Universiti Malaysia Perlis

Many developing countries face persistent barriers to implementing healthcare information systems (HIS). Weak regulatory frameworks and outdated digital infrastructure remain key challenges. Bangladesh illustrates this situation, where fragmented services and limited electronic patient records reduce access to quality healthcare. Evidence suggests that standardised hospital information systems can improve patient management and service efficiency. However, successful adoption requires strong institutional and policy support. This chapter synthesises the critical factors influencing HIS implementation in developing country contexts. It draws on a systematic literature review grounded in information systems research. Eight core studies were identified from IEEE Xplore, EBSCO, and ScienceDirect following rigorous screening of 4,014 records. Twelve success factors emerged and were grouped into four policy-relevant themes. Effective resource allocation and governance capacity were identified as the most decisive factors for sustainable HIS implementation.

Enhancing the heat and mass transfer performance of working fluids remains a critical challenge to pursue sustainable and energy-efficient technologies. Although regular working fluids have superior thermo-physical properties to pure base fluids, they often face limitations that hinder their adoption in multifunctional applications. To overcome these challenges, this study develops a novel, comprehensive and physically consistent mathematical model for an unsteady, electrically conducting ternary hybrid nanofluid composed of graphene oxide (GO), cerium oxide (CeO[Formula: see text], and hexagonal boron nitride ([Formula: see text]-BN) suspended in an environmentally friendly ionic liquid (Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) [EMIM][BF 4 ]. The model integrates magnetic effects, radiation heat transfer, viscous dissipation, Joule heating, and coupled thermo-diffusion effects. A fractal–fractional derivative operator is employed to generalize the governing equations, while the local radial basis functions (RBF) scheme is used to solve them numerically. Computational and graphical results reveal that CeO 2 suppresses the fluid velocity due to increased inertial resistance, while the dispersion of [Formula: see text]-BN significantly enhanced the thermal profile, resulting in a higher Nusselt number. Furthermore, higher values of Dufour and Soret numbers enhance the coupled heat and mass transfer rates, indicating the model’s potential to design advanced heat exchangers and smart cooling devices. These findings provide valuable guidelines for designing compact heat exchangers and thermal energy storage systems for applications in renewable energy and microelectronics cooling.

Cold bonded lightweight aggregate generated from fly ash (FA LWA) has become an interesting approach to increase the consumption of fly ash and prevent over-mining of natural aggregate. However, using the cold-bonded hardening method could increase the number of open pores in LWA, making the concrete containing this LWA face an increased risk of degradation due to water ingress. Thus, in this research, the effect of using FA LWA in concrete on the mechanical and transport properties in a salt environment is being investigated. Three aggregate replacement ratios of 0, 50, and 100% were applied, while the salt environment was mimicked with NaCl and Na2SO4 solutions. The results show that the optimum replacement rate of FA LWA was 50%. Regarding the transport properties, exposing concrete to a salt environment (NaCl or Na2SO4) proved to slow down the capillary imbibition rate slightly.

Premature deterioration of reinforced concrete is driven largely by moisture and chloride ingress, which accelerate steel corrosion and shorten service life. This study investigates a dual strategy to enhance durability while supporting circular-economy goals: (i) incorporating coal-fired biomass ash (CBA) as a fine-aggregate replacement (0%, 20%, and 50%) and (ii) applying bio-inspired surface treatments to reduce transport pathways. To capture variability in CBA performance across different environmental and material contexts, two concrete systems—produced in India and the UK—were evaluated, each subjected to a distinct coating approach: a bacterial self-healing treatment or a cinnamaldehyde (CNM) organic barrier. Mechanical, transport, and multi-scale characterization was performed, including compressive strength, capillary absorption, chloride migration (NT Build 492), SEM/EDS, XRF, and XRD. The 20% CBA mixes maintained or slightly improved strength, while higher CBA contents increased porosity but reduced chloride transport in the UK mix. The bacterial coating reduced long-term water absorption by over 80% through CaCO3 mineralization, offering strong moisture resistance. The CNM coating decreased chloride migration by up to 68% via hydrophobic and ionic-blocking effects. Overall, moderate CBA with self-healing treatment enhances moisture control, whereas higher CBA with CNM provides effective chloride protection, extending the service life of CBA-based concrete.

