Good indoor air quality in school environment is crucial for teaching and learning processes, as well as student development. This study aims to identify the composition of PM2.5 and the main sources of it which influence the indoor and outdoor school environment. The PM2.5 sampling was conducted using a portable low volume air sampler and took place at three different primary schools. The chemical composition of PM2.5 is comprised of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSII) and potentially toxic trace metals. WSII (Cl?, NO3?, SO42?, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) were analysed using ion chromatography (IC) and trace metals concentrations (Al, Fe, Zn, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni, As, Co, Cd) using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that the highest average for PM2.5 concentrations in an indoor classroom was recorded at the school located in the industrial area (23.5 ?g/m3) followed by urban (18.6 ?g/m3) and suburban (9.58 ?g/m3). The indoor to outdoor (I/O) ratio v.....

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The article provides an overview of studies on the causes of the formation of hydrogen sulfide in anaerobic conditions of urban sewage systems and methods for neutralizing toxic reagent sulfur-containing compounds. It is noted that the presence of sulfur compounds and organic components in sewage flow leads to the formation and release of hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere of settlements. Three main categories of methods for purifying sewage wastewater from hydrogen sulfide are presented. In this work, a complex alumina-ferrous coagulant has been developed from Kazakh raw materials. Based on natural ferruginous diatomite and middlings of sintered alumina, a complex alumina-ferrous coagulant has been synthesized, which is effective in purifying wastewater from hydrogen sulfide, accelerating the processes of sedimentation and clarification of sewage slurries. Experimental results also show that with the supply of increased amounts of coagulant, oil and oil films disappear from the surf.....

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Due to the spread of COVID-19 that hit Malaysia, all academic activities at educational institutions including universities had to be carried out via online learning. However, the effectiveness of online learning is remains unanswered. Besides, online learning may have a significant impact if continued in the upcoming academic sessions. Therefore, the core of this study is to predict the academic performance of undergraduate students at one of the public universities in Malaysia by using Recurrent Forecasting-Singular Spectrum Analysis (RF-SSA) and Vector Forecasting-Singular Spectrum Analysis (VF-SSA). The key concept of the predictive model is to improve the efficiency of different types of forecast model in SSA by using two parameters which are window length (L) and number of leading components (r). The forecasting approaches in SSA model was based on the Grading Point Assessments (GPA) for undergraduate students from Faculty Science and Mathematics, UPSI via online classes during C.....

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Contraceptive use among women remains an important public health intervention. Imperatively, the equality of family planning access between rural and urban areas allows all women to have the same opportunities to receive family planning service towards better well-being of families. The study aims at comparing the family planning preferences among women aged 15 to 49 throughout Malaysia in 2018 according to the geographical locations of rural and urban areas. This is important for resource planning and allocation to the National Population and Family Development Board (NPFDB) clinic based on the locations. The data were collected from 49 NPFDB clinics throughout Malaysia. A total of 3668 married women aged 15 to 49 years used the family planning service in this NPFDB clinic in 2018. In this study, descriptive, Chi-Square, and logistic regression analyses were carried out to compare the patterns and preferences of contraceptive use. The results analysis shows that implant is the most po.....

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This study was conducted to compare the muscle activation during traditional, diamond and knuckle push up among trained men. Thirty men that had at least one year experience in fitness training involved as participants in this study. Participants were required to perform all the three kinds of push up in a randomised order to avoid bias effects in exercise order. Electromyography method was used to obtain the pectoralis major, triceps brachii and anterior deltoid muscle activation. Muscle activation was reported as percentages of maximal voluntary contraction. One way repeated measure analysis of variances (ANOVA) was conducted to compare the muscle activation between the three push up protocols. Results showed that the muscle activation of pectoralis major and anterior deltoid were highest during traditional push up while being the lowest during diamond push up. However, the muscle activation of triceps brachii was highest during diamond push up and lowest during traditional push up. .....

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This study was conducted to compare the muscle activation during traditional, clap and power push up among trained men. A total of thirty trained men that are physically active and have at least one year experienced in fitness training and having good techniques in push up exercises were recruited as study participants. Participants were required to perform all three types of push up in a randomised order to avoid bias in the exercise sequence. Electromyogram was used to detect the muscle activites of pectoralis major, triceps brachii and anterior deltoids. Muscle activation was reported as percentage of the maximum voluntary contraction value. The results showed that the muscle activation was highest during the clap push up followed by the power push up and traditional push up. As a conclusion, increasing the difficulty by applying plyometric technique during push up give a significant impact in terms of muscle activation in which is believed to be affect the muscle strength and size .....

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The aim of this study is to modulate the controlled release properties of zinc hydroxide nitrate?sodium dodecylsulphate?bispyribac (ZHN?SDS?BP) nanocomposite, by coating the nanocomposite using chitosan. This study was conducted as part of an effort to reduce the environmental problems caused by the over-use of pesticides. The characterisation study shows that chitosan had been successfully coated onto the outer surface of the ZHN?SDS?BP (BP concentration of 0.05�M) without changing the types of ions intercalated in its interlayer gallery. The chitosan-coated nanocomposite, ZHN?SDS?BP?Chi also possesses a better thermal stability compared to the uncoated nanocomposite. Owing to the polycationic, hygroscopic nature, and gelation ability of chitosan, the chitosan coating was found to significantly prolong the release of bispyribac. The ZHN?SDS?BP?Chi showed a better performance in releasing pesticides, with prolonged release time ranging from 462 to 5349�min, compared to 74 to 4117ï¿.....

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Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is a new trend in flexible education due to its flexibility to study anything, anywhere and anytime. It has the potential to attract a huge number of learners to study courses unlimitedly via the online platform. This is a design and development study where a Chemistry MOOC was developed in an OpenLearning platform using ADDIE Instructional Design Model. The purpose of this study is to (1) identify the validity of the e-content module and e-assessment module in the Chemistry MOOC, (2) identify the reliability of the e-content module and e-assessment module in the Chemistry MOOC and (3) gauge undergraduate students? perceptions on the MOOC, especially the instructional design elements, the acceptance and usage barrier. Instruments involved in the study are content validity evaluation form, module reliability questionnaire and perception questionnaire. Four content experts and 23 undergraduate students were involved in evaluating the validity and reliabi.....

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