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Featured Application: This work applies machine learning to enhance the prediction of deforestation related to oil palm. This research can be used for decision makers trying to foresee and manage deforestation caused by palm oil production. Providing information about deforestation prediction can help users to make appropriate decisions about where and when they can establish new plantations to ensure a sustainable oil palm production. Deforestation is recognized as an issue that has negative effects on the ecosystem. Predicting deforestation and defining the causes of deforestation is an important process that could help monitor and prevent deforestation. Deforestation prediction has been boosted by recent advances in geospatial technologies and applications, especially remote sensing technologies and machine learning techniques. This paper highlights the issue of predicting deforestation related to oil palm, which has not been focused on in existing research studies. The paper proposes an approach that aims to enhance the prediction of deforestation related to oil palm plantations and palm oil production. The proposed approach is based on a conceptual framework and an assessment of a set of criteria related to such deforestation. The criteria are assessed and validated based on a sensitivity analysis. The framework is based on machine learning and image processing techniques. It consists of three main steps, which are data preparation, model training, and validation. The framework is implemented in a case study in the Aceh province of Indonesia to show the feasibility of our proposed approach in predicting deforestation related to oil palm. The implementation of the proposed approach shows an acceptable accuracy for predicting deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, with 17,000 islands of varying sizes and elevations, from lowlands to very high mountains, stretching more than 5000 km eastward from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. Although occupying only 1.3% of the world's land area, Indonesia possesses the third-largest rainforest and the second-highest level of biodiversity, with very high species diversity and endemism. However, during the last two decades, Indonesia has been known as a country with a high level of deforestation, a producer of smoke from burning forests and land, and a producer of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to review the environmental history and the long process of Indonesian forest management towards achieving environmental sustainability and community welfare. To do this, we analyze the milestones of Indonesian forest management history, present and future challenges, and provide strategic recommendations toward a viable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system. Our review showed that the history of forestry management in Indonesia has evolved through a long process, especially related to contestation over the control of natural resources and supporting policies and regulations. During the process, many efforts have been applied to reduce the deforestation rate, such as a moratorium on permitting primary natural forest and peat land, land rehabilitation and soil conservation, environmental protection, and other significant regulations. Therefore, these efforts should be maintained and improved continuously in the future due to their significant positive impacts on a variety of forest areas toward the achievement of viable SFM. Finally, we conclude that the Indonesian government has struggled to formulate sustainable forest management policies that balance economic, ecological, and social needs, among others, through developing and implementing social forestry instruments, developing and implementing human resource capacity, increasing community literacy, strengthening forest governance by eliminating ambiguity and overlapping regulations, simplification of bureaucracy, revitalization of traditional wisdom, and fair law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aceh is the only province in Indonesia with an exceptional degree of autonomy to implement Sharia. This paper explores how Serambi Indonesia—the leading Acehnese local newspaper—framed the implementation of Sharia in the region. This study employed content analysis of the Sharia coverage in Aceh from 2012 to 2020 using a hybrid approach, combining issue-specific and generic frames. The results revealed the four identified frames: Sharia codification, deviance from Sharia, desirable Sharia enforcement, and Islamic morality. among those frames, the deviance from Sharia was much preferred. The frame prominence was more prevalent after Qanun Jinayat (Islamic Criminal Bylaw) took into effect in Aceh. It was also given more prominence on the front page than on other pages. However, other frames made up 60% of the articles, implying that the Acehnese local newspaper positively represented the implementation of Sharia in Aceh while highlighting Sharia problems surrounding its enforcement. These findings exemplify the use of a hybrid approach to better examine the media frames, support the effect of critical events on changes in the media frames, and confirm the different prominence of the frame based on the page placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tacca leontopetaloides (T. leontopetaloides) contain a number of active compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, steroids, and alkaloids. The active compounds from plants have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzym A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity. This study aims to investigate the potential active compounds in the ethanolic extract of Tacca tubers (T. leontopetaloides) from the Banyak Islands, Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh Province both in vitro and in silico. Tacca tubers contain secondary metabolites including flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, steroids and saponins, according to phytochemical screening. In vitro investigation of ethanolic extract of Tacca tuber revealed inhibitory activity of HMG Co-A reductase with an IC50 value of 4.92 ppm. Based on the in silico study, active compound from the extract, namely Stigmasterol with the highest binding affinities with HMG Co-A reductase (−7.2 kcal/mol). As a comparison, the inhibition of HMG Co-A reductase activity by simvastatin with an IC50 4.62 ppm and binding affinity −8.0 Kcal/mol. Our findings suggest that the ethanolic extract of Tacca tuber (T. leontopetaloides) from Banyak Islands, Aceh Province has the potential to inhibit the activity of HMG Co-A reductase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report our success synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extracts from the leaves and flowers of Calotropis gigantea growing in the geothermal manifestation Ie Seu-Um, Aceh Besar, Indonesia. C. gigantea aqueous extract can be used as a bio-reductant for Ag+→Ag0 conversion, obtained by 48h incubation of Ag+, and the extract mixture in a dark condition. UV–Vis characterization showed that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks of AgNPs-leaf C. gigantea (AgNPs-LCg) and AgNPs-flower C. gigantea (AgNPs-FCg) appeared in the wavelength range of 410–460 nm. Scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) revealed the agglomeration and spherical shapes of AgNPs-LCg and AgNPs-FCg with diameters ranging from 87.85 to 256.7 nm. Zeta potentials were observed in the range of −41.8 to −25.1 mV. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay revealed AgNPs-FCg as the most potent antimicrobial agent with inhibition zones of 12.05 ± 0.58, 11.29 ± 0.45, and 9.02 ± 0.10 mm for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, respectively. In conclusion, aqueous extract from the leaves or flowers of Calotropis gigantea may be used in the green synthesis of AgNPs with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine how vulnerable the west coast of Aceh Besar, Aceh province, Indonesia, is in terms of its coastal morphology. This research was conducted from August to December 2020 and data processing was carried out at the Geographical Information Systems Laboratory, Faculty of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Syiah Kuala University. The method used was the coastal vulnerability index (CVI) with four geological parameters, namely geomorphological parameters, beach elevation, beach slope and shoreline changes. The results obtained from the CVI method show that 20.60% of the west coast of Aceh Besar, which has a total coastline length of 93.2 km, is in the very high vulnerability category (19.2 km), while 23.18% (21.6 km) is in the high vulnerability category, 8.80% (8.2 km) in the moderate category, 6.44% (6 km) in the low category and 40.99% (38.2 km) in the very low category. Sub-districts classified as having very high vulnerability are Peukanbada (7.94%), Leupung (6.22%), Lhoong (4.94%), and Lhoknga (1.50%). The geomorphology of areas that have very high vulnerability is generally in the form of sandy beaches with a very gentle slope, while, geomorphologically, areas that have very low vulnerability have a high elevation and cliff beaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveys of the conditions of termite attack were conducted in two regencies, Pidie and Greater Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia (40 houses in each location). Interviews were also conducted with home owners to collect data on the building history; culture, such as daily life in the house; the frequency and intensity of termite attacks; and traditional knowledge for avoiding and/or suppressing termite attacks. We found that 51% of traditional houses were infested by two termite species: Coptotermes gestroi and Nasutitermes matangensis. The lower parts of traditional houses were frequently attacked and severely damaged by termites. Previous land use and the ages of the traditional houses affected the intensity of the termite attacks. Several measures for avoiding and/or suppressing termite attacks on cultural heritage buildings are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]