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Talent-school settings may generate stress via demanding expectations. To investigate students representing Norway’s growing phenomenon of early adolescent talent schools, we interviewed twenty-seven 14- to15-year-old boys and girls about their experiences with self- and socially imposed expectations. Students were recruited from two sports schools (n = 14) and one school each with talent classes for ballet (n = 7) and music (n = 6). Using reflexive thematic analysis, we found four main themes representing the performers’ accounts of (a) self-oriented expectations of persistent hard work, evoking self-doubts, and never-give-up attitudes; (b) coaches’/teachers’ socially prescribed expectations, stimulating hard work, and pursuit of approval and opportunities; (c) parental expectations, reflected as helpful support, concerns of letting parents down, and negotiating independence; and (d) struggles with balancing expectations, reflected by demanding workloads, difficulties with prioritizing recovery, and ill-being. Early interventions targeting unhealthy self- and socially imposed expectations in high-expectation settings may be required to safeguard youth performers’ healthy development.

Produk kecantikan merupakan campuran bahan kimia yang berasal daripada sumber semula jadi atau sintetik yang boleh diperoleh daripada pelbagai sumber. Titik kawalan utama untuk ramuan produk kecantikan adalah sumber bahan dan keselamatan. Kedua-dua aspek ini juga perlu selari dan memenuhi keperluan halal-tayyib selari dengan hukum syarak yang membenarkan bahan-bahan yang suci dan selamat dalam sesuatu produk. Justeru, kajian ini mengkaji keselamatan dan status halal ramuan produk kesihatan dan kecantikan dengan merujuk kepada peraturan yang dikuatkuasakan oleh Bahagian Regulatori Farmasi Negara (NPRA) Malaysia dan Hub-Halal JAKIM, Malaysia. Kajian ini mendapati penggunaan produk kecantikan dikategorikan sebagai tahsiniyyah atau pelengkap untuk manusia menjalani kehidupan dengan lebih baik. Penggunaan produk kecantikan memberi keselesaan dan keyakinan kepada penampilan pengguna dalam interaksi seharian. Oleh itu, produk kecantikan mestilah bebas daripada bahan yang haram, najis, dan bahan terlarang yang boleh membahayakan pengguna. Penggunaan produk kecantikan yang mengandungi unsur-unsur ini adalah dilarang oleh hukum syarak. Islam menggalakkan umatnya menjauhi sebarang bentuk kemudaratan demi memelihara kesejahteraan manusia termasuk aspek rohani, jasmani, emosi, dan intelek. Penilaian terhadap keselamatan dan status halal bahan-bahan tersebut akan menjadi lebih mudah melalui pengkategorian berdasarkan spesifikasi yang dikenal pasti mengikut keperluan kosmetik Halal dan peraturan kosmetik badan-badan berkuasa.

Medicinal cannabis has been used for over 6000 years, and clinical trials have revealed its many therapeutic benefits. Despite its medicinal values and therapeutic benefits, Muslim countries are reluctant to accept the legal use of medicinal cannabis. Currently, Malaysian law prohibits the use of cannabis, either recreationally or medically. As a result, those who use cannabis for medical purposes may face severe punishment. Due to desperate situations, some Muslims purchase cannabis illegally through the black market for self-medication without knowing the legal status of access to cannabis in Islam. Therefore, this article intends to investigate the legal position of cannabis and the extent of cannabis prohibition in Islam. In achieving the objectives, this paper will review the debates between schools of Islamic thought and examine the approach of Muslim jurists in recognising the therapeutic benefits of cannabis through content analysis. Findings show that it is permissible to consume cannabis for medical purposes in Islam under certain situations, and the act of purchasing cannabis from the black market goes against Islamic principles. It is hoped that this article will provide enlightenment on these issues, especially to Muslims around the world, to correct any misapprehension. It is suggested that Muslim countries participate in conducting more research on the medicinal benefits of cannabis. Finally, to address the issues of misgivings among patients requiring legal medicinal cannabis, it is hoped this study will help to equip Muslim doctors with the requisite knowledge on the position of medical cannabis.

Stress is one of the serious issues that affect university students’ life and has been identified to cause academic decline, poor relationships with peers and family members and overall dissatisfaction with life. As for final year university students, academic workloads, expectations from societies and future career uncertainties are some of the common factors that create stress. Therefore, this case study aims to investigate the stress experienced by the final year engineering students at a public university. The main objectives are to identify factors that cause stress and its effects on the students. A five-dimension set of questionnaires i.e. Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Motivation, Environment, and Workload was distributed to 260 final year students of an engineering faculty before they participated in a Stress Management Awareness Program. The program which was part of the Final Year Project (FYP), exposed the students with stress management strategies. Later, interviews were conducted to explore the extent of stress effects on the students’ academic success, and lifestyle in general, and the effect of the workshop. The mean scores of the dimensions and its items were analysed descriptively and findings from the interviews were compared after the students had undergone the workshop. The quantitative results indicated a moderate level of stress among the students with some significance in ‘Environment’ and ‘Workloads’ dimensions. Qualitatively, the workshop had made the students aware of their stress experiences, and educated them with various stress management strategies. Interestingly, there were similar continuous patterns of stress experiences from 33 volunteered interviewees, which have brought to light the actual circumstances of students’ stress. Evidently, these results call for a context-driven stress management module that can provide the students with resourceful selfregulated strategies in coping with the demanding life as final year engineering students.

Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) are currently a matter of concern in the occupational world, where it is the leading cause of disability among workers. Food delivery riders were among the neglected workers even though they were highly exposed to the WMSDs. Thus, this study aims to quantify the magnitude of WMSDs among the riders and the impact on their work. This was a cross-sectional study involving 191 food delivery riders in Eastern Peninsular Malaysia. The Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (M-SNMQ), which was self-administered and validated for Malay translation, was used to quantify the prevalence of WMSDS based on various specific body regions. WMSD prevalence over a 12-month period was 74.9%. Upper back pain (UBP) (55.6%) and lower back pain (LBP) (73.3%) were the two most common body regions to experience WMSD symptoms. The least-complained body regions were thighs and feet, with a prevalence of 2.6% and 3.1%, respectively. The affected body regions that caused the highest daily life disturbance were the shoulders and knees, while those with shoulders symptom were more likely to be absent from work. Finally, LBP was the highest body region with at least a moderate pain score. In general, the findings should be a matter of concern among health authorities and others to improve the quality of life among the riders. To lower the prevalence of WMSDs among this understudied group, additional interventional research should be built on the findings of this study.

Aim: To investigate the effects of pyridoxamine (PM), a B6 vitamer and dicarbonyl scavenger, on glycation and a large panel of metabolic and vascular measurements in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in abdominally obese individuals. Materials and methods: Individuals (54% female; mean age 50 years; mean body mass index 32 kg/m 2) were randomized to an 8-week intervention with either placebo (n = 36), 25 mg PM (n = 36) or 200 mg PM (n = 36). We assessed insulin sensitivity, β-cell function, insulin-mediated microvascular recruitment, skin microvascular function, flow-mediated dilation, and plasma inflammation and endothelial function markers. PM metabolites, dicarbonyls and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Treatment effects were evaluated by one-way ANCOVA. Results: In the high PM dose group, we found a reduction of plasma methylglyoxal (MGO) and protein-bound Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1), as compared to placebo. We found a reduction of the endothelial dysfunction marker soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in the low and high PM dose group and of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in the high PM dose, as compared to placebo. We found no treatment effects on insulin sensitivity, vascular function or other functional outcome measurements. Conclusions: This study shows that PM is metabolically active and reduces MGO, AGEs, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1, but does not affect insulin sensitivity and vascular function in abdominally obese individuals. The reduction in adhesion markers is promising because these are important in the pathogenesis of endothelial damage and atherosclerosis.

Sustainable food packaging made from starch is a viable alternative to the usage of petrochemical-based plastics. The incorporation of additives, particularly essential oils, into the starch film can potentially improve the mechanical properties and enhance its functionality. The present work investigated the effects of the incorporation of different types and concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1%; v/v) of essential oils (EOs) from oregano, Vietnamese mint (VEO), and curry leaf on the mechanical and optical properties of starch films. Additionally, the quality attributes of strawberries wrapped using the films during storage were investigated in terms of weight loss, colour changes, and firmness. It was observed that the incorporation of EOs into the starch films improved the elongation at break, especially at higher concentrations. These films became slightly yellowish and more opaque. Besides, the changes in quality attributes of strawberries wrapped with starch/EOs films were the lowest as compared to the unwrapped strawberries and the strawberries wrapped with starch films. Starch films incorporated with 1% (v/v) VEO were the most effective films due to relatively high flexibility and low stiffness, apart from the ability to decrease the changes in quality attributes of strawberries. To conclude, the starch/EOs films have great potential for food packaging applications.

