National Research Agency Research Articles

Introducing uncertainties in acoustic engineering studies

PIBE (Prévoir l'Impact du Bruit des Éoliennes - Predicting the impact of wind-turbine noise) is a research project funded by ANR (French National Research Agency) which main objectives are to better understand the sound level created by wind-turbines and assess noise-reduction solutions. One topic of this project focuses on the propagation of uncertainties. Code_TYMPAN(tm) is an open-source software for calculating industrial noise in the environment. Its open architecture, implemented by a Python API, allows advanced users to build and solve models programmatically. This open architecture made possible the implementation of a parametrical computational tool. This tool generates input data, launches the calculations with Code_TYMPAN(tm), generates and post-processes output data. Thus, sensitivity analysis and propagation of uncertainties were performed on an industrial test case. This development demonstrates the feasibility of introducing uncertainties in acoustic engineering studies.

Study on Characteristics of Epoxy Resin-Based Plastic Scintillators for Detectors with Simulation Using Monte Carlo Code

Abstract To determine the presence of radioactive materials emitting gamma rays entering or exiting nuclear facilities, ports, airports, international borders, or other strategic locations, radiation portal monitors (RPMs) capable of detecting such gamma radiation need to be installed in these places. National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) is currently developing RPMs with detector components made of plastic scintillator based on epoxy resin and augmented with aromatic fluorescent materials to produce visible light, which is the working range of the photomultiplier tube (PMT) or silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). This research aims to study the characteristics of the gamma photon radiation energy spectrum from Co-60, Cs-137, and Ir-192 sources in an epoxy resin plastic scintillator and study the absorbed dose of the scintillator to gamma photon radiation energy from Co-60, Cs-137, and Ir-192 sources as a function of source distance and incidence angle of gamma rays with simulations using the MCNPX code. The scintillator is modeled in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 5 cm and a height of 5 cm. To simulate the gamma photon radiation energy spectrum in the scintillator, the F4 tally was used and to simulate the scintillator absorbed dose, the F6 tally was used. This simulation used gamma sources of Co-60, Cs-137, and Ir-192 of 1 mCi each. These characteristics of the epoxy resin plastic scintillator have been successfully simulated. Data on the characteristics of epoxy resin plastic scintillators is important to know and study as supporting data in making plastic detectors as part of the manufacture and development of RPM.

Simulation and Performance of 99Mo/99mTc Radioisotope Separation by Modified Extraction Method

Abstract Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a nuclide in nuclear medicine, commonly derived as a decay product from molybdenum-99 (99Mo). Unfortunately, Japan and Indonesia rely entirely on imports for their 99Mo/99mTc supply. This study aims to determine the distribution coefficient (Kd) for the 99Mo/99mTc production process and assess the efficiency of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) as a solvent in the extraction process. The method Initial tests using Rhenium (Re) as a substitute for 99mTc, conducted in collaboration with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), revealed optimal conditions: a standing time of 5 to 15 minutes, a mixing time of 3 minutes with a motor speed of 250 rpm, and a MEK volume exceeding 20 ml. These conditions yielded a Re extraction efficiency exceeding 85.14%, with a Re elution yield of up to 98.73%. These findings served as a database for experiments involving 99Mo/99mTc conducted at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). In hot experiments, the 99mTc recovery rate through MEK exceeded 100%, while the elution process achieved a recovery rate of 97.81%. Through simulation and facility enhancements in the hot cell, the 99mTc extraction recovery increased to 44.86%, and elution recovery ranged from 90.62%. From the calculation results, the distribution coefficient value database (Kd-99mTc) was 0.45. Radionuclide and radiochemistry purity of the 99mTc solution were assessed using the Gamma Spectrometer and TLC Scanner, resulting in purity of 99.90% and 99.80%, respectively. These results underscore the potential for domestic production 99mTc, reducing reliance on imports.

