Land Use Effect on Milky Stork Habitat Selection in Matang Forest Reserve, Perak

The global Milky Stork population has undergone a rapid population decline with a current estimated population of 5500 individuals remaining worldwide. In Malaysia Milky Stork populations have declined more than 90% over the last 20 years and less than five individuals being observed recently in Pulau Kelumpang and Pulau Trong, the last known Milky Stork habitats in the Matang Forest Reserve. GIS application is used to analyse habitat selection of Milky Stork in study area. There are 16 different stations have been choosing in this research and three parameter has been set which is land use, vegetation and food availability.  From the results, the highest density of Milky Stork that can be found is at Pulau Gula  and the lowest density of Milky Stork is at Pulau Kelumpang which is only 1 individual was spotted. The result from this study also shows these birds are most likely to be found at disturbed area especially aquaculture activity. This aquaculture activity has provided them to an easy access towards food source. Research finding shown that since captive breeding birds program implemented by Department of wildlife and National Park (DWNP), they are most likely has lost their ability on foraging food in the wild. Some of the staff in DWNP Pulau Gula branch said that when it was rainy days, this bird will come to their building asking for food. The results also show that environment factor like vegetation, food and climate does not have any effects on density of Milky Stork. This situation is very contrary with previous studies that showing these birds are able to get their own food natural habitat. &nbsp

Analisis leksikografi dan semantik perkataan al-kafur dalam al-Qur’an

Perkataan al-Kafur merupakan antara istilah tumbuh-tumbuhan yang terdapat dalam Al-Qur’an. Perkataan al-Kafur direkodkan sekali sahaja dalam Al-Qur’an iaitu dalam surah al-Insan ayat kelima. Perkataan al-Kafur dalam bahasa Arab dapat dilihat perbincangannya dalam bidang filologi Arab, hadith, tafsir Al-Qur’an, leksikografi dan syair Arab. Terdapat perselisihan pendapat dalam kalangan sarjana Arab-Islam bagi menentukan maksud perkataan al-Kafur. Sebahagian daripada mereka merujuk kepada maksud kapur barus, manakala sebahagian yang lain merujuk kepada maksud pokok oleander dan beberapa maksud yang lain. Faktor yang menyebabkan perselisihan dalam kalangan sarjana Arab-Islam adalah kerana perkataan al-Kafur yang terdapat dalam Al-Qur'an merujuk kepada nikmat yang terdapat di dalam syurga. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mencari maksud sebenar perkataan al-Kafur seperti yang digambarkan dalam Al-Qur’an. Kajian ini berbentuk kualitatif yang menggunakan kaedah kajian perpustakaan dalam proses pengumpulan dan penganalisisan data. Untuk mendapatkan data yang lengkap, perbincangan juga turut melibatkan konteks penggunaan perkataan al-Kafur dalam tafsir Al-Qur’an, hadith dan juga syair-syair Arab. Selain itu, kajian ini juga menggunakan data perbandingan dari bidang sains pertanian dan sains perubatan Islam. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa kapur barus adalah tafsiran yang paling hampir dengan perkataan al-Kafur seperti yang digambarkan dalam Al-Qur'an. Kajian ini dapat merungkaikan konflik dalam memahami ayat Al-Quran dan pada masa yang sama menolak dakwaan bahawa terdapat ketidaksempurnaan dalam kandungan Al-Qur'an

Crisis Management in Communication: A Study on MH370, MH17 and QZ8501 Aviation Tragedies

In 2014, the MH370, MH17 and QZ8501 flight crash tragedies become a viral issue and attract the attentions of media and stakeholders, globally, and raise many crises to the airlines companies, respectively, including the risk of losing their stakeholders' trust. The study is to identify the crises management approaches used for the tragedies related, to analyse and compare the effectiveness of the crises management between two well-known airlines companies, Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines (MAS). Qualitative method was used to collect the data related to the ways that the airlines company had taken to handling the crises. So, the researchers conducted content analysis by studying the secondary data, due to the fact of the airlines reluctance to give out information about safety procedures or policies, as the airlines accidents are a very sensitive subject. The data are mostly of the documentary types in written format of press conferences, press releases and media coverage of the accidents by local and western daily press (printed and online news)

