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Predictors of Workplace Happiness among academicians in selected Public Higher Learning Institutions in Sarawak
Get PDFThis study investigates the relationship between total rewards, work engagement, and work happiness among academicians in selected Public Higher Learning Institutions in Sarawak. Given the increasing pressures and expectations in academia, understanding the key factors contributing to work happiness is crucial for ensuring high performance, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. This study involved
158 respondents from selected Public Higher Learning Institutions in Sarawak. Using Pearson correlation and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis, the findings reveal that both total rewards and work engagement significantly predict work happiness, with total rewards exhibiting a stronger impact. The statistical results confirm that total rewards and work engagement together explain 72.6% of the variance in work happiness, demonstrating their critical role in fostering a positive and productive academic work environment.
The study underscores the importance of developing comprehensive reward systems that encompass monetary, material, and non-monetary benefits to sustain and enhance work happiness among academicians. Additionally, fostering high levels of work engagement is essential to ensure that
rewards translate effectively into long-term job satisfaction and commitment. Institutions that implement well-structured reward systems and engagement initiatives are more likely to retain motivated and dedicated academicians, leading to improved academic outcomes and institutional success. Moreover, this study provides insights for higher education policymakers and institutional
leaders, highlighting the need to re-evaluate reward structures, engagement strategies, and support mechanisms to foster an environment conducive to both academic excellence and well-being. Addressing these factors can contribute to a more fulfilling and productive work environment,
ultimately benefiting students, faculty, and the broader academic community. Future research should expand on these findings by exploring additional psychological and organizational factors that may further contribute to work happiness, such as leadership effectiveness, workplace culture, and career growth opportunities. The integration of qualitative insights alongside quantitative data could also provide a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms influencing workplace happiness in academia
Simulation-Based Evaluation of Power Efficiency and Output Capacitance in Standalone PV MPPT Buck Converters Using 200 V pGaN HEMTs
No full textThis study addresses the inefficiencies and limitations of conventional silicon-based MOSFETs in photovoltaic (PV) Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) buck converters by introducing a simulation based approach to assess 200 V Schottky
p-GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). Motivated by the need for more efficient and reliable renewable
energy solutions, the study explores the advantages of Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices in overcoming challenges such as
limited power capacity, poor efficiency, and heat dissipation inherent in traditional semiconductors. By integrating MATLAB Simulink and SPICE simulation techniques, the transfer characteristics of GaN HEMTs are compared against those
of MOSFET and Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices, with a specific focus on the impact of output capacitance (COSS) extraction on system performance. A duty cycle controlled Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm is introduced, and a
comprehensive evaluation of a standalone PV array under varying irradiance conditions is conducted. The analysis extends
to a hard-switching multi-pulse test under constant input, contrasting GaN with MOSFET and SiC devices to highlight
GaN’s superior efficiency and suitability for remote energy applications. Conclusive simulations reveal that 200 V p-GaN
HEMTs exhibit 2.24 times lower average power losses during hard-switching cycles compared to MOSFETs, demonstrating their exceptional performance in optimizing standalone PV MPPT buck converters. This advancement significantly
contributes to enhancing the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy systems globally
Feasibility and Efficacy of an ACT-Based Intervention for Malaysian Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Pilot Study
No full textBackground:Parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) often experience elevated stress and poorer mental health; yet, parent-focused interventions are frequently overlooked.
Objectives:This study evaluated the culturally adapted My-CARE, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based protocol, for Chinese Malaysian parents of CSHCN.
Methods:Eight parents participated in a pilot study that evaluated the protocol's reliability, feasibility, acceptability, satisfaction, and preliminary efficacy. Parental psychological distress, psychological flexibility (PF) and inflexibility (PI), and parenting stress were measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI), and Parenting Stress Index (PSI).
Results:Results indicated good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87), feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction ratings. The average attendance was 94%. Questionnaire completion rates ranged from 95 to 100%. Satisfaction and acceptability scores averaged 96.73% and 94.17%, respectively. Additionally, participants reported reduced psychological distress, PI, and parenting stress, along with improved PF, with small to large effect sizes (g = 0.08 to 0.98). Notably, depression significantly improved [t (7) = 3.11; P = 0.02; g = 0.98].
Conclusions:These findings support the feasibility and potential efficacy of the ACT-based protocol adapted to the linguistic and cultural contexts of Chinese Malaysian parents of CSHCN. Future studies with larger samples, a control group, and follow-up assessments are needed to validate efficacy
Climate change, soil health, and governance challenges in Ghana : A review
Get PDFClimate change poses significant challenges to soil health and agricultural productivity in Ghana, with implications for similar contexts worldwide. This review synthesises existing knowledge on the impacts of climate change on soil properties across Ghana's diverse agro-ecological zones, examines the effectiveness of current governance responses through an adaptive governance lens, and identifies critical research and policy gaps. Ghana provides an instructive case study because of its diverse agroecological zones, agriculture-dependent economy, and dual governance systems that combine formal institutions with traditional authorities. The study employs a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases, qualitative synthesis methods, and conceptual frameworks to analyse the complex interactions between climate factors, soil health parameters, and governance structures. Key findings reveal that increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns contribute to soil moisture depletion, organic matter loss, and reduced fertility. Ghana's soil health governance faces limitations due to policy fragmentation, resource constraints, and insufficient stakeholder collaboration. Successful case studies highlight the potential of integrating traditional knowledge with modern soil conservation practices and emphasize the importance of community-driven approaches. From the review, it is recommended that a comprehensive national soil health policy aligned with climate adaptation strategies be developed, institutional capacity be strengthened, and participatory governance mechanisms be promoted. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of environmental governance under climate change, with relevance to international frameworks including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Soil Partnership. Addressing identified research gaps and implementing the proposed adaptive governance framework are crucial for enhancing resilience to climate change impacts on soil health in Ghana and other regions facing similar challenges
Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype distribution in Malaysia: A systematic review
No full textBackground: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a key etiological factor in cervical cancer in both Malaysia and globally. It continues to pose a significant public health challenge. This systematic review aims to delineate the distribution of HPV genotypes across different demographics in Malaysia to inform targeted prevention strategies.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing observational studies published from 2000 onward that reported HPV genotypes in cervicovaginal samples from Malaysian women. The review utilized PubMed, SCOPUS, The Cochrane Library, APA PsycNet, and Google Scholar for literature searches, focusing on studies that employed molecular methods for HPV genotyping. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and assessed study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A descriptive analysis was performed, and findings were synthesized by genotype, region, and ethnicity.
