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An Overview of Mechanized Solutions for Oil Spill Treatment
No full textOil spills pose significant environmental hazards and require efficient and timely response measures for containment and cleanup. Mechanized solutions have proven to be instrumental in combating oil spills, offering effective containment, recovery, and treatment methods. This chapter provides an overview of various mechanized solutions used in the treatment of oil spills. We explore key technologies, equipment, and strategies employed in the response to oil spill incidents, emphasizing their effectiveness, limitations, and future prospects
Evolutionary history of microgastrine wasps (hymenoptera: braconidae: microgastrinae) in Sundaland: insights from Peninsular Malaysia
No full textMicrogastrinae is a subfamily of lepidopteran endoparasitoids that consume angiosperm nectar as their primary food source. Despite several studies on their biology and phylogeny, the evolutionary history of Microgastrinae remains poorly resolved. A total of 146 sequences were obtained from three markers—28S, 16S, and COI—from 55 Microgastrinae individuals collected from oil palm plantations and forests in Peninsular Malaysia. The objective of this study was to investigate the evolution‑
ary history of this subfamily, using organisms from Peninsular Malaysia as a model. Thirteen genera were included in the analysis. The molecular clock analysis estimated that the Sundaland Microgastrinae species diverged around 51.93 million years ago (mya) in the Eocene, which is consistent with the crown age of this family. The Fornicia genus was estimated to be the earliest genus, evolving approximately 51 mya. The Apanteles group radiated from 45.83 mya. The Microplitis group diverged at 29.74 mya, while the Neoclarkinella genus evolved at 24.16 mya. The paraphyletic group of Cotesia diverged multiple times, between 32.39 and 13.88 mya. Angiosperms radiated during the Eocene to Oligocene, around 55–23 mya, while lepidopteran species evolved at the beginning of the Miocene, from 23.0 to 15.0 mya; thus, both groups overlapped with the radiation of Microgastrinae. Interestingly, the coevolution between microgastrines, angiosperms, and lepidopteran species from Sundaland was found to be congruent and supported by global data. These findings may contribute new information on the systematics, biology, and evolution of Microgastrinae by providing samples collected from Peninsular Malaysia
with a particular focus on Sundaland coevolution with angiosperms and Lepidoptera
Linguistic Taboos in the Rungus Culture
No full textIn this era of globalisation where intercultural communication occurs on a day-to-day basis,
knowledge of linguistic taboos is crucial to avoid miscommunication and culture shocks. The purpose
of this study is to investigate the categories and cultural context of the Rungus community’s linguistic
taboos in relation to their indigenous worldview. This qualitative descriptive study involved interviews
with 15 Rungus respondents from Kudat, Sabah. This study revealed five types of linguistic taboos
namely morality-related, veneration-related, decorum-related, religion-related, and fear-related
linguistic taboos. The cultural context of these linguistic taboos is based on the belief system where
everything revolves around keeping the peace with fellow humans as well as the spirits. The cultural
context can also be described using common elements in indigenous worldviews such as dynamic
balance, kinships extending beyond the human realm, community, and reciprocity
Analysis of Stomach Content from Estuarine Crocodiles in Sarawak
No full textThe population of Estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in Sarawak has increased over the past three decades. This population increase is believed to be associated with the rising number of crocodile attacks on human and livestock. However, the ecological factors underlying human-crocodile conflicts (HCC) remain poorly understood. Studying the gut contents of C. porosus is essential to understand their feeding behaviour and ecological role, providing insights that could help mitigate this long-standing HCC. Therefore, this study is carried out to assess the type and the amount of non-organic and organic items found in the crocodile stomach. Five individuals of adult crocodiles were examined for stomach contents following the standard operating procedure. The analysis revealed a total of 44 pieces of non-organic items are found in the crocodile stomachs, with plastic debris is the most common, followed by metal, fabric and glass. The organic items mainly consist of skeletal remains such as skull, bones, and other remnants of prey items. The findings of this study established baseline data on stomach content of adult crocodiles in Sarawak. The heterogenous composition of ingested materials indicates a high degree of complexity in the species’ feeding behaviour. In future, more in-depth research questions should be emphasized especially pertaining to feeding activity and pattern which will be useful for sustainable management of the HCC
Ceritera Kencana: Sayembara Karya Agung Sastera Sarawak
No full textCeritera Kencana: Sayembara Lukisan Karya Agung adalah sebuah projek yang menjadikan karya sastera, novel, puisi sastera karya agung tokoh Sarawak sebagai subject-matter dalam penghasilan karya seni visual. Karya seni tersebut dipamerkan di GMBB KL dan Galeri Seni FSGK. Projek ini ditaja oleh Balai Seni Negara dan menjadi sebahagian daripada objektif MOTAC. Untuk Zon Sarawak dan UNIMAS, projek ini diketuai oleh Dr Mohamad Faizuan Mat dan pelajar seni halus FSGK
Persepsi, Cabaran Dan Etika: Analisis Penggunaan Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) Dalam Pembelajaran Di Kalangan Pelajar
