients undergoing MB with or without suture tape augmentation, but no difference in pain between the 2 groups [19]. A potential benefit of ATFL augmentation is accelerating the postoperative recovery period due to the additional biomechanical support. While there was no difference in NWB duration between MB and PUUR groups, PUUR augmentation led to a statistically significant reduction in time to unrestricted FWB in commercial footwear. As experience with the augmentation device became more evident, the study surgeons began to further expedite the post-operative rehabilitation program with their augmented patients.

There were 2 revisions in the isolated MB group, and 1 in the PUUR augmentation group (2.40% vs 0.70%, respectively). This is similar compared to published results that report revision rates following modified Brostrom procedures at 1.2% [19]. Overall, there were no differences in adverse events between PUUR and MB alone groups. The majority of adverse events noted in both groups were secondary to delayed wound healing (MB = 10% and PUUR = 6.3%). A subgroup analysis demonstrated patients from both groups experiencing delayed wound healing had a significantly higher BMI, which is known to correlate with delayed wound healing [20,21]. All AEs were classified as mild to moderate, and no AEs were considered related to the study device. The safety profile of the PUUR device is similar to that reported by Kelly et al., who reported an overall AE rate of 12.4% (13/105 patients) with PUUR incorporation in various foot and ankle reconstructive procedures. ATFL augmentation during the MB procedure is thought to relieve the injured ligament from excessive stressstrain forces during early to mid-phase healing process. Giza et al. reported PUUR augmented repairs increased ultimate load to failure by 150%, and prevented creep compared to control samples [22]. The resorbable PUUR matrix maintains 90% of its initial strength through the first year of implantation, and then degrades slowly by hydrolysis over a period of up to seven years [23]. In addition to strength, PUUR tensile properties have been demonstrated to alter mechanically driven biological signals and to orchestrate local cell populations during the remodeling process [24] allowing the matrix to promote tissue maturation by promoting cell recruitment, extracellular matrix deposition and angiogenesis [11,25-28].

There are clear limitations within this study given the retrospective nature of the study design. The availability of data was limited to what was present within the medical records both in amount and type (outcome measures) available for collection. In particular, the postoperative rehabilitation evaluation may be confounded by the patients completing therapy at different sites. Despite the constraints of retrospective study designs, the true value is to gather real world evidence of the use of products in everyday clinical practice outside the scope of a rigorously designed protocol that may considerably narrow both practical clinical product application and the participating patient population. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial with validated functional outcome measurements, standardized post-op rehabilitation protocols and lengthier follow-up is ongoing. The results of this study will further enhance the ability to detect any notable differences with augmentation.

Conclusion

This is the first study to directly compare MB with and without PUUR augmentation. PUUR augmentation of the lateral ligamentous complex during ankle instability surgery decreased recovery pain and allowed quicker return to FWB, compared to MB alone. The PUUR matrix was safe with no difference in adverse events compared to a control group. This study shows early results suggesting PUUR augmentation may create the potential to expedite and improve patient outcomes post-operatively compared to modified Broström alone.

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Journal on medical genetics |BJSTR

Medical Support in the Selectively Integrated Returns Intelligent Optimization System – SEIRIOS

Introduction

During the Second Phase of the therapy portfolio selection are required advanced higher moments [2] (ultrakurtosis, hyperultrakurtosis, etc), [3-7], depicting advanced forms of risk. Initially a feasible set of therapeutically combination policies is produced by the evaluated therapy portfolio, resulting to the efficient frontier where the utility function [8-11], is maximized on return under minimal risk, [12-15] expressed as an almost adequate approach of a maximum Sharpe ratio. The paper examines the first step that resolves the second step. I examine 60 Modular networks – MDN- of neural or hybrid neural-genetic combinations: 20 Modular Neural Networks and 40 Hybrid MDNs, of altered topologies to define the optimum classifier for portfolio selection. The paper:

i. Analyses the therapy selection that patients have under further higher moments, in certain returns and risk levels,
ii. Supports further the Isoelastic Utility as a sufficient norm,
iii. Evolves the Therapeutical Portfolio Theory, [16], extracting covered patterns on health fundamentals indices, excluding bias, detecting robust stocks, under Chaotic Entropy of FHR
iv. Investigates the performance of the Modular Networks in hybrid or neural or models, revealing the optimum classification model that fits intense therapy.
v. Utilises the SEIRIOS model on therapeutical portfolio optimisation.

The Entropy of Chaos, [17] in the form of Relative Entropy-TRE produces the Kullback-Leibler Relative Entropy – KLRE – for systems unextensive, on nonlinear, complex systems of long memory. [18-24] evaluated in practice the markets on a KLRE, Tsallis approach.

Systemic Approach

The complicated behavior of patients requires further moments [6,7,12,13,25]:

Robust computing abilities are necessary to the heuristics for the solution process of the non-convex problem. I provide an advanced classifier that detects hidden corporate info, especially hoaxes to support the decision-making process of investors.

Intelligent Computing

The Recurrent and Modular neural and hybrid neuro-genetic networks are comparatively analysed in a variety of classifiers forms.

The Self Organized Features Maps and their Hybrids

The Self Organized Features Maps-SOFM neural net, [26], is optimized for clustering, and data examination. The unsupervised learning trains SOFM producing a 2 Dimensional map. The discretized input surface of training set reduces dimensionality. The SOFM implements competitive learning, whilst the inputs givens as 16 financial indices have an unknown significance in the SOFM nets. In the hybrid forms, Genetic Algorithms-GA [27], were incorporated on the:

i. Inputs layer only,
ii. Inputs and outputs layers only,
iii. All layers,
iv. All layers with cross validation.

The training of each model is extensive to converge to a model of the lowest error. GAs is implemented in different hybrids and the Batch learning method was applied to the SOFM to adjust the weights (Figures 1 & 2).

Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Recurrent Networks and Neural-Genetic Hybrids

The Recurrent Neural Nets -RNN- create a directed cyclical grid in connections of feedback. The RNN have different elaboration than the feedforward systems. RNNs can have chaotic performances. Their ordinal problems are resolved by the Long Short- Term Memory -LSTMapproach [8], in cases of:

i) Temporally extended noisy patterns recognition,
ii) Temporal order in noisy widely separated events recognition,
iii) Temporal distance between events, data extraction,
iv) Smooth & anomalous periodic trajectories, stable generation of precisely timed rhythms,
v) Extended time intervals, robust storage of high-precision real numbers. Genetic Algorithms optimized the RNNs [1,7], on 4 alternative topologies.

The Genetic Algorithms were selected to optimize RNN models, in terms of selecting the inputs, and the performance of neurons. The learning method of On-Line is selected to adjust the Recurrent Hybrids weights, and thus optimize the:

a) Amount of Neurons,
b) Size of Step, and
c) Rate of Momentum, as the output optimised the Momentum and
size of Step in the Gas (Figures 3 & 4).

Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Modular Networks and Neural-Genetic Hybrids

The feedforward Modular – MDN – nets, consist a variation of the Multilayer Perceptrons. The MDNs process inputs in parallel numerous MLPs and recombines the outcomes. The network topology thus forms a structure specialised in the function of each sub-module. From the four MDN topologies, the linear feedforward topology with no bypasses is put in all the models. The MDNs contradicting the MLPs, are lesser interconnected. Thus fewer neurons weights are required for the same size model. Training is boosted with fewer examplars. The optimal operation to provide the MDN topology is fuzzy, feeded by the data, and no reassurance that a module emphasizes the training on a specific part of the data. This paper elaborates 16 Inputs neurons, 1 Output, 706 Exemplars, 4 Upper Neurons without GA into Hidden layers, on the Upper Transfer TanhAxon, Lower Transfer function on the TanhAxon, 4 Lower Neurons, Learning Rule of Momentum, 0.1 Step size, 0.70 Momentums. The learning technique is the Backpropagation, the previous value and a correction term adjusts the weights. Every correction is adjusted by the learning rule. Batch learning technique, 1000 Maximum epochs was the value of the Supervised Learning Control regarding the number of iterations, over the training set to be done by default, the Termination choice is under Minimum MSE below the specified Threshold, in 0.01 threshold, technique of Load best on test. The default Incremental error is significantly less than the Minimum error. The termination on MSE sets the stop criteria on the Cross Validation than the training set. If the MSE of the Cross Validation increases, the model commences overtraining, memorizes the set of training, unable of generalizing the problem (Table 1). Cross validation is used twice in the models on 20 different sets, as an efficient termination of training (Figures 5 & 6).

Table 1: Optimal outcomes of modular, SOFM and recurrent networks overall [14].biomedres-openaccess-journal-bjstr

Figure 5

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Figure 6

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The SEIRIOS Model

Inspired by my models the ORION [12,13,28] the new integrated Selectively Integrated Returns Intelligent Optimisation System – SEIRIOS, initially reads the fundamentals, prices and time, selecting the first classifier of therapy assets, patientss risk profiles, and λ

  • Next SEIRIOS tests the termination criterion of assets and the optimal portfolio is fulfilled.
  • Next uses ChatGPT, GBT4 and BARD to comparatively evaluate the patients sentiments of the past year per asset Next SEIRIOS reads Isi, investors sentiments per stock
  • Else SEIRIOS proceeds in 2 sets: 1 for healthy assets, and 2 for distressed. For ετ =1asset is deleted, else if ετ = 0 then asset healthy
  • Next Ut (Rt (i)) is given
  • Next SEIRIOS evaluates ISi, Ut (Rt (i)) keeping better assets Next, assets are hierarchized on score.
  • Next, assets of highest Sharpe and utility are selected. All other assets are revaluated in new data on step 9
  • Next, the excellent portfolio is produced of maximum UPj ( f ) .
  • The globally optimal health portfolio is U ∗ Pj ( f )

Formulation

Advanced higher moments demonstrated their impact on the model [1,6,7,29], to support a logical reflection of investment patterns and their dynamic behavior. [1,12,13] contributed:

through [1], to manipulation in superior risk. A risky asset works in the Dynamics of Chaos and Stochastic Differential Equation [26]:

where μ the expected asset return, σ the volatility without jumps, J the jump amplitude on asset > −1, random variable.

u = E (J ),{N (t ),t ≥ 0}Poisson process of strength λ , λ udt an average growth by Poisson jump, {W (t ), t ≥ 0} the Brownian motion of probability ({Ft} t ≥ 0, P), {N (t ) , t ≥ 0}and {W (t ), t ≥ 0}independent, [26]. The non-convex problem needs higher computational resources to undergo the heuristics. Inflammatory reaction, false diagnosis, inefficient therapy, hoaxes, require reliable valuation of the firm. The SDE’s (14), solution is [27,30]:

where Pq(Ω,t ) is the maximum Distribution Entropy by Tsallis in Non-extensive statistics. (17) describes the clustering of volatility and long-term memory effect in assets [26]. (11) describes the optimal utility [29,30]. The Kappa distributions can extend its support in the bubbles management (of diagnosis, therapy, inflammation) (Figure 7).

Figure 7

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Data

The data came can be results of medical tests and their desired outcome. In the past the model was tested inv16 financial indexes data of 1411 cases, [30], as the17th index has the classification of executives. The test set was 50% overall, and training 50%. Numerous combinations required to find the optimal MDN and RNN Nets:

i. MDN neural networks
ii. MDN neural nets with Cross Validation
iii. MDN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA on the Inputs only
iv. MDN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA on the Inputs and Ouputs only
v. MDN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA in All Layers
vi. MDN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA in All Layers with Cross Validation
vii. RNN neural networks
viii. RNN neural nets with Cross Validation
ix. RNN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA on the Inputs only
x. RNN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA on the Inputs and Ouputs only
xi. RNN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA in All Layers
xii. RNN neuro-genetic hybrids with GA in All Layers with Cross Validation
xiii. SOFM neural networks
xiv. SOFM neural nets with Cross Validation
xv. SOFM neuro-genetic hybrids with GA on the Inputs only
xvi. SOFM neuro-genetic hybrids with GA on the Inputs and Ouputs only
xvii. SOFM neuro-genetic hybrids with GA in All Layers
xviii. SOFM neuro-genetic hybrids with GA in All Layers with Cross Validation

Results

The Modulars group, [13] MDN Neural Net in 3 layers classified optimally the assets in healthy and distressed: 99.16% and 83.48% respectively, of high fitness of the model to the data in 0.884, the lowest MSE at 0.092, NMSE 0.218 and 4.611%, the AIC was very low at -1230.98 revealing impartiality in a very fast time of 26s as in Table 1. In the Recurrent Networks on the other hand, the optimal performance of the RN Hybrids was in the model of 1 layer with GAs in the inputs only, in high classification rate of the healthy companies at 98.99%, and 96.6% for the distressed, the lowest MSE at 0.038, and 0.0935 in NMSE, the highest fitness of the model into the data 0.986, the AIC had the lowest value at -2062.4 indicating an ideal fitness of the model, similarly for the MDL at -2062.4, at a fast time of 54 minutes and 40seconds, in an over- optimisation hazard. Regarding the SOFMs, the Neural Network of 7 layers had the best results, in mediocre classification, high errors, low fitness, and significant partiality, (Table 1) [31,32].

Concluding Remarks

The Hybrid Recurrent networks of 1hidden layers and Genetics on the input layer only, had superior classification and performance in a fast processing time, the Recurrent Neural Net, ranked second overall in a good performance and a very fast time. The Modular and SOFM networks underperformed significantly and shouldn’t be considered as a classifier potential to an health portfolio optimiser system such as the SEIRIOS.

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List of open access medical journal |BJSTR

Understanding Nursing Retention: A Study on Nurses’ Perceptions Towards Work Efficiency, Workload, and Burnout

Introduction

According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the global shortage of nurses is a crisis that continues to adversely impact healthcare (International Council of Nurses Policy Brief, [1]). Reasons include the long working hours, wages that are below expectation, ageing populations, and most recently, the global pandemic which has diverted nurses away from their usual tasks. Having a sufficient nurse to patient ratio not only has many clinical and economic advantages in patient care (Simpson, et al. [2]), it is also essential in the running of a world class medical institution. The demand on healthcare systems has increased drastically in the past year (International Council of Nurses Policy Brief, [1]), but countries have not been able to meet the increasing needs with a corresponding increase in the nursing workforce (International Council of Nurses Policy Brief, [1]). In the first half of 2021 alone, 500 foreign doctors and nurses have resigned in Singapore, compared with 500 in the whole of 2020 and 600 in 2019 (Tan [3]). An extrapolation of the numbers results in a rough attrition rate of 8% for this group of healthcare workers (MOH [4]). A multitude of factors have contributed to this high attrition rate. Firstly, the increased working hours.

It has been over 20 months of continuous daily battles against the pandemic, and not only have a large majority of healthcare workers been unable to take leave since it started, over 90 percent of them will also not be able to clear their accumulated leave (Tan [3]). Additionally, monthly working hours are high, ranging from 160-175 hours per month (Tan [3]). This, coupled with inefficient work processes have increased the workload and stress that hospital nurses face (Hendrich [5]). These same factors are also associated with burnout, (Lin, et al. [6]) which in turn hampers the efforts made to recruit and retain nurses. Ultimately, this negatively affects nurse staffing and patient outcomes (Garcia, et al. [5,7]). Understanding the root cause of high turnover rate related workload would help to retain nurses in hospitals, which can in turn lower the turnover rate. The purpose of this study is to explore nurses’ perceptions towards work efficiency, workload, and burnout in a hospital setting to gain more understanding of their views in enhancing nurses’ retention in hospitals.

Methods

Design and Setting

A quantifying descriptive qualitative method with open-ended questions was used for this study. The demographic data and open-ended survey were developed according to the Grant, et al. [8] study. The survey was used to explore their working environment, perceptions towards their workload, and suggestions regarding work issues. The study was conducted at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), an acute care hospital in Singapore.

