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The role of critical mineral prices and geopolitical risk in shaping renewable energy poverty
Get PDFRenewable energy poverty is a serious challenge for BRICS+nations due to large geographical areas and uneven population distributions. Energy transition efforts
in the bloc are further undermined by soaring prices of renewable technologies due to rising critical mineral costs. Simultaneously, the increasingly complicated geopolitical environment caused by recent geopolitical events, such as the RussiaUkraine conflict and USA-China trade war, has further exacerbated the challenges of energy transition in the bloc by increasing uncertainty in the global energy and
critical mineral markets. The combined effects of surging critical mineral costs and growing geopolitical risks hinder a fair and sustainable energy transition in the
BRICS+countries. Nevertheless, the subtle relationship between critical mineral prices, geopolitical risks, and renewable energy poverty remains underexplored. This
paper extends the current literature by examining the indirect relationship between disaggregated critical mineral prices, geopolitical risks, and renewable energy poverty
among BRICS+nations. This study applies the two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator for the period 2012–2022. The findings show that zinc and cobalt prices have direct negative effects on renewable energy poverty. In terms of an indirect relationship, geopolitical risks significantly moderate the relationship between all selected critical mineral prices and renewable energy poverty. As a policy response, BRICS+members should strengthen their critical mineral supply chain by boosting intra-bloc trade and diversifying trading partners outside the bloc. Besides,
BRICS+countries should promote cross-border research collaborations to reduce critical mineral intensity in renewable technologies to build a resilient renewable
energy ecosystem against geopolitical tensions and external dependence
VENTIlatory strategies for patients with severe traumatic brain injury in the LOw-and Middle-Income CountrieS. The VENTILOMICS survey
Get PDFObjective: To revisit the VENTIlatory Strategies for Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (VENTILO) survey, focusing on ventilatory management practices among
healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income countries.
Methodology: A cross-sectional on-line survey, VENTIlatory
strategies for patients with severe traumatic brain injury in the LOw- and Middle-Income CountrieS (VENTILOMICS), was
conducted using the original VENTILO survey questionnaire,
developed following a review of literature on respiratory
management in traumatic brain injury patients, captured
demographics of participants, type of hospital/specialty and
available neuromonitoring tools; protocols for mechanical
ventilation and weaning, and respiratory management
strategies. Descriptive statistics were computed for all study variables. We analyzed data based on the economic status of the low- and middle-income countries.
Results: There were 204 respondents from 28 low- and
middle-income countries. Our results indicate that
55 - 70% of respondents recommend tidal volumes of
6 - 8mL/kg for patients with high or medium partial pressure
of arterial oxygen/inspired fraction of oxygen, while tidal
volumes of 4 - 6mL/kg is preferred for those with low partial pressure of arterial oxygen/inspired fraction of oxygen ratios. For patients with intracranial hypertension, lower positive end-expiratory pressure levels were utilized.
Conclusion: The findings suggest a consistent approach to
lung-protective ventilation across low-and middle-income
countries, with notable variations influenced by local
resources and economic status. This study highlights the
necessity for tailored research and guidelines to address
the specific challenges faced in traumatic brain injury
management within low-and middle-income countries
Agent-based simulation with awareness levels of the emergency evacuation of educational facilities
Get PDFIn this study, we explore the impact of awareness levels on emergency evacuation efficiency in educational settings, specifically classrooms, by modeling crowd behavior using agent-based simulation. An agent-based simulation was developed using NetLogo to model autonomous agents navigating an evacuation scenario with and without awareness levels. The environment included classroom layouts with obstacles and single exit points. Simulation data were analyzed statistically using SPSS, including ANOVA and PostHoc testing, to evaluate differences in evacuation performance. The results indicate that awareness levels lead to consistently lower evacuation times across varying crowd sizes (10 to 50 agents). With awareness, the average evacuation time remained nearly constant, whereas without awareness it increased notably with crowd size. Statistical tests confirmed a significant difference (p = 0.031) between the two conditions. While the absolute reduction in evacuation time is modest, awareness helps maintain evacuation efficiency as crowd size increases, highlighting its stabilizing effect. Integrating awareness into evacuation models offers valuable insights for enhancing emergency preparedness in schools. The simulation tool can support planning, training, and the design of spatial layouts to improve safety outcomes during emergencies
The current state of forensic imaging – post mortem imaging
No full textOver the last few decades, forensic imaging has become an essential part of current forensic practice. The aim of this 4-part review is to provide a comprehensive overview of forensic imaging over the rst 25 years of this century. After a brief historic review, this rst part details the advantages and limitations of post-mortem imaging for the indications most frequently encountered in daily practice
Examining the Rising Trend of Elderly Financial Scams in Online News : A Content Analysis of Media Reporting in Malaysia
No full textThe increasing prevalence of elder financial scams, particularly those perpetrated through online platforms, has become a significant concern for both the elderly population and society as a whole. This study examines the nature and scope of elder financial scams as reported in online newspapers, emphasising their financial consequences for victims. Using content analysis to explore the cases reported in online media from 2020 to 2024, this research aims to shed light on the patterns of fraud targeting older adults, the media's role in raising awareness, and the broader implications for social policy. Findings revealed 119 reports of financial scam cases across 36 online media outlets involving the elderly in Malaysia. Most financial scams involve phishing, followed by investment and love scams. Furthermore, financial repercussions for elderly victims are severe, sparking an urgent need for enhanced public awareness and regulatory frameworks to protect vulnerable individuals
A Review : Performance Analysis of Single Board Computer Technology as an IoT System
Get PDFThe development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has driven the demand for cost-effective server solutions capable of managing large volumes of data, thereby
creating efficiencies in data management to support smart
digitalization. Single Board Computer (SBC) technology, such
as Raspberry Pi and Tinkerboard have been developed over the
years to offer another alternative for powering energy efficient server infrastructure that has decent performance for diverse dataset processing for the IoT. Advantages provided by such devices make SBC a potential candidate for IoT servers. Such low-cost, low power machines can offer required computing resources to facilitate various IoT applications, such as edge processing, data aggregation and analysis. This paper compares single board computer products as IoT servers, such as Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 4 and Asus Tinkerboard, from the case study of room sensor monitoring in Internet of Things. It can be seen from the test results that the Raspberry Pi 4 is more suitable to deploy IoT application at a low price when the CPU response time is 62 seconds, and the CPU response time is 96 seconds for the Raspberry Pi 3 and 64 seconds for the Tinker Board. This work will give useful advice to IoT developers, readers to choose an appropriate Single Board Computer for their environmental sensing work
Resilience Assessment Tool 43 (RAT-43)
Get PDFThe Resilience Assessment Tool-43 (RAT-43) is designed to assess resilience levels in individuals aged 10 years and above. Developed by Amalia Madihie, Salmah Mohamad Yusoff, Jamayah Saili, and Siti Norazilah Mohd Said from the Counselling Programme, Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Malaysia, the instrument is grounded in the Resilience Framework proposed by Hart et al. (2007).
Funded by a UNIMAS Small Research Grant in 2018, RAT-43 has undergone continuous testing since 2019, demonstrating high reliability with indices ranging from 0.80 to 0.90
Nilai Rasa dalam Lagu-lagu Melayu Sarawak : Perspektif Rasa-Fenomenologi
Get PDFLagu merupakan antara medium utama dalam pelahiran ekspresi serta luahan rasa hati, emosi dan perasaan penggubah dan penulis lirik, yang asasnya berkait dengan pengalaman, pemerhatian, persepsi dan cara pandang mereka berdasarkan alamnya. Dalam nada kreatif, melodi dan lirik yang tersusun indah mampu memberi kesan mendalam dalam kalangan pendengar, bergantung kepada genre dan kumpulan sasaran pendengar lagu tersebut. Masyarakat Melayu Sarawak tidak terkecuali dalam memiliki lagu-lagu gubahan pencipta tempatan, yang sarat dengan nilai rasa dan estetiknya. Menerusi kajian ini, lagu-lagu Melayu Sarawak dianalisis dari sudut nilai rasa berdasarkan lirik lagu, yakni melibatkan diksi dan ungkapan. Kajian kualitatif ini memanfaatkan 15 buah lagu Melayu Sarawak, iaitu lagu lama dan baharu yang diperoleh menerusi Youtube. Menerusi kaedah analisis teks, data lagu-lagu Melayu Sarawak ini seterusnya dianalisis berdasarkan teori rasa-fenomenologi yang diketengahkan oleh Sohaimi Abdul Aziz (1998). Hasil kajian menemukan tujuh nilai rasa dalam data lagu seperti curahan rasa berahi dan cinta, duka, benci, kagum, berang, dahsyat, dan wira. Dapatan ini secara langsung dapat menjelaskan sedikit sebanyak elemen nilai rasa yang mendasari lagu-lagu masyarakat Melayu Sarawak, khususnya menerusi penggunaan dialek tempatan. Kajian ini juga berupaya mendokumentasikan aspek bahasa dan makna masyarakat Melayu Sarawak dengan sistematik menerusi penerapan teori dan pada masa sama dapat mendedahkan kesusasteraan oral masyarakat yang kaya dengan nilai estetik dan budayanya tersendiri
Building a low-carbon future in Shah Alam : Governance strategies and community engagement for sustainable development
No full textA recognized way to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future is through the combination of sustainable development, which includes the Low Carbon City (LCC) practice, Local Authorities Empowerment, and Community Participation. Somehow, the issue of disorganized institutional management and administration may also result from these approaches. This dilemma was highlighted in the Malaysia LCC Masterplan, which indicated the need for institutional reform. Furthermore, local authorities must promote community awareness and encourage involvement in LCC efforts. The objective of this article is to examine the delivery of LCC for sustainable development through city governance and the community’s awareness in supporting the effort. The method applied scoping and document reviews, Expert Interviews, and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The participants for the Expert Interviews and FGD were selected using the Purposive Sampling method since the investigation required inputs from key players and communities related to LCC practice. The findings confirmed that city governance is vital in implementing LCC through many applications, like the institutional framework, practices, and delivery. Meanwhile, the outcome from the FGD demonstrated that community awareness and participation in LCC initiatives are relatively low due to a lack of communication approach and collaboration between stakeholders. LCC initiatives through a better governance approach. The outcome of this study is expected to transmit the direction of practicing Low Carbon City concept through city governance by considering public participation into the process
Guided Mindfulness of Death to Reduce Fear of Death in Cancer Patients: Randomized Controlled Study
Get PDFObjectives: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of guided mindfulness of death in reducing fear of death in cancer patients.
Methods: A parallel-group, non-blinded randomized controlled study was conducted at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, involving 52 cancer patients with moderate to severe fear of death. Participants were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness of death intervention group or a control group. The intervention consisted of four guided mindfulness exercises focusing on death awareness. Primary outcomes were measured using a numerical rating scale for fear of death (NRS) and the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DADDS), with secondary outcomes measured using the Suffering Pictogram.
Results: The intervention group experienced a significant reduction in fear of death scores, overall suffering score, and total suffering score, compared to the control group. Feedback from participants indicated that while most found the exercises beneficial, some reported discomfort or conflict with their religious beliefs, particularly in exercises involving body decomposition and near-death visualizations.
Conclusions: Mindfulness of death exercises effectively reduce fear of death, distress, and suffering in cancer patients. However, the intervention may not be suitable for all due to cultural and religious factors, underscoring the need for tailored approaches in clinical settings