Gadjah Mada University

About: Gadjah Mada University is a education organization based out in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Adsorption. The organization has 17307 authors who have published 21389 publications receiving 116561 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Gajah Mada & Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Explaining the fall of socioeconomic inequality in childhood stunting in Indonesia.

Abstract: In spite of the enormous economic progress and development witnessed in Indonesia in the last few decades, still more than 30% of Indonesian children under the age of five suffer from stunting, or low height for age. This concern is exacerbated by the fact that stunting remains more concentrated among the poorer households, leading to further intergenerational transmission of poverty and ill health. We examine recent trends in the evolution of the prevalence of childhood stunting and severe stunting, its socioeconomic inequality and the factors that appear to have contributed to these developments. Using the two most recent waves of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), we study the changes in the prevalence of (severe) stunting between 2007 and 2014 for children aged 0-59 months and their socioeconomic-inequality using the Erreygers Concentration Index (EI) and its regression-based decomposition. We find a significant drop in the rate of severe stunting but not in stunting, as well as a significant reduction in the degree of absolute inequality of stunting. A decomposition analysis shows that household wealth, maternal education, institutional delivery, and availability of adequate sanitation contribute most to socioeconomic inequality in under-five stunting. Further analysis of the change in inequality over time indicates that the reduction in the association of wealth with stunting and a substantial improvement of health care access of the poor (as proxied by immunizations and institutional deliveries) play the most important role in narrowing the stunting gap between richer and poorer kids. General economic growth, poverty reduction, and implementation of pro-poor health and social programs during the studied period such as the expansion of health insurance coverage for the poor (Jamkesmas) and Conditional Cash Transfer program (Program Keluarga Harapan, PKH) are some plausible explanations of the observed result.

Use of Candida rugosa lipase as a biocatalyst for L-lactide ring-opening polymerization and polylactic acid production

Abstract: Candida rugosa lipase (CRL, EC Number: 232–619-9) is a stable enzyme, and its use is relatively widespread in the field of biotechnology, especially in hydrolysis reactions, esterification, transesterification and enantioselective biotransformation. This study examined the role of CRL as a biocatalyst for L-lactide ring-opening polymerization in the production of metal-free polylactic acid (PLA). The ring-opening polymerization reaction was conducted at various temperatures (70, 90, 110 and 130 °C) and CRL concentrations (1, 2, 3 (%w/w)). The results revealed a strong relationship between PLA formation and CRL activity. The highest CRL activity was obtained in ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide at a temperature of 90 °C and concentration of 2% (w/w). Under these conditions, the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) and number-average molecular weight (Mn) of PLA analyzed by gel permeation chromatography was highest at 5428 and 2854 g/mol respectively, with a yield of 93% and the enzyme activity 0.39 U. The polymerization of lactide at 90 °C occurred only in the presence of the catalyst. The crystallinity and melting point of PLA were 31% and 120 °C, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the morphology of PLA revealed smooth and uniform pores in each region, with mass percentage of the elements carbon (C) and oxygen (O) of 52% and 48%, respectively.

Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Foods of Indonesian Origin

Abstract: In this study, about 194 lactic acid bacteria strains have been isolated from 21 kinds of fermented foods (plant materials and fish origin). These fermented foods were salted-fermented fruits, vegetables & fish; fermented raw cassava (gatot & growol); tape (cassava & glutinous rice); microbial starter cultures (ragi); and fermented soybean (tempe & moromi). Among these strains, 109 belong to genus Lactobacillus, which dominated by homofermentative Lactobacillus plantarum pentosus, 25 strains belong to Pediococcus (mostly P. pentosaceus acidilactici), 45 strains Streptococcus which mostly identified as Streptococcus thermophilus, 7 strains belong to Enterococcus, which further identified as E. faecium and 8 strains Leuconostos (Weisella) as Weisella paramesenteroides. Lactobacilli have been found in all fermented foods, pediococci in 11 kind of fermented foods both plant material and fish origin, while streptococci mostly found in fermented fish, as well as enterococci and Leuconostoc. Nine strains belong to Lactobacillus plantarum - pentosus complex from different fermented food samples have been determined their DNA-DNA homology to L. plantarum NRIC 1067 and L. pentosus NRIC 1069. Result of their homology to these strains shown that all these nine strains are identified as L. plantarum. Lactic acid bacteria from Indonesian fermented foods are dominated by Lactobacillus plantarum, followed by Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Streptococcus thermophilus.

Livelihood Recovery after Natural Disasters and the Role of Aid: The Case of the 2006 Yogyakarta Earthquake

Abstract: The 27 May 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake caused the death of more than 5700 people; more than 60 000 people were injured and hundreds of thousands lost their homes. Bantul District was most severely affected by the earthquake. This paper is an attempt to understand the determinants of livelihood recovery after this natural disaster and, in particular, the role of aid in that recovery process. A panel firm-level survey was conducted by visiting approximately 500 mostly small and micro enterprises in Bantul District on two occasions: 6 and 12 months after the earthquake. This paper argues that: (i) smaller enterprises are more resilient and so are able to recover faster; (ii) an industrial cluster system within a sub-district provides the necessary support for firms to recover; (iii) the quality of village infrastructure could be important; (iv) it is important to distribute aid as early as possible (the faster it is distributed, the better the impact on enterprises affected by the earthquake); and (v) donors should not give too much assurance of financial support to enterprises in cases where the delivery date is uncertain, but rather just provide support when it is actually available.