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Resolving a century-old year mystery – the identity and provenance of the semiterrestrial crab, Parathelphusa (Liothelphusa) nobilii Colosi, 1920 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Gecarcinucidae) from Sarawak and a replacement name for Parathelphusa nobilii Ng, 2014
No full textThe uncertain taxonomic identity and provenance of the gecarcinucid karst crab Parathelphusa (Liothelphusa) nobilii Colosi, 1920 is resolved through the examination of historical type material and newly collected specimens. Stygothelphusa nobilii (Colosi, 1920) is confirmed as a distinct species closely related to S. bidiensis Lanchester, 1900, but it can be easily distinguished by its more quadrate carapace, the anterolateral margin being armed with a low epibranchial tooth, proportionally shorter ambulatory legs, and diagnostic gonopod morphology. The originally stated type locality, “Mt Saribau” is considered erroneous. Evidence from the collector’s records and recent collections indicate that the species was very likely obtained from the limestone karsts around Gua Chupak in southwestern Sarawak. In addition, Parathelphusa nobilii Ng, 2014 from Sambas in Indonesian Kalimantan is identified a junior primary homonym of Parathelphusa (Liothelphusa) nobilii Colosi, 1920. A replacement name, P. daisyae nom. nov., is therefore proposed
Simbol “Mayau” dan “Ukui” dalam Sempama Jaku Iban Berdasarkan Perspektif Semantik Inkuisitif = The Symbols of “Mayau” and “Ukui” in Iban Sempama Jaku from an Inquisitive Semantic Perspective
No full textThis study analyzes two Iban proverbs, "Baka mayau ngelamun tai" and "Baka ukui nyalak bukit," using the Semantic Inquisitive (SI) approach introduced by Jalaluddin (2014). This approach explores explicit and implicit meanings of the proverbs within the cultural context of the Iban
community. Data were sourced from "Sempama Jaku Iban" by Umping (2010) and structured interviews with five knowledgeable Iban informants. "Baka mayau ngelamun tai" reflects attempts to conceal faults, while "Baka ukui nyalak bukit" symbolizes futile actions. Cats and dogs serve as metaphors for human behaviors in these proverbs. The cat’s
act of burying feces represents efforts to hide wrongdoings, albeit unsuccessfully, while the dog’s barking at a hill illustrates wasted energy. These findings highlight the Iban community’s creativity in linking animal traits to human experiences, embedding moral and social values
within their proverbs. This study emphasizes the role of proverbs in preserving the intellectual heritage of the Iban community while extending the application of SI in minority language studies. The findings strengthen the understanding of Iban cultural practices and underline the significance of language as a medium for cultural values, social
norms, and philosophical insights relevant to modern society
Comparative Study on Structural Steel Bondek II Decking for Composite Floor Connections: Design Analysis in Compliance with EN1994-1-1:2004
No full textDue to their improved load-bearing capacity and structural efficiency, composite slabs — which combine concrete and profiled steel sheeting — are widely used in modern industrial buildings. The structural performance, durability, and sustainability of these systems are significantly enhanced through the combination of concrete, which provides compressive strength, and Lysaght Bondek II profiled steel sheeting, which acts as tensile reinforcement. In accordance with EN 1994-1-1:2004, this study re-evaluates the design of composite floor systems utilizing Bondek II profiled steel sheeting. The design provisions for composite steel and concrete structures are specified in Eurocode 4: Part 1-1: General rules and building regulations. The objective of this study is to compare the results of manual calculations performed in Microsoft Excel with those obtained using MegaFloor software for both the construction/formwork stage and the composite slab stage. A case study was carried out using Bondek II, a hot-dipped, zinc-coated high-tensile steel sheeting system, considering different span lengths and loading scenarios. The partial shear connection method, in accordance with EN 1994-1-1:2004, was adopted to assess shear resistance and bending moment capacity. The results demonstrated a high level of agreement between the manual calculations and the software outputs, with only minor variations observed in bending moment and shear force values. However, significant differences were identified in the shear (web crippling) capacity, indicating the need for further validation through experimental investigation. Ultimately, the study confirms that MegaFloor software is a dependable tool for composite floor design, complying with both British Standards and Eurocodes. The use of modern software tools alongside conventional design methods improves the accuracy, efficiency, and sustainability of construction practices
Enhanced swarm optimization for feature selection in electroencephalogram classification: investigating visibility graph and persistent homology-based features
No full textThe analysis of high-dimensional, nonlinear electroencephalogram (EEG) remains challenging, particularly for non-medical EEG, which shows only subtle distinctions
between data classes, compared to medical EEG. This study proposed a novel persistent homology (PH) pipeline by incorporating visibility graphs and an enhanced binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) with four improvement