Implementasi Deteksi Objek Real-Time Sebagai Media Edukasi dengan Algoritma YOLOv8 pada Objek Sampah

Waste is one of the complex global issues and is one of the points of the SDGs indicators related to municipal waste, food waste, hazardous waste and recycling systems that cannot be resolved. According to data from SIPSN in 2022, waste generation in Indonesia will reach 35,289,535.55 tons/year while about 47.32% of waste handling is done, which is 16,697,790.76 tons/year. The National Research and Innovation Agency said that currently there are still few Indonesians who have the awareness to start sorting waste from their own homes. As many as 80% of Indonesians do not sort their waste. To overcome these problems, everyone needs to make changes early on by making waste management a habit so as to change people's skeptical attitude towards waste management. Thus, research was conducted to identify the type of waste using the YOLOv8 algorithm, with a dataset of 17,617 data which was then analyzed by creating a yolov8 model. The best accuracy results were obtained by using the yolov8l variant as well as 16 batch sizes and the SGD optimizer with a learning rate value of 0.001 as a parameter. The model training process was then evaluated using confusion matrix with a percentage reaching 86.5%.

Micro- and macrovascular function in the highest city in the world: a cross sectional study

Since vascular responses to hypoxia in both healthy high-altitude natives and chronic mountain sickness (a maladaptive high-altitude pathology characterised by excessive erythrocytosis and the presence of symptoms-CMS) remain unclear, the role of inflammation and oxidative/nitrosative stress on the endothelium-dependent and -independent responses in both the micro- and macrocirculation, in healthy Andeans at different altitudes and in CMS patients, was examined. 94 men were included: 18 lowlanders (LL), 38 healthy highlanders permanently living at 3800m (n=21-HL-3800) or in La Rinconada, the highest city in the world (5100-5300m) (n=17-HL-5100/No CMS). Moreover, 14 participants with mild (Mild CMS) and 24 with moderate to severe CMS (Mod/Sev CMS) were recruited. All undertook two reactivity tests: i) local thermal hyperaemia (microcirculation) and ii) flow-mediated dilation (macrocirculation). Endothelium-independent function (glyceryl trinitrate) was also assessed only in La Rinconada. Conductance and skin blood flow velocity during the microcirculation test, as well as macrocirculation progressively decreased with altitude (LL>HL-3800 > HL-5100/No CMS). CMS also induced a decrease in macrocirculation (HL-5100/No CMS>Mild CMS= Mod/Sev CMS), while glyceryl trinitrate restored vascular function. Both oxidative stress and nitric oxide metabolites increased with altitude only. Principal component analysis revealed that increasing inflammation with altitude was associated with a progressive decline in both micro- and macrovascular function in healthy highlanders. Both micro and macrovascular function are affected by chronic exposure to hypoxia, the latter being further compounded by CMS. The "Fonds de dotation AGIR pour les maladies chroniques", the "Air Liquide Foundation", and the "French National Research Agency".

Sustainable Scientific Tourism Development Planning Using Micmac-Mactor In Bogor City

Bogor is a city in Indonesia that has a variety of potential scientific tourism objects, such as historical buildings, educational institutions, and research institutions. Although its existence is always needed by various parties as a reference for learning, the object has not been managed optimally in a system that is integrated, so it does not have a significant impact on tourism activities in Bogor City. This research aims to analyze what variables influence tourism planning and the pattern of relationships between actors to build a sustainability strategy for scientific tourism in Bogor City. This research was conducted using the Micmac and Mactor methods. The results showed six important variables to develop sustainable scientific tourism in Bogor City, i.e. infrastructure, tourism resources, promotion, investment, regulation, and policy, then research and education institutions. Meanwhile, the Government, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Regional Council are important institutions/actors in the development of sustainable scientific tourism. This research has provided an overview of the key variables and actor roles that are most influential on the success of this tourism development in the future and provides a basis for policymakers to make it a priority to develop a scientific tourism development strategy in Bogor City.

