Objectives: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the stress on blood banks and deprived the blood sources due to the containment measures that restrict the movement and travel limitations among blood donors. During this time, Malaysia had a significant 40% reduction in blood supply. Blood centers and hospitals faced a huge challenge balancing blood demand and collection. The health care systems need a proactive plan to withstand the uncertain situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the psychosocial factors that affect blood donation behavior during a pandemic and aims to propose evidence-based strategies for a sustainable blood supply. Study design: Qualitative design using focus group discussion (FGD) was employed. Methods: Data were acquired from the two FGDs that group from transfusion medicine specialists (N = 8) and donors (N = 10). The FGD interview protocol was developed based on the UTM Research Ethics Committee’s approval. Then, the data was analyzed using Nvivo based on the General Inductive Approach (GIA). Results: Analysis of the text data found that the psychology of blood donation during the pandemic in Malaysia can be classified into four main themes: (i) reduced donation; (ii) motivation of donating blood; (iii) trends of donation; and (iv) challenges faced by the one-off, occasional, and non-donors. Conclusions: Based on the emerging themes from the FGDs, this study proposes four psycho-contextual strategies for relevant authorities to manage sustainable blood accumulation during the pandemic: (1) develop standard operating procedure for blood donors; (2) organize awareness campaigns; (3) create a centralized integrated blood donors database; and (4) provide innovative Blood Donation Facilities.
Physical sampling of water on site is necessary for various applications like drinking water quality checking in lakes and checking for contaminants in freshwater systems. The use of water surface vehicles is a promising technology for monitoring and sampling water bodies, and they offer several advantages over traditional monitoring methods. This project involved designing and integrating a drone controller, water collection sampling contraption unit, and a surveillance camera system into a water surface vehicle (WSV). The drone controller unit is used to operate the boat from the starting location until the location of interest and then back to the starting location. The drone controller has an autopilot system where the operator can set a course and be able to travel following the path set, whereas the WSV will fight the external forces to keep itself in the right position. The water collection sampling unit is mounted onto WSV so when it travels to the location, it can start collecting and holding water samples until it returns to the start location. The field of view (FOV) surveillance camera helps the operator to observe the surrounding location during the operation. Experiments were conducted to determine the operational capabilities of the robot boat at the Ayer Keroh Lake. The water collection sampling contraption unit collected samples from 44 targeted areas of the lake. The comprehensive examination of 14 different water quality parameters were tested from the collected water samples provides insights into the factors influencing the pollution and observation of water bodies. The successful design and development of a water surface surveillance and pollution tracking vehicle marks the key achievements of this study. The developed collection and surveillance unit holds the potential for further refinement and integration onto various other platforms. They are offering valuable assistance in water body management, coastal surveillance, and pollution tracking. This system opens up new possibilities for comprehensive water body assessments, contributing to the advancement of sustainable and efficient water testing. Through careful sampling efforts, a thorough overview of the substances presents in the water collected from Ayer Keroh Lake has been compiled. This in-depth analysis provides important insights into the lake’s current condition, offering valuable information about its ecological health.
Many financial crises have occurred in recent decades, such as the International Debt Crisis of 1982, the East Asian Economic Crisis of 1997–2001, the Russian economic crisis of 1992–1997, the Latin American debt Crisis of 1994–2002, the Global Economic Recession of 2007–2009, which had a strong impact on international relations. The aim of this article is to create an econometric model of the indicator for identifying crisis situations arising in stock markets. The approach under consideration includes data for preprocessing and assessing the stability of the trend of time series using higher-order moments. The results obtained are compared with specific practical situations. To test the proposed indicator, real data of the stock indices of the USA, Germany and Hong Kong in the period World Financial Crisis are used. The scientific novelty of the results of the article consists in the analysis of the initial and given initial moments of high order, as well as the central and reduced central moments of high order. The econometric model of the indicator for identifying crisis situations arising considered in the work, based on high-order moments plays a pivotal role in crisis detection in stock markets, influencing financial innovations in managing the national economy. The findings contribute to the resilience and adaptability of the financial system, ultimately shaping the trajectory of the national economy. By facilitating timely crisis detection, the model supports efforts to maintain economic stability, thereby fostering sustainable growth and resilience in the face of financial disruptions. The model’s insights can shape the national innovation ecosystem by guiding the development and adoption of monetary and financial innovations that are aligned with the economy’s specific needs and challenges.