This study primarily examined the role of Minority Shareholder Watch Group (MSWG), regarded as an advocate for shareholder activism in Malaysia, in encouraging management to take actions in shareholders’ interests by making minutes of annual general meeting (AGM) available electronically. Shareholder activism was assessed through companies monitored by the MSWG and through shareholder participation based on percentage of issued shares that voted at the AGM. The paper utilised secondary and proprietary data. Based on a sample of 261 firms that conducted their AGM in 2017, we found that 43% firms disclosed comprehensive AGM minutes, 24% firms only disclosed summary of key matters discussed and for the rest, no AGM minutes were uploaded on their corporate websites. From the sample, 34% of firms were under the radar of the MSWG. We found that firms targeted by MSWG were significantly associated with detailed disclosure of AGM minutes. However, shareholder participation through ownership voted at the AGM did not yield a significant association. The prevalence of controlling blocks in Malaysian firms may contribute to this result. Overall, the result supports the notion that institutionalised shareholder activism is an effective way to reduce agency problems and information asymmetry between controlling shareholders, management and minority shareholders. Finally, the study limitations and direction for future research are briefly discussed.

The Covid-19 outbreak is now spreading across the globe, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. This study is aimed to investigate the impact of Covid-19 on the Malaysian magazine publishing industry. Thus, the publishing companies have to optimize their creative digital content through new media and consider that their potential of audiences spend several hours per day in using this media across various platforms. The objective of this research study is to identify the importance of creative digital content platforms used by the publishing company to reach their target market and to explore the magazine publisher’s main reason in creating creative digital content during Covid-19 crisis. To understand the effectiveness of creative digital content for magazine produce by the publishers, this study used a qualitative research method and conducted an in-depth interview with people/publishers/writers’ content and editorial unit. As a result, this study indicated that it is not surprising that publishing companies will consider innovative digital content as one of their digital marketing strategies, taking into account the high potential of audience would spend most of their time in using social media across various platforms. The overall results of the study showed that creative digital content development possesses a strong perceived potential to enhance user interaction across its dimensions.

Background Cost-effectiveness is important in the prioritisation between interventions in health care. Exercise is cost-effective compared to usual care during oncological treatment; however, the significance of exercise intensity to the cost-effectiveness is unclear. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of the randomised controlled trial Phys-Can, a six-month exercise programme of high (HI) or low-to-moderate intensity (LMI) during (neo)adjuvant oncological treatment. Methods A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed, based on 189 participants with breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer (HI: n = 99 and LMI: n = 90) from the Phys-Can RCT in Sweden. Costs were estimated from a societal perspective, and included cost of the exercise intervention, health care utilisation and productivity loss. Health outcomes were assessed as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), using EQ-5D-5L at baseline, post intervention and 12 months after the completion of the intervention. Results At 12-month follow-up after the intervention, the total cost per participant did not differ significantly between HI (€27,314) and LMI exercise (€29,788). There was no significant difference in health outcome between the intensity groups. On average HI generated 1.190 QALYs and LMI 1.185 QALYs. The mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratio indicated that HI was cost effective compared with LMI, but the uncertainty was large. Conclusions We conclude that HI and LMI exercise have similar costs and effects during oncological treatment. Hence, based on cost-effectiveness, we suggest that decision makers and clinicians can consider implementing both HI and LMI exercise programmes and recommend either intensity to the patients with cancer during oncological treatment to facilitate improvement of health. Funding agencies: This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Society; the Swedish Research Council, and the Region Östergötland, Sweden.

With the development of computer and Internet technology, the content of online courses and the way of online learning have changed. Under this condition, it promotes the transformation of teaching ideas, methods and modes in colleges and universities. As an important supplement to the traditional teaching mode, online learning reflects the advantages of intelligence, interaction and openness. In order to further implement the corresponding educational technology and educational philosophy, it is necessary for colleges and universities to investigate the situation of students' participation in online learning, find out the factors affecting college students' participation in online learning, and formulate relevant online learning participation strategies to further enhance the enthusiasm of students to participate in online learning.

With the development of society, the role of moral and legal education in primary and secondary schools is becoming more and more important. Primary and secondary school stage is an important stage for students to grow up and learn. During this period, their own ideas and cognitive concepts have not yet been fully formed. Therefore, strengthening their moral and legal education is conducive to helping students develop their interest in learning, stimulating their enthusiasm, and shaping their moral concepts and beliefs. In order to lay a good foundation for the future growth of students, the following is a brief analysis of the classroom teaching of morality and rule of law in primary schools.

This study discusses the factors that could influence political participation among youth. The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of the main factors (such as the influence of social environment and mass media) on youth political participation. A total of 343 youths participated in this study, with a response rate of 90.5%. Findings from multiple linear regression demonstrate that the influence of social environment and the influence of mass media have a substantial influence on political participation. Studies on the influence of political participation among the youth, particularly in Malaysia, are vital yet scarce. Significantly, the findings of this study can provide insight to political parties on the importance of youth political participation. Finally, this study provides practical implications for youth political participation.

From Managing the Pandemic Crisis to Syndemic Governance: A Conceptual Reframing of Syndemics in the Context of Influenza Pandemics As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research literature has highlighted the significance of syndemic thinking in managing epidemics (e.g. Horton 2020; Irons 2020; Fronteira et al. 2021). The syndemic nature of COVID-19 has posed a challenge to traditional models of management that promote path dependence, which in turn fuels more emergent effects. As a result, many causal relationships cannot be fully mapped in real time, making syndemic interventions challenging to implement. This article introduces new conceptualizations of syndemics by applying theories of emergent governance in order to develop a model of syndemic governance. In this context, emergence emphasizes the forms of interaction between components of complex systems that generate problems that cannot be traced back to these components and their functioning alone. These forms of interaction arise through self-organization...

Background: Growing evidence show that long term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of dementia. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between PM2.5 exposure and dementia in a low exposure area, and to investigate the role of olfaction and the APOE ɛ4 allele in these associations. Methods: Data were drawn from the Betula project, a longitudinal study on aging, memory, and dementia in Sweden. Odor identification ability was assessed using the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test (SOIT). Annual mean PM2.5 concentrations were obtained from a dispersion-model and matched at the participants’ residential address. Proportional hazard regression was used to calculate hazard ratios. Results: Of 1,846 participants, 348 developed dementia during the 21-year follow-up period. The average annual mean PM2.5 exposure at baseline was 6.77μg/m3, which is 1.77μg/m3 above the WHO definition of clean air. In a fully adjusted model (adjusted for age, sex, APOE, SOIT, cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, and education) each 1μg/m3 difference in annual mean PM2.5-concentration was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.23 for dementia (95% CI: 1.01–1.50). Analyses stratified by APOE status (ɛ4 carriers versus non-carriers), and odor identification ability (high versus low), showed associations only for ɛ4 carriers, and for low performance on odor identification ability. Conclusion: PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of dementia in this low pollution setting. The associations between PM2.5 and dementia seemed stronger in APOE carriers and those with below average odor identification ability.

The Zwicky Transient Transient Facility (ZTF) performs a systematic neutrino follow-up program, searching for optical counterparts to high-energy neutrinos with dedicated Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) observations. Since first light in March 2018, ZTF has taken prompt observations for 24 high-quality neutrino alerts from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, with a median latency of 12.2 hours from initial neutrino detection. From two of these campaigns, we have already reported tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2019dsg and likely TDE AT2019fdr as probable counterparts, suggesting that TDEs contribute >7.8% of the astrophysical neutrino flux. We here present the full results of our program through to December 2021. No additional candidate neutrino sources were identified by our program, allowing us to place the first constraints on the underlying optical luminosity function of astrophysical neutrino sources. Transients with optical absolutes magnitudes brighter that -21 can contribute no more than 87% of the total, while transients brighter than -22 can contribute no more than 58% of the total, neglecting the effect of extinction. These are the the first observational constraints on the neutrino emission of bright populations such as superluminous supernovae. None of the neutrinos were coincident with bright optical AGN flares comparable to that observed for TXS 0506+056/IC170922A, suggesting that most astrophysical neutrinos are not produced during such optical flares. We highlight the outlook for electromagnetic neutrino follow-up programs, including the expected potential for the Rubin Observatory., Submitted to MNRAS, comments welcome!

Nowadays, demand for the stretchable electronic circuit (SEC) innovative technology is promising in various industries such as biology, advanced robotics, and defense due to their ability to endure enormous amounts of energy and have a wide range of tensile capabilities. However, reliable data regarding mechanical characteristics are still sparse due to the percolation nature of the material, which requires its fillers to be connected to one another at all times in order to conduct electricity. To address these issues, the present work opted a finite element analysis (FEA) model that will depict the behaviour of plastic strain on a variety of stretchy conductive ink designs. SEC ink models were created using CAD modeling software and loaded into ANSYS software for finite element analysis (FEA). Behaviors of six different SEC patterns under various longitudinal and lateral stretching conditions were analyzed using the equivalent plastic strain level possessed. Another perspective of the study was to evaluate the impact of expanding the width and thickness of the ink pattern toward the development of the equivalent plastic strain. The result shows that the U-shape SEC pattern had the lowest equivalent plastic strain, with εp= 0.033611 for the longitudinal load and εp= 0.014648 for the lateral load.

In power generation, particle size distribution (PSD) of pulverized coal used in a power plant was 65%-70% passing 200 mesh or known as 76 microns. Since coal took hundreds of millions of years to form, it is not renewable energy and coal will release harmful gases after-burn. Thus, biomass has become an alternative fuel for reducing the consumption of coal and the emission of harmful gases. Coconut shell has the potential to substitute coal as fuel. In this study, Computational Fluids Dynamics (CFD) is used for simulating the combustion process in the lab-scaled incinerator rig (LSIR). The behaviours of pulverized coconut shells and the effect of excess air during combustion are studied. The results showed that the average carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) mass fraction was calculated at 0.0196 and 0.257 respectively. The combustion efficiency was determined as 92.94%. The percentage of excess air (EA%) was increased by increasing the velocity of inlet air for investigating the responses of combustion efficiency. The EA with 39% was predicted as the most suitable EA for the combustion because the heat generated at 39% EA was the highest and its volume average temperature was recorded as 1198.7K. Besides, the combustion efficiency was increasing when the EA% is increased by calculating from every volume average of mass fraction of CO and CO2.

Editorial of Approaching Religion, Vol. 13 Issue 1

A theme park is an attraction that the public enjoys. A theme park provides amusement and creates a leisure time for the public to spend time with family, friends and other relatives. Therefore, it is critical to determine the public's expectations and perceptions of theme park recreation. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of public participation in a theme park recreational activity. The theme parks selected are Sunway Lagoon Water Park, iCity Water World, and Wet World Water Park. All of the selected theme parks are located in the state of Selangor. The objective of the study is to investigate the influence factor of public perception on theme park attendance based on social demographics. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the survey was conducted through an online form using a Google form. A total of 437 people from the selected theme parks were surveyed. The study found that most theme park visitors are students and are between 18 and 30 years old. The result shows that public participation in theme park recreational activities is significant. It was found that people who do their leisure activities in amusement parks have higher expectations. On the other hand, the influence factor of public perception of participation in theme park leisure activities was significant. The iCity Water World has the highest influence. The influence factor of public perception of participation is statistically significant in theme parks. Nevertheless, the management should cooperate and communicate with the government and private organizations to improve the country's economy due to the Covid-19 situation.

Using a case study design, we explored two ballet dancers’ perfectionism experiences via interviews and questionnaires at two time points 5 years apart. They represented the two types of “pure perfectionism” in the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism: a female representing pure personal standards perfectionism (high perfectionistic strivings, low perfectionistic concerns) and a male representing pure evaluative concerns perfectionism (low perfectionistic strivings, high perfectionistic concerns). The pure personal standards perfectionism dancer reported stable perfectionism across time, seemingly resilient to any perfectionistic concerns developing. She attributed this to her stable, grounded personality, also reporting autonomous motivation and performance success. The dancer representing pure evaluative concerns perfectionism reported increased perfectionistic strivings and lowered perfectionistic concerns over time; concurrently, his motivation became less controlled and more autonomous. He described the reasons in terms of improved basic psychological needs satisfaction and personal growth. Overall, autonomy might be important in mitigating perfectionism.

The overuse of pesticides in agricultural sectors exposes people to food contamination. Pesticides are toxic to humans and can have both acute and chronic health effects. To protect food consumers from the adverse effects of pesticides, a rapid monitoring system of the residues is in dire need. Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) on a screen-printed electrode (SPE) is a leading and promising electrochemical sensing approach for the detection of several residues including pesticides. Despite the huge development in analytical instrumentation developed for contaminant detection in recent years such as HPLC and GC/MS, these conventional techniques are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Additionally, the imprinted SPE detection system offers a simple portable setup where all electrodes are integrated into a single strip, and a more affordable approach compared to MIP attached to traditional rod electrodes. Recently, numerous reviews have been published on the production and sensing applications of MIPs however, the research field lacks reviews on the use of MIPs on electrochemical sensors utilizing the SPE technology. This paper presents a distinguished overview of the MIP technique used on bare and modified SPEs for the detection of pesticides from four recent publications which are malathion, chlorpyrifos, paraoxon and cyhexatin. Different molecular imprint routes were used to prepare these biomimetic sensors including solution polymerization, thermal polymerization, and electropolymerization. The unique characteristics of each MIP-modified SPE are discussed and the comparison among the findings of the papers is critically reviewed.

Over the past eight decades, numerous research has been conducted on the extraction of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome. The mini-review includes information on the pharmacological properties of zerumbone extracted from Z. zerumbet rhizome and the extraction methods conducted over the previous 80 years. Zerumbone is recognised as having a proven pharmacological effect and is a significant medicinal component used to treat various ailments. The pharmacological values are stated based on the research findings. The extraction method and technology are essential to extract zerumbone. Thus, the review helps the reader keep up with the history of each technique or technology used in extracting zerumbone from Z. zerumbet rhizome, starting with conventional technology and moving toward advanced technology.

The textile industry is suffering a great challenge regarding wastewater management, primarily due to the implementation of improper systems, specifically for dye wastewater treatment. Photocatalysis is one of approaches that have been used to treat wastewater. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was immobilized by using the dip-coating technique in this research. Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were used as a polymer to bind the TiO2 on the glass substrate. This immobilized TiO2/ENR/PVC underwent a photoetching process at various times to study the crosslink and porosity formations. Reactive red 4 dye was used as a model pollutant for photocatalytic performance. All immobilized TiO2/ENR/PVC samples under 12, 24 and 30 h of photoetching process (TEP12, TEP24 and TEP30 samples, respectively) showed higher photocatalytic activity compared to those without photoetching process (TEP0 sample) due to the intermediate charge in crosslinking reaction after the photoetching process. The TEP24 sample showed the highest photocatalytic degradation; light harvesting; photocatalytic degradation.

This paper examines several existing voltage equalizers techniques for energy storage system, with a focusing on batteries and supercapacitors. Due satisfy the demands, energy storage cells are often coupled in series/parallel. However, divergence of voltage distributed among cells produces the problems of voltage imbalance that affecting the ageing of energy storage system and solved through equalizers. Several assessments from features of topologies in voltage balancing circuit supplied primarily based total on a few attentions’ just like the effectiveness in balance and components. Voltage balancing is essentially separated into two categories: passive and active equalizers. Therefore, this paper studied and reviewed several topologies from both equalizer types with the sample result to verify the topology performance.

Brain computer interface (BCI) system empowers command over external device by retrieving brain waves and interpreting them into machine instructions. The system utilizes electroencephalogram (EEG) for receiving, processing and classifying signals to control by means of brain generated signals. The paper focuses on mental task design for BCI by acquiring the signals generated by mental activity through EEG comb electrodes, placed over three-dimensional (3D) printed headset. The experiment involved the blinking of left and right eye for the forward and backward movements of the prototype wheelchair. The experimental measurement was performed using a Cyton board where the information was transmitted through Bluetooth which were later processed and translated to the wheelchair to perform activities. The system has successfully achieved the real time control of an assistive device by using signals from the brain.

Oil-contaminated or oily wastewater (OW) is generated from various industrial and domestic premises. It consists of fats, oils, and greases and may contain petroleum fractions such as diesel oil, gasoline, and kerosene. It is regarded as one of the most hazardous wastewaters, causing serious environmental and health threats to ecosystems and human beings. The global increase in the discharge of OW coupled with stringent regulations for effluent discharge and incessant drive for the reuse of treated wastewater necessitate the need for the treatment of the OW. Conventional approaches employed in the past are inept for OW treatment due to low separation efficiency, high operational cost, creating secondary pollution, and long treatment hours. Comparatively, the adsorption process is considered a better alternative because of its simple design and can involve low investment in terms of both initial cost and land required. Thus, the adsorption process is widely applied as a promising alternative to existing treatment methods for OW. The adsorption process is an effective technique for OW treatment. Super adsorbents with ultrahigh adsorption capabilities are highly desired for efficient OW treatment in a new revolution of adsorption technology to meet present and future needs. This review provides insights into advanced and emerging state-of-the-art technologies of the adsorption process as a safe and efficient treatment of OW. Strength, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted to identify and analyze internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats that shape the current and future operation of the adsorption process for the treatment of oily wastewater for developing strategic goals. Super adsorbents with ultrahigh adsorption capability such as P-GSC and P-PKS discussed are highly desired. The extraordinary properties of P-GSC and P-PKS can provide leap-forward opportunities to revolutionize traditional adsorption technology. However, scale-bridging and optimization study of these innovated super adsorbents is required for the real application. It shows a bright future of P-GSC and P-PKS towards OW treatment.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), encompassing both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. METHODS: GARFIELD-VTE is a prospective, non-interventional observational study of real-world treatment practices. We aimed to capture the 36-month clinical outcomes of 10,679 patients with objectively confirmed VTE enrolled between May 2014 and January 2017 from 415 sites in 28 countries. FINDINGS: A total of 6582 (61.6 %) patients had DVT alone, 4097 (38.4 %) had PE ± DVT. At baseline, 98.1 % of patients received anticoagulation (AC) with or without other modalities of therapy. The proportion of patients on AC therapy decreased over time: 87.6 % at 3 months, 73.0 % at 6 months, 54.2 % at 12 months and 42.0 % at 36 months. At 12-months follow-up, the incidences (95 % confidence interval [CI]) of all-cause mortality, recurrent VTE and major bleeding were 6.5 (7.0-8.1), 5.4 (4.9-5.9) and 2.7 (2.4-3.0) per 100 person-years, respectively. At 36-months, these decreased to 4.4 (4.2-4.7), 3.5 (3.2-2.7) and 1.4 (1.3-1.6) per 100 person-years, respectively. Over 36-months, the rate of all-cause mortality and major bleeds were highest in patients treated with parenteral therapy (PAR) versus oral anti-coagulants (OAC) and no OAC, and the rate of recurrent VTE was highest in patients on no OAC versus those on PAR and OAC. The most frequent cause of death after 36-month follow-up was cancer (n = 565, 48.6 %), followed by cardiac (n = 94, 8.1 %), and VTE (n = 38, 3.2 %). Most recurrent VTE events were DVT alone (n = 564, 63.3 %), with the remainder PE, (n = 236, 27.3 %), or PE in combination with DVT (n = 63, 7.3 %). INTERPRETATION: GARFIELD-VTE provides a global perspective of anticoagulation patterns and highlights the accumulation of events within the first 12 months after diagnosis. These findings may help identify treatment gaps for subsequent interventions to improve patient outcomes in this patient population. ispartof: THROMBOSIS RESEARCH vol:222 pages:31-39 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Technology is a crucial aspect of starting a business, particularly for disabled entrepreneurs who may face additional challenges due to their disabilities. Entrepreneurship has become a preferred field of employment for disabled people, primarily due to a lack of other employment opportunities. However, the current technology available for disabled entrepreneurs is insufficient, and they may not be able to compete effectively in the business world. Compared to non-disabled individuals, disabled people have lower labor market participation rates, which limits their opportunities for employment. Running a business can be challenging for anyone, but disabled people often face additional obstacles that make it harder for them to succeed. Due to their disabilities, they may require specific technology or technical assistance to help them grow their business. The Smart 3-Wheel Bike was developed to provide better facilities to disabled entrepreneurs, making it easier for them to organize and operate their businesses competitively. The process of developing this product is based on three phases: the analysis phase, the design and development phase, and finally the implementation and evaluation phase. In the analysis and evaluation phases, two case studies were conducted on the needs and acceptance of the prototype. The findings from the two case studies indicated that the development of the Smart 3-Wheel Bike for disabled entrepreneurs was able to fulfill the disabled entrepreneurs' needs, and people with disabilities accept this technology in running their businesses.