Preface

Proceeding of The 7th International Symposium on Green Technology for Value Chains (GreenVC) 2023 November 14-15, 2023 Bandung, West Java Indonesia Organized by: Research Center for Environmental and Clean Technology National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) The seventh International Symposium on Green Technology for Value Chains (GreenVC) 2023 was held on November 14-15, 2023, as a hybrid event in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The fundamental goals of this symposium were to exchange ideas and information, encourage technology development, and strengthen networking and collaboration among all attendees. The symposium was organized by the Research Center for Environmental and Clean Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The GreenVC 2023 is an annual international symposium that was first held in 2016. This year’s theme is Unlocking a Sustainable Future through Green Technology Innovations. Due to the transition from the pandemic situation, the symposium should be held as a hybrid event, combining virtual and physical, with some attendees joining in person and others joining remotely online. On the positive side, we could gather 9 keynote speakers (5 attend in person and 4 attend virtually), 5 invited speakers (2 attend in person and 3 attend virtually), 102 presenters (46 attend in person and 56 attend virtually), and participants from various places including Japan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Taiwan, Netherlands, Malaysia, Italy, and of course Indonesia. We were gathered to share knowledge and exchange experiences through meaningful discussions on the latest innovations and technologies in environmental issues. The proceeding of GreenVC 2023 presents the original and unpublished results in all areas of interest. In total, 69 papers have been selected to be published based on the originality of the research and the relevance with the symposium topics: environmental remediation and reclamation; green material and sustainable nanotechnology; waste valorization and biorefineries; smart solutions for climate change and environmental monitoring; and water, sanitation, and hygiene. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Advisory Board, Scientific Board, Editorial Board, and Scientific Reviewers for their positive contribution to the quality of the articles presented in this proceeding. We also would like to appreciate all participants attending this symposium as well as the Organizing Committee, who made the symposium a success. Dr. Veny Luvita M.T. Chief Editor List of Committee, Main Rundown and Sponsorship are available in this Pdf.

Peer Review Declaration

All papers published in this volume have been reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. ▪ Type of peer review: Double Anonymous ▪ Conference submission management system: Morressier ▪ Number of submissions received: 85 ▪ Number of submissions sent for review: 78 ▪ Number of submissions accepted: 64 ▪ Acceptance Rate (Submissions Accepted / Submissions Received × 100): 75.29 ▪ Average number of reviews per paper: 1.11 ▪ Total number of reviewers involved: 70 Contact person for queries: Name: Veny Luvita Affiliation: Research Center for Environmental and Clean Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Republic of Indonesia Email: greenvc@brin.go.id

Massive Onset Potential Shifting with an Epitaxial GaAs/Si Photocathode for Solar H2 Production

Solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2 production has the potential to solve one of the biggest issues confronting humanity nowadays: producing inexpensive, clean and renewable energy. Among various semiconductor materials, GaAs is an excellent candidate for the development of photoelectrodes within PEC cells for unassisted solar water splitting thanks to its appropriate band gap, good transport and optical properties and high quantum yield. However, the main limitations of GaAs photoelectrodes are related to the high substrate cost, their huge overpotentials and the short lifetime under operation. To address these issues, in this work, we report on the photocathode performance of 1 µm-thick GaAs layers grown on a low-cost Si p-doped substrate by MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) and compare them to those of GaAs:p doped wafers . The photocathodes were investigated in 0.2 M H2SO4 (aq) electrolyte under 1 sun (100 mW/cm2) illumination. The onset potential (Vonset) of bare GaAs/Si and bare GaAs:p wafer is quite comparable, at around -0.2 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The significant reduction of surface states density with a sulfur passivation (S-passivation) by immersing samples in (NH4)2S solution is demonstrated but with very limited changes on the Vonset value, for both GaAs:p wafer and GaAs/Si photocathodes. In contrast, the deposition of thin Pt catalyst layers on both photocathodes by electroless deposition technique leads to a large positive shift Vonset. The Vonset of GaAs/Si and GaAs:p wafer photocathodes are increased up to 0.34 and 0.15 V vs RHE respectively. We show that the Vonset of GaAs/Si can be even improved by combining the Pt catalyst and the S-passivation process, reaching 0.4 V vs RHE (Fig. 1), a record value for GaAs-based Schottky-like photocathodes.STEM-EDX analysis was performed to investigate further the difference between Pt/GaAs/Si and Pt/GaAs:p wafer photocathodes. The EDX-line scans show that after the Pt electroless deposition, the Pt layer on GaAs:p wafer is homogeneous and shows an As0-rich Pt surface that can explain the weaker catalytic activity in comparison with GaAs/Si. Indeed, for the latter, Pt is deposited inhomogenously in the form of clusters leaving some bare surface. Here, As0 is expected to be more easily removed from the surface during the electroless deposition, resulting in more efficient catalyst properties of Pt. The morphology differences between the two Pt-coated electrodes are confirmed by XPS measurements. Since the process of electroless deposition strongly depends on the doping concentration of the materials deposited, the difference between GaAs:p wafer and GaAs/Si photocathodes is attributed to variations in their doping concentrations. Furthermore, the inhomogeneity of the Pt coating on GaAs/Si can also benefit to the passivation process by allowing the (NH4)2S solution to reduce more efficiently the surface defects at the oxide/semiconductor interface. Finally, the stability of Pt/GaAs/Si photocathodes was evaluated, and a lifetime larger than 112 h was established. These findings provide guidance for further studies towards the fabrication of scalable, cost-efficient and stable unassisted PEC cells for green hydrogen production. This research is supported by the “France 2030” French National Research Agency NAUTILUS Project (Grant no. ANR-22-PEHY-0013). Figure 1

Monitoring the Dynamics of the Galvanic Replacement Reaction to Develop Free-Standing Electrocatalysts

Hydrogen (H2) is well-known for its potential to become the future fuel and bring a more sustainable energy system [1]. The selective electrooxidation of organic compounds from biomass appears to be a possible substitute for the kinetically slow oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode, which increases the electrical energy input for a conventional water electrolysis in alkaline media [2]. However, this approach is currently impeded by limited fundamental knowledge of the different active sites of electrocatalysts. The latter can be used to control selectivity at low potential and high current density to co-generate value-added products at the anode instead of CO2 by complete oxidation. Nanostructured gold-based multi-metal electrocatalysts can meet such objectives. Particularly in the electro-valorization of cellulosic biomass at electrode potentials unfavorable to C-C bond breaking and high overall cell voltage.To develop such electrocatalysts, we have initiated a multivariate methodology to study the dynamics of galvanic replacement between silver and gold. This procedure allows us to control nanoporosity and nanoalloying in the resulting gas diffusion electrode (GDE): GDE-Ag1-xAux. GDE-Ag represents the electrode upon which Ag particles were electrochemically grown prior to reaction with Au(III). Thermodynamically, silver with E°(Ag+/Ag) = 0.8 V vs SHE (standard hydrogen electrode) can be replaced by gold with E°(AuCl4 –/Au) = 1.0 V vs SHE according to: 3Ag + xKAuCl4(aq) → 3xAgCl + xKCl + Ag3-3xAux.[2,3] From a kinetic point of view, the challenge is to capture in real time the formation of metal cages of Ag-Au alloys after a '3by1' atomic exchange that introduces nanoporosity and electronic strain as silver and gold have a similar atomic radius. To interrogate the driving force behind this redox process, we have also established an electrochemical methodology to extract quantitative data, allowing detailed capture of the mixed electrochemical and mass transport (diffusion) kinetics. As the precipitation product AgCl leads to pore fouling, we have developed an efficient methodology to trigger its instant dissolution as soon as it is formed, thus promoting the production of a high-quality alloy. As shown in Figure 1, upon injection of a KAuCl4 solution into a degassed solution in contact with the GDE-Ag electrode, the open circuit potential (OCP) begins to change. This evolution is due to the modification of the electrochemical interface as silver atoms are progressively replaced by gold atoms. Thereby, leading to a regulated potential defined either by the Ag(I)/Ag redox couple, or by the Au(III)/Au pair. Interestingly, we found that the OCP variation logically depends on initial conditions such as Ag loading on the GDE, KAuCl4 concentration, Ag particle size, etc. This fundamental knowledge has led to the synthesis of efficient electrocatalysts for the oxidation of cellulose subunits in alkaline media with an onset electrode potential much lower than OER (E < 1 V vs RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode)). Indeed, the formation of an alloy phase, the creation of nanoporosity within it and the free-standing nature amplify, through synergistic and electronic effects, the electrocatalytic efficiency. Acknowledgments This work was funded by French National Research Agency (ANR-22-CE43-0004).

