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Tahap kemiskinan masyarakat Orang Asli melalui pendekatan model kemiskinan multidimensi di Malaysia: Kajian kes di Terengganu / Muhammad Fuad Abdullah
Get PDFKemiskinan dan ketidakseimbangan sosioekonomi merupakan suatu fenomena global yang perlu ditangani dalam menjadikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara maju. Namun begitu, pengukuran kemiskinan unidimensi (pendapatan atau perbelanjaan) melalui purata pendapatan garis kemiskinan (PGK) digunakan di Malaysia tidak menggambarkan kekurangan dan taraf hidup sebenar masyarakat. Pendekatan pengukuran kemiskinan multidimensi yang diperkenalkan oleh United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) merupakan metode yang lebih sesuai digunakan dalam mengukur kemiskinan sebenar masyarakat kerana ia melibatkan pelbagai dimensi dan indikator. Oleh yang demikian, kajian ini telah mengaplikasikan kaedah pengukuran kemiskinan multidimensi menggunakan empat dimensi dengan 17 indikator terhadap masyarakat Orang Asli di Terengganu, Malaysia. Objektif kajian ini adalah 1. Untuk mengkaji hubungan antara pemboleh ubah sosioekonomi dengan PGK bagi masyarakat Orang Asli di Terengganu; 2. Untuk mengenal pasti dimensi dan indikator kemiskinan yang menyebabkan kemiskinan masyarakat Orang Asli di Terengganu; dan 3. Untuk menentukan indeks kemiskinan menggunakan IKM bagi perkampungan masyarakat Orang Asli di Terengganu. Hasil kajian mendapati hanya terdapat tiga pemboleh ubah sosioekonomi yang mempunyai hubungan signifikan dengan PGK iaitu pendidikan, jenis pekerjaan dan dividen FELCRA. Menerusi pengukuran kemiskinan multidimensi, kekurangan tertinggi adalah dalam dimensi kekayaan diikuti pendidikan dan taraf hidup. Kajian ini juga mendapati, kekurangan tertinggi adalah dalam indikator ternakan komersial diikuti pengurusan sampah, tahun tamat persekolahan dan pendapatan. Selain itu, indeks kemiskinan IKM paling tinggi adalah di Kampung Sungai Pergam, Kemaman (3.9%) pada garis pemisah k=9 berbanding kampung-kampung lain. Oleh yang demikian, pendekatan kemiskinan multidimensi merupakan suatu kaedah pengukuran kemiskinan yang bersifat komprehensif dan mampu menunjukkan tahap kemiskinan sebenar kelompok masyarakat yang dikaji berbanding menggunakan kaedah pengukuran unidimensi. Hasil kajian ini membuktikan masyarakat Orang Asli khususnya di Terengganu masih lagi miskin walaupun matlamat pembangunan lestari menunjukkan tahap kesejahteraan hidup di Malaysia adalah baik. Kajian ini adalah penting kepada kerajaan khususnya JAKOA dan pembuat polisi dalam memberikan bantuan serta melaksanakan program pembasmian kemiskinan yang efektif kepada Orang Asli
The efficacy of different type of phototherapy light devices for neonatal jaundice treatment / Mohammad Hanafi Ismail
Get PDFIt has been reported that 60% of term neonates and 80% of the pre-terms develop jaundice
in the first week of life and the proportion of jaundice in Malaysia is on the rise. As
phototherapy light is the primary source of treatment for jaundice, it is crucial for hospital
to have the best phototherapy light devices which can help to treat jaundice effectively.
This would help to shorten neonate patient hospital stay, reduce staff workload as well as
increasing treatment capacity of the hospital. Hospitals in Malaysia are using several type
of phototherapy devices in their wards. The most commonly found are Light Emitting
Diode (LED) and conventional fluorescent light devices. This observational study
compares the efficacy of three different types of phototherapy light devices; LED, 6-tubes
fluorescent light & 4-tubes fluorescent light in jaundice treatment. Total of 15 term infant
subject patients were included and assigned into three groups where 5 patients were
treated for each device group. Inclusion criteria for the subject includes term patient,
admission weigh of more than 2.5kg and reached total serum bilirubin (TSB) level which
need phototherapy treatment. The primary outcome measured was the rate of TSB
reduction in jaundice patients within 24 hours period while the secondary outcome
measured was the total treatment time needed for every jaundice patient prior to
discharge. For primary outcome, results showed the rate of mean TSB reduction for LED
is significantly higher than both of the conventional fluorescent light devices (P<0.05).
