A livelihood is a means of making a living, securing necessities of life such as water, shelter medicine and clothing. For communities dependent on forest resources for livelihoods, sustainability of forests are important. In Kampung Tambirat this study aims to find the income generated from forest resources particularly Nypah palm forests, the measures of conservation, challenges and type of assistance required so that the villagers engagement in the activities will flourish in the future and benefit the younger generations. It is found that there are no conservation measures for Nypah forests and seasonal floods further increases the difficulty for the villagers to sustain their livelihood activities.
Cutaneous larva migrans is a common parasitic skin disease that can be easily prevented by wearing 'protective' footwear. However, this has been under-emphasized in terms of what constitutes the protective footwear. Even though the disease resolves spontaneously, the significant duration of the disease along with severity of pruritus make treatment unavoidable. Here, we present a very long-standing creeping eruption, which puzzled many attending clinicians handling the case, and the possibility of long socks as a causal effect on the development of cutaneous larva migrans infection.
During the early months of 1985 and 1986, 408 non-immune British soldiers undertook training in the jungles north of Kota Tinggi, in southern Malaysia. In this geographical location, where malaria transmission is now light, a combination of strict personal antimosquito measures plus proguanil 200 mg daily produced effective, safe protection, with only a single case of vivax malaria occurring. Given the limited malaria risk, however, the results of this study should be extrapolated only with caution to other areas of Malaysia.
Readymade garments (RMG) industry of Bangladesh are lesser revealed to sustainable outlines that originating avoidance related with standard health and safety provisions, labor rights, women safety, child labor, pollution, waste disposal and ground water depletion. Recently there are also several safety hazards by way of fire incidents and building collapses which caused death and injury of thousand or garment workers at Bangladesh. Actually a suitable sustainable development scheme for this industry includes the insights of proper employee involvement based upon what is known (knowledge) and done (behavior). So the study aims to investigate the relationship between knowledge and behavior which reflects the complication between what is in fact known and what is done in case of sustainable issues. The study has used both questionnaire survey and interview procedures on 10 BGMEA registered factories of Chittagong to recognize the connection between knowledge and behavior. The target populace of the study has been limited only to the white collar employees. However, the study identified that employee knowledge and behavior of sustainable development contains a moderate, positive relationship (r=.315, n=150, p
It is well known that the endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) dibutylphthalate (DBP) inhibits testosterone synthesis and can lead to feminisation in male laboratory animals. Moreover, it has long been speculated that human exposure would result in the similar effects, but this is difficult to study because specific human exposure cohorts are rare. We report increases in the incidences of hypospadias (p<0.05), cryptorchidism (p<0.05) and breast cancer (p<0.05) in the children of New Zealand soldiers who served in Malaya (1948-1960) and were exposed to DBP applied daily to their clothing as an acaricide to prevent tick-transmitted bush typhus. In addition, we modelled absorption of DBP from the soldiers' clothing and using published data for skin absorption, and calculated a large theoretical absorbed dose of 64 mg/kg body weight/day which is similar to DBP's lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) of 50 mg/kg body weight/day and thus indicates a biological effect is possible. This is the first report of a multigenerational developmental effect following DBP exposure in human males.
We set out to investigate whether neckties worn by doctors are more likely to be contaminated with Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) compared to neckties worn by preclinical medical undergraduates who have never been exposed to a hospital environment. We discovered that more than half (52%) of neckties worn by doctors were contaminated with Staphylococcus and out of these, 62% of them were identified as MRSA. In contrast, none of the student's ties were contaminated with MRSA. Due to the high prevalence of staphylococcus detected on doctors' neckties, we recommend that health care workers do not wear neckties.
Koh and others have reported (in this issue of the MJM) the high prevalence of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on doctors’ neckties. As they have pointed out, this is nothing new, and like other studies with similar findings. They also point out that patient’s confidence and satisfaction are not affected by doctor’s not wearing neckties. They also referred to the British Department of Health decision to ban the use of neckties, long sleeve shirts and jewellery, and the Scottish government’s intention to ban the wearing of white coats, including neckties, to stop the spread of infections. They support the call by The Malaysian Medical Association to avoid the use of neckties.
Accidental swallowing of objects commonly occurs among children and most of the objects pass through the gastrointestinal tract and out with the stool without any complications. However, recent reports have shown that there is an increasing occurrence of accidental ingestion of hijab pins among young hijab-wearing Muslim women or "hijabi". We highlight one such case, in which a young lady accidentally swallowed a pin that she was holding between her lips while she was styling her hijab. The pin was not successfully retrieved via endoscopy but was fortunately excreted spontaneously without any serious complications.
