Search Results (45)

Objectives: In view of a lack of evidence on the subject, we aimed to perform a scoping review to understand the impact of health education among people attending mass gatherings. Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to March 2025 to identify eligible studies. Observational and interventional studies that reported the impact of health education on any health-related outcome among those attending a mass gathering were considered. A narrative synthesis of review results was performed to gather evidence. Recommendations were framed in the context of this evidence. Results: Of the 1731 records, only 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. These included cross-sectional (n = 10), pre-post design (n = 3), quasi-experimental (n = 2), randomized controlled trial (n = 1), and ethnographic (n = 1) studies. These studies involved participants attending hajj, umrah, and basketball events. The current evidence on health education in mass gatherings is highly varied in its objectives, intervention strategy, educational plan, mode of delivery, design, and reported outcomes. Most studies agreed that health education should be initiated by the country of origin and continued throughout the event. It is recommended that this education should be tailored to patient needs based on age, medical condition, and other personal factors, and given in the local language for better acceptability. Such sources can be provided in various forms, either online or offline, as per the participant’s convenience. Conclusions: The current evidence on the effectiveness of health education during mass gatherings, particularly in pilgrimage settings, is varied and inconsistent. Participant-tailored health education should be provided, preferably in the local language, through convenient formats. Full article

This study presents an optimized and sustainable route for synthesizing cassava starch nanoparticles (CSNPs) tailored for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications. Conventional inorganic acid hydrolysis methods often produce low nanoparticle yields and large particle sizes due to extensive degradation of both amorphous and crystalline starch regions. To overcome these challenges, ultrasonic-assisted acetic acid hydrolysis coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was applied. Under optimal conditions, two distinct CSNPs were produced: CSNP A (206.77 nm, 96.23% yield in 3 days) and CSNP B (99.4 nm, 96.07% yield in 7 days). Characterization via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed enhanced crystallinity, while rheological analyses revealed shear-thickening behavior and improved viscosity, key factors for effective polymer flooding in EOR. DSC and TGA measurements highlighted robust thermal stability, essential for high-temperature reservoir conditions. A preliminary assessment suggests CSNP B’s small size (99.4 nm), high viscosity, and thermal stability make it particularly promising for EOR in low-permeability reservoirs, with future core flooding studies needed for validation. These attributes position CSNPs as sustainable alternatives for polymer flooding in challenging reservoir environments. Full article

Heterotrigona itama, a widely reared stingless bee species, produces highly valued honey. These bees naturally secure their colonies within logs, accessed via a single entrance tube, but remain vulnerable to intruders and predators. Guard bees play a critical role in colony defense, exhibiting the ability to discriminate between nestmates and non-nestmates and employing strategies such as pheromone release, buzzing, hissing, and vibrations to alert and recruit hive mates during intrusions. This study investigated the acoustic signals produced by H. itama guard bees during intrusions to determine their potential for intrusion detection. Using a Jetson Nano equipped with a microphone and camera, guard bee sounds were recorded and labeled. After preprocessing the sound data, Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) were extracted as features, and various dimensionality reduction techniques were explored. Among them, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) demonstrated the best performance in improving class separability. The reduced feature set was used to train both Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifiers. KNN outperformed SVM, achieving a Precision of 0.9527, a Recall of 0.9586, and an F1 Score of 0.9556. Additionally, KNN attained an Overall Cross-Validation Accuracy of 95.54% (±0.67%), demonstrating its superior classification performance. These findings confirm that H. itama produces distinct alarm sounds during intrusions, which can be effectively classified using machine learning; thus, demonstrating the feasibility of sound-based intrusion detection as a cost-effective alternative to image-based approaches. Future research should explore real-world implementation under varying environmental conditions and extend the study to other stingless bee species. Full article

