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Calliophis bivirgatus (Blue Malaysian CoralSnake). DIET
No full textThe note describes a predation event involving Calliophis bivirgatus in Malaysia
Pembangunan dan Pengesahan Ujian Diagnostik Kemahiran Asas Membaca Program Pemulihan Khas Sekolah Rendah
No full textKajian ini bertujuan untuk membangun Ujian Diagnostik Kemahiran Asas Membaca Bahasa Melayu Program Pemulihan Sekolah Rendah (UDKAM). Gabungan reka bentuk kualitatif dan kuantitatif digunakan dalam pelaksanaan kajian. Pendekatan kualitatif digunakan bagi membangunkan UDKAM dan kuantitatif digunakan bagi menilai kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan UDKAM. Kajian ini dijalankan berpandukan lima langkah dalam Model Diagnostik Kognitif Nichols, 1994. Lima langkah tersebut adalah substantif konstruk teori, pemilihan reka bentuk, pentadbiran ujian, skor respons dan semakan reka bentuk ujian. Pembangunan konstruk dan item UDKAM dijalankan secara kualitatif menggunakan pendekatan kajian kepustakaan dengan merujuk sumber yang sahih dan berautoriti daripada pihak Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM). Sampel kajian terdiri daripada lima orang pakar yang mempunyai pengalaman dalam bidang pemulihan khas, lapan orang guru pemulihan dan 30 orang murid pemulihan dari lapan buah sekolah rendah di Sarawak. Hasil kajian menunjukkan UDKAM mempunyai kesahan kandungan yang tinggi dengan pekali
kesahan kandungan 0.96. UDKAM seterusnya ditadbir ke atas 30 orang murid pemulihan dari lapan buah sekolah di Sarawak dalam fasa rintis penggunaan UDKAM. Dapatan kajian rintis seterusnya dianalisis bagi menilai ketekalan dalaman UDKAM. Penilaian ketekalan dalaman UDKAM mendapati bahawa UDKAM mempunyai tahap kebolehpercayaan yang tinggi dengan nilai KR-20 = 0.98. Kesimpulannya, pembangunan dan validasi UDKAM ini sesuai dengan langkah-langkah Model Diagnostik Nichols 1994, serta memberi implikasi positif dalam meningkatkan kualiti pengajaran dan pembelajaran (PdP) Bahasa Melayu
dalam konteks pendidikan pemulihan sekolah rendah
MELIOIDOSIS : A Hidden Danger Beneath Our Feet
No full textMelioidosis is a serious disease caused by a bacterium
found in soil and water, called Burkholderia
pseudomallei. It can infect both humans and animals.
The illness was first recognized in Rangoon in 1912 as a
condition that looked like glanders, a disease in horses
and donkeys. A year later, an outbreak struck
laboratory animals in Kuala Lumpur. By 1921, it was
named “melioidosis” because of its similarity to
donkey glanders
Landslide Susceptibility Mapping of Western Sarawak via Artificial Neural Network
No full textLandslides are the third most frequent form of natural disaster in Malaysia, following floods and storms.
It can cause significant damage to anything in its path, depending on the size and velocity of its debris.
Due to the danger that it poses, determining the susceptibility of an area to landslides is a crucial step
in risk mitigation. Landslide occurrences are dependent on the numerous environmental variables, which can provide information on the level of susceptibility of other locations with similar variables. To quantify the significance of each variable to landslide occurrence, a supervised Machine Learning model – an Artificial Neural Network was developed for this study. Furthermore, landslide occurrences have been associated with the disturbance of natural slopes to accommodate development, which was
the main reason behind the selection of Western Sarawak as the area of interest in this study. The model was developed to understand and make landslide susceptibility predictions based on aspect, curvature, elevation, lithology type, rainfall intensity, slope angle, soil type, and TWI. Evaluating the area under the curve score and recall for the model revealed that, based on the available inputs, the model performed well with a score of 1 and 0.99, respectively
Does Foreign Direct Investment Foster China’s Economic Growth?
No full textChina is a developing country that has attracted the most foreign direct investment (FDI), making full use of the technology spillover effect. This study investigates the impacts of FDI and technology spillover on China’s economic growth, focusing on its direct and indirect effects. Based on neoclassical and endogenous growth theories, FDI and technology spillover are the key variables, with trade openness, government expenditure, and total population as control variables, and economic growth as the dependent variable. This study employs a panel dataset from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2000-2022. Methodologically, the Cross-Section Dependence test and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) model are used. Findings of direct effects confirm that research and development (R&D) and government expenditure significantly drive economic growth, while FDI and trade openness are both insignificant and negatively correlated. Indirect effects highlight R&D’s significant role in the relationship between FDI and economic growth.