Sample and Survey

Convenient sampling was adopted in this study. The eligible criteria were enrolled or staff nurses who had a minimum of two years of working experience in NTFGH. There were 80 nurses who completed the survey, but only 57 nurses who met the criteria, and were selected for the study. The survey included four sections;

1) Demographic data,
2) Job scope aspects that were inefficient,
3) Factors that cause nurses to burnout, and
4) What can be done to improve nurses’ working experience.

Data Collection and Ethical Considerations

Ethics approval from NUS-IRB was granted before data collection. Permission for the administration of the survey was obtained from the nurse administrators. The invitation flyer and email with the online weblink were then sent out to eligible participants. The participants filled out the survey online and it took 3 weeks for data collection.

Data Analysis

The data was exported into an excel file, before the demographic and quantitative data were imported into SPSS (version 26). Descriptive analysis was used to describe the participants’ characteristics. The content analysis method was used to identify the significant statements and key words. Lastly, qualification of the similar qualitative method was used to quantify the qualitative data and range the most common concepts/codes.

Results

Characteristics of Participants

The participants’ profiles are presented in Table 1. Majority of the participants were female (86.0%). Three quarters of the participants (75.5%) were Staff Nurses, and the remaining one quarter (24.5%) were Enrolled Nurses. The mean age is 32.23 years old. On average the nurses worked for 9.28 years as a nurse, and 6.32 years in this hospital. They worked on average 41.83 hours a week and all the nurses work overtime at least 1 day of the week. Majority of the nurses worked at the inpatient department (96.5%). The nurses self-reported an average score of 3.09, 2.70 and 3.26 out of 5 for feeling overworked, satisfied, and burnt out respectively. When ranking the different aspects, majority of nurses (n=40, 70.2%) felt that patient care could be made more efficient. Coordinating the care of patients, communication, and answering/making phone calls were the subsequent aspects that nurses felt could be made more efficient. Preparing/clearing requisites was least able (n=11, 19.3%) to be made more efficient by nurses. Similarly, majority of nurses (n=37, 64.9%) felt that patient care burned them out the most. Answering/ making phone calls, coordinating the care of patients, and communication were the next few variables that nurses felt burned them out the most. Likewise, preparing/clearing requisites was the task that least (n=7, 12.3%) burns them out. Table 2 presents the ranking of job scope aspects that can be made more efficient, and factors that impact nurses’ burnout.

Table 1: Demographics of Nursing Population (N = 57).

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Table 2: Aspect of job scope that can be made more efficient, and factors impacting nurses’ burnout.

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Nurses’ Perception and Experiences Regarding Work Related Issues

Work Efficiency: The results showed that the participants perceived manpower shortage (n=10, 22.7%) as the main factor that impacted their work efficiency. Tasks which take time away from patient care, (n=9, 20.5%) as well as miscommunication (n=7, 15.9%) were the next two perceived causes of work inefficiency. The nurses suggested increasing manpower (n=18, 34.0%) and having dedicated staff (n=17, 32.1%) in the areas of administration, discharge planning and care appointment, transportation, serving meals, and making calls. Better communication between healthcare teams (n=7, 13.2%) was also suggested.

Burnout: High workload (n=20, 14.9%), manpower shortage (n=14, 20.9%), and unreasonable demands from patients and family (n=10, 14.9%) were listed as the three main causes of burnout. The nurses suggested increasing manpower (n=26, 53.1%) , increasing and enforcing rest (n=7, 14.3%), as well as re-examining workflows (n=4, 8.2%) to be helpful for reducing burnout. Workload: Suggestions on better workload management besides hiring more manpower included better teamwork (n=11, 23.9%), reduced job scope (n=10, 21.7%), as well as a better work life balance (n=5, 10.9%).

Time Spent: Nurses wished to spend less time on documentation (n=12, 32.7%), answering phone calls (n=7, 18.9%), and communication with patient’s family (13.5%), while a large majority of them wished to spend more time on patient care (n=37, 74.0%) and selfcare (n=9, 18.0%).

Accomplishment: Completing daily tasks (n=15, 22.7%), ending work on time (n=14, 21.2%), and patient recovery (n=9, 13.6%) were the three main reasons for nurses to feel accomplished at the end of the day. A comfortable working environment (n=10, 20.0%), good colleagues (n=9, 18.0%), and salary (n=8, 16.0%) were influencing factors for nurses to stay at their job. Table 3 presents nurses’ perceptions and suggestions on work related issues.

Table 3: Nurses’ perception and suggestion on work related issues.

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Discussion and Nursing Implications

In this study, we explored nurses’ perceptions towards work efficiency, workload, and burnout issues.

Work Efficiency

The results showed that the top three main inefficiencies were attributed to a manpower shortage, tasks which take time away from patient care, and miscommunication between healthcare professionals. The problem of a nursing shortage in Singapore is not new (Chua [9]) and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accentuated it (Chia [10]). Manpower shortage made many nurses experience burnout amidst other issues such as a lack of recognition and protection against abuse (Yip, et al. [11]). With insufficient supply to meet the demands in hospitals, it is unsurprising that there are work inefficiencies. The logical solution that was suggested by those surveyed was to hire more nurses. Despite the demand for nurses, these vacancies are still not filled due to the hardships of the job and the reduced influx of foreign nurses (Begum [12]). Thus, the root of the problem that needs to be tackled is how to improve nurses’ working conditions to make the job more desirable. The nurses surveyed also reported that they were often preoccupied by non-patient care centred tasks such as documentation, transportation of patients, and answering calls. The nature of these tasks dictates that nurses spend a significant amount of time away from essential patient care (Yen, et al. [13]) and thus they feel it is inefficient.

To address this, those surveyed suggested hiring dedicated staff to handle these tasks. This would free up nurses for tasks that make better use of their skill sets (Goh [14]). Lastly, the nurses surveyed attributed a significant amount of inefficiencies to miscommunication between healthcare professionals, particularly with doctors. Miscommunication leads to, in the best case, time wasted, and in the worst case, medical errors that severely affect patients (Tjia, et al. [15]). Those surveyed suggested improving the communication framework between healthcare professionals (Matziou, et al. [16]) as this would improve relations between nurses and doctors, and ultimately increase the level of patient care.

Burnout

The study found that the most pressing factors impacting burnout were the high workload, a manpower shortage, and unreasonable demands from patients and their family. The top two factors of a high workload and a manpower shortage are closely related. Nurses surveyed commented that the volume of work that had to be done greatly exceeded the current nurse staffing levels. They remarked that there were “too many things to do at the same time” and that “they cannot possibly be everywhere at once”. These result in insufficient rest, and a long-term high-stress environment which drastically increases burnout rates among nurses (Tan, et al. [17]). Nurses also often faced unreasonable demands and abuse from patients and their families, and this was worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic when nurses had a higher workload. Abuse can come in both the physical and verbal forms and can result in nurses being psychologically traumatised and emotionally drained (Chua [18]). To tackle these issues, the nurses surveyed suggested once again increasing manpower, increasing and enforcing rest times, as well as re-examining workflows. As mentioned previously, increasing manpower is a complex process, and the root of the problem should be targeted instead (Begum [12]). The nurses highlighted that rest should be increased and enforced, and this was related to their other suggestion of workflows having to be re-examined. They identified poor scheduling of staff which caused many nurses to have to be called back to work on their designated rest days, thus decreasing much needed rest and relaxation, and increasing the incidence of burnout. Having sufficient time to rest and relax is essential in preventing burnout (Demerouti [19]), and thus this offers an alternative to help nurses while manpower shortages cannot be adequately dealt with.

Workload

Our study found that nurses perceived their workload to be high, which was closely related to the manpower shortage and burnout they face. The majority of nurses in the study felt that better teamwork would help better manage their workload while hiring more manpower remains challenging. The finding was in congruence with studies (Yanchus, et al. [20,21]) that have addressed how good teamwork is an antidote to high workload and inadequate staffing. Benefits of effective teamwork include improved coordination of care, efficient use of healthcare services and enhanced communication (Babiker, et al. [22]). Nurse leaders can benefit from these findings by recognizing the importance of creating a work environment that promotes collaboration and teamwork among nurses, and the multidisciplinary team they work with (Nutter [21]). In particular, good communication, trust and mutual respect, and accountability are aspects that would aid in the development of a more effective team (Yanchus, et al. [20]). Creating such an environment would enhance the quality of healthcare, improve patient safety, and better engage nurses who want to remain part of a thriving unit (Nutter, [21)).

However, a significant number of nurses felt that better work-life balance, a reduced job scope, and increasing manpower were still the best way forward in managing their workload. This suggests that while increasing teamwork among nurses may be a promising strategy, it is equally imperative to investigate and adjust nurses’ workloads accordingly to safeguard them from possible fatigue (Cho, et al. [23]).

Time Spent

Documentation was the most frequently mentioned task that the nurses wished to spend less time on. Various literature has attributed this to firstly, documentation compromising on patient care (Momenipour, et al. 2019). This is in line with our findings where 65% of the nurses wished to spend more time on patient care instead. Secondly, the perception that the amount of time spent on documentation is disproportionately high (Momenipour, et al. 2019). Lastly, concerns regarding the amount of time invested into documentation in proportion to its utility (Momenipour, et al. 2019). An observational study (Lim, et al. [24]) has shown significantly less time was spent on patient care activities, but more time on documentation by nurses. It has been suggested that efforts should be made to look into how time spent on documentation can be reduced, such as eliminating duplicate documentation so that nurses can devote more time to patient care (Lim, et al. [24]).

Based on our findings, more than three-quarters of the nurses wanted to spend more time on patient care, but they were overwhelmed by other aspects of their job. Being overwhelmed by aspects of their work that are unrelated to patient care can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout, hence contributing to lower effectiveness (Dyrbye [25]).

Emotional exhaustion can also damage the hospital’s and nursing staff’s reputation from the patient’s point of view (Aiken [26]). While being able to help others was the top reason for students choosing to undertake a nursing degree (Wilkes, et al. [27]), the inability to perform up to their personal expectation could lead to burnout and decreased job satisfaction (Dyrbye [25]). It is important for nursing managers and hospital administrators to adjust the workload of non-patient care items and allow nurses to devote more time to patient care. Self-care was the second most mentioned item that nurses wanted to spend more time on. With Singapore already facing a nursing shortage (Chua [9]) before the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursing manpower shortage was felt even more acutely during the pandemic, further straining the already stretched nursing resources (Chia [10]). Several new initiatives to support the mental well-being of nurses were then launched, which included mental wellness training, selfcare and research programmes, online chat bots, peer-support networks, and counselling services (MOH [4]). However, for nurses that mentioned self-care, they wanted enforcement of sufficient break times and mandatory rest days. Hence, it is instrumental to support the mental well-being of nurses, and this includes sufficient break times and mandatory rest days as well.

Accomplishment

Based on our results, completing daily tasks was the greatest self-reported factor for feeling a sense of accomplishment, followed by ending work on time, and subsequently patient recovery. Completing daily tasks has been linked to personal accomplishment, and it has an effect on the well-being of an individual (Donaldson [28]). A sense of accomplishment has an effect on the reward system pathway in the body, and tasks with intermediate difficulty induces the greatest sense of achievement (Nakai [29]). This result may be of interest to nurse managers and hospital administrators in understanding the perspective and mindset of their nurses. Understanding and creating a manageable set of daily tasks would be critical in defining the nurses’ perception of their ability, as well as promoting a sense of accomplishment. Ending work on time was the second most self-reported factor for accomplishment. We postulate that this could be due to the intense workload the nurses face on a daily basis. Moreover, all the surveyed nurses reported working overtime weekly. Several possible reasons for working overtime include pressure to conform, a high workload, enhancing self-development (Watanabe [30]), and extra overtime income (Stimpfe [31]). Working overtime involuntarily demonstrated a detrimental effect on mental health and work engagement at both the ward and personal level (Watanabe [30,31]). Nursing managers and hospital administrators could take extra steps to investigate this issue.

Influencing Factor to Stay

The greatest factors for nurses staying on in the hospital were a comfortable working environment, followed by good colleagues, and the salary. Having a comfortable working environment is essential for the psychological health of nurses, and the work environment is a significant factor for the retention of nurses (Wei [32]). Research has shown that a comfortable working environment provides nurses with perceptions of autonomy, control over their practice, good nurse-physician relationships, as well as organisational support (Cortelyou-Ward [33]). Nursing managers and hospital administrators could take into consideration how nurses are coping with their working environment and colleagues on a regular basis. Retention rates for newly graduated nurses were significantly higher in working environments that were rated healthy or very healthy compared to working environments that needed improvement (Kramer [34]). Quarterly review of the nurses’ working environment could be implemented to promote a comfortable working environment as well as improve the retention of nurses [35-39].

Limitations

Our study consisted of nurses from one hospital and might not be representative of the situation at other hospitals in Singapore. Only enrolled and staff nurses were involved in this study while other healthcare professionals were not accounted for.

Conclusion

Patient care is at the heart of nursing but the high workload, manpower shortage and workplace inefficiency have contributed to burnout and less time spent on patient care. Nursing managers and hospital administrators must examine what influences nurses to stay, and what gives them a sense of accomplishment in order to retain nurses. Developing retention strategies and interventions, along with examining their effectiveness, are highly recommended for future research.

Author Contributions

• Study design: CWY, SJY, YJH, LME, YK
• Data collection: CWY, SJY, YJH, LME
• Data analysis: CWY, SJY, YJH
• Manuscript writing: CWY, SJY, YJH, YK
• Critical revisions for important intellectual content: YK
• CWY, SJY, YJH contributed equally in the process of this research study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

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Years with Mr. Liewe S. Anema: Personal and Profession

Introduction

The development of an institution or one’s career is usually inseparable from the contribution of other parties both individually and in collaboration through their significant roles, both in formal and informal positions, with strong or weak significance depending on the aspects evaluated and the point of view, as well as the preferences of the evaluating party. One example, in my opinion, the development of Pattimura University in the era of the 1980s, was significantly colored by the contribution of Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan L. Nanere, MSc., of course by utilizing the current development of the Indonesian nation through national and international cooperation programs at that time. The firmness of character, vision and management in his position as Rector provides development opportunities, including physical infrastructure, human resources and the quality of learning as well as the intensity of international cooperation [1] Important scientific figures who worked in Maluku such as the German ‘Blind scientist from Ambon’, Rumphius who left not only legacies but fundamental works such as the Herbarium Amboinense neatly stored in the library of rumphius, Catholic Church in Ambon; A. R. Walles, the ‘father of biogeography’ who laid the imaginary line of Wallacea and co-discoverer (Charles Darwin), the Theorist of Evolution, and author of scientific papers including the book “Malay Archipelago” [2] is an example of a great world figure who built a scientific foundation and inspired world scientists, Indonesia Maluku generation to this day [3,4].

It is recorded that A. R. Wallece in the course of his research was supported by a teenage assistant, Ali from Borneo, who collected about 5000 from Wallace’s bird specimen collection of about eight thousand [5,6]. Shaking Mr. Anem’s hand as an official sign of the collaboration of guidance and learning, witnessed by the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in the Dean’s Office around 1985 turned out not only to be a work contract for the completion of undergraduate one, it seemed to be a lifetime. Armed with the latest agricultural science in its field, especially Genetics and Plant Breeding as a graduate of Wageningen University and Research in the conditions of the Faculty at that time was something that was rarely obtaially and institutionally. On a certain scale, Mr. Anema is involved in the learning level both as a mentor, then as a colleague, a friend who helps in many things and a collaborator in solving various problems. This paper intends to briefly record various events that occurred in the development of education and the author’s work in relation to the various roles carried out by Mr. Anema in the course of time. It is intended that it may be a note left as a brief report on the task of carrying out cooperation mandated by the institution. It may also be a point of view of understanding the dynamics and development of institutions and human resources in the period 1980-1990s. It may also be a distraction reading for the current and future generations of Moluccan learners from which certain lessons can be taken.

