Characterization of hopanes in sediment collected from South China Sea: identification of oil pollution sources

This study investigate the utilities and limitation of pentacyclic triterpane (hopane) including oleanane as oil pollution source identification for sediment samples collected from South China Sea and the applicability of the biomarker approach to sediments and biological samples. Norhopane, 17(α),21(β)-hopane and 17(β), 21(α)-hopane and ∑C31-C 35-homohopane were found to be rich in Middle East crude oil and some of the sediment samples that were being collected in South China Sea. Some other molecular ratios of the biomarker compounds for the sediments such as Tm/Ts and Ts/Tm and n-alkane composition and distribution strongly suggest those 3 out of 27 sediment samples are derived from the Middle East petroleum. The utility of hopane as biomarker to identify the source of tar balls in Strait of Malacca is applicable for oil spill but the data is still limited for Malaysian sediments especially in South China Sea area. The use of oleanane as a biomarker is easily to be found in each sample for this study; however the concentration generally was very low for each sediment sample

Rethinking strategy on developing students’ levels of geometric thinking in Sokoto state, Nigeria

Geometric thinking skills remained a topical issue in mathematics education. The purpose of this research is to investigate the van Hiele levels of geometric thinking skills of the students in Sokoto state to provide a clear picture of the students’ levels for the appropriate development of learning activities, and better understanding. The study involves three mathematics teachers and 200 students (100 students each of basic and senior secondary school students). The samples of the teachers were purposely selected and students were randomly selected. There were two instruments used in the study; interviews for the mathematics teachers while a van Hiele test for geometric thinking was adopted to collect data for the students’ van Hiele levels of thinking. Thematic analysis (for teachers’ interview), descriptive, and Mann-Whitney U test for the analysis of students’ van Hiele levels of thinking was used. The result shows that all the teachers indicate that the traditional approach is the dominant method used in teaching and learning and that students in the state lack basic skills in school geometry. Also, the result indicated that the majority of students sample among Basic and Senior secondary schools in Sokoto state were operating at level 0 respectively. Furthermore, a significant difference between the two independent groups was found in favor of senior secondary school students. It is hoped that in the future, educational institutions could use the present research as a guide for the development and design of modules, learning activities based on the van Hiele levels to bridge the gap in the state

Decolorization of reactive orange 16 dye by copper oxide system

The decolorization of reactive orange 16 dye (RO16) from aqueous solution by CuO/H2O2 was investigated. The amount of dye removed was determined by measuring the concentration of the dye at its characteristic wavelengths by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The effects of CuO dose, H2O2 concentration and UV light on the decolorization of the dye were investigated. It was found that the removal rate increased with increasing mass of CuO and increasing concentration of H2O2. The combination of CuO, H2O2 and UV light was the best system with dye removal of 100% after 6 h. The removal efficiency observed was in the order: CuO/ UV/H2O2 > CuO/H2O2 > CuO/UV= CuO > UV/H2O2> H2O2> UV

ASAS PEMBINAAN TEORI SASTERA OLEH SARJANA SASTERA DI MALAYSIA

Kemunculan teori-teori sastera janaan sarjana sastera Melayu merupakan satu fenomena baharu dalam dunia sastera di Malaysia. Kemunculan teori-teori difaktorkan oleh kelemahan-kelemahan teori sastera Barat yang disifatkan oleh beberapa sarjana Sastera Melayu di Malaysia sebagai tidak dapat menjelaskan makna dalam sesebuah teks hasil karya penulis Melayu Islam, atas alasan teoriteori sastera Barat tidak menitikberatkan aspek agama dan elemen jati diri Melayu. Makalah ini bertujuan untuk memperincikan asasasas pembinaan teori sastera yang dijana oleh sarjana sastera di Malaysia dan sejauh manakah asas pembinaan teori sejajar dengan agama Islam dan sifat jati diri Melayu. Daripada kajian kepustakaan, terdapat empat asas yang dijadikan sandaran teori, iaitu Islam, Melayu, estetika, bahasa dan potensi kreatif. Teori Takmilah dan Persuratan Baharu berasaskan kepada Islam; Pengkaedahan Melayu berasaskan kepada Melayu dan Islam; Teksdealisme berteraskan potensi kreatif, teori Konseptual Kata Kunci berteraskan bahasa dan teori Rasa-Fenomenologi berteraskan Fenomenologi dan estetik. Teks sandaran penteori pula semuanya bersandarkan teks-teks Melayu dan tokoh-tokoh penulis Melayu, kecuali teori RasaFenomenologi dan teori Konseptual Kata Kunci. Hasil kajian juga ini menunjukkan bahawa teori-teori sastera yang dibina oleh sarjana Melayu di Malaysia tidak sepenuh dapat membebaskan diri daripada pengaruh teori Barat meskipun dalam masa yang sama berjaya menampakkan unsur jati diri Melayu dan Islam.     The proliferation of literary theories by Malay scholars is a new phenomenon in the Malaysian literary world. These theories are mainly reactions against the perceived inadequacies of Western literary theories to fully define and provide meanings to texts written by Malay-Muslim writers. The main justification given is that Western theories pay scant attention to the religious and self- definitive aspects of the Malay world. This paper attempts to provide the finer details of the basis from which the literary theories are formulated and to understand the extent of their relationships with religious and self- definitive aspects of the Malay world. This paper is a library research that advances four assumptions that underlie the theories: Islam, Malay, aesthetics, language and creative potentials. Takmilah theory and Persuratan Baru are based on Islamic principles; Pengkaedahan Melayu on Malay values and Islamic principles; Teksdealism is articulated based on creative potentials, the Konseptual Kata Kunci theory on language and the Rasa- Fenomenologi theory is developed through phenomenology and aesthetics principles. All texts analysed are Malay texts and written by Malay scholars, except for the Rasa-Fenomenologi theory and Konseptual Kata Kunci theory. Research findings explain that Malay theories are susceptible to the influence of Western literary theories although they manage to explore and rationalize ties that bind the theories with the Malay world and Islam

