This community service initiative addresses the outstanding Land and Building Tax (PBB) receivables at the Regional Revenue Agency (BAPENDA) of North Tapanuli Regency, which has become a significant obstacle to optimizing Regional Original Revenue (PAD) realization. The initiative aims to identify factors hindering PBB receivable collection effectiveness, analyze critical points of prevailing issues, and formulate applicable strategies to enhance collection performance. Methods employed include field observations, technical staff mentoring, and arrears data analysis using Excel software. Findings indicate that collection process barriers are influenced by two primary factors: internal and external. Internal factors include limited human resources, lack of integrated database systems, and inadequate information technology infrastructure. External factors encompass community socio-economic conditions, geographical constraints, and low taxpayer legal awareness. Based on these findings, several strategic measures are recommended: strengthening information systems and databases, enhancing personnel capacity, implementing public education programs, and optimizing inter-agency coordination. Implementation of these strategies is expected to reduce PBB receivables and improve regional financial management accountability.

Pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ), a North American native tree fruit, produces tropical-flavored fruit for fresh-market sales, and its extracted pulp is widely used in value-added products such as wine, beer, brandy, and jam. However, pawpaw can exhibit poor fruit set as a result of self-incompatibility and a lack of effective pollinators during flowering. We identified, categorized, and quantified the insect species that were potential pollinators visiting the flowering and nonflowering branches of two pawpaw cultivars. Three sampling methods were used: sticky traps, field observations during the flowering period, and insect collections from flowers at peak bloom. In 2023 and 2024, sticky traps were deployed in a completely randomized design. Field observations were conducted on male- and female-stage flowers in 2024 to record visitation rates, and insects were collected from flowers for identification to order and taxa. Across both years, Diptera and Coleoptera were the most abundant insects captured in traps, followed by Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera in lower numbers. During flowering observations and collections, male-stage flowers attracted significantly more insects than female-stage flowers, particularly flies and click beetles. Lady beetles were most abundant overall. Many insects were observed carrying pollen, indicating their potential contribution to pollination. Enhancing the attraction of key beetle and fly species may improve pawpaw pollination efficiency and fruit set in commercial orchards.

Deep-seated landslides in high mountain terrain typically deform slowly over years to decades, making their internal kinematics difficult to characterise from field observations alone. Here we investigate the Leo Pargil landslide on the southwestern flank of the exhumed Leo Pargil gneiss dome in the northwestern Indian Himalaya, a large active deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) in the region. Multi-temporal persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PS-InSAR) analysis of Sentinel-1 data is combined with geological and structural information to characterise the landslide's present-day kinematics and internal segmentation. Ascending and descending Sentinel-1 data from 2018 to 2023 are combined to decompose InSAR-derived displacement into vertical and horizontal components, allowing spatial variations in displacement magnitude and direction to be resolved across the landslide body. The displacement field is strongly segmented, with faster-moving sections separated by sharp displacement gradients and relatively stable zones, indicating the presence of distinct internal sectors within the landslide. The upper part of the slope shows displacement patterns consistent with a rotational component near the headscarp, whereas the lower part is characterised by predominantly slope-parallel motion. Spatial variations in motion broadly follow mapped structural and lithological boundaries, indicating that inherited structures and slope geometry may influence the present-day deformation pattern. The results show that the Leo Pargil landslide is a segmented deep-seated gravitational slope deformation on the flank of an exhumed gneiss dome, with its present-day kinematics consistent with consistent with inherited structural heterogeneity and ongoing geomorphic processes.