Post mortem changes are important in estimating post mortem interval (PMI). This project's aim was to study the effect of burial and type of clothing on rate of decomposition, which can contribute to estimating PMI for victims. 12 rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) carcasses were separated into 3 groups: no clothing, light clothing and heavy clothing. Control subjects were placed on the ground surface while test subjects were buried at 30 cm depth graves. Soil samples prior and after decomposition were collected for soil pH and moisture analysis. Post mortem change was assessed using a Total Body Score system. The head, neck and limb regions were found to decay faster than the body trunk region. Mummifi cation occurred on body parts that were exposed directly to the atmosphere while adipocere formed on some buried subjects. Burial delayed decomposition due to lower insect activity and lower soil temperature. The soil layer also blocked the accessibility of majority of the arthropods, causing further delay in decomposition. Clothing enhanced decay for bodies on ground surface because it provided protection for maggots and retained moisture on tissues. However, clothing delayed decomposition in buried bodies because it physically separated the bodies from soil and arthropods. Higher sun exposure and repetitive exhumation showed acceleration of decomposition. The decomposition process increased soil pH and moisture percentage values. Soil pH initially increased until pH 8.0-8.4 followed by a slight decrease while soil moisture percentage changed inconsistently. Burial was significant in affecting post mortem change, F(1,11)=12.991, p<0.05 while type of clothing was not significant, F(2,9)=0.022, p=0.978 and combination of both type of clothing and burial factors were also not significant, F(2,3)=0.429, p=0.686. For validation, an accuracy of 83.33% was achieved based on soil pH and soil moisture percentage analysis.
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the use of ultraviolet (UV) rays to disinfect skin areas, clothes and other objects at the entry/exit points of public spaces has been widely discussed by stakeholders. While ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has been shown to effectively inactivate coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), no specific evidence proves that it effectively inactivates the new SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Because UV rays damage human tissue, UVGI should be used with caution and not directly on human skin. Various guidelines recommend that UVGI should not be used as a sole agent for disinfecting surfaces or objects but as an adjunct to the latest standard disinfecting procedures.
A doctor's attire is important in making a positive first impression and enhancing the overall healthcare experience for patients. We conducted a study to examine the perceptions and preferences of patients and doctors regarding six types of dress codes used by doctors in different scenarios and locations. A total of 87 patients and 46 doctors participated in the study. Separate sets of questionnaires containing four demographic questions and 14 survey questions were distributed to the two groups. Most patients preferred doctors to dress formally in white coats regardless of the scenario or location, whereas the majority of doctors preferred formal attire without white coats. Both groups preferred operating theatre attire in the emergency department. Our findings confirmed that patients perceived doctors in white coats to be more trustworthy, responsible, authoritative, confident, knowledgeable and caring. There is a need to educate the public about the reasons for changes in doctors' traditional dress codes.
In this paper, we report a compact and ultra-wide band antenna on a flexible substrate using the 5-(4-(perfluorohexyl)phenyl)thiophene-2-carbaldehyde compound for microwave imaging. In contrast to other microwave based imaging systems, such as an array of 16 antennas, we proposed a bi-static radar based imaging system consisting of two omnidirectional antennas, which reduces complexity and the overall dimension. The proposed compact antennas are 20 × 14 mm2 and designed for operating at frequencies from 4 to 6 GHz. To allow for implantation into a bra, the electromagnetic performances of the antennas must be considered in bending conditions. In comparison with the recently reported flexible antennas, we demonstrated both electromagnetic performance and imaging reconstruction for bending conditions. For the proof of concept, the electromagnetic performances both at flat and bending conditions have been verified using a homogeneous multilayer model of the human breast phantom. Our results demonstrate that the antenna, even at bending conditions, exhibits an excellent omni-directional radiation pattern with an average efficiency above 70% and average gain above 1 dBi, within the operational frequency band. The comprehensive aim of the realized antenna is to design a biodegradable and wearable antenna-based bra for early breast cancer detection in the future.
We had successfully synthesised Mg-doped zinc oxide (MZO) and Cudoped zinc oxide (CZO) nanorod arrays (NRAs) on Al-doped ZnO (ZAO)-coated glass substrates using immersion method and investigated their structural properties. With the incorporation of the Mg dopant, the length and crystallinity of MZO NRAs is higher compared to that of the CZO NRAs. The average optical transmittance of MZO NRAs was slightly lower than that of the CZO NRAs over the visible wavelength region. With the incorporation of the Cu dopant, the morphology of the CZO sample was slightly different from that of the MZO NRAs. The CZO NRAs present granular with small sphere shape. On the other hand, the MZO NRAs exhibit a hexagonal shape structure with a flat-top facet. Rods with a diameter of 58.9-96.7 nm were uniformly grown on the ZAO-coated glass substrate. This paper presents the growth behaviors of the MZO and CZO NRAs.
Effects of radiation on free convection about a heated horizontal circular cylinder in the presence of heat generation is investigated numerically. The cylinder is fixed and immersed in a stationary fluid, in which the temperature is uniformly heated about the temperature of the surrounding fluid. The governing equations are transformed into dimensionless non-linear partial differential equations and solved by employing a finite difference method. An implicit finite difference scheme of Crank Nicolson method is used to analyze the results. This study determined the effects of radiation parameter, heat generation parameter, and the Prandtl number, on the temperature and velocity profiles. The results of the local heat transfer and skin-friction coefficient in the presence of radiation for some selected values of and are shown graphically.