Implementation of the Internal Control System in the Aviation and Space Research Organization of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)

This research examines the implementation of the Internal Control System (SPI) at the Aviation and Space Research Organization (ORPA) which is under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of SPI in supporting the achievement of organizational goals and identify the obstacles faced in its implementation. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews and analysis of related documents. The research results show that the implemented SPI has helped in increasing the operational accountability and transparency of ORPA BRIN. However, there are still several obstacles, such as limited human resources and policy changes that affect SPI's performance. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the implementation of SPI in ORPA BRIN is not optimal. This is caused by deficiencies in SPI elements, such as the control environment, risk assessment, and control activities. In the control environment element, there are deficiencies in the aspects of commitment to competence, human resource development policies, the role of effective Government Internal Oversight Apparatus (APIP), and working relationships with stakeholders. This research provides recommendations for ORPA BRIN to increase human resource capacity, strengthen commitment to competence, and build close collaboration with APIP and stakeholders to support more effective implementation of SPI.

Blockchain-BIM: reducing cost in green retrofitting for sustainable construction development

During the implementation process, the construction sector significantly affects the environment, leading to environmental pollution and the overconsumption of natural resources. This jeopardizes the sustainability of a healthy living environment, requiring a solid system to control development. A sustainable and environmentally friendly development system is crucial from architectural, construction, and economic perspectives. However, when applying the concept of Green Building to existing buildings, the cost of green retrofits has increased by about 10.77%. A case study was carried out on the existing BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency) building to provide alternative solutions to reduce these green retrofitting costs, making sustainable construction the primary option in developing the construction sector. One way to address this cost increase is using the Blockchain-Building Information Modeling (BIM) application, an alternative method to determine the most economical cost based on input or a given model. BIM models contain non-geometric information, including materials for building components, quantities, prices, procedures, scales, and sizes. This allows for real-time data exchange and collaborative decision-making between stakeholders, improving visualization and modeling and lowering costs due to better construction outcomes and higher productivity probability. The implementation of Blockchain-BIM is expected to result in green retrofit cost savings of at least 3% on each green level according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) of the Republic of Indonesia Technical Guidelines No. 01/SE/M/2022, namely Primary, Intermediate, and Main.

The Effect of Organizational Capacity For Change To Achieve High Performance Organization in Public Research Institutions: Evidence From BRIN Indonesia

&lt;p&gt;Strong organizational capacity is necessary to ensure a sustainable or enhanced performance during any form of change. In this regard, changing for achieving a high performance is a must for an institution. This study, through a case study at National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), aims to investigate the effect of organizational capacity of a public research institution for changes to achieve high R&amp;amp;D performance. Eight dimensions in Organizational Capacity for Change (OCC) and five dimensions in High Performance Organization (HPO) were examined. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The results reveal that OCC significantly affected HPO at the 5% level, as the value of t-statistics &amp;gt; t-table (1.96). The influence of OCC was 0.875, meaning that an increase in the OCC resulted in a rise in HPO. Furthermore, the structural model of HPO produced an R-square value of 76.6%, reflecting the extent of the diversity of HPO that were able to be explained by the model used in this study, while the remaining (23.4%) were explained by factors outside the model. System Thinking (ST) was revealed as the most dominant dimension in OCC, indicating that BRIN’s capacity for change emphasizes the importance of aligning structures, processes, people, and policy to foster adaptability and resilience. Meanwhile, Management Quality (MQ) was revealed as the most dominant dimension in HPO, indicating that it facilitates smoother transitions in BRIN during the period of organizational change to achieve better R&amp;amp;D performance.&lt;/p&gt;