Meanwhile, the rate of mean TSB reduction for both 6-tubes and 4-tubes fluorescent light
devices were similar (P>0.05). For secondary outcome, although LED recorded the
shortest mean treatment time prior to discharge, there is no significant difference in the
mean treatment time between each group of phototherapy light devices (P>0.05). This
study concludes that LED phototherapy light device is more efficacient that both type of
conventional phototherapy devices; 4-tubes and 6 tubes fluorescent light devices in
reducing TSB level of jaundice patient
Task performance and adaptive performance in Royal Service Corps: Role of individual ambidexterity and extent of change / Muhamad Fadzly Abd Kadir
No full textThe Revolution in Military Logistics has impacted military logistics business processes. It requires logisticians to adapt to changes and perform their tasks. However, it also resulted in inconsistent performance of employees. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between individual and situational factors and individual work performance of logisticians at the Royal Service Corps of the Malaysian Army. Individual factors (i.e. openness to experience and social intelligence) and a situational factor (i.e. workplace relationship) are the independent variables. Individual ambidexterity acts as a mediating variable, and the extent of change acts as a moderating factor. The dependent variables are individual work performance (task and adaptive performance). The theory of work performance and Burke–Litwin model are used to define concepts and explain the phenomena. Employee capacity, willingness and opportunity towards performance are assumed to have a significant relationship, and organisational environments are perceived and interpreted by their employees. Results of this study provide empirical evidence that the individual and situational factors have a significant relationship with task and adaptive performance, except for openness to experience and adaptive performance, which has a non-significant relationship. Individual ambidexterity behaviour among logisticians is pertinent to the individual factors but not to the situational factor in mediating job performance. The extent of change strengthens the relationship between individual ambidexterity behaviour and task performance and not with adaptive performance. Findings from this study have implications on the selection process, mixture and redeployment of personnel; training and competency development; and overall organisational improvement
An analysis of spoken feedback on speech presentations / Wong Woei Ling
Get PDFEvaluative feedback is often observed in the context of language classroom and are often dialogic. A general rule of thumb is that evaluative feedback represents largely “post-observation evaluation” which relies on performance-based criteria. For non-dialogic evaluative feedback, it usually dwindles down to written form such as appraisal reports. The domain of non-dialogic spoken evaluative feedback is a domain which remains untapped due to restrictions to such interaction platform. This discourse study aims to describe different aspects of how non-dialogic spoken feedback is managed among trained evaluators within a specific linguistic context based on the Discourse Analysis Model that defines the "who", "what" and "how". The participants of this study are a specific group of individuals who act in giving motivating and evaluative post-observation spoken feedback after speeches have been presented. Data is collected in the form of video recordings, field notes and simple follow-up interviews. Data analysis has shown that the concluding elements of a successful spoken feedback lie in the identification of members in a discourse community and understanding of their roles. With this it is seen there are distinctive ways words are associated with spoken feedback and how feedback is socially constructed and within a specific discourse community. Findings of this study are significant as the specific study of this particular linguistic event is generic and transferable to other learning or language contexts which could benefit in assisting and encouraging an individual to move forward and strive for excellence in presentations
Design and development of fiber bragg grating sensor for detecting of hydrogen gas in transformer oil / Mohd Raffi Samsudin
Get PDFHermetically sealed oil-immersed transformers are the key to electricity distribution networks. They are also one of the most expensive facilities in the electricity supply network. Immediate replacement is expected for this type of transformer upon failure because it is directly connected to the customer. Transformer oil acts as insulation, coolant and condition indicator. To date, there is no economical real-time monitoring system available to monitor the transformer oil condition. Therefore, there is a need to develop a cheap, non-intrusive and non-electrical sensor to monitor the health of the transformer by measuring the amount of dissolved hydrogen gas in oil, which is an early indicator for electrical fault in the transformer. In this research, sixteen fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) sensors which are based on different palladium (Pd) coatings ratios and thicknesses