Furthermore, there is significant heterogeneity between Eastern, Central and Western regions. The implications of these findings are: first, fostering R&D investment is critical to magnifying the benefits of FDI and enhancing economic growth. Second, institutional innovations can attract high-quality foreign investment. Finally, aligning a high level of trade openness with growth policies is important
Air Traffic Controllers’ Decision-Making Processes and Conflict Resolution Strategies during Aircraft Arrivals
No full textIn aviation industry, the ability to make accurate, timely and good decision during conflict resolution is very critical for both safety and efficiency of airspace management. In fact, with the integration of new technologies like AI and growing global air traffic, have poses demand for well-trained controllers with advanced decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills. Therefore, this study is conducted with the intention to uncover how decision-making processes during conflict resolution involving the arrival of aircrafts was made. Twelve Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) participated in this study. Semi-structured interview; observation and document analysis were utilized in this qualitative study. Data collected were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to identify major themes, and continuously comparing them to find significant relationships. The results led to the sorting of data into three significant themes: decision-making, workload and coping strategies. Information gathered through observation were also compared with data collected from the semi-structured interviews to further understand the decision-making processes. The findings reveal that decision-making in conflict resolution during aircraft arrivals is not a singular act of intervention. It is a structured process distributed across different phases of air traffic control. Conflict detection primarily occurs during the monitoring phase which led by area controllers, who continuously track incoming traffic and identify potential conflicts. Once detected, the process moved to the evaluation phase and handled by approach controllers, who assess the severity of the conflict, consider traffic sequencing, and evaluate available resolution options. Decision-making processes end in the planning phase, where aerodrome controllers implement specific tactical interventions such as vectoring, altitude adjustments, or sequencing changes to resolve the conflict and ensure safe arrival operations. The findings indicate the need for continuous training to enhance the conflict resolution coping strategies as the tasks require frequent rehearsal and periodic assessment through performance evaluations.
Keywords: Decision-making processes, conflict resolution, workload, air traffic controllers, aircraft arriva
Credit Risk, Financial Inclusion and Microfinance Performance in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis
No full textThis study examines the impact of credit risk and financial inclusion on the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Pakistan, using a pooled OLS regression approach. The analysis is based on balanced panel data (2012–2021) for 19 MFIs obtained from the Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN). The study employs portfolio at risk (PAR) and non-performing loans (NPL) as proxies for credit risk, while operational efficiency (OPREFF) and annual percentage rate (APR) represent financial inclusion. The dependent variable, MFI performance, is measured using return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and operational self-sufficiency (OSS). Additionally, firm size (FSIZE), firm age (FAGE), capital intensity (CAPINT), and leverage (LEV) are incorporated as control variables. The findings
indicate that PAR has a significant negative effect on ROA, ROE, and OSS, highlighting the detrimental impact of rising credit risk on MFI performance. However, NPL does not exhibit a significant impact, suggesting that non-performing loans alone may not immediately affect financial stability. In contrast, OPREFF positively influences all three performance indicators, confirming that operational efficiency plays a critical role in enhancing MFI profitability and sustainability. APR negatively affects performance, suggesting that higher interest rates may
reduce borrower repayment capacity and increase financial distress. Among the control variables, FSIZE and FAGE positively contribute to MFI performance, while CAPINT and LEV remain statistically insignificant. These results underscore the importance of effective credit risk management, cost efficiency, and balanced interest rate policies in ensuring the sustainability of MFIs. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, MFI managers,
and stakeholders in designing strategies that promote financial inclusion while maintaining institutional stability. Future research may explore the role of macroeconomic factors and regulatory policies in shaping MFI performance
Linguistic Markers of Emotions and Coping Stages in Narratives of Cancer Survivors
No full textLinguistic markers in emotional disclosures have not been investigated to identify the stage of emotional adjustment to cancer. The study examined linguistic markers of emotions and coping stages in written narratives of cancer survivors. Using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC)
framework, 20 narratives with 18,287 words written by cancer survivors collected from five cancer organisation websites, blogs and online magazines were analysed. The 50 most frequently used words in the cancer narratives appeared 1,153 times because some words were repeatedly used. There were more negative emotional processes (39.20%) than positive emotional processes (18.73%) or cognitive
processes (21.16%). Most of the narratives contained words associated to denial, depression, and acceptance. Depression and acceptance were recurring in the cancer narratives. The depression stage was associated with negative emotions but the acceptance stage was associated with cognitive
processes. The findings suggest that the decline in emotional words co-occurs with an increase in cognitive words from depression to acceptance, suggesting that cognitive mechanisms are utilised to cope with cancer
Sempama Jaku Iban Dan Peribahasa Bahasa Melayu: Analisis Teori Pertentangan Binari
No full textThis study aims to analyze Malay proverbs and Sempama Jaku (Iban proverbs) using the binary opposition theory introduced by Claude Lévi-Strauss (1963). The research focuses on how proverbs in both societies reflect their systems of thought, cultural values, and worldviews. This study employs a qualitative approach with descriptive content analysis, in which 25 proverbs from each language were selected as research samples. The data was sourced from
Sempama Jaku Iban (Casper Kayong Umping, 2010) and Kamus Peribahasa Melayu (Sapinah Haji Said, 2004). The findings reveal that both societies extensively use symbols from nature and social life to illustrate binary oppositions such as good vs. evil, life vs. death, and courage vs. fear. Proverbs such as "Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat" in Malay society and "Biar mati anak, anang mati adat" in Iban society emphasize the significance of tradition in their
respective social structures. The binary opposition analysis identifies three theoretical levels which is reality as an idea, meaning as differentiation, and hierarchical values. This analysis has the potential to contribute to a deeper understanding of the structure and function of proverbs in conveying meaning and shaping cultural and moral thought