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Muslims’ Representation in Donald Trump’s Anti-Muslim-Islam Statement: A Critical Discourse Analysis
No full textThe Muslim community in America has been facing turmoil, particularly after the events of 9/11. Muslims are facing a number of anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim discriminatory practices, biases, and sentiments from many Americans. These religious prejudices are apparent at the public and political leadership levels, as well as other facets of the country. The current study has concentrated on Trump’s emerging ideology that positions him within anti-Islamic and anti- Muslim discourses since he announced his candidature for the presidency. The study aims to examine and pin point the self-other representations that are evident in the Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiments in Trump’s statements during the American Presidential Elections of 2016. In order to examine Trump’s prejudicial discourse, the research engaged with Critical Discourse Studies as its framework, with a specific focus upon Van Dijk’s Ideological Square Model as well as NVIVO 12 Pro for linguistic inquiry. The results showed that the self-other binary is strongly evidenced in Trump’s statements and that he employed various discursive techniques to represent Islam and Muslims in a negative manner, while representing himself as very patriotic to the country. To legitimatize his arguments, he deployed several rhetoric strategies, including victimization, presupposition, authority, number game, evidentiality, polarization, and populism. Keeping the religious and economic context in view, the research reveals that Donald Trump has represented Islam and Muslims as a negative phenomenon and presented himself as an Islamophobe by negatively targeting Islamic components, like Shariah and Jihad. In his prejudicial representation of Islam, most of the Islamic beliefs are represented as anti-women and anti-American, threatening the security of America and its very way of life
Petrological and organic geochemical characteristics of oil sands from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation in the southern Ordos Basin, China
No full textAn integrated petrological and geochemical analysis of surface and drilled oil sands from the Middle Jurassic Yan’an Formation in the southern Ordos Basin was conducted to investigate the petrophysical properties, organic matter origin/type, and thermal maturity and their relation to environmental conditions during sediment deposition. Petrographic analysis (thin section, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and porosity and permeability determination) of the oil sand was performed to establish the relationships between porosity and permeability and bulk density, reservoir quality index (RQI), normalized porosity index (NPI), and flow zone indicator (FZI). Geochemical analyses include oil extraction, column chromatography, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The strong correlation between RQI and permeability (R2 = 0.98) reveals that porosity has a good correlation with RQI. The positive correlations between porosity and permeability and NPI and RQI (R2 = 0.77 and R2 = 0.65, respectively) show that the studied rocks contain many large pores with pore-to-pore throat connection structures that enhance permeability, which is further supported by the relatively high connection coefficient between NPI and RQI (R2 = 0.65). The organic matter in the Yan’an Formation is mainly composed of oil-prone type I kerogen indicated by the recovery of a large amount of crude oil rich in saturated hydrocarbon fractions from the extracted oil. The biomarker signatures of the analyzed oil (nC13-nC35, Pr/n-C17 and Ph/n-C18, and low C27/C29 regular sterane) reveal predominantly land plant materials as organic input sources based on the average concentration of αααC27:C28:C29 sterane 20R of approximately 38%, 22%, and 40%, respectively, and on high values of tricyclic terpane/αβC30 hopane and regular sterane/αβC30 hopane. Deposition within a lacustrine paleoenvironment under anoxic conditions enhanced organic matter preservation in the area based on the low Pr/Ph ratios (average 0.74), low αβC31-22R-hopane/αβC30 hopane ratios, and high C26/C25 tricyclic terpane ratios, as well as the presence of gammacerane and low water salinity. Biomarker maturity parameters (e.g., C32 homohopane 22S/(22S + 22R), moretane/hopane, and C29 sterane 20S/(20S + 20R) ratios and CPI) show that the extracted oil sand entered the early oil window stage. © 2019, Saudi Society for Geosciences
Towards a “branded” property developer: key traits for Malaysian housing market
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the significance of branding management by property developers in the Malaysian housing market and to examine the pivotal brand identity traits of property developers. Design/methodology/approach: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods research approach was adopted. The quantitative data from the questionnaire survey were subjected to descriptive statistics, and the ranking with category of significance of the hypothesised branding traits was determined using relative importance index technique. The findings were further validated through semi-structured interviews with five experienced industry practitioners. Findings: Results showed that the extremely significant (ES) branding identities are value for future investment and location, while the very significant (VS) traits are quality assurance, near to supporting infrastructure, reliability, professionalism, experience, warranties and technical ability. Industry experts affirmed the prospect of exploiting branding in enticing property buyers. Research limitations/implications: It is reasonable to infer that good branding positively stimulates buyer’s decision-making on purchasing residential property. This study attempts to discover the critical brand identity traits for property developers apt in the context of Malaysian housing market. Practical implications: Apart from the archetypal locational and financial factors, the findings suggested that top developers should emphasise innovative family-oriented design with an acceptable level of quality score for brand differentiation to further enhance the future value of their end products. Originality/value: The efficacy of brand management in the housing market has not yet been fully explored in research. This paper is expected to offer more profound insights into the strategic brand management towards “branded” property developers in the context of Malaysia and perhaps other countries with comparable backgrounds. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited
Distribution of carotenoids and vitamin A activity in aerial organs of selected underutilized Malaysian “ulam” or traditional vegetables (Averrhoa carambola, Manihot esculenta and Ipomoea batatas)
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pattern of carotenoids distribution in three underutilized Malaysian ‘ulam’ or traditional vegetables in Malaysia (Averrhoa carambola, Manihot esculenta and Ipomoea batatas) and their valuable pro-vitamin A activities. These assessments will yield valuable knowledge and insight into the importance of these underutilized traditional vegetables and highlight their potential for applications in medicinal and functional colorant industries. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the authors have evaluated the distribution of carotenoid compounds in aerial organs of three underutilized traditional vegetables (Averrhoa carambola, Manihot esculenta and Ipomoea batatas). The content of the individual carotenoids were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the organ with the highest accumulation of these compounds were identified. Their valuable pro-vitamin A activities were also reported to indicate their medicinal potential which can further be exploited as pharmacologically active natural colorants and in other applications. Findings: In total, three major chromatographic peaks corresponding to lutein, violaxanthin and β-carotene were observed through HPLC. Among the compounds detected, lutein and β-carotene were the most abundant carotenoids found in both shoots and petioles of all three species. Violaxanthin was only detected in I. batatas shoots. Overall, carotenoid content was observed to be higher in the shoots than in the petioles, where I. batatas contained the highest amount of total carotenoid, followed by M. esculenta and A. carambola. The opposite trend was observed in the petioles, where A. carambola petioles had the highest carotenoid content, while I. batatas contained the least. Research limitations/implications: The distribution and abundance of these individual carotenoids suggested that the petioles contained the highest amount of carotenoid, contributing to its high pro-vitamin A activity, and could be potentially useful for medicinal application, as it can act as storage site that is not as prone to natural drying or degradation during harvest and sample storage. Future research work should include improvements in the extraction and purification procedures as well as robust identification methods which may lead to better detection and identification of other compounds that could attribute to its bioactivity, to complement the findings of the current study. Practical implications: This analysis provides valuable information on the importance of underutilized traditional vegetables as important biofactories for sustainable production of valuable pigments (such as carotenoids) with medicinal benefits and can further be exploited in various industries, such as in formulation of functional natural colorants. This study also highlights the importance of petiole as a storage site of pharmacologically active compounds that is not as prone to natural drying or degradation during harvest and sample storage. Originality/value: To date, there is no previous report found on comparative analysis of carotenoid content and quantification of individual carotenoid concentration in the edible aerial parts of Averrhoa carambola, Manihot esculenta and Ipomoea batatas, although they have been traditionally consumed as “ulam” in Malaysia. Therefore, the results reported in this study provide new insights on carotenoid accumulation in the selected ‘ulam’ species. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited
Vaginal assessment and expedited amniotomy in oral misoprostol labor induction in nulliparas: a randomized trial
No full textBackground: Labor is induced in 20−30% of maternities, with an increasing trend of use. Labor induction with oral misoprostol is associated with reduced risk of cesarean deliveries and has a safety and effectiveness profile comparable to those of mechanical methods such as Foley catheter use. Labor induction in nulliparous women continues to be challenging, with the process often quite protracted. The eventual cesarean delivery rate is high, particularly when the cervix is unfavorable and ripening is required. Vaginal examination can cause discomfort and emotional distress particularly to nulliparous women, and plausibly can affect patient satisfaction with the induction and birth process. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate regular (4-hourly prior to each oral misoprostol dose with amniotomy when feasible) compared with restricted (only if indicated) vaginal assessments during labor induction with oral misoprostol in term nulliparous women Materials and Methods: We performed a randomized trial between November 2016 and September 2017 in a university hospital in Malaysia. Our oral misoprostol labor induction regimen comprised 50 μg of misoprostol administered 4 hourly for up to 3 doses in the first 24 hours. Participants assigned to regular assessment had vaginal examinations before each 4-hourly misoprostol dose with a view to amniotomy as soon as it was feasible. Participants in the restricted arm had vaginal examinations only if indicated. Primary outcomes were patient satisfaction with the birth process (using an 11-point visual numerical rating scale), induction to vaginal delivery interval, and vaginal delivery rate at 24 hours. Results: Data from 204 participants (101 regular, 103 restricted) were analyzed. The patient satisfaction score with the birth process was as follows (median [interquartile range]): 7 [6−9] vs 8 [6−10], P = .15. The interval of induction to vaginal delivery (mean ± standard deviation) was 24.3 ± 12.8 vs 31.1 ± 15.0 hours (P = .013). The vaginal delivery rate at 24 hours was 27.7% vs 20.4%; (relative risk [RR], 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8−2.3; P = .14) for the regular vs restricted arms, respectively. The cesarean delivery rate was 50% vs 43% (RR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9−1.5; P = .36). When assessed after delivery, participants’ fidelity to their assigned vaginal examination schedule in a future labor induction was 45% vs 88% (RR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.4−0.7; P < .001), and they would recommend their assigned schedule to a friend (47% vs 87%; RR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5−0.7; P < .001) in the regular compared with the restricted arms, respectively. Conclusion: Despite a shorter induction to vaginal delivery interval with regular vaginal examination and a similar vaginal delivery rate at 24 hours and birth process satisfaction score, women expressed a higher preference for the restricted examination schedule and were more likely to recommend such a schedule to a friend. © 2019 Elsevier Inc
Functionalized fiber-optic long-period grating with reduced cladding size for humidity sensing
No full textRelative humidity (RH) is an important factor in the field of structural health monitoring, especially during the early stage of corrosion. Many methods have been proposed for humidity sensing, and one of the attractive sensors is fiber-optic long-period grating (LPG) sensors. Unfortunately, the current sensing sensitivity of this kind of sensors is limited. A thin fiber-optic LPG sensor with a self-assembled thin film of PAH+ / PAA' is proposed and demonstrated for humidity measurements. The LPG sensor is inscribed in a single-mode fiber using a CO2 laser, and the cladding size is reduced to about 27 μm. It shows that an LPG sensor with a reduced cladding size has an enhanced refractive index sensing characteristic, compared to those with normal cladding size due to the enhancement of the evanescent field. In a next step, selectivity is added to the LPG sensor coated with a film of PAH+ / PAA+ for functionalization to be sensitive to humidity. The resonance spectral responses of LPGs are experimentally investigated with respect to its sensitivity to a change in humidity that modifies the index of the nanolayer and the cladding, leading to a resonant wavelength shift. The experimental results show that the coated thin LPG has a highly sensitive resonance wavelength shift of '220.75 pm / % RH for an RH variation from 25% to 80%, of which the sensitivity is enhanced thrice compared to those with a normal cladding size. The proposed sensing setup opens LPG structures for a variety of sensing and detection applications. © 2019 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)
Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics (APSHG) from conception to 2019: 13 years of collaboration to tackle congenital malformation and genetic disorders in Asia
