Characterization of heat waves: a case study for Peninsular Malaysia

The present work aims to investigate the characteristics of heat waves in Peninsular Malaysia based on the Excess Heat Factor (EHF) Index. This index was calculated based on the daily maximum and minimum temperatures over nine meteorological stations in Peninsular Malaysia during the period 2001 to 2010. The selected station is representing all of the states in Peninsular Malaysia. Statistical analysis found that the highest of the EHF happened at the Kuala Lumpur station in 2002 with an index of 9.1°C² and the lowest was in Alor Setar in 2006 with an index of 0.1°C². The EHF moderate was found at Kuantan with an index of 4.2°C². Moreover, the longest heat wave with 24 days has happened in Ipoh, Perak with amplitude of 29.4°C – 33.0°C. Most of the heat wave characterized in Malaysia occurred during the El Nino events especially moderate El Nino in 2002 until 2005, and 2010. The Southeast, northeast and west part of Malaysia experience the highest average heat wave activity. These results indicated that the heat wave conditions in Peninsular Malaysia are anxious and this requires immediate investigation because it has a direct impact on agriculture, particularly health, economic, and human being

Observed trends in extreme temperature over the Klan

This study investigates the recent extreme temperature trends across 19 stations in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, over the period 2006−16. Fourteen extreme index trends were analyzed using the Mann−Kendall non-parametric test, with Sen’s slope as a magnitude estimator. Generally, the annual daily mean temperature, daily mean maximum temperature, and daily mean minimum temperature in the Klang Valley increased significantly, by 0.07°C yr−1, 0.07°C yr−1 and 0.08°C yr−1 , respectively. For the warm temperature indices, the results indicated a significant upward trend for the annual maximum of maximum temperature, by 0.09°C yr−1, and the annual maximum of minimum temperature, by 0.11°C yr−1. The results for the total number of warm days and warm nights showed significant increasing trends of 5.02 d yr−1 and 6.92 d yr−1 , respectively. For the cold temperature indices, there were upward trends for the annual minimum of maximum temperature, by 0.09°C yr−1, and the annual minimum of minimum temperature, by 0.03°C yr−1, concurrent with the decreases in the total number cold days (TX10P), with −3.80 d yr−1, and cold nights (TN10P), with −4.33 d yr−1. The 34°C and 37°C summer days results showed significant upward trends of 4.10 d yr−1 and 0.25 d yr−1, respectively. Overall, these findings showed upward warming trends in the Klang Valley, with the minimum temperature rate increasing more than that of the maximum temperature, especially in urban areas

An analysis of land use/land cover changes using remote Sensing data and its impacts towards sediment loading In Padas river sub-catchment

Human activities surrounding natural rivers may cause its profile area to change in terms of depth and size. The objective of this study was to investigate the land use and land cover (LULC) changes and its impacts towards the soil stability on the sediment loading. Two satellite images Landsat 5 for year 1991 and Spot 5 for year 2010 were classified using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) which describe the land cover and land use change (LULC) within 20 years of time for the river sub-catchment. The study area was classified into seven categories on the basis of field study and remote sensing data. From the images, the land use alteration was dominated by palm oil with an increase of 16.84% and rubber plantation showed a declination of 31.29%. Meanwhile for land cover, cleared land area show the highest alteration with an increase of 22.63% while forest area showed declination with 18.68%. By using statistical methods, the trend analysis of suspended sediment was performed by One Way ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons test and the results showed that the suspended sediment concentration has increased by 10.07% (15.69 mg/L) from 1991 to 2010. This study shows that the conversion of forest and rubber areas to palm oil and urbanized area around the sub-catchment area have increased the sediment contribution to Sg. Padas, Beaufort

The association between temperature and cause-specific mortality in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

