[1] From OH airglow imaging observation carried out over one year in Indonesia, 74 events of gravity waves in the MLT (Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere) region were extracted. Observed period, horizontal wavelength and observed horizontal phase speeds of gravity waves were typically 5 -13 min, 13-45 km and 37-75 m/s, respectively. Propagation directions were mostly southward except for the period between December and February, when eastward propagation was preferential. Spatial distributions of tropospheric clouds, estimated with GMS (Geostationary Meteorological Satellite) were consistent with the propagation direction of gravity waves, i.e., these clouds mainly existed in the opposite direction to the propagation direction of waves. This suggests that horizontal propagation characteristics of the short period gravity waves in the low latitude MLT region are mainly affected by the distribution of the wave sources in the troposphere, and the effect of the background mean wind in the middle atmosphere is smaller, as it is weaker ($20 m/s) in the equatorial region.

The objective of this study was to evaluate morphological, anatomical and isozyme variation among giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G.Don) accessions from Central Java (Indonesia). A total of 20 giant taro accessions were collected from different collection sites in Central Java. Identification of morphological characters was done by direct observation of roots, leaves, stems, and corms. Anatomical characters were observed from both paradermal and transverse sections of leaf. Identification of biochemical markers was done by using peroxidase and esterase isozyme system. The genetic similarity among giant taro accessions was measured by using Group Average Clustering. The results of the analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences for majority of the tested morphological and anatomical characters suggesting that there was a high degree of diversity among the giant taro accessions. Isozyme polymorphism was observed in giant taro accessions using peroxidase (two banding patterns) and esterase (four banding patterns). Based on the dendogram, giant taro accessions were segregated into two major clusters. In Cluster I, the closest relationship were showed in KTN 2 and WNG 1 accessions from Klaten and Wonogiri that had 80.95% of similarity coefficient. The five accessions (SKA, SKH, WNG 4, KRA 3, KRA 4) from Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Wonogiri and some parts of Karanganyar were clustered separately as Cluster II with similarity coefficient of 50%.

S U M M A R YThe M w = 8.4 earthquake on 2007 September 12, offshore of the Bengkulu province of Sumatra, Indonesia, generated a moderate tsunami with run-up heights of up to 4 m as measured by Indonesian and international researchers in the days following the earthquake. The tsunami was observed along 250 km of coastline and caused damage at several locations. The largest wave heights and most severe inundation were observed about 50 km to the northwest of Bengkulu; elsewhere the effects were less severe-with the exception of substantial inundation at a site 150 km to the south. In addition to presenting the field data, we conduct a modelling study and compare the run-up heights and water-level predictions from four different seismic deformation models used to initialize a tsunami propagation and inundation model. Our comparative results suggest that, for this event, the estimates of fault parameters available immediately after determination of the earthquake size and location predicted the near-field run-up heights and distribution and far-field wave equally well as estimates obtained using more detailed descriptions of the seafloor deformation, as typically available hours or days after an event. We conclude that while detailed slip patterns can be important to the near-field run-up distribution, simple fault models can be used to rapidly assess the likely near-and far-field tsunami effects of a particular earthquake.

Pelayanan publik merupakan salah satu unsur penting bagi organisasi publik termasuk organisasi pemerintah. Oleh karena itu pelayanan publik yang diberikan aparatur pemerintah (birokrasi pemerintah) harus senantiasa berorientasi pada kepentingan publik. Pemenuhan terhadap kepentingan publik secara substantif sudah selayaknya memperhatikan kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan agar masyarakat yang dilayani dapat memberikan tanggapan positif terhadap hasil pelayanan yang diberikan oleh aparatur pemerintah tersebut. Namun dalam realitanya masalah pelayanan publik dilingkungan pemerintahan sudah lama menjadi pusat perhatian masyarakat seiring banyaknya kasus pelayanan publik yang dianggap kurang berpihak kepada kepentingan masyarakat. Ini mengisyaratkan bahwa kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan pemerintah belum menunjukkan hasil yang memuaskan bagi masyarakat. Pelayanan yang berbelit-belit, in-efisiensi, lambat, tidak ramah serta tidak jelasnya waktu penyelesaian dan tidak jelasnya biaya pelayanan merupakan bukti nyata bahwa kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan aparatur pemerintah masih rendah dan pelayanan publik belum berkualitas. Beberapa faktor penyebab belum berkualitasnya pelayanan publik adalah faktor SDM aparatur, organisasi birokrasi, tata laksana, pola pikir, kinerja organisasi, budaya birokrasi, inovasi birokrasi dan teknologi informasi, perilaku birokrasi, sistem dan strategi pelayanan, kepemimpinan yang transaksional, struktur organisasi yang adaptif, perilaku organisasi yang koruptif, lemahnya implementasi kebijakan, belum diterapkannya prinsip good governance dan komunikasi birokrasi.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perkembangan tingkat deforestasi di Indonesia dengan melihat implikasi dan upaya Indonesia dalam mengurangi deforestasi yang tentunya memberikan dampak baik terhadap pengurangan emisi atau pemanasan global. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif yang bersumber dari berbagai literatur atau studi kepustakaan dalam menjawab hasil penelitian. Hasil temuan menemukan bahwa tingkat deforestasi di Indonesia masih tinggi. Deforestasi merupakan permasalahan yang memerlukan strategi dalam penguranganya, salah satunya dengan program REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). REDD+ berhasil menurunkan deforestasi setiap tahunnya karena adanya pendekatan dan kerjasama yang lebih dalam mengupayakan deforestasi serta pengurangan emisi atau pemanasan global. Dengan adanya REDD+ ini, beberapa daerah berusaha melakukan transformasi kebijakan untuk mendukung misi perbaikan ekologis dan deforestasi di kawasannya, sebagaimana terjadi di wilayah Pulau Kalimantan maupun di Nusa Tenggara Barat.