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REVEALING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF RURAL TOURISM: EXPLORING TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE RESOURCES IN SARAWAK (MALAYSIA) AND HENAN PROVINCE (CHINA)
Get PDFTourism activities significantly impact a country’s economy, environment, community, and visitors. In the Malaysian context, rural communities have adopted rural tourism as an alternative source of income. The competitiveness of a tourism destination is crucial for the long-term profitability of rural tourism destinations. The tourism experience is a critical factor for tourists when choosing a destination. Therefore, it is essential to focus not only on attractions but also on a destination’s infrastructure, image, and hospitality. However, current literature lacks a single study that examines the impact of both tangible and intangible resources on the competitiveness of rural tourism destinations, using mobile technology as a moderating variable with a multi-group analysis approach. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the tangible and intangible tourism assets that determine the competitiveness of rural tourism destinations, with the moderating effects of mobile technology use. The results were then compared between Sarawak, Malaysia, and Henan province, China, to provide a better understanding of rural tourism destination competitiveness in the Asia region. A total of 525 datasets were collected (233 from Sarawak and 292 from Henan) for analysis in the current study. A partial least squares multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) was employed to compare Sarawak and Henan. The results revealed a strong and positive correlation between rural tourism destination competitiveness and factors such as destination appeal, destination image, and service quality. Furthermore, it was found that mobile technology use moderated the relationship between destination image and rural tourism destination competitiveness. Theoretically, the findings contribute to existing literature and the theory of competitiveness by offering additional insights into destination competitiveness. The results also serve as an important reference for scholars interested in extending research on destination competitiveness, particularly in the field of rural tourism. Practically, tourism practitioners in Sarawak, Malaysia, and Henan province, China, can use the findings as a reference for decision-making, especially in policy-making and marketing strategies. ICT developers can also refer to this study when designing mobile technologies, with a focus on better integrating mobile technology into tourism infrastructure. Finally, both the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed
Supportive work environment for people with Down syndrome in Malaysia : a cross-sectional study
No full textUnderstanding organizational culture, knowledge of employment rights, and positive attitudes towards people with disabilities is crucial for creating inclusive workplaces. This Malaysian study compared the perspectives of employers, employees, and community members with disabilities using a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling of 595 respondents. Data on demographics, organizational culture, legislative knowledge, and attitudes were collected via a validated survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression in JAMOVI and SPSS, with a p-value<.05 indicating significance. The study found a moderately supportive organizational culture for employing people with disabilities, with the highest scores in supportive work environments and inclusive culture. Employers and employees perceived greater top management commitment and inclusivity than community members with Down syndrome. Legislative knowledge and positive attitudes significantly shaped perceptions of a supportive and inclusive workplace. Muslim participants reported greater support and disability-accommodating human resource (HR) practices than those of other religions. The findings underscore the need for targeted training and awareness programs on disability rights to enhance inclusivity among all stakeholders in Malaysia
HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF SKIN STRUCTURE VARIATION ACROSS DIFFERENT BODY REGIONS OF FOUR-LINED TREE FROG IN SARAWAK (Polypedates leucomystax) AMPHIBIA: ANURA: RHACOPHORIDAE
Get PDFThe frog skin is essential for its respiration, to retain chemical toxins, osmoregulation, and protection. Each of the frogs’ skin glands has a specific function.