This study examines Slum “555,” a peri-urban informal settlement on the fringes of Yangon, Myanmar, to investigate how informality emerges, persists, and functions under conditions of institutional exclusion, regulatory neglect, and spatial marginalization. Drawing on historical review, spatial analysis, and fieldwork conducted in 2018–2020—including interviews, field observations, community mapping, and a small-scale household survey (n = 36)—the paper traces the settlement's formation as a governance outcome shaped by state-led resettlement policies since the late 1980s, disaster-induced migration, and weak regulatory enforcement. Situating Slum “555” within Yangon-wide patterns of informal settlement location and land-use context, the analysis shows that the settlement is not an exceptional case but part of a structurally produced peri-urban geography of informality. The study further documents how, in the absence of sustained formal support, residents have developed locally legitimate governance mechanisms—such as fire prevention networks, informal flood response arrangements, and mutual-aid practices—to manage both everyday risks and disaster-related crises. These practices indicate that informality should be understood not simply as a deviation from planned urbanism, but as an adaptive mode of micro-governance operating within the limits of formal systems. The findings contribute to debates on informality, disaster risk governance, and inclusive urban futures in the Global South, and are particularly salient given Myanmar's post-2021 constraints on institutional capacity and the 2025 earthquake. Building on the empirical evidence, the paper argues for policy approaches that connect informal governance to formal planning through non-punitive institutional interfaces and incremental, risk-informed in-situ upgrading, rather than eviction-led or exclusionary interventions. • Analyzes peri-urban informality through the case of Slum “555” in Yangon. • Shows how resettlement legacies and industrial growth reproduce informality. • Reveals a critical asymmetry in self-provisioned infrastructure. • Identifies vernacular governance as primary infrastructure under uncertainty. • Advocates risk-informed, in-situ upgrading through formalized interfaces.

Hydrodynamics of Mar Menor through field observations and numerical modeling: A wind-forced coastal lagoon

Towards sustainable urban estuary health: Modeling microbial pollution sources and mitigation strategies in the Golden Horn.

From TTG-migmatized to crustally-derived granites: Evidence of partial melting and reworking during the Mesoarchean crustal evolution in the southeastern Carajás Province (Amazonian Craton, Brazil)

• The ice ridge porosity models were established by randomly deleting finite units. • Consolidated ice ridges exhibited dual-peak load characteristics during collision. • The peak ice loads increased non-linearly with keel depth during repeated ramming. The opening of Arctic shipping routes enables shorter voyages and enhances economic efficiency. An ice ridge, a typical extreme ice condition in polar regions, generates ice loads during interactions with structures; they are commonly designated as ultimate design loads in polar marine and offshore engineering. Field observations reveal that macro-porosity, a distinctive characteristic of ice ridges arising from their complex formation processes, significantly influences mechanical properties of the ice ridge and ice load behavior. To analyze the load and fracture characteristics of ice ridges, model tests of the icebreaker-ice ridge collision were conducted in an outdoor ice tank. Based on the experimental data, two numerical ice ridge models incorporating various macro-porosity modelling were developed and validated. The interaction processes between ice ridges and structures were simulated, with keel depths analyzed for their effects on failure mechanisms of the ice ridge and ice loads. The failure progression under multiple impacts and the number of collisions required to damage the ice ridge were further investigated. These findings aim to provide some practical references for icebreaker structural design and operational strategies.

The effects of carbohydrate (CHO) intake on substrate metabolism, exercise capacity, and exercise performance have been studied for >100 y. From a metabolic perspective, the ergogenic effect of CHO intake is likely mediated by liver (and potentially muscle) glycogen sparing, maintenance of plasma glucose concentrations, and whole-body CHO oxidation rates, such that the required exercise intensity can be sustained for a longer duration thereby delaying fatigue. Accordingly, the 2016 sport nutrition guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine recommend CHO intakes ≤90 g/h (from multiple-transportable CHOs, e.g., glucose/fructose mixtures), as targeted to exercise that is >2.5-3 h in duration. Although field observations report a trend for endurance athletes to consume (and experiment with) higher rates of CHO ingestion during training and racing (i.e., 120-200 g/h), the efficacy of such doses is not yet substantiated by current scientific research. Rather, contemporary research suggests that the upper limit of CHO intake could increase from 90 to 120 g/h (at least for trained participants), considering that both exogenous and whole-body rates of CHO oxidation can be increased with these higher ingestion rates. Such absolute doses may also modulate important physiological determinants of performance (e.g., durability and economy) across cycling, marathon running, and ultraendurance exercise. As such, the present paper provides a contemporary review of CHO metabolism during exercise, factors affecting exogenous CHO oxidation rates (i.e., CHO blend, ratio, format, environmental considerations, etc.) and sport-specific research (alongside personal author insights from practice), before presenting an updated and more nuanced model to guide CHO personalization strategies for endurance athletes. Directions for future research are also discussed, emphasizing the need for collaborative research to study both male and female athletes during ecologically valid exercise protocols that better address the real-world fueling challenges faced by elite athletes.

