39506 research outputs found
Sort by
The Relationship between Career Aspirations, Self-Efficacy, and Subjective Career Success in Sarawak Public Service Department
Get PDFDespite the growing interest in career development within public service sectors, the interactions between
career aspirations, self-efficacy, and subjective career success remain underexplored. This descriptive� correlational study aimed to examine the relationship between career aspirations, self-efficacy, and subjective career success within the Sarawak Public Service Department. A total of 191 employees, from grade N27 and above, were selected using a non-probability convenience sampling method. The survey instrument was adapted from the Career Aspirations Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Career
Satisfaction Scale. The reliability of the scales was confirmed, with Cronbach's alpha values exceeding 0.7
for all variables. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between career aspirations and self�efficacy with subjective career success. Notably, self-efficacy has a dominant influence on subjective career
success, surpassing the impact of career aspirations. These findings provide valuable insights into the factors influencing employee motivation and career development within public sector organisations, offering a foundation for enhancing career success strategies
Exploring Items and Developing an Instrument for Measuring the Relationship Between Age-friendly Environment and the Psychosocial Well-being of Older Adults in Kuching and Bintulu City: An Exploratory Factor Analysis Procedure
No full textIntroduction: Malaysia is currently facing the challenges of an ageing population, as ageing does not guarantee a greater quality of life. The World Health Organization has advocated for incorporating age-friendly environments to enhance the well-being of older adults. However, the existing academic literature lacks research instruments for developing countries to assess the relationship between age-friendly environments and older adults' psychosocial well-being. The pilot study aims to create a valid and reliable research instrument, enabling the measurement of the relationship between age-friendly environments and the psychosocial well-being of older adults in Kuching City and Bintulu City, Sarawak. Materials and methods: This study adapted and modified 58 items on age-friendly environments and 11 items on psychosocial well-being from other studies to suit the local setting. The pilot study applied a cross-sectional design and was performed among 219 older adults randomly chosen from Kuching City and Bintulu City. Eight age-friendly environments and psychosocial well-being dimensions were validated using exploratory factor analysis. Results: Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the instrument's validity and reliability, with all items showing acceptable metrics (Cronbach's Alpha > 0.7, KMO > 0.6, and factor loading > 0.6. Conclusion: This study established a validated and reliable instrument for the age-friendly environments and psychosocial well-being of older adults
Digital Health Literacy Among Elderly Dayak in Southern Sarawak: A Cross-sectional Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Digital health literacy (DHL) is often perceived as low among the elderly, yet the specific status among Sarawak's elderly Dayak remains uncertain. Investigating DHL levels in the digital era has the potential to yield significant benefits for improving their health. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2023 via an interviewer-assisted survey. The study employed a multistage sampling approach to recruit elderly Dayak individuals from Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Results: A total of 275 elderly Dayak individuals were selected, with an average age of 68.0 (SD 6.61) years, ranging from 60 to 92 years. The mean digital health literacy score was 23.36 (SD 9.79). Factors significantly associated with high DHL levels were self-reported disability (AOR 24.54, 95% CI 4.06, 148.33), staying nearer to health facilities (AOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.21, 6.62), increased daily Internet usage time (AOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.19, 2.23), and perceived ease of using the Internet (AOR 3.92, 95% CI 1.16, 13.20). On the other hand, a moderate to higher frequency of receiving passive guidance from family members (AOR 0.09, 95% CI 0.01, 0.80) and self-reported difficulties preventing device usage (AOR 0.63, 95% CI 0.49, 0.80) were associated with low DHL. Conclusion: This study highlights the prevalence of digital device usage and internet engagement among the participants, with a substantial proportion demonstrating low DHL
