Global warming has caused a domino effect on the massive use of air conditioning machines. Especially in urban areas, air conditioning machines have contributed 60–70% of the total electricity consumption of buildings in Indonesia. This affects coal consumption as the basic material for power generation, which will undoubtedly increase air pollution through combustion. An appropriate solution is needed that can be applied effectively and en masse in order to use electricity.  Dian Morfi Nasution (Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia), Muhammad Idris (Universitas Medan Area, Indonesia), Nugroho Agung Pambudi (Universitas Negeri Sebelas Maret, Indonesia), and Weriono (Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Pekanbaru), a group of researchers with a background in mechanical engineering, answered this challenge with their findings. They explored the effect of using a liquid-suction heat exchanger (LSHX) and R290 refrigerant on energy efficiency, power consumption, coefficient of performance (COP), and heat exchanger effectiveness in a room air conditioning system.Dian Morfi explained that R290 is propane, one type of hydrocarbon refrigerant. It is used as an environmentally friendly alternative to replace refrigerants that are more harmful to the environment, such as HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons) and CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons). Using R290 can help reduce the potential for ozone layer depletion and global warming. “R290 refrigerant has been recognized as an alternative material to support energy efficiency. We tried to find a formulation of using R290 with LSHX to maximize the use of environmentally friendly air conditioners,” said Dian Morfi.  They used a split-type Room Air Conditioner (RAC) with 395 W input power and R22 initial refrigerant, assembled with LSHX and R290. Experiments were conducted on two system conditions, with six tests each. Performance parameters such as temperature, pressure, power consumption, and heat exchanger efficiency were measured to find the most appropriate formulation.  This study showed the results of energy savings of up to 27.69% with the use of LSHX and R290 compared to the standard RAC. Meanwhile, systems using a combination of LSHX and R290 refrigerant can experience up to 38.29% improvement in COP. The results show that the advantages of LSHX and R290 bring new hope, reducing potential ozone degradation and global warming impacts while still delivering superior performance.“The results are quite encouraging. Using LSHX and R290 provides advantages in improving the energy efficiency of standard RAC systems. The use of R290 refrigerant helps reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with conventional refrigerants such as HFCs and CFCs,” explains Dian Morfi.  This research underscores the environmental impact of refrigerant use, which is becoming essential in today’s era of environmental transformation. Dian Morfi hopes that applying the results of this research is an opportunity to open a new face for the air conditioning machine industry as a concrete step to emphasize commitment to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability efforts.

Global warming has caused a domino effect on the massive use of air conditioning machines. Especially in urban areas, air conditioning machines have contributed 60–70% of the total electricity consumption of buildings in Indonesia. This affects coal consumption as the basic material for power generation, which will undoubtedly increase air pollution through combustion. An appropriate

Air Conditioning Innovation: A Breakthrough in the Green Energy Revolution

Universitas

Dian Morfi Nasution S. T., M. T. 

Amid the rolling hills and green fields of Nias Island, North Sumatra, lies a silent crisis that slowly erodes the future of children. Small bodies that are shorter than they should be for their age, dull eyes even though the day has just begun, and poor school performance—these are just the surface of one word: stunting. For some communities in Nias, short stature in children is believed to be hereditary, not a health emergency requiring immediate attention.
 
But that perception is beginning to shift—not because of sophisticated tools from big cities, but thanks to something simple: an illustrated module in the Nias language. This is not an ordinary book. It is a bridge between medical knowledge and everyday rural life. It was born from sharp observation, heartfelt conversations with village mothers, and a strong desire to reach those who have long been overlooked.
 
Cashtri Meher and Fotarisman Zaluchu, in their article titled “Methods for Stunting Education in Impoverished Rural Areas Using Illustrated Modules in Local Languages”, share the story behind this research, now published in MethodsX. “We can’t come with formal language and expect everyone to understand. Here, education must begin at the most basic level: the mother tongue, visuals, and empathy,” said Cashtri Meher.
 
Their first step was not to write theory, but to listen. Through six Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) across three regions—North Nias, South Nias, and Gunungsitoli—the team listened to stories, myths, and confusion among mothers about stunting. Many believed it was genetic, with no relation to diet or sanitation. “It’s not their fault,” said Fotarisman Zaluchu, the second author and an anthropologist. “The information that reached them never used their language, nor their way of understanding the world.”
 