were developed to detect dissolved hydrogen gas content in transformer oil. All the coatings were prepared by using physical vapour deposition technique with a combination of RF and DC methods. All samples have palladium-chromium ratios of 100:0 (Pd100), 88:12 (Pd88Cr12), 75:25 (Pd75Cr25) and 67:33 (Pd67Cr33) and for each composition, four (4) samples were prepared with different coating thicknesses which were 970 nm, 1060 nm, 1180 nm and 1300 nm. TiO2 was used as the adhesion layer between FBG and the Pd-Cr coatings. Initially, the adhesion layer on a test fiber was tested inside heated transformer oil for 40 days before the palladium and chromium coating. The TiO2 coating showed excellent adhesion properties to the fiber because it did not show any signs of surface roughness, uneven thickness, peeling off or microcracking after it was immersed in transformer oil. Transformer oil samples with different dissolved hydrogen contents were then prepared by diffusing hydrogen gas into the oil. The samples were tested by using a portable dissolved gas analyser. All the FBG sensors were tested with separate transformer oil with different levels of dissolved hydrogen, and the wavelength shifts were recorded. The measurement of coating thicknesses and compositions were done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) method. On the other hand, a high voltage generator and a spark gap were developed to generate partial discharge in the oil for validation purpose. All sensors were tested with hydrogen gas generated by partial discharge activity, and the errors were less than 10%. Pd100 sensor showed average induced strains of 0.1801 pm/ppm (970 nm of coating thickness) whereas Pd67Cr33 sensor showed the lowest strain of 0.0137 pm/ppm (970 nm of coating thickness). This work has demonstrated a potential of using alloy metal like chromium to the palladium metal to enhance dissolved hydrogen detection range. Different ranges of saturation were shown for all FBG sensors due to different palladium-chromium composition. This sensor has the potential to be used inside the hermetically sealed transformer to detect electrical fault at the early stage. The sensor can be made as a standalone module which may be used to produce fault alarm once hydrogen exceeded specific preset value
A centralised multi-objective model predictive control for biventricular assist devices / Vivian Koh Ci Ai
Get PDFHeart failure is defined as failure of heart to deliver adequate blood flow rate to support tissue perfusion. Heart failure can be treated by implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for left heart failure patients, or a biventricular assist device (BiVAD) for bi-heart failure patients. Since left heart failure predominates right heart failure, all commercial ventricular assist devices are LVADs. Therefore, two LVADs are frequently used as BiVAD for bi-heart failure patients. Clinically, the constant speed (CS) control of BiVAD fails to adapt pump flow rate according to physiological changes, thus putting patients at risk of ventricular suction and pulmonary congestion. Speed regulation of a BiVAD may be complicated by process interactions in a cardiovascular-biventricular assist device (CVS-BiVAD) environment. Therefore, in this thesis, a centralised model predictive control (MPC) that could handle process interactions in a multivariable control problem was proposed. Three objectives were proposed in this thesis. Firstly, a simple state-space model of the CVS-BiVAD system was required prior to the development of an MPC algorithm. For this purpose, a complex CVS-BiVAD model was simplified by reducing the number of state variables. New model parameters were optimised using a least squares function and manual tuning approach. The simplified state-space model consists of state and time-varying factors. Therefore, the second objective was to modify a conventional centralised MPC algorithm to cater for the state and time-varying factors of the CVS-BiVAD system. Multiple control objectives were included in the MPC algorithm to: a) adapt pump flow rate according to the Frank-Starling (FS) mechanism, b)avoid ventricular suction, and c) avoid vascular congestion. This modified MPC iscalled the centralised multi-objective model predictive control (CMO-MPC). The CMO- MPC was benchmarked against two non-centralised control schemes: CS control and FS-like-proportional-integral (PI-FS) control under two patient scenarios: exercise and postural change, in silico, as the first stage evaluation. In exercise, CMO-MPC and PI-FS control increased cardiac output from 5.1 L/min to 7.1 L/min and 6.9 L/min, respectively. CMO-MPC avoided suction and congestion in both patient scenarios as compared to CS control and PI-FS control, based on the assumptions made on risks of suction (mean atrial pressure below 3 mmHg) and congestion events (mean atrial pressure above 18 mmHg). The assumptions only served as a proposed idea and can be changed by clinical experts. The third objective was to evaluate this CMO-MPC in-vitro using a mock circulation loop. In the in vitro study, CMO-MPC avoided pulmonary congestion in the exercise test while PI-FS control and CS control failed to. In the transient region of postural change test, CMO-MPC (2.0 mmHg) had a higher minimum right ventricular end diastolic pressure than PI-FS control (1.2 mmHg), suggesting that CMO-MPC had lower risks of right ventricular suction as compared with PI-FS control. It is therefore proposed that the CMO-MPC should be a safe physiological controller for BiVAD in the future when reliable pressure and flow sensors become clinically available. In vivo validation is also required to increase the confidence of use of CMO-MPC in the future