A forecast of surface ozone using analytical models

In this study, several analytical models were tested to forecast the surface ozone concentration using Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Time Series Regression (TSR). Four study areas were selected in this study, namely Seberang Jaya in Penang, Shah Alam in Selangor, Larkin in Johor and Kota Bharu in Kelantan. The main objective of this study is to determine the appropriate analytical models MLR and ANN for surface ozone forecasting in some zones of peninsular Malaysia, to forecast surface ozone concentration with TSR model in several zones of peninsular Malaysia and to compare the performance of each model by the performance index. The performance index that will be shown in this study for the model comparison are root mean square error (RMSE), mean square error (MSE) and determination of coefficient (R2). The ANN model showed better performance compared to the MLR and TSR models in the model comparison in each station. The station in Larkin, Johor provides high accuracy in forecasting surface ozone concentrations for each model with minimum MSE, 0.000009 ppm and RMSE, 0.0042 ppm compared to other stations. The value of R2 is 0.33 which is highest compared to station in Seberang Jaya and Kota Bharu

The character of teaching practices in a teacher education institution: Findings from observation checklist

This study was conducted to characterise the teaching practices in a teacher education institution so as to inform us the existing practices which could then be compared with the aspired practices, uncovering the pedagogical shortfall. This study employed a form of implementation study using classroom observation. A total of 20 lessons drawn from Early Childhood Education, Mathematics, Science, Secondary School TESL (Teaching of English as a Second Language), History, Physical and Health Education, and Moral Education taught by lecturers in one Teacher Education Institution were observed over a one-semester period. A psychometrically-supported Observation Checklist comprising 50 items or indicators that spread across six principles was utilised in the observation whereby observers checked in terms of presence or absence of each indicator during the classroom observations. This study provides the characterisation of evidenced-based practices, uncovering the pedagogical gap which could be subsequently addressed by various means such as the providence of continuous in-service courses. Empowering lecturers pedagogically will produce quality teachers which in turn, produce quality students

The Comparison Study of Handgrip Pressure on Steering Wheel National Cars / Mohd Hidayat Ab Rahman ...[et al.]

The steering wheel is ergonomically designed to provide optimal comfort to the drivers while grip the steering wheel, especially on the long journey. There are significant design differences between the steering wheel car models. Therefore, the objective of this research are to analyze the data of handgrip pressure towards national cars which is Proton and Perodua. The experiment will be performed by using type 2 (two) cars, Proton Saga and Perodua Myvi. Tekscan Grip System is a system that will be used to perform this analysis. Data of handgrip pressure are collected during driving when the device are installed and connect to the respondents. Selection of the road for this experiment will start at 92.1 KM intersection traffic lights, entering North-South Highway, and will end at Tangkak Toll Exit. During the experiment, all volunteers need to maintain speed in the range of 80-100km / h and most of the time, they have to drive in the left lane unless overtaking other vehicles. Distance from beginning to end is about 68.8km and the time taken is about 30 minutes. Drivers will be driving with the hands on the steering wheel 9 and 3 because it is the safest position to hold the steering wheel. The finding from this study will give a better insight on the effect of steering wheel design to the grip pressure of the driver

Detection of anti-D and anti-G in a pregnant woman: a case report

Antibody identification in Rh-negative pregnant women is usually done to detect RhD alloimmunisation. The G antigen is part of the Rh blood group and is ubiquitous on most D-positive red cells. The detection of anti-G however is complicated. The objective of this case report is to highlight the importance of identifying anti G correctly especially in managing antenatal patients. We herein report a case of a 30-year-old pregnant woman, who was thought to have anti-D and anti-C on initial antibody identification, was subsequently found out to have anti-G and anti-D on further testing

Effect of indium pre-flow on wavelength shift and crystal structure of deep green light emitting diodes

金沢大学先端科学・社会共創推進機構To produce a deep green (530 nm–570 nm) LED, the suitable indium (In) composition in the InxGa1-xN/GaN multi-quantum well (MQW) structure is crucial because a lower indium composition will shift the wavelength of emission towards the ultraviolet region. In this paper, we clarify the effects of an indium-rich layer to suppress such blue shifting, especially after the annealing process. According to characterizations by the uses of XRD and TEM, narrowing of the MQW layer was observed by the indium capping, while without the capping, the annealing results in a slight narrowing of MQW on the nearest layer to the p-type layer. By adding an indium capping layer, the blue shift of the photoluminescence was also suppressed and a slight red shift to keep green emission was observed. Such photoluminescence properties were consistent with the tiny change of the MQW as seen in the XRD and TEM characterizations

Colorectal cancer and potential predictors of never screened for faecal occult blood test: A narrative review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health threat. Therefore, CRC screening uptake has been a focus with the established precancerous lesion and the strong association of early detection with staging and survival of the disease. However, CRC screening is relatively low in many countries. This article briefly discussed the current situation of CRC, recommendations, and current uptake of CRC screening in various countries. Besides that, this article also highlights the potential factors that help to predict the CRC screening uptake worldwide. Identification of those factors could guide policymakers to develop an effective strategy to improve the CRC screening uptake and ultimately improve the health outcome of the population

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic