Guest Speaker for The International Seminar and Global Learning System GLS Program with Binus University

Heartiest congratulations to the three academicians from the Discrete Mathematics panel; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Sham Mohamad, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yuhani Yusof and Dr. Amirul Aizad Ahmad Fuad for their contributions as the Guest Speaker for the International Seminar and Global Learning System (GLS) Program with BINUS University, Indonesia between 20-21st March 2023

Dilema perumahan penduduk tempatan Bukit Fraser dalam arus pembangunan ekopelancongan (Ecotourism development and the housing dilemma of the local community: the case of Fraser’s Hill)

Konsep perumahan bukan hanya setakat menyediakan tempat berteduh, tetapi mencakupi komponen prasarana/infrastruktur, kemudahan awam dan perkhidmatan sosial, alam persekitaran dan komuniti. Setiap komponen yang tersenarai memerlukan perancangan penyediaan dan pengagihan supaya kawasan perumahan memenuhi kehendak penduduknya kerana ia melibatkan perubahan dalam masyarakat dan sistem sosial daripada keadaan yang dianggap tidak memuaskan kepada keadaan yang lebih baik akibat beberapa kriteria yang seragam dalam lingkungan yang dibentuk. Tujuan kajian ini ialah memantau kesejahteraan penduduk tempatan dalam aspek perumahan di Bukit Fraser yang merupakan destinasi eko pelancongan tersohor di negeri Pahang. Kajian mendapati saiz rumah, reka bentuk rumah, susunatur perumahan, rekabentuk jalanraya, bilangan lampu jalan, kemudahan tempat beribadah, kemudahan tempat pembuangan sampah sarap berpusat dan berhampiran kawasan tempat tinggal, dan kemudahan bagi penduduk lama sebagai faktor-faktor perumahan yang mempengaruhi kualiti kesejahteraan hidup penghuni di Bukit Fraser

Makna penyertaan dalam program pembangunan komuniti: satu tinjauan dari sudut pandangan dunia komuniti Bidayuh luar bandar

Kajian ini adalah tentang perbezaan antara makna penyertaan yang dikonseptualisasikan oleh agen pentadbir (tahap makro) dengan persepsi penyertaan dan keperkasaan yang dikonstruk berdasarkan pandangan dunia komuniti Bidayuh itu sendiri (tahap mikro). Jurang teoritikal adalah isu yang hendak diterokai dan dibincangkan dalam makalah ini. Bagi tujuan itu, kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan tafsiran logik abduktif berasaskan ontologi idealis dan epistemologi konstruksionis. Kajian ini dijalankan di Daerah Serian, Sarawak. Menggunakan teknik persampelan bertujuan, sejumlah 50 orang informan telah ditemu bual secara mendalam diikuti dengan perbincangan kumpulan secara tak formal. Hasil kajian mendapati penyertaan yang difahami oleh komuniti Bidayuh tidak terhad di peringkat pelaksanaan sahaja tetapi turut melibatkan peringkat yang lain seperti perancangan, penilaian dan pemantauan. Selain itu, ia turut melibatkan kemampuan mereka dalam memahami, menginterpretasi masalah yang dihadapi dan kemudiannya mentakrifkan keperluan serta menterjemahkannya kepada proses tindakan melalui penyertaan dalam organisasi itu sendiri

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Mechanical properties of silane and zirconate coupling agent-treated oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber-filled acrylic-impact modified poly (vinyl chloride) composites

The influence of untreated and treated OPEFB content on the mechanical properties of acrylic impact-modified PVC was investigated. The formulations were first dry blended before being milled into sheets on a two-roll mill. Test specimens were then hot pressed. The modulus significantly increased while the impact and flexural strength insignificantly improved with increasing of treated OPEFB contents. The reduction in water absorption, the formation of new absorption bands and the slight number of treated fiber pulled-out proved that there was an interaction between fiber and matrix. However, this interaction was insufficient to enhance the impact and flexural strength significantly

Effect of accelerated weathering on the mechanical properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch filled UPVC composites

Accelerated ultraviolet weathering of unplasticized poly (vinyl chloride) (UPVC) filled composites with different filler contents of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) was studied. The unfilled and filled composites samples were manufactured by dry-blending PVC, EFB fillers and other additives in a heavy-duty laboratory mixer. The dry-blended compounds were then two-roll milled and hot pressed into samples. The composites samples were exposed to cyclic ultraviolet fluorescent lamps/condensation for 504 h of accelerated weathering. Each assessment consisted of SEM analysis, impact and flexural testing, visual inspection and FTIR analysis. The experimental results indicated that EFB fillers accelerated photo-oxidative degradation of the UPVC matrix. Although filled composites exhibited greater discolouration than unfilled composites, their impact and flexural properties changed only slightly after accelerated weathering

A comparative study on the mechanical properties between acrylic and chlorinated polyethylene impact modified poly (vinyl chloride)/oil palm empty fruit bunch composites: effect of accelerated weathering

