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Driving factors of CO2 emission reduction in the logistics industry: an assessment of the RCEP and SAARC economies
No full textAs a strategic pillar of the Asian economic trade partnership, the logistics industry is a source of significant industrial relevance and specifically targeted CO2 emission initiatives. Therefore, in order to address the potential environmental risks that are associated with existing Asian free trade agreements and achieve global mitigation targets, it is imperative that one evaluates both the performance of the logistic sector and the factors that drive carbon emissions. As such, our research analyses 16 countries both the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, from one of the largest emerging global trade partnerships in Asia, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The results of which act as an important guide in how the green logistic service sector can be driven in emerging economies. In order to conduct this analysis, a balanced panel dataset from 2007 to 2018 is employed and estimated using Generalized Least Square and the Generalized Method of Moments regression approaches, with the issues of cross-sectional dependence, unit-root, stationarity, and cointegration also checked. The results revealed that economic growth, foreign direct investment inflows, and international trade positively affect logistics performance. In addition, improved logistics services, a hassle-free customs clearance process, and the frequency of shipments reduce transport CO2 emissions by 0.177%, 0.026%, and 0.014%, respectively. These findings suggest that renewable energy sources may alleviate the detrimental impact of logistics services on low-carbon transportation and spur economic action with substantial international trade opportunities available. This study hypothetically proposes and verifies a new dimension for two variables: international trade (export–import goods) and transport CO2 emissions. The lessons drawn from the study assist policymakers and stakeholders in rethinking the roles of green logistics infrastructure in the future
Silver adsorption on biochar produced from spent coffee grounds: validation by kinetic and isothermal modelling
Get PDFThis study investigates silver adsorption on biochar produced from pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds (SCGs). Biochars were produced from SCGs at temperatures between 500 and 1000 °C. SCG-derived biochars were then characterised by different analytical methods, such as Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and investigated for silver removal. The results revealed that the biochar produced at 500 °C offered a maximum surface area of 40.1 m2/g with a yield of 23.48% biochar and the highest silver adsorption capacity of 49.0 mg/g with 99.9% silver removal efficiency. The morphology of adsorbed silver on biochar was determined using scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS), and XRD analyses, which showed an even distribution of silver on the biochar surface. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that part of the silver ions was reduced to form metallic silver (Ag0)/silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) during adsorption. The kinetics and isothermal evaluation suggested that silver adsorption was dominated by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm, which means that silver adsorption was mainly dominated by chemisorption and monolayer on biochar surface. Overall, this study suggests that 500 °C was the most feasible pyrolysis temperature to produce SCG-derived biochar with suitable physicochemical properties that can efficiently adsorb silver species from wastewater
Political uncertainty and stock market liquidity, size, and transaction cost: The role of institutional quality
Get PDFUsing panel data of 42 countries from 2001 to 2019, we examine whether political uncertainty (caused by uncertainty about national elections) explains variations in cross-country liquidity, market size, and transaction cost. We also investigate whether institutional quality moderates the negative effects of political uncertainty on stock market development. We show that political uncertainty reduces stock market size, liquidity, and increases transaction costs. Our results indicate that institutional quality moderates the negative effects of political uncertainty on stock market development. However, we find no effects in emerging markets arising from the high prevalence of weak institutions. We confirm the robustness of our findings using alternative financial development measures and endogeneity. This study enhances our understanding of the salient role of political uncertainty in the development of the stock market, with important implications for market regulators, corporations, and investors
Cybersecurity Workforce Landscape, Education, and Industry Growth Prospects in Southeast Asia
Get PDFGiven the chronic lack of qualified professionals in the cybersecurity industry, the present paper seeks to evaluate the current interest in cybersecurity across Southeast Asia nations and then compare it with the available educational offerings of related degrees in each country to identify eventual gaps in the market. The goal is to assess whether there is a need for additional degree programs in cybersecurity and to evaluate the potential for future growth in the industry by providing a solid educational foundation for aspiring professionals. To estimate current interest from prospective students and profesionals in cybersecurity across each country, leaderboards from the popular TryHackMe gamified cybersecurity training platform are referenced. We further discuss issues by considering the related formal education programmes offered by the top universities in each country, identified by their presence in the QS world university rankings. The data are then used to propose two new metrics: the ‘Cybersecurity Education Prospects Index’ (CEPI) and the ‘Cybersecurity Industry Prospects Index’ (CIPI), which show how most of the eleven countries in Southeast Asia do have an unmet demand for cybersecurity education and only a few of them have already developed an educational infrastructure that is ready to support the growing needs of the local and international industry
Non-pharmacological treatments for shivering post neuraxial anaesthesia for women having caesarean section: a scoping study
Get PDFBackground: Shivering occurs more frequently for women having caesarean section under neuraxial anaesthesia compared to other patient groups and causes an increase in pain and interrupts bonding with her newborn.