HEGEMONI JURNALISTIK DALAM KAJIAN TETRALOGI BUMI MANUSIA KARYA PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER

Kerangka konseptual hegemoni jurnalistik menjadi satu pendekatan alternatif baharu dalam kajian terhadap kedudukan karya-karya sastera sama ada tempatan mahupun asing. Kerangka konseptual ini dibina berdasarkan kepada prinsip bahawa karya sastera merupakan media kreatif yang berperanan menyebarkan maklumat-maklumat kepada pembaca. Fokus kepada kajian ini ialah untuk membuktikan bahawa novel-novel Pramoedya Ananta Toer merupakan contoh bagaimana sesebuah karya sastera berfungsi sebagai medium hegemoni jurnalistik untuk menggerakkan kesedaran mental kelas sosial yang diwakilinya. Melalui pendekatan ini, akan dibuktikan bagaimana tetralogi Bumi Manusia menjadi medium gerakan intelektual dan ideologi kelas marginal yang merupakan dua elemen penting dalam pembentukan hegemoni bagi kelas-kelas sosial. Kenyataan ini akan membuktikan bagaimana hegemoni jurnalistik yang dibina berdasarkan prinsipprinsip hegemoni tandingan oleh Antonio Gramsci dan teori komunikasi iaitu Teori Jarum Hipodermik dapat menjawab peranan novel-novel Pramoedya, khususnya untuk membawa kelas marginal Jawa keluar daripada kesedaran palsu yang dibina oleh sistem feudal dan kolonialisme Belanda di Jawa.    The conceptual framework of journalistic hegemony become a new alternative approach to the study of the literary both of local and foreign. This conceptual framework is based on the principle that literature is a creative media to role disseminating information to the readers. The focus of this study is to prove that the novels of Pramoedya Ananta Toer are an example of how a literary work as a medium to create mental awareness of social class he represents. Through this approach will prove how his tetralogy of Bumi Manusia become a medium of intellectual and ideological movement by marginal class, two main elements in the formation of hegemonic social classes. These statements will prove how journalistic hegemony built on the principles of unrivalled hegemony by Antonio Gramsci and the theory of communication, namely Hypodermic Needle Theory can able to explain the novels of Pramoedya role, to bring marginal Java classes out of false consciousness built by feudal system and Dutch colonialism in Java.&nbsp

Validation of Mathematics Test to Assess Polytechnic Students’ Problem Solving

Mathematics education and problem-solving are inseparable due to the significance of solving problems with educational implications. This study aims to describe the process of developing and validating a test that measures problem-solving skills in Integral Calculus. This study is done to identify traces of the intended strategy in the answers, style, and quality of the student's responses. Data collection techniques were carried out through mathematical tests using problem-solving questions. The difficulty index, discrimination index, and reliability were calculated to analyze the data for each problem-solving instrument. Based on expert reviews, evaluations, and data analysis tests, five valid problem-solving instrument items with a discrimination index greater than 0.30 and Cronbach's alpha reliability greater than 0.60 have been developed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the developed maths test questions can enhance the problem-solving skills of Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic students

The values of the traditional culinary practices towards the modernization as perceived by the Malay Chefs in Klang Valley

The central question to be examined in this study is associated with the value of the Malays traditional culinary practices of Malay chef in preparing the traditional food in Malaysian hotels. Present understanding highlighted that hotels are giving high priority on their superior services, such as luxury accommodations and intimate hospitalities. As such, promoting local foods in their dining establishment has taken a back seat. Research from past scholars indicated that hotel in Malaysia can be the one stop center for the local and international tourists to get the first hand information about local food specialities. On the hindsight, very limited efforts have been put into practice on the promotions of local food especially Malay cuisines in hotels. Main issue such as mass-produced Malay cuisines in the commercial kitchens, for example, should be highlighted to ensure that hotels are not jeopardizing the originality of traditional food preparations. Therefore, a qualitative reasearch focusing in in-depth interview with 10 Malay chefs was conducted in hotels around the Klang Valley. The results are so profound that majority of the Malay chefs under study shared similar understandings on technology advancements and modernizations that have taken place in their daily food preparations. Another finding revealed that one of the most challenging factors in preventing the Malay chefs to prepare the Malay food as it has been done traditionally is the attitude and awareness of the young generations to understand the values in traditional culinary practices. This study concludes with suggestion that aggressive knowledge sharing and information dissemination among the Malay chefs in hotels are needed to effectively market the traditional Malay food

The Proficiency Levels Of Bahasa Melayu Writing Skills In Malaysian Primary Schools.

The 1996 Education Act affirms the status of Bahasa Melayu as a language of knowledge and as a medium of instruction in national schools in Malaysia (Education Act, 1996; Sharifah Maimunah, 2004). Correspondingly, by the end of their primary education pupils are expected to acquire a certain level of Bahasa Melayu proficiency that will enable them to grasp lessons conducted in Bahasa Melayu at the secondary school and tertiary levels