This study aims to examine the relationship between daily temperature and mortality in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, over the period 2006–2015. A quasi-Poisson generalized linear model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the association between the mean temperature and mortality categories (natural n=69,542, cardiovascular n= 15,581, and respiratory disease n=10,119). Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 μm (PM₁₀) and surface ozone (O₃) was adjusted as a potential confounding factor. The relative risk (RR) of natural mortality associated with extreme cold temperature (1st percentile of temperature, 25.2 °C) over lags 0–28 days was 1.26 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.60), compared with the minimum mortality temperature (28.2 °C). The relative risk associated with extremely hot temperature (99th percentile of temperature, 30.2 °C) over lags 0–3 days was 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.17). Heat effects were immediate whereas cold effects were delayed and lasted longer. People with respiratory diseases, the elderly, and women were the most vulnerable groups when it came to the effects of extremely high temperatures. Extreme temperatures did not dramatically change the temperature mortality risk estimates made before and after adjustments for air pollutant (PM₁₀ and O₃) levels

The relationship between agricultural students’ behavior and the factors experiencing of academic integrity violations in cultivating new norms

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between students‟ behavior and the factors experiencing of academic integrity violations in cultivating new norms. From the whole population of student living in Lestari College, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sandakan Campus, 122 out of 205 students participated voluntarily which involved by 61 females and 31 males. Of the participants, 61 students from crop production (HG34), 35 from horticulture and landscaping (HG35) and 26 students from livestock production (HG36). Descriptive data of questionnaires were recorded by using open-ended answers for behaviors and a five-point Likert-type instrument used to identify the reason doing academic integrity violations which ranged strongly disagreed to strongly agreed. There was significant different between gender (p<0.05) but no significant difference between each study programme. In term of correlation, this study found there was relationship between gender and behavior QB7 (r=0.300, p<0.05) related to copy content from another sources. Besides, correlation could be found between QB4 and QV2 (r=0.231, p<0.05) which related to behavior in obtaining content from another student‟s material and make it as their own because of having a lot of assignments to do at the same time. There was another significant correlation between QB8 and QV4 (r=-.186, p<0.05) as students help another person to compose ideas affected by unclear explanation from lecturers. In our study, a slight tendency to academic integrity dishonesty behavior was found correlated with several factors. However, this current study was uncertain detail in gender and programme disparities for each provided questionnaires

Analysis of GPS water vapor variability during the 2011 La Niña event over the western Pacific Ocean

We analyzed the variability of global positioning system (GPS) water vapor during the 2011 La Niña events over the western Pacific Ocean. The precipitable water vapor (PWV) derived from the UMSK (Malaysia) GPS station was investigated and compared with four other selected GPS stations: NTUS (Singapore), PIMO (Philippines), BAKO (Indonesia) and TOW2 (Australia). Analysis of the correlation between PWV and the sea-surface temperature anomaly (SSTa) on a weekly basis for the three La Niña cases of January–February–March, August–September–October, and October–November–December was used as an indicator of the influence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation. A good relationship between GPS PWV and SSTa for the Niño 4 region, with correlation coefficients between -0.91 and -0.94, was observed for the August–September–October and October–November–December cases. During the 2011 La Niña events, the water vapor was seen to increase to about 8.39 mm for the October–November–December case, with decreases of about 4.20 mm for the remaining months, compared to the mean 2011 value. This implies that during these events, the precipitation in the western Pacific is increased, due to stronger easterly trade winds blowing along the eastern Pacific Ocean than along the western Pacific, and a mass of warm water moving westwards, thereby increasing the evaporation

Rock cut slope stability evaluation of the Crocker formation along Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

The aim of this paper is to present the result of an evaluation of the cut rock slope stability of the Crocker Formation along Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Geological mapping, discontinuity survey, and kinematic analysis have been conducted on ten (10) selected cut rock slopes in the study area. Result of kinematic analysis shows that wedge, toppling and planar failures are potential in five cut rock slopes. However, no potential modes of failure are identified in cut rock slopes numbers 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Flatten slope range from 30o to 55o , wire mesh and drainage ditches are proposed as mitigation measures for the cut rock slopes in the study area