From FGDs and in-depth interviews with community leaders and healthcare workers, one urgent need emerged: educational materials rooted in the local context. This led to the idea of creating a bilingual illustrated module, with narratives in Indonesian carefully translated into Nias, and images reflecting local life—mothers pounding rice, fathers working the fields, toddlers carried in traditional slings.
 
The translation was not merely linguistic—it was cultural. Each sentence was meticulously reviewed with translators and local residents to ensure messages about nutrition, clean water, and parenting were not only familiar but emotionally resonant. The illustrator was also instructed to depict traditional clothing, Nias-style homes, and warm, communicative facial expressions.
 
“We wanted mothers to look at the pictures and say, ‘This looks like me,’” said Cashtri, showing pages of the brightly colored module.
 
The module consists of 29 narrative pages covering the definition of stunting, signs such as delayed speech or lethargy, long-term consequences like chronic illness or dropping out of school, and practical guidance on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, nutritious food, fathers’ involvement in caregiving, and treating boys and girls equally.
 
What’s most touching is how these stories do more than inform—they invite dialogue. One page, for instance, shows a father helping his wife cook, with a caption reading: “A husband who helps with housework keeps his wife healthier during pregnancy.” Another page shows children weighing in at a Posyandu (village health post), highlighting the importance of growth monitoring.
 
Before the module was printed and distributed at community gatherings and churches, the team conducted a pilot test with 30 mothers across three target locations. The mothers were asked to evaluate the module through eight questions, such as whether the language was easy to understand, the pictures appealing, and whether they would follow the recommendations. The results were outstanding: the average score was 9.06 out of 10. The highest marks were for “usefulness of the module” and “important for others to read.” Participants didn’t just read—they discussed, asked questions, and even started reminding each other about nutritious food and prenatal checkups.
 
“What surprised us most was how this small module sparked conversations in communities that were previously silent about stunting. Their language, their stories, images that mirrored their lives—all of it made the module come alive,” Cashtri explained.
 
This success didn’t come without challenges. The module was designed specifically for Nias-speaking communities, and implementation would be difficult without local teams fluent in the culture and language. This is both its strength and its limitation. Yet the research team sees this as a prototype—a model that can be adapted for other regions using similar principles: cultural grounding, visual storytelling, and community participation.
 
“We want modules like this to become the mainstream in public health education. Not just about content, but how it's delivered. People deserve information that respects their identity,” said Cashtri Meher.
 
In a world where education is often reduced to lectures and formal posters, this module teaches something deeper: that knowledge must be wrapped in empathy, delivered in the mother tongue, and presented through images that make people smile—and then think. In the heart of Nias, a small booklet has shown that change doesn't have to start with a PowerPoint slide or a politician’s speech, but with the quiet act of a mother reading to her child.

Methods for stunting education in impoverished rural areas using illustrated modules in local languages

The Impact of Illustrated Modules in Combating Stunting on Nias

David Kevin Handel Hutabarat

When smoke rises from the chimneys of palm oil mills, and its wastewater flows into holding ponds, few ask where all that matter ends up. Palm Oil Mill Effluent, or POME, has long been considered ordinary waste—an inevitable byproduct of an industry that sustains Indonesia’s economy. But who would have thought that from this waste, energy could emerge—and beyond that, it could be reborn into clean water, fertilizer, even better air to breathe.
 
This is a story from the heart of a damp laboratory filled with the scent of fermentation—a story captured in research authored by an Indonesian team in the Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering journal (2025). The team—comprising Bambang Trisakti, Rivaldi Sidabutara, Irvana, Gloria Clarita Sinamo, Renata Ambarita, Vikram Alexander, Michael Michael, Juan Akmal Nasution, Yasmin Nabilah, Hiroyuki Daimon, and Mohd Sobri Takriff—proposed a simple yet revolutionary idea: eliminating toxic hydrogen sulfide gas (H₂S) from biogas and recycling wastewater using a life-based approach. Not high-tech machines or harsh chemicals. The solution? Soil bacteria and aquatic plants.
 
Lead researcher Bambang Trisakti welcomed me via a virtual interview from his workspace surrounded by glass columns filled with active microbes. “We believe industrial waste solutions don’t have to be expensive or complicated. Often, the answers are right around us: microorganisms and aquatic plants we’ve long overlooked,” he said enthusiastically.
 
The problem they addressed is no small matter. Biogas from palm oil waste processing is rich in energy but often contaminated with H₂S—a foul-smelling gas that corrodes equipment and poses health risks. Typically, the industry uses chemical treatments to address this, but these come with high operational costs and generate secondary waste. This is where the team broke new ground: using water as an H₂S absorption medium in a vertical packed column, then regenerating that water with two natural biological agents—Thiobacillus sp. bacteria and Azolla microphylla, a type of aquatic plant.
 