Therefore, variations in skin traits in different body regions of frogs may be in response to their environmental adaptability. Tree frogs encounter the challenges posed by disruption of natural habitats. In order to our understanding of the function of glands and gland
variations across distinct body regions, we examine skin structure in the Bornean Fourlined Frog, Polypedates leucomystax. Using Haematoxylin and Eosin staining techniques and a light microscope, the skin of selected adult frogs was investigated. The results revealed that the various body regions of P. leucomystax exhibited the same trait in terms of the layers of the epidermis and dermis within their skins. In the skin of P. leucomystax,
three type of glands, namely mucous, serous, and seromucous glands, release their contents onto the epidermal surface via an intra-epithelial duct. The thickness of the epidermal
layer and the distribution of glands differ between the dorsal and ventral areas, implying an underlying strategy of adaptation. The presence of seromucous glands is abundant in
every part including dorsal and ventral for this species’ special adaptability. The observed patterns of serous, mucous, and seromucous gland distribution across distinct skin regions could potentially mirror the behaviours of this species within its natural habitat. These discoveries may aid in understanding how the skin structure fulfil the ecological needs of the species, particularly within the modified settings of fragmented environments
Hikayat Panglima Nikosa : Analisis Pemikiran Pengarang Berlandaskan Teori SPB4K
Get PDFHikayat Panglima Nikosa (HPN) dalam perbincangan semasa banyak menjurus kepada kepentingan penyerlahannya sebagai dokumen karya sastera terawal, berusia lebih 145 tahun yang sangat berharga diterbitkan di Kuching, Sarawak. Kupasan dari pelbagai sudut telah dibuat oleh ramai tokoh penting, melibatkan sasterawan, sejarawan, ahli akademik, tidak ketinggalan ahli bahasa dan budaya, dalam dan luar negara. Dari sudut penelitian bahasa, makalah ini mencuba untuk merungkai pemikiran yang mendasari kepengarangan penulis HPN, iaitu Ahmad Shawal Abdul Hamid. Kaedah analisis kandungan diaplikasikan dengan fokus kepada teks manuskrip ini, seterusnya data dihurai berlandaskan teori pemikiran yang melibatkan unsur kerohanian, kesaintifikan, kebitaraan, dan kekreatifan, iaitu teori SPB4K yang dipelopori oleh Mohd. Yusuf Hasan (2007). Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa keempat-empat elemen pemikiran yang ditonjolkan menerusi teori yang diaplikasi sememangnya wujud dan mendasari HPN, dan secara langsung menunjukkan pemikiran pengarang yang cendekia dan peka dalam melontarkan isu-isu berkaitan panduan hidup, situasi sosial, ekonomi dan kepentingan berfikir dan berusaha dengan perancangan yang rapi, sesuai dengan zamannya. Penelitian ini memberi implikasi penting dalam kupasan manuskrip ulung di tanah Sarawak, dan pada masa sama menunjukkan signifikan dari sudut teori, lantaran kupasan data yang sistematik dan terfokus dalam konteks pemikiran pengarangnya.
Kata Kunci: Hikayat Panglima Nikosa; kerohanian; kesaintifikan; kebitaraan; kekreatifa
Integrated life cycle assessment-systems thinking approach for medical waste management in Ghanaian hospitals
No full textThis study integrates life-cycle assessment (LCA) with systems-thinking to evaluate medical-waste treatment
options in five Ghanaian hospitals (KBTH, KATH, CCTH, BRH, UCCH). Using a functional unit of 1 kg mixed hospital waste, inventories were modelled in Brightway2/biosphere3 and characterised with CML v4.8 across eight impact categories. We compared current practice and five improvement scenarios and ranked options via entropy-weighted TOPSIS. Autoclaving emerged as the optimal treatment method with a TOPSIS score of 0.994 (CI: 0.992–0.997), followed by pyrolysis (0.990) and microwave treatment (0.986), while incineration plus
landfill performed worst across toxicity and climate indicators. Reductions reported herein are relative (%)
changes versus the baseline scenario at each facility. Scenario analysis demonstrates that smaller facilities can
achieve complete impact reductions (-100 %) across most environmental categories through improved segregation and technology adoption, while larger facilities show varied improvements ranging from − 56.4 % to − 84.8 % relative to the baseline. Sensitivity analysis indicated that incineration and landfill treatments are highly sensitive to waste composition and segregation efficiency. Systems-feedback analysis highlights wastesegregation efficiency and emission controls as dominant levers. Findings indicate that upgrading segregation to ≥ 80–95 % and deploying non-burn technologies can yield large relative reductions in human-toxicity and climate-change impacts, supporting Ghana’s policy goals. This combined LCA–systems framework provides a
transparent, replicable decision basis for hospital and regional planners. This is the first Ghana-focused framework that integrates LCA, systems thinking, and MCDA to rank hospital waste-treatment choices under uncertainty, quantifying facility-specific, relative impact reductions. It operationalizes evidence into a replicable decision tool for Cleaner Production in LMIC health systems. Practical relevance: across five Ghanaian hospitals, pairing non-burn treatment with ≥ 80–95 % segregation delivers 56–100 % relative reductions in toxicity indicators and ~75–89 % in climate-change impacts versus baseline. The integrated LCA–systems–MCDA tool is directly usable by hospital planners for Cleaner Production decisions
Economic policy uncertainty Economic policy uncertainty and corpora and corporate investment : te investment: The modera The moderating effect ting effect of corpora of corporate social te social responsibility