Impact of motivation factors on workforce productivity in Tenaga Nasional Berhad / Muhammad Hafeez Hassan
Get PDFMotivation factors are an important aspect in workforce productivity. In an organization, workforce motivation are among the main important criteria to ensure a smooth and stable business operation. The motivation of workforce will directly impact the individual, organization and team in an organization which will also influence the organizational behavior. This research aim is to investigate the impact of motivation factors on workforce productivity in Tenaga Nasional Berhad. The objectives of the research is to explore the motivation factor affecting workforce motivation, to investigate the impact of motivation factor on workforce productivity and to recommend on how to improve motivation and productivity in Tenaga Nasional Berhad. An online questionnaire survey was conducted and the target participant is the employees of TNB. This research contributes in exploring the motivation factors, the impact to workforce productivity and improvement to increase workforce motivation in TNB.
Keywords: motivation, TNB, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, impact of motivation, productivit
Dry and wet torrefaction of microalgal biomass for biochar production as bioenergy sources / Gan Yong Yang
Get PDFIncreasing population in global and living standards have risen the consumption of global energy. Thermochemical conversion approaches hold great potential for the biomass conversion into energy applications. Among these approaches, torrefaction is a promising technique to enhance the biomass properties, making it more practical and suitable in biofuel applications. In this study, two different species of microalgae (third generation biofuel feedstock) including Chlorella vulgaris ESP-31 and FSP-E were used as feedstocks for dry and wet torrefaction. Dry torrefaction of microalgae was performed at temperatures of 200, 250 and 300 ºC, and holding times of 15, 30, 45 and 60 min, respectively. Next, wet torrefaction of microalgae were conducted in water and dilute acidic solutions with the aid of microwaves irradiation at 160 ℃ and 10 min. The effects of sulfuric, phosphorus, and succinic acids on the microalgae with different percentages of chemical composition were investigated. The biochar produced from dry and wet torrefaction was performed fuel properties analysis and characterisation. In addition, TG FTIR and double-shot Py-GC/MS approaches were executed to investigate the effects of torrefaction pre-treatment on microalgae pyrolysis. Furthermore, the kinetic modelling of microalgal biochar pyrolysis was carried out by using an independent parallel reaction model. As a result, dry torrefaction enhanced the HHV of microalga ESP-31 biochar (high-carbohydrate) by 45% with energy yield of 80% at 300℃ and 60 min. Torrefaction performance was highly affected by torrefaction temperature compared with holding time for microalgae and Jatropha biomass, but the solid yield of microalga ESP-31 significantly decreased with holding time at mild torrefaction (250 ℃) due to the high reactivity of the microalgae components (carbohydrates) at that temperature. For the wet torrefaction, the disruption of the microalga FSP-E (high-protein) was not notable in the acidic solutions. The HHV of microalga ESP-31 biochar produced by succinic acid wet torrefaction pre-treatment was enhanced by 40% with at least 45% of energy yield. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the carbohydrate content of microalga ESP-31 has the highest degradation in sulfuric acid solution. For the evolved gas analysis, the microalgae pre-treated with sulfuric acid solution generated highest C–H absorption band in the pyrolysis gas. In the combustion TG-FTIR analysis, the intensity of O−H absorption band was removed in the first stage, indicating deoxygenation and dehydration process occurred in the wet torrefaction. In addition, the Py-GC/MS analysis revealed that only carbohydrate-derived products were decreased in the pyrolytic bio-oil of the microalgae pre-treated by the acidic solutions wet torrefaction. In contrast, carbohydrate and lipid-derived products were decreased in the pyrolytic bio-oil of the microalgae pre treated by the dry torrefaction. Lastly, the independent parallel reaction with four pseudo components model successfully predicted the kinetic behaviours of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and other components in microalgae. The results revealed the thermal degradation curve with a fit quality of at least 98% were predicted for microalgae pyrolysis kinetics. In short, wet torrefaction successfully enhanced the fuel properties of the microalgal biochar for biofuel applications
Kinematic analysis of forehand drop shot and long shot services in table tennis / Norzuria Ibrahim
