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In Southeast Asia, ethnic conflicts are complex phenomena influenced by religious affiliations, nationalism, and citizenship rights. This study examines the role of media in shaping public narratives and perceptions of the Rohingya crisis, particularly in Aceh, Indonesia. Media analysis reveals that coverage provides practical insights into the consequences of refugee influx, highlighting social, humanitarian, and infrastructural impacts. Moreover, media diversifies understanding by presenting varied perspectives and linking ethnic conflicts with broader issues such as human trafficking. The study emphasizes how media narratives influence community attitudes towards Rohingya refugees in Aceh, reflecting shifts in acceptance or rejection based on portrayal. It underscores media's responsibility for accurate, balanced coverage crucial in shaping public understanding. Employing qualitative content analysis of print and online sources from 2023, this research examines media's depiction of the Rohingya conflict and refugee responses in Aceh. Findings contribute insights into media's role in public perception and its impact on refugee acceptance. This study advocates further media analysis to deeper understanding of complex ethnic conflicts, aiming to mitigate stereotypes and foster empathy towards refugees. Encourage balanced and diverse media reporting on ethnic conflicts to foster empathy and informed public dialogue, particularly in communities like Aceh. Support further research and education on the media's role in shaping perceptions to promote effective conflict resolution and humanitarian responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research improves the strength of plastic using avocado seed starch and PLA. The effect of blending avocado seed starch and PLA was optimized using the RSM approach by using two variables: water absorption and biodegradability. Mixing them using RSM gave the best result: 1.8 g of starch and 3 g of PLA. Degradable plastic has a tensile strength of 10.1 MPa, elongation at a break of 85.8%, and a Young's modulus of 190 MPa. Infrared spectroscopy showed that the plastic had a -OH bond at 3273.20 cm−1, 3502.73 cm−1, and 3647.39 cm−1, a CH2 bond at 2953.52 cm−1, 2945.30 cm−1, and 2902.87 cm−1, a C=C bond at 1631.78 cm−1, and a C-O bond at 1741.72 cm−1. The plastic decomposed in the soil. It was organic and hydrophilic. Thermal tests demonstrated that the plastic can withstand heat well, losing weight at 356.86 °C to 413.64 °C, forming crystals and plastic melts at 159.10 °C—the same as PLA. In the melt flow test, the sample melted before measurement, and was therefore not measurable—process conditions affected it. A water absorption of 5.763% and biodegradation rate of 37.988% were found when the samples were decomposed for 12 days. The starch and PLA fused in the morphology analysis to form a smooth surface. The RSM value was close to 1. The RSM gave the best process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel, an alternative to traditional diesel, is essential for the sustainability of long-term energy supplies and often synthesized through a non-alcoholic route called interesterification. The described synthesis method facilitates the modification of oil and fat by exchanging acyl radical groups between triglyceride and alcoholic acid (alcoholysis), fat (acidolysis), or ester (transesterification). Therefore, this research aimed to determine the effect of the reactant ratio between crude palm oil (CPO) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), along with the use of an eco-enzyme catalyst, on biodiesel characteristics. The CPO:DMC ratio was 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:2.5, and 1:3, while the immobilized eco-enzyme catalyst was 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6% of CPO mass. The results showed that interesterification with a 1:3 reactant ratio using a 4%wt catalyst was the best procedure, producing biodiesel yield of 73.65%, density of 0.860 g/mL, viscosity of 4.63 mm2/s (cSt), flash point of 113 °C, calorific value of 34.454 MJ/kg, and cetane number of 70.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an approach for hydrolyzing cellulose nanocrystals from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) presented through hydrochloric acid hydrolysis under sonication-hydrothermal conditions. Differences in concentration, reaction time, and acid-to-cellulose ratio affect toward the yield, crystallinity, microstructure, and thermal stability were obtained. The highest yield of cellulose nanocrystals up to 74.82%, crystallinity up to 78.59%, and a maximum degradation temperature (T max ) of 339.82 °C were achieved through hydrolysis using 3 M HCl at 110 °C during 1 h. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated a higher diffraction peak pattern at 2θ = 22.6° and a low diffraction peak pattern at 2θ = 18°. All cellulose nanocrystals showed a crystalline size of under 1 nm, and it was indicated that the sonication-hydrothermal process could reduce the crystalline size of cellulose. Infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that a deletion of lignin and hemicellulose was demonstrated in the spectrum. Cellulose nanocrystal morphology showed a more compact structure and well-ordered surface arrangement than cellulose. Cellulose nanocrystals also had good thermal stability, as a high maximum degradation temperature was indicated, where CNC-D1 began degrading at temperatures (T 0 ) of 307.09 °C and decomposed (T max ) at 340.56 °C.