Kecerdasan emosi dalam kalangan pelajar Diploma Pendidikan Lepasan Ijazah (DPLI) Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Kecerdasan emosi dapat dijadikan sebagai panduan bagi mewujudkan pendidikan yang berkualiti serta sebagai asas pemerolehan ilmu pengetahuan bagi seseorang pendidik dalam menjalankan tugasnya sebagai seorang guru. Namun begitu, adakah faktor umur dan pengalaman seseorang pendidik menjejaskan kecerdasan emosi mereka apabila meneruskan pengajian di peringkat yang lebih tinggi? Oleh itu, tujuan kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji tahap kecerdasan emosi pelajar Diploma Pendidikan Lepasan Ijazah (DPLI) Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) dengan menggunakan soal selidik berdasarkan model Goleman iaitu kesedaran kendiri, pengawalan kendiri, motivasi kendiri, empati dan kemahiran. Kajian tinjauan secara pendekatan kuantitatif ini melibatkan seramai 210 orang pelajar DPLI yang berbeza kursus. Data yang dikumpul telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan Statistical Package for the Social Science versi 16.0 secara analisis deskriptif dan analisis inferensi. Nilai min dikira bagi menentukan tahap kecerdasan emosi dalam kalangan pelajar DPLI. Hasil dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa tahap kecerdasan emosi dalam kalangan pelajar DPLI berada pada tahap yang tinggi (4.24). Hasil dapatan dari analisis inferensi iaitu ujian parametrik ANOVA menunjukkan bahawa tidak terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan berdasarkan umur serta pengalaman mengajar pelajar terhadap kecerdasan emosi. Oleh itu, keputusan analisis menunjukkan bahawa faktor umur dan pengalaman pelajar tidak menjejaskan kecerdasan emosi mereka dan tidak menghalang pelajar tersebut untuk cemerlang dalam pengajian yang diteruskannya

Evaluation of leaching behavior and immobilization of zinc in cement-based solidified products

This study has examined leaching behavior of monolithic stabilized/solidified products contaminated with zinc by performing modified dynamic leaching test. The effectiveness of cement-based stabilization/solidification treatment was evaluated by determining the cumulative release of Zn and diffusion coefficients, De. The experimental results indicated that the cumulative release of Zn decreases as the addition of binder increases. The values of the Zn diffusion coefficients for all samples ranged from 1.210-8 to 1.1610-12 cm2 s-1. The samples with higher amounts of binder had lower De values. The test results showed that cement-based stabilization/solidification treatment was effective in immobilization of electroplating sludge and waste zeolite. A model developed by de Groot and van der Sloot was used to clarify the controlling mechanisms. The controlling leaching mechanism was found to be diffusion for samples with small amounts of waste material, and dissolution for higher waste contents

Characterization and assessment of potential environmental risk of tailings stored in seven impoundments in the Aries river basin, Western Romania

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the potential environmental risk of tailings resulted after precious and base metal ores processing, stored in seven impoundments located in the Aries river basin, Romania. The tailings were characterized by mineralogical and elemental composition, contamination indices, acid rock drainage generation potential and water leachability of hazardous/priority hazardous metals and ions. Multivariate statistical methods were used for data interpretation. RESULTS: Tailings were found to be highly contaminated with several hazardous/priority hazardous metals (As, Cu, Cd, Pb), and pose potential contamination risk for soil, sediments, surface and groundwater. Two out of the seven studied impoundments does not satisfy the criteria required for inert wastes, shows acid rock drainage potential and thus can contaminate the surface and groundwater. Three impoundments were found to be highly contaminated with As, Pb and Cd, two with As and other two with Cu. The tailings impoundments were grouped based on the enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, contamination factor and contamination degree of 7 hazardous/priority hazardous metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) considered typical for the studied tailings. Principal component analysis showed that 47% of the elemental variability was attributable to alkaline silicate rocks, 31% to acidic S-containing minerals, 12% to carbonate minerals and 5% to biogenic elements. Leachability of metals and ions was ascribed in proportion of 61% to silicates, 11% to acidic minerals and 6% to the organic matter. A variability of 18% was attributed to leachability of biogenic elements (Na, K, Cl(-), NO(3)(-)) with no potential environmental risk. Pattern recognition by agglomerative hierarchical clustering emphasized the grouping of impoundments in agreement with their contamination degree and acid rock drainage generation potential. CONCLUSIONS: Tailings stored in the studied impoundments were found to be contaminated with some hazardous/ priority hazardous metals, fluoride and sulphate and thus presents different contamination risk for the environment. A long term monitoring program of these tailings impoundments and the expansion of the ecologization measures in the area is required