With this system, biogas that was once “dirty” becomes clean and ready for use, while wastewater is not discarded but purified and reused. All of this is done without producing additional waste. “We didn’t want to solve one problem only to create another. This system was designed to be a closed cycle—a zero-waste model,” Bambang Trisakti emphasized.
 
The trials were carried out with high precision. Water absorbs H₂S from biogas inside a column filled with Raschig rings—small cylindrical structures that maximize contact surface between gas and water. Then, the H₂S-laden water is channeled into a culture pond of Thiobacillus sp., a microbe that naturally oxidizes H₂S into sulfate. Within nine hours, H₂S concentrations dropped drastically from 3000 ppm to 900 ppm—an efficiency of up to 70%.
 
But the real wonder occurred when that water was combined with a pond of Azolla microphylla, a small aquatic plant often found growing wild in rice fields. With its phytoremediation abilities, Azolla reduced H₂S concentrations from 10,000 ppm to just 1700 ppm in four days—an impressive 83% efficiency. This plant not only cleans the water but also grows prolifically and is ready to harvest as a high-nutrient biofertilizer.
 
“Azolla is not just a pollutant absorber. It’s also an oxygen producer, pH stabilizer, and a natural fertilizer source. In one small pond, you get the function of three technologies at once,” Bambang Trisakti explained.
 
Further tests showed the system not only reduces H₂S but also lowers BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), and dissolved solids—key indicators in wastewater treatment. Even the water’s pH, previously acidic due to H₂S, returned to near-neutral. The end result: water that can be reused as technical water in the factory or as a base for organic liquid fertilizer.
 
One of the strengths of this research lies in its outstanding cost-efficiency. The system’s production cost is only around IDR 54.8 per liter, while its economic value reaches IDR 709 per liter—mainly from the sale of Azolla biofertilizer and the sulfur resulting from oxidation. This is a concrete example of how sustainability and profit can go hand in hand.
 
“We wanted to prove that environmentally friendly technology doesn’t have to be expensive or exclusive. With this bio-based approach, even small palm oil mills can adopt it,” said Bambang Trisakti.
The impact of this system is not limited to the micro-environment within factories. On a broader scale, this system can address the major challenges in the palm oil sector: disposing of waste without pollution, producing clean energy, and recovering water for reuse. It touches on all three pillars of sustainability—economic, social, and ecological.
 
This story is a tangible example of how scientific research can solve real national problems. Not just an ivory tower, but a bridge to cleaner, more economical, and more just industry. A small column absorbing toxic gas, a row of bacteria under a microscope, and tiny aquatic plants floating in a pond—all working together in a system that transforms waste into blessing.
 
And perhaps, one day, when palm oil mills in Indonesia no longer emit foul odors or release wastewater into rivers, we’ll look back and say it all began in a humble laboratory—with a glimmer of courage to challenge the tide of waste, and a firm belief that not even a single drop of water should go to waste.

Enhanced H2S absorption and water recovery using Thiobacillus sp. and Azolla microphylla for zero-waste palm oil mill applications

Green Innovation Practices in Palm Oil Refineries

Behind peace negotiations, Security Council votes, and diplomatic speeches that shape the course of the world, there is something often overlooked—another voice working silently. A voice that translates the will of one nation to another in seconds—without error, without hesitation. These are the simultaneous interpreters at the United Nations. Language workers who not only bridge meaning, but often determine whether global diplomacy flows smoothly or falls apart.
 
An insightful study from Universitas Sumatera Utara, written by Susi Masniari Nasution and her colleagues, explores the lives of these interpreters in depth. Through the article titled “Insights into the Challenges and Strategies of United Nations Conference Interpreters: A Qualitative Study” published in the World Journal of English Language, the team—comprising Syahron Lubis, Deliana Deliana, and Umar Mono—presents a reality far from glamorous. Psychological pressure, technical demands, and intellectual tension all converge within a small space called the booth.
 
“UN interpreters are not just translators. They are guardians of meaning, bearers of messages, and sometimes the very factor that determines whether a sentence calms or ignites conflict,” stated Susi.
 
This research was not born from empty theoretical rooms. The researchers dissected the YouTube documentary Interpretation at Work from UN Geneva, transcribing and analyzing conversations from six professional interpreters representing the UN's six official languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian, and Mandarin. From this, extraordinary challenges emerged—both visible and hidden.
 
