Sustainable Mosque Designs from the Perspectives of Social Inclusion: Comparisons of Four Mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

One of the major conflicts continuously occurring in Malaysia is the issue of race and religious relationships. Today, houses of worship in Malaysia have always been seen as isolated entities that can add to race relations and nation-building conflicts. This issue has led to the planning of houses of worship as nation-building elements in forging social inclusion among the different religious buildings of other faiths. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate mosques' social inclusion characteristics, which can contribute to the more extensive framing of Malaysian planning policy on the sustainable design of houses of worship. To reflect the ideal of SDG 11, Sustainable cities and communities and SDG 16, Peace, justice and strong institutions, it is essential to identify social inclusivity as one of the primary design approaches for any Islamic institutions and mosques designs. Should the mosques be part of the nation-building entities and not just community centres for each faith? This research covers selected case studies mainly in Kuala Lumpur, representing the city with the most educated and diverse multi-faith context. Four significant mosques were selected and studied through observations and interviews data collection approach. The research findings indicate that elements such as scale, massing, permeability, visibility, territoriality, and iconic imagery are essential to design criteria for mosques. Significantly, this research provides suggestions and guidelines for designers and committee leaders of all religions in Malaysia to re-look at the activities and planning aspects of their houses of worship. Furthermore, it helps to promote inclusive elements such as social interaction, tolerance, and understanding of different religious beliefs. Hence, accepting these multi-faith centres will create a more integrated, harmonious and sustainable community.

Fabrication and characterization of printed zinc batteries

Zinc batteries are a more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to its components being highly recyclable. With the improvements in the screen printing technology, high quality devices can be printed with at high throughput and precision at a lower cost compared to those manufactured using lithographic techniques. In this paper we describe the fabrication and characterization of printed zinc batteries. Different binder materials such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB), were used to fabricate the electrodes. The electrodes were first evaluated using three-electrode cyclic voltammetry, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy before being fully assembled and tested using charge-discharge test and two-electrode cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the printed ZnO electrode with PVB as binder performed better than PVP-based ZnO. The XRD data prove that the electro-active materials were successfully transferred to the sample. However, based on the evaluation, the results show that the cathode electrode was dominated by the silver instead of Ni(OH)2, which leads the sample to behave like a silver-zinc battery instead of a nickel-zinc battery. Nevertheless, the printed zinc battery electrodes were successfully evaluated, and more current collector materials for cathode should be explored for printed nickel-zinc batteries

Groundwater resources assessment using numerical model : a case study in low-lying coastal area.

The impacts of climate change and human pressure in groundwater have been greatest threats facing small islands. This paper represents a case study of groundwater responses towards the climate change and human pressures in Manukan Island Malaysia. SEAWAT-2000 was used for the simulations of groundwater response in study area. Simulations of six scenarios representing climate change and human pressures showed changes in hydraulic heads and chloride concentrations. Reduction in pumping rate and an increase in recharge rate can alter the bad effects of overdrafts in Manukan Island. In general, reduction in pumping rate and an increase in recharge rate are capable to restore and protect the groundwater resources in Manukan Island. Thus, for groundwater management options in Manukan Island, scenario 2 is capable to lessen the seawater intrusion into the aquifer and sustain water resources on a long-term basis. The selection of scenario 6 is the preeminent option during wet season. The output of this study provides a foundation which can be used in other small islands of similar hydrogeological condition for the purpose of groundwater resources protection

Factors associated with spontaneous stone passage in a contemporary cohort of patients presenting with acute ureteric colic. Results from the MIMIC Study (A Multi-centre cohort study evaluating the role of Inflammatory Markers in patients presenting with acute ureteric Colic)

Objectives There is conflicting data on the role of white blood cell count (WBC) and other inflammatory markers in spontaneous stone passage in patients with acute ureteric colic. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship of WBC and other routinely collected inflammatory and clinical markers including stone size, stone position and Medically Expulsive Therapy use (MET) with spontaneous stone passage (SSP) in a large contemporary cohort of patients with acute ureteric colic. Subjects and Methods Multi‐centre retrospective cohort study coordinated by the British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST) Research Collaborative at 71 secondary care hospitals across 4 countries (United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand). 4170 patients presented with acute ureteric colic and a computer tomography confirmed single ureteric stone. Our primary outcome measure was SSP as defined by the absence of need for intervention to assist stone passage. Multivariable mixed effects logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between key patient factors and SSP. Results 2518 patients were discharged with conservative management and had further follow up with a SSP rate of 74% (n = 1874/2518). Sepsis after discharge with conservative management was reported in 0.6% (n = 16/2518). On multivariable analysis neither WBC, Neutrophils or CRP were seen to predict SSP, with an adjusted OR of 0.97 [95% CI 0.91 to 1.04, p = 0.38], 1.06 [95% CI 0.99 to 1.13, p = 0.1] and 1.00 [95% CI 0.99 to 1.00, p = 0.17], respectively. Medical expulsive therapy (MET) also did not predict SSP [adjusted OR 1.11 [95% CI 0.76 to 1.61]). However, stone size and stone position were significant predictors. SSP for stones 7mm. For stones in the upper ureter the SSP rate was 52% [95% CI 48 to 56], middle ureter was 70% [95% CI 64 to 76], and lower ureter was 83% [95% CI 81 to 85]. Conclusion In contrast to the previously published literature, we found that in patients with acute ureteric colic who are discharged with initial conservative management, neither WBC, Neutrophil count or CRP help determine the likelihood of spontaneous stone passage. We also found no overall benefit from the use of MET. Stone size and position are important predictors and our findings represent the most comprehensive stone passage rates for each mm increase in stone size from a large contemporary cohort adjusting for key potential confounders. We anticipate that these data will aid clinicians managing patients with acute ureteric colic and help guide management decisions and the need for intervention

Relationship between Environmental Factors and Personal Hygiene with Diarrhea among Children under Five in West Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan

Background: Globally, nearly 1 million children die each year because of diarrhea. Di­ar­r­hea is a major public health problem in developing coun­tries, including Indonesia. The oc­cu­r­rence of diarrhea has been known to be linked with poor hygiene and sanit­a­tion. This stu­dy aimed to determine the relationship between environmental factors and personal hy­giene with diarrhea among children under five in West Kota­waringin, Cen­­tral Kalimantan. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at West Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan. A total of 1,007 households with children under five was se­lected for this study. The dependent variable was diarrhea. The independent va­riables were access to drin­k­ing water, latrine ownership, type of latrine, environmental hygiene, children defe­ca­tion habit, and disposing of children feces habit. The data were collected by a set of ques­t­i­o­n­­naire and analyzed by multiple logistic regression Results: The risk of diarrhea increased with absence of latrine ownership (OR= 1.93; 95%CI=1.28 to 2.91; p=0.002), sub-standard type of latrine (OR= 1.88; 95%CI=1.27 to 2.78; p=0.002), poor child defe­ca­tion habit (OR=1.85; 95%CI= 1.26 to 2.71; p=0.002), and free disposal of child feces (OR=1.72; 95%CI= 1.28 to 2.91; p=0.007). Conclusion: The risk of diarrhea increases with absence of latrine ownership, sub-stan­dard type of latrine, poor child defecation habit, and free disposal of child feces. Keywords: diarrhea, hygiene, behavior, environment, children under fiv