Aim: This study aimed to report the evidence on non-pharmacological methods to treat shivering, defined as uncontrollable shaking, because of being cold, frightened, or excited, post neuraxial anaesthesia; the use of local anaesthesia inserted around the nerves of the central nervous system such as spinal anaesthesia and epidural in women having a caesarean section.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted using six electronic health databases that were searched with no restrictions placed on language, date, or study type.
Findings: Of the 1399 studies identified, following screenings only one study was deemed suitable for inclusion. The study, a randomised controlled trial, compared forced air warming blankets (intervention) with the usual care of warmed cotton blankets (control) and its impact on maternal and newborn outcomes. The only statistically significant difference found was the perceived thermal comfort of the mother.
Discussion: Non-pharmacological treatments for shivering are underrepresented in the literature; only one study identified where the impact of active warming was compared to warmed cotton blankets (usual care) for the measures of: oral temperature; degree of shivering; and thermal comfort pain scores. There was a decline in temperature in both groups at odds with some women reporting feeling too warm such that they asked for the active warmer to be turned down.
Conclusion: Social engagement strategies are interventions that send a signal of safety to the nervous system leading to a sense of calm and wellbeing and have biological plausibility and warrant evaluation. Recommendations for further research: design a robust study to test the effectiveness of social engagement strategies on shivering for women having caesarean section under neuraxial anaesthesia
Ravenswood Gold Receiving Environment Monitoring Program: 1 Aug 2022 to 31 Jul 2023
No full textYearly Receiving Environment Monitoring Program (REMP) report that assesses the potential impact of controlled or uncontrolled releases from the mine into the downstream environment, including wastewater releases and associated contaminants. Assessments include water, sediment and biota at Ravenswood Gold mine near Charter Towers. This report is subject to regulatory assessment by the Queensland Government
Electrochemical sensing of paracetamol based on sugarcane bagasse-activated biochar
Get PDFAgro-industrial waste is an abundant bio-resource that can be used as a feedstock to develop carbon nanomaterials. This research identifies the specific microwave pyrolysis operating conditions to generate activated biochar from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) biomass. The optimal conditions to obtain activated biochar from SCB was by using H2SO4 chemical treatment in a mass ratio 1:1 followed by microwave-assisted pyrolysis at 1.5 kW for 1 hour. The resulting carbon material attained a 278 m2/g BET surface area and a relatively pure carbon structure with a minor concentration of oxygen and silicon. The activated biochar was used to develop an electrochemical sensor using the drop-casting method. The SCB-activated biochar electrochemical sensor achieved significant electrocatalytic properties to detect paracetamol, showing 71% less charge transfer resistance in EIS and 96% higher electrocatalytic properties than the bare electrode based on CV curves. The linear range of paracetamol current responses demonstrated a considerable sensitivity with a 2.5 µM limit of detection. The modified GCE indicates a promising performance in paracetamol detection in a real sample
The Relationship between Maternal Smoking and Infant Birth Weight: Improving Accuracy through Urine Cotinine Analysis and Effective Medical Record Strategies
Get PDFObjective: We conducted a study to determine if antenatally collected maternal urine cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) measurements can be used to assess the neonatal impact of nicotine exposure during pregnancy. This was a prospective longitudinal cohort of mother–infant dyads. Only term singleton pregnancies were included. The primary outcome measure was the correlation between maternal urine cotinine and infant birth weight.
