Freshwater Fishes of Sungai Chantek, Pasir Akar, Besut, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

Twenty two species from 12 families of primary freshwater fishes were recorded from Sg. Chantek, Pasik Akar, Besut, Terengganu. Cyprinidae was the most dominant family (27%) with six species followed by Balitoridae with four species (18%). Fish composition was dominated by Poropuntius smedleyi with 140 individuals collected. More fish were collected in the downstream section (LS) (85 individuals) compare to middle (MS) and upper stream (US) sections. Fish species richness for each section range from 12 (US) to 18 (LS) and the differences was between US-LS and MS-LS sections but not with US-MS. LS has more fish species compared to US and MS. It is hypothesized that the presence of different substrate types and microhabitats at LS promotes species richness. Despite of its small size stream, the ichthyofauna found at Sungai Chantek are important and should be kept intact. This study has successfully documented fish diversity at Sg. Chantek. It is suggested that continuous monitoring to be undertaken to ensure species diversity is preserved

Ichthyofauna in Rice Agroecosystem at Seberang Perai Tengah, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia with notes on the introduced species

Twenty six species of fishes from 14 families were recorded from various habitats including river, concrete canals, earth ditches and storm drains in the rice field, following three different stages of paddy planting for two seasons of rice cultivation at Seberang Perai Tengah, Penang. Cyprinidae was the most dominant family recorded, that contributed the highest number of species in this study, followed by Osphronemidae, Clariidae and Bagridae. The most abundant families with high number of individuals collected were from Cyprinidae, Aplocheilidae and Anabantidae. There were seven introduced species recorded and two of them are considered as an invasive species namely Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus. The emergence numbers of invasive species can threaten the native species population in the rice field and lead to the local extinction

Species richness and composition of odonata in four swamp forests of Terengganu, peninsular Malaysia

Odonata is an insect order that includes dragonflies and damselflies. These cunning and swift-flying insects are known to be habitat specialists and are often sensitive to environmental changes. Studies on Odonata diversity in tropical areas are still limited, especially in swampy areas that are often subject to anthropogenic disturbances. A study was conducted in four different swampy areas in Terengganu, Malaysia, to assess the Odonata diversity in these areas. Four sampling days were spent at each study site between February and June 2023. A total of 1,843 individuals were collected, representing 63 species from ten families. Ten of these were new records for Terengganu. The family Libellulidae was the most well-represented family, with Neurothemis fluctuans being the most abundant species. Some notable findings from the study include the occurrence of the uncommon Heliaeschna simplicia, Pornothemis cf. serrata, Risiophlebia dohrni, and Teinobasis ruficollis. Species richness was highest in Tasik Bungkus (36 species), followed by Jambu Bongkok, Sungai Ular, and Bandar Kuala Nerus. These findings provide new insights into the Odonata diversity of swampy areas in Terengganu. The discovery of stenotopic species (species restricted to specific habitats) is particularly important, as these species are often vulnerable to changes in environmental quality. The study also highlights the need for further research on Odonata diversity in tropical areas, especially in swampy areas that are under threat of urbanisatio

Species richness and composition of odonata in four swamp forests of Terengganu, peninsular Malaysia

Odonata is an insect order that includes dragonflies and damselflies. These cunning and swift-flying insects are known to be habitat specialists and are often sensitive to environmental changes. Studies on Odonata diversity in tropical areas are still limited, especially in swampy areas that are often subject to anthropogenic disturbances. A study was conducted in four different swampy areas in Terengganu, Malaysia, to assess the Odonata diversity in these areas. Four sampling days were spent at each study site between February and June 2023. A total of 1,843 individuals were collected, representing 63 species from ten families. Ten of these were new records for Terengganu. The family Libellulidae was the most well-represented family, with Neurothemis fluctuans being the most abundant species. Some notable findings from the study include the occurrence of the uncommon Heliaeschna simplicia, Pornothemis cf. serrata, Risiophlebia dohrni, and Teinobasis ruficollis. Species richness was highest in Tasik Bungkus (36 species), followed by Jambu Bongkok, Sungai Ular, and Bandar Kuala Nerus. These findings provide new insights into the Odonata diversity of swampy areas in Terengganu. The discovery of stenotopic species (species restricted to specific habitats) is particularly important, as these species are often vulnerable to changes in environmental quality. The study also highlights the need for further research on Odonata diversity in tropical areas, especially in swampy areas that are under threat of urbanisatio

