Transformational leadership style and job satisfaction relationship: A study of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)

The objective of the study was to empirically investigate the relationships between transformational leadership style proxied by charismatic or inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration with job satisfaction.100 respondents from an academic institution in Malaysia had voluntarily participated in the study.The data was analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS Amos software.The revised structural equation modeling (SEM) for relationship between transformational leadership style and job satisfaction passed goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests with near perfect results for absolute and incremental fit measures(chi square to degree of freedom 1.004; p-value 0.469; RMSEA0.006; and comparative fit index (CFI) 1.000).However, only two out of the three dimensions of leadership were having significant relationships with job satisfaction.Positive relationship existed between intellectual stimulation and job satisfaction, while individual consideration was negatively related.The result also revealed that leadership was an insignificant mediator in the relationships between charismatic, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration with job satisfaction

The potential of a solid-state fermentation supplement to augment white lupin (Lupinus albus) meal incorporation in diets for farmed common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

A 10-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of partially substituting soya protein concentrate (SPC), with white lupin (Lupinus albus) meal in carp (Cyprinus carpio) diets. This study further investigated the dietary inclusion of a solid-state fermentation (SSF) product of Aspergillus niger in tandem with SPC replacement. Six experimental diets were produced to be isonitrogenous (42%), isolipdic (8%) and isoenergetic (19 MJ kg−1). Four diets were formulated to have 12.5 and 25% substitution of SPC using lupin meal, and with and without a supplement of 0.1% of SSF. An additional two diets were designed to serve as a basal reference with no SPC replacement, but one supplemented with 0.1% SSF inclusion. The results of this study showed that SPC can be replaced with up to 25% white lupin meal in carp diets, without reduction of growth performance, feed utilisation, body composition, gut integrity or health. The addition of SSF to the test diets enhanced growth performance (specific growth rate, P < 0.05) and nutrient utilisation (e.g. feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio, P < 0.05)

The Debt-Equity Ratio Choice: Risk Sharing Instruments, a Viable Alternative

Evidence has been documented in the literature that the interest based debt financing system is experiencing continuous discomfort. The outcome of the 2008 global financial crisis has further create fresh vigor to the assertion. Also, these authors have submitted that debt and leveraging are the two major causes of financial instability in the present system. This paper claims that the existence of the interest-based debt regime is becoming less acceptable, as excessive debt can affect the whole economic system, even in a developed country like United States. From an economic viewpoint, therefore, by banning interest rate-based contracts and decreeing exchange contracts, Islamic financeinspires risk sharing and prohibits risk transfer, risk shedding, and risk shifting. The paper proposes risk sharing based Islamic financing as a suitable alternative to the interest based debt financing. This study concludes that risk-sharing finance has several benefits, especially its potential to minimize, if not circumvent, the debt prompted financial crises that have beset the world.

Leucocytic DNA methylation of Interleukin-6 promoter reduction in pre-hypertensive young adults

Background: Pre-hypertension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension, with epigenetic dysregulation involvement. Nevertheless, the role of DNA methylation in prehypertensive state is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between DNA methylation level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter in pre-hypertensive (PreHT) and normotensive (NT) young adults. Methods: A total of 80 NT and 80 PreHT healthy subjects aged between 18–45 years were recruited in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia using an observational cross-sectional study approach. DNA methylation level of IL-6 promoter in peripheral leukocytes were measured using bisulphite conversion and MethyLight assay. Results: There was no significant difference in age between NT and PreHT (P = 0.655). The mean blood pressure was 110(8)/73(5) mmHg in NT and 125(7)/82(5) mmHg in PreHT subjects. The IL-6 promoter methylation level was significantly lower in PreHT compared to NT subjects (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that hypomethylation of IL-6 promoter was associated with pre-hypertension in young adults. Thus, IL-6 methylation could be used as an early indicator for predicting hypertension and related risk of cardiovascular diseases in prehypertensive subjects. Gene expression and longitudinal studies are warranted to examine the methylation effect on IL-6 expression over time

Parasitological and serological investigation into lymphatic filariasis among immigrants at Semenyih Detention Centre, Selangor, West Malaysia

