International Journal of Science and Society

The ASEAN Way and Regional Environmental Cooperation: Explaining Forest Climate Policies in Southeast Asia

2026-07-23T05:23:09+00:00

Climate change and accelerating deforestation have intensified the need for regional cooperation to address forest-related environmental challenges in Southeast Asia. As one of the world's most forest-rich regions, Southeast Asia has witnessed the development of various regional initiatives and policy frameworks that seek to strengthen cooperation on forest conservation and climate change mitigation. Limited attention has been given to the role of the ASEAN Way as a normative foundation that shapes the development of regional forest climate policies. This study aims to explain how the principles of the ASEAN Way influence regional environmental cooperation in the formulation of forest climate policies in Southeast Asia. Employing a qualitative research design, the study uses document analysis of ASEAN declarations, regional agreements, strategic plans, policy frameworks, and relevant academic literature. The ASEAN Way guides the analysis as an informal regional institution characterized by consensus, consultation, non-interference, respect for sovereignty, and informality. The findings suggest that these principles have significantly influenced the development of regional environmental cooperation by promoting consensus-based decision-making, voluntary commitments, and flexible institutional arrangements in the formulation of forest climate policies. This article contributes to the International Relations literature by demonstrating how regional norms shape environmental cooperation and influence regional policy development, thereby providing a normative and institutional explanation for the emergence and characteristics of forest climate policies in Southeast Asia.

Restructuring the Business Model of Smallholder Oil Palm Plantations in Forest Areas of Central Kalimantan Province: An Integration of Pestel-Porter Diagnostics and Social Forestry Solutions

2026-07-23T05:59:43+00:00

This study aims to diagnose the vulnerability of the smallholder palm oil business model in the forest areas of Central Kalimantan Province and formulate its restructuring strategy through the Social Forestry policy. The land overlap issue covering 179,258 hectares places smallholders at high legal and economic risks following the enactment of the Job Creation Law (UU Cipta Kerja). The research method used is descriptive qualitative through an integrative approach using the Business Model Canvas (BMC), PESTEL, and Porter’s Five Forces frameworks. The diagnostic results reveal that the existing business model is highly vulnerable due to macro-regulatory constraints and the smallholders' weak bargaining power against informal markets. As a public governance solution, the Social Forestry policy through the Jangka Benah (transition period) scheme is capable of restructuring the elements of the smallholders' BMC blocks. This transformation alters the Key Resources aspect through long-term land utilization legality, improves Key Partnerships by eliminating middlemen, enhances the bargaining power of the product's Value Proposition, and realizes a sustainable, traceable, and legally compliant smallholder palm oil business model.

Massive Intraoperative Hypercarbia and Subcutaneous Emphysema in a Geriatric Patient with Cardiorespiratory Comorbidities Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Case Report

2026-07-23T06:08:25+00:00

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in geriatric patients imposes risk due to carbon dioxide (CO₂), especially in patients with cardiovascular comorbidities. This report presents a 87 years old female with body mass index (BMI) of 17.09 kg/m² undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to gallbladder empyema. Patient had history of biliary sepsis, cardiomegaly, atelectasis of left lung apex, and chronic kidney disease. Severe inflammation of gallbladder necessitated higher pneumoperitoneum pressure up to 17 mmHg to facilitate visibility. The elevated intra-abdominal pressure combined with poor tissue turgor triggered extensive subcutaneous emphysema and massive hypercarbia, indicated by a surge in End-Tidal CO₂ (ETCO₂) reaching >70 mmHg, whereas arterial blood gas analysis revealed a PaCO₂ of 45 mmHg. This gradient anomaly occurred without an accompanying tachycardic response or oxygen desaturation. Temporary cessation of insufflation successfully stabilized the patient clinically. This case highlights the importance of vigilance regarding weak fascial turgor in underweight geriatric patients subjected to high intra-abdominal pressure, the impairment of CO₂ elimination due to atelectasis, and the crucial role of implementing multimodal analgesia with regional anesthesia techniques to prevent postoperative hypoventilation caused by opioid administration.

Archaeology of Conflict in Tanah Rejang: A Comparison of Indigenous and Colonial Defense Systems in Bengkulu in the 17th-19th Centuries

2026-07-23T06:41:02+00:00

Bengkulu occupied a strategic position where local trading powers, the international pepper trade, and European colonial rivalries converged from the seventeenth century onward, giving rise to two distinct fortification traditions: the indigenous Rejang kutai—bamboo-fenced settlements (reduai) integrated with the community's social-cosmological structure, and the colonial fortifications of the British East India Company (EIC): Fort York, Fort Marlborough, Fort Anna, and Fort Linau. This paper builds a comparative interpretive framework for these two fortification typologies within a conflict archaeology lens, while mapping existing data gaps. As a conceptual study, it employs a qualitative approach based on secondary data synthesis, prior excavation reports, colonial archives, and ethnographic studies without primary fieldwork. Findings indicate that the two systems represent distinct epistemologies of conflict space: the Rejang kutai reflects an organic, community-scale defensive logic embedded in the landscape, while EIC forts reflect a geometric, centralized logic responding to larger geopolitical threats. The study also reveals significant disparities in the preservation of the three colonial forts, Marlborough well-maintained, Anna damaged as symbolic rejection, and Linau physically vanished and mythologized, analyzed through memory archaeology and critical heritage studies. The paper contributes to broadening the scope of Indonesian conflict archaeology, long dominated by colonial fortification studies, and proposes a primary field research agenda for the physical remains of Rejang kutai.

In Vitro Reduction of Antifungal Azole Sensitivity in Malassezia spp. and Resistance Prevention Strategies

2026-07-23T07:04:36+00:00

Malassezia spp. are lipophilic yeasts that constitute part of the normal skin flora but are also implicated in various dermatological conditions, including pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, and folliculitis. In recent years, decreased in vitro antifungal susceptibility has been increasingly reported, potentially contributing to therapeutic failure and disease recurrence. Literature evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) patterns of azole agents and the molecular mechanisms of the decreased susceptibility in Malassezia spp. remains limited. Therefore, this literature review examines scientific articles related to the antifungal susceptibility of commonly used azoles against skin infections caused by Malassezia spp. Relevant publications were analyzed, focusing on in vitro studies, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values, resistance mechanisms, and strategies for preventing antifungal resistance. Several studies demonstrate increased MIC values, particularly for azole antifungals such as fluconazole and ketoconazole. Fluconazole exhibited the highest MIC values (4 to >64 mg/L; MIC50 32 mg/L; MIC90 64 mg/L), whereas posaconazole showed the lowest (0.06–2 mg/L; MIC50 0.125 mg/L; MIC90 0.5 mg/L). Ketoconazole and itraconazole demonstrated relatively good antifungal activity, while amphotericin B showed moderate efficacy. Compared to Candida spp., Malassezia spp. generally exhibited higher MIC values, suggesting reduced susceptibility. Resistance mechanisms include ERG11 gene mutations, increased efflux pump activity, and biofilm formation. Decreased antifungal susceptibility in Malassezia spp. represents an emerging clinical concern with significant implications for treatment outcomes. Rational therapeutic approaches, including antifungal stewardship, susceptibility-guided therapy, and combination strategies, are essential to prevent resistance and improve clinical effectiveness.