17362 research outputs found
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A review of stingless bee plant sources in the Indo‑Malayan region
No full textStingless bees are vital in pollinating crops and wild plants, and their products are valued supplemental nutrient sources to humans. Due to the rise of meliponiculture in the Indo-Malayan region, there is growing interest in understanding stingless bees’ foraging suitability and preferences. This review aimed to identify (1) the common stingless bee species studied, (2) the dominant plant taxa being foraged by stingless bees at diferent habitat types, and (3) the research methodology employed to study plant preference for foraging stingless bees. Twenty-six studies from the Indo-Malayan countries were reviewed. Fabaceae is the most foraged plant family. In general, stingless bees will forage on the most dominant plant species in the habitat. Hence, mixed-type habitats have the highest number of plant species foraged by stingless bees. Stingless bees prefer crops and weed species such as Cocos nucifera and Mimosa pudica. Most countries focus their study on commercial stingless bee species. Our review indicates that stingless bee nutrient forage studies in the Indo-Malayan region can be improved by shifting focus to non-commercial stingless bee species residing in forests, adopting less time-consuming methodology such as plant DNA metabarcoding, and extending nutrient forage studies duration to at least 12 months to account for seasonal variations
The historical development of islam and converts in Sabah, Malaysia: From the 14th century to the official designation of Islam as the state religion
No full textThis article examines the historical trajectory of Islam in Sabah, Malaysia from the 14th century to its official proclamation as the state religion in 1973, analyzing the key factors that facilitated the Islamization process alongside the challenges encountered. Employing a qualitative methodology, this study utilizes historical analysis and secondary sources, including manuscripts, colonial records, and prior scholarly works on the spread of Islam in Sabah. The findings reveal that Islam's dissemination was primarily driven by maritime trade, diplomatic engagements with the Sultanates of Brunei and Sulu, and the role of converts (mualaf) as intermediaries between Islam and indigenous communities. However, during the British colonial period, Islamic expansion faced significant impediments due to policies favoring Christianization, restrictions on Islamic missionary activities, and the expulsion of Muslim preachers. Following independence, the leadership of Tun Datu Mustapha and the establishment of the United Sabah Islamic Association (USIA) played a pivotal role in consolidating Islamic influence, resulting in an increase in the Muslim population from 38% in 1960 to 51% in 1980. The official designation of Islam as the state religion in 1973 further institutionalized Islamic governance through entities such as the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) and the Syariah Court. This study concludes that structured da'wah strategies, effective political leadership, and institutional development were instrumental in ensuring the sustained presence and expansion of Islam in Sabah. By contributing to the historiography of Islam in Malaysia, this article also offers valuable insights into da'wah efforts and the socioreligious identity formation of Sabah’s Muslim community
Gender differences in household education expenditure in Malaysia
No full textPurpose– The objective of this study is to examine gender differences in the allocation of household expenditure on education in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach– This study examines the determinants of expenditure on education using a double hurdle model, where the decision to incur education expenditure is modelled first and followed by the decision on how much to spend on education. Findings– The results show evidence of significant gender differences in the allocation of expenditure on education. For young children (4–12 years) and adult (18–23 years), this bias tends to favour females, while for secondary-aged children, the bias is pro-male. Practical implications– These findings may reflect a cultural shift in attitudes towards female education, although the effects are likely to be compounded by a lower completion rate of boys in upper secondary education, a growing concern that cannot be ignored by the government, policymakers or households. Originality/value– This study utilises the Malaysia Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2022 dataset to make two important contributions. First, conditional on enrolment, it investigates the extent to which there are gender differences at the household level in the allocation of expenditure at every level of education. Second, it examines the model by region and includes intergenerational effects in examining its indirect effects on the gender gap
Post-pandemic challenges: Person-organization fit, satisfaction and work adjustment for expatriate academics
