Experimental Study Of Comparative Performance Between Three Types Of Photovoltaic Modules In Static And Dynamic Installations Under Penang Climatic Condition

This study response to the Malaysia’s Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBiPV) Program, a collaboration program between Malaysian Government and United Nation Development Program (UNDP) to find ways to increase the efficiencies of photovoltaic technologies and to ensure it is applicable in Malaysian climate condition. With the solar tracking system, the efficiency of photovoltaic module is expected to increase under Malaysian climate condition. This study focuses on the three common types of solar panels available in the Malaysian market and compares the performance between dynamic (single axis time/date tracking) and static photovoltaic installation’s system according to each type of photovoltaic panels. The dynamic system in this experiment was designed to support the three types of PV panels which allowed it to move with single degree of freedom (horizontally) according to the sun’s orientation (sunrise to sunset) from east to west. The movement of PV panels allowed it to set perpendicularly toward the sun insolation (incoming solar radiation) so that solar rays can be optimized from morning until evening. While in static system, each type of photovoltaic panels was set 0o horizontally. The study found that poly-crystalline and mono-crystalline photovoltaic panel has shown better performance in dynamic system. However,amorphous solar module performed significantly better with static system installation compared to dynamic system under Malaysian climate condition. Thus, it will influence on building envelope as future possibilities in designing green building. In built environment, by replacing the conventional type of solar installation with solar tracking installation, it’s not only increase the performance of the PV panels installed but also, it can be integrate to the overall building design as part of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BiPV) to perform specific function to the building envelope (e.g., provide shades on top of parking lot, minimize direct heat from sun at roof top, minimize direct sunlight for natural lighting)

Kesedaran agama di kalangan belia: kajian di Desa KEDA Sadek, Kupang, Kedah

Kesedaran agama boleh diertikan sebagai tatacara kehidupan beragama seseorang individu muslim. Namun, isu cabaran belia Muslim yang sering kali dikaitkan dengan gejala negatif disebabkan kesedaran agama yang tidak begitu kukuh dan pemahaman agama lemah serta faktor-faktor yang berpengaruh. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti senario permasalahan yang sedang dialami oleh belia muslim di Desa KEDA Sadek, Baling, Kedah dan mencari solusi kepada permasalahan tersebut. Sindrom sosial yang paling kritikal dan sering menjadi tumpuan di desa KEDA ini adalah masalah kepincangan peribadi atau keruntuhan akhlak seperti pengabaian kewajipan solat, pendedahan aurat, pergaualan bebas, salah laku seks, perjudian, melepak, lumba motorsikal dan terlibat dalam kes jenayah seperti bergaduh, mencuri, merogol dan penagihan dadah. Saiz sampel yang terlibat adalah seramai 62 orang respondan terdiri daripada belia-belia KEDA ini. Kajian ini dijalankan dalam bentuk kajian bersepadu dengan menggunakan dua cara bagi mendatangkan hasil kajian yang tepat dan bermutu. Antara bentuk kajian yang akan digunakan ialah kajian lapangan (fieldwork research) dan kajian perpustakaan (arm chair research). Pengumpulan data sebanyak mungkin secara empirikal dan satu set soal selidik digunakan untuk melihat dan menjelaskan bagaimana proses gejala negatif ini tumbuh dan menjadi tabiat di kalangan belia. Tiga perkara asas iaitu iman, Islam dan ihsan yang perlu difahami dan dikuasai bagi menjalin kesedaran agama yang memberi natijah kepada maju mundur generasi Islam. Kombinasi empat elemen bagi membentuk peribadi belia muslim. Empat elemen tersebut ialah ilmu, amal, istiqamah dan ikhlas. Kajian ini memberi implikasi yang baik terhadap perkembangan dakwah dalam mencari kaedah yang efektif dan menarik bagi membantu para pendakwah Muslim dalam penyebaran dakwah Islamiah di kalangan belia Muslim di negara Malaysia khususnya

