Kritik Sosial dalam Pasar Pengalaman oleh T. Alias Taib

Kajian ini merupakan satu analisis tentang kritik sosial yang dipaparkan oleh T. Alias Taib dalam kumpulan puisi beliau, iaitu Pasar Pengalaman yang diterbitkan oleh Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka pada tahun 2004. Objektif kajian ini ialah menganalisis sajak-sajak, membincang atau menghuraikan pengungkapan kritik sosial yang digarap oleh T. Alias Taib. Sajak-sajaknya disaring dari kumpulan puisi berkenaan dan sajak yang paling dominan kritik sosialnya dinyatakan dalam kajian ini. Kritik sosial yang dipaparkan melalui puisinya menampilkan kematangan T. Alias Taib memanfaatkan segala khazanah pengalaman menggambarkan perlakuan tindakan individu mahupun perkumpulan yang cenderung ke arah tindakan negatif dan perlu ke arah pembaikan atau tindakan yang lebih rasional. Penulis menggunakan kaedah kepustakaan bagi membuat analisis kajian. Penulis juga menggunakan kaedah lapangan dengan mewawancara T. Alias Taib tentang penglibatan beliau di bidang kesusasteraan sebelum beliau meninggal dunia. Penulis turut mewawancara isterinya, iaitu Puan Salmah binti Ayub untuk mendapatkan gambaran dari sudut pandangan beliau tentang T. Alias Taib. Berdasarkan penelitian sajak-sajak T. Alias Taib, didapati bahawa kritik sosial yang diungkap meliputi lima aspek. Aspek berkenaan, iaitu teguran terhadap individu mahupun kumpulan yang menyimpang dari landasan agama dan norma masyarakat. Seterusnya memperlihatkan kebijaksanaan seseorang dalam membuat pertimbangan. Aspek lain turut memperlihatkan kesedaran yang lahir dari jiwa atau dalaman diri individu. Rangsangan dalam membuat tindakan yang matang dan menganalisis isu-isu semasa merupakan aspek kritik sosial yang berikutnya. Kntikan yang dibuat menampakkan kematangan T. Alias Taib mengadun pengalaman berdasarkan pemerhatian dan pengamatannya terhadap masyarakat sekeliling. Beliau juga memperlihatkan pandangan menerusi sajak-sajak yang dihasilkan

Effects of copper overload on hepatic lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense in rats

The influence of copper (Cu) overload on hepatic lipid peroxidation and antioxidation defense capacity was studied by overloading rats with copper sulphate orally (500 mg Cu/kg bw) 5 d/w for 8 w. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Se-glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were measured in serum and liver homogenate at 2, 4 and 8 w of dosing. Liver Cu concentration and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity were also determined. As Cu loading progressed, there were multiparameter changes with significant ALT elevation, increased MDA concentrations in serum and liver homogenate, and dramatic declines of SOD and GSH-Px activities in erythrocytes and whole blood respectively, along with marked elevation of hepatic Cu in the Cu-dosed group. Excessive Cu accumulation in the liver depressed SOD and GSH-Px activities and resulted in high MDA in serum and liver homogenate due to the lipid peroxidation induced by the Cu overload

A confirmatory factor analysis in a study of consumer complaint behaviour, satisfaction with complaint handling and relationship quality

A study was conducted to examine the relationships of consumer complaint behaviour, satisfaction with complaint handling and relationship quality in the Malaysian mobile phone services industry. A total of 285 complainers of mobile phone users were selected as the respondents. This paper presents the results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), average variance extracted (AVE) and construct reliability (CR) of the study. The CFA measurement model which consist of public complaint soft action (PCSA), public complaint extreme action (PCEA), private complaint soft action (PVSA), private complaint extreme action (PVEA), satisfaction with complaint handling (SATCOM) and relationship quality show excellent goodness-of-fit with χ² = 638.781, df = 291, χ²/df = 2.195, TLI = .926, NFI = .894, CFI=.938, PNFI = .741 and RMSEA = .069 respectively. The model has shown convergent and discriminant validity with AVE and CR fulfilled the requirements. The results indicate that the model can be used for further analysis

The influence of consumer complaint behaviour on relationship quality among Malaysian mobile phone services subscribers: complainers versus non-complainers

Mobile phone service subscribers in Malaysia have been increasing tremendously. However, the number of complaints received with regard to mobile phone services is small as compared to the number of subscribers. Evidently complaining is one of the consumer behaviours which provides significant impact to organisations as well as to complainers or consumers. Studies on Consumer Complaining Behaviour (CCB) are continuously carried out due to its importance. Although, CCB has extensively been studied in various countries and industries, limited studies are found investigating the relationship between CCB and relationship quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to reduce the existing research gap by concentrating on the Malaysian mobile phone services industry. A total of 550 of mobile phone users consisting of complainers and non-complainers from two selected states in Malaysia were selected as respondents. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyze the data, the GOF, AVE, CR and convergent validity values confirmed the measurement model of the CCB dimensions which consist of public complaint soft action, public complaint extreme action, private complaint soft action and private complaint extreme action for complainers and non-complainers, respectively. The structural model revealed mixed results of the relationships between the exogenous and endogenous variables. The results provide the indicator of the relationship quality between service providers and consumers. As the mobile phone services industry involves a huge number of Malaysian population this issue should become the focal point to the parties concerned in protecting the consumers

Effect of agricultural by-product diets on carcass characteristics of four types of cattle in the feedlot

Five type of formulated diet from agricultural by-products (ABP) were fed to four breedtype of cattle in feedlot. The ABP used are palm kernel cake (PKC), palm press fibre (PPF), palm oil mill effluent (POME), cocoa pod (COP), coffee pulp (COF) and pineapple waste (PAP). The formulated diets are PS (52% PKC, 15% PPF and 30% POME), PF (57% PKC, 20% PPF and 20% POME), PA (2% PKC and 55% PAP), CO (42% PKC and 55% COP) and CF (67% PKC and 30% COF) with 1% urea, 1% NaCl and 1% vitamins premix. The cattle breedtypes are Kedah-Kelantan (KK), Brahman-KK (BK), Hereford-KK (HK) and Sahiwal-Friesian (SF). The result showed that breedtype significantly affect all the carcass characteristic except dressing percentage. Each breedtype has it`s specific carcass characteristics. HK cattle gave high marbling, BK has high % of carcass bone, KK has high % of carcass meat and low % of carcass fat (lean meat type) and SF has high % of carcass fat. Diet-type significantly affect the deposition of fat in the carcass. High moisture diets (PA and CO) produced significantly higher % carcass bone, the lowest % carcass fat and the highest % carcass meat (65.3%). PF, CF, PA and CO diets produced 63.4%, 59.9%, 55.3% and 54.1% carcass meat respectively

Assessment Strategies to Evaluate Building Information Modeling Capabilities of Organizations

With the advances in technology, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been implemented in construction projects to minimize its complexity by increasing project efficiency and effectiveness. While BIM has been widely implemented, construction projects are still unsuccessful due to inappropriate BIM capabilities among organizations that are involved in the project. Therefore, this study aims to determine the strategies for assessing an organization's BIM capabilities. The data collected through individual interviews with fifteen of BIM managers are analyzed using thematic analysis in order to achieve that objective. The findings suggest that the five parameters for evaluating an organization's BIM capabilities are: documentation process, project track record, staff competencies, availability of BIM experts, and software maturity. This study contributes by providing a set of strategies for measuring an organization's BIM capabilities in the construction industry. The lesson of this study would help researchers and industry practitioners prevent construction project failure from assessing project team members' BIM capabilities before starting a project

Key strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of virtual teams in the Malaysian construction industry

Technology has contributed to the development of the construction sector. Scientific discoveries have resulted in the cooperation of a group of people from different geographic locations who depend on communication technologies (i.e., a virtual team). Virtual teams use advanced technology to fix communication issues and are considered as a practical, productive, and creative team concept. Thus, it is evident that the virtual team also needs to concern about improving construction efficiency. This study aims to define the strategies that maximize the effectiveness of virtual teams in the construction industry in Malaysia. To achieve the objective, a questionnaire survey was conducted with industry practitioners from the Malaysian construction industry. The results reveal that seven strategies are perceived by industry practitioners to be both the most effective and easiest in enhancing virtual teams. Conversely, ten strategies are either most effective or easiest to be implemented. This research adds to the body of knowledge is in expanding the understanding of virtual teams in the construction industry in Malaysia, which could support industry practitioners in the decision-making process for improving virtual teams. The findings of this research would help increase the efficiency of the project teams in the construction industry

Hybrid RSM-fuzzy modeling for hardness prediction of TiAlN coatings

In this paper, a new approach in predicting the hardness of Titanium Aluminum Nitrite (TiAlN) coatings using hybrid RSM-fuzzy model is implemented. TiAlN coatings are usually used in high-speed machining due to its excellent surface hardness and wear resistance. The TiAlN coatings were produced using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) magnetron sputtering process. A statistical design of experiment called Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used in collecting optimized data. The fuzzy rules were constructed using actual experimental data. Meanwhile, the hardness values were generated using the RSM hardness model. Triangular shape of membership functions were used for inputs as well as output. The substrate sputtering power, bias voltage and temperature were selected as the input parameters and the coating hardness as an output of the process. The results of hybrid RSM-fuzzy model were compared against the experimental result and fuzzy single model based on the percentage error, mean square error (MSE), co-efficient determination (R2) and model accuracy. The result indicated that the hybrid RSM-fuzzy model obtained the better result compared to the fuzzy single model. The hybrid model with seven triangular membership functions gave an excellent result with respective average percentage error, MSE, R2 and model accuracy were 11.5%, 1.09, 0.989 and 88.49%. The good performance of the hybrid model showed that the RSM hardness model could be embedded in fuzzy rule-based model to assist in generating more fuzzy rules in order to obtain better prediction result

Strategies for virtual teams in construction: Easiness-effectiveness analysis

Technology has contributed to the development of the construction sector. Scientific discoveries have resulted in the cooperation of a group of people from different geographic locations who depend on communication technologies (i.e., a virtual team). Virtual teams use advanced technology to fix communication issues and are considered as a practical, productive, and creative team concept. Thus, it is evident that the virtual team also needs to concern about improving construction efficiency. This study aims to define the strategies that maximize the effectiveness of virtual teams in the construction industry in Malaysia. To achieve the objective, a questionnaire survey was conducted with industry practitioners from the Malaysian construction industry. Data of 112 respondents were collected and analyzed. The results reveal that seven strategies are perceived by industry practitioners to be both the most effective and easiest in enhancing virtual teams. Conversely, ten strategies are either the most effective or easiest to be implemented. This research adds to the body of knowledge is in expanding the understanding of virtual teams in the construction industry in Malaysia, which could support industry practitioners in the decision-making process for improving virtual teams. The findings of this research would help increase the efficiency of the project teams in the construction industry

Mechanisms for addressing the impact of covid-19 on infrastructure projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the overall economy and the construction industry badly. The Movement Control Order (MCO) caused the suspension of the construction sector, including infrastructure projects. Contractors are suffering losses and facing many problems caused by the pandemic, even with the on-going government financial aids. By identifying the right approaches to improve existing government policies and strategies, contractors could better manage the problems. Thus, this research aims to explore mechanisms for reducing COVID-19's negative impact on the infrastructure construction industry. To achieve that