The first challenge is technical: the speaker’s speed, sometimes faster than human auditory processing; technical terms from law, politics, or science that must be instantly understood and translated; and equipment issues such as faulty microphones or headsets that can turn a diplomatic sentence into a communicative disaster. Not to mention the two-way interpreting requirement—translating from the native language to a foreign one and vice versa. With no pause, every second becomes a gamble.
 
However, as Susi reveals, the greatest challenge lies within the mind and heart. “Many people don’t realize that UN interpreters work under immense psychological pressure. They know that a single misworded phrase could alter a country’s political perception. That is not a light burden,” she explained.
When a diplomat speaks in rhetorical, multi-layered language, the interpreter must quickly unpack it, summarize it, and rephrase it into another language without losing the intention or tone. There’s no time to think twice. No space to be nervous. And yet, the nerves are real.
 
In the documentary analyzed by the team, an interpreter named Paul Pottingen candidly said, “I needed a good feeling. Everything must be continuous along a soft mood. I was very tired of concentrating fully.” A simple sentence that hides profound cognitive fatigue. Full concentration for an hour in a soundproof booth, eyes locked on the screen, ears listening, mouth speaking—all at the same time. And yes, this is no ordinary job.
 
Then comes the emotional challenge. María Carolina López Uribe, a Spanish interpreter, admitted in the documentary, “We feared that we would be personally attacked, even though the UN is neutral.” She spoke of the fear that comes with mistranslating sensitive issues involving specific nations. UN neutrality doesn’t always guarantee a sense of safety for interpreters sitting just meters away from heads of state or diplomatic representatives.
 
But from that pressure, extraordinary energy is born. “We found that many interpreters actually transform the tension into a driving force,” said Susi. One such example comes from Soumiya Lahlao, an Arabic interpreter. She said, “This adrenaline is the energy that drives us forward.” Tense, but focused. Nervous, yet productive. They channel those emotions to sharpen thinking, strengthen intuition, and maintain stable concentration.
 
The strategies they employ are just as fascinating. Interpreters learn to anticipate the speaker’s patterns, predicting the next sentence before it's spoken. They often paraphrase or simplify sentence structures for quicker delivery. Sometimes, they break long sentences into smaller segments to avoid losing meaning. All of this happens in seconds—in a silent room, without scripts, without pause.
 
This study reveals that simultaneous interpreting is a form of high-level brainwork. It requires a strong short-term memory, perfect coordination between thought and language, and sharpened intuition. It’s not just about being bilingual—it’s about enabling two languages to coexist in the mind at once, without clashing.
 
“If people think interpreters just sit in a comfy room translating like Google Translate, they’re dead wrong. Interpreters are mental athletes. They are trained to be emotionally strong, cognitively fast, and culturally sensitive,” Susi said with a smile.
 
The study’s final recommendation is not merely to improve technology or expand vocabulary, but to strengthen emotional resilience, cross-cultural intelligence, and personal reflection in professional interpreting training. Language education is not enough if it doesn’t teach how to endure pressure, process fear, and understand the world through multiple cultural lenses.
 
In the context of globalization—where diplomacy between nations becomes more fragile and easily twisted by miscommunication—the interpreter’s role becomes ever more crucial. They are not just translators of words, but guardians of meaning. They work silently, but with precision, safeguarding peace. And now, through studies like this, the world can begin to understand how tense the seemingly quiet job really is.
 
We may never know their names or see their faces during major speeches. But without them, there is no mutual understanding. Without them, no agreement. And without agreement, what remains of a world meeting—other than noise?

Insights into the Challenges and Strategies of United Nations Conference Interpreters: A Qualitative Study

Guardians in Silence: A Deep Dive into the Work of UN Interpreters

Amid the long battle children face against leukemia, there’s another wound that often goes unnoticed. A small sore in the mouth that stings every time they swallow water, speak, or even smile. That wound is called oral mucositis, a painful inflammation in the oral cavity that appears as a side effect of chemotherapy. Not only does it cause physical torment, but it also robs children of their basic rights—to enjoy food, sleep soundly, and speak without pain.
 
