State University of Makassar

Activated carbon derived from coconut shell waste has attracted considerable attention as a sustainable adsorbent for water treatment due to its high carbon content and tunable porous structure. However, the interplay between activation strategies, resulting physicochemical properties, and practical adsorption performance remains inconsistently interpreted across studies. This review critically synthesises current research to establish structure–property–performance relationships governing coconut-shell-derived activated carbon. Comparative analysis reveals that although chemical activation often enhances surface area and microporosity, higher surface area does not universally translate into superior adsorption capacity. Instead, pore size distribution, surface functional groups, and adsorbate–adsorbent compatibility play equally decisive roles in determining removal efficiency and adsorption kinetics. Quantitative benchmarking highlights significant variability in reported capacities due to inconsistent operating conditions, underscoring the need for standardised evaluation metrics. Regeneration studies indicate moderate capacity retention across cycles, yet structural degradation, pore blockage, and energy-intensive reactivation remain critical challenges for long-term application. Furthermore, the review evaluates sustainability trade-offs associated with chemical activation, including reagent consumption, secondary effluent generation, and environmental burden, and discusses greener alternatives and resource-efficient strategies. By integrating adsorption performance, cyclic stability, and sustainability considerations, this work provides a comprehensive framework for rational design and scalable implementation of coconut-shell-derived activated carbon. in water treatment systems.

Goby fish (Sicyopterus sp.), a globally distributed freshwater genus, is widely marketed as a dried product. However, traditional sun drying is inefficient, weather-dependent, and prone to quality degradation problems. Although microwave drying offers a rapid dehydration alternative, it often induces textural hardening and non-uniform heating. To mitigate these limitations, pretreatments (blanching and salt immersion) were hypothesized to modify the tissue matrix, thereby improving moisture diffusivity and preserving sensory quality. This study analyzed the effects of microwave power (240, 400, and 640 W) and pretreatment (control, blanching, and salt immersion) on the drying kinetics and product quality of dried goby fish. Drying kinetics were evaluated to accurately model the moisture transfer mechanism and determine the activation energy, alongside quality characteristics (proximate, sensory, color, and fatty acid profiles). The results showed that drying occurred exclusively during the falling-rate period and was best described by the Modified Midilli-Kucuk model. Effective moisture diffusivity significantly increased with power, ranging from 1.04 × 10− 8 to 4.90 × 10− 8 m2/s, while salt immersion resulted in the highest activation energy (11.25 W/g). Both microwave power and pretreatment were critical factors influencing the final quality (p < 0.05). Notably, higher power levels significantly reduced lightness, with L* values dropping to a minimum of 36.13 in the 640 W control group. While the 640 W salt-immersion treatment yielded the lowest moisture content (0.11

Sere bissu is a Bugis ritual performance in Bone Regency, South Sulawesi, that continues to function as a living tradition while facing pressures of modernization and recontextualization. This study investigates how educational values are embedded and transmitted through the ritual structure of Sere bissu as a form of nonformal cultural pedagogy. A qualitative interpretive design was applied through fieldwork-intensive ethnography, combining participant observation, in-depth interviews, and performance documentation. Data were analyzed using a socio-semiotic interpretation of embodied signs and iterative thematic coding to identify value patterns and ritual functions. The results show that Sere bissu is organized as an ordered sequence of ritual segments that communicate educational values through embodied action, symbolic objects, and communal recognition. Religious and spiritual learning is enacted through devotion, reverence, and ritual accountability. Social values emerge through collective participation that strengthens cohesion, sustains Bugis identity, and reinforces shared stewardship. Moral education is most visible in Maggiri, where disciplined invulnerability signifies efficacy and recognition, and in Mappatabe, where gratitude and respect frame ethical closure. These findings highlight Sere bissu as a culturally grounded educational medium and support safeguarding approaches that prioritize community-led transmission and spiritually contextualized cultural sustainability.

Influencer marketing has emerged as a dominant strategy within the digital marketing landscape, particularly in the Indonesian beauty industry. This study investigates how consumers in Makassar City develop and sustain trust in influencer-based marketing content on social media platforms. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected participants who actively consume beauty content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis encompassing open coding, axial coding, and selective coding procedures. The findings reveal five core themes: (1) authenticity as the primary driver of trust formation; (2) the negative impact of excessive commercialization on perceived credibility; (3) the role of influencer expertise and product knowledge in legitimizing recommendations; (4) parasocial relationships as amplifiers of emotional attachment and brand loyalty; and (5) consumer skepticism as an emerging critical evaluation strategy. The study demonstrates that trust remains the central mediating variable linking influencer characteristics to purchase intentions. Consumers exhibit nuanced evaluation behaviors, distinguishing between genuine advocacy and sponsored content. The research contributes theoretically by integrating Source Credibility Theory, Parasocial Interaction Theory, and the Trust-Commitment Theory within the influencer marketing context. Managerially, the findings suggest that brands should prioritize authentic, transparent, and expertise-driven influencer collaborations rather than high-volume promotional campaigns.

Background Ecological awareness among students in archipelagic regions is shaped by local environmental conditions and cultural practices. Integrating local wisdom into science instruction may provide a contextually relevant foundation for strengthening students’ ecological understanding and behaviors. This study aimed to explore students’ ecological awareness and to use the findings as a basis for designing an Ethno-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Project-Based Learning (Ethno-STEM PjBL) module. Methods An exploratory and design-oriented approach was employed. Ecological awareness was profiled across four domains: sustainable consumption, energy use, waste management, and water conservation. Data was collected from 63 junior secondary students in an archipelagic region using validated questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive analysis was conducted to identify domain-specific patterns and contextual learning needs. An Ethno-STEM PjBL module was developed through a diagnostic-based design framework integrating ecological awareness data, local wisdom, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics principles. Expert validation was conducted using content validity indices to assess feasibility. Results The findings indicate uneven ecological awareness across the four domains, suggesting that environmental attitudes and behaviors are influenced by contextual and cultural factors. These results informed the development of a context-responsive Project-Based Learning module that systematically aligns local wisdom with domain-specific ecological needs. Expert validation indicated high feasibility (content validity indices >0.90 across components). Conclusions This study presents a data-informed and context-sensitive framework for designing Ethno-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Project-Based Learning modules grounded in ecological awareness profiling. The approach demonstrates how local wisdom can be systematically integrated into instructional design to support culturally responsive science learning in archipelagic contexts.