Parametric evaluation of water quality from water purification systems in Saudi Arabia
Get PDFThe use of point-of-use household drinking water purification systems has gained popularity as a means to empower communities and individuals without access to clean water to treat their own water at home. This study evaluated the effectiveness of point-of-use systems in improving
Saudi Arabia's water quality by assessing parameters such as treated water color, odor, pH, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, total hardness, free chlorine, anions (chloride and sulphate), and cations (sodium). The physiochemical properties of six widely used point-of-use
systems were examined, including polypropylene cotton filters, activated carbon filters (granular activated carbon and carbon block), and reverse osmosis membranes. The results for purified drinking water showed the following characteristics: The pH of the purified water ranged from 7.24 to 7.84, with electrical conductivity between 34.63 and 49.30 µS cm-1, total dissolved solids from 16.33 to 24.33 mg L-1, and total hardness from 0.45 to 2.84 mg L-1. Sodium
levels ranged from 6.50 to 11.07 mg L-1, sulphate from 0.03 to 0.55 mg L-1, free chlorine from 0 to 0.03 mg L-1 Cl₂, and chloride from 7.65 to 17.27 mg L-1. The removal efficiencies for specific contaminants were as follows: sodium, sulphate, chloride, conductivity, and total hardness removal ranged from 92% to 99%. Activated carbon filters demonstrated a high efficiency in removing free chlorine, with a removal rate of 94% to 100%. This study concludes that point-of-use systems can effectively enhance water quality in Saudi Arabia. The choice of purification system should depend on the specific water quality concerns and the user's
individual needs, as each system offers distinct advantages and limitations. Polypropylene cotton, activated carbon, and reverse osmosis membranes serve different roles in addressing water purification challenges
Parents’ Sharenting Behaviours: A Systematic Review of Motivations, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Impression Management Perspectives
Get PDFIntroduction
Sharenting involves parents sharing photos, videos, or other information about their children on their social media profiles via online platforms. Research indicated the rising prevalence of parental sharenting behaviour among various countries.
Objective
The main aim of this article was to explore the role of motivations, perceptions, attitudes, and impression management on parental sharenting behaviours.
Methods
A systematic review examined empirical studies published from 2019 to 2024 regarding parental motivations, attitudes, perceptions, and impression management associated with sharenting. Relevant studies were identified via Scopus and manual reference searches, with data extraction concentrating on study characteristics, demographics, objectives, design, and principal findings.
Findings
Parental sharenting is motivated by intrinsic desires, social validation, and impression management, as parents curate content to improve their social image. While children value favourable representations, many object to sharing without consent. Notwithstanding privacy concerns, parents frequently prioritise advantages, raising ethical enquiries regarding children’s autonomy, privacy, and digital identity in digital self-representation.
Conclusion
Parental sharenting, motivated by emotional satisfaction, social validation, and impression management, frequently neglects privacy risks and ethical considerations. Such practices may compromise children’s autonomy, privacy, and digital identity, resulting in conflicts with their rights. Children’s varied responses underscore these dilemmas, highlighting the necessity of reconciling parental intentions with safeguarding children’s digital futures and overall well-being.
Recommendation
Parents should engage in mindful sharenting, policymakers must safeguard children’s digital rights, professionals should enhance awareness, and researchers should investigate methods to reconcile parental desires with children’s welfar
The Impact of Vertical Fiscal Imbalance and Local Government Expenditure Structure on the Quality of Economic Development in China : A Study Based on a Simultaneous Equations Model
No full textThe challenge of improving economic development quality and achieving sustainable growth has become a pressing issue for the Chinese government. This study explores the interaction between vertical fiscal imbalance, local government expenditure structure, and economic development quality.
Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2008-2022, the study applies the three-stage least squares method to assess the dual impact of vertical fiscal imbalance on economic development quality. The results demonstrate that vertical fiscal imbalance not only has a direct negative impact on economic development quality but also indirectly impairs it by constraining the expenditure structure. Moreover, local government expenditure on public welfare projects plays a pivotal role in improving economic development quality. This study highlights the importance of addressing vertical fiscal imbalance in improving economic development quality. It recommends a rational division of fiscal powers and responsibilities between central
and local governments, reforms to China’s fiscal transfer payment system, and optimization of the expenditure structure to mitigate vertical fiscal imbalance and enhance China’s economic development quality
Review of stone columns, piled raft foundations, and combined stone columns and piles under raft as a ground improvement techniques for soft clay soils
Get PDFThis review paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis of three commonly used foundation systems: stone columns, piled raft foundations, and combined stone columns and piles
under raft. These foundation techniques have gained significant attention due to their effectiveness
in improving soil conditions and enhancing the load-bearing capacity of weak or problematic soils. The aim is to evaluate their effectiveness in addressing the challenges associated with building on soft clay. The review incorporates published research and case studies to compare the performance of each method in terms of enhancing bearing capacity, reducing settlement, and improving overall
performance. The findings suggest that while each approach offers distinct advantages, the hybrid solution of combining stone columns and piles beneath a raft foundation offers the most comprehensive benefits for supporting structures on soft clay sites
Designing an AI-Integrated ESP Course for Flight Attendant Students in China : A Needs Analysis-Based Approach
Get PDFEnglish for Specific Purposes (ESP) plays a pivotal role in flight attendant training, particularly
within China’ s vocational education system. However, designing an effective ESP curriculum
that meets industry demands remains a significant challenge. This study investigates flight
attendant students target needs and their perceptions of AI-integrated ESP instruction. Data
were collected from 184 flight attendant students and 4 ESP teachers at a Chinese vocational
university through mixed-methods research (questionnaires and interviews). The result revealed
that speaking is the core skill and strong student receptiveness toward AI-enhanced learning
tools. These insights inform the development of an AI-enhanced ESP curriculum tailored to
aviation professionals' communicative requirements
Home range size and patterns of movement in Bornean Earless Monitors, Lanthanotus borneensis, in Sarawak, Borneo
Get PDFLanthanotus borneensis, Bornean Earless Monitors, are a species of conservation concern, categorized as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, and under the list of Totally Protected species in both Kalimantan and Sarawak. We applied radiotelemetry to a study of spatial ecology of nine adults of L. borneensis in Central Sarawak (four males, five females). Minimum convex polygons (100%) were generated for individuals to assess home range sizes. Home range sizes averaged 500.8 ± 300.9 m2, and only a slight overlap of space use was observed between sexes. L. borneensis are apparently sedentary for an average of 3 d, with intervening spikes of high movement, highest daily movement being 74 m. Our research demonstrates space use requirements of L. borneensis, which can be applied to conservation management efforts of this and similar tropical herpetofaunal species in Borneo
A Spatial Panel Data Modeling for COVID-19 Areal Data in Sarawak
No full textThe world has been facing its biggest infectious disease outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic, since 2020. As of December 23, 2022, over 650 million confirmed cases and over 6 million deaths have been recorded worldwide. In Malaysia, with a population of 32.78 million, there have been over 5 million cases and 36,000 deaths. One of the essential properties of pandemics is their spatial spread, which depends on the disease transmission mechanism, human mobility, and control strategies. Although the disease was well controlled in Sarawak in 2020, by the end of 2021, Sarawak recorded over 250,000 infections and 1,619 fatalities, making it the second state with the highest cumulative cases among Malaysia's 13 states and three federal territories. This research quantifies the spatial autocorrelation of Sarawak COVID-19 district data across different pandemic waves to understand the spatial spread of COVID-19 in Sarawak. Regression models such as ordinary least square(OLS),spatial lag model (SLM), and spatial error model (SEM) were used to determine the spatial relationship between district-wise COVID-19 cases and various demographic, social, and economic factors. The study found that the percentage of households with garbage collection facilities, population density, and proportion of males are key factors driving COVID-19 incidence rates in Sarawak. Furthermore, this research examined spatial autocorrelation at two levels: within the state of Malaysia and the district of Sarawak. The impact of flight routes on COVID-19 transmission from state to district was analyzed using supra-adjacency matrices to compute local and global Moran's I values. Centrality measures identified pivotal nodes in districts, states, and state-to-district connections, revealing spatial dependence across these levels. Moran's I statistics indicated positive spatial autocorrelation for all levels except for states in wave 1. Significant p-values (< 0.05) for districts, two-level, and state-to-district comparisons highlighted the non-random nature of the spatial patterns, suggesting that neighboring areas share similarities in incidence rates. Kuala Lumpur and Kuching exhibited the highest significance in state-to-district connections, Pahang at the state level, and Sibu and Sri Aman at the district level. The main contribution of this research lies in its detailed analysis of spatial patterns and factors influencing COVID-19 spread in Sarawak. The findings can assist the Government of Malaysia in devising targeted interventions and policies to control future outbreaks by understanding the spatial dynamics of disease transmission.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Sarawak, spatial autocorrelation, spatial regression model, spatial lag, spatial error mode