Methodology

This manuscript was developed from the author’s personal experience, bringing back various events that occurred over the years involving Mr. Anema both directly and indirectly. It is entirely the experience and opinion of the author without confirming or asking for Mr. Anem’s approval even though in some cases asking for help or listening to his words. The rest of the study or literature review is also part of the method of preparing manuscripts in addition to various documentation of images that recall the events that followed. A large number of related publications completed by the author, submitted in the bibliography as evidence of the execution and completion of the assigned work. Most libraries are published in open access journals and thus can be searched on the websites of related journals including the institutions mentioned in the manuscript.

Results and Discussion

Uraul Village (Lord Anema)

Among the houses with sago leaf roofs, right at the corner of the turn of the road of Uraul village, kilo Mater 4 Seram Island stands a concrete house not too big with the side of the triangle of the house facing the road, on the triangle of the whitewashed house it is written in large letters “WALANG TUAN ANEMA”. The residence of Mr. Liewe Sibrano Anema with his wife Mrs. Willy Anema with his adopted daughter Oriza Sativa Anema, then raised the son of a baby boy, Sibrano Anema, for many years served as Sending from the Netherlands including building the Uraul State Church. Thus Uraul became the Village of Origin of Mr. Anema in Indonesia, here he is known and respected. In family events he was invited and involved in it. People knew him and he understood the customs, customs and even habits that became funny. One of his favorite dishes while still active was a little clear sopi (a special term “plain water”) eaten with celeng (wild boar). One of his great works, the construction of the Church, was completed and inaugurated when I was still a student under Mr. Anema’s guidance, I was ordered to bring a trumpet musical instrument from the Batu gantung flute group, stay at his place and participate in ordaining the new Church by blowing trumpets with the Uraul flute group which all used bamboo musical instruments.

This church was later damaged during the Ambon riots, 1999… and then he woke up again. The story of Mr. Anem’s discipline was also revealed in this village where he once left Sunday worship because he waited too long for the pastor who was late to come to lead the service. One time Mr. Anema and I enjoyed Late coffee at a small shop around the Sanur area of Bali. Due to being a customer, Mr. Anema often talks to his shop keeper. The shopkeeper used English and occasionally turned to me looking for the English equivalent for a particular word to say, I said just say it because he mastered Indonesian very fluently. One time the kaffe guard asked “where are you from?, Mr. Anema immediately wanted to answer but I preceded, “I am from Ambon”: I said, “if this ontua (the Old men) is from Seram, he is a Seram Man but long in Holland” (I mean to explain why he is White, big tall). Mr. Anema saw that I was about to get angry but then laughed. Then he made me a bit wrong when I was together at Starbucks coffee complex beach walk Kuta Beach. When queuing to order a coffee latte, the waiter asks for a name to be called after the coffee is finished, I usually give the name pak sam, but before speaking, Mr. Anema first replied “just say Jokowi” (maybe because I often wear a white shirt with long sleeves that are slightly rolled up when the body is slim). When it was my turn to receive the order, the waiter shouted rather loudly “Jokowi”, I was surprised and then grumbled at Mr. Anema for giving Jokowi his name (hm hm hopefully does not diminish respect for President Jokowi).

Cursory Introduction

Around the mid-70s our younger brother, my adopted/foster brother, the fourth Andre (deceased), entered the Rehoboth kindergarten located around the hanging stone Rehoboth Church, Ambon. Our mother (my adoptive/foster mother) Yul’s mother who always shuttled Andre often told me about Andre’s white Dutch school friend who with his parents lived in a complex of education and theological housing, the small field area. That was when I first learned of a group of sending among the Moluccan community. One of the Sending was later discovered by me to be Mr. Liewe Anema and his family. Mr. Anema’s duty as Sending was only later discovered by me through a photo caption written by the late Rev. Jack Ospara, Chairman of the GPM Foundation for People with Disabilities, a former Member of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia representative of Maluku, a colleague of Mr. Anema. Furthermore, around the mid-early 80s when I was just studying at the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University, I was invited by Ir. Toby Huwae, a lecturer in the Department of Forestry, to become a member of the Batu Gantung Flute / Trumpet blowing group which every week serves “hymns and introductory songs to the congregation”, at Rehoboth Church. We were given a schedule of serving twice a week (morning and evening services) sometimes three times during ecclesiastical holidays. By the Jama’at assembly, a list of our service schedules for a certain period of time is given and hymns that will be sung by the congregation (accompanied by the blowing of the Flute / Trumpet) are delivered by the church kostor to our trainer Mr. Acil Huwae (ganemo village) for training. Every Saturday night, the congregation’s costumer will deliver a list of hymns or if not delivered sometimes the flute loper (Om Uta, inner hanging stone) is asked to pick up the song list. From the sitting position of the flute group on the back balcony, I could observe a group of white people sitting in the front row of congregational seats, among them Mr. Liewe Anema.

Formal Introduction

In the mid-80s I completed all the credits of courses required at the faculty of agriculture. The Semester Credit System (SKS) which was recently implemented at that time allows students who diligently complete all lecture requirements and may be completed within 4 years because students in even or odd semesters who complete lectures with an Achievement Index above 3.0 can offer up to 24 credits (one course is given a credit score of 2 or 3 credits depending on the workload given, namely theory and practicum), and allowed to offer points in even or odd semesters above. As a result, a student can obtain a bachelor’s degree in a short time and continue his studies at a higher level of S2 and S3 at a young age. At the same time, a drop out (DO) provision is also applied for students who do not meet the lowest cumulative achievement index applied, which will negate the term Abadi student held by some senior students because they have more “Demo” than Study. Around that time period, the thought of Normalization of Campus Life (NKK) saw campus people as the Tri Civitas Academica with the core of lecturers, employees and students as a unit of campus development initiated and implemented by the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Daud Yusuf. Students are not separate parties who pay and gain knowledge on the campus developed by lecturers and administrative employees but are an inseparable part and need to return and develop the campus. In later developments in the conception of Alma Mater Insight, the unity of the Academic Community was expanded to four units with the addition of Alumni to the suit of Prof. Dr. Nugrorho Notosusanto as Minister of Education and Culture.

Completing the theory in a short time, I along with 3 other colleagues were recruited to work with (Prof.) Dr. P. M. Sitaniapessy, MSi (familiarly called Pak Pe – Peter) who just completed a Doctoral program at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB). Pak Pe who is an expert in Agroclimatology / Agrometeorology initiated the idea of determining the planting season in the Maluku region through analysis of regional climate data and divided into four students according to the district at that time; Ambon City, Central Maluku, North Maluku and Southeast Maluku, I went to Central Maluku [7]. In principle, determining the growing season is done by analyzing mainly rainfall data (and temperature) over the last 20 years, studying the amount and pattern of rainfall distribution, whether unimodal or bimodal, the distribution of wet months, dry months per year on the one hand; then study the physiological conditions of plants, especially the distribution of plant water needs in their development stadia for plants or plants that are the object of research or dominant in the study area, on the other hand; Furthermore, study the incidence or coincidence between the date / month / period of rainfall conditions and plant water requirements in plant development stadia. We immediately completed our research proposal and submitted it to Mr. Pe as a supervisor. In this research will only be needed data analysis without having to do field research and thus it will not take long and guided by an expert who is respected in his field and thus the completion of the study will be shorter and the ambition of obtaining cumlaude predicate will be achieved. The problems faced at that time included first, the recording of climate element data was only carried out on climatological stations, secondly there were only a few climatological stations in Maluku and generally only in areas near the provincial capital, third, the recording of climate element data was uncertain whether the span of the last 20 years or only a few years according to the length of time the station was established, fourth, whether the procedure for obtaining data on the climate element in question will be simple or convoluted through complex institutional procedures; Unlike today where climate element data can be obtained directly on a person’s cellphone personally and permanently, accurately and on a daily basis.

During the waiting period to get the data that had been requested by the supervisor through the Faculty, I was called to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at that time, Ir. J. J. Tuhumury MS. When I arrived at the office of the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, on the third floor of the old building left by the Russian-made Ambon Institute of Technology (ITA), there was already a European, tall and burly, I raised my head up to meet him. The Dean introduced Mr. Anema and said that he is a guest scientist from the Netherlands who will work in the field of plant breeding and I will be guided by him in the field of plant breeding. Mr. Anema reached out to me, his big hand tightly squeezed my hand that was immersed in it, and officially my personal and professional journey with Mr. Anema began. When we last met, we promised to enjoy a bottle of beer at Legian beach then continue to have dinner at a Greek restaurant. While waiting for the vehicle that would take Mr. Anema to his inn, I realized that I was almost the same height as him. Had asked the size of the height of Mr. Anema first, it turned out to reach more than 1.9 meters. I still need to say goodbye to the old supervisor Prof. Dr. Ir. P. M. Sitaniapessy, MSi, Mr. Pe’s message; “If you feel there is a big opportunity with Mr. Anema, just continue”.

Dynamics of Higher Education Development of Pattimura University

The development of universities in Indonesia in the decade of the 80s – 90s occurred a lot through international cooperation. Development projects with grants and loans for foreign and domestic studies are offered by various countries; USA, Germany, UK, Belgium, Australia and others. as well as other development projects including workshops, domestic courses utilizing major universities including IPB, UGM and others. Eastern Indonesian Universities as they lagged behind in various aspects of the development in comparison to that of Central and Western Indonesia. University groups considered less developed including Pattimura, Ratulangi, Cendrawasi, Hauleu Universities were given special attention to development programs. During this period of time, Indonesia Canada cooperation through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) provides scholarships for staff who meet the requirements for S2 and S3 scholarships in Canada, workshops/courses/training/seminars for short-term staff development in basic sciences in the fields of physics, biology, mathematics, biodiversity etc. The largest part of CIDA’s training output, especially in English, continues their S2 and S3 education in Canada, Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom and others. An intensive and extensive collaboration project presents project leaders from Canada to have residency in Ambon, Maluku, including the last Dr. Jan Kwack and Wife, to directly manage the cooperation project with a counterparty institution from Pattimura University, Indonesia.

Cooperation with the United States (USA) presents the Tuber development project “Underexploited Tuberous crops Yams and Aroids” in collaboration with Pattimura University and the United States Agency for International Development” (USAID). This project successfully surveyed, mapped, documented the distribution of potential Moluccan tubers, collected in collection gardens and tissue cultures of more than a hundred different cultivars from various regions of the Moluccan islands, conducted field research; agronomist, taxonomy, breeding, chemical content analysis to plant tissue culture and producing new scholars/graduates at the Faculty of Agriculture Unpatti. The collaboration with the Netherlands presents the LTA72 project which successfully maps, describes the climate distribution of small islands in Maluku, about nine climate regions, allowing wider use in agriculture and other fields. The presence of guest scientists directly handles the learning and development of the Faculty as Mr. Anema is certainly part of cooperation with the Netherlands. In this context, recognition also needs to be given to leadership at both the University and Faculty levels and the synergy built between them other than the Indonesian government at the center of power.

Start a Task

After getting the Dean’s endorsement, Mr. Anema was immediately involved as a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture. Fluent in Indonesian, he handled the Genetics lecture offered in semester 4 and attended by a number of enthusiastic students (generally mahasiswi). Of course, it is not an easy material to help with the diktats written by Mr. Anema plus a number of textbooks that are freely available to students, even for me who has completed all the credits offered at the Faculty of Agriculture. The material presented by Mr. Anema was mostly related to molecular genetics (basic material and structure of DNA, protein synthesis and related material), a branch of genetics that at that time was only intensively developing in the world and was still unfamiliar to the Faculty of Agriculture whose material was not clearly structured. Despite a number of initial challenges, Mr. Anem’s work can be seen from the academic display of his students at the end of their studies and career development in the future. He continues to build contacts and follow the development of his students, even knowing where they are in various regions in Indonesia. One of a number of early graduates and researchers under Mr. Anema’s guidance, Dr. Ir. Helen Hetharia (deceased) was recruited as staff and continued her S2 and S3 at IPB Bogor after conducting plant breeding training at the University of Pajajaran Bandung on the contact of Mr. Anema. At the request of Mr. Anema we had the opportunity to visit Mrs. Dr. Helen to express our condolences despite several years of death. Genetics can be said to be a vast scientific area.

In its division or teaching can be in the form of Mendelian genetics (Mendelian Genetics) which discusses the regularity of segregation and the free separation of genetic material in the derivation of genetic traits of organisms which is Mendel’s Law, from its discoverer Gregor Mendel, the father of Modern Genetics, including the history of the discovery and further development of Mendel’s law and its implications. Mendel’s laws underlie changes in plant breeding limits and practices, particularly in self-pollinating plants. Second, Genetics of cells or (cytogenetics) discusses among others organelle cells and the various functions they carry including cell division, mitosis and miosis, which in principle proves Mendel’s laws of segregation and free separation, mutations in chromosomes and so on, Population Genetics is related to the Law of Permanence / balance of allele frequencies and genotypes in populations, better known as the Hardy-Weinberg Law with all the necessary requirements. Fourth, quantitative genetics reviews the variation of visible traits (phenotypes) as a result of polygene expression and environmental factors. Quantitative characters of continuum nature are different from qualititative characters that are discrete, plus genetics in prokaryotic organisms (unicellular, without nuclear membrane). Teaching a number of areas of genetics, each of which is quite broad in its discussion, requires separation in courses or teaching staff. Mr. Anema chose to teach the latest part of genetics while still practicing other parts.

Accompanying Mr. Anema I got the responsibility of student practicum, in addition to concentrating on thesis research. There was quite a fierce discussion at the first meeting of field planting practicum material related to the preparation of planting beds. The beds instructed to students felt right, taking the length and width according to the planting distance from the plants to be planted by taking into account the number of rows of plants and taking half the size of the planting distance from each side of the length and width. The height of the beds is made according to the plants to be planted, tubers are usually higher than vegetables, for example. Mr. Anema questioned the edges of clean and neat beds, according to him, the sides should be left with grass or hardened so that the beds do not collapse easily when hit by heavy rainfall, while in our experience, the beds will decrease in height or in extreme conditions the plants can be somewhat submerged but not to the extent of damaging the plants.

On the next field visit we followed Mr. Anem’s direction by giving a little restraint on the side of the bed, he again protested asking for adjustment to the practice that had been done. In further developments, the practice of plant genetics is related to the observation of plant flowering, emasculation and crossing in peanut flowers, preparation of chromosomal dye sats (Aceto Orcein), introduction of microscopes and enlargement of ocular and objective lenses, observation of mitosis in onion and root plants using the squash / Okada method, counting the segregation of one gene (dominant, recessive) and two genes (epistasis) according to Mendel’s Law, Mendel’s reverse proof of Law (segregation) using simulation data (FMIPA IPB Bogor) and several others.

Some Journeys Introduction to the Working Area

At the beginning of our work, we often traveled to Jakarta and various places in Java visiting agricultural centers and institutions and universities for various purposes, including, observing the collection of fruit plants, buying and repairing laboratory fittings and electronic equipment in Jakarta, buying/collecting literature, visiting the Indonesian- Dutch cooperation project of vegetable/legume breeding in Subang and Sukamandi, location and center of rice breeding Bogor and IPB Bogor, discussing with Prof. G. A. Wattimena MSc. Occasionally I was asked to make a record of activities and trips as a report. In Jakarta we usually stay at the PGI (Indonesian Church Association) Guest House located on Jalan Teuku Umar where Mr. Anema will meet or have an event with his and his foreign colleagues. On the way to Jakarta, usually Mr. Anema will first with his family leave to fulfill their activity schedule and I follow by passenger ship (cruise about 5 days Ambon-Jakarta) with an appointment to meet at the port. As a student just starting to travel out of the area, boat trips are often thrilling due to the uncertainty of encounters or the possibility of getting lost in a crowded port. Fortunately, Mr. Anema who is white and tall, surpassing almost any visitor will be easy to see and find in the crowded crowd of passengers and pick-ups.