No full textPutting together the reports in this issue that come from a representation of the different countries in Asia presents an opportunity to share the unique story of the Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics (APSHG), which has provided the authors of many of these articles. This paper, authored by the Past Presidents of the Society, shares glimpses of how medical genetics activities were first organized in the Asia Pacific region and provides interesting corollaries on how under-developed and developing countries in this part of the world had developed a unique network for exchange and sharing of expertise and resources. Although APSHG was formally registered as a Society in Singapore in 2006, the Society has its origins as far back as in the 1990s with members from different countries meeting informally, exchanging ideas, and collaborating. This treatise documents the story of the experiences of the Society and hopes it will provide inspiration on how members of a genetics community can foster and build a thriving environment to promote this field. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Novel Capability-Based Risk Assessment Calculator for Construction Contractors Venturing Overseas
No full textGlobalization creates opportunities for contractors to enter lucrative international markets yet international projects are exposed to more diverse and complex risks than domestic projects. Owing to vast uncertainties and complexities, international construction entry decisions are intricate. Although conventional Probability-Impact (P-I) risk models are useful, the firm's capabilities are missing in early assessments for project selection decision. Hence, this study aims to develop a capability-based risk assessment (CapRA) calculator for international contractors venturing overseas. The international construction firm's capabilities are explored using resource-based views, dynamic capabilities, and Porter's generic value chain theories to conceptualize an integrated framework for risk assessment. Additionally, a questionnaire was sent to international construction firms operating outside their home countries to appraise their firm's capabilities and international construction project risk significance values. Then, a partial least squares approach was used to analyze the data. The findings are used to develop a novel CapRA model, which is then formulated into modified P-I risk model equations and computerized into a CapRA calculator to simplify the application. In essence, this study contributes to both knowledge and practice by developing and testing a model to improve the accuracy and facilitate project selection decisions for international construction firms. © 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers
Knowledge modelling for contract disputes and change control
No full textThe construction industry involves many participants with different perspectives and requirements. Contracts can provide significant value, and yet ineffective contract management frequently leads to disputes. In practice, contracts are hardly reviewed, and contract management is limited. This study aims to investigate how firms can improve their internal processes relating to knowledge management (KM) through effective contract management to aid construction practitioners in managing contract disputes and changes. Using a questionnaire survey and a workshop involving experienced industry practitioners and researchers, the findings reveal that project- and individual-level implementation of KM processes is stronger than at the organizational level, and also there are substantial human resources (HR) practices that support contractual KM. Workshop participants believe efficient and effective KM can minimise losses from contract changes and disputes. A construction contract management process framework, a 19-step benchmarking model for contract management and a construction planning checklist for contractors are proposed. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Seasonal characteristics and formation mechanism of the thermohaline structure of mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea
No full textThe seasonal characteristics and formation mechanism of the thermohaline structure of mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea are investigated using the latest eddy dataset and ARMOR3D data. Eddy-centric composites reveal that the horizontal distribution of temperature anomaly associated with eddy in winter is more of a dipole pattern in upper 50 m and tends to be centrosymmetric below 50 m, while in summer the distribution pattern is centrosymmetric in the entire water column. The horizontal distribution of eddy-induced salinity anomaly exhibits similar seasonal characteristics, except that the asymmetry of the salinity anomaly is weaker. The vertical distribution of temperature anomaly associated with eddy shows a monolayer structure, while the salinity anomaly demonstrates a triple-layer structure. Further analysis indicates that the vertical distribution of the anomalies is related to the vertical structure of background temperature and salinity fields, and the asymmetry of the anomalies in upper 50 m is mainly caused by the horizontal advection of background temperature and salinity