Peer Review Statement

All papers published in this volume have been reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. • Type of peer review: Double Anonymous • Conference submission management system: Morressier • Number of submissions received: 142 • Number of submissions sent for review: 142 • Number of submissions accepted: 115 • Acceptance Rate (Submissions Accepted / Submissions Received × 100): 81 • Average number of reviews per paper: 2 • Total number of reviewers involved: 58 • Contact person for queries: Name: Teguh Wahyono Email: icfas@brin.go.id Affiliation: Research Center for Food Technology and Processing, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN)

Risk Management Implementation In the Public Service Agency of the Technology Service Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency

Risk Management Implementation In the Public Service Agency of the Technology Service Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency

Integration of monitoring and operation ion source system in the DECY-13 cyclotron

Abstract In nuclear medicine, cyclotrons play a vital role as cyclic accelerators, producing radioisotopes for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) technology. Currently, the Accelerator Technology Research Center, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, is developing the DECY-13 cyclotron, which comprises several crucial components, including the ion source. The ion source generates ions that is accelerated to a specific energy level before being directed at the target. The ion source system of the DECY-13 cyclotron includes various supporting components, such as a cooling system, vacuum system, Magnet Power Supply (MPS), gas flow system, and cathode power supply. These components are currently operated independently, with manual monitoring by operators. To simplify and improve the operation, an integration project needed for supporting component of the DECY-13 cyclotron’s ion source. This integration utilizes LabVIEW software, the NI-9870 module, NI-9425 module, and NI-cRIO as the process operation controller. The successful development of the integration program ensures that the displayed data on the interface aligns seamlessly with data from each individual device. Consequently, the integration program serves as an effective tool for monitoring the operation of the DECY-13 cyclotron’s ion source.

Cover, Content, and Editorial Note from Borneo J Pharm Vol. 7 No. 2 May 2024

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb. Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin. The next edition of the Borneo Journal of Pharmacy (Borneo J Pharm), has been published in May 2024. This edition contains ten articles: Pharmacology-Toxicology, Pharmacognosy-Phytochemistry, Pharmaceutical, Analytical Pharmacy-Medicinal Chemistry, Microbiology Pharmacy, Natural Product Development, Clinical-Community Pharmacy, and Management Pharmacy. This edition includes writings from five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. The authors come from several institutions, including Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Darussalam Gontor, Universitas Koperasi Indonesia, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Biomatics Indonesia, Indonesian Institute of Bioinformatics, Universitas Nasional, University of Ilorin, Summit University, Ambrose Alli University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Kampala International University, Premium Medical Services, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Clarke International University, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, International Islamic University Malaysia, Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Jakarta, National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, Menur National Mental Hospital, and East Java Provincial Health Service. Editorial boards are fully aware that there is still room for improvement in this edition, hence with all humility willing to accept constructive suggestions and feedback for improvements to the publication for the next editions. The editorial board would like to thank all editors and reviewers, and contributors of the scientific articles who have provided the repertoire in this issue. We hope that all parties, especially the contributors, could re-participate for publication in the next edition on August 2024. Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Indirect Effects of PM2.5 Exposure on COVID-19 Mortality in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia: An Ecological Study.