The effect of accelerated weathering on the mechanical properties of AIM and CPE impact-modified PVC/OPEFB composites was investigated. The AIM and CPE used were fixed at 9 phr. To produce composites, the blend formulations were first dry blended using a laboratory blender before being milled into sheets on a two-roll mill at 165°C. The milled sheets were then hot pressed at 180°C. The specimens were exposed to cyclic ultraviolet fluorescent lamps/condensation for 105 hours. The AIM-impact modified compounds and composites were found more stable than others. OPEFB accelerated the photo-oxidation degradation, particularly for composites containing CPE

The effect of oil extraction of the oil palm empty fruit bunch on the processability, impact, and flexural properties of PVC-U composites

The use of oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFB) as reinforcement in the unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) is a new attraction in the thermoplastic composite technology. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of extracted EFB on processability, impact, and flexural properties of PVC-U composites. A soxhlet extraction was used to extract the extractives from the EFB fibers. The identification of the related functional groups present in the concentrated extract was analyzed using FTIR. To produce composites, PVC resin, EFB fiber, and other additives were first dry-blended using a heavy-duty laboratory mixer before being milled into sheets on a two-roll mill. Test specimens were then hot pressed after which the impact and flexural properties were determined. The processability studies of dry blends were carried out using a Brabender Torque Rheometer model PL2200. The FTIR analysis showed that the oil residue was successfully extracted from EFB fibers. Both the extracted and unextracted fibers decreased the fusion time and melt viscosity of PVC-U. However, the extracted fiber was found to increase the fusion time of PVC as the fiber content increased from 10 to 40 phr. The impact and flexural properties of composites were not significantly affected by the fiber extraction

Taburan semasa pusat membeli-belah di Lembah Klang: satu tinjauan awal (Current distribution of shopping centres in the Klang Valley: a preliminary survey

Proses pembangunan pusat membeli-belah di Lembah Klang telah bermula sejak awal tahun 1960-an. Namun, sehingga penghujung tahun 1970-an, pola perletakan pusat ini hanya tertumpu di Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur sahaja. Kepadatan penduduk Kuala Lumpur telah menjadi salah satu faktor penting yang mempengaruhi penumpuan tersebut. Menggunakan data sekunder dan data primer yang diperoleh secara pemerhatian dan kiraan luar, artikel ini bertujuan untuk membincangkan corak taburan pusat membeli-belah di Lembah Klang. Sejak tahun 1980-an, penduduk wilayah di luar Kuala Lumpur mulai meningkat dengan mendadak ekoran proses pembandaran yang pesat. Keadaan ini telah mempengaruhi, seterusnya mengubah pola perletakan pusat membeli-belah di Lembah Klang, iaitu daripada bertumpu di dalam kawasan bandar raya Kuala Lumpur kepada perletakan berselerak di sekitar pusat-pusat pertumbuhan baru di luar bandar raya berkenaan, selaras dengan pola taburan penduduknya

Pengaruh politik alam sekitar terhadap persepsi pengundi: kajian kes DUN Kedah

Politik alam sekitar melibatkan isu alam sekitar yang dijadikan isu politik dan menjadi pertimbangan kepada pilihan politik di sesuatu kawasan. Isu alam sekitar dijadikan isu politik dalam kempen politik dan pilihan raya untuk meraih sokongan pengundi. Ia juga melibatkan pembentukan dan pengimplimentasian dasar alam sekitar yang merangkumi peranan pihak berkuasa dan sikap orang ramai terhadap isu-isu yang berkaitan alam sekitar. Pihak berkuasa/Kerajaan terlibat secara langsung dalam merancang dan menangani sebarang isu dan permasalahan yang berkaitan dengan alam sekitar. Isu politik alam sekitar tersebut dikaitkan dengan governans dan pelaksanaan dasar dari segi kelemahan dan ketidaklaksanaan dasar atau peraturan alam sekitar seperti isu kutipan sampah sarap, isu bekalan air, selenggaraan kemudahan awam, isu pembalakan dan pencemaran serta kemusnahan alam sekitar. Kajian ini dilakukan di Negeri Kedah Darul Aman bertujuan untuk mengetahui peranan alam sekitar dalam mempengaruhi pendapat dan pilihan politik responden/pengundi di beberapa kawasan terlibat. Kajian yang menggunakan metod temubual bersemuka ini melibatkan 600 orang responden terdiri daripada pengundi di Negeri Kedah di 16 Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) terpilih yang dijalankan pada 6 April 2012 hingga 9 April 2012. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan responden di Negeri Kedah mengharapkan kerajaan negeri memberi perhatian yang lebih kepada persekitaran setempat mereka. Responden juga sangat mementingkan alam sekitar untuk memastikan kehidupan menjadi lebih selesa. Justeru mereka mencadangkan agar wakil rakyat kerap turun padang untuk mengatasi masalah alam sekitar di kawasan masing-masing