The reduction of biodiversity and the decline in wildlife populations are urgent environmental issues with devasting consequences for ecosystems and human health. As a result, the protection of wildlife and biodiversity has emerged as one of humanity’s greatest goals, not only for protecting and maintaining human health but also for environmental, economic, and social well-being. In recent years, people have become increasingly aware of the importance and effectiveness of wildlife conservation efforts alongside environmental protection measures, sustainable agricultural practices and non-harmful production procedures and services. This study describes the development and implementation of a labeling scheme for wildlife and biodiversity protection for products or services. The label is designed to encourage the adoption of sustainable and environmentally friendly production methods and services that will contribute to biodiversity conservation and the harmonic coexistence of human-wildlife. Moreover, using a case study approach, the research presents an innovative information system designed to streamline the label-awarding process, ensuring transparency and efficiency. The established system evaluates the sustainability practices and measures implemented by businesses, with a focus on honey production in this case. Additionally, the study explores the broader social implications of the label, particularly its potential to engage consumers and promote awareness of biodiversity conservation.
This longitudinal study is dedicated to the evaluation of the comprehensive impact of educational reforms through a mixed research methodology which is a combination of the quantitative- and qualitative-oriented research methods to check the students’ outcomes. Data was collected in the span of [mention the time frame] from various data sources for instance standardized test scores, school performance statistics, and through open-ended qualitative evaluation from both students and teachers. Data analysis carried on after the reforms had been put in place revealed that there was a considerable rise in mean test scores and success graduation rates. Therefore, formative evaluation demonstrates the need for implementing reforms that will eventually help the students in boosting academic performance. Besides, there is no difference among investor opinions on teachers, administrators, and students who are involved with the implementation of the reforms. Stakeholders manifest this new assistance as an outcome of lasting improvements in curriculum quality, methods of teaching, and student participation. The study approaches two main challenges that are confronted with education reform that is resourcelessness and to society the change of the educational system can be more suitable for the students to excel academically and it can have an impact on the whole community. Even though this study makes important advancements toward the realization of the complex education implementation process and its effect on student academics, there are elements in which it can be criticized. Both quantitative and qualitative performance improvement is important as well as all the important stakeholder participation. This way the transformation process becomes layered. In other words, these results point to the necessity of planning interventions for longer periods that target the challenges and the forces that maintain the low levels of education performance by the counties.
The research aims to map environmental protection strategies and the related control tools and to identify the links among companies with the largest number of employees and sites in Hungary. The research questions were answered using a questionnaire survey method. The authors used cluster analysis to classify the 205 company strategies into the identified strategy clusters: Leaders, Awakeners, and Laggards. Then, the examined 21 environmental management control tools in the sample were divided into four groups: strategic, administrative, methodological and economic. Economic and strategic methods were the most common in the sample. The authors used cross-tabulation analysis to examine whether there is a statistically proven relationship between belonging to environmental strategy clusters and specific control tools. The analysis showed significant but weak to moderate relationships. According to Cramer’s V and the contingency coefficient, the closest relationship between the tested environmental management control tools and membership in environmental strategy clusters is shown by evaluating investments, assessing the economic viability of environmental strategies, and running an environmental training program for employees. In case of the robust lambda indicator, a significant relationship was found by examining the economics of environmental strategies and identifying environmental success factors and eco-balances. It can be concluded that the companies under examination follow a set of environmental goals, which they have incorporated into their strategic objectives. They use the available environmental management control toolbox to develop their strategies and to monitor their implementation to varying degrees.
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