Isna Ariani, Muh. Salahudin

Waste accumulation remains a critical environmental issue in rural Indonesia, where inadequate infrastructure and low environmental awareness hinder effective management. Within the framework of the green economy which emphasizes resource efficiency, environmental protection, and social inclusion this study examines the role of the Prai Meke Village Waste Bank in transforming community behavior and promoting sustainable livelihoods. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation involving village officials, waste bank administrators, and residents. The results reveal a 60% reduction in inorganic waste and an increase in household income of approximately IDR 100,000–150,000 per month, with most participants preferring to redeem their waste savings in the form of staple goods rather than cash. Environmentally, the program reduced open dumping and burning, while socially, it strengthened cooperation and collective awareness of environmental responsibility. These findings demonstrate that the waste bank model serves not only as an environmental management tool but also as a practical application of green economy principles that link ecological sustainability, social empowerment, and rural economic resilience.

Sustainable Economy

Mochamad Arviansyah

The controversy surrounding the halal status of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, combined with the urgency of pandemic control efforts, has raised concerns among Muslim communities, particularly in rural settings. This study examines the effects of halal awareness, perceived emergency conditions, and religiosity on individuals’ decisions to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in Kaliombo Village, Bojonegoro Regency. A quantitative survey involving 112 respondents was analyzed using multiple regression, t-tests, F-tests, and Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The results show that halal awareness has a statistically significant direct effect on vaccination decisions (t = 2.227, p = 0.028), whereas perceived emergency conditions do not (t = 1.803, p = 0.074). Together, halal awareness and emergency conditions significantly influence vaccination decisions (F = 9.253, p < 0.001), though their explanatory power remains modest (R² = 0.145). Religiosity does not moderate these relationships but functions as an independent predictor (t = 2.653, p = 0.009), increasing the explained variance to 17.5% (R² = 0.175). While statistically significant, these effects are substantively modest, indicating that behavioral decisions are shaped by multiple social and contextual factors. Overall, the findings highlight the prominent role of halal awareness and religiosity in vaccine acceptance and underscore the need to integrate religious considerations into public health communication strategies.

Halal Science

Muslikatul Mukaromah, Agus Riyadi

Women in rural areas continue to face limited access to education and economic opportunities, which prevents their potential from being fully developed. This study analyzes women’s empowerment through the local economic initiative Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUB) Batik Sekar in Putat Village, Purwodadi District, Grobogan Regency. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, using interviews, observations, and document analysis involving 20 female participants, local stakeholders, and government representatives. The findings show that the KUB Batik Sekar program enhances women’s skills in batik production, financial management, and marketing, which subsequently led to the formation of five new batik groups. Household income increased, reflected by an average percentage rise compared to the previous year. The empowerment process also strengthened women’s confidence, independence, and decision making roles within both the family and community. The proposed empowerment model emphasizes collaboration between skills training, organizational capacity building, and marketing network support. Although challenges remain, particularly in market competition and infrastructure, government and community support helps sustain the program. These findings demonstrate that women’s involvement in the local economy can improve welfare, drive social transformation, and preserve batik cultural heritage.

Kolaborasi Masyarakat

Ibrahim Khaleel Muazu, Aisha Balanmalam Nasir, Albashir Tahir

Depression is a prevalent and debilitating mental disorder that significantly affects global health and quality of life. Conventional pharmacological treatments have adverse effects, necessitating the search for alternative therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the potential antidepressant activity of the ethanol leaf extract of Guiera senegalensis in Wistar rats. Phytochemical screening was performed to identify bioactive compounds in the extract. Acute toxicity was assessed following OECD guidelines, with doses up to 5000 mg/kg. The antidepressant activity was evaluated using the Forced Swim Test (FST) and Tail Suspension Test (TST). Experimental groups received extract doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, with control groups receiving normal saline and reference groups treated with imipramine (10 mg/kg). Statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, and saponins, which are known for their neuropharmacological properties. Acute toxicity testing showed no mortality at 5000 mg/kg, indicating a high safety profile. Behavioral assessments demonstrated that the extract significantly reduced immobility time in the FST and TST at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg (p < 0.05), suggesting antidepressant activity. The ethanol leaf extract of G. senegalensis exhibits both antidepressant effects in animal models, supporting its traditional use in managing mood disorders. The presence of bioactive compounds suggests a pharmacological basis for its efficacy. Further research is needed to elucidate its mechanisms of action and assess its long-term safety.

Sciences of Phytochemistry

Sahfira Sahfira, Rinaldi Rinaldi

Edamame has strong market potential in Indonesia, but its development is constrained by reliance on chemical fertilizers that increase production costs and may reduce soil quality. Organic materials such as cattle manure compost offer a sustainable solution by improving soil fertility while supplying essential nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different cattle manure compost application rates on the growth and yield of edamame. The experiment was conducted from February to May 2023 at the Teaching and Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Jambi University, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments: 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 tons per hectare, each replicated five times. The application of compost significantly increased the number of filled pods per plant, fresh pod weight, and total yield, with the highest yield recorded at 20 tons per hectare, representing a 28.9 percent increase compared to the control. However, compost application did not significantly affect vegetative growth parameters such as plant height and the number of branches, likely due to moderate nutrient content and slow nutrient mineralization. Overall, cattle manure compost at 20 tons per hectare improved edamame yield and offers a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers for enhancing soil fertility and productivity. These findings highlight the potential of organic amendments to support more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient edamame cultivation systems.