No full textThis study explores the work adjustment among expatriate academics in Malaysia during post covid 19. Specifically, this study examines the antecedents of expatriate academics’ job satisfaction and work adjustment in public universities in Malaysia. A quantitative method was adopted in this study and responses from 160 expatriate academics were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The result showed that all of the hypotheses were supported. This result shows that expatriate academics were satisfied with their work environment when the needs that they possess related to work offered by their work environment. Job satisfaction was also found to link with work adjustment. This study adopts a cross-sectional research design and examined the opinions of expatriates at only one point in time. Longitudinal research design should be done for a better result. The result indicate that top management should focus on maintaining expatriates’ satisfaction to increase their level of work adjustment during post covid 19. This empirical study attempts to enrich the understanding of the work adjustment among expatriate academics in Malaysia
Spiritualiti di tempat kerja sebagai peramal kompetensi instruksional guru penolong kanan: Satu kajian empirikal sekolah rendah di negeri Sabah
No full textKajian ini meneliti hubungan antara spiritualiti di tempat kerja dengan kompetensi instruksional dalam kalangan Guru Penolong Kanan (GPK) di sekolah rendah di Malaysia, dengan penekanan khusus terhadap konteks pendidikan awam di negeri Sabah. Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk penyelidikan kuantitatif dan mengaplikasikan pendekatan tinjauan korelasi deskriptif. Seramai 269 orang Guru Penolong Kanan dari sekolah rendah di negeri Sabah telah dipilih melalui persampelan rawak berstrata. Dua instrumen utama telah digunakan iaitu Skala Spiritualiti di Tempat Kerja oleh Ashmos dan Duchon (2000) dan Skala Kompetensi Instruksional yang dibangunkan berasaskan domain Kompetensi Instruksional dalam kerangka Kompetensi Pemimpin Sekolah 2.0 (KOMPAS 2.0) oleh Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB). Data dianalisis menggunakan statistik deskriptif dan korelasi Pearson. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa tahap spiritualiti di tempat kerja adalah tinggi (Min = 3.74, SP = 0.62), manakala tahap kompetensi kompetensi instruksional berada pada tahap sederhana tinggi (Min = 3.60, SP = 0.71). Terdapat hubungan positif yang signifikan dan berada pada tahap sederhana antara spiritualiti di tempat kerja dengan kompetensi instruksional (r = 0.46, p < .01). Penemuan ini menekankan kepentingan pengintegrasian elemen spiritualiti dalam program pembangunan kepimpinan pendidikan, khususnya dalam memperkukuh nilai teras, motivasi intrinsik dan etika kerja dalam kalangan Guru Penolong Kanan. Implikasi kajian ini menyumbang kepada pembangunan pendekatan yang holistik dan berasaskan nilai dalam pembangunan profesional sistem pendidikan negara
Keselamatan makanan: Pemetaan penanaman semula kelapa sawit di Lahad Datu, Sabah
No full textPengeksploitasian guna tanah melalui penanaman kelapa sawit di Lahad Datu merupakan isu yang kompleks. Hal ini kerana bukan sahaja mewujudkan pelbagai kesan terhadap alam sekitar, ekonomi dan masyarakat setempat tetapi juga berkait rapat dengan isu keselamatan makanan. Penanaman kelapa sawit secara besar-besaran menyebabkan pengurangan tanah pertanian makanan seperti padi, sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahan. Situasi ini akhirnya menjejaskan ketersediaan makanan dan menyebabkan peningkatan import makanan dari luar negara. Selain itu penanaman kelapa sawit secara besar-besaran turut menyebabkan kemerosotan kualiti tanah dan menjadikan kurang sesuai untuk penanaman pelbagai jenis tanaman yang penting untuk keseimbangan diet dan keselamatan makanan. Objektif utama makalah ialah pemetaan semula penanaman kelapa sawit dengan melibatkan pendekatan yang lebih strategik dalam menguruskan tanah untuk memastikan kelangsungan industri kelapa sawit disamping memelihara keselamatan makanan dan alam sekitar. Kajian mengaplikasikan kaedah kualitatif dan teknik pemerhatian di lapangan. Bagi mendapatkan hasil kajian yang komprehensif, kajian turut mengaplikasikan teknik penyeliaan analisis yang terdiri daripada pemetaan guna tanah dan litupan tanah (LULC) dan Sistem Maklumat Geografi (GIS). Kajian mendapati bahawa pengurusan tanah yang lebih seimbang dapat mengurangkan kesan negatif seperti kemerosotan kualiti tanah, kehilangan habitat, mempromosikan kepelbagaian tanaman di kawasan kelapa sawit, peningkatan pengeluaran makanan tempatan, pengurangan kebergantungan kepada import makanan dan peningkatan ketahanan terhadap krisis makanan
Morphological and genetic characterisation of seahorse species (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus spp.) in the waters of Sabah, Malaysia