Various plant species from the Litsea genus have been claimed to be beneficial for pain relief. The PRISMA approach was adopted to identify studies that reported analgesic properties of plants from the Litsea genus. Out of 450 records returned, 19 primary studies revealed the analgesic potential of nine Litsea species including (1) Litsea cubeba, (2) Litsea elliptibacea, (3) Litsea japonica, (4) Litsea glutinosa, (5) Litsea glaucescens, (6) Litsea guatemalensis, (7) Litsea lancifolia, (8) Litsea liyuyingi and (9) Litsea monopetala. Six of the species, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9, demonstrated peripheral antinociceptive properties as they inhibited acetic-acid-induced writhing in animal models. Species 1, 3, 4, 8 and 9 further showed effects via the central analgesic route at the spinal level by increasing the latencies of heat stimulated-nocifensive responses in the tail flick assay. The hot plate assay also revealed the efficacies of 4 and 9 at the supraspinal level. Species 6 was reported to ameliorate hyperalgesia induced via partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL). The antinociceptive effects of 1 and 3 were attributed to the regulatory effects of their bioactive compounds on inflammatory mediators. As for 2 and 5, their analgesic effect may be a result of their activity with the 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor (5-HT_1AR) which disrupted the pain-stimulating actions of 5-HT. Antinociceptive activities were documented for various major compounds of the Litsea plants. Overall, the findings suggested Litsea species as good sources of antinociceptive compounds that can be further developed to complement or substitute prescription drugs for pain management. Full article

In this work, we report the use of different waist diameters of tapered fiber to generate a four-wave mixing (FWM) effect. The FWM conversion efficiencies obtained from the tapered fiber with 10 µm, 20 µm, and 30 µm waist diameters were −37.81 dB, −38.50 dB, and −39.01 dB, respectively, at 1.584 W pump power. The FWM-based outputs were stable over a 60 min measurement at a 1.5 µm wavelength operation, with a small fluctuation range of 0.21 to 0.45 dB. Furthermore, the setup could generate the FWM effect with a maximum tuning range of 9.5 nm (10 µm and 20 µm) and 9.0 nm (30 µm). The numerical simulation results showed a high nonlinearity at the air-cladding region when the tapered waist diameter was reduced. These characteristics of the tapered fiber can be used as an excellent medium for studying nonlinear phenomena, which could result in the development of new photonic devices for high-power optical communication. Full article

This research analyzes digital transformation and tourism development in Indonesia based on policies issued by the central government. The policy was issued in the period 1879–2022, or, precisely, during the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia until the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to analyze digital transformation policies and tourism policies in Indonesia that are historically linked, as well as their implications for the future. We analyze the trends and times of the COVID-19 pandemic and their implications for the future. The method used in this research is content analysis by analyzing policy texts quantitatively (number of policies in a certain time) and qualitatively (topics and content). The dataset obtained for analysis in this research contains 87 policies on digital transformation and tourism development with various forms of policies. This study found a linkage between digital transformation policies and tourism development, especially tourism development policies toward digital transformation. In addition, during the COVID-19 period, both policies reached the highest number compared to previous years. This allows for more supportive policies to be born in the coming years and implies opportunities for establishing policies on the use of technology in tourism management. Full article

Mango has a high global demand. Fruit fungal disease causes post-harvest mango and fruit losses. Conventional chemical fungicides and plastic prevent fungal diseases but they are hazardous to humans and the environment. Direct application of essential oil for post-harvest fruit control is not a cost-effective approach. The current work offers an eco-friendly alternative to controlling the post-harvest disease of fruit using a film amalgamated with oil derived from Melaleuca alternifolia. Further, this research also aimed to assess the mechanical, antioxidant, and antifungal properties of the film infused with essential oil. ASTM D882 was performed to determine the tensile strength of the film. The antioxidant reaction of the film was assessed using the DPPH assay. In vitro and in vivo tests were used to evaluate the inhibitory development of the film against pathogenic fungi, by comparing the film with different levels of essential oil together with the treatment of the control and chemical fungicide. Disk diffusion was used to evaluate mycelial growth inhibition, where the film incorporated with 1.2 wt% essential oil yielded the best results. For in vivo testing of wounded mango, the disease incidence was successfully reduced. For in vivo testing of unwounded mango to which the film incorporated with essential oil was applied, although some quality parameters such as the color index were not significantly affected, weight loss was reduced, soluble solid content was increased, and firmness was increased, compared to the control. Thus, the film incorporated with essential oil (EO) from M. alternifolia can be an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional approach and the direct application of essential oil to control post-harvest disease in mango. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected public health but has also significantly impacted the economy. Bandung, a bustling city in Indonesia serving as a satellite to the capital, has been hit hard due to its high population density, mobility, and reliance on the tourism, trade, and transportation sectors. Using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model developed at the interregional level of Indonesia, this study investigates the microeconomic indicators of several economic activities in Bandung, namely, the transportation, accommodation and food–beverage, water supply, and trade (MSMEs) sectors, to assess the impact of the pandemic. Additionally, the study examines the role of private sector actors in contributing to the sustainable recovery efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amidst the pandemic. The findings reveal that Bandung’s transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, water supply, and trade sectors experienced a significant decline in economic activity. However, there was a gradual recovery, with increased economic activity between 2019 and 2021. Private sector actors and the health sector were the main drivers of economic recovery, with other sectors also contributing to the effort. Full article