Preparation of Plant Breeding Study Program Development

The presence of Mr. Anema coincided with the newly formed interest in plant breeding at the Faculty of Agriculture. Although the level of interest is not known/recogized in the level (structure) of Faculty administrative management (according to government regulations), interests are usually formed according to the vision of Faculty development and adjusted to available resources and dynamics of knowledge development. Interest as the forerunner of the formation of the study program prepares factually to then be further proposed for the ratification / official establishment of the study program by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The head of interest or precisely the coordinator of the Interest in Genetics/Plant Breeding at that time Dr. Martin J. Tutupay, MS (Pak Butje), completed his S2 in conventional plant breeding at Gajah Mada University then continued his S3 at IPB Bogor with the affiliation of Wageningen University and Research of the Netherlands, with direction from Prof. Em. Ir. G. A. Wattimena, MSc. PhD, from IPB Bogor and a little help from Mr. L. S. Anema. Mr. Butje is working hard to attract students to choose the interest of Genetics and Plant Breeding, it is hoped that later adequate staff recruitment can be carried out.

I was part of delivering a presentation of breeding interest, competing with Agronomy Interest which at that time was the parent of the Study Program (Agronomy), Plant Disease Pests (HAPPEN) and Soil Science (Ilmu Tanah) including at the inauguration camp of the Agronomy Student Association of the Faculty of Agriculture. With little discussion and perhaps personal pressure because Mr. Butje was part of the senior faculty, the guarantee of getting lectures from competent staff especially Mr. Anema from the Netherlands, the plant breeding interest a few years later, attracted students with the best IPK in the Faculty of Agriculture. Later there was a little friction between Mr. Anema and Mr. Butje where Mr. Anema felt that Mr. Butje’s involvement in the Faculty was not entirely because it was divided into functions as a teacher of Sekolah Menengah Atas (Ambon Christian High School).

Systematically, factual development of interest towards the study program is carried out through the preparation of human resources, preparation of curriculum including courses and syllabus / GBPP, preparation of technical implementation units including laboratories and facilities, as well as adequate literature (library) and experimental gardens. The preparation of plant breeding human resources, although not intensively formally discussed, is applied with due regard to specialization in the field of plant breeding, including conventional breeding involving selection from both generational development populations, testing for the production of new varieties and production of hybrid varieties; collection, conservation and testing of genetic resources for germplasm exchange and natural development as well as crosses, and new high-yielding varieties; and the use of biotechnology to expedite / accelerate plant breeding programs. In its application to the recruitment of Plant Breeding staff, this is certainly not easy or difficult to carry out precisely as ideal, but it can be seen in the future or in recent conditions that there is a clear separation in the field of expertise as well as the intersection of the field of expertise of the teaching staff. Mr. Butje played a lot of role in the recruitment of Dr. Ir. Jollanda Effendy MSc. M. Phil. Completed S2 (MSc. Simon Fraser University, Canada and M. Phil. Massey University, New Zealand), S3 (Dr.) IPB, Bogor, areas of expertise include Plant Biology and Molecular Biology, while Mr. Anema played a role in the recruitment of Dr. Ir. Helen Hetharia, MSi., who completed S2 and S3 at IPB Bogor, areas of expertise include Long Bean Plant Restoration and Biotechnology, Dr. Ir. Edison Jambormias, MSi who was later recruited to complete S2 and S3 at IPB Bogor with the field of conventional breeding expertise and Dr. Jane Laisina SP. MSi., completed S2 and S3 at IPB, Bogor in the field of conventional breeding and Biotechnology.

Another senior staff who has been recruited from IPB Bogor is Prof. Ir. Simon H. T. Raharjo, PhD. completed S3 at Simon Fraser University, Canada with expertise in Biotechnology, Gene Transfer, plant tissue culture while I, Dr. Agr. Ir. Semuel Leunufna, MSc. PhD., completed S2 (MSc., University of Guelph) Canada in conventional breeding (soy) and S3 (Dr. Agr., Martin Luther Universitaet, Helle-Wittenberg; PhD. IPK-Gatersleben), Germany in biotechnology, conservation of plant genetic resources (cryopreservation, plant tissue culture). All teaching staff have expertise in Agronomy. The development of teaching staff mentioned a little or a lot, in the context of preparing Unpatti teaching staff, involves the participation of two important figures Prof. Em. Ir. G. A. Wattimena, MSc., PhD., IPB Bogor and Mr. Liewe S. Anema.

Some courses are added to the lectures of interest, especially in the advance semester as part of the preparation for curriculum development; Breeding resistance to environmental stress, Germplasm Conservation, Advanced Plant Breeding, Quantitative Genetics and others where some of them are introduced/copied from courses at other universities in Indonesia. Plant Breeding Against Environmental Stress is organized to be taught togather with staff of other study programs including Plant Pests and Diseases and Agronomy weighted with SKS 3, in principle discussing the effects of water stress (drought and excess water), salinity, temperature, pests and diseases in plants and breeding procedures and techniques in overcoming them. Plant germplasm conservation was initially given a weight of SKS 2 then 3 with the addition of practicum, generally discussing variability in various plants and general conservation methods and techniques applied in conservation efforts. The two courses above and the like are included in the Field of Expertise Course and Local Content Course because of their specifications and generally discuss the local dominant commodities of Maluku. I was asked by the Head of Interest to coordinate the lectures. As a senior staff, Mr. Anema has an office with the head of the project, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Indonesian Umbian Cooperation Project (Unpatti) – USAID, Ir. Jeff. R. Lalopua MACD, a soil science researcher who graduated from Washington State University, USA, in a separate building from the Main Faculty building, named Gedung Serba Guna. A long office space is given two office desks on both sides, in the middle is a computer desk with desktops, printers and other accessories. As a senior student, I work on the desktop and thus, share an office and easily interact with Mr. Anema as a mentor.

In this period the use of computers is rare, its use still revolves around typing manuscripts using software including word processors, we use word perfect programs and simple statistical calculations on spreadsheets including Anova, regression and others. With a low-capacity flat wide floppy disk, it is not possible to do work involving large files including pictures, photos and so on. Together with Mr. Anema, we were pioneers in the use of information technology (IT) at the University at that time. The multipurpose building was originally intended for the Unpatti-USAID Cooperation on Tuber Crops project equipped with the PI Office and staff space, meeting rooms, collection and cultivation rooms for plant tissue culture laboratories, materials and tissue culture media preparation, laundry rooms, storage warehouses, acclimatization rooms. In addition to the office space for Mr. Anema, we were given a laboratory room for Genetics and Plant Breeding, which was built specifically for laboratory functions complete with two long stone tables next to each other in the middle and stone tables on the sides surrounding the lab room. At the bottom there is a laboratory equipment storage cabinet and the top at hand level is a cabinet where chemicals are stored, while on the other side there is a cooling cabinet and a wooden cabinet storing certain chemicals and plant seeds. Laboratory equipment for practicum and research, at the beginning of development included research microscopes with magnification reaching 1000 times, 10x ocular lenses and 100x ojectives, binoculars, a number of student microscopes, a number of practicum props, absolute alcohol chemicals, glacial acetic acid, orcein, xylol and others especially for research on microscopes and various other equipment, a number of seeds of various varieties in paper bags to be planted periodically as practicum materials and research descriptions of plant morphology including tubers of various cultivars of Dioscorea.

Some of the existing equipment and materials were purchased with funds from Mr. Anema, others were collected from the storage warehouse of Russian heritage materials and equipment at the former Ambon Institute of Technology (ITA) which changed its name to the Faculty of Engineering (FT) Shipping Unpatti, when Rector Prof. Nanere took a policy of dismantling the warehouse and converting spaces at FT. In an effort to transfer a number of equipment and materials to the laboratory, there was little opposition or disinterest from Mr. Anema to the Rector, because the Rector ordered the immediate destruction of all remaining materials when the transfer was not completed, and Mr. Anema was temporarily outside the area.

One large cabinet, slightly rotted in some places because it was stored for a long time in the Russian heritage warehouse, we made the main storage cabinet in the library of breeding interest. A collection of genetics, breeding books of the latest and most important at that time as well as international and national journals in the collection in the library of interest in Plant Breeding. Genetics books by Strickerberger, Lewontin and Suzuki, including a number of recent books by the Inter- University Center of IPB Bogor, gene expression (Dr. Muhammad Yusuf, FMIPA, IPB), agricultural biotechnology (Prof. Dr. G.A. Wattimena, MSi, Agronomy IPB), cytogenetics, and others; Journal of euphitics and a number of other journals related to chromosome and tuber observation, taxonomy, flora malesiana, flora of java, and others can be found in the library. A number of these libraries were obtained from the Netherlands, others were bought or copied, or given free of charge by the authors. Some of the collections were brought by Mr. Anema, others through the assignment of the PI of the Umbian project to me to travel to complete the Tubers library at IPB Bogor. The collection of a large amount of literature by the tuber project is also a source of complement to the library of plant breeding interests.

Experimental gardens are important for learning agricultural science in universities, including the scientific field of plant breeding. In its implementation, we utilize the collection garden or experimental garden of the Unpatt-USAID tuber project located near the campus, in collaboration with the project. In addition to utilizing the field collection of root crops from the Tuber project, we grow our own research crops including thesis research and other crops including legume plants periodically for the practice of vegetative and reproductive morphology observation, description and taxonomy, production evaluation as well as for circulation and propagation of seeds. Once we received a collection of different varieties of soybeans in paper bags, because of carelessness some soybean seeds from several bags spilled out. Mr. Anema was furious when I tried to collect the fallen seeds. I understood then that in breeding, it is very important especially in self-pollinating plants such as soybeans, each bag is kept separate from the others, because each variety is a pure line/strain of continuous self-pollination. Mixing varieties means polluting the purity of the strains and purifying them requires time, cost and labor-consuming cultivation and separation of intersection types.

In conditions where the number of students is small, we plant practicum plants on a project basis with only a small amount of funds from Mr. Anema. I brought in my adoptive brother Waldy with his men to complete the job of preparing the beds with very satisfactory results. Although a bachelor of economics, Waldy is skilled at growing a variety of vegetables in our home, Wailela region. Waldy is very sociable but is also feared even by criminals around and many young people make friends asking for his advice. Some of the young men are involved in the GPM Youth Force organization of which I am chairman, making two groups; who were in spiritual and other activities several times got into fights. Later, the young people around our area became reliable cadres in the community. Research consultations or work-related talks other than being conducted in the office, also took place on our trip together in Mr. Anem’s diesel car which was probably only one in the province sent by ship to Maluku. I would sit in front and ask questions or give opinions on the way back to Karang Panjang, his residence with his family and I would go down around the city of Ambon, to my host mother in Kudamati. At the end of his service, Mr. Anema had difficulty selling his car until finally sent to the island of Sumatra to the new owner who offered it.

Determining the Title of Research and Implementation

Although carrying its own mission, namely the development of genetic teaching and plant breeding at Pattimura University, the presence of Mr. Anema, in many ways, integrated, helped and succeeded in the implementation of the Unpatti-USAID Umbian project, which can be seen through the same work environment, input of thoughts through informal discussions and submission of papers at scientific seminars on project research results by Mr. Anema, determination of my research title and assignment in complementing Project library, tuber survey team, to the implementation of survey and research results material in the final project report including appointment as project research staff for the last year of implementation. In terms of survey and collection of tuber germplasm by the project, in addition to the team surveying the Central Maluku region, Seram Islands, Saparua and Ambon, I was assigned to survey the island of Yamdena and its surroundings. In my conduct with an officer of the Taniminbar islands agriculture service, Pak Made, I traced about half of the island of Yamdena, visited a large number of villages including Tumbur, Lorulun, Bomaki, collected about 40 different cultivars, including Arumat dare, arumat fufulu, arumat atutmune, arumat ngalerap, arumat yarbulan, syabu tarbalyame, syabu kreme, syab nure, syab sruene, described various field characters including local names etc., following the traditional ceremonies of harvesting and planting, burning land and so on in the practice of shifting cultivation practiced by the Yamdena community at that time.

The title of our research is the biggest part of it is Mr. Anema’s contribution; “Taxonomy of some dioscorea specimens, Carbohydrate-Diosgenin ratio and its Impact on Dioscorea breeding procedures” [8]. The background of determining the title of the research can be clearly seen from the important aspects stated. First is the taxonomic section. A total of more than one hundred cultivars of mainly Dioscorea spp. with small numbers of Xanthosoma spp. and Colocasia spp., were collected from a survey in the province of Maluku by the project survey team. An earlier survey 10 years earlier by the IPB Bogor research team had reported 8 species of Dioscorea spread in Maluku out of about 33 species spread in Indonesia and about 400 species in the world. of course, you want to know how many species are still left or how much genetic erosion has occurred in Dioscorea germplasm over the last 10 years (1978 and 1987) in terms of the number of species in Maluku? To answer the above question, of course, it will be necessary to include the dioscorea descriptor, which is a list of morphological characteristics with the addition of a number of other characters including chromosome observations (if possible) and other literature studies, applied to a number of examples of Dioscorea cultivars collected, including in his 17 cultivars of my thesis research material.

The results of morphological descriptions on the Dioscorea germplasm collection in the experimental garden of the tuber project identified 4 different species from the survey area including the islands of Seram, Ambon, Saparua, Yamdena and surrounding areas. The four species in question are D. alata, D. esculenta, D. hispida and D. pentaphylla where D. hispida is represented by only one cultivar and D. petaphilla 2 cultivars. A few years after the end of the tuber project, another species was discovered on the Kei islands that were not surveyed: D. bulbifera. The second aspect is Diosgenin and carbohydrates (chemical content of tubers). Diosgenin is a chemical, secondary metabolism produced by Dioscorea and used in the production of steroid drugs, one of the uses of diosgenin is as an active ingredient in the contraceptive pill a product whose promotion can be found in a number of IT media at that time. Since the 1960s the USDA has introduced and cultivated a number of diocorea species from Latin America, including D. floribunda, D. mexicana for diosgenin production. Analysis of diosgenin content in Dioscorea in Maluku, thus important to understand its commercial value in the future. The carbohydrate content in dioscorea has been widely studied and is one of the main carbohydrate foods that support the food security of the islands in Maluku. How big the amount of carbohydrate content of Maluku tubers is certainly interesting to know and compare with the results of previous studies in other regions in Indonesia and in the selection of cultivars for their designation.

At that time Pattimura University had developed a soil chemistry laboratory at the Faculty of Agriculture that was able to analyze the carbohydrate content of foodstuffs, and with the carbohirat content of tubers was handed over to the soil chemistry laboratory to be carried out on 17 samples of tubers / cultivars of research materials. Analysis of diosgenin content could not be carried out in Indonesia and thus brought to the Netherlands by Mr. Anema for analysis and at that time carried out at the Laboratory of Pharmacognition, Uthrecht University, Uthrecht Netherlands. The whole analysis procedure certainly took time and although it was a bit late to get it to discuss it at length in the thesis discussion, Mr. Anema once handed me a number of documents containing the results of the analysis of diosgenin content in tuber samples that he brought to the Netherlands. It turned out that the results of the analysis showed that the sample used had a low diosgenin content, which was 1 percent. The carbohydrate content of tubers from laboratory analysis shows a fairly high percentage and looks varied according to the color of the tuber flesh where the purple color provides a lower carbohydrate content than the white color. Another observed carbohydrate content in the species D. esculenta of the subgenus Comblium, contains branched chain starch, amylopectin which makes it somewhat difficult to digest compared to D. alata of the subgenus Enantiophyllum which predominantly contains amylose, a straight-chain starch that is relatively easy to digest.

One other aspect of the study was determining the relationship between the specific gravity of tubers and their carbohydrate content or diosgenin. Regression relationships with the resulting equations can be of practical benefit, especially in the case of surveys of distant forest or mountainous areas finding wild species of Dioscorea. In this condition it can be practically predicted / estimated how much carbohydrate or diosgenin content of tubers, by simply carrying a scale, without waiting for the results of chemical analysis or bringing dioscorea tubers that are quite heavy to the laboratory from a distant place. Technically, the implementation of determining the specific gravity of tubers is something that is not easy to do. From the literature offered by Mr. Anema I saw that the equipment used in previous studies determined the specific gravity of an object (biological material), but the same equipment was difficult to construct in the laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding of Pattimura University. Simply determine the specific gravity of the object obtained from the weight of the object in the air minus the weight of the object in water, then the value obtained divided by the weight of the object in the air. We construct this condition in the laboratory, then send the image to the supervisor for examination. In an effort to reduce errors, a regression relationship can be obtained for carbohydrate content with R2 of about 78 percent, which means a fairly strong relationship. Specific gravity regression and tuber diosgenin were not performed due to the very low diosgenin content.

From the results of the analysis obtained, conclusions related to the procedure and direction of breeding dioscorea can be put forward; that selection over generations of dioscorea by the Moluccans from the wild form of dioscorea resulted in current cultivars high in carbohydrate content; that the selection carried out was a negative selection of the diosgenin content or produced cultivars with low diosgenin content; that the selection by the community in question occurred unconsciously because diosgenin has a bitter taste and by selecting or consuming and planting continuously from generation to generation cultivars that did not taste bitter, the Moluccans have unconsciously selected cultivars with high carbohydrate content. Regarding the field of taxonomy, it can be concluded that within ten tanun there has been an erosion of the genetic diversity of Dioscorea in Maluku both at the species and cultivar level with the loss of 3 species and of course a large number of cultivars in it and in the species found.

Questioning the Predicate of Cumlaude

During the thesis preparation period, Mr. Anema was in the Netherlands for several activities, he asked to send the thesis that had been prepared to be evaluated with the shipping costs paid back. I was then asked to prepare for the exam when he returned in the near future. A few days before the undergraduate exam was held, Mr. Anema and I discussed with Mr. Jef Lalopua, Principal Inverstigator of the Umbian Project. Mr. Jeff asked and wanted to know the corrections that had been made to the Thesis, Mr. Anma jokingly but also seriously said that the fault lies with me that there is no error in the thesis, if I want to get input and correction from him. I have to make mistakes. I was quiet but understood that I got full marks for my thesis. Assessment of the overall success of a student’s studies in line with the application of the Semester Credit System (SKS) is carried out at several assessment points, first the cumulative achievement index (Grade Point Average-GPA) for courses offered during the study period including real work lectures (KKN), then research and thesis writing, thesis seminars and undergraduate examinations. It should also imply other achievements including co-curricular and extra-curricular activities of students including involvement in professional organizations, student senate and others. The predicate obtained by students according to the weighting on the creteria above includes “Cumlaude”, the highest predicate that can be obtained for universities in Indonesia, slightly below the predicate “Very satisfactory”. To obtain the highest Cumlaude certificate, in the credit system and according to the rules developed in the Faculty of Agriculture, a student must be able to complete his education within a maximum period of 4 years with a cumulative achievement index (GPA) equal to or exceeding 3.5.

I did not get the highest cumulative achievement index (4) for learning and practical work conducted throughout the learning period; some courses do not get A grades for several reasons, one of which is a collision of lecture schedules and / or exams because the courses offered are in different semesters, and there is a change in the schedule in the implementation of the course, thus in the end, the cumulative achievement index is close to 3.7. The thesis seminar was conducted a few days before the undergraduate exam, assessed by the supervisor and head of the department in this case Mr. Anema and Ir. L. L. Orzaer (Mrs. Len Oszaer). After finishing presenting the seminar followed by a round of questions, Mrs. Len filled out the assessment form and submitted one exemplar to Mr. Anema. Back at the office, I then asked Mr. Anema for his assessment regarding the seminar that had just finished, he handed me a blank assessment sheet along with the assessment sheet from Mrs. Len and asked me to rate myself. I briefly looked at the form sheet and the grade given by Mrs. Len, listed the final score of the seminar 98. I filled in 97 on the blank sheet that Mr. Anema gave me and handed it back to him with a little small talk. The undergraduate examination takes place as scheduled, followed by supervisor I, Supervisor II, examiners, examination committee, department and Faculty leaders (Dean). The questions asked and discussions that took place I was able to complete well and felt very happy with the learning results that had been resolved. However, there was a fierce discussion in giving final grades among the examiners, the explanation given later was that I could not be given laude predicate because I completed my studies in more than 4 years or precisely 5-6 years. Because laude predicate is only given at a IPK of 3.5 or above, my final learning results are adjusted to 3.49.

I didn’t think about it at the time, but then realized that such judgments were very unfair and wrong and very detrimental and erased all the hard work that had been done during the learning period. It is not wrong not to give the title laude for reasons that have already become an agreement. But lowering the entire cumulative achievement index to 3.49 to adjust to the predicate given is very wrong because IPK is the result of student work and is his right. To get a IPK of 3.7 students have to study hard, manage time, endure sleepiness, hunger and so on as well as in preparing research, writing a thesis, preparing seminars and so on to get full marks, 98 and 97 and so on. Eliminating or eliminating all grades and giving a grade of 3.49 not only harms students on exams but also their future and reduces the pride of parents who have sacrificed so much for their children’s success.

Genetic Transplant FMIPA IPB Bogor

Dr. Muhammad Yusuf, Head of the Genetics laboratory of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) IBP Bogor, a PhD. graduate from France, was invited as a lecturer at a biotechnology workshop at Pattimura University in his position as Head of the Indonesian Inter-University Center (PAU) for Biotechnology. The workshops are part of the basic sciences development program of the CIDA-Unpatti project. The interesting material encouraged me to participate in conveying questions in Mr. Yusuf’s delivery. At the end of the workshop, Mr. Yusuf invited me, with Mr. Anem’s approval and talks with the leadership of CIDA-Unpatti as a financial supporter, to intern in his laboratory. Apprenticeship or transplant in principle is a staff assigned to an institution or university that first developed to work and learn from the progress achieved in order to then practice it at the institution / university of origin. Together with two assistants of Mr. Yusuf at that time, Ence Dharmo Jaya Sopeno PhD (Pak Ence), then graduated from Wageningen University and Research and Dr. Utut Widiastuti (bu Utut-IPB Bogor) we managed Practicum and Genetics lectures. The Molecular Genetics lecture was given by Mr. Yusuf in a large lecture hall that accommodated hundreds of students at once, I was asked to sit in (attend lectures but no other obligations), but then asked to take the final exam. For practicum purposes, students are divided into 4 groups according to the number of practicum teachers/assistants. The first group was taught by Mr. Yusuf, the second group was taught by Mr. Ence, the third group was taught by me and the fourth group was taught by Mrs. Utut. Learning materials and practicum materials are the same for each group. A number of practicum materials are taught and practiced including Mendel’s Law and its proof using computer simulation products for the segregation of 5 different genes, the inheritance of traits in fruit flies including sex and segregation traits and other materials. Fruit flies whose life cycle is about 4 weeks are excellent learning material because the nature of segragation can be seen in individuals and explained using a chessboard. Fruit flies should be carefully farmed and fed around the clock with boiled sweet potatoes.

For the study, I was given the task of researching and counting the number of chromosomes of large chilies (Capsicum annum L.) using plant material that was also being researched in our lab. Chromosome counting studies utilize Colchicine material on specific consentrations. The use of cochinine will disrupt the formation of spindle threads in cell division (mitosis and miosis) and in the absence of spindle threads, chromosomes will not arrange in the equatorial plane at the metaphase cell division stage but are scattered in cells with large sizes in other words cell division does not occur and chromosomes are in tetraploid (polyploid) form. In my research I used root organs and organs of newly developing young flowers. The use of flower organs at the beginning of formation / growth succeeded in displaying good chromosomal preparations, Mr. Yusuf and I counted together the number of chromosomes scattered on the preparations after being photographed at the SEAMEO-BIOTROP laboratory, Bogor. The publication of our writing was hampered because the report was written on a typewriter and its correction required retyping the entire manuscript while the internship time was nearing completion. Another task is to attend advanced genetics lectures with Prof. Alex Hartana, PhD (Mr. Alex). Mr. Alex uses the thick book Thick Genetic Analysis from Lewontin, Griffiht and Suzuki. Intensive lectures with students with good achievements made me stressed, but the final results did not disappoint. Although the senior lecturer, Mr. Alex got married a bit late and his marriage with colleagues at IPB became an interesting story by several lab colleagues.

In addition to the various functions carried out, Mr. Yusuf also seems to be a counselor of PT Benih Prima, evaluating the planting of breeding plants in order to strengthen the standards of planting and producing seeds and selling them later. Technically, periodic inspections were assigned to Mr. Ence and I was included. We were given motorbikes and periodically visited the planting site of PT Benih prima. Mr. Ence’s wedding was also a unique talk, the wedding plan was set and I planned to get the invitation but Mr. Ence’s father-inlaw passed away and was immediately called home to get married in front of his father-in-law’s body. The wedding seemed to be attended by only a few friends including Mr. Yusuf. Meeting Mr. Ence again in Berlin, 2003 at the Indonesian-European Indonesian student scientific conference, we presented the material to the same group, biotechnology, previously I offered to be the moderator of Mr. Ence’s paper but there was a change from what was scheduled by the committee. Mr. Ence talked about his children.

Master of Science, Crop Science Department, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Indonesia-Canada cooperation through CIDA offers scholarships to study in Canada but with heavy requirements including TOEFL must reach 570. To support the policy, CIDA organizes intensive English courses gradually starting with Basic English Language Training (BELT) and even Pre-BELT, held at Pattimura University to English for Academic Purposes (EAP 1 and 2), UGM Jokjakarta and Jakarta, supported by the Rector’s policy to free Young Lecturers from excessive academic tasks and concentrate on learning English. Although not many attend Canada, the improved English language skills have led a large number of Unpatti staff to attend further education to a number of foreign countries including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, the Philippines etc. In the placement selection, I was asked to determine between BELT and Pre BELT-2, I chose pre BELT-2 and then got the opportunity to EAP 1 and 2 without going through BELT then passed the selection to Canada and was accepted at the University of Guelph, in the small town of Guelph, Ontario Province, Canada, historically used to be part of the University of Toronto, then stood alone. Following lectures at U of G, both undergraduate courses and graduate courses, I realized the importance of understanding the language of instruction well and appreciating the high language requirements imposed by CIDA.

Meeting before leaving for Canada, Mr. Anema told of a Van-couver brother and a classmate at Wageningen University who worked at the University of Guelph, while handing over a letter to be handed over to Prof. Theisj Tolenaar, Mr. Anema’s friend. Prof. Tolenaar is a respected plant physiologist in the Crop Science Department of U of G both by his graduate students and by colleagues and international scientists. Each teaching staff at Crop Science UoG is rigorously selected and ends their duties as Prof. Emeritus because of their brilliant scientific work. Unlike Prof. Tolenaar, I was accepted into the Plant Breeding specialization under the guidance of Prof. Jack W. Tanner. I was asked by graduate students coordiator Prof. Lyn Kannenberg, to choose between Prof. Tanner, Prof. Steve Bowley and Prof. Duane Falk. The advisory committee consisted of Prof. Wally Beversdorf who later moved to the company Ceiba gaigi, Prof. Dave Hume, chair of the Department of Crop Science, Prof. Rick Upholt and Prof. Tom Micheals. Under the guidance of Prof. Jack Tanner and the solid soybean breeding team, I worked and studied intensively, completing 11 courses while researching and writing a thesis [9]. The five examining professors expressed satisfaction on the final exam assessment sheet. The learning atmosphere is familiar and friendly but strict and demands high achievement, making every graduate student, especially international stdents and especially from Asia have to work extra hard.

For international students, after completing a study assignment, there is usually an opportunity to become a Canadian citizen, work and build a life, even if certain requirements are required or the government is selective in accepting applications to become immigrants. Political events or conflicts within a country are usually quite convincing grounds for proposing to become landed immigrants in Canada by paying administrative costs of about 400 Canadian dollars, at that time, for example the Chinese Tiannanmen incident. A close friend from Menado, Indonesia, and his family decided to stay, and currently live a prosperous life and vacation a lot to various countries. For Indonesian students who receive scholarships (including grants) for international cooperation, given or registered in the Cabinet Secretary letter (SETKAB) and get a State Service Passport, usually a service period of 2n + 1 year is applied to the original institution after studying abroad where n is the length of study abroad.

The Scholars; Unforgetable Memories from Canada

To commemorate my university days and life in Canada, I wrote a number of articles and published them in newspapers, local dailies, usually the daily Pagi Siwlima [10-37]. Articles that are quite long are usually divided into two daily pages and in two or three issues until completion. The dozens of articles were compiled into a small book of more than 300 pages and titled the Scholar; unforgettable memories from Canada. Every time an article was published, I would rush to buy a daily, but it often happened that the daily published that day was sold out in a subscribed place. It seems that the Moluccans, especially on the island of Ambon, like to read the articles I wrote or maybe it was a coincidence. My adoptive mother also loved to read it and I usually bought and brought it for the adoptive mother to read, several times she jokingly called me “writer”.

For science work, I translated a book written by one of my professors at the UoG Crop Science Department, Prof. Niel Stoskopf with two colleagues from different institutions, entitled Plant Breeding; Theory and Practice. The more than 500-page tome, translated into Indonesian of more than 600 pages, reviews in detail the history of plant breeding, the use of statistics in plant breeding, the selection of elders for crosses, conventional breeding methods and techniques, and the release of new varieties while emphasizing the importance of biotechnology in speeding up conventional breeding procedures. First published in early 1992 and to date it has not been replaced by quality and relevance in the practice and teaching of plant breeding, agree with the opinions of scientists I have heard. I also heard a little comment from Prof. Lyn Kannennberg, Graduate Student Coordinator, Crop Science Department, on our trip from Guelph to Bettendorf Iowa to attend the Corn Breeding Conference, explaining how Prof. Stoskopf transferred the complicated and uneasy knowledge and practice of plant breeding into beautiful, readable language. This book I use in plant breeding lectures, although not in its entirety chapters. At least two important international scientific conferences we attended; American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SCCA) Conference, Cincinnati Ohio, 1993 and Corn Breeding Conference, Bettendorf, Iowa USA, 1994, became important lessons in my future scientific development, in which I was accepted and listed as a member of CSAA, ASA, SSSA (Crop Science Vol. 36 March – April, 1996: 515 – 538). Additionally, I was invited to become a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1994 by Special Invitation.

Invitation Netherlands; Renkum, Amsterdam

I received an e-mail from Mr. Anema a few days after defending my thesis at the Department of Crop Science at the University of Guelph, was invited to the Netherlands and had several talks. Graduation (convocation) was still a few months away, October 1995, and in the waiting period, the opportunity to have informal talks with other colleagues or work approaches with professors, while some gave positive responses or looked for opportunities to continue their PhD either in Canada or the USA could still be explored, but I decided to respond to Mr. Anema’s invitation. Immediately I went to the university administration asking for a list of study results containing courses with results obtained during the study, discussing the trip to Indonesia with the sponsor in Van Couver and requesting a trip back through the Netherlands. Mrs. Robin Kask, the coordinating secretary of the CIDA scholarship recipients, agreed and prepared a return ticket, namely through the Van Couver to meet Mrs. Thea Hinds, the coordinator of the Canadian scholarship recipients, and complete administrative matters including sending a number of books and goods directly to Indonesia.