Get PDFEconomic policy uncertainty has a profound impact on firms’ investment decisions, mainly in terms of increased risk and uncertainty for firms when planning future investments. This study aims to explore the impact of corporate economic policy uncertainty on corporate investment, as well as how corporate social responsibility disclosure moderates the relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and corporate investment. The analysis uses a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2022, including 33,791 observations. The study uses ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with clustered standard errors. The basic and robust regression empirical results show that economic policy uncertainty has a negative impact on corporate investment. However, corporate social responsibility plays an important moderating role between them. The two-stage least squares method (2SLS) is used to solve the endogeneity problem of reverse causation. The heterogeneity results show that economic policy uncertainty significantly dampens business investment, while corporate social responsibility
(CSR) is effective in mitigating this negative effect, especially among non-state-owned and low-cash-flow firms, where this moderating effect is more pronounced. The study
concludes that as corporate social responsibility disclosure enhances information transparency and investor confidence, companies should prioritize CSR programs that ultimately help companies remain competitive and attractive to investors in volatile markets. Meanwhile, this also highlights the strategic importance of CSR in mitigating
external risks, such as those presented through volatile economic policies
A Heuristic for Wearable Virtual Reality Educational Applications
Get PDFStudents frequently encounter difficulties in grasping abstract concepts within the education process, particularly in subjects like science. To address the diverse learning needs of students, educational institutions globally are increasingly adopting advanced technology-based tools. Virtual Reality (VR), transitioning from its origins in gaming, has emerged as a significant tool in education, offering engaging and immersive learning experiences. The usability of VR educational applications is paramount as it directly influences student satisfaction, motivation, and learning outcomes, especially in challenging subjects. However, a notable gap exists in the lack of established guidelines for evaluating the usability of virtual reality educational applications. This research aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive heuristic checklist for evaluating the usability of wearable VR educational applications (WVREA). Employing an eight-step methodology, the study involved expert judgment from academics and industry practitioners (n=25) for the efficacy assessment of the heuristics, followed by heuristic evaluations conducted by academics and industry practitioners (n=15) and schoolteachers (n=15). The findings indicated that the developed checklist effectively identified and addressed key usability issues, with no further heuristics deemed necessary. Positive feedback from HCI experts, VR specialists, and schoolteachers confirmed the effectiveness of the revised heuristics in addressing usability concerns. This research demonstrates the potential of the developed heuristic checklist to serve as a standard assessment tool for WVREA usability. Ultimately, this study lays a crucial foundation for establishing standardised usability practices for WVREA, thereby facilitating the creation of more user-centred and effective VR educational experiences.
Keywords: Wearable Virtual Reality (WVREA), VR education, VR Usability Evaluation, Usability Heuristics, and Standardised Evaluation Practices
Strength Optimization of Stabilized Peat Using Scrap Tire with Additives
No full textPeat soils are problematic for construction due to high moisture and organic content, low shear strength, and high compressibility. This study examines optimization of stabilized peat strength using Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), recycled tire materials (rubber crumb (RC) and rubber powder (RP)); and a calcium-based biomass resin stabilizer (SH-85) to identify an optimum additive combination that improves subgrade performance and promotes waste reuse. Peat from Kg. Endap, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak was characterized for physical, index, and mechanical properties; tests comprised Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) at 7, 28, and 56 days, supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) for microstructural analysis. Mix designs varied RC/RP at 5%, 10%, and 15% and SH-85 at 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%, and cement fixed at 5% by dry weight. The optimum formulation of peat + 5% OPC + 15% RC + 6% SH-85 achieved UCS above 345 kPa and CBR exceeding 12%, meeting requirements for subgrades. SEM/EDX indicated a denser, cemented matrix with fewer voids and higher calcium and silicon, consistent with cementitious gel formation and improved bonding. Numerical modelling in GeoStudio (SIGMA/W, SLOPE/W) assessed embankment loading at field scale; a 300 mm stabilized layer reduced settlement to the CREAM threshold of 200 mm and increased the factor of safety to acceptable standards. The Modified Cam Clay model represented compressibility better than Mohr-Coulomb. The findings confirm that combining scrap-tire materials, cement, and SH-85 improves peat strength, stiffness, and stability, supporting resilient infrastructure on problematic soils and linking microstructural enhancements with mechanical performance.