The focus of this research is to identify the dynamics of regional economic development through digital trends towards tourist visits and the promotion of tourist destinations in the Lake Toba area during the F1 Powerboat World Championship (F1H2O) event on Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Through the conduct of online research methods (ORMs) in diagnosing digital social issues and trends regarding the events, the results show that there was an effort to maximize the increase in regional economic development, by utilizing the potential and attractiveness of holding the F1 Powerboat as part of sports tourism. As an event aims to spur the movement of domestic tourists to super-priority destination areas, the implementation of the F1 Powerboat event is not only a driving force in the recovery and improvement of the local economy after the COVID-19 Pandemic, but also a venue for the promotion of other tourist destinations in North Sumatra. However, the positive impacts of this event organization on sustainable economic growth in the surrounding areas is not without reservations. The event has received some negative feedback, which include the problems of event preparation and implementation, and also the limited awareness of local community tourism. This research suggests that in order to achieve sustainable regional development and urban resilience, the future organization of sport tourism events should not only focus on the economic objectives, but also on the other aspects including socio-cultural and environmental perspectives. Full article

In multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) research, the criteria weights are crucial components that significantly impact the results. Many researchers have proposed numerous methods to establish the weights of the criterion. This paper provides a modified technique, the fuzzy method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC) by modifying the normalization technique and enhancing the logarithm function used to assess the entire performance of alternatives in the weighting process. Since MCDM problems intrinsically are ambiguous or complex, fuzzy theory is used to interpret the linguistic phrases into triangular fuzzy numbers. The comparative analyses were conducted through the case study of staff performance appraisal at a Malaysian academic institution and the simulation-based study is used to validate the effectiveness and stability of the presented method. The results of the fuzzy MEREC are compared with those from a few different objective weighting techniques based on the correlation coefficients, outlier tests and central processing unit (CPU) time. The results of the comparative analyses demonstrate that fuzzy MEREC weights are verified as the correlation coefficient values are consistent throughout the study. Furthermore, the simulation-based study demonstrates that even in the presence of outliers in the collection of alternatives, fuzzy MEREC is able to offer consistent weights for the criterion. The fuzzy MEREC also requires less CPU time compared to the existing MEREC techniques. Hence, the modified method is a suitable alternative and efficient for computing the objective criteria weights in the MCDM problems. Full article

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films prepared using the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method have demonstrated great viability in various uses, encompassing photonics, field emission devices, field emitters, sensors, electroluminescence devices, optoelectronic devices, and are crucial as buffer layers of solar cells. These semiconducting thin films for industrial and research applications are popular among researchers. CBD appears attractive due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, low energy consumption, low-temperature compatibility, and superior uniformity for large-area deposition. However, numerous parameters influence the CBD mechanism and the quality of the thin films. This study offers a comprehensive review of the impact of various parameters that can affect different properties of ZnS films grown on CBD. This paper provides an extensive review of the film growth and structural and optical properties of ZnS thin films influenced by various parameters, which include complexing agents, the concentration ratio of the reactants, stirring speed, humidity, deposition temperature, deposition time, pH value, precursor types, and annealing temperature environments. Various studies screened the key influences on the CBD parameters concerning the quality of the resulting films. This work will motivate researchers to provide additional insight into the preparation of ZnS thin films using CBD to optimize this deposition method to its fullest potential. Full article