No full textSeahorse are teleosts belonging to the genus Hippocampus which consists of 57 species. Among the 57 species, only 12 species exist in Malaysian waters and 11 species in the coastal waters of Sabah. These records and checklists pre-date 2015, and no known studies or field surveys have been conducted in Sabah since then. In this study, a field survey was conducted in selected areas of Sabah waters to document the species composition through morphological and genetic identification. Out of the 11 species that were recorded previously, only two species (Hippocampus barbouri and Hippocampus comes) were found and identified using taxonomic keys. CO1 mitochondrial gene was used for genetic identification and phylogenetic tree reconstruction of Maximum Likelihood (ML). The dataset comprises sequences of 11 species from Malaysian waters (excluding H. satomiae). The genetic distances, i.e., p-distances, for H. barbouri and H. comes were recorded to be less than 1% inter-species and more than 10% intra-species, which confirmed the distinct species genetically. Furthermore, findings highlight the urgency of implementing conservation strategies to protect the remaining populations, in light of limitations of this study
Analyzing hyperproduction of beta 2-microglobulin by nano biosensors: An update on potential blood biomarkers for precise detection
No full textBeta-2-microglobulin (B2M) is a component of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules present on all nucleated cells. It is a small protein associated with the heavy chain of the MHC class I complex on the cell surface. Cancers, including multiple myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma, as well as inflammatory diseases, infections (such as Human immunodeficiency and Cytomegalovirus), and kidney disease, are often associated with high blood levels of B2M. However, conventional techniques are not sensitive enough to detect the concentration of biomarkers in early-stage diseases, making early-stage disease diagnosis a significant challenge. Thus, we review the benefits of using nanomaterials and nanobiosensors towards developing high sensitivity, specificity, and selective detection of biomarkers. Besides that, we include medical studies on B2M as a potential diagnosis and prognosis biomarker in several diseases. As a target or biomarker, B2M can be employed in creating nanobiosensors, which are cutting-edge instruments that integrate biological sensing and nanotechnology to identify specific molecules at extremely low concentrations. By categorizing the levels of B2M in the blood with the above complications, the current nanotechnogical-assisted biosensors can provide a platform for monoplex and multiplex sensing. In addition, the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence in a biosensor holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare by enabling early-stage disease diagnosis, which could greatly benefit patients and healthcare providers. This advancement could lead to developing a telemedicine system with a multiplex biosensor, offering significant advantages for healthcare delivery
The efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in pediatric heart failure: Interpreting causality in clinical outcomes
No full textWe read with great interest the report by Kumar et al. [1], which describes functional and echocardiographic improvements in pediatric heart failure after initiating dapagliflozin. These encouraging findings offer valuable insights; however, attributing the clinical benefits solely to the drug may be premature given certain limitations in study design and interpretation. In observational analyses—especially in cohorts with diverse characteristics—multiple factors can contribute to the outcomes observed
Advances in filler-crosslinked membranes for hydrogen fuel cells in sustainable energy generation
No full textFuel cell membranes can be used in various ways to achieve zero-emission transport and energy systems, which offer a promising way to power production due to their higher efficiency compared to the internal combustion engine and the eco-environment. Perfluoro sulfonic acid membranes used for proton exchange membranes (PEMs) have certain drawbacks, like higher fuel permeability and expense, lower mechanical and chemical durability, and proton conductivity under low humidity and above 80 °C temperature. Researchers have drawn their attention to the production of polymer electrolyte membranes with higher proton conductivity, thermal and chemical resilience, maximum power density, lower fuel permeability, and lower expense. For sustainable clean energy generation, a review covering the most useful features of advanced material-associated membranes would be of great benefit to all interested communities. This paper endeavors to explore several types of novel inorganic fillers and crosslinking agents, which have been incorporated into membrane matrices to design the desired properties for an advanced fuel cell system. Membrane parameters such as proton conductivity, the ability of H2 transport, and the stability of the membrane are described. Research directions for developing fuel cell membranes are addressed based on several challenges suggested. The technological advancement of nanostructured materials for fuel cell applications is believed to significantly promote the future clean energy generation technology in practice