We interviewed 282 histologically confirmed cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Chinese residents of Selangor and the Federal Territory, Malaysia, and an equal number of Chinese age‐, sex‐, and length‐of‐residence‐matched controls sampled from the general population. Consumption of 55 dietary items during childhood, and 5 years pre‐diagnosis of NPC, was analyzed by univariate and multivariate methods. Four salted preserved foods (fish, leafy vegetables, egg and root), fresh pork/beef organ meats and beer and liquor consumption exhibited strong positive associations, and 4 vegetable/fruit combinations strong negative associations with NPC. Factor analysis and multivariable modeling using estimated factor scores strongly supported separate effects on NPC of vegetables/fruits, salted preserved foods, pork/beef organ meats and beer/liquor consumption. Multivariable modeling associated NPC most clearly with high consumption of salted fish, salted eggs, pork/beef liver and beer and low consumption of Chinese flowering cabbage, oranges/tangerines and shrimp. A strong residual association of social class with NPC remained after adjustment for diet, which is consistent with a substantial role for non‐dietary environmental factors. Int. J. Cancer 77:228–235, 1998.© 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

This study supports previous findings that some occupational inhalants are risk factors for NPC. The statistical effect of wood dust remained substantial after adjustment for diet, cigarette smoke, and social class. Intense industrial heat emerged as a previously unreported risk factor, statistically significant even after adjustment for diet and cigarette smoke. No association was found between NPC and formaldehyde.

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Makalah ini Ielah cuba menonjolkan beberapa ciri penting dalam perkembangan pembandaran di Kuala Lumpur- Petaling Jaya sejak tahun 1970an dan memeriksa cara bagaimana perkembangan ini telah mempengaruhi pola suhu pada waktu malam. Perbandingan po/a suhu bagi tahun-tahun 1972, 1975 dan 1980 menunjukkan bahawa intensiti pulau haba telah bertambah disertai oleh pertambahan kawasan yang mempunyai suhu tinggi. Perbezaan suhu di antara pusat bandar dan kawasan Kebun Bunga telah menjadi berkurangan dan tidak sebegitu ketara seperti yang terdapat pada tahun 1972. Perubahan-perubahan ini adalah disebabkan oleh bertambahnya bilangan kenderaan berinjin di jalan-jalan raya di samping pertambahan kawasan perumahan dan jalan-jalan raya itu sendiri. Selain daripada mempengaruhi suhu dan keselesaan,permukaan-permukaan yang tidak telap air ini juga mempengaruhi haidrologi kawasan bandar. Larian air dari kawasan bandar adalah lebih tinggi daripada kawasan luar-bandar. Makalah ini seterusnya mencadangkan supaya selari dengan rancangan-rancangan perumahan dan jalanraya, rancangan-rancangan menanam pokok juga perlu dijalankan kerana ini akan mengurangkan larian air dan seterusnya kejadian banjir kilat di bandar. The paper has attempted to highlight some salient features in the growth and development of urbanization in the Kuala Lumpur- Petaling Jaya since the early 1970s and examine the way in which such growth has affected night-time temperature patterns. Comparison of temperatures during 1972,1975 and 1980 indicates that the intensity of the heat island had increased quite considerably followed by an increasingly larger areas having higher temperatures. The steep temperature gradient between the central city and the Lake Garden which was observed in 1972 had by 1980 disappeared. Such changes were attributed to the increased number of motor vehicles on the roads, the opening up of the many new housing estates and road building itself. Apart from affecting temperatures, paved surfaces also affect the hydrology of the area. Studies have shown that increased runoff from urban areas can be quite considerable. It is suggested that along with road construction and housing development programmes those of tree planting must also follow suit immediately. Such programmes will have the effect of decreasing runoff and hence flash floods.

Abstract. Water is the most treasure natural resources, however, a huge amount of water are lost during its distribution that leads to water leakage problem. The leaks meant the waste of money and created more economic loss to treat and fix the damaged pipe. Researchers and engineers have put tremendous attempts and effort, to solve the water leakage problem especially in water leakage of buried pipeline. An advanced technology of ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been established as one of the non-destructive testing (NDT) method to detect the underground water pipe leaking. This paper focuses on the ability of GPR in water utility field especially on detection of water leaks in the underground pipeline distribution. A series of laboratory experiments were carried out using 800-MHz antenna, where the performance of GPR on detecting underground pipeline and locating water leakage was investigated and validated. A prototype to recreate water-leaking system was constructed using a 4-inch PVC pipe. Different diameter of holes, i.e. ¼ inch, ½ inch, and ¾ inch, were drilled into the pipe to simulate the water leaking. The PVC pipe was buried at the depth of 60 cm into the test bed that was filled with dry sand. 15 litres of water was injected into the PVC pipe. The water leakage patterns in term of radargram data were gathered. The effectiveness of the GPR in locating the underground water leakage was ascertained, after the results were collected and verified.

Modern industrial plant operations often require accurate level measurement of process liquids in production and storage vessels. A variety of advanced level indicators are commercially available to meet the demand, but these may not suit specific need of situations. The neutron backscatter technique is exceptionally useful for occasional and routine determination, particularly in situations such as pressure vessel with wall thickness up to 10 cm, toxic and corrosive chemical in sealed containers, liquid petroleum gas storage vessels. In level measurement, high energy neutrons from 241 Am-Be radioactive source are beamed onto a vessel. Fast neutrons are slowed down mostly by collision with hydrogen atoms of material inside the vessel. Parts of thermal neutron are bounced back towards the source. By placing a thermal detector next to the source, these backscatter neutrons can be measured. The number of backscattered neutrons is directly proportional to the concentration of the hydrogen atoms in front of the neutron detector. As the source and detector moved by the matrix around the side of the vessel, interfaces can be determined as long as it involves a change in hydrogen atom concentration. This paper presents the slow neutron mapping technique to indicate level interface of a test vessel.

Abstract. Malaysia, like many countries of the Third World, places high priority on economic development. Through a series of Five Year Plans, the economy has greatly expanded. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 6 percent during the 1980s and the manufacturing sector now accounts for in excess of 27 percent of GDP. This paper highlights the consequences of these economic changes to the Malaysian environment, summarises measures taken by government to reduce consequential environmental problems and to ensure sustainable development, and comments on prospects for the 1990s.

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