System integration is the act of combining numerous distinct subsystems into one bigger system that allows the subsystems to work together. The integrated system removes necessity of repeating operations. The purpose of this work was to investigate the best system integration in the production environment. A few methods were tested such as conventional, Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS), Activity-Based Costing (ABC) and Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC). As a result, critical activities may now be completed more effectively while reducing expenses. The organization should define the relation between cost and quality through system integration. As a consequence of system integration, four forms of integration are described, namely, integration A (conventional-ABC), integration B (conventional-TDABC), integration C (MTS-ABC), and integration D (MTS-TDABC). Integration D is the best in the production environment when compared to others because MTS recognizes the degree of contribution for each parameter that impacts the increase or decline in the final cost. Moreover, TDABC determines capacity cost rate from the costs associated with capacity provided, and time equations with versatility to dissipate the product’s complex nature. As a result of the integration of MTS and TDABC, various degrees of parameter contributions impact the time equations and capacity cost rate to generate a lower cost of product in the production environment. Full article

The enhancement of fuel economy and the emission of greenhouse gases are the key growing challenges around the globe that drive automobile manufacturers to produce lightweight vehicles. Additionally, the reduction in the weight of the vehicle could contribute to its recyclability and performance (for example crashworthiness and impact resistance). One of the strategies is to develop high-performance lightweight materials by the replacement of conventional materials such as steel and cast iron with lightweight materials. The lightweight composite which is commonly referred to as fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) composite is one of the lightweight materials to achieve fuel efficiency and the reduction of CO₂ emission. However, the damage of FRP composite under impact loading is one of the critical factors which affects its structural application. The bumper beam plays a key role in bearing sudden impact during a collision. Polymer composite materials have been abundantly used in a variety of applications such as transportation industries. The main thrust of the present paper deals with the use of high-strength glass fibers as the reinforcing member in the polymer composite to develop a car bumper beam. The mechanical performance and manufacturing techniques are discussed. Based on the literature studies, glass fiber-reinforced composite (GRP) provides more promise in the automotive industry compared to conventional materials such as car bumper beams. Full article

The study of the fuzzy differential equation is a topic that researchers are interested in these days. By modelling, this fuzzy differential equation can be used to resolve issues in the real world. However, finding an analytical solution to this fuzzy differential equation is challenging. Thus, this study aims to present the fuzziness in the traditional Runge–Kutta Cash–Karp of the fourth-order method to solve the first-order fuzzy differential equation. Later, this method is referred to as the fuzzy Runge–Kutta Cash–Karp of the fourth-order method. There are two types of fuzzy differential equations to be solved: autonomous and non-autonomous fuzzy differential equations. This fuzzy differential equation is divided into the (i) and (ii)–differentiability on the basis of the characterization theorem. The convergence analysis of the fuzzy Runge–Kutta Cash–Karp of the fourth-order method is also presented. By implementing the fuzzy Runge–Kutta Cash–Karp of the fourth-order method, the approximate solution is compared with the analytical and numerical solutions obtained from the fuzzy Runge–Kutta of the fourth-order method. The results demonstrated that the approximate solutions of the proposed method are accurate with an analytical solution, when compared with the solutions of the fuzzy Runge–Kutta of the fourth-order method. Full article

(1) Background: An earlier study on the hypoglycemic activity of S. polyanthum (Wight.) leaf methanol extract identified squalene as the major chemical compound. The present study was conducted to assess the hypoglycemic effect of fractions and subfractions of the methanol extract of S. polyanthum compared to the squalene using a bioassay-guided in vivo study. (2) Methods: The methanol extract was fractionated using the liquid–liquid fractionation method. Streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rat was used to study the hypoglycemic effect. (3) Results: The findings showed that chloroform fraction significantly (p < 0.05) lowered blood glucose levels of diabetic rats as compared to the control. Further fractionation of chloroform fraction yielded subfraction-1 and -2, whereby subfraction-1 exhibited a higher blood-glucose-lowering effect. The lipid profile test showed that the total cholesterol level of subfraction-1 and squalene-treated groups decreased significantly (p < 0.05). An immunohistochemistry study revealed that none of the treatments regenerated pancreatic β-cells. Gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometer analysis identified the presence of squalene in the active methanol extract, chloroform fraction, and subfraction-1. In silico analysis revealed a higher affinity of squalene against protein receptors that control lipid metabolism than metformin. (4) Conclusions: Data obtained from the present work suggested the crude methanol extract exerted the highest hypoglycemic effect compared to fraction, subfraction, and squalene, confirming synergistic effect may be responsible for the hypoglycemic activity of S. polyanthum. Full article