Flammability behaviour of wood and a review of the methods for its reduction

Wood is one of the most sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally benign materials. Not only is wood often an integral part of structures, it is also the main source of furnishings found in homes, schools, and offices around the world. The often inevitable hazards of fire make wood a very desirable material for further investigation. As well as ignition resistance and a low heat release rate, timber products have long been required to resist burn-through and maintain structural integrity whilst continuing to provide protection when exposed to fire or heat. Various industry standard tests are thus required to ensure adequate protection from fire is provided. When heated, wood undergoes thermal degradation and combustion to produce gases, vapours, tars and char. In order to understand and alter the fire behaviour of wood, it is necessary to know in as much detail as possible about its processes of decomposition. Various thermal analysis and flammability assessment techniques are utilised for this purpose, including thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry and the single burning item test. The results of such tests are often highly dependent on various parameters including changes to the gas composition, temperature, heating rate, and sample shape size. Potential approaches for fire retarding timber are reviewed, identifying two main approaches: char formation and isolating layers. Other potential approaches are recognised, including the use of inorganic minerals, such as sericrite, and metal foils in combination with intumescent products. Formulations containing silicon, nitrogen and phosphorus have been reported, and efforts to retain silicon in the wood have been successful using micro-layers of silicon dioxide. Nano-scale fire retardants, such as nanocomposite coatings, are considered to provide a new generation of fire retardants, and may have potential for wood. Expandable graphite is identified for use in polymers and has potential for wood provided coating applications are preferred

Flammability behaviour of wood and a review of the methods for its reduction

Wood is one of the most sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally benign materials. Not only is wood often an integral part of structures, it is also the main source of furnishings found in homes, schools, and offices around the world. The often inevitable hazards of fire make wood a very desirable material for further investigation. As well as ignition resistance and a low heat release rate, timber products have long been required to resist burn-through and maintain structural integrity whilst continuing to provide protection when exposed to fire or heat. Various industry standard tests are thus required to ensure adequate protection from fire is provided. When heated, wood undergoes thermal degradation and combustion to produce gases, vapours, tars and char. In order to understand and alter the fire behaviour of wood, it is necessary to know in as much detail as possible about its processes of decomposition. Various thermal analysis and flammability assessment techniques are utilised for this purpose, including thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry and the single burning item test. The results of such tests are often highly dependent on various parameters including changes to the gas composition, temperature, heating rate, and sample shape size. Potential approaches for fire retarding timber are reviewed, identifying two main approaches: char formation and isolating layers. Other potential approaches are recognised, including the use of inorganic minerals, such as sericrite, and metal foils in combination with intumescent products. Formulations containing silicon, nitrogen and phosphorus have been reported, and efforts to retain silicon in the wood have been successful using micro-layers of silicon dioxide. Nano-scale fire retardants, such as nanocomposite coatings, are considered to provide a new generation of fire retardants, and may have potential for wood. Expandable graphite is identified for use in polymers and has potential for wood provided coating applications are preferred

On-Farm Costos of Reducing environmental degradation under risk

Farmers respond to environmental regulations by adjusting production practices so as to comply while minimizing their loss in expected income. Ultimately the cost of agro environmental regulation is determined by farm level adjust¬ments. Our farm level simulation framework assesses economic and environmental impacts of hypothetical pesticide restrictions in the context of continuing soil conservation efforts.

Leaching resistance of hazardous waste cement solidification after accelerated carbonation

When cement-based materials are carbonated, some of their physicochemical properties are changed, which includes reductions of porosity by 20% and pH from 12-13 to 8–9. These changes can enhance the retention ability of cementitious solids containing hazard waste. This research studied the effect of carbonation on the leaching resistance of hazardous waste cement solidification. The finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the process of accelerated carbonation and the effect of carbonation on leaching. Laboratory tests were conducted to validate the numerical models. Parametric studies from the numerical simulations revealed that carbonation could significantly improve leaching retention capabilities of cementitious solids containing hazardous wastes

Remediation actions by a risk assessment approach: a case study of mercury contamination

The risk assessment procedure for identifying the remediation actions which may be adopted at a mercury contaminated site, when the plants are upgraded in the future, is proposed. The potentially active exposure/migration pathways in the future arrangement of the area will be due to Hg contaminated subsoil as a primary source (vapor inhalation and groundwater leaching) and to groundwater as a possible secondary source (transport to the point of compliance). The data of mercury concentration in the soil were acquired through environmental monitoring campaigns, and were processed to establish the three-dimensional distribution of contamination in subsoil, to locate sources and to define their geometrical and chemical characteristics. Speciation tests of mercury in the soil indicated that the most abundant species present were poorly leachable under the site-specific environmental conditions, confirming the coefficient distribution value obtained by the leaching tests. Analytical and numerical fate and transport modeling tools were used to locate digging zones in the contaminated subsoil, so as to reduce the possible groundwater contaminant loading and to avoid the down-gradient exceeding the concentration limit according to regulations. Remediation actions additional to civil works were required, which consists of soil digging within one contamination source, for about 22,200 m3 of soil. In order to evaluate the Hazard Index (HI) for human receptors due to Hg vapor inhalation, the air concentration of volatile mercury at the exposure point was estimated, based on direct measurements carried out at the site. Simulation gave HI values below 1 for all tested scenarios, suggesting that public health is protected without any additional actions to the already scheduled plant upgrading and digging for groundwater protection