Currently in Malaysia, most wastes are disposed into poorly managed systems with little or no pollution protection measures. Large amounts of wastes such as textiles are generated through hospitals and health care centers. However, the improper management of these abundantly generated wastes may pose an environmental pollution problems and fire hazard. Cotton textile is a potential biomass for bioethanol production. Subcritical water (Sub-CW) hydrolysis was investigated as an alternative technology for the recycling of cotton textile waste for current health care waste management. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of complete conversion of cotton textile waste to ethanol via Sub-CW hydrolysis and fermentation. Sub-CW was carried out to facilitate the hydrolysis of cellulose component in cotton textile (cotton 75%+polyester 25%). The study was divided into two parts; (i) To evaluate the subcritical water parameters such as temperature and time to achieve maximum yield of sugars. (ii) Fermentation of the hydrolysate obtained from Sub-CW hydrolysis to ethanol. Under Sub-CW conditions of temperature (140 °C - 350 °C), reaction time (1-10 min) and water to cotton ratio (3:1) showed that cotton textile treated at 280 °C for 4 min, was optimal for maximizing yield of sugar, which was 0.213 g/g-dry sample. The quantitative analysis by HPLC showed that the soluble carbohydrates in the water phase were mainly composed of glucose. The obtained glucose concentration, 171 mg/L was then fermented at 36 °C for 24 hours by Saccharomyces cerevisae (yeast) to ethanol. Highest yield of ethanol was 0.415 g/g glucose, which was 81.2 % of theoretical yield. Hydrolysis with Sub-CW showed the potential to decompose the cotton textile into simple sugar while keeping sugar degradation to minimal phase and the possibility of complete conversion of cotton textile waste to ethanol via Sub-CW and fermentation.

The relationship between Halalan Toyyiban concept and food safety is well known and discussed among the scholars since the early years. Muslims are guided by the concept that is highlighted in the Quran to consume food. However, the widely occurred environmental pollution and contamination around the globe had threatened the status of the natural food resources. One of the major threats to global food safety is chemical contamination from environment. By harnessing the ability of the microorganism in the environment to restore the nature is one of the approaches used to ensure the concept of toyyiban is safely fulfilled. Using the Qur’an as primary sources and other published articles, this article connects the links between the wider halalan toyyiban concept and the environmental sciences related approaches and subsequently provides alternative perspective to the halalan toyyiban concept especially for the food safety issues.

The α-Fe2O3 was synthesized using the hydrolysis method to obtain the nano coral-shaped morphology. The adsorption isotherm and surface analysis upon CO2 adsorption were identified. The adsorption capacity for nano coral-shaped α-Fe2O3 was measured at 8.66 cm3/g (17.00 mg/g). Experimental data from CO2 adsorption isotherm at 25 ℃ best fits with the Freundlich isotherm model which implies the adsorption process is favorable and the multilayer adsorption on the heterogeneous surface. A decrease in the α-Fe2O3 crystallite peaks in the X-ray diffractogram after the CO2adsorption was associated with the carbonate complexes species formation. IR spectra indicate higher intensities over the CO2 exposure time of 4, 12 and 24 h, especially at absorption bands 1041 and 1627 cm-1 that corresponded to C-O and asymmetry O-C-O stretches, respectively, for carbonate. The morphology of the carbonate formation on nano coral-shaped α-Fe2O3 over the CO2 exposure time was analyzed using FESEM-EDX. Although the carbonate formation was not distinct, the increment in the C element also confirmed the capability of the α-Fe2O3 in adsorbing CO2 for a long adsorption time of 24 h.

Tenaga boleh baharu menjadi tumpuan dunia sebagai sumber tenaga alternatif bagi penggantian penggunaan tenaga petroleum. Tenaga boleh baharu yang mendapat perhatian adalah penggunaan sel bahan api oksida pepejal (SOFC) kerana tenaga ini mempunyai pelepasan karbon yang minimum di samping kelestarian tenaga yang bersih. Walau bagaimanapun, penggunaan SOFC dalam penjanaan tenaga elektrik adalah terhad kerana terdapat risiko dari segi suhu, pelepasan bahan kimia, serta kaedah penyimpanan tenaga penjanaan yang mampu memberi kesan kemusnahan serta kemalangan yang membawa kepada gangguan terhadap pengendalian operasi dan keadaan sekeliling. Oleh itu, penaksiran risiko memainkan peranan penting dalam memastikan pengoperasian keseluruhan sistem berada dalam keadaan selamat melalui pendekatan keselamatan berdasarkan kepada data yang didapati secara langsung atau data kemalangan terdahulu. Penyelidikan ini mengkaji senario yang membawa kepada kemusnahan melalui kaedah pemetaan Bayesan menggunakan program perisian sumber terbuka, GeNie dalam mengenal pasti risiko terhadap operasi. Keadaan operasi pada suhu tinggi dikenal pasti sebagai punca utama yang menyumbang kepada risiko. Kemerosotan sebanyak 76% sehingga 90% boleh berlaku sekiranya suhu operasi melebihi suhu optimum bersama kemerosotan parameter utama operasi.