Keywords: Peat stabilization, scrap tire rubber, SH-85, cement, UCS, CBR, SEM, EDX, GeoStudio, sustainable geotechnics
Paddy Farmers’ Awareness, and Perception Towards Agroforestry Practice and The Effect of Different Agricultural Practices on Selected Soil Properties in Siburan Sarawak
No full textAgriculture is essential for the survival of humanity, but unsustainable practices threaten its long-term viability. Rice is an important crop as it is a staple food and the main source of income and livelihood, especially for rural communities in Malaysia. Intensive farming activities such as tillage, residue burning and the use of agrochemicals can lead to soil erosion and degradation. Sustainable practices such as intercropping, agroforestry and home gardening are known to improve soil health and reduce environmental impact. Agroforestry has gained popularity due to its ability to counteract the effects of climate change by increasing the resilience of agriculture but also combat food insecurity and land degradation. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce agroforestry practices to farmers to diversify their income sources s and help them adapt to climate change. The aim of this study was to determine the awareness and perception of rice farmers in Siburan, Sarawak towards agroforestry. Moreover, different agricultural practices have different effects on soil properties, so this study also aimed to determine the selected physicochemical properties of soil under different agricultural practices. Data for the first two objectives were collected through questionnaire-based interviews in Kampung Skuduk and Kampung Chupak. 43 responses were obtained, and the data were analysed statistically to interpret farmers’ responses. For the third objective, soil samples from three sites with different agriculture practices were collected and analysed. The samples were then analysed for various soil fertility indicators. The results show that farmers’ knowledge of agroforestry practices was limited, especially among non-agroforestry practitioners. There are no significant income differences between agroforestry practitioners and non-agroforestry practitioners as agroforestry is practised on a small scale and for domestic use as there are no commercial market opportunities for the products. Awareness raising and information dissemination activities are important as lack of awareness hinders the implementation of agroforestry. Furthermore, the respondents have a positive attitude towards agroforestry practices. They expected awareness-raising activities and workshops on agroforestry, which shows that they are willing to learn more about these practices. 80% of respondents who do not practice agroforestry are interested in practicing agroforestry if there are no obstacles. This positive attitude indicates that farmers in the study area are ready and willing to practice agroforestry. Among the land-use systems, agrisilviculture recorded the highest overall soil fertility, as indicated by its superior Soil Fertility Index (SFI) and Soil Evaluation Factor (SEF). This system maintained favourable conditions across multiple soil fertility indicators, including higher organic matter content, better moisture retention, and lower compaction. The soil pH under agrisilviculture was also optimal, contributing to a more balanced soil environment. In contrast, home gardens showed signs of acidification, which corresponded with reduced levels of essential nutrients, ultimately lowering their SEF values. These results emphasise the need to understand how different agricultural practices soil properties and provide practical insights to improve soil management strategies in Siburan, Sarawak.
Keywords: Agroforestry, awareness, knowledge, perception, soil propertie
The Determinants of Financial Performance of Microfinance Institutions in Pakistan: The Moderating Role of Board Risk Committee
No full textThe performance of microfinance institutions is central to advancing financial inclusion in emerging economies but remains underexplored in Pakistan regarding the combined influence of corporate governance, financial inclusion, and credit risk. This study addresses this gap by examining how corporate governance, financial inclusion, and credit risk affect performance of microfinance institutions and the moderating role of the board risk committee. Using a balanced panel of 19 microfinance institutions from 2012 to 2021, performance is measured by return on asset, return on equity, and operational self-sufficiency. The explanatory variables include corporate governance factors (board size, board independence, female directors, audit committee), financial inclusion factors (annual percentage rate, operational efficiency), and credit risk factors (portfolio at risk, non-performing loans), with firm size and leverage as controls. The findings of panel data analysis show that strong corporate governance including larger boards, greater independence, female representation, and active audit committees significantly enhances the financial performance of microfinance institutions in Pakistan. In contrast, high annual percentage rates lower performance, while better operational efficiency improves it. Moreover, credit risk indicators such as portfolio at risk and non-performing loans negatively affect performance. Importantly, the board risk committee not only has a positive direct effect but also reduces the adverse impact of credit risk on performance. The policy implications of this study suggest for effective governance and risk oversight are critical to sustaining profitability and stability in the microfinance sector.
Keywords: Corporate governance, financial inclusion, credit risk, microfinance institutions, board risk committe