Observed Trends in Extreme Temperature over the Klang Valley, Malaysia

This study investigates the recent extreme temperature trends across 19 stations in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, over the period 2006–16. Fourteen extreme index trends were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric test, with Sen’s slope as a magnitude estimator. Generally, the annual daily mean temperature, daily mean maximum temperature, and daily mean minimum temperature in the Klang Valley increased significantly, by 0.07°C yr−1, 0.07°C yr−1 and 0.08°C yr−1, respectively. For the warm temperature indices, the results indicated a significant upward trend for the annual maximum of maximum temperature, by 0.09°C yr−1, and the annual maximum of minimum temperature, by 0.11°C yr−1. The results for the total number of warm days and warm nights showed significant increasing trends of 5.02 d yr−1 and 6.92 d yr−1, respectively. For the cold temperature indices, there were upward trends for the annual minimum of maximum temperature, by 0.09°C yr−1, and the annual minimum of minimum temperature, by 0.03°C yr−1, concurrent with the decreases in the total number cold days (TX10P), with −3.80 d yr−1, and cold nights (TN10P), with −4.33 d yr−1. The 34°C and 37°C summer days results showed significant upward trends of 4.10 d yr−1 and 0.25 d yr−1, respectively. Overall, these findings showed upward warming trends in the Klang Valley, with the minimum temperature rate increasing more than that of the maximum temperature, especially in urban areas. © 2019, Institute of Atmospheric Physics/Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Science Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Phytoremediation: A Novel Approach of Bast Fiber Plants (Hemp, Kenaf, Jute and Flax) for Heavy Metals Decontamination in Soil—Review

Heavy metal pollution in the environment is a major concern for humans as it is non-biodegradable and can have a lot of effects on the environment, humans as well as plants. At present, a solution to this problem is suggested in terms of a new, innovative and eco-friendly technology known as phytoremediation. Bast fiber plants are typically non-edible crops that have a short life cycle. It is one of the significant crops that has attracted interest for many industrial uses because of its constant fiber supply and ease of maintenance. Due to its low maintenance requirements with minimum economic investment, bast fiber plants have been widely used in phytoremediation. Nevertheless, these plants have the ability to extract metals from the soil through their deep roots, combined with their commercial prospects, making them an ideal candidate as a profit-yielding crop for phytoremediation purposes. Therefore, a comprehensive review is needed for a better understanding of the morphology and phytoremediation mechanism of four commonly bast fiber plants, such as hemp (Cannabis sativa), kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), jute (Corchorus olitorius) and Flax (Linum usitatissimum). This review article summarizes the existing research on the phytoremediation potential of these plants grown in different toxic pollutants such as Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn). This work also discusses several aids including natural and chemical amendments to improve phytoremediation. The role of these amendments in the bioavailability of contaminants, their uptake, translocation and bioaccumulation, as well as their effect on plant growth and development, has been highlighted in this paper. This paper helps in identifying, comparing and addressing the recent achievements of bast fiber plants for the phytoremediation of heavy metals in contaminated soil

Risks of exposure to ambient air pollutants on the admission of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Kuala Lumpur

Epidemiological study of the health consequences due to air pollution exposures is vital, especially in areas with high emissions of pollutants. This study aims to assess the risks of exposure to air pollutants (PM10, CO, NO2 and SO2) on respiratory and cardiovascular admissions in Kuala Lumpur. The quasi-Poisson generalized linear model (GLM) combined with distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the associations. The key findings were expressed as the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for single-day and cumulative lag effects (0–7). The highest association of respiratory admissions and PM10 was observed at lag 05 (RR=1.0549, 95%CI=1.0131,1.0984) and NO2 at lag 07 (RR=1.1000, 95%CI=1.0141,1.1931) for an increase of 10 μg/m3 and CO at lag 07 (RR=1.1163, 95%CI=1.0164,1.2260) for an increase of 1 mg/m3 in the concentrations. Changes in levels of NO2 was associated with cardiovascular admissions with the highest RR value was found at lag 01 (RR=1.0491,95%CI=1.0220,1.0770). Adverse respiratory health effects at the population level were observed at low levels of exposure to air pollutants where the current air quality standards were being met. Timely preventive measures should be adopted to lessen the exposure to air pollution, thus modifying the risks to human health