Tourists' Perspectives on Condition of Heritage Buildings and Resiliency of the Heritage Tourism Industry in Melaka

Heritage buildings have been seen as an asset that needs to be maintained not only for the sake of history and culture but also as a legacy for future generations. In Melaka, heritage buildings have become a source of pride for the people of Malacca and also the main source of income for the state government through heritage tourism activities. It is important to ensure that these heritage buildings continue to recover and be free from damage so that the tourists who come have a good experience. This study is focused on the issues which were concerning the condition of heritage buildings in Malacca from the perspective of tourists. Heritage buildings around the tourist spot in Malacca were selected as locations for this study. The study adopted a questionnaire survey, that involved 211 local tourists as the respondents of the survey. The respondents were requested to gauge the conditions issue and the resiliency of heritage buildings using 5-points Likert scale. The collected data were analysed descriptively. The results found that the overall average condition issue mean value is high (M = 4.05) and can be interpreted as satisfactory. This indicates that the level of satisfaction with the condition received is high. Although most respondents expressed a good experience with the condition of the heritage buildings that they had visited, there is still room for improvements. The findings also show that all the agreement statements related to the resiliency of the heritage tourism industry in Melaka have an average score of 79%. As a result of the survey, it is important that the parties involved in heritage management follow the conservation standards, promote, and practice good integrity, especially in ensuring the originality and authenticity of materials used as well as good work procedures to ensure the future resiliency of the heritage tourism industry in Malacca

Validation of a Scale for the Measurement of Employee Competency in Relation to Succession Planning Amongst Administrators in Higher Education Institutions

Purpose: This paper examines the validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate employee competency in the context of succession planning using a sample of administrators within the 48 to 54 grades in Malaysian public universities.   Theoretical framework: Shaping the qualities and competencies of university administrators can serve as a model of competent leadership for the sustainability of succession planning for higher education institutions.   Design/methodology/approach: Systematic random sampling was used for data collection using questionnaires, including pilot studies and subsequent field studies. The survey was administered to 430 respondents from the administrators of 20 public universities. The study conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the pilot study data (n = 102) to identify potential factor structures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using field study data (n = 328) was conducted to confirm the construct measurement model.   Findings: The EFA and CFA validation processes suggested that only 10 modified items with 4 components remained to achieve a better fit model: Interpersonal (IP), Personal Effectiveness (PE), Teamwork (TW), and Self-Development (SD). All composite reliability (CR) measures for these 4 components exceeded the required value of 0.6. Since the values of these indices fall within the range of their respective cutoff values, the model meets the goodness-of-fit criterion:  RMSEA = 0.070,GFI=0.955, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.926, and a normalized chi-square = 2.605. According to the study, the instrument is valid and reliable for assessing the components of the employee competency model.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The scale validated in this study could be used by human resource managers in public universities as a tool to better understand the belief systems of their employees. It could help them make an informed decision that will enable them to provide competent administrators for succession planning.   Originality/value: This study is a catalyst to assess and highlight the current status and impact of employee competency on succession planning in Malaysian higher education institutions

Validation of a scale for the measurement of employee competency in relation to succession planning amongst administrators in higher education institutions

Purpose: This paper examines the validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate employee competency in the context of succession planning using a sample of administrators within the 48 to 54 grades in Malaysian public universities. Theoretical framework: Shaping the qualities and competencies of university administrators can serve as a model of competent leadership for the sustainability of succession planning for higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Systematic random sampling was used for data collection using questionnaires, including pilot studies and subsequent field studies. The survey was administered to 430 respondents from the administrators of 20 public universities. The study conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the pilot study data (n = 102) to identify potential factor structures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using field study data (n = 328) was conducted to confirm the construct measurement model. Findings: The EFA and CFA validation processes suggested that only 10 modified items with 4 components remained to achieve a better fit model: Interpersonal (IP), Personal Effectiveness (PE), Teamwork (TW), and Self-Development (SD). All composite reliability (CR) measures for these 4 components exceeded the required value of 0.6. Since the values of these indices fall within the range of their respective cutoff values, the model meets the goodness-of-fit criterion: RMSEA = 0.070,GFI=0.955, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.926, and a normalized chi-square = 2.605. According to the study, the instrument is valid and reliable for assessing the components of the employee competency model. Research, Practical & Social implications: The scale validated in this study could be used by human resource managers in public universities as a tool to better understand the belief systems of their employees. It could help them make an informed decision that will enable them to provide competent administrators for succession planning. Originality/value: This study is a catalyst to assess and highlight the current status and impact of employee competency on succession planning in Malaysian higher education institutions

Design, build and test IIUM remote controlled glider

The main objective of this subject is to design and build a sailplane that meets certain performance requirement. Simple mission profile was used which is include warm up, taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise and landing. The cruising altitude, range and sailplanes requirements and specification has been decided base on certain criteria. The take off weight of the sailplane has been successfully estimated as 1.225 kg. NACA 4412 airfoil was used for the wing sectiion. The fuselage diensions were estimated. The length of the fuselage from nose to tail is 0.8 meter, and the fuselage cross section will be rectangular in shape. The power available was estimated as 0.2 hp. The static stability analysis shows good results since all three components which are wing fuselage and tail gives desirable stability results. After 13 weeks of hard work, the team had managed to complete the fabrication of sailplane and also had managed to have it flown by a hired RC pilot. The aircraft flew without any difficulty and the objectives was reached, which is to perform an unpowered gliding

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe