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COVID-19 has affected the whole world with its highly contagious and deadly virus, causing numerous countries across the globe to lock down. Contact tracing of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 has been seen as an effective method in handling the pandemic in countries such as New Zealand and South Korea. However, despite the Philippines having this system, its implementation is not entirely effective. This study aims to create an architecture using the Internet of Things (IoT) for an application that seeks to improve the contact tracing system of COVID-19 cases in Tacloban City, Philippines. This architecture incorporates Quick Response (QR) code registration, records of entry to Tacloban, records of entry and exit from establishments, and records of quarantined individuals. The proposed architecture in this study has an edge over the current system as it entails a more authentic transmission of data with regards to quarantined individual monitoring, a more legitimate process for QR code registration with the use of National ID, and a more centralized COVID-19 database. This architecture will be useful not only for the case of COVID-19 contact tracing, but also for other communicable diseases. Future research is needed for a simulation of the proposed architecture.

Japan has experienced a rapid increase in the number of the geriatric population in the past few decades. This has raised the necessity for healthcare resources, making IoT applied in elderly care a huge trend in the country. The application of IoT in the field has made a huge contribution to tackling the problem, however, previous studies and current IoT applications regarding the topic fail to consider another arising issue --elderly-to-elderly care. Elderly-to-elderly care is the condition in which a caregiver is also a senior person due to the decrease of the younger population in the country. The paper evaluates prevailing systems and reexamines studies conducted on the subject in the past. Based on the research, this paper proposes an elderly monitoring system architecture for developing IoT applications in elderly care satisfactory of the condition.

In recent years, the education sector has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with schools struggling to find ways to stay open. A lot of educational institutions choose to implement hybrid learning systems, which is the combination of face-to-face and online learning using a variety of e-learning tools. Some educational tools are required to support the interactions between students, lecturers, and administrators so that the teaching and learning process runs smoothly. As an emerging e-learning system, there are some challenges that arise related to the tools. Also, constant technical issues faced by both teachers and students on these e-learning tools often require technical support to rectify, causing frequent disruptions in the learning flow. In this study, we analyzed the limitations and challenges of the existing e-learning tools that support the hybrid learning system at Sekolah Menengah Atas Kristen Penabur. This study proposes a solution for solving the present issues and limitations of the current e-learning tools. We propose an efficient architecture that supports efficient and reliable e-learning tools for students, lecturers, and administrators at SMAK Penabur. According to the findings, the proposed architecture has a significant impact on the learning and teaching development of hybrid learning environments. It also provides an efficient and reliable means of using e-learning tools in a hybrid learning environment.

It is well-established that non-renewable energy sources adversely affect the environment and human health. Nonetheless, the Philippines continues utilizing this energy source as it is more accessible than the alternatives. Non-renewables, especially coal, are cheap; there is ease and familiarity with non-renewables and a lack of knowledge and experience in utilizing renewable energy. However, as the consumption of this energy source grew, the challenge involving the inevitable depletion of this resource arose. In response to this problem, the Philippine government created the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), which aims for 15.3 gigawatts of renewable power capacity by 2030. Despite this, coal remained the highest power share, and renewable energy was ignored. Although there are regions in the Philippines with existing renewable energy projects, it was mostly hydropower and solar power. Moreover, the current projects do not hit the target capacity stated in the NREP. There are still various renewable energy sources that could be utilized. Aside from solar power and hydropower, there is potential for biomass, wind, and geothermal energy utilization. This study has been conducted to evaluate the existing and the possible renewable energy sources in Northern Mindanao, Philippines (Region 10), and assess the resources’ potential.

A wind turbine is one of the most important natural energy sources. People in South Tangerang, Indonesia still rarely heard about wind turbines. Conduct a survey to determine how much people know about this problem and whether they feel bothered by it. Most people in South Tangerang, Indonesia are still unaware and haven't bothered at this time. But in the future, it can cause problems if it is left, and people still do not know how to solve them. More research should be conducted to find solutions to the problem, and more socialization should be held so that people in South Tangerang, Indonesia will be more aware.

Medicinal plants are a notable source of natural products which are of great importance for clinical purposes, including the development of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry and the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP), is among the most prominent modifiable risk factors of CVD—a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and health spending worldwide. Despite a plethora of synthetic treatment options, lower treatment targets have been pushed for hypertension management as synthetic treatments pose many risks to adverse effects. In this review, studies from 2006 to 2022 were used to evaluate the efficacy of a widely-used natural product in Asia, curcumin derived from Curcuma longa L., in regulating BP. Its potential in CVD treatment has been illustrated in several research studies through identifying its cardiovascular protective properties. Curcumin was reported to be able to prevent hypertension and vascular remodeling, protect against vascular dysfunction, regulate AT1R expression, and alleviate oxidative stress, among others. Because of the importance of a healthy vascular endothelium and renin-angiotensin system in regulating arterial BP, curcumin’s demonstrated outcomes in these areas suggest its potential in regulating BP. However, more formal clinical studies must be done to further verify its cardiovascular protective properties.

Medicinal plants in Indonesia have long been used by the locals here for an array of uses. Although these plants are easy to obtain and relatively easy to plant, these plants have not been optimally used these days. Of course before we plant and use these medicinal plants we need to know the benefits and uses of these plants, conducting a survey on the Banten residents we can find that people still rarely have them in their homes but a lot of people have used these medicinal plants for an array of uses before. People also see that these medicinal plants are important and should be used more often. We can then conclude that people already know the understanding that medicinal plants are important but lack the knowledge of the use of them.

Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood pushing against the walls of arteries. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common illness that develops when blood flows at a pressure higher than normal. This literature review intends to research the 2 key questions, namely the properties of garlic that decrease blood pressure and the negative effects, if any, of using garlic to treat hypertension. Garlic contains ingredients that have been shown to have physiological effects on the body that lower blood pressure in arteries. To confirm this, the effect has been investigated repeatedly by researchers across the world, using a variety of methods including placebo-controlled trials and surveys. However, there is other data that suggests garlic does not reduce blood pressure, although further studies are required to corroborate their findings. Garlic’s ability to treat hypertension is still up for debate, but this review ultimately aims to advance medical knowledge in order to assist the vast majority of those who are affected by it.