strategies into a range of PH representations and filtrations, to classify non-medical EEG recordings in a visual recognition task under varying auditory conditions. By
integrating multi-domain features and robust feature selection, the proposed pipeline fills a crucial gap left by earlier PH-based EEG studies that mainly focus on narrow,
single-domain feature sets. The highest increases of 23.71% in accuracy and 17.77% in F1-score were achieved when classifying the alpha EEG from the O2 channel using
k-nearest neighbors classifier. The comparative analysis demonstrated the superiority of the enhanced BPSO over standard BPSO, while persistence landscape, silhouette,
Vietoris-Rips filtration, and weighted visibility graph consistently surpassed the others in performance. Alpha EEG exhibited better classification performance than beta EEG, indicating a stronger link between alpha activity and attentional modulation. The statistical significance test, hyperparameter sensitivity analysis, and benchmarking results using a public epilepsy EEG dataset validated the applicability of the proposed pipeline in different EEG analysis tasks. These findings corroborated the capability and impact of the proposed pipeline in complex EEG analysis,
promoting the development of the brain-computer interfaces
从前有个骰子 Once Upon a Time There was a DICE
No full textThe Chinese New Year is rich in vibrant cultural stories. If readers can learn about traditional Chinese festivals while having fun, why not? So, we came up with an idea: combining words with a chessboard. We named the little book "Once Upon a Time" (legendary stories), there was a DICE (board game). With each roll of the dice and every small step taken, it conveys the cultural essence passed down through generations
Mining Service Quality Dimensions from User-Generated Content : A Case Study on Chinese Fresh Food E-Commerce
Full text linkThis study explores the key dimensions of service quality in China’s fresh food e-commerce sector by analyzing large-scale user-generated content (UGC) from four major platforms. Employing the BERTopic model, the research extracted 18 latent topics from 56,765 customer reviews, which were further mapped into six overarching service quality dimensions: Product Quality, Logistics & Cold Chain, Economic Efficiency, Customer Service, Platform Experience, and Packaging & Hygiene. These dimensions reflect both classical service constructs from SERVQUAL and E-S-QUAL frameworks and unique operational characteristics specific to fresh e-commerce, such as perishability and cold-chain logistics. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of topic modeling in capturing authentic consumer perceptions and offers a more context-sensitive framework for service evaluation. The findings provide theoretical contributions by refining existing models and offer actionable insights for platform operators to optimize service design, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve competitive advantage in China’s evolving digital marketplace
Shorea macrophylla (Engkabang) phytochemical fruit extract exhibits antimicrobial susceptibility against Salmonella enterica and Citrobacter freundii
No full textBacterial infections are a major concern in aquaculture, and although antibiotics are commonly used for treatment, they may lead to toxicity and environmental risks. In search of safer alternatives, this study explores the antibacterial potential of natural compounds from the fruit of Shorea macrophylla (Engkabang), a native species known for its bioactive phytochemicals. The objective was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of engkabang fruit extracts against five aquaculture-relevant bacteria: Pseudomonas koreensis, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter hormaechei, Salmonella enterica, and Bacillus subtilis. Using the disc diffusion method, extracts were tested at concentrations of 20 mg/disc, 10 mg/disc, and 2 mg/disc with hexane, isopropanol, and acetone as solvents. Notably, C. freundii showed inhibition zones at all concentrations with isopropanol and hexane extracts, while S. enterica exhibited inhibition zones at all concentrations with isopropanol and acetone extracts. These results indicate significant antibacterial activity, highlighting engkabang fruit extract as a promising natural alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture
Brain-wide gamma activity during passive listening of rhythmic Quranic recitations in a naturalistic setting under MEG/EEG simultaneous recording