A newly identified population of Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard, 1853), a non-native invasive species, in Lake Kenyir, Malaysia: Implications for management

Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard, 1853), a notorious non-native invasive fish species, has negatively impacted aquatic ecosystems around the world. This species was recently identified in Lake Kenyir, one of the largest impoundments in SouTheast Asia, using DNA barcoding. The coxI sequence of Gambusia caught in Lake Kenyir was compared with the sequences of topotypic voucher specimens of G. affinis and two other candidate Poeciliidae. The species was found to cluster with G. affinis but not with monophyletic clades of either G. holbrooki or P. reticulata thus confirming species identity. The fish is yet to be widely established in the lake with the current distribution limited to areas of anthropogenic disturbance

Acoustic stridulating responses of various tarantula species in Peninsular Malaysia

Stridulation by stridulatory organs has been linked to tarantulas’ (Araneae: Theraphosidae) defence or sexual communication, and the morphology of such organ has been extensively used in tarantula systematics. This study was conducted to characterise and compare differences in the acoustic pattern of stridulating sound among seven tarantula species for juveniles and adults of both sexes in Peninsular Malaysia. The species were Psednocnemis jeremyhuffi, P. brachyramosa, Selenocosmia sp. ‘Johor’, Omothymus violaceopes, Cyriopagopus robustus, Chilobrachys sp. ‘Kedah’, and Coremiocnemis sp. ‘Kelantan’. Five provocation methods were used to record the sound which was by tapping the substrate/enclosure, blowing air, waving a pen, poking with blunt object and shaking the enclosure. The stridulating behaviour was assessed using a set of parameters. The result showed that the stridulating behaviour differed between species. Dwarf species like P. jeremyhuffi and P. brachyramosa did not make any audible stridulating sound and preferred to remain motionless. Meanwhile, for the other five species only the large adult females stridulated. Adult males of all species did not make any audible sounds, but rather appeared to be more aggressive and frequently bite. Kruskal-Wallis test showed that intensity, pitch frequency, call duration and pulse duration were significantly different between species. Principal component analaysis (PCA) showed the dissimilarity between the adult females from the five species with Omothymus violaceopes and Chilobrachys sp. ‘Kedah’ the most distinct in terms of call patterns. This study provides evidence on the acoustics pattern of stridulating sound for the tarantulas in Peninsular Malaysia

Self regulated learning in flipped classrooms: A systematic literature review

The flipped classroom is considered an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning instruction that focused on active learning and student engagement. Over the years, flipped classroom studies have focused more on the advantages and challenges of flipped instruction and its effectiveness, but little is known about the state of self-regulation in flipped classrooms. This study investigates the self-regulation strategies as well as the supports proposed for self-regulated learning in flipped classrooms. Findings show that relatively few studies have focused on self-regulated learning in flipped classrooms compared to the overall research and publication productivity in flipped classrooms. Also, the existing solutions and supports have only focused on either self-regulation or online help-seeking, but have not focused on other specific types of self-regulation strategies. Our study proposed some future research recommendations in flipped classrooms

PENGAMATAN GPS UNTUK MONITORING DEFORMASI BENDUNGAN JATIBARANG MENGGUNAKAN SOFTWARE GAMIT 10.5

ABSTRAK PENGAMATAN GPS UNTUK MONITORING DEFORMASI BENDUNGAN JATIBARANG MENGGUNAKAN SOFTWARE GAMIT 10.5 Ali Amirrudin Ahmad 1), Bambang Darmo Yuwono, ST., MT.2), M. Awaluddin, ST., MT.3) 1) Mahasiswa Teknik Geodesi Universitas Diponegoro 2) Dosen Pembimbing I Teknik Geodesi Universitas Diponegoro 3) Dosen Pembimbing II Teknik Geodesi Universitas Diponegoro [email protected] Penelitian ini adalah tentang pengamatan GPS untuk monitoring deformasi bendungan Jatibarang menggunakan software GAMIT 10.5. Batasan masalah dari penelitian ini adalah bendungan Jatibarang yang berlokasi di kecamatan Gunung Pati, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah menggunakan GPS dual frequency pada enam titik pantau yang terletak di bendung utama. Pengolahan data pengamatan menggunakan Scientific Software GAMIT 10.5. Penelitian dilakukan selama tiga periode: Maret, April dan Mei 2014. Tujuan dari penilitian antara lain mengetahui kondisi deformasi yang terjadi di Bendungan Jatibarang, mengetahui cara monitoring deformasi bendungan secara teliti menggunakan alat ukur GPS dual frequency dan mengetahui ketelitian pengolahan data GPS yang menggunakan Scientific Software GAMIT 10.5 pada monitoring deformasi. Tinjaun pustaka yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini antara lian bendungan, deformasi, GPS, metode monitoring deformasi bendungan, prinsip monitoring deformasi bendungan dengan GPS, TEQC (Translation, Editing and Quality Check) dan GAMIT/GLOBK. Pelaksanaan yang dilakukan meliputi pengumpulan data dengan pengamatan survei GPS dan pengolahan data dengan metode post-processing. Setelah melalui pengolahan GAMIT dan GLOBK maka didapatkan nilai perubahan koordinat dengan rata-rata nilai perubahan koordinat pada sumbu X = 0,879 mm, sumbu Y = 0,614 mm dan sumbu Z = 1,114 mm Sehingga kesimpulan akhir dari penelitian ini adalah bendungan Jatibarang mengalami perubahan koordinat secara numeris. Namun saat diuji statistik dengan selang kepercayaan 95%, dinyatakan bahwa keenam titik monitoring bendungan tidak mengalami pergeseran koordinat secara signifikan. Jadi bendungan Jatibarang tidak mengalami deformasi. Kata kunci: bendungan, deformasi, GPS, GAMI

Anti-money laundering and its effectiveness / Huang Ching Choo ... [et al.]

Anti-money laundering (AML) broadly encompasses procedures, processes, laws, or regulations designed to curtail the practice of generating funds through illicit or criminal activities. Since 2001, Malaysian law enforcement agencies have stepped up their capacities and efforts to curb money laundering. However, implementation costs incurred on AML activities could be burdensome to the regulating, enforcement, and reporting agencies. Although these efforts are generally benefi cial, assessing their effectiveness before increasing the level of AML regulation is necessary. This paper reviews literature on various approaches used to estimate money laundering and assess the effectiveness of AML. Although different measures and models are used to estimate money laundering, no model to quantify money laundering is globally acceptable. The absence of an accurate measurement of costs incurred and the difficulty in linking benefits to AML efforts pose challenges in assessing the effectiveness of AML policy. Nevertheless, the use of both crime data and perceived data on cost and effectiveness serves as a step forward in the determination of the effectiveness of AML in Malaysia

Contribution of rice fields to bird diversity in Peninsular Malaysia

There is a lack of documentation on rice fields as an important habitat that harbour different bird diversity compared to natural habitats in Peninsular Malaysia. This study investigated the contribution of rice fields to bird diversity in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 83 rice fields and 53 natural habitats throughout Peninsular Malaysia were included in this study. Birds were observed and counted using point-count and mist-netting methods. A total of 10,707 bird-sightings, with rice fields, recorded 129 species from 15 orders and 50 families from October 2013 to December 2014; whilst natural forests recorded a total of 438 species from 14 order and 59 families from February 1992 to January 2015. Diversity t-test showed a significant difference in the species richness between the two different habitats (t=11.009, p<0.05). The high values of Δ+and ʌ+ in many areas of rice fields were significantly influenced by the presence of waterbirds, albeit low species richness. This temporary wetland habitat harbours land birds and waterbirds in one place. The data presented here suggest that waterbirds and migratory birds in rice fields contribute significantly to the total bird species found in Peninsular Malaysia