STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETO CONDUCTIVITY STUDIES OF NIO/SMBA2CU3O7-Δ SUPERCONDUCTING COMPOSITE

In this work, we investigate the effect of NiO nanoparticles\u27 addition on the structure, superconductivity, and magneto conductivity for the SmBa2Cu3O7-δ phase. Composite nano/superconductor of (NiO)x/SmBa2Cu3O7-δ (0.00≤x≤0.12 wt.%) were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction technique and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The orthorhombic structure was maintained whereas the lattice parameters showed unsystematic variations with the NiO nanoparticles addition. The superconducting transition temperature Tc, determined from electrical resistivity measurements, showed an enhancement with x up to 0.04wt.% followed by a reduction with higher NiO additions. The Aslamazov–Larkin (AL) model was employed to analyze the magneto conductivity. The model allowed to determine the coherence lengths along c-axis ξc(0) and along ab plane ξab(0). Moreover, the anisotropy parameter Г increase with the increase of NiO nanoparticles addition

A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR ATTAINING GOLDEN LEED CERTIFICATION FOR RESORTS

The contemporary landscape of engineering is witnessing a pivotal shift towards sustainability, encapsulated in the catchphrase GO GREEN . This global trend underscores a strategic emphasis on sustainable design, where engineering projects prioritize a delicate balance among environmental, societal, and economic considerations.” However, a persistent challenge in construction projects lies in their tendency to neglect environmental impact, contributing to increased contamination levels. This paper aims to introduce the Lodge in the Green project, meticulously aligned with LEED Certification principles. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, stands as the foremost green building rating system, highlighting its relevance in contemporary sustainable engineering practices.” Employing a qualitative approach, this paper systematically explores various facades of the Lodge in the Green project, commencing with a thorough illustration of the strategic pathway to attain the looked-for LEED certification. Subsequently, performing a detailed examination of the fixtures strategically selected in the project to fulfill LEED criteria. Additionally, the analysis delves into the project\u27s quantifiable achievements in energy efficiency, water conservation, and overall environmental stewardship. As for the impact of applying LEED criteria, it led to a 30% increase in water efficiency. In turn, this got translated into a decreased pumping demand for the water network resulting in 35% less greenhouse gas emissions. The former offered 18% savings over a 30-year period after assessing the short-term financial costs and the long-term savings. Last but foremost, by implementing the outlined strategy, “Lodge in the Green” innovatively attains 78 LEED points through its infrastructure design, which aligns with a Gold-LEED certification

IoT: smart garbage monitoring using android and real time database

Every single day, garbage is always produced and sometimes, due to the unbalance between high volume produced and the garbage volume transported to the landfill; it then leads to the buildup. To prevent any negative impact on environment, a system is needed to support the waste management process. Smart Garbage Monitoring System consists of two parts: portable garbage can and monitoring application using android smartphone. The use of ultrasonic sensor, GPS and GSM Module on the garbage can aims to provide the data on the garbage and send it to the real time database, in which the data will be processed by the monitoring application on smartphone to determine the time of garbage transport purposely to prevent any buildup. The system doesn't need a server to process, because the entire process of will be run by android application on a smartphone. Test results showed the capability of the system in monitoring the garbage can with the minimum distance between the wastes by three meters. The information on the height level of garbage can be synchronized in real time to smartphone, with an average delay on the EDGE network of 4.57 seconds, HSPA+ of 4.52 seconds and LTE of 3.85 seconds

HUBUNGAN TINGKAT KECEMASAN DENGAN KUALITAS TIDUR PADA LANSIA PENDERITA HIPERTENSI

Sleep quality of elderly is influenced by psychological conditions. Elderly with hypertension are affected not only by physical but also pshychological conditions. Anxiety is a part of its. This study was used a cross-sectional approach to identify the relationship between anxiety level (independent variable) and sleep quality in the elderly (dependent variable) with hypertension in the working area of ​​Karangmulya Health Center, Garut Regency. This study was used Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (ZSAS) and the Pitsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires. The results showed that the majority of respondents were female, 63 respondents (65.6%) and widow/widower (69.8%). The Correlation analysis between the level of anxiety and sleep quality of elderly patients with hypertension showed results P-value = 0.041(p<0.05), which means there was a relationship between the level of anxiety and sleep quality in elderly patients. It is expected that health care workers especially nurses can help the elderly to improve sleep quality through handling anxiety in elderly people with hypertension

Impact of educational intervention for improving Malaysian parents’ knowledge towards their children immunization

