Anti-Stapylococcus Epidermidis of Methanolic Extracts from Some East Lombok Medicinal Plants

Wounds are structural and functional disruptions of the skin that occur as a result of an injury. Wound healing is a complex tissue repair or remodelling process in response to the injury. The most common factor that causes wounds not properly heal is infection. An infection develops when microorganisms enter the body, multiply, and trigger an immune reaction in the body. This study aims to determine the activity of Jatropha multifida L., Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (L.) Vahl, Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch, and Angelica keiskei (miq.) Koidz has long been used to treat and manage wounds in East Lombok. The plants were dried and macerated with methanol; excessed solvent was evaporated. Disc diffusions were used to determine the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts. All extracts were tested against Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common cause of wound infection. Statistically, the activity of Jatropha multifida (5;10 mg/mL), Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (10 mg/mL), Centella asiatica (10 mg/mL), Euphorbia pulcherrima (M) (5, 10 mg/mL), and Angelica keiskei (2,5; 5; 10 mg/mL) extracts were comparable with positive control. However, Angelica keiskei has a wider inhibition zone than other extracts. This discovery could be served as a basis for using plants to aid wound healing, especially to combat the interference bacteria. However, further research is needed to discover the active phytochemicals involved in the antibacterial and wound healing process

Identification of Tropical Planting Selection for Sustainable Campus Design

Tropical planting plays a crucial role in sustainable campus design in Malaysia. Incorporating tropical planting into campus design not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also offers numerous environmental benefits. This research aims to identify suitable tropical plant species for sustainable campus design. The selection of appropriate plant species plays a crucial role in creating environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing campus landscapes. The study employs an observational research approach to gather data on plant characteristics, growth patterns, ecological requirements, and overall sustainability. Data was collected at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Bachok Campus. The results revealed that selection criteria for plants were based on their adaptability to tropical climates, aesthetic appeal, low maintenance requirements, and positive ecological impact. This paper outlines the strength of tropical plantings selection for sustainable campus design based on native trees, shade trees, climbing plants and vines, ground covers, ornamental shrubs, and medicinal and aromatic plants. Some of the tropical plants such as mahogany, kapok tree, frangipani offer numerous benefits in sustainable campus design, contributing to climate resilience, water efficiency, biodiversity conservation, and a vibrant and healthy campus environment. Thus, this research will provide valuable insights for landscape architects, campus planners, and any related built environment professionals in developing sustainable campus designs in tropical regions

Exploring the impact of environmental factors on soundscape perception for sustainable and resilient urban environments

The impacts of global climate change are becoming increasingly alarming, highlighting the need for sustainable urbanism practices. The soundscape has been identified as crucial for achieving sustainable development goals. Using an ergo-aesthetic framework, this research aims to investigate the impact of weather conditions and sound levels on soundscape perception in urban shopping streets. Data was collected through a soundscape survey (n = 411) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, based on the ISO12913-2 technical specification standards. The result from multivariate analysis of variance revealed that weather and sound level significantly influenced soundscape perception. Based on analysis of variance, a significant difference in perception was found between low and high levels of loudness, with high levels of loudness having a significantly higher perception. It is observed that users tend to have a stronger preference for an "appropriateness" soundscape in urban shopping streets during cloudy weather conditions based on multiple comparison analysis. The participants generally reported feeling acoustically comfortable with lower temperatures in cloudy weather, possibly due to the increased cloud coverage acting as a form of background noise absorber, thereby enhancing the perceived appropriateness of the soundscape. These findings contribute to understanding soundscapes in creating sustainable and resilient urban environments

Patterns of streets connection for sustainable urban development in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Street network attributes, including street connectivity, street integration, and pedestrian accessibility, are closely interrelated concepts that play an important role in achieving the sustainable approach challenges facing all large cities throughout the world. However, the lack of awareness of sustainable development in both the city center and villages in the suburban area results in a low value of street connectivity, less direct route to the destination, and discouraging pedestrians from moving. This research aims to examine street connectivity and street integration patterns that form from street connections at existing streets in Kota Bharu Kelantan. DepthmapX software was used to analyze street connectivity and integrations to identify and compare the existing street influencing people to move from one destination to another in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The streets in the Kota Bharu, Kelantan city center area are chosen as the study site to investigate the street connectivity and integration values. Data analysis using DepthmapX software was performed after digitizing the map in AutoCAD software. Findings show that street connectivity and integration are of higher value when the streets are well connected to other streets in the main area and attraction area. The conclusions of this paper can help landscape architects and urban planners optimize the achievement of well-connected street networks that produce directness routes in short-distance destinations to develop a sustainable urban environment

