Plastic waste remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges due to its persistence and the lack of effective recycling solutions. This study explores the use of recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic waste as a binder substitute for cement in the production of eco-friendly paving blocks. The aim is to evaluate compressive strength, water absorption, density, and thermal resistance, as well as to determine the optimal mix composition that meets the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 03-0691-1996). A quantitative experimental approach was employed, using six variations of LDPE-to-sand ratios and standard laboratory testing procedures. The results showed that the paving block made from a 40
This paper investigates the use of large language models (LLMs) as evaluators in multidimensional machine translation (MT) assessment, focusing on the English–Indonesian language pair. Building on established evaluation frameworks, we adopt an MQM-aligned rubric that assesses translation quality along morphosyntactic, semantic, and pragmatic dimensions. Three LLM-based translation systems (Qwen 3 (0.6B), LLaMA 3.2 (3B), and Gemma 3 (1B)) are evaluated using both expert human judgments and an LLM-based evaluator (GPT–5), allowing for a detailed comparison of alignment, bias, and consistency between human and AI-based assessments. In addition, a classroom calibration study is conducted to examine how rubric-guided evaluation supports alignment among novice evaluators. The results indicate that GPT–5 exhibits strong agreement with human evaluators in terms of relative quality ranking, while systematic differences in absolute scoring highlight calibration challenges. Overall, this study provides insights into the role of LLMs as reference-free evaluators for MT and illustrates how multidimensional rubrics can support both research-oriented evaluation and pedagogical applications in a mid-resource language setting.
Abstract. Suhesti E, Yelmiza, Fitriani D, Hadinoto. 2025. Nutritional profiling of stingless bee bread (Meliponini) across species and sites in Riau, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 26: 6151-6161. Stingless bee bread is a nutrient-dense fermented pollen increasingly promoted as a functional food, yet Indonesian nutritional datasets remain scarce. This study characterizes proximate composition and vitamins A, B2, and E in bee bread from three stingless bee species (Geniotrigona thoracica, Heterotrigona itama, and Trigona apicalis) managed by smallholders at multiple sites in Riau, Indonesia. For each species × site combination, bee-bread pots were pooled to obtain a homogenized composite, which was summarized on a unified fresh-mass basis. Group differences among species and sites were evaluated using non-parametric tests. At a co-occurring site, G. thoracica consistently exhibited the highest levels of vitamins A, B₂, and E; T. apicalis showed the highest total fat and fat-derived energy; and H. itama combined relatively high total energy with elevated protein. Within H. itama, site effects were evident, with vitamins A and E peaking at specific locations and vitamin B₂ at another. These patterns resolve into three practical nutritional signatures, vitamin-oriented in G. thoracica, lipid-oriented in T. apicalis, and relatively stable energy or protein in H. itama. While the pooled composite design constrains colony-level inference, the species- and site-resolved ranges reported here provide preliminary nutritional baselines that can inform future work on quality control and biodiversity-aligned meliponiculture.
This study aims to develop an innovative English learning method aligned with Outcome-Based Education (OBE) by integrating role-play and YouTube as a strategy to enhance speaking proficiency among MKDU English students. Through active participation in recorded and published role-play activities, students improve contextual communication skills, confidence, creativity, and digital adaptability. Using a descriptive quantitative approach, the research evaluates the effectiveness of this method via pre- and post-tests and closed questionnaires involving Digital Business students at Universitas Lancang Kuning. Assessment focuses on five indicators: role appreciation, content mastery, cultural gestures, pronunciation, and scene graphic design. The results show measurable improvements: average speaking scores increased by 18% from pre- to post-test, with the highest gain in pronunciation (22%) and content mastery (20%). Questionnaire responses indicate that 87% of students felt more confident and collaborative in communicative tasks. These findings demonstrate that YouTube-based role-play not only strengthens linguistic competence but also directly supports OBE outcomes by fostering reflective, creative, and professional communication skills essential for workplace readiness.
Background: The rising income of smallholder oil palm farmers in Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia, has paradoxically fuelled consumptive spending patterns that prioritise symbolic goods over productive investment. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard's theory of consumer society and sign value, this study investigates how Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), conformity, celebrity endorsement, and self-esteem collectively drive consumptive behaviour among oil palm farmers, and how these dynamics are mediated through an Islamic economic lens. Method: This study adopts a qualitative case-study design with an interpretive paradigm. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with ten smallholder oil palm farmers in Rokan Hilir, supplemented by interviews with seven key informants comprising village heads, local government officials, and banking representatives. Long-term observational fieldwork and documentary analysis were also employed to triangulate findings. Thematic and interpretive analysis guided data interpretation. Results: Four key findings emerge: (1) FOMO functions as a primary psychological trigger that transforms social anxiety into impulsive purchasing; (2) conformity operates as a social mechanism reinforcing status-oriented consumption; (3) celebrity endorsement through social media accelerates aspirational spending by constructing a hyperreal vision of prosperity; and (4) low self-esteem causes farmers to compensate through conspicuous goods. The study reveals that oil palm farmers consume not merely to meet needs but to perform social identity and simulate economic success, consistent with Baudrillard's simulacra framework. Conclusion: Consumptive behaviour among oil palm farmers is a structurally embedded social practice shaped by symbolic competition, income volatility, and digital media penetration. From an Islamic economic perspective, this pattern violates the principles of israf (wastefulness) and infaq fi sabilillah (purposeful spending). Interventions through financial literacy, Sharia-based financial planning, and community-level moral economy education are recommended to redirect agrarian income toward long-term productive investment.