A computational study was conducted to simulate the pre-polymerization process of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) targeting ibuprofen (IBP), an extensively used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The study aimed to identify the most suitable functional monomer for IBP imprinting, evaluating the interactions of 2-vinyl pyridine (2VP), and methacrylic acid (MAA) with the IBP template molecule. Computational results indicated that MAA showed stronger hydrogen bonding and more favorable interactions with IBP compared to 2VP, making it a superior polymer for imprinting. Non-covalent imprinting was used to synthesize MIPs via the precipitation polymerization method. The synthesis was conducted by varying the key parameters, including the functional monomer types (2VP and MAA) and the molar ratio of template to functional monomers to crosslinker (1:4:20, 1:4:30 and 1:4:40). The resulting polymers, MIP-MAA and MIP-2VP, were characterized using fourier infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission electron microscopy (FESEM). Binding efficiency was evaluated through batch rebinding assays. The results revealed that MIP-MAA exhibited significantly higher binding capacities and imprinting factors compared to MIP-2VP. Among the compositions tested, the MIP-MAA prepared with a 1:4:30 (MIP-MAA C30) demonstrated the best adsorption performance and the highest affinity toward IBP. This study emphasizes the potential of MIP-MAA as an efficient adsorbent for the selective extraction of IBP from environmental matrices, offering a promising solution for mitigating pharmaceutical pollution.

This study aims to investigate the efficacy of area-wide management (AWM) approach on a large scale implemented in a tropical region against subterranean termite infestations. This AWM was carried out using a slow acting Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor (CSI), chlorfluazuron, as bait in the study area. A total of 11,511 in-ground stations were employed to intercept outdoor termite activities and 40 indoor above-ground stations were installed on infested structures in the study area. This study was carried out from April 2021 till March 2024. At the in-ground stations, total elimination of termite activity was recorded within 16 months from the start of the study, and no further interceptions were observed until the end of the study. The average days-to-elimination (DTE) of termite activity was recorded at 39.71 ± 2.47 days for in-ground stations. Above-ground stations had a high number of active stations from April to September 2021, followed by a sharp decrease after September 2021. No re-invasions were reported from March to December 2022. However, two active above-ground stations were recorded between January to March 2023, after which no termite activity was observed inside buildings during monitoring period till the end of the study. The above-ground stations recorded a slightly longer time to elimination than in-ground stations with 64.63 ± 8.30 days. This study shows the effectiveness of baiting in eliminating termite activities and the feasibility of implementing an area-wide baiting program to control termite infestation on a large scale.

Steganography, the ancient art of concealing information within innocuous carriers, has evolved into a sophisticated discipline at the intersection of cybersecurity, digital media, and data privacy. This comprehensive review explores the progression of steganographic techniques from historical ciphers to modern digital embedding methods, emphasizing its critical role as an invisible shield for data protection in the digital age. The paper categorizes and examines the primary types of steganography such as text, image, audio, video, and network-based highlighting their methodologies, strengths, and applications. A detailed literature review presents key advancements, current trends, and influential research contributions in the field. Furthermore, the paper evaluates quality metrics used to assess steganographic performance, including imperceptibility, capacity, and robustness. Security challenges and attack vectors such as steganalysis and active adversarial threats are discussed to underscore the ongoing arms race between steganographic methods and detection techniques. Recognizing the importance of empirical research, the review also catalogs widely used datasets tailored to various steganographic domains. The paper concludes by identifying current limitations and proposing future research directions aimed at enhancing security, adaptability, and real-world deployment of steganographic systems. This review serves as a foundational reference for researchers, practitioners, and students seeking to understand and advance the field of steganography