Methods: We analysed data from 238 mother–neonate dyads. Smoking habits were recorded during routine prenatal check-ups and urine samples were collected to measure cotinine and creatinine levels.
Results: Urine cotinine was detected in 50.4% (120/238) of women from the whole cohort, but only 16% (38/238) self reported as smokers (chi-square 39.7, p < 0.0001), and these women had significantly smaller babies (p = 0.010). There was a significant negative correlation between maternal urine cotinine and birth weight (Spearman’s coefficient = −0.0226, p = 0.013). Female babies born to women with nicotine in their urine were significantly smaller (p = 0.001).
Conclusions: Infant birth weight significantly reduced in mothers with exposure to nicotine during pregnancy. The number of women exposed to nicotine during late pregnancy (measured in urine) was markedly higher than self-reported and national smoking percentages, suggesting an urgent need for an improvement in medical record reporting on smoking habits to better assess neonatal outcomes
The perceived relevance, utility and retention of basic sciences in general practice
Get PDFBackground: Basic sciences are crucial for clinical medicine, yet studies focusing on their perceived utility among general practitioners (GPs) are sparse. Considering the broad scope of GPs’ practice, an in-depth understanding of basic sciences is fundamental for making informed clinical decisions. This study evaluated GP registrars’ retention and perceptions of the utility of basic sciences in clinical practice.
Methods: Using sequential explanatory mixed methods study design, knowledge retention was assessed by a multiple-choice question (MCQ) examination followed by interviews on the perception of the relevance and utility of basic sciences among GP registrars at James Cook University's (JCU) General Practice Training (GPT) program. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted on the MCQ exam data, while thematic analysis was employed for the qualitative interview data.
Results: Sixty-one GP registrars participated in the MCQ exam, while 11 of them were involved in the interviews. The highest mean score was obtained in biochemistry (75.1 ± 2.23) while the lowest mean score was in anatomy (56.07 ± 3.16). Key performance predictors included the formative clinical examination scores (β = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.45 to 1.2, p < 0.001) and gender (β = -9.7, 95% CI: -17 to -2.3, p = 0.011). The qualitative data analysis revealed five themes, including the backbone of clinical medicine, varying utility over time and by specialty, clinical synthesis integrates encapsulated knowledge, professional pressures hinder revisitation of knowledge and knowledge renewal enhances updates.
Conclusion: Basic sciences were considered relevant in clinical practice. Development of continuing professional development (CPDs) sessions and clinically relevant online resources were measures proposed to enhance the retention of knowledge. Future research could focus on innovative educational strategies for GPs
Editorial: Innovations in older adult care and health service management: a focus on China
Get PDF[Extract] China stands at the forefront of a global demographic shift as home to over 260 million people aged 60 and above – this accounts for one-fifth of the world’s total older adult population and standing as the country with the largest number of older adults in the world (1). A recent Lancet editorial on population aging in China argued that the traditional model of care focussed on filial piety is unsustainable for China’s rapidly aging population (2). Newer models of care and investments are vital to challenge the emerging crisis of aged care in China. The Lancet Commission report from Peking University identified some of the significant investments made by the Chinese government to support older adults and improve aged care services (3). China is taking massive steps to strengthen institutional and community care infrastructure both as a substitute to and to complement the role of informal carers. Long-term care insurance (LTCI) has been piloted in many cities in China to support older adults, with the government focussing on integration of long-term care with health/hospital care. Given China’s unique regional segmentation of health insurance systems and regulatory environment for care provision, the Lancet Commission argued the necessity for better integration of services across regions and occupations, capping LTCI initiatives, expanding services for older adults and striving for a safer regulatory environment