No full textThe involvement of high-frequency brainwaves in the neural processing of rhythmic Quranic recitation remains unclear, compared to the low-frequency brainwaves. This study examined the synchronisation of high-frequency gamma brainwaves (30–80 Hz) during passive listening to Quranic recitation in three different rhythmic styles. This experimental, cross-sectional study involving 29 healthy adult participants (14 Muslim, 15 non-Muslim) was conducted at the MEG laboratory at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. The average gamma source estimation was calculated using minimum-norm imaging, and the whole-brain functional connectivity of magnetoencephalography-electroencephalography (M/EEG) data was quantified using phase-locking value. The results revealed that the gamma waves synchronised in a network of brain regions that included the supramarginal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, central region, temporal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, Rolandic and frontal operculum, cerebellum, visual network regions, and superior parietal gyrus. The findings highlight brain-wide activation during Quranic recitation in Quran-naïve non-Muslim participants, comparable to that in Muslim participants familiar with the employed rhythmic recitation. Both groups also exhibited increased language perception of the Quranic recitation, although they did not understand Arabic (non-Arab natives). The high-frequency gamma activity in this study suggests that receptive listening to different styles of rhythmic Quranic recitation engages neural networks responsible for language and musical perception, emotional regulation, memory and attention, visual mental imagery, and multisensory processing
INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ASSESSING CHILDREN’S AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THROUGH E-DIGITAL GAMES
No full textSustainable development is a global priority, requiring future generations to adopt responsible practices that safeguard the environment. In Sarawak, persistent issues such as river and sea pollution, poor waste management, and community cleanliness continue to threaten both
biodiversity and human well-being. This highlights the need for innovative educational approaches that promote environmental awareness, particularly among primary school children. The objective of this research is to assess children’s awareness of environmental issues through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced e-digital game, while simultaneously fulfilling the Construction Sustainability course learning outcome at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The course emphasizes understanding the elements, benefits, constraints, and future directions of
sustainable construction projects, making this assessment a practical teaching and learning method. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, combining game-based learning with AIassisted observation and analysis. Primary school children participated in interactive digital games designed around pollution and environmental care. Their decision-making and behavioral patterns were observed, and AI tools such as ChatGPT were employed to generate insights on awareness levels. Undergraduate students engaged in evaluating the data, linking the findings to sustainability elements relevant to construction practices. The results show that e-digital games significantly enhanced children’s engagement and improved their environmental awareness. AI integration provided meaningful assessment feedback, while students demonstrated deeper comprehension of sustainability dimensions, including environmental preservation, cost
efficiency, and the challenges of limited resources and stakeholder involvement. In conclusion, this study highlights the dual benefit of using AI-based digital games to cultivate early environmental awareness and strengthen experiential learning for construction sustainability
education
EDTECH: AN AI EDUCATIONAL MODEL FOR EMPOWERING FASHION DESIGN IDEATION – A CASE STUDY ON BABA NYONYA HERITAGE
No full textThis paper introduces the AI Technology Integrated Education Model (EdTech) aimed at empowering fashion design ideation through the fusion of cultural heritage and advanced digital
learning tools. Centred on the Peranakan Elegance Garment Design Challenge, which celebrates the rich heritage of the ethnic groups in Melaka, the research addresses the need for innovative, inclusive, and globally collaborative approaches in fashion education. The objective was to promote AI-enhanced e-learning, encourage collaboration among educators and students, and highlight impactful digital innovations in higher education. The methodology employed a case
study approach, combining AI-assisted creative ideation tools, a curated cultural heritage repository, and a cloud-based collaborative learning platform. A group of fashion students engaged in a structured design process involving heritage research, AI-generated mood boards, storyboards, and real-time peer and mentor feedback. Data was collected through design output analysis and student feedback, measuring the effectiveness of AI integration in enhancing
creativity. Findings indicate that AI-assisted ideation accelerated the creative process, improved the quality and originality of design outcomes, and enhanced students’ confidence in blending heritage motifs with contemporary fashion trends. Additionally, the cultural heritage repository supported the preservation and reinterpretation of Baba Nyonya traditions, demonstrating the potential of AI in safeguarding intangible heritage while inspiring innovative design. The study concludes that the AI technology-integrated education model is a viable and scalable solution for future-oriented fashion ideation and education. It bridges traditional craftsmanship and modern
technology, supports inclusive participation, and fosters global collaboration. Beyond academia, the model holds potential for commercial applications in heritage-based product development and creative industries. This research contributes to the discourse on AI in innovative education,
offering a replicable framework adaptable to various cultural and design contexts