Structural and functional responses of macrobenthic communities to seasonal hypoxia and implications for ecological quality in Bohai Bay.

The rapid expansion of aquaculture in fjords and channels has raised concerns about the accumulation of marine plastic pollution. These environments are particularly vulnerable to plastic accumulation. This study assessed the composition, distribution, and abundance of aquaculture-derived plastics in fjords, archipelagos, and channels of the Los Lagos and Aysén regions in Chile. Vessel-based photographic surveys across 136 observation sites (≈718km of coastline) recorded 918 large plastic items, mainly aquaculture buoys and floating structures, concentrated in 32 coastal sectors. Most marine plastic pollution (89%) was observed in Los Lagos, where in situ observations were located near aquaculture centres (within a 1km radius), whereas this spatial association was not observed in Aysén. Hydrodynamic modelling was used to identify potential accumulation zones of marine plastic pollution. A positive but non-significant relationship was found between modelled accumulation probability and observed plastic densities; however, spatial accumulation patterns were broadly consistent across datasets. These results highlight both the challenges of predicting marine plastic pollution in complex fjord systems and the value of integrating field observations with modelling as a complementary approach for monitoring and managing aquaculture-related plastic pollution.

Fate of deep methane bubble plumes at the Haima cold seeps in the South China Sea.

During the late Messinian, the Mediterranean Sea underwent the “Messinian Salinity Crisis,” a major event that shifted carbonate platforms from coral-dominated to microbialite-dominated systems. While upper Messinian microbial carbonates are well documented in the western Mediterranean, new findings from the central basin, particularly the Salento Peninsula, provide fresh insights into their diversity and evolution. This study focuses on enigmatic carbonate fabrics (ECF) from Salento, previously tentatively identified as dendrolites. A multidisciplinary approach, combining field observations, microscopic fabric analysis, and biogeochemical techniques (UV-epifluorescence and SEM/EDS), was applied to investigate their nature and palaeoenvironment. The Salento ECF consist of fan-like, lobate structures forming vertically elongated aggregates a few centimeters tall, with microstructures containing organic-derived micritic clots and filamentous remains consistent with cyanobacterial microfabrics. These features support their identification as filamentous dendrolites, comparable to modern analogues from Hamelin Pool, western Australia. Stratigraphic and facies analyses suggest they formed in a lagoonal environment, very shallow and with fluctuating conditions, influenced by unstable connections to the open sea. In particular, although strongly affected by reworking, the sedimentary textures and bioclastic assemblages associated with the dendrolites indicate a phase of warm, moderate-energy waters with near-normal marine chemistry. Unlike modern examples, which show minimal or no mineralization, the Messinian dendrolites display a well-cemented, originally aragonitic microfabric, potentially linked to elevated carbonate saturation or to specific microbial assemblages that facilitated their preservation. These findings represent the first fossil record of filamentous dendrolites and highlight the Messinian Mediterranean carbonate factories as a key archive for microbialite research. • Heterogeneous Messinian microbial carbonates are reported in central Mediterranean. • Microscopic and geochemical analyses reveal evidence of cyanobacterial activity. • Microbialites are identified as originally aragonitic filamentous dendrolites. • Salento microbialites are the first fossil evidence of filamentous dendrolites.

High resolution airborne and satellite remote sensing observations of coastal dissolved organic matter dynamics along the North Slope of Alaska.

Seasonal characteristics of atmospheric oxidizing capacity at environmental background area in North China from long-term field observations of O3, HONO and HCHO

Dynamic extracellular polymeric substance component succession primes cyanobacterial metabolism for distinct bloom stages.

Objective: The inefficiency of the manual medical check-up process at the Rumah Sakit Mata Padang Eye Center, characterized by paper-based recording, long waiting times, inconsistent symptom documentation, and heavy reliance on limited ophthalmologists, motivated this study. The objective was to develop a web-based expert system that enables patients to perform preliminary self-diagnosis of common eye diseases through interactive yes/no symptom consultation while integrating the forward chaining method with patient data management to support early detection and reduce specialist workload. Method: This study adopted a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the sequential linear (waterfall) model. Data were collected through field observations, interviews with ophthalmologists and staff, questionnaires, and a literature review at Padang Eye Center. The system was implemented using PHP and MySQL, incorporating decision trees, Data Flow Diagrams, and production rules with a Certainty Factor. Results: Functional testing on 50 test cases revealed that the prototype achieved 92% diagnostic accuracy, 94% precision, and an average processing time of 0.82 seconds, representing an 85% reduction in consultation time compared to the manual process. The system successfully generated consistent diagnoses with treatment and prevention recommendations for conditions such as eyelid edema, blepharitis, and trichiasis. Novelty: The novelty of this study lies in the seamless integration of forward chaining inference, symptom weighting, and modular web interfaces specifically designed for real clinical workflows in an Indonesian eye hospital, features rarely combined with previous standalone prototypes. This study provides both practical improvements in service efficiency and theoretical contributions to accessible, explainable rule-based expert systems in ophthalmology.

Wildlife and domestic animal intrusion into agricultural land is a well-known problem that causes real financial damage to farmers and their families. Traditional methods of deterring animal intrusion into crops via direct observation of the crop field, such as physical guarding or using static devices , are ineffective because the animals typically adapt quickly to repetitive patterns of deterrence use. To address this problem, we developed an autonomous smart scarecrow system that utilizes two smartphone cameras as visual sensor nodes for detecting animal presence in the crop field, a YOLOv3 deep-learning detector hosted on a laptop, analysing live feeds from both smartphone cameras overlooking the same field area (i.e. one image from each camera), a pair of ESP32-CAM modules serving as wireless bridges between the cameras and the host laptop, a Nexys FPGA board (Artix-7 xc7a100tcsg324-1) programmed with Verilog for performing OR-based decision logic, and an ESP32-Dev module driving a df mini player and speaker, delivering randomized predator audio alongside LED flashes directed at detected intruders. Operating through a Sense–Process–Act loop, the system functions, whereupon detecting an animal (i.e. bird, dog, horse, bear, etc.) in real-time and in the absence of any human in the field of view of the cameras, upon which the FPGA triggers a randomly chosen predator sound through the speaker together with randomized LED flash patterns to drive away the animal.With this setup, the system spots animals as they appear and scares them off right away without causing any harm, keeping the crops safe.

This paper examines the role of the Dayak Customary Council (DAD) as a local policy entrepreneur in the implementation of Indonesia's food estate program in Central Kalimantan. While the national policy has sparked debate regarding its socio-environmental impacts, the influence of indigenous actors on agenda-setting remains underexplored. This study investigates how DAD reframed the food estate as a development opportunity, utilized customary rituals to legitimize land conversion, and strategically aligned with the provincial government. Using a qualitative case study and process tracing methodology, data were gathered through interviews, document analysis, and field observations. The findings demonstrate that DAD performed a dual role as both a cultural mediator and a political actor, skillfully navigating between state interests and indigenous concerns. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of hybrid governance by illustrating how indigenous institutions can act as key policy entrepreneurs in subnational policymaking. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating indigenous governance structures into the policy process. In practical terms, the findings highlight the need for policymakers to engage with indigenous institutions in development projects, ensuring the integration of local knowledge and values. Further research should explore the long-term socio-environmental impacts of such collaborations and how they influence policy outcomes across different regions in Indonesia.

Abstract Mixed-species flock (MSF) represents an important form of social organization in bird communities worldwide. Despite its likely importance in flock formation and cohesion, the role of vocal communication in the formation and maintenance of an MSF in birds is hitherto understudied. In this study, we examine whether a species’ centrality within a mixed-species flock is influenced by its vocal behavior during the dawn chorus (i.e., the time of MSF formation). Using acoustic sampling and field observations, we studied bird species found in MSFs in the Eastern Himalayas. Our results show differential vocal activity patterns among MSF-forming bird species and suggest a positive relationship between calling rates at dawn and closeness centrality (species’ importance in a flock) in understory MSFs at the species level. We also found a more synchronized vocalization pattern across species in the understory MSFs, with a consistent peak in vocal activity in the early morning hours. In contrast, no consistent vocal pattern was found for canopy flocks. Overall, our results suggest a potential mechanism that drives MSF formation wherein the vocal activity of central species precedes and likely attracts participation from other attendant species and maintains cohesion.