Now, however, hope is arriving from unexpected places: the ocean and the garden. Specifically, from the body of a sand sea cucumber (Holothuria scabra) and the peel of red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus). These two natural ingredients become the main stars of an astonishing study published in the Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research by Timmauli Parulian Gultom and her colleagues. The research team—comprising Siti Salmiah, Zulfi Amalia Bachtiar, Ika Devi Adiana, Gita Wulan Sari, Kerenha, and Deborah Christina Tambunan—from Universitas Sumatera Utara and the Dental and Oral Hospital of Universitas Sumatera Utara, is not only about science. It goes deeper—about how nature, when carefully formulated, can become a gentle and powerful wound healer.
 
“Most pediatric leukemia patients experience mucositis after chemotherapy. This oral cavity wound is often considered a minor side effect, when in fact it is excruciating and slows recovery,” said Timmauli. She voiced her concern not only as a researcher but also as a mother who fully understands how crucial quality of life is during a child’s healing process.
 
In this study, the team developed an oral drop solution combining sea cucumber and dragon fruit peel extracts in three different concentrations: 20%, 30%, and 40%. The subjects were Wistar rats induced with mucositis using methotrexate, a commonly used chemotherapy drug. Each group received different treatments, including a positive control group (treated with hyaluronic acid) and a negative control group (untreated). The treatment was administered twice a day over 3, 7, and 14 days.
 
The results were astonishing. On day three, no significant differences were observed. But by day seven, the groups treated with 20% and 40% concentrations showed complete healing. No swelling, no open wounds. Even faster than the group treated with the standard medication.
 
What exactly is working behind this simple drop? The answer lies in phytochemicals and marine bioactives. Sea cucumbers are more than just exotic food—they contain collagen, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and saponins, compounds known for their roles in cell regeneration, anti-inflammation, and wound healing. Collagen accelerates the growth of new tissue, while triterpenoids help to suppress painful inflammation.
 
Meanwhile, the peel of dragon fruit—often discarded—holds extraordinary antioxidant power. Its content of betacyanin, flavonoids, and tannins helps neutralize free radicals, reduce inflammation, and accelerate the recovery of damaged tissues.
 
“We wanted to utilize fruit waste that is often overlooked. Dragon fruit peel turns out to be rich in active compounds, and its effects are remarkable when combined,” explained Timmauli.
 
Beyond physical healing, this combination of drops also defeats time. The average healing time for the 20% group was 7.33 days, and for the 40% group, only 6.83 days. In comparison, the positive control took 9 days, while the untreated group had not recovered even by day 14. This shows how effective this natural combination is in accelerating post-chemotherapy wound recovery.
 
“What moved us deeply was the histopathological results. The wounds completely closed, new tissue formed perfectly, and inflammation disappeared. These are not just numbers on a table, but real proof that a natural approach can be a genuine solution,” Timmauli said enthusiastically.
 
Although the results are promising, the research team is not rushing to declare a miracle. They acknowledge many aspects still need refinement. For instance, organoleptic tests showed the drops were not yet ideal in terms of viscosity and spreading ability. Some formulations were too thick or did not adhere well in the oral cavity. The next step, therefore, is to perfect the texture to make it comfortable for children to use.
 
The working mechanism is also incredibly complex. Saponins and flavonoids suppress pro-inflammatory enzymes like COX-2 and PLA2. Triterpenoids promote collagen production and accelerate tissue repair. Tannins and alkaloids serve as natural antibacterial agents, preventing secondary infections in open wounds. Meanwhile, betacyanin—the red pigment in dragon fruit—acts as an immune guardian, inhibiting inflammation pathways triggered by the IKK protein.
 
“Imagine, with just a few natural drops, we can target so many biological pathways that contribute to pain and wounds. This proves that science can synergize with nature’s heritage,” said Timmauli.
 
The final recommendation is quite interesting: among the three concentrations, the 20% combination was deemed most optimal. It provided fast healing with efficient use of raw materials. In terms of large-scale production, this is important to reduce costs and improve accessibility. Imagine if this formula could be made available as standard supportive therapy for child cancer patients—affordable, effective, and side-effect-free.
 
This article is not merely a laboratory result. It reflects a new approach in the medical world—combining the wonders of nature with the precision of science. It is proof that within the body of a sea cucumber and the peel of a discarded fruit lies the hope to heal the deepest wounds of young cancer warriors.
 
The hope is that one day, when a child can smile wide without pain after chemotherapy, we’ll know that this drop of life has done its work—silently, lovingly, from nature to humanity.

Air Conditioning Innovation: A Breakthrough in the Green Energy Revolution

Air Conditioning Innovation: A Breakthrough in the Green Energy Revolution

Paper Details

Find More Articles