40 research outputs found

    Human Resource Development in Malaysia : Challenges in Preparing for the New Economy

    Get PDF
    Future growth is associated with the new econom:y or the k-economy. It is one that is driven by knowledge. The objective of this study is to descriptively analyse the challenges of the Human Resource Development (HRD) in Malaysia in preparing for the new economy. This paper try to identify and discuss current challenges and future challenges for HRD in facing future growth. For the current challenges, the focus is on the inadequate supply of skilled manpower and knowledge workers and for the future challenges, it is about globalization. All the data in this study are obtained from the secondary data such as books, article, journal, economic report and others by using data for the period 1995-2005. In conclusion the paper proposed a policy response and recommendation to take in facing future growth for HRD

    THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AUDIENCE AWARENESS IN THE COMPOSING PROCESS: THE CASE FOR NOVICE AND EXPERT WRITERS

    Get PDF
    Writing is seen as a social cognitive process by the writer and teaching it will have to focus on the social context. Writers write so that their ideas can be conveyed and understood by their readers. This means writers write with the audience in mind-all the time. Different writers address their audience in different ways. The objective of this research is to explore the strategies used by different types of ESL writers to address their audience. Specifically, this case study focuses on the audience awareness strategies through the use of interactive and interactional discourse. Two writers were used as subjects in this qualitative study. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed. Findings reveal different writers use different metadiscourse to communicate with their audience. Results of this study bear interesting implications in the teaching and learning of academic writing in the ESL classroom

    AFGHANISTAN STUDENTS’ MOTIVATIONAL DISPOSITIONS IN LEARNING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN MALAYSIA

    Get PDF
    This aim of this study is to investigate the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations among the multidisciplinary Afghanistan postgraduate students in learning English as a foreign language. As postgraduate students sponsored by UNESCO, they are to complete their postgraduate studies in several faculties like Applied Sciences and Pharmacy in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Thirty-one postgraduate Afghanistan students responded the google form questionnaire. The questionnaire was adapted from Gardner’s Attitudes/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The results revealed that the students are extrinsically motivated rather than intrinsically motivated. The results also reflect that they are motivated by the teacher’s personality and pedagogy. There is no difference among the male and female postgraduate Afghan students as far as extrinsic and intrinsic motivations are concerned. Hence, the teaching style and classroom activities are the major motivational factors in learning English. Intrinsically, they also do not believe that knowing English would be able to make them a better person. The results of the present study have echoed previous research studies that highlight the importance of further investigation in extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in Foreign Language Acquisition.  Article visualizations

    Bioremediation of Endocrine Disruptive Chemicals: The Power of Microbial Enzymes

    Get PDF
    Microbial enzymes have been established as a powerful tool in bioremediation. In this review, applications of microbial enzymes in degradation of endocrine disruptive chemicals are explained. Endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs) are a number of pollutants reported bringing negative impacts on human being and wildlife. Exposure to EDCs may cause effect on endocrine system thus detrimental to the health eminently on the developmental and reproductive abnormalities. Physical approaches such as ozonation, activated carbon, nanofiltration have been implemented to remove EDCs in waste water. Over the past decade, bioremediation has been a preference method in EDCs degradation due to its environmental friendly approach. Lignin-modifying enzymes; LMEs have been the attractive candidates in EDC treatment due to their characteristics such as broad selectivity in substrate affinity and ability to degrade either complex, individual pollutants or low water solubility compounds. Usage of microbial enzymes either by using the whole organism or free enzymes has been introduced in water treatment. Current technology by immobilizing enzymes to certain matrix allow the enzymatic recycling process thus giving an advantage in operational cost

    Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

    Get PDF
    Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

    The fibre shear supplement of precast beam-half joints using steel fibre self-compacting concrete

    No full text
    The end region of the dapped-end beam experienced multiaxial stress actions, which requires high amounts of reinforcement and this resulted to the closely space reinforcement. Therefore, hooked-end steel fibres were mixed into all beam specimens to partly replace the secondary shear and bursting reinforcement to reduce the congestion issue. A series of experiments were performed on shallow recess (SR) and deep recess (DR) half joint beams to examine the partial reduction of reinforcement with 1% replacement of steel fibre. All SR and DR beams were then tested under shear load to study the effectiveness of steel fibres over traditional reinforcement in resisting loads, with two different shear span-to-depth ratios, which are 1.4 and 2.1. The experimental shear strength fibre supplement results for the SR and DR beam specimens were compared with theoretical predictions using the analytical and RILEM methods. The incorporation of 1% of steel fibre in the concrete matrix has the ability to replace 50% of horizontal and vertical reinforcement in SR and DR beams. In general, it is found that both the analytical and RILEM methods give a close approximation for the experimental DR beam specimen values, but slightly overestimated the fibre shear supplement of SR beam specimens by 13.4%. The results support the ability of steel fibres to resist tensile stress through its fibre-bridging action

    Vulnerabilities of wheat crop farmers in war zone

    No full text
    Wheat is the staple food crop in Afghanistan and maintaining its production plays important role in ensuring food security and food self-sufficiency. Wheat and its products are accounted for almost 60% to 75% of calories intake. However, being a country that has been facing war since 1978, it has been challenging for the wheat production industry to maintain its production to feed its people. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate wheat crop industry players’ vulnerabilities in the production of the wheat crop in a prolonged war zone. The study is conducted through the case study approach. Required data was collected through interviews, observations and documents which was analyzed through thematic analysis. This study found that in addition to the normal vulnerabilities/issues faced by the wheat crop industry players in the world, the players in the war zone have to face psychological effects, and financial corruption as well

    Cold adaptation strategies and the potential of psychrophilic enzymes from the antarctic yeast, glaciozyma antarctica PI12

    Get PDF
    Psychrophilic organisms possess several adaptive strategies which allow them to sustain life at low temperatures between −20 to 20 °C. Studies on Antarctic psychrophiles are interesting due to the multiple stressors that exist on the permanently cold continent. These organisms produce, among other peculiarities, cold-active enzymes which not only have tremendous biotechnological potential but are valuable models for fundamental research into protein structure and function. Recent innovations in omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics have contributed a remarkable perspective of the molecular basis underpinning the mechanisms of cold adaptation. This review critically discusses similar and different strategies of cold adaptation in the obligate psychrophilic yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica PI12 at the molecular (genome structure, proteins and enzymes, gene expression) and physiological (antifreeze proteins, membrane fluidity, stress-related proteins) levels. Our extensive studies on G. antarctica have revealed significant insights towards the innate capacity of- and the adaptation strategies employed by this psychrophilic yeast for life in the persistent cold. Furthermore, several cold-active enzymes and proteins with biotechnological potential are also discussed

    A residual flexural tensile strength and flexural toughness of medium strength of steel fibre self-compacting concrete

    No full text
    The addition of steel fibre in concrete altered its properties from brittle to ductile. While, using self-compacting concrete avoids use vibrating tools as it can consolidate under its own weight and high workable concrete that can flow easily in reinforced structure. The aim for this paper is to study the effect of addition of steel fibre in concrete on the flexural tensile strength and flexural toughness of concrete. Four design mixes of steel fibre self-compacting concrete (SFSCC) with different steel fibres contents, which are 0.5%, 0.75%,1.0% and 1.25% were designed, apart from normal SCC acting as a control mix. Slump flow test was conducted to find the workability of fresh concrete mixture. Result shows that there is negative influence on the workability of SFSCC with steel fibre content more than 1%. The highest residual strength and toughness of SFSCC is achieved by SFSCC with 0.75% steel fibre content mix which is 5.44 MPa and 34.2 Joules respectively
    corecore