Background: Parents are the primary health decision-maker for their children. This fact makes parents’ knowledge regarding immunization in general has great impact on their children immunization status. Aims: To assess the knowledge of parents in Malaysia towards their children immunization and to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational seminar for improving parents’ knowledge towards their children immunization. Methods: A cross-sectional study using pre- and post- intervention design was conducted with a sample of 73parents. Changes in knowledge scores before and after the educational seminar were measured. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used whenever appropriate. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the respondents’ demographic information. Wilcoxon Signed ranks test and The McNemar χ2 test were applied to compare the differences in knowledge before and after the seminar whenever appropriate. Results: Seventy three parents agreed to participate in this educational seminar, majority of them were mothers (n= 64; 87.7%). A comparison of parents’ knowledge before and immediately after the implementation of the educational seminar showed significant differences. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the Knowledge scores of immunization significantly increased compared to the baseline following the intervention 12.60±2.69 to 16.03±1.87 (p<0.001), the possible score in knowledge domain ranged from zero to 20. Conclusion: Parents’ knowledge towards immunization improved significantly after the educational intervention. Therefore, introducing educational programs for parents to improve their knowledge about immunization is needed

Immunization knowledge and practice among Malaysian parents: a questionnaire development and pilot-testing

Parents are the main decision makers for their children vaccinations. This fact makes parents’ immunization knowledge and practices as predictor factors for immunization uptake and timeliness. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument in Malaysian language to measure immunization knowledge and practice (KP) of Malaysian parents

Does an educational intervention improve parents’ knowledge about immunization? Experience from Malaysia

Background: Parents’ knowledge about immunization is an important predictor factor for their children’s immunization status. The aims of this study were to assess parents’ knowledge and to evaluate the effect of a short educational intervention on improving parents’ knowledge of childhood immunization. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a pre- and post-test intervention survey of a single group was conducted among Malaysian parents. Changes in total knowledge score before and after the intervention were measured using a validated questionnaire. The intervention consisted of an animated movie and lecture using simple understandable language. Wilcoxon signed ranks test and the McNemar x2 test were applied to compare the differences in knowledge before and after the intervention. Results: Seventy-three parents were enrolled in this study; the majority were mothers (n = 64, 87.7%). Parents’ knowledge about childhood immunization increased significantly after the intervention compared to the baseline results (p < 0.001). There were significant differences between parents’ knowledge and their educational level and monthly income (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005), respectively. Conclusions: A short educational intervention designed for parents had a positive effect on their knowledge about immunization. Educational interventions targeting parents with low levels of education and income are needed. Further studies investigating the actual effectiveness of such interventions on immunization rates and statuses are required. Keywords: Immunization, Parents, Educational intervention, Knowledge, Malaysi

RESEARCH ARTICLES Pharmacy Students&apos; Knowledge and Perceptions About Pharmacovigilance in Malaysian Public Universities

Objective. To assess senior pharmacy students&apos; knowledge of and perceptions about pharmacovigilance and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) at 5 public universities in Malaysia Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 1, 2010, and January 31, 2010, using a validated self-administered questionnaire delivered to a sample of 510 final-year (fourth-year) pharmacy students at 5 Malaysian public universities. Results. Four hundred twenty-one (84%) students responded to the survey. About 60% (n 5 240) indicated that they had taken courses on the concept of pharmacovigilance during their current pharmacy curriculum. The mean score for knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting was 6.9 6 1.4. There was a significant difference in the mean scores for knowledge about pharmacovigilance across the 5 universities. The majority (82.3%) of respondents felt it was necessary to confirm the causal relationship between the drug and the ADR. About 57.8% (n 5 241) of the respondents believed that pharmacy students are competent and capable of reporting ADRs during their clerkships. The majority (87.0%) of respondents perceived that pharmacy students should be taught how to report ADRs. Conclusion. The results of this study demonstrate that the majority of final-year pharmacy students in Malaysian public universities have insufficient knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting

Immunization knowledge and practice among Malaysian parents: a questionnaire development and pilot-testing

BACKGROUND: Parents are the main decision makers for their children vaccinations. This fact makes parents’ immunization knowledge and practices as predictor factors for immunization uptake and timeliness. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument in Malaysian language to measure immunization knowledge and practice (KP) of Malaysian parents. METHODS: A cross-sectional prospective pilot survey was conducted among 88 Malaysian parents who attended public health facilities that provide vaccinations. Translated immunization KP questionnaires (Bahasa Melayu version) were used. Descriptive statistics were applied, face and content validity were assessed, and internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were determined. RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the knowledge scores was 7.36 ± 2.29 and for practice scores was 7.13 ± 2.20. Good internal consistency was found for knowledge and practice items (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.757 and 0.743 respectively); the test-retest reliability value was 0.740 (p = 0.014). A panel of three specialist pharmacists who are experts in this field judged the face and content validity of the final questionnaire. Parents with up-to-date immunized children had significantly better knowledge and practice scores than parents who did not (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001 respectively), suggesting a good construct validity. A significant difference was found in knowledge and practice scores among parents’ age (p = 0.006 and p = 0.029 respectively) and place of living (p = 0.037 and p = 0.043). The parents’ knowledge level was positively associated with their practice toward immunization (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient 0.310, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The pilot study concluded that the Bahasa Melayu version of the immunization KP questionnaire has good reliability and validity for measuring the knowledge and practices of Malaysian parents and therefore this version can be used in future research

Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Future trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050. Methods: Using forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]). Interpretation: Globally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions