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Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the fourth common cancer in Malaysia. A few studies have looked into the incidence of NPC in Malaysia in general, but there has been no published data on its incidence in Sabah specifically, where NPC is very common among the population. The aim of this study is to present the first report on the incidence of NPC in the state of Sabah, Borneo. Methods: Data of all patients diagnosed with NPC over a 5-year period from January 2015 to December 2019 inclusive were collected from the NPC registry of 3 main hospitals in Sabah. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) for different genders, ethnicities, and districts of origin were calculated. Results: 215 NPC patients were identified with a mean age at diagnosis of 49 (range 9–82). The ASR of NPC was 7.9/100,000 where the average age-adjusted male-to-female ratio was 2.4. The highest ASR was found in Dusun ethnicity in both male (3.19/100,000) and female (1.69/100,000) individuals, followed by Chinese (both genders), and Kadazan (for male individuals) and Bajau (for female individuals). The highest ASR was found in patients originating from Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Keningau, and Tawau. Conclusion: This is the first report on the incidence of NPC in Sabah, Borneo. The data suggest high ASRs among the population, especially in male Dusun and Chinese ethnic groups. Further research looking into NPC in this state, especially on risk factors and ways to improve diagnosis and prevention among the population, is recommended.

External laryngeal trauma is a rather rare occurrence, and comprises a varying severity of injuries. Every laryngeal injury is unique and the management can be invariably complex. For the most severe forms of external laryngeal trauma, reparative procedures and laryngeal stenting (after control of the airway) are considered standard treatment. We present a case of a complex laryngeal trauma with extensive loss of tracheal cartilage and soft tissues which was treated with total laryngectomy.

We describe the development and testing of a novel thermal infrared sensor incorporating a dry reference surface for incorporation into field wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that allows the estimation of absolute transpiration rates and canopy conductance. This ‘dry reference’ sensor provides a physical reference surface that mimics the temperature of a non-transpiring canopy and can therefore be used in conjunction with canopy temperature to estimate either canopy transpiration or canopy conductance. The dry reference sensor is based on a hemispherical surface that mimics the distribution of shaded and sunlit leaves in non-transpiring canopy. Three dry reference sensors were deployed in a commercial cotton crop from which canopy transpiration and conductance was estimated for the entire season. We provide evidence that fixed infrared sensors with a dry reference surface, when combined with limited meteorological data, can provide useful continuous monitoring of crop water use and canopy conductance that is potentially of value for irrigation management and crop phenotyping applications. Key to the success of this dry sensor application is the requirement that the spectral absorptance of the sensor is tailored to match the crop of interest.

The nexus between human rights and the environment is a key issue for climate policymakers and Indigenous peoples around the world. We combine national spatial, social and biological datasets from Australia to describe where Indigenous carbon projects are happening, why Indigenous people are participating, and how effective these schemes might be at marrying Indigenous co-benefit, biodiversity and carbon emission mitigation goals. Our study shows that many Indigenous people engage in carbon offset schemes as part of their broader cultural responsibility for landscapes, and that they seek to grow the relationship between social and ecological benefits. It also highlights the challenges associated with designing carbon offset schemes that address the impacts of climate change and respond to Indigenous peoples’ world views about what is required to sustain cultural-social-ecological systems.

Many Indigenous communities in Australia are well situated to provide greenhouse gas abatement and carbon sequestration benefits, but little is known about the factors affecting the capability of Australia's Indigenous organisations to participate in climate change mitigation strategies. This paper provides a ‘snapshot’ summary of certain aspects of Australia's Indigenous organisations' participation in carbon offset schemes. The snapshot provides insight into the degree to which Indigenous organisations are aware of carbon market opportunities in Australia, the level that these Indigenous organisations participate in or engage with carbon-based economic enterprises, and the key pathways through which Indigenous carbon market opportunities are pursued. Analysis of data collected from a national survey conducted between 2011 and 2012 show that most obstacles to Indigenous participation in carbon offset schemes relate to land tenure arrangements; geographic and biophysical factors; low levels of requisite technical, human and financial resources; and appropriate recognition of Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsibilities. The snapshot also highlights the value of supporting regionally specific capacity-building strategies to enable Indigenous people to participate in emerging carbon offset activities and the generation of associated ecosystem services. Cultural, socio-economic or demographic factors that are also likely to influence the ability of many Indigenous communities to participate in carbon market opportunities are identified as important areas for further research.

Carbon offset mechanisms have been established to mitigate climate change through changes in land management. Regulatory frameworks enable landowners and managers to generate saleable carbon credits on domestic and international markets. Identifying and managing the associated co-benefits and dis-benefits involved in the adoption of carbon offset projects is important for the projects to contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development and the provision of benefits to the local communities. So far it has been unclear how Indigenous communities can benefit from such initiatives. We provide a spatial analysis of the carbon and biodiversity potential of one offset method, planting biodiverse native vegetation, on Indigenous land across Australia. We discover significant potential for opportunities for Indigenous communities to achieve carbon sequestration and biodiversity goals through biodiverse plantings, largely in southern and eastern Australia, but the economic feasibility of these projects depend on carbon market assumptions. Our national scale cost-effectiveness analysis is critical to enable Indigenous communities to maximise the benefits available to them through participation in carbon offset schemes.