Crop Life

Rahayu Kurniawati

Final-year female students often experience psychological challenges during the thesis-writing process, such as emotional instability, academic stress, and self-doubt, which can negatively affect their mental health. This study examined the relationship between self-compassion and mental health among female students completing their undergraduate theses. A total of 66 participants were selected using purposive sampling from students enrolled in the Islamic Guidance and Counseling program at UIN KH Achmad Siddiq Jember. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on self-compassion and mental health, and analyzed with Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation. The results showed a statistically significant and strong positive correlation between self-compassion and mental health (r = 0.698, p < 0.001), indicating that higher self-compassion is associated with better mental health. Conversely, students with lower self-compassion reported more frequent mental health disturbances. These findings highlight the importance of integrating self-compassion training and mental health support into higher education programs to help female undergraduates manage academic stress and maintain psychological well-being.

Human Psychology & Behavior

Erlando Fatiranes, Santhy Wisuda Sidauruk, Bustari Hasan

Fish stomach is a by-product of the fishing industry that has potential as a natural source of pepsin enzyme, particularly from catfish (Clarias sp.). This study aimed to characterize crude pepsin extracted from catfish stomachs. The extraction was carried out by homogenizing the stomach with 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5), followed by centrifugation at 10,000 g for 15 min at 4°C. The obtained pepsinogen was activated using 3 N HCl at pH 2 and neutralized to pH 2.75 with 2 N NaHCO₃. Enzyme activity was determined using the hemoglobin assay at 280 nm, and protein concentration was measured by the Bradford method at 595 nm. The crude pepsin showed an activity of 33.50 ± 0.87 U/mL, protein concentration of 0.358 ± 0.005 mg/mL, total activity of 1,608 ± 41.57 U, and specific activity of 93.52 U/mg. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity at 50°C and pH 4, with relative activity toward NaCl, ZnCl₂, and FeCl₃ of 81.08%, 49.10%, and 128.15%, respectively, indicating Fe³⁺ acted as an activator. These results demonstrate that catfish stomachs can serve as a potential halal-compatible pepsin source, supporting enzymology advancement and fish waste valorization.

Aquatic Life Sciences

Fadlurrohman Agil, Nur Cahyo Hendro Wibowo, Hery Mustofa

The increasing demand for accurate and affordable household electricity monitoring has driven the development of Internet of Things (IoT)–based systems. This study designed and evaluated a real-time energy monitoring system using a NodeMCU microcontroller integrated with a PZEM-004T sensor module. The system was tested on three household appliances, an electric iron, a fan, and a refrigerator, and its measurements were compared with a calibrated reference wattmeter and manual energy calculations. The results showed that the system’s readings closely matched those of the reference device, demonstrating reliable accuracy in capturing real-time energy consumption. Higher deviations were observed against manual calculations, mainly due to the inability of manual methods to capture dynamic load fluctuations, particularly from the refrigerator’s compressor. Overall, the system achieved an average error of 1.19% compared with the reference measurements, confirming its technical feasibility for practical household energy monitoring. Future work should improve accuracy for fluctuating loads through adaptive sampling and expand system scalability via cloud-based integration.

Digital System and Computing

Yurimasanti Rachman, Deden Ardiansyah

Gate security systems in residential areas often rely on manual controls or simple remotes, which limit flexibility, real-time monitoring, and secure access. This study developed an IoT-based automated gate control system using RFID authentication and a web-based interface. The system integrated Arduino Uno, an ESP8266 Wi-Fi module, an RC522 RFID reader, a relay, and a DC motor to automate gate operation, while user activity was monitored through a local web server built on Apache and MySQL. Testing was conducted under controlled indoor conditions with an average Wi-Fi signal strength of -62 dBm, an ambient temperature of 27°C, and a local network latency of 8 to 12 ms. Across 50 trials using five different RFID cards, the system achieved 100 percent reading accuracy, an average response time of 1.42 seconds from tag detection to motor activation, and stable communication with no packet loss. Mechanical implementation using 8.25 kg of galvanized steel and a dual-rail support system ensured stable and smooth gate movement. These results confirm that the system provides secure, contactless, and remotely accessible automated gate control. Future improvements should focus on cloud-based integration and enhanced network stability for real-world deployment.

Digital System and Computing

Alansheeja D. B., Mangalam S. Nair

Various species belonging to the genus Curcuma are widely utilised in Asian cuisine and medicine. Among the various Curcuma species, Curcuma longa has well-established therapeutic and antioxidant effects. This study evaluated and compared the antioxidant and antiradical properties of four Curcuma species commonly used in India. The methanolic extracts were tested for DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total antioxidant activity (phosphomolybdenum method and beta-carotene linoleate model), hydrogen peroxide scavenging, reducing power, and metal chelating ability using various in vitro assays. According to the study, Curcuma zedoaria has the strongest antioxidant capacity, whereas Curcuma amada has a high total flavonoid concentration and metal chelating ability. When tested using the phosphomolybdenum technique, Curcuma malabarica had the highest value for antioxidant activity.

Sciences of Phytochemistry