Obesity among urban primary schoolchildren

Three urban public primary schools in the district of Petaling, Selangor were surveyed for obesity amongst the schoolchildren and factors related to it. The prevalence of obesity amongst primary schoolchildren, with the mean age of 8.91 years was 9.5%. In addition, it was more prevalent among the boys (p<0.05) as compared to the girls. However, there was no difference with regards to ethnicity, being breastfed, physical activity, time spent watching television or fast food intake in relation to obesity among these primary schoolchildren. A larger community study is required to determine if other specific factors and dietary energy intake are associated with obesity amongst primary schoolchildren, especially in rural or less urbanised regions

Depressive Symptoms, Gender, and Ethnicity: An Exploratory Study among Cross Ethnic Adolescents in Sarawak, Malaysia

Depression and suicide among teenagers in Malaysia is a growing concern (Kok & Goh, 2011). The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with demographic characteristics among secondary school students. A cross sectional survey was employed; 386 students were recruited, aged 13 to 16-years-old. Stratified random sampling was performed to choose several secondary schools from rural and urban areas of Sarawak, East Malaysia. The rate of depressive symptoms among secondary school students in this area was 7.8% (30). Among those who reported having depressive symptoms, 43.3% (13) had thoughts of commiting suicide, 40% (12) had suicidal ideation, and 16.7% (5) never had any suicidal thought or ideation. Students of Chinese ethnicity were significantly more depressed than other ethnicities. Students who had only one sibling were more depressed than those who had more than one sibling. Students who were staying in urban areas were more depressed compared to students staying in rural areas. While previous studies have reported that girls are more depressed than boys, no significant difference in depressive symptoms was found between genders. Type of schooling, living arrangement, family history of depression, and staying with extended family members had no significant association with depressive symptoms

Mechanical Behavior and Microstructural Analysis of Molybdenum-TZM Alloy Subjected to Different Annealing Temperature

Mo-TZM alloy is one of the most famous economic molybdenum-based alloys. The percentage of chemical composition in mass of Mo-TZM alloy are Mo-0.5Ti-0.08Zr-0.03C. By adding some Titanium and Zirconium so that the mechanical properties and recrystallization temperature of molybdenum has been corresponding improvement. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of different annealing temperature on mechanical properties of Mo-TZM alloy. The samples will be heated at two different temperature which are 1000 oC and 1300 oC in 1 hour and 40 minutes to change their microstructure behavior. The mechanical properties of the sample like hardness will be analyzed by using Vickers Micro hardness test. The force applied is 4.903 N and Vickers micro hardness number is 0.5 HVN for 10 second. Then to observe the microstructure changes, optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is be used. At annealing temperature 1000 oC, it show values of hardness is 249.54 VHN and the grain boundary size is 0.0898mm. While at annealing temperature 1300 oC, it show the lowest values of hardness which is 243.55 VHN and the highest grain boundary size which is 0.1068 mm. By doing annealing heat treatment it will decreases hardness values and increases the size of grain boundar

Nocturnal bird composition in relation to habitat heterogeneity in small scale oil palm agriculture in Malaysia

The expansion of oil palm cultivation is recognised as a major cause of tropical biodiversity loss. In contrast to large-scale plantations, oil palm smallholdings being more heterogeneous may support greater biodiversity. This study examined the effects of local and landscape level variables on the composition of nocturnal bird species in Malaysian oil palm smallholdings. Using visual and aural point sampling, we made 1408 encounters with nine owl and two nightjar species. The Biota-Environment-Stepwise matching analyses (BEST) indicated four predictor variables (three local variables; number of crop species, widths of roads and trenches, and one landscape variable; distance to the nearest main road) significantly influenced the community assemblages of nocturnal bird species in the smallholdings. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) further indicated seven predictor variables (numbers of palms and houses, widths of roads and trenches, distances to the nearest forest and house, as well as palm height) significantly influenced the abundances of certain nocturnal species. These findings not only improve our understanding on habitat preference of nocturnal birds in the Sunda region but also support the argument that habitat complexity in cultivated areas may aid in biodiversity conservation, at least for nocturnal birds