Efectos de la intensidad del ejercicio sobre la miostatina y folistatina del músculo sóleo deratas hiperglicémicas

Abstract. Background: Hyperglycaemia induces dysregulations in skeletal muscle mass and function. Myostatin (Mstn) and follistatin (Fs) are two key regulators of muscle mass, which are known to be dysregulated in people with hyperglycaemia. Exercise is frequently prescribed to counteract these changes; however, the influence of exercise intensity is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare two training programs, moderate-intensity constant (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), on soleus mRNA levels of Mstn and Fs in an animal model of hyperglycaemia. Material and Methods: 36 male Wistar rats, were divided into control (n=18) and hyperglycaemic (HG, n=18; induced by a single intraperitoneal dose of Streptozotocin) groups. Subsequently, these groups were randomly subdivided into control untrained, control+moderate-intensity constant training (MICT), control+high-intensity interval training (HIIT), HG untrained, HG+MICT, and HG+HIIT (n=6 each subgroup). Training programs were performed for 8 weeks, with a frequency of 5 sessions per week. The total distance covered per session in MICT and HIIT was equal. 48 hours following the last training session, rats were anesthetized and soleus muscles were excised. Results: HIIT reduced and increased significantly the Mstn and Fs mRNA levels respectively, irrespective of hyperglycaemia (p<0.05). When Mstn:Fs ratio was analysed, only HIIT induced a significant increase in hyperglycaemic rats (p<0.05). Conclusion: HIIT over MICT, changed the Mstn and Fs soleus mRNA levels, irrespective of hyperglycaemia. This could indicate that the regulation of these genes is exercise intensity-dependent, whereas hyperglycaemia seems to not blunt this response.Antecedentes: La hiperglicemia induce alteraciones en la masa y fuerza del músculo esquelético. La miostatina (Mstn) y folistatina (Fs) son reguladores de masa muscular, los cuales son alterados por hiperglicemia. El ejercicio es utilizado para neutralizar estos cambios; sin embargo, la influencia de la intensidad del mismo no está aclarada. Este estudio comparó dos programas de ejercicio, intensidad moderada y constante (MICT) e interválico de alta intensidad (HIIT), sobre los niveles de ARN mensajero (ARNm) muscular de Mstn y Fs en ratas hiperglicémicas. Material y Métodos: 36 ratas Wistar fueron divididas en controles (n=18) y con hiperglicemia (HG, n=18; inducida con Streptozotocina intraperitoneal). Además, estos grupos fueron subdivididos aleatoriamente en: control no-entrenado, control+entrenamiento moderado constante (MICT), control+entrenamiento interválico de alta intensidad (HIIT), HG no-entrados, HG+MICT y HG+HIIT (cada subgrupo n=6). El entrenamiento duró 8 semanas, con 5 sesiones por semana. La distancia total recorrida por sesión en cada programa de entrenamiento fue igual. 48 horas posterior a la última sesión, las ratas fueron anestesiadas y los músculos sóleos fueron extraídos. Resultados: El entrenamiento HIIT redujo e incrementó significativamente los niveles de Mstn y Fs respectivamente, independiente de la presencia de hiperglicemia (p<0.05). Además, la razón Mstn:Fs se incrementó significativamente sólo en el grupo de ratas hiperglicémicas entrenadas con HIIT (p<0.05). Conclusión: El entrenamiento HIIT, no MICT, cambió los niveles de ARNm de Mstn y Fs en el músculo sóleo, independiente de la presencia de hiperglicemia. Esto sugiere que la regulación de estos genes es dependiente de la intensidad del ejercicio, en donde la hiperglicemia parece no aminorar esta respuesta