A comprehensive study on the spin-on-glass (SOG) based thin film insulating layer is presented. The SOG layer has been fabricated using simple MEMS technology which can play an important role as insulating layer of stack coupled microcoils. The fabrication process utilizes a simple, cost effective process technique as well as CMOS compatible resulting to a reproducible and good controlled process. It was observed that the spin speed and material preparation prior to the process affect to the thickness and surface quality of the layer. Through the annealing process at temperature 425oC in N2 atmospheric for 1 h, a 750 nm thin SOG layer with the surface roughness or the uniformity of about 1.5% can be achieved. Furthermore, the basic characteristics of the spiral coils, including the coupling characteristics and its parasitic capacitance were discussed in wide range of operating frequency. The results from this investigation showed a good prospect for the development of fully integrated planar magnetic field coupler and generator for sensing and actuating purposes.
An integral art of the Bayesian approach which is not present in the classical approach is the prior distribution. Different researchers may have different level of prior knowledge regarding the parameter of interest before seeing the data. Sometimes different prior distributions can result in different decisions, as such investigations have to be careful in making the choice of the prior distribution. In this paper, we compare results from the Bayesian analyses based on three possible choices of the prior distributions, which are uniform prior, lognormal prior and an improper prior, in the evaluation of the effectiveness of mini-roundabouts. Data from five before and after studies into the effect of mini-roundabouts when replacing priority junctions are used. The effects of the different prior distributions are distinguishable from the analysis of an anamolous 'desk-drawer' study. The uniform and improper prior pull the estimated treatment effect away from one more than the lognormal prior. The results based on lognormal prior depict a less worst scenario of the ineffectiveness of mini-roundabouts and this may correspond to the deficiency in engineering design at only a few sites. Consequently, it is more appropriate to use the lognormal prior in the analysis of mini-roundabouts as a road safety measure.
Satu ciri yang penting dalam kaedah Bayesian yang tidak ada dalam kaedah klasik ialah taburan prior. Sebelum melihat data, mungkin setiap penyelidik mempunyai tahap pengetahuan prior yang berbeza berkenaan sesuatu parameter yang ingin dikaji. Kadang-kala taburan prior yang berlainan boleh menghasilkan keputusan yang berlainan. Oleh itu, pengkaji perlu berhati-hati dalam memilih taburan prior. Dalam kertas-kerja ini, kami bandingkan keputusan dari analisis Bayesian berdasarkan tiga pilihan taburan prior yang menasabah iaitu prior seragam, prior lognormal dan prior tak wajar untuk menilai keberkesanan bulatan mini. Data dari kajian-kajian sebelum dan selepas terhadap kesan mengantikan persimpangan dengan bulatan mini digunakan. Kesan taburan prior yang berlainan dapat dibezakan berasaskan keputusan analisis terhadap satu kajian 'laci-meja' yang ganjil. Prior seragam dan prior fak wajar felah menyebabkan anggaran nilai kesan rawatan melebihi satu lebih dari prior lognormal. Keputusan berasaskan prior lognormal ini menunjukkan senario yang kurang teruk tentang kurang berkesannya bulatan mini dan mungkin ini boleh dikaitkan dengan rekabentuk kejuruteraan yang tidak baik di beberapa tempat sahaja. Dengan itu, prior lognormal adalah lebih sesuai digunakan untuk menilai bulatan mini sebagai langkah keselamatan jalanraya.
A high-order uniform Cartesian grid compact finite difference scheme for the Goursat problem is developed. The basic idea of high-order compact schemes is to find the compact approximations to the derivatives terms by differentiating centrally the governing equations. Our compact scheme will approximate the derivative terms by involving the higher terms and reducing the number of grid points. The compact finite difference scheme is given for general form of the Goursat problem in uniform domain and illustrates the performance by applying a linear problem. Numerical experiments have been conducted with the new scheme and encouraging results have been obtained. In this paper we present the compact finite difference scheme for the Goursat problem. With the aid of computational software the scheme was programmed for determining the relative errors of linear Goursat problem.
Decomposition is degradation process of a corpse into basic respective constituents macroscopically and microscopically by action of microorganisms, arthropods and scavengers. Post mortem changes could be separated into early post mortem changes (i.e. algor mortis, rigor mortis and livor mortis) and putrefaction stages of corpse. These changes function as suitable indicators for determination of post mortem interval (PMI). In this paper, different stages of post mortem changes, possible variations such as mummification and formation of adipocere and special circumstances such as burial condition is discussed. This article also refers to several arguments in the different texture of adipocere and the influence of different types of fabric in affecting the post mortem changes and formation of adipocere. This is largely due to the property of permeability and resistance of material against degradation process. Undeniably, decomposition process involves numerous potential variables including burial condition, presence of clothing, potential formation of adipocere and mummification. Hence, studies in forensic taphonomy combined with real case scenario are crucial in understanding the nature of decomposition and estimation of PMI with higher accuracy.