Parasitological and serological investigations for lymphatic filariasis were performed on 450 immigrants detained at the Immigration Centre at Semenyih, Seiangor, West Malaysia. The country of origin of these immigrants were Indonesia, The Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Brugia malayi adult worm homogenate (BmAH) antigen was used for the detection of antifilarial IgG. A monoclonal antibody-based ELISA (MAb.XC3~ELISA) specific for filarial circulating antigens and non-phosphorylcholine reactive was used to detect antigenemia in these immigrants. Parasitologically 67 (14.89 %) were positive for W, bancrofti and 54 (12.0%) for Brugia malayi. Serologically 63 % had antifilarial IgG titre to the BmAH antigen. While Bancroftian filariasis is now unknown in Peninsular Malaysia, the potential of it to be reintroduced into Peninsular Malaysia by the immigrant population is discussed

Optimization of food waste utilization in the RDF recovery energy facility

It is well known that there is a significant increased in the quantity of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated every year. Therefore, the management of MSW must be handled carefully by experts. Malaysia as one of the developing country with population nearly 30 millions also facing problems related to MSW management and this issue is quite critical. Even though various programmes were established and few model technologies were introduced by the government to manage MSW effectively, but the impact remain unsatisfaction. For example, the energy facility recovery project which use MSW gathered around Kajang as an alternative fuel still not successful to provide energy according to the design capacity of that particular facility. This failure was observed due to the impact composition of MSW collected which consists huge amount of food waste (57%), 16% plastic, 15% diaper, 9% mixed papers and the remaining 3% textile. The existing process technology at Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) facility is no designed to create a new economic benefit from abundant incoming food waste to the facility. Therefore in this paper, the analysis and suggestion of technology on existing RDF recovery energy facility will be discussed especially on how to overcome the abundant composition of food waste

Kajian pemakanan di kalangan ahli angkat berat majlis sukan Negeri Kelantan

Kajian ini dijalankan ke atas 15 ahli angkat berat Majlis Sukan Negeri Kelantan, pada 25 September 1999 di Gimnasium lbu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen (IPK) Kelantan.Kajian ini bertujuan untuk melihat taraf pemakanan dan kesihatan di kalangan ahli sukan di negeri Kelantan.Ia merupakan salah satu daripada siri kajian biayaan Kementerian Sains Teknologi dan Alam Sekitar, melalui peruntukan geran IRPA jangka pendek USM.Di antara pengukuran yang dilakukan ialah pengukuran ciri-ciri fizikal tubuh, ujian biokimia, darah dan soal-selidek amalan dan pengetahuan pemakan.Hasil yang dikaji (tidak termasuk soal-selidek) dilapurkan dalam jadual (1 hingga 9) secara individu dan kumpulan.Secara umumnya kumpulan ahli angkat berat mempunyai ukuran ciri-ciri fizikal (seperti berat, tinggi, nisbah W:H, % lemak badan) dan klinikal (tekanan darah) dalam kategori yang memuaskan.Walau bagaimanapun berdasarkan profail lipid darah,terdapat beberapa subjek yang mempunyai ukuran pada tahap "risiko tinggi".lni mencerminkan amalan pemakanan yang kurang baik di kalangan subjek tersebut.Pendedahan pengetahuan pemakanan kepada kumpulan ahli angkat berat adalah perlu bagi memperbaiki status dan amalan pemakanan di kalangan kumpulan tersebut

Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma (ACP) Treatment a New Technique to Improve Microstructure and Textural Properties of Healthy Noodles Fortified with Mango Flour

The effect of atmospheric pressure cold plasma (ACP) on microstructural, textural and sensory properties of healthy noodles fortified with mango flour was studied. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma was carried out using helium gas with a flow rate of 1000 ml/min at room temperature. The electrodes were powered by a direct current (DC) power supply voltage of 16.6 kV wrapped around the quartz glass tube to develop plasma plume. SEM for microstructural observation was done to study the changes in surface morphology of plasma treated noodles. It was observed that after the plasma treatment the gluten and fiber content on the noodles surface more coherent and smoother between gluten network and starch granules than the control with respect to plasma power and time of treatment. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma treatment maintained the hardness, springiness and gumminess of control noodles without mango flour (CNT) and noodles fortified with mango flour (NMFT) significantly (P&lt;0.05) compared to untreated control noodles (CN) and untreated mango flour fortified noodles (NMF). The results suggest that ACP is an effective technique for enhancing the gluten strength and improving the qualities of noodles fortified with mango flour

The trend analysis of Islamization in Malaysia using Islamization index as indicator

This paper empirically analyses the trend of Islamization in Malaysia using the Islamization Index as an indicator to determine whether the time series dataset of the Islamization index possess deterministic trends or stochastic properties.The result determines the appropriateness of the employment of the Islamization index as a proxy of Islam in the empirical study of Islam and economic performance such as economic growth and development, and not as a spurious relation as in the case of the non-stationary stochastic trend