The Quality of Life of Muar River Community and Socio-economic Factors That Impinge it

Abstract: Quality of life is indeed an important contributor for rural community development in Malaysia and this study would like to investigate the quality of life of the community who are living near to the one of the major rivers in Malaysia; The Muar River. This is a quantitative study, through a simple random sampling, a total of 150 people who live near to Muar River have been selected as the respondents. To gain the data needed, respondents were questioned through face to face interviews based on the developed and tested questionnaire. The results indicated that Muar River community has a high level of quality of life. Further analysis has revealed that aspect of home conditions and social involvement and relationship recorded the highest scores. Inferential analyses performed through ANOVA and Pearson product-moment correlation have revealed that income was the only factor that has a significant difference and significant relationship with quality of life. It is suggested that income generating activities such as boat renting, hotel, home-stay and local product shops be established along Muar River. Furthermore, responsible ministries and agencies can promote and advertise Muar River as one of the main tourism attractions in Malaysia

Characterization of Petroleum Sludge from Refinery Industry Biological Wastewater Treatment Unit

Thermal plasma technique is becoming prominent in the treatment of variety of waste ranging from municipal solid waste, incinerator residue, hospital waste, electronics waste and industrial sludge. Application of the new treatment technology to petroleum sludge requires information on the nature and characteristics of the sludge that will be use to optimize the treatment system. In this investigation, petroleum sludge obtained from Petronas Melaka was characterized for its physical and chemical features. Proximate and ultimate analysis as well as determination of elemental composition were carried out. The sludge was found to contain high moisture (78.91%), low ash (5.06%), low volatiles (5.52%) and high fixed carbon (10.51%). The sludge has a TOC of 54.48% and HHV of 23.599MJ/kg. Despite the high moisture content, the higher heating value (HHV) is high when compared to literature values. The high value of HHV may be associated with the high fixed carbon, low ash content and high value of TOC. The apparent density of the sludge is slightly lower. Fourteen heavy metals are detected in significant quantities. Proper waste management that will safely dispose the sludge is required. The waste disposal technique should take into cognizant the possibility of leaching of heavy metals into ground water on one hand and the gasification of lighter ones on the other.</jats:p

Slope stability analysis of quarry face at Karang Sambung district, central Java, Indonesia

The district of Karang Sambung lies on interbedded calcareous sandstone and siltstone with an acceptable topography, leading to locals creating a small quarry. The excavation has been done traditionally at the quarry, which creating steep slopes on the quarry face that endanger workers. Therefore, stability analysis is necessary to ensure the safety of the quarry face. The quarry face was divided into two regions, and geological mapping and scanline mapping was carried out. The slopes were then analysed by empirical, kinematic, limit equilibrium, and finite element methods. Based on analyses, the slope has a high probability of wedge failure

Enhancing armored crew safety: A scientometric and scoping review of key trends, challenges, and innovations

Introduction/purpose: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on armored vehicle crew safety through an integrated scientometric and scoping methodology. Methods: Data sourced from Scopus and Web of Science were employed to analyze a total of 197 documents following preprocessing and the removal of duplicates. Scientometric analysis was conducted utilizing ScientoPy and VOSviewer software to identify publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, and influential academic contributions. Furthermore, a scoping review based on the SPIDER framework was undertaken to synthesize critical insights related to whole-body vibration (WBV), vehicle design, and safety technologies. Results: The findings indicate that the installation of bulletproof armor significantly reduces WBV exposure levels, with reductions ranging from 10% to 20%. These reductions are attributed to modifications in vehicle mass distribution and stiffness. Advanced materials, such as aluminum alloys, were identified as essential for enhancing blast resistance and vibration mitigation. The results emphasize the importance of structural modifications and adaptive technologies, including enhanced suspension systems, in managing WBV and improving overall crew safety. Conclusion: This study establishes a robust foundation for future research, underscoring the necessity for optimized vehicle designs and integrated safety strategies to address the physiological and psychological stressors encountered by armored vehicle crews

Load-deformation analysis on a slope at Gunung Pulai water treatment plant, Sultan Ibrahim Reservoir

Abstract The Sultan Ibrahim Reservoir located at Gunung Pulai catchment area was previously managed by the Singapore’s Public Utilities Board before the Board handed over the reservoir to Johor State Government under current management of the Syarikat Air Johor. At the present time, the Syarikat Air Johor is operating a Gunung Pulai Water Treatment Plant consisted of two main plants, i.e. Water Sedimentation Plant and Water Filtration Plant for treating raw water from the reservoir before supplying to the consumers. However, the integrity of water treatment plant’s structure should be checked due to several cracks were observed, and moreover the structure was built over more than 90 years. The formation of the cracks in the Gunung Pulai Water Treatment Plant may be induced by movement of the sloping area to the south-east of Water Sedimentation Plant. The calculated Factor of Safety (FOS) via sensitivity analysis for cross sections of original slope indicates any decrease in friction angle and/or cohesion strength or increase in horizontal seismic load will further cause instability on slope. Also, the results of Load-Deformation analysis on cross sections of original slope show significant vertical displacement and horizontal displacement on the bottom and both sides of sedimentation tanks, respectively. The results indicate applied structural and water loads significantly affect deformation at both vertical and horizontal directions which could have contributed to FOS &lt; 1 in slope stability analysis.</jats:p