In the visa process at the Dutch Embassy in Toronto, there is a slight obstacle, namely the need for an official invitation letter from the former supervisor as an inviter, while the flight departure schedule is the next day. It turned out that the invitation letter could be completed and the next day I was given a visa and went straight to the departure airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

I lived for some time in Renkum with the Anema family; Willy’s mother and their two adopted children, Oriza who has just entered school and is very excited and Sippi (Sibrano) who is still often held by her mother. Some of the scheduled activities with family or with Mr. Anema include visiting the heritage house of Mr. Anema’s parents in Amsterdam, sightseeing trips around Amterdam and its surroundings, enjoying beer on garten beers scattered in the city of Amsterdam in the summer. I also took several private trips, including visiting Uthrecht, the Hague and other cities, such as Dutch cities can be visited in a short time by train. Professional talks included meeting the invitation of a group of student activists and staff of Wageningen University who wanted to interview about the issue of Yamdena Island which was quite hot at that time. The policy of clearing forests on Yamdena island for sugarcane cultivation for the sugar industry in Indonesia, received international attention. Problems that caused criticism from a number of experts at that time included land suitability, especially soil that was easily eroded and so on which would have an impact on land productivity and environmental crisis. Until now, the planting and development project of the sugarcane industry on the island of Yamdena is no longer heard from. It turned out later that the shipment of goods to Indonesia from Canada experienced a problem where on the Jakarta-Ambon transport trip, the container with the side of my goods was submerged in water and damaged most of the goods inside; Seeking redress required conditions that were even more difficult to complete at the time.

Nutsbarmachung Der Pflanzengeneticher Resourchen Als Beitrag Zur Ernehrungsicherung (Utilization of Genetic Resources as A Contribution to Food Security)

Returning to the original institution in 1995, although there was a lot of academic work that had to be completed without the company of Mr. Anema again, it felt that there was no right momentum to fully contribute to the development of the institution. I found an advanced training advertisement on the theme of food security in the Federal Republic of Germany and despite being in a completely foreign language, I tried to send the requested files to the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Indonesia, Jakarta. It turned out that it was successful and along with 2 other Indonesians were given a short course in German and departed for Munich to attend training preceded by 4 months of language courses at the SprachInstitut Muenchen (SM) led by Dr. W. Rall (Frau Dr. Rall). About 135 participants from about 35 Asian, African and Latin American countries lived in the House Internatioal (HI) near Munich’s 1972 Olempiade Stadium where there was an association of Israeli athletes by the Black September group, a beautiful area especially in autumn and historic and thrilling.

The beauty of the Bavarian region that we immersed during language training and cultural visits to various tourist and cultural objects including museums Bayerische Motoren Werke– BMW, Schloss Neuschwanstein, Oktoberfest events, colorful scattering of leaves by the treatment of the seasons etc. is reminiscent of Frau Lange Neorsewan, a German Embassy official who evaluated my application for training and encouraged me to participate including with promoting the beauty of his native Bavaria. After returning from training, I usually call Frau Lange, every time, to convey my arrival in Jakarta; often invited to share his experiences in the office he even had coffee in Frau Lange’s office room after getting about 4-5 stages of inspection / check point and was picked up directly before entering the Embassy yard, also apologized for repeated checks for security reasons, Hosting is very important. My adoptive mother loved to laugh out loud when all these experiences were told to her. The training, sponsored by the German International Development Institute and the German Centre for Food and Agriculture (Deutsche Stiftung fuer Internationale Entwicklung/Zentralle Ernaehrung und Landwirtschaft – DSE/ ZEL), was divided into several areas including forestry, animal husbandry, and conservation of plant genetic resources. Our group then consisted of participants from Ethiopia, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, Nepal, China and Indonesia with Dr. Hehne in charge of training assisted by his assistant Dr. Alchinawi an Iraqi of German nationality and most of the time the training was done through work involvement by doing at the institute for Plant genetics and Crop plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, located in a small village, Gatersleben, Saxony Anhalt State, part of the former East German Socialist Republic.

Centered on the Gene Bank Department (Chairman of Dr. Adreas Borner/Prof. Andreas Granner) and Taxonomy (Chairman of Prof. Karl Hammer), I moved between laboratory or working groups of Molecular Markers (Head of Dr. Klaus Dehmer), In vitro-Culture and cryopreservation (Head of Dr. Joachim Keller) and plant characterization and identification. Periodically we make short and multi-day visits to a number of other institutions including the Dresden apple gene bank, the plant breeding institute, the Gatersleben IPK germplasm collection branches, the Austrian community society gene bank and are fully briefed, attending a number of lectures at the Department of Agriculture (ZEL) Zchortau, Leipzig (Prof. Fuchs), presenting papers at the International Seminar on Germplasm Conservation, and other activities. A very intensive training with solid programmed activities and high discipline but very fun because of the literacy built between participants and IPK employees who are mostly middle-aged mothers. We learn from them, know each other’s names and birthdays and celebrate, tell stories and laugh after work. I tried to describe the conditions we experienced in the valedictorian that I gave on behalf of my fellow participants. Prof. Dr. Habil. Ulrich Wobus, the head of IPK at that time was present and he took the time to say hello briefly before leaving the farewell ceremony. Fierce disagreements and debates among participants as well as the application of discipline by the assistant training coordinator also occurred and were a fun part and learning resource of the training.

On the occasion of attending the training, I also tried to get a professor’s recommendation to make it easier to continue learning at the doctorate level and through the services of the head of the laboratory where I worked (Dr. Joachim Keller), the recommendation was signed by Prof. Konrad Bachman, Department of Taxonomy. I then submitted the application file to obtain a German scientific exchange scholarship (Deutsche Akademicher Austauch Diesnt – DAAD) and accepted. A few years after completing the Ph.D. program at Martin Luther Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg and IPK Gatersleben, Prof. Dr. Andreas Granner who is the Head of the Gene Bank Department and Head of the Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, together with Dr. Joachim Keller, head of the lab. where I work, wrote on the job application recommendations that I was one of the best in German training classes and it became the basis for continuing doctoral studies at IPK Gatersleben and Martin Luther Universitaet Halle- Wittenberg under the guidance of Prof. Dr. W. E. Weber. A number of articles related to the above training are presented in the bibliography [38-47].

Deutsche Sprachprüfung Für Den Hochschulzugang – DSH (German Test for University Studies)

The recipients of DAAD scholarships departing in 2000 amounted to around 60 people divided into 2 intensive German language training classes for 6 months at the Goethhe Institute Jakarta, some of whom came from Pattimura University, which like other universities is active in developing human resources. The experience of living and speaking German for a year while attending the training gave a great advantage at the Goether Institut training, Jakarta, I was among the two or three participants with excellent predicate (sehr gut, summa cumlaude) and was given the opportunity to deliver a waiver speech on behalf of the scholarship recipients. Language training is continued in Germany in several regions/cities/institutions according to regional divisions as well as universities and fields of study of student work. Together with some colleagues, I was assigned to the Goethe Institut Dresden in the city of Dresden with a training period two months shorter than other Indonesian participants. Intensive training with various learning methods and classmates from various nationalities; Russia, Colombia, Australia, Syria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, India, USA, Brazil etc., plus the great beauty of Dresden, provide opportunities for a more developed understanding of the language although German is not as easy to understand as many fellow learners suggest. Class learning is more aimed at understanding German culture, it feels like studying German literature (my guess is even though I have never attended a German Literature lecture); poets, art workers, great inventors, the beauty of the city and the architecture of its buildings, history in addition to studying language structure (grammar) and vocabulary specifically, essay writing, story comprehension etc.

In practical material, our class once toured around Germany by train visit various important monuments including the residences of Goethe, Schiller, Martin Luther, the historic city of Weimar and others. To practice social language, a week-long “Kneipen Tag” (Bar Day) is scheduled where students from different countries will visit and meet in a bar or beer garden, order a few drinks, interact in German language while building friendships with each other. Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang auslaendischer Studienbewerber – DSH is one of the main barriers to entering universities in Germany especially for international students, and to pass this standard it seems that one needs be made german (culturally) first and then carefully study the academic part through the test guidelines and previous test materials before taking the DSH test. With the slight advantage of having previously lived in Germany for a year, I tried to read the newspapers even though not every word was understood, practiced with previous test materials to get used to the DSH test and then dared to write a letter to Frau Sachse the head of the Goethe Institut Dresden and ask for the support of the Professor to take the DSH Test organized by Technische Universitaet Dresden und GOETHE Institut Dresden. The test is divided into two, writing and interview, unofficially I was informed that I had passed the written exam which means free from the interview exam, but was officially asked to take the interview exam. After the test interview, Frau Sache approached and said: “Her Leunufna, Sie sind deutlich bestanden”.

Doctor Agriculturaraum (Dr. Agr.) Martin Luther Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg – Gatersleben IPK

The laboratory / working group / arbeitsgruppe in vitro Kultur und Kryolagerung is familiar to me when starting PhD research because I have undergone several months of training and have been introduced to the techniques and research materials to be carried out. With a well-developed working atmosphere with skilled technicians responsible for specific tasks, senior researchers and coordination of work by Dr. Joachim Keller and Secretary Frau Doris Buechner, I have a very supportive place in carrying out tasks, receiving a wide range of support, direction and input that greatly assists the research work. Prof. Dr. W. E. Weber is a senior Professor at the Department of Plant Breeding, Martin Luther University (MLU) Halle-Wittenberg Faculty of Agriculture. As Doctor Vater (Promoter) he manages and is responsible for the entire promotion program of my PhD including evaluating research progress through regular seminars in the Department, consultation and completion of the dissertation, regular reports to DAAD sponsors, Phd examinations, administrative needs and so on. A person who is very happy to be approached by students although often strict with subordinates.

One time after finishing the seminar where he was always the moderator for all participants, I as usual met him in the office while mentioning the questions raised by the seminar participants, asking for a more detailed explanation and a little cornering. I say: “die wollen auch die Zellen statistich berechnen” (they want a statistically counting of living cells), a little exaggerating, the question is how many cells are alive when removed from liquid nitrogen (cryopreservation) in order to re-grow into new plants, in the observation of the Electron microscope?, something that is still difficult to know. I expected a soothing explanation from him but Prof. Weber responded by saying “I laughed dead” (Ich lach Mich Tot). Although it was a pleasure to be defended, I was shocked and choked up. The promotion of a PhD. in Germany is generally done only by Universities and not at Research Institutes including IPK Gatersleben where I work and research. In later developments IPK Gatersleben developed his own Doctoral program and was followed by a large number of PhD students who researched at this institution, including me. The program includes participation in lectures in gaterleben (Gatersleben Lectures) by various invited speakers, learning or using additional laboratory techniques in addition to the techniques used in the laboratory where work, presenting seminars related to own research and other topics that are free to choose and attending other seminars. Program coordinator Dr. Andreas Houben asked to collect evidence of participation in Gatersleben lectures to get a diploma, I did not have time to do so, although I did deliver a seminar defending a dissertation at the Vavilov Seminar, a seminar at the Bank Department which was considered very prestigious. However, I often use two PhD degrees, feeling that I have completed all the requirements, somewhat different from the currently promoted system where PhD students from domestic universities complete part of their programs at foreign universities and are then tested and get double degrees recognized by both institutions. From the studies conducted during the promotion period of the PhD., a number of scientific articles were published both in international journals and in conference proceedings and as presentation material at various scientific meetings in the period to date, [48-79].

During the holiday period entering Christmas while in Germany, I was invited by Mr. Anema to the Netherlands to celebrate together. Germany’s railways are among the best in Europe and perhaps in the world, boasting timekeep, speed and comfort with beautiful surrounding scenery. While sometimes you have to hurry up when you switch trains once or twice between Regioanal Bahn (RB), Intercity (IC) etc., a trip to Holland is exactly what to be proud of. We spent the Christmas holidays on the island of Texel at Mr. Anem’s holiday home as a family, enjoying good cuisine from Mrs. Willi while Oriza had become a young woman and Sipi was still spoiled for her adoptive parents. On the eve of Christmas, we planned to attend the worship together at the peak of the celebration, but before the time of the service, Sipi insisted to buy pizza which was a place a little far from the residence. While waiting to make pizza, there was a trumpet sound from a very close place, it turned out that Christmas service was taking place and I followed it. On the way back I told Mr. Anema that I was not obliged to attend the worship together for a while because I had finished it while waiting for pizza making, as the saying goes “once grabbing oars, two three islands exceeded”, we laughed out loud. Of course, the peak of Christmas celebrations together is not missed.

Two days before the Dissertation defense exam, Mr. Anema visited me in Gatersleben. The Guest House room I stayed in was new when I entered with modern furniture that is rarely used due to the hectic work schedule and extracurricular activities, has become somewhat less shiny after 4 years. We took the time to enjoy beer on garten beer while catching up with their latest developments, in Quetlinburg, a small town near Gatersleben that has been neatly arranged for hundreds of years and has become one of the world heritage cultural sites. Another world heritage cultural city is Wernigerode, we visited later after touring the surrounding area. In addition to the wellknown IPK institute, the surrounding area is still rural, well organized with a number of farmland and forest trees.

Two small towns, Aschersleben and Halberstad flank the village of Gatersleben along the railway, along with other smaller villages Weggeleben, Hedesrleben, Harsleben there are small stations where trains drop off passengers. Gatersleben and the surrounding region are not only famous for IPK, but also for racism (Auslanderfeindlichkeit), something that for me is not true at all. I once entered the news of a local newspaper with a picture of a face plastered and a comment with a rather large headline written. ‘How do you respond to racism in Gatersleben”; asked reporters. “Are you going to run or fight or just shut up or how?”: He continued. “I feel safe”, I replied; in my country recently, there was a major conflict that killed thousands of people (Maluku conflict 1998-2002). The Dissertation defense examination was attended by Prof. Weber (Supervisor / Doctor Vater), Prof. Schuller (Study Program), the leadership element of the Faculty of Agriculture (Landwirtschaftliche Fakultaet) MLU, Prof. Andreas Granner (Supervisory committee and Head of IPK Gatersleben concurrently Head of Department of IPK Gene Bank Gatersleben), Dr. Joachim Keller (Head of Lab./Working group In vitro kultur und Kryolagerung, Department of Gene Bank IPK Gatersleben, Direct supervisor) and Dr. Zoglauer, Technische Universitaet, TU- Berlin (Guest examiner). When invited to enter the exam arena, Mr. Anema approached me and said, “Semi, for every question, there is an answer”, probably asking me not to hesitate to answer every question submitted. I completed the exam with Cumlaude Predicate, officially read and written on the Diploma.

After three years working as a DAAD scholarship recipient, I signed an employment contract or was hired as a research staff at the Gatersleben IPK for a year, certainly a record of achievement that will underlie further job applications, as well as additional income compared to being a scholarship recipient. Another thing is our closeness among laboratory colleagues (Mitarbeitern/inen). Most of my colleagues took the time to attend the dissertation exam (Verteidigung) and I tried to express my gratitude by sitting close to each other without having to speak. When invited to deliver a word in front of my colleagues, I introduced Mr. Anema by saying that he was my undergraduate supervisor, lived in Maluku for a long time and understood the language and culture of Maluku including jokes / humor. A colleague asked to explain an example of our joke, but I didn’t explain it, a moment I regretted later. One day Mr. Anema and I want to meet Prof. Em. G.A. Wattimena (deceased), something we usually do when we are in Bogor. We have been touring the Baranang Siang Campus between offices, laboratories, administrative departments and other laboratories and feel tired walking around the campus. Because it coincides with Friday and prayer time for Muslims, we only found many Friday worship participants in a number of prayer rooms scattered on the IPB campus. Still haven’t found sir. Wattimena, we stopped and I turned to Mr. Anema asking where else to look. Mr. Anema replied quickly; “Maybe we go to Mushola”, we then laughed knowing that Prof. Wattimena is a Christian. In Maluku, Muslims and Christians often joke with each other and even certain television broadcasts are scheduled for similar events such as “Onggo (Dominggus) and Dullah (Abdullah)”, although sometimes these religious differences are targeted by incitement to spark disputes.

Gute Nacht Freunde, DAAD Chapter Indonesia

When I returned to Indonesia, I wrote a small book, half a page of paper, a little over a hundred pages thick, entitled “Kleine Geshichten Aus Deutschland” (Little Stories From Germany) as part of my memories in Germany. The preferred title of the DAAD Chairman seems to be “Geshichten Aus Deutschland” (Stories From Germany), I infer from his preface. Through a senior DAAD official I asked DAAD Leader Frau llona Krüger-Rechmann to write an introduction to the book. After several appointments and coming to the DAAD Office, I was asked to wait a while. The head of the DAAD then came out to meet me with the booklet I had written, sat down and immediately sang Gute Nacht Freunde by German Songwriter and Singer Reinhart Mey, which became one of the sub-titles in the little story I presented. This song as well as the singer became my favorite when I was at the Goethe Institut Dresden. I immediately, without being asked, sang along loudly and we both loudly finished a verse of the song.

Gute Nacht Freunde, Es wird Zeit für mich zu geh’n
(Good night guys, it’s time for me to go),
Was ich noch zu sagen hätte, dauert einer Zigarette
(What I want to say, the length is limited to a cigarette),
Und ein letztes Glas im steh’n
(And the last remaining glass)…
Für den Tag für die Nacht unter eurem Dach habt Dank
For day and night under your roof, thank you
Für den Platz an eurem Tisch, für jedes Glas, das ich trank
For every place on your table, for every glass of drink I sip
für den Teller, den ihr mit zu den euren stellt,
for a plate for me that is put together with your plate
als sei selbstverständlicher nichts auf der Welt
As if it were commonplace, there was nothing

I still wanted to continue the other verse but Frau Kugel Rechman stopped and grabbed the ballpoint pen beside her and signed the preface she had prepared. It feels like this song aptly describes every experience experienced in Germany during the year of Training and 4 years of completion of the PhD program.

Current Conditions of Unpatti Plant Breeding Development

It must be admitted that all facilities built with Mr. Anema could not be maintained and continued in development instead disappeared or destroyed due to several reasons including impartial policies for further development, social conflicts that took place in Maluku and involved the Unpatti Poka Campus, as well as lack of good management personnel. One thing that can be noted is the success of teaching staff in the field of plant breeding and genetics completing the Doctoral education level and is expected to coordinate in the development of interests and plant breeding study programs in a good and directed manner. Some other related activities that are still being carried out by Mr. Anema include efforts to recover important lost literature, the addition of new literature from abroad to complete the library and several other projects. The plant breeding study program of Faculty of Agriculture Unpatti was only formed less than five years ago. Starting from writing a term of reference (TOR) of about 2-3 pages where Mr. Anema as one of the supporters. I handed over the TOR to the Head of the Department of Agricultural Cultivation, Handri Amanupunyo SP. MP. and a copy was delivered to the then Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Dr. R. Uluputti to be championed to become the Plant Genetic Resources Breeding and Conservation Study Program. When its establishment was approved at the central level, Mr. Ridho visited the Faculty and discussed it with several other staff colleagues to review the data and curriculum of the study program that was formed and named Plant breeding because in Indonesia there is only a name for the Plant Breeding Study Program.

There was a long debate regarding the naming of study programs between Breeding and Biotechnology versus Breeding and Conservation. For me it is clear, firstly that biotechnology is a tool in conventional breeding that accelerates the achievement of breeding results that generally take years, some biotechnology techniques are even a separate breeding method shortening the selection time from generation to generation. Conservation, on the other hand, is a conception or an understanding of science and techniques that involves the preservation of plant genetic resources as a reservoir of genetic material in which important genes are collected so that they can be exploited and integrated into breeding populations to achieve superior breeding results according to the goals to be achieved. Second, the issue of conservation is an important matter in general in Indonesia, especially in Maluku with the physiography of small islands, hilly, mountainous topography, steep slopes, small cultivation land, high biodiversity and endemic but with a narrow population or with a small buffer zone so that it is prone to erosion and extinction. Biotechnology as a newly developing field of science may be quite appealing, sexy, attractive to the younger generation or said to have high selling power but the same technology is also used in the field of conservation as empowered as plant genetics and by intagrating it into the breeding and conservation study program, all interests and arguments expressed can be accommodated. The naming between Plant Breeding and PGR Breeding and Conservation is an innovation that is in line with the conception of the Merdeka-Belajar-Kampus Merdeka – MBKM (Freedom of Learning-Freedom of Campus) directed by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia where the campus is free to manage the elaboration and development of its knowledge, as long as it is with the right arguments, according to the vision that refers to the development of its territory. It often happens that small universities refer to and model the rules and practices developed at the center or large University and forget about the uniqueness of one’s own territory.

The naming then needs to be described in the curriculum with courses that will characterize the name for the achievement of the desired goals (Graduate Learning Outcomes-CPL) and of course the implementation of quality practical lectures with fully filled learning materials and time. With the number of credits that must be fulfilled around 140-150 credits or a total of 50-60 courses divided into Compulsory Courses, General Basics, Vocational Basics, vocational specialties and local content are expected to answer the challenges of regional development as well as readiness to compete for the job market in various coverage areas. A further challenge that for me needs attention is the competence of teaching staff. Although a number of teachers have obtained high degrees in the world of S2, S3 education, not all are recognized as competent as teachers (lecturers) in the national education system and the government has provided competency measuring tools, namely through competency examinations to obtain adequate certificates and benefits. This often does not get attention by the institution or maybe because there is still a lack of teaching staff needed and causes problems including in terms of preparing teaching documents such as Semester Learning Plans (RPS), Lecturer Workload (BKD) and others as well as in its implementation, such as insufficient lectures, material and required time periods and others.

Getting around the above problems, one of them can be approached through a blend-based learning system (Blended Learning), one of the forms outlined in the Guide for the Preparation of Higher Education Curriculum in the Industrial Era 4.0 to Support Independent Learning – Independent Campus [80]. The learning system that has been tested successfully on the campus of the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University is able to combine competent lecturers from major universities both in Indonesia and from abroad and lecturers at the original university campus to provide intensive and maximum learning in accordance with the desired CPL.In order to implement the above inputs, one of them is needed leadership that is competent in formulating and implementing the vision-mission and managing available resources to achieve the desired goals where to obtain such leadership requires a structured, inclusive, honest and fair networking and election system at every level of leadership, especially at the highest leadership of the institution and then preserved into a tradition for sustainable development.

Efforts to Recover and Enlarge Bibliography

A number of important and historical libraries including literature that were lost with the loss of the genetics and plant breeding library, although the multipurpose building still stands intact after the Moluccan social conflict, Mr. Anema arranged efforts to restore it through the procurement of additional libraries from Europe by writing to university libraries or professors who ended their tenure and intended to donate literature collected during his tenure and Collect information on whether there is a library rescue in the conflict. The second attempt has not yielded good results considering his presence in Ambon is usually not for a long time. The first attempt was quite successful with the delivery of a container containing a large number of textbooks intended for the Faculty of Theology of the Christian University of Maluku (UKIM) and about 250 titles of which were agricultural libraries intended for the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University, Ambon. The container that has arrived in Ambon is very difficult to remove from the port because of various procedural problems imposed by the port. To overcome this, Mr. Anema asked for help from his colleague, Rev. Jack Ospara, who was then a member of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia in the Maluku constituency. Rev. Jack risked his position as a member of the House of Representatives to influence the port and paid a fee to remove the container containing the literature.

Literature collected in the collection at the UKIM library which was then moved to Kusu-kusu Village for rescue from social conflicts. During my visit to Ambon, I was asked by Mr. Anema to jointly review the Kusu-kusu Library and observe the library that had been neatly arranged on the library shelves and discussed with the head of UKIM library, Rev. Lex Relmasira, MACE. In an effort to return literature in agriculture to the Faculty of Agriculture Unpatti, the two of us again met the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Dr. Sonny Hetharia, MTh. then the Rector of UKIM, Rev. Dr. C. A. Alyona, M.Th., together with Rev. Jack Ospara, S. TH, M. TH. and Rev. Lex Relmasira to talk about it. In the discussion session, there was no agreement to return literature to the Faculty of Agriculture Unpatti. I was under the impression that UKIM wanted to keep the literature.

Diversity of Banana Varieties Maluku Unpatti – Wageningen University and Research – Agrofair Company

Having positive international contacts is definitely an advantage in the development of the institution. In 2016 I received leaked information from Mr. Anema in the Netherlands that a professor from the Department of Bio-based Research Wageningan University and Research planned a survey and research project on the diversity of Moluccan bananas,and was asked to write a letter of request for cooperation with Prof. Ersnt Woltering PhD, currently Prof. Emeritus (Em.), If I wanted to get involved. Prof. Woltering agreed and together with other fellow professors, in collaboration with the multinational company Agrofair Company of the Netherlands represented by the managing director, Mr. Hans-Willem Van der Waal, we conducted an intensive survey and data collection on the island of Ambon for a period of about 2 weeks including public lectures by Prof. Ernst and Mr. Van der Waal at the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University and a number of focus group discussions (FGD). The results of our research were published in the African Journal of Agricultural Research 14(33):1693-1712 DOI:10.5897/AJAR2018.13541, October 2018 [81], then published as a book chapter by BP International in a book entitled Research Advances and Challenges in Agricultural Sciences Prof. Marcello Iriti, Eds, Vol. 1, 2 January 2024 , Pages 47-79 https:// doi.org/10.9734/bpi/racas/v1/7014B Published: 2024-01-02 [82] (Prof. Marcello Iriti, Eds, 2024) in addition to being presented as a virtual presentation at the 6th Edition of Euro Global Conference on Food Science and Technology, 2023, Valencia, Spain [83].

Blended Learning – Value Chain Project: Indonesia-Netherlands

Mr. Luud Clerks of the Agrofair Company of which Mr. Van der Wall is Managing Director proposed a project to the Netherlands Organization for the Internationalization of Education (NUFFIC) entitled “Setting Up a Blended Learning Program for Sustainable Inclusive Agricultural Value Chain In Indonesia”. Mr. Luud invited me to discuss it with Pattimura University to participate in being a beneficiary of the project or where the project took place where two counterpart institutions were also involved, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Indonesia and Maastricht School of Management (MSM) Netherlands. I sent an SMS to the Rector of Pattimura University asking for a willingness to meet, the Rector directed to the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs (VR 1) and I met WR 1 who proposed to discuss with the Head of the Research Institute. Given the short time to complete the data and files before submitting the proposal to the funding institution, I decided to discuss it with the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and was accepted. Mr. Luud’s proposal was then accepted by NUFFIC and we made preparations for the implementation of the project preceded by an exploratory visit by project leader Mr. Luud Clerks, Agrofair Company; Counterpart, Dr. Diederik de Boer, Maastrich School of Management (MSM) and Dr. Idqan Fahmi, IPB Bogor, were received by me who acted as local managers and a number of staff of the Faculty of Agriculture.

The opportunity to visit a number of important institutions and meet experts and business activists in the Netherlands and then focus on learning the cultivation and international trade of cavendis bananas in the world’s largest exporter country, Ecuador, was part of an important learning experience as a BLVC project manager and Pattimura University delegation. The institutions mentioned include Wageningen University and Research, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Verstagen Spices and Sauces Company, Rotterdam, Agrofair Company Headquarters, Barrendrecht etc., as well as farmers’ associations with every link of the chain of value chains of the world Cavendis banana trade. The project which was planned to last 3 years, was extended to 4 years without additional costs due to the Covid-19 pandemic disaster and earthquakes thousands of times in the Maluku islands, one of which had a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale, cracked the campus building of the Faculty of Agriculture where the project activity center was located, stopping all lecture activities. In addition to periodic reports and final reports submitted to NUFFIC, all project activities are published in the Open Access Journal of Agricultural Research (OAJAR), 2021, under the title Preparing and Implementing the Project “Setting Up a Blended Learning Program for Sustainable Inclusive Agricultural Value Chain Development in Indonesia (BLVC); Indonesia-Netherlands Joint Project, in Maluku Islands [84] was later published as a book chapter by BP International under the title Implementation of Indonesia – Netherlands Joint Project-in Maluku Islands: Activities and Outcomes, edited by Prof. Chen Chin Chang under the title Emerging Issues in Agricultural Sciences [85].

Other publications as a further development of the results of the project research were delivered in annual seminars/webiars and proceedings [86] which summarized the presentations of lecturers and students including key speakers, as well as journal publications related to five important Moluccan communities, cloves, nutmeg, bananas, coconuts and sago. Some of them are published in journals and presented at webinars both locally, nationally and internationally [87- 96] including; Development of Maluku Nutmeg (Myristica Fragrans Houtt.): Collaborations, Opportunities and Challenges , European Journal of Applied Sciences: Vol. 10 No. 3 (2022): European Journal of Applied Sciences [97], Development of Maluku Nutmeg Towards Sustainable Living, National Webnar, [98] The Spice Path, Cultural Road to “Sustainable Living” organized by the Archipelago Solidarity Foundation (ARSO), Kemendikbud-Dikti and kompas, https://www. youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Is4yDx-S_TA. The rest of the publications in BJSTR related to the bioprospecting of the Sky Stick Banana [99] and analysis of the banana value chain in Maluku were published in the International Journal of Innovations in Agriculture, 2020, [100].

A total of 11 best students were produced from the project through two lecture editions of Maluku-specific community-based agricultural Value Chain Analysis with programs; 15 face-to-face and online lectures related to concepts and theories of value chain analysis and development as well as value chain research methods and tools; assignment and practicum as well as concrete analysis in one of the selected communities from the five proposed communities, based on literature studies and/or field research; participation in two-day seminars/webinars in each academic year at the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University; preparation of material and presentation of research results on the second day of the two-day seminar held. Each student is awarded an international certificate signed by four institutions; Agrofair Company Netherlands, Maastricht Schhol of Management (MSM), Netherlands, Bagor Agricultural University (IPB), Bogor Indonesia, and Pattimura University, Indonesia.

As an effort to institutionalize the project output of a platform or forum for discussion and implementation of development in the form of nutmeg community “nutmeg innovation platform” involving research institutions (BPTP Maluku), Regional Planning and Development Agency (BAPPEDA) Maluku, Pattimura University (Faculty of Agriculture, MIPA), vocational education institutions on Ambon Island and Seram Island, Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maluku, small to multinational companies, local and international businessmen, government bureaucracy, farmers and farmer groups and communities. This cooperation charter was signed as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the Governor of Maluku Irjen Pol. Murad Ismail, Rector of Pattimura University Prof. Johannes Sapteno and Managing Director of Agrofair Company, Mr. Hans Willem Van der Waal.

Triple-Helix Strategy, Maluku Living Laboratory

The introduction to Mr. Frits Blessing (Pak Frits) began with a visit with a banana diversity research team to the nutmeg exporting family company Hila Kaitetu, PT Olop, Ambon Island. Mr. Frits is a senior advisor for nutmeg development in Maluku in collaboration with PT Olop as well as with other nutmeg development family companies including Kamboti Pusaka Maluku, fostering farmers and businesspeople and preparing quality nutmeg for export to the Netherlands. In addition to nutmeg, Mr. Frits also paid attention to the development of other fields in Maluku including the conception of close cooperation between various stakeholders that is popular (in Europe) with the term triple Helix; Research Institutes, private parties / businesses and the Government, then added communities / including farmers became the Helix Quadruple and later the term quintuple Helix appeared with the addition of mass media / journalists components. The term clearly arises from the structure of the DNA rope ladder found by James Watson and Fransis Krick in the form of rope ladders that are tightly twisted to each other connected through bonds between nitrogenous bases as steps related to phosphate sugar which is the main framework of the ladder. This picture provides a close cooperation and mutual support to produce important products for the development of organizations, regions, institutions etc.

On one occasion seminar, open science meeting (2017) managed at Gajah Mada University with the theme “Towards Resillient Society” as part of the implementation of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and belands, Mr. Frits sought a presentation session specifically discussing Maluku, https://opensciencemeeting.org/science-and-applied- research-in-a-3-helix-settingthe-maluku-case/. Mr. Frits and I co-chaired the session featuring a number of speakers from Pattimura University, the Maluku Regional Government / Ambon Municipality, as well as a number of educational/research/biodiversity conservation institutions from the Netherlands. The results of the seminar were summarized in proceedings distributed to the participants, through both co-chairs [101,102]. Through good connections internationally, Mr. Frits was invited to deliver lectures related to the development of Maluku nutmeg through the nutmeg innovation platform, to graduate students of the Institute Mines Telecom Business School Paris, for the care course of Prof. Anuragini Shirish (https://www. linkedin.com/in/anuragini-shirish-054012b/?originalSubdomain=- fr). As part of the founder of the Maluku nutmeg Innovation Platform, I was asked by Mr. Frits as a refutator and assessor in a student group presentation, virtually [103]. A number of seminar meetings and intensive discussions and cooperation planning with Mr. Frits were carried out with the city of Madya Ambon, LIPI Ambon and Pattimura University related to waste management in Ambon City, development of biodiversity collection gardens etc., including initiating the thought of Maluku as a Living Laboratory where various research and development activities in various aspects are pursued mainly by involving the younger generation.

Maluku Biodiversity Conservation Center

As always Mr. Anema often commutes between Indonesia, Maluku in particular and the Netherlands, always I will be given a message of his arrival and an appointment to enjoy a bottle of beer. In our meeting in Jakarta, when returning from Germany, I submitted a TOR of about 3 pages related to germplasm conservation, while discussing it, this paper, along with other writings was later developed and published and presented at a national seminar in Maluku [104,105]. Sometime later after returning from the Netherlands for the umpteenth time he gathered a number of colleagues from the Faculty of Agriculture to conduct an audience with the Governor of Maluku, BridJen (Ret.) K. A. Ralahalu, discussing the conservation of Moluccan genetic resources and the possibility of establishing a conservation institution. The hearing gave birth to several recommendations, first it is necessary to hold a comparative study with Papua Province to then seek to make regulations related to sago conservation or make a sago PERDA by BPRD Maluku, second, a delegation needs to be sent to attend a seminar which is also related to germplasm conservation which will take place in Bogor, third needs to be explored conservation funding procedures through the Dept for Nature Swapt (DNS), a system of foreign debt relief offered by several countries to Indonesia in exchange for biodiversity conservation programs/activities, the fourth is in accordance with the initial spirit of the meeting, namely the establishment of a Moluccan genetic conservation institution.

The comparative study to Papua province at that time as far as I know has not been carried out, but I and several colleagues were asked to prepare a scientific basis for the establishment of the sago regional regulation whose preparation was then more on biodiversity conservation in general. Until now, the sago regional regulation or biodiversity has not been socialized even though information circulated that the sago regional regulation has been produced. Participation in the national seminar in Bogor was represented by me, and Dr. A. Leatemia, we met Former Unpatti Rector Prof. J. L. Nanere at the seminar location while Mr. Liewe Anema was unable to attend. The assessment of funding through DNS is currently still a literature study and there are no concrete results, then the formation of a conservation organization was carried out after an audience at the level of the Department of Agricultural cultivation and a Decree of Establishment was made by the head of the Department with Dr. Max Pattinama as the head of the organization. In subsequent developments, there was an intensive debate regarding activities, vision and mission in the development of the institution and I declared my resignation as part of the conservation organization majoring in Agricultural Cultivation, Faculty of Agriculture Unpatti, through a letter of resignation submitted to the chairman.

A few months after resigning I prepared a proposal to be submitted to the Governor of Maluku, Year 2006 [106]. The proposed institution is centered and implemented at the Maluku Province level with the Governor of Maluku as Protector, but with a broad scale of cooperation including local, national and international. The proposal in which Mr. Anema and Prof. Em. G. A. Wattimena as part of the advisory body, was accepted and then submitted for opinions to several service heads. I met with the Head of the Forest Service and talked about it sometime before the end of Governor Bridgen K. A. Ralahalu’s term. At the international conference “the 9th International Conference on Small Islands Culture (ISIC 9th)” held in Tual-Langgur, Maluku, Indonesia, 10 – 13 July 2013, opened by the Governor of Maluku Bridjen (ret.) Ralahalu, I met Prof. Mike Evans from Southern Cross University Australia, currently Dean of Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Okanagan, University of British Columbia (UBC) Canada. Prof. Mike Evans, michael.evans@ubc.ca interested in the conservation of genetic resources for food security, a theme that I presented on poster [107] that I presented at the conference. We discussed and developed it more deeply, agreed to publish it as an article in an international journal with Prof. Evans as corresponding author. A few months later our article was published in the Journal of Marine and Island Cultures [108] and later became one of the main reference materials in presentations at an international conference organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University [109]. Furthermore, I asked for Prof. Evans’ willingness to become one of the members of the advisory board of the Maluku biodiversity conservation center (PPKM), he expressed his willingness and was sent proposals and reports on the development of the institution.

After two terms of BridJend Ralahulu’s administration ending his term as Governor of Maluku, I met him on one occasion in his office as a Party branch leader, discussed conservation institutions including a number of policies he had during his tenure as Governor as well as asked for his willingness as chairman of the PPKM Advisory board and was approved. I was asked to contact Dr. Sihaloho, the acting head of the Maluku Regional Development Agency (BAPEDDA) during his administration to obtain a co-authored book outlining some of Ralahalu’s strategic policies. Another input was to request an audience with Governor Ir.S. Assagaf who was then in office to discuss further the PPKM institution. Various discussions, inputs and literature materials obtained were then part of a publication compiled with Mr. Liewe Anema in Bali and submitted to the European Journal of Applied Science (EJAS) [110].

The audience with Governor Ir. S. Assegaf did not last long, but was also producive. He set aside time at 10.00 a.m. the next day when asked for an audience on an occasion to open a semester public lecture at the Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University. Important things discussed include, one that the establishment of the Maluku Biodiversity Conservation Center (PPKM) legally/officially will be based on a Decree (SK) of the Governor of Maluku and for this I need to contact the Legal Bureau of the Maluku Governor’s Office, secondly the establishment of PPKM needs to be discussed with the Maluku Agriculture Office. The second thing has been carried out through a focused discussion (FGD) involving several important staff of the Maluku Agricultural Office through the direction of the Head of Service, Ir. Diana Padang, MSi. The second thing has not had time to be fulfilled.

Foundation for People with Disabilities of the Protestant Church of Maluku (GPM)

Rev. Jack Ospara, a well-known figure in Maluku for his involvement not only in the service of the Maluku Protestant Church congregation both as a pastor / servant of God and as part of the gerja management organization through the Daily Workers Body of the GPM Synod, but also as a community leader and Member of the Indonesian People’s Representative Council for the Maluku Electoral Area. A colleague and friend of Mr. Anema who helped each other in a number of tasks performed. Rev. Jack Ospara is the founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the GPM Foundation for Persons with Disabilities in which Mr. Anema sits as a member of the trustees. In the last few years before being called home to the creator, Rev. Jack invited me to a meeting attended by a number of managers and trustees of the foundation. I was asked and appointed at the meeting, to be the chairman of the foundation development institution with the main task of formulating proposals for foundation development, especially efforts to provide education and training for people with disabilitieswho become students of the foundation to be able to stand alone to support their lives in the future.

He is optimistic about a number of parties who are willing to provide financial support for the development if the planning has been completed. In addition to a number of assets owned, a plot of family land and an additional number of hectares granted to other areas for the development of the foundation are ready to be measured and mapped in the White Elpa area and will be the location for the development of training facilities including agriculture and animal husbandry. I prepared several fellow land mappers from the Department of Soil, Faculty of Agriculture, Unpatti under the direction of Ir. Elly Gaspers, SU, to immediately go to the location after several preparatory meetings. Its implementation was then abandoned with the death of the Chairman of the Foundation Rev. Jack Ospara.

Mr. Anema took the initiative to gather the chairman/executive secretary and a number of administrators and trustees held a meeting to discuss the sustainability of the Foundation. Mr. Anema and I further visited a number of foundation schools and met principals and teachers in the Latuhalat and Mardika areas to listen to problems and possible solutions in the future. The efforts made with Mr. Anema are enough to give new enthusiasm for the future development of the foundation, but the most important thing is the legal status/legality of the foundation organization after the death of the founder and chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation. Mr. Anem’s efforts to approach the family do not seem to have given optimal results.

Village Development Center Team Prof. Em. G. A. Wattimena

Professor Gustaf Adolf Wattimena, a Moluccan scientist who is respected in Indonesia and abroad. The permanent lecturer of Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) Bogor with MSc. and PhD. The graduate of the University of Wisconsin is one of the few Indonesian scientists who is a reference for the development of biotechnology in the country. At the end of his term of service he was awarded prof. Emeritus as part of the appreciation of outstanding achievements obtained during his work as a scientist.Prof. Em. Wattimena fostered many Moluccan students, especially from the Faculty of Agriculture and Fisheries Unpatti who continued their learning at IPB Bogor, both directly as a thesis/dissertation supervisor and indirectly, both academically and outside academia. His house is often a stopover and reference for consultations for seniors regarding the current conditions and development policies of Faultas and Pattimura University in the context of national development in his time.

It is undeniable that sometimes there are differences in attitude with postgraduate students from Maluku because of the discipline applied to themselves and those around them and wanting a high academic performance at the IPB Alma mater. He often reminded not to avoid lectures (courses) that are difficult and require hard work. In my opinion and some fellow IPB graduate students, even other colleagues outside IPB, he deserves to be given a work mark as a tribute to the Moluccans and a booster of enthusiasm and pride in a scientist as great as Prof. Em. G. A. Wattimena. We prepared a project proposal, consulted with a number of Moluccan colleagues both at IPB Bogor, Jakarta and others as well as Prof. Em. Wattimena. We put Ir. J. J. Tuhumury former Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture as chairman, me as secretary and Mr. Anema as deputy head of the project implementation team called the Village Development Center Prof. Em. G. A. wattimena. Mr. Anema as the current head of the implementation team, has visited Prof. Em’s birth village. Wattimena is exploring interest and the possibility of further project development. The project proposal was published in the Dewa general daily, Ambon [111].

Drinking Companion and Smile Developer’s Little Story

Every meeting with Mr. Anema will begin with social media communication and an appointment to enjoy a beer together. Beer is a social drink, common for Dutch, Germans and Europeans in general. We enjoyed beer together in Amsterdam, Quetlinburg, Jakarta, Ambon, Bali and others while telling each other about our days. Later, as we aged, we reduced the number of bottles we drank from two to one or replaced them with coffee lattes, or the occasional iced cream without the addition of other additions to the occasional addition of meat. The culture of the Uraul people also involves homemade sopi from coconut or enau and is often combined with wild boar meat. The concentration of alcohol in sopi is much higher so that the drinking dose is not as large as beer which only contains about 5% alcohol. The people of Teon Nila Serua, my village, have the same custom, using sopifor various traditional events and other purposes, they include those who do not agree if sopi is eradicated in Maluku. Government policy, presented at socialization events or in limited collegial discussions, develops sopi in a more controlled and profitable way, for example, one of them, producing at a trademark for trade that is legal, in accordance with regulations, for personal use on a small scale is acceptable, not necessarily regulated. A person’s closeness to a particular culture is often judged by humorous attitudes born from daily life experiences in society. Pak Anema understood well the funny attitudes and stories of the Moluccans and made us laugh together. I once explained to him that a man from the Moluccans saying “little” has nothing to do with numbers; “Eat a little”, “add a little”, or “sleep a little”, will equal or even more the amount he eats, adds or sleeps, the word little just to reinforce his initial statement. As usual, we then laughed together. In our discussion with a Dean, the Dean wanted to explain about “sopi”, but Mr. Anema changed it to “water”.

Divorce and Marriage for the Second Time

In the preparation period to return to Indonesia from Germany, I occasionally called Renkum and talked to Willy’s mother, Mr. Anema was not at home and occasionally Willy’s mother grumbled. In Jakarta Mr. Anema and I met as usual for drinks together and on one occasion he said seriously that he was divorced from his wife in the Netherlands, we continued drinking without any further conversation. On another occasion I was invited by Mr. Anema to meet Ruth’s friend and some of Ruth’s co-workers, then conveyed their plans to get married and I was asked to be a witness to Mr. Anema’s marriage, as well as assist in the administration of civil registration at the local sub-district office. I agree as a former subordinate and also as a good friend of his. In the meeting between the two families, as well as arranging the wedding procedures, Mr. Anema and I were present and I was given the position of treasurer in the structure of the wedding implementation committee.

The management of civil registration registration is somewhat challenging in terms of operating costs. On the official fee list posted on the notice board of the office, the registration fee is 300. 000 rupiah, but because it already uses intermediaries and it may be known that those who marry are of foreign descent, the cost becomes five times. I initially argued with the clerk but later agreed with the stipulation that some be paid at the Office and others paid later at the wedding after receiving the certificate. The wedding went smoothly, I signed the wedding minutes with slightly trembling hands then as treasurer, paid in full all the performers with funds from the groom.

Seeking Matchmaking

Being in your 60s and not having a life partner has its own advantages and disadvantages. The judgment of the other party can be negative and positive generally depending on their interests and not the interests of the party concerned. In the past, several times I asked Mr. Anema for his willingness to find a suitable partner or without being asked, Mr. Anema seemed to want to meet someone. Currently, the opportunities are getting narrower considering the increasing age. The development of information technology and the openness of the world and people’s attitudes towards arranged marriages seem to have a positive influence on the opportunity to get a soul mate. The emergence of a large number of matchmaking sites and other social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and others provides an opportunity to introduce themselves to their respective choices according to the desired creteria even between different countries.

In a discussion with Mr. Anema once I thought that finding a mate through social media is easier in approach, but there can be incompatibility when meeting. Conversely, direct meetings will immediately be known interest in each but it is rather difficult to start, a supportive liaison is needed, on the other hand it is also rather difficult or rigid to decide if one party does not feel interested. Of course this is a personal opinion.

Adding that I could have given a different age on social media, Mr. Anema argued seriously that it would definitely be known later. The other time I blackened my gray hair and explained that with black hair I could cheat on age, we smiled.

Cover

Working with Mr. Anema means completing work and respecting time, every plan is carried out, problems that arise are resolved and not allowed to become obstacles or reasons for not completing a job. He happened to be in the position of guest of the institution and was known and appreciated by many officials of his time. It is not uncommon for technical work to be completed on its own without going through complicated and convoluted procedures; When completing the laboratory filling work with a number of equipment from the former laboratory of the Ambon Institute of Technology (ITA), he personally lifted the necessary equipment and materials without asking for technical assistance. The same thing happens when meeting officials; several times he immediately entered the office if he wanted to meet the Rector or Governor. When meeting Governor Ralahalu at the Mess Maluku Jakarta, Mr. Anema immediately went to the Governor as soon as he met, but there were other regional governors who had already made an appointment so Mr. Ralahalu signaled to wait a while, then approached us and held the meeting informally.

Mr. Anema asks for hard work and responsibility, building discussion habits, freedom to give opinions and input, providing encouragement and reinforcement and providing necessary facilities for both learning and research, and assessing fairly when being a mentor. After completing my S2 and S3 education levels, I became a colleague, occasionally arguing fiercely at official meetings, being a good friend who was comfortable meeting and discussing, talking about little cuteness and laughing, enjoying life, anywhere and anytime.

Mr. Anema may also reap displeasure from a number of parties, one of which is because he is considered to have violated the applicable procedures, speeded up the completion of work, but many also appreciate because of the results obtained and especially in the past, because of his attention to various things that have escaped the concern of many parties. On the other hand, in the position as a visiting / foreign scientist in institutions, as well as regions, it is precisely in his place to work between or at the level of high officials of institutions and regions, and it is his duty and obligation to complete the work according to the assignment. We have tried to develop genetic learning and plant breeding at Pattimura University at least following the example of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) with provisions from Wageningen University and Research, and experience from the Netherlands, through the provision of various physical and non-physical infrastructure and further development planning, but the desired sustainability seems to be very dragging in achievement due to various factors that are beyond reach, including social conflicts that take place in Maluku, inconsistent vision and mission that need to be the legacy of the next generation, and other factors.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks his foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alex and Jul Pelupessy for supporting his personal and professional development. Different personalities at different institutions and times have offered supports and encouragements.

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