Get PDFTable tennis is one of the most widely played sports in the world. A frequent hand movement is compulsory to execute stroke than other limbs, especially the projection of racket and ball speeds,which can help to improve players’ performance. Until now, research on table tennis serving is limited. Service was assumed important in table tennis because the effective serve may allow the serving player to have advantage and control over the game. The 3D dynamic analysis is the appropriate method to analyze a sport activity such as table tennis. Therefore, the aim of research was to determine the kinematic involved in arm segment rotations towards horizontal ball and racket head velocities during forehand service in table tennis. Yamaguchi’s kinematic model is one of methods to analyze arm segment motion. However, the equations in Yamaguchi’s model were not completed since only developed the model until proximal end of segment. Furthermore, the value of specific positions at arm segment in the model remained unknown. Thus, the present study has improved the Yamaguchi’s kinematic model by adding some parameters (calculation of velocity until COM of segments and obtained the value of specific positions at arm segment) to complete the model and can be used to analyze table tennis serving motion. Twenty six participants were selected to participate in this research. The study captured radiography images of 10 participants to obtain the value of positions at arm segment. Furthermore, 16 collegiate table tennis players were selected to perform forehand drop shot and long shot services. Five infrared cameras operating at 250 Hz were used to record the table tennis serving motion. Radial deviation angular velocity was significantly correlated with racket velocity (rs = 0.638, P < 0.05) and ball velocity during drop shot service (rs = 0.647, P < 0.05). Racket velocity at impact exhibited a significant correlation with radial deviation (r = 0.803, P ˂ 0.05) and wrist palmar flexion angular velocities (r = 0.737, P < 0.05) during long shot service. The shoulder flexion and shoulder internal rotation velocities were significantly different between long shot and drop shot services (p = 0.001, p = 0.005). The amplitude of the graph during long shot service (Figure 4.6) was less sharp compared to the graph during drop shot service particularly in shoulder internal rotation, elbow flexion and wrist palmar flexion which revealed that players played both services with the same posture at different speed. Furthermore, the change in shoulder flexion and shoulder internal rotation at impact will distinguished between drop shot and long shot services. Moreover, it was concluded that increasing radial deviation will increase racket and ball velocities at impact during drop shot service. Increasing the radial deviation and wrist palmar flexion will increase racket head velocity at impact during long shot service. However, the ball velocity at impact could not be influenced by the arm segment rotations and racket speed during long shot service. Focusing on the recommendations above during training may allow the players to gain advantage over the game
Collaborative regulatory development in the mobile money sector: A case study in Sri Lanka / Chaminda Methsiri Suwandaarachchi
Get PDFProviding financial services for the unbanked has been challenging, mainly due to relatively high operational costs and the difficulty of reaching remote areas. Mobile money has brought bank-like facilities to the unbanked communities, through its low-cost operations and widespread agent network, thus making them financially included. Regulatory response and support are essential for this advancement, where they necessitate significant changes to the current regulatory practices. This task is difficult for regulators due to their limited technical knowledge and resources in the field of financial technologies. Regulators collaborate with industry to overcome these challenges. However, studies on such collaborations are scarce. This study proposes a model for collaborative regulatory development for the mobile money industry.Actual practices were mapped with the theory of negotiated rule making to derive variations and extensions to the original theory. The study employed the case study research method, in particular, the Structured-Pragmatic-Situational (SPS) approach, for data collection and analysis. Regulators have appointed a discussion committee with a broader representation of interests, for more objective decision making. Further, the central bank has maintained close control throughout the negotiation process, where participants are motivated to compromise their interests to achieve joint gains. Findings reveal that the collaboration provided necessary knowledge and information for developing effective regulation, to participants. The central bank composed the executable rule, with the aid of information and knowledge gained through collaboration. Subsequent revisions also play an essential role in regulatory development. These revisions are developed through the involvement of stakeholders in the form of suggestions and comments. Collaborative testing and benchmarking are also similar joint approaches observed in mobile money regulation