Key risk determinant of listed deposit-taking institutions in Malaysia

Risk management is a critical function in banking operations in the wake of several banking crises. However; we find few studies on risk management and a lack of empirical investigation on factors affecting the risk of Malaysian banks. These gaps have motivated us to identify the main factors associated with the risk of locally listed deposit-taking institutions. The findings show that three factors were signlficantly associated with unsystematic risk, while the systematic risk and the total risk of these deposit-taking institutions were significantly affected by four main factors. These four factors namely non-performing loans, cost of funds, loan to deposit ratio and inter-bank offered rate however; were found to have a more profound effect on the total risk than on the systematic risk or the unsystematic risk of Malaysian deposit-taking institutions

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy based metabolomics to identify novel biomarkers of alcohol-dependence

Alcohol misuse is a ravaging public health and social problem. Its harm can affect the drinkers and the whole society. Alcohol-dependence is a phase of alcohol misuse in which the drinker consumes excessive amounts of alcohol and has a continuous urge to consume alcohol. Current methods of alcohol dependence diagnoses are questionnaires and some biomarkers. However, both methods lack specificity and sensitivity. Metabolomics is a scientific field which deals with the identification and the quantification of the metabolites present in the metabolome using spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Metabolomics helps to indicate the perturbation in the levels of metabolites in cells and tissues due to diseases or ingestion of any substances. NMR is one of the most widely used spectroscopic techniques in metabolomics because of its reproducibility and speed. Some recent metabolomics studies were conducted on alcohol consumption and alcohol misuse in animals and humans. However, few focused on identifying alcohol dependence novel biomarkers. A sensitive and specific technique such as NMR based metabolomics applied to find novel biomarkers in plasma and urine can be useful to diagnose alcohol-dependence

Identification of Alcohol-Dependence Biomarkers in plasma by using Metabolomics Analysis

The main clinical methods to diagnose Alcohol-dependence (AD) in clinical practice currently depend on AD assessment questionnaires and some biomarkers such as Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT), Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and Phosphatidylethanol (PEth). These two methods have been shown to have lack of specificity and sensitivity. Metabolomics technique by using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) of plasma can help us to identify novel biomarkers which could help in the more accurate diagnosis of AD

Bioaccumulation of Carbofuran and Endosulfan in the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus

The African catfish Clarias gariepjnus was exposed to a sublethal dose of 14ecarbofuran and 14G-endosulfan. Mter 1, 6, 12, 24, 72 and 144 h, the fish were removed and insecticide residues determined in the liver, intestines, gills, brain and skeletal muscles. Highest levels of residues, per g dry weight of tissues, was found in the liver (354 ± 6 Jlg carbofuran and 1409 ± 43 ng endosulfan after 24 h) followed by the intestines (239 ± 1 Jlg carbofuran and 1147 ± 21 ng endosulfan after 72 h), the gills (108 ± 2 Jlg carbofuran and 817 ± 19 ng endosulfan after 24 h), brain (57 ± 2 Jlg carbofuran after 24 h, 555 ± 19 ng endosulfan after 72 h) and skeletal muscle (25 ± 1 Jlg carbofuran after 144 h and 364 ± 13 ng endosulfan after 6 h). The residue levels were rapidly accumulated in the tissues. Based on the levels of pesticide residues after 1 h, all the tissues recorded very high levels of residues after 6 h. After reaching maximum levels in the tissues at various times of exposure, the residue levels in all the tissues began to decrease over time

Metabolomic Analysis of Blood and Urine to identify Alcohol-Dependence Biomarkers

The clinical diagnosis of alcohol-dependence (AD) currently relies on AD assessment questionnairesand biomarkers such as Carbohydrate-DeficientTransferrin (CDT), Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and Phosphatidylethanol (PEth). However, both methods of diagnosis lackspecificity and sensitivity. Metabolic fingerprinting using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)of plasma may give us a novel andaccurate method for the diagnosis of the disease. Our primary objective was to identify the metabolites/biomarkers that could discriminate between subjects diagnosed asAD, social drinkersnon-dependent and healthy control

Rental index rate as an alternative to interest rate in Musharakah Mutanaqisah home financing

Purpose This paper aims to propose a new pricing alternative called Rental Rate Index (RR-I) that captures the true value of property to be used by Islamic banks in Musharakah Mutanaqisah (MM) contract for home financing. Design/methodology/approach By formulating a profit rate based on Rental Index (RI) and House Price Index (HPI), the proposed rate eliminates conventional profit rate benchmarking, and, at the same time, suggests a fair, equitable and sustainable financing.This new RR-I (measured by RPI/HPI) enables computerization of the MM system in home financing to be easily implemented.A financial simulation is developed to demonstrate the feasibility of this newly proposed rate. Findings This newly proposed RR-I is found to be more stable, having less fluctuations, resilient to macroeconomic conditions and yet comparable to the conventional interest rates, without depending on them. It can also be regarded as a rate that is fair and sustainable to both the customer and the bank, as it measures the actual rate of return to both parties in MM contract.Research limitations/implications The paper confines one contract, namely, MM, as it is claimed to be more Shariah-compliant than others.Practical implications The finding also sheds some light on the recommendation by Bank Negara Malaysia, which is to consider RR that is more indicative of the actual rental price while taking into account the competitiveness of the product. (BNM, 2007). Social implications This paper wreaks customer patronage in selecting the contract of home financing.Originality/value This paper attempts to resolve the issue of benchmarking RR to the conventional interest rate in the MM contract. Studies conducted on this issue via simulation approach are meager

The level of knowledge, attitude and practice towards covid-19 immunisation among medical students in public medical schools in Malaysia.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that caused a worldwide pandemic in 2020. Medical students are public advocates for COVID 19 vaccination to achieve herd immunity. Our objective is to ascertain the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 immunisation among medical students in Malaysia. The online study included four public universities in Peninsular Malaysia: Universiti Putra Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Data collected include sociodemographic characteristics, history of COVID-19 infection, knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 immunisation. Analytical statistics were analysed with BM Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) v27.0 using Pearson chi- square or Fisher’s exact test (significant if p < 0.05). From the total of 427 respondents, 60.2% had good knowledge whereby clinical students 67.0% have a higher proportion of good knowledge as compared to preclinical students 53.5% (p = 0.004). Respondents in the age group of 21 to 24 years old (p < 0.001) and 25 to 29 years old (p = 0.016), and Indian ethnicity (p = 0.006) were more likely to have good knowledge. Respondents registered in Malaysia’s National COVID-19 vaccination program were considered as having a positive attitude (N = 264, 61.8%). A vaccination rate of 100% was observed. In conclusion, 60.2% of medical students had good knowledge, 61.8% had a positive attitude and 100% were vaccinated in these four public medical schools in Malaysia. Sociodemographic factors (age group and Indian ethnicity) have an association with only good knowledge but none with the level of attitude and practice towards COVID-19 immunisation