Air pollution, including PM2.5, was suggested as one of the primary contributors to COVID-19 fatalities worldwide. Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, was recognized as one of the ten most polluted cities globally. Additionally, the incidence of COVID-19 in Jakarta surpasses that of all other provinces in Indonesia. However, no study has investigated the correlation between PM2.5 concentration and COVID-19 fatality in Jakarta. To investigate the correlation between short-term and long-term exposure to PM2.5 and COVID-19 mortality in Greater Jakarta area. An ecological time-trend study was implemented. The data of PM2.5 ambient concentration obtained from Nafas Indonesia and the National Institute for Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN)/National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The daily COVID-19 death data obtained from the City's Health Office. Our study unveiled an intriguing pattern: while short-term exposure to PM2.5 showed a negative correlation with COVID-19 mortality, suggesting it might not be the sole factor in causing fatalities, long-term exposure demonstrated a positive correlation. This suggests that COVID-19 mortality is more strongly influenced by prolonged PM2.5 exposure rather than short-term exposure alone. Specifically, our regression analysis estimate that a 50 µg/m3 increase in long-term average PM2.5 could lead to an 11.9% rise in the COVID-19 mortality rate. Our research, conducted in one of the most polluted areas worldwide, offers compelling evidence regarding the influence of PM2.5 exposure on COVID-19 mortality rates. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing air pollution as a critical risk factor for the severity of viral respiratory infections.

Application of ChatGPT in soil science research and the perceptions of soil scientists in Indonesia

Since its arrival in late November 2022, ChatGPT-3.5 has rapidly gained popularity and significantly impacted how research is planned, conducted, and published using a generative artificial intelligence approach. ChatGPT-4 was released four months later and became more popular in November 2023. However, there is little study about the perception of scientists of these chatbots, especially in soil science. This article presents the new findings of a brief research investigating soil scientists' responses and perceptions towards chatbots in Indonesia. This artificial intelligence application facilitates conversation-based interactions in text format. The study evaluated ten ChatGPT answers to fundamental questions in soil science, which has developed into a normal science with a mutually agreed-upon paradigm. The evaluation was carried out by seven soil scientists recognized for their expertise in Indonesia, using a scale of 1–100. In addition, a questionnaire was distributed to soil scientists at the National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BRIN), universities, and Indonesian Soil Science Society (HITI) members to gauge their perception of ChatGPT's presence in the research field. The study results indicate that the scores of ChatGPT answers range from 82.99 to 92.24. ChatGPT-4 is better than both the paid and free versions of ChatGPT-3.5. There is no significant difference between the English and Indonesian versions of ChatGPT-4.0. However, the perception of general soil scientists about the level of trust is only 55%. Furthermore, 80% of soil scientists believe that chatbots can only be used as digital tools to assist in soil science research and cannot be used without the involvement of soil scientists.

Strategi Inovasi Untuk Meningkatkan Pelayanan Perizinan Penelitian Asing

Indonesia's natural and cultural riches have attracted the attention of foreign researchers to conduct research in Indonesia. Indonesia is considered to be one of the largest biological laboratories in the world, so there are many objects that can be used for research by foreign researchers. To provide research licensing services for foreign researchers who wish to conduct research in Indonesia, a legal basis was issued, namely Law No. 11 of 2019 concerning the National System of Science and Technology which regulates research licensing for foreign researchers in Indonesia. As a supporter of Law no. 11 of 2019, BRIN Regulation no. 22 of 2022 concerning Ethical Clearance has been issued. To provide foreign research licensing services according to Law No. 11 of 2019, it is carried out by the Directorate of Research and Innovation Licensing and Scientific Governance of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). To make it easier to apply for research permits for foreign researchers, several service improvements were made, namely the first was the formation of an ethics commission team to replace the TKPIPA team to evaluate incoming proposals. Second, the number of files that foreign researchers need to prepare is less than before, namely from 14 documents to 7 documents. Third, creating an ethical clearance website to upload the required files in digital form which was previously done offline and submitting hard copy files. Fourth, the addition of financial reporting features to make it easier to check payments and send research progress reports by foreign researchers.