No full textThis study aims to analyze the perceptions, challenges and ethics of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning among students in higher education institutions. Using a quantitative survey method, data from 31 respondents were collected and analyzed. The findings show that although students consider AI to be an effective tool for facilitating the understanding of difficult concepts (M=4.68) and improving the quality of assignments (M=3.84), they are also very concerned about the associated risks, especially academic integrity (M=4.74). Reliability analysis (Cronbach's α=0.73) and Pearson correlation (r=0.58) confirm the positive relationship between perceived benefits. However, ethical concerns and dependency were also highlighted as major challenges. Overall, this study suggests that the integration of AI in education requires clear ethical guidance from lecturers and students' self-awareness to ensure responsible and effective use
Examining the Usefulness and Ease of Learning Management Systems: A Mixed Methods Study of Student Perspectives
No full textLearning Management Systems (LMS) are fundamental to contemporary education, serving as platforms that help students organise and enhance their academic pursuits. This mixed methods research involved surveying 528 undergraduates to assess if LMS platforms align with their educational objectives and to explore the relationship between student-focused instructional strategies and LMS effectiveness. Results indicate that the majority of students view the LMS as an important asset for supporting their academic performance. These findings affirm the LMS’s role in facilitating student achievement and provide actionable
insights for universities seeking to implement effective digital solutions. Additionally, the outcomes offer valuable considerations for higher education institutions choosing suitable LMS platforms for their student populations and for designers developing comprehensive assessment features
Animation Orientation 2025: Building community, creativity and confidence by the beach
No full textThe Animation Orientation 2025 was held from 8
to 9 November 2025 at Dynawood Beach Stay &
Resort, Sematan, Lundu, bringing together around
45 first-year students for two days of teamwork,
creativity, and meaningful connection. This annual
programme is designed to welcome new students
into the Animation family while fostering the
collaborative spirit essential to their journey in the
creative arts
Investigating the transmission pathways and potential health risks associated with salt licks in Borneo, Sarawak
No full textSalt licks, which contain high concentrations
of essential minerals such as sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and various other macro- and
microelements, Leeches (indicated by arrowheads) in the water at a salt lick site. At the salt lick, leeches lie in wait for visiting animals and may enter their nasal passages, where they feed on blood From an epidemiological perspective, salt licks may serve as potential hotspots for
disease transmission attract a diverse assemblage of wildlife species. At the same time, these sites also function as important resource points for hunters from nearby villages who obtain bushmeat for household
consumption or, in some instances, for local
trade. because they concentrate both humans and wildlife at
the same location, facilitating the contamination
of water and soil environments. Such interactions elevate
the risk of pathogen spread, with implications for wildlife health, human well-being, However, unregulated hunting
contributes to wildlife overexploitation.
Although there is a Wildlife Protection Ordinance that regulate hunting in the state, however, specific protection around salt licks (like buffer zones) is not clearly
enforced under the law, rendering these areas vulnerable to misuse. and broader ecosystem stability. Accordingly, this study aims to characterise the microbial communities
present in water and soil from selected salt lick sites to assess their potential roles as reservoirs and sources of infectious agents
SVM driven approach for detecting DoS attacks in SDN environment
No full textSoftware-Defined Networking (SDN) reveals a significant progression in networking technology, offering improved management and operational oversight of network infrastructures. Even though the control plane offers benefits, it is still susceptible to Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and this poses a significant threat to
system security. By taking advantage of the network’s centralized architecture, these attacks pose serious
dangers and can overload controllers, leading to severe packet loss and significant downtime in the network. To
address this challenge, we propose a novel approach that efficiently detects DoS attacks by implementing a
packet inspection process using a queuing mechanism, followed by machine learning classification using SVM
and KNN algorithms. These algorithms were rigorously evaluated using the CICDoS 2017 dataset and integrated into an SDN threat-detection framework. The results of extensive testing in SDN environment demonstrated higher efficiency measures, such as enhanced network performance by reducing latency and resource consumption, maintaining a false-positive rate under 5%, and achieving a detection accuracy of 99%. These results demonstrate how well our proposed approach works to successfully detect DoS attacks in SDN
systems. Moreover, the novel approach, the thorough end-to-end solution exhibited, and the importance of the
experimental outcomes all work together to establish a solid basis for future studies in this area