Results: The review included 22 studies from an initial pool of 2,547 articles, encompassing 44,251 women. These studies reported a HPV prevalence of up to 100% in confirmed cervical cancer cases and in general screenings from 4.5% to 47.7%. A total of 28 different HPV genotypes (high- and low-risk) were identified, with HPV16, HPV18, HPV58, HPV52, and HPV33 being the most prevalent high-risk genotypes. Genotype distributions showed significant variation across different states and ethnic groups within Malaysia, highlighting the diverse nature of HPV-related risks.
Conclusions: This review provides a detailed snapshot of the HPV genotype distribution in Malaysia, underscoring the necessity for tailored public health interventions that address the regional and ethnic diversity in HPV prevalence. The findings support the need for targeted vaccination programs and enhanced screening measures to effectively combat the high rates of HPV-related (99%) cervical cancer in Malaysia
Stability analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer over an exponentially permeable stretching/shrinking sheet in Ferrofluids with the influence of heat generation
Get PDFThe steady, two-dimensional and laminar magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer over an exponentially permeable stretching/shrinking sheet in ferrofluids with the existence of heat generation and suction is numerically studied. Using appropriate similarity variables, the governing partial differential equations are reduced to ordinary differential equations before being solved by a collocation method, namely the bvp4c function in MATLAB. This investigation explores the influence of parameters involved in this study towards the skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, velocity, and temperature profiles, and the results are showed graphically and thoroughly discussed. Interestingly, dual solutions (first and second solutions) exist in this study which prompted us to proceed more with the stability analysis. This analysis revealed that the first solution is stable and physically reliable and the second solution is unstable and not physically reliable. The results show that the upsurge of the magnetic parameter and mass transfer parameter (suction) help boost the heat transfer rate. Moreover, an enhancement in heat transfer rate can be observed as the heat generation parameter decreases
A proposed Rapid Upper Limb Assessment for Pianists (RULA-p)
No full textBACKGROUND: Pianists often suffer from postural related problems due to prolonged sitting and awkward postures. Despite the fact that postural related problems are common among pianists, there is only one study found by the authors, which applied RULA to assess pianists’ postures, without any modification to the original RULA worksheet. None of the other existing literature has applied this postural assessment tool to assess the pianists’ overall posture. There is no existing Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) checklist that exactly fits into the context of piano playing, at least not without some modifications.
OBJECTIVE: To propose a Rapid Upper Limb Assessment for Pianists (RULA-p) for postural assessment, which will allow pianists to identify awkward postures (if any) during piano playing, thus, achieving healthful playing for injury prevention. METHOD: This study modified (i) the muscle use score; and (ii) the force/load score, from the existing RULA as a rapid assessment for pianists’ posture.
RESULTS: We proposed the modified RULA for pianists (RULA-p) in the worksheet format.
CONCLUSION: Overall, this study is intended to further expand the existing literature on the early prevention of pianists’ PRMDs.
Keywords: Occupational health, occupational injuries, posture, ergonomics, observation, checklist, pianists, modified RULA for pianists (RULA-p
An evaluation of a pre-trained transformer-based self-distillation model (DINOv2) for cross-domain plant species identification
No full textPlant species identification is a fundamental process in botany and agriculture sector. In recent years, deep neural networks have become the primary approach for automating this task, providing valuable insights into biodiversity, ecological systems, and agricultural practices. Along with more discoveries in plant species, training a deep neural network becomes very challenging as the cost required to collect and annotate plant samples is expensive and impractical. Despite the lack of labelled plant samples, recent studies have explored the potential of leveraging publicly available and systematically annotated plant specimens in herbaria coupled with field images for plant species identification through cross-domain adaptation techniques. However, the accuracy of these methods remains unsatisfactory, motivating the exploration of alternative approaches. In this paper, we evaluated the feasibility of employing a pre-trained transformer-based self-distillation model (DINOv2) for cross-domain plant species identification tasks. We trained our model with the PlantCLEF2020 dataset comprised of approximately 320 k herbarium and field images representing 997 plant species. Our approach leverages the advanced feature extraction capabilities of DINOv2, which enhances cross-domain adaptation by effectively bridging the gap between herbarium and field images, achieving a 17.7% improvement over the best model proposed in previous work, that employs ensembles of Siamese network architectures with triplet loss (HFTL-ENS and OSM-ENS)
Role of country governance between sustainable development and firm value in emerging markets
Get PDFThe role of country governance quality between sustainable development performance and firm value in emerging
economies is the fundamental objective of this study. The targeted firms are comprised on the firms that have initiated sustainable development practices for public welfare and the data was comprised of 2011–2022. The country level governance plays an indispensable role towards ESG initiatives and firm value in emerging economies. The efficient country governance develops the frameworks which are best suited for the firm in their environmental disclosures and it can increase their value. They can initiate the sustainable development practices for society wellbeing and can create the better image in the market. In this way, the sustainable performance and better firm value can be insured