Pemikiran akal budi dan sosiobudaya Melayu dalam pendidikan Kesusasteraan Melayu

Pendidikan Kesusasteraan Melayu tidak dapat dipisahkan daripada etimologi kata ‘Melayu’ kerana mempunyai hubungan makna yang terikat dalam pengertian tersurat (bangsa) dan tersirat (Islam). Akal budi ‘Melayu’ merujuk kepada bangsa yang sedang melalui proses pemerkasaan bangsa seperti yang tercatat dalam karya (sastera moden mahupun karya Melayu klasik). Teks dan naskah Melayu ini sebenarnya sedang berhadapan dengan cabaran persaingan dalam lingkungan globalisasi yang berjungkir-balik. Kesepakatan sarjana terhadap konsep tamadun dan negara Melayu dilihat berada pada kesahihan bukti yang cukup kuat, iaitu sastera Melayu mempunyai akar tamadun yang hebat. Justeru, makalah ini akan melihat sejauh mana pendidikan Kesusasteraan Melayu yang sedang berjalan hari ini sesuai dengan keperluan tamadun bangsa serta dapat dikaitkan dengan lingkungan hidup masyarakat khususnya dalam situasi kebangkitan dan pertembungan dengan budaya-budaya lain yang kemudiannya terserap secara alamiah. Beberapa lontaran idea berkaitan permasalahan dan keraguan terhadap kesusasteraan Melayu turut disentuh. Justeru pendidikan Kesusasteraan Melayu pada hari ini dilihat sangat penting dalam usaha mewujudkan tamadun Melayu yang berjaya dalam usaha menyahut cabaran penting mempertahankan sistem nilai supaya tidak tergelincir daripada jati diri atau asas pembinaan gagasan muluk Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2013-2025

Factor Analysis of a Novel Scoring-Based Instrument on Forecasting Malaysian Travelers’ Behavioral Preparedness for Travel-Related Infectious Diseases

Introduction: Preparedness for the prevention of travel-related infectious diseases among Malaysian international travelers has yet to be explored. With no such data, health programs to empower travelers on behavioral responses towards travel-related illnesses will be ineffective. The current study aimed to develop and validate a new scoring-based instrument measuring Malaysian international travelers’ preparedness in terms of their risk perception (RP), attitude, and practices (RisPAK-Q) towards travel-related infectious diseases using factor analysis. Methods: The newly developed instrument was tested among 200 Malaysian international travelers based on the systematic random sampling method. The number of domains, model-fit index, construct validity, and internal consistency for this instrument were determined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: Twenty-two out of 34 questions were retained, and the following 5 domains were extracted: RP, pre-travel attitude (PTA), during-travel attitude (DTA), general traveling practice, and food practice (FP). All 22 questions had factor loadings of above 0.6. All 5 domains achieved a stable model fit index with good convergent and discriminant construct validity of above 0.5 indicated by the average variance extracted (AVE) with all of the maximum shared variance (MSV) values below their corresponding AVEs. All domains also had high internal consistency with a composite reliability (CR) of above 0.7. Conclusion: The RisPAK-Q containing 22 questions in 5 domains is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the preparedness of Malaysian travelers for travel-related infectious diseases and can be used in a subsequent larger study

Sejarah Dan Dakwah Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi Islam Awam (Ipta) Di Pattani Thailand Selatan

This paper attempts to look at the history of the establishment of an Islamic high institution based on the spirit of mutual understanding, unification, and cooperation in the process of strategic planning of Muslims in Southern Thailand. This paper is also to show that the teachings of Islam and its colleges are comprehensive (syumul) and not all that brought by modernized currents are rejected by Islam. The purpose of this study in addition to analyzing the history of the establishment of Islamic university institutions in Southern Thailand, the author tries to read the history of the establishment of an Islamic higher education institution in Pattani, to impact the history of manifestation and development in the field of Islamic universities that became the basic for the construction of&nbsp; muslims realized in the program and aspect of socio-economic reform of the ummah which is also part of Islamic dakwah. This review will examine the history of Islamic education grow that occurred at the Islamic University of Islamic College Songkla Nakharin University Pattani&nbsp; South Thailand. As such, this review will be an important guide and reference for colleges, Islamic college centers and institutions of&nbsp; Islamic universities in Thailand and especially the Islamic College of&nbsp; Islamic University of Songkla Nakharin University Pattani campus, Thailand