Biomimicry levels as design inspiration in design

The relationship between design and nature has been intertwined for the past 400 years. Throughout history, designers have adopted nature to build shapes, forms, and ornamentation without understanding nature's behavior biomimicry. Nature's behavior biomimicry is a method that applies solutions to human problems by analyzing natural designs, processes, and systems. This innovative method refers to nature as an inspiration to solve design challenges. The method is the new science that studies nature as a model and inspiration to imitate the design and process of solving human problems. However, there is a lack of widespread and practical application of biomimicry as a design method; architecture commonly uses biology as a library of shapes, which is not biomimicry. Among the levels of biomimicry, the organism level is widely applied as a design tool to achieve a design solution. This paper reviews published research on the applications of biomimicry level, including its formative elements. Organism, behavior, and ecosystem level are mostly inspired or applied in the biomimicry concept. The content analysis was carried out to examine the published research articles on different perspectives of biomimicry and its application in design. The findings produce three levels of biomimicry that can serve as a regenerative design. There is a growing need for designs that work with nature to create a regenerative built environment, and designers can no longer ignore the relevance of bio-inspired theories and approaches to achieve a more sustainable future

Reviewing biomimicry design case studies as a solution to sustainable design

There have been many studies on bio-inspired research, where biomimicry capabilities facilitating sustainable designs are in dearth. For a sustainable design, it is necessary to consider water efficiency, zero waste, thermal environment, and energy supply. This paper investigates how biomimicry is adopted in the sustainable design of buildings. A thorough content analysis of eight case studies focused on the built environment and how biomimicry integrated with the design of a building was executed. The selection of cases study was based on the concept of biomimicry by taking inspiration from nature and applying them in the everyday built environment. Thus, the building designs are more ecologically sustainable than conventional ones, where biomimicry approaches and principles are adopted. The findings suggest that the design of a building can inspire society with new ecological morals, where understanding of biological morphogenesis can inspire design to resolve challenges and essentially help create a healthy environment. Biomimicry harnesses and replicates the principles found in nature to create a built environment that benefits people and other living creatures and safeguards biodiversity. Thus, adopting biomimicry in designing a building will help to develop a culture of active environmental design

Identification of Tropical Planting Selection for Sustainable Campus Design

Tropical planting plays a crucial role in sustainable campus design in Malaysia. Incorporating tropical planting into campus design not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also offers numerous environmental benefits. This research aims to identify suitable tropical plant species for sustainable campus design. The selection of appropriate plant species plays a crucial role in creating environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing campus landscapes. The study employs an observational research approach to gather data on plant characteristics, growth patterns, ecological requirements, and overall sustainability. Data was collected at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Bachok Campus. The results revealed that selection criteria for plants were based on their adaptability to tropical climates, aesthetic appeal, low maintenance requirements, and positive ecological impact. This paper outlines the strength of tropical plantings selection for sustainable campus design based on native trees, shade trees, climbing plants and vines, ground covers, ornamental shrubs, and medicinal and aromatic plants. Some of the tropical plants such as mahogany, kapok tree, frangipani offer numerous benefits in sustainable campus design, contributing to climate resilience, water efficiency, biodiversity conservation, and a vibrant and healthy campus environment. Thus, this research will provide valuable insights for landscape architects, campus planners, and any related built environment professionals in developing sustainable campus designs in tropical regions

Exploring the impact of environmental factors on soundscape perception for sustainable and resilient urban environments

The impacts of global climate change are becoming increasingly alarming, highlighting the need for sustainable urbanism practices. The soundscape has been identified as crucial for achieving sustainable development goals. Using an ergo-aesthetic framework, this research aims to investigate the impact of weather conditions and sound levels on soundscape perception in urban shopping streets. Data was collected through a soundscape survey (n = 411) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, based on the ISO12913-2 technical specification standards. The result from multivariate analysis of variance revealed that weather and sound level significantly influenced soundscape perception. Based on analysis of variance, a significant difference in perception was found between low and high levels of loudness, with high levels of loudness having a significantly higher perception. It is observed that users tend to have a stronger preference for an "appropriateness" soundscape in urban shopping streets during cloudy weather conditions based on multiple comparison analysis. The participants generally reported feeling acoustically comfortable with lower temperatures in cloudy weather, possibly due to the increased cloud coverage acting as a form of background noise absorber, thereby enhancing the perceived appropriateness of the soundscape. These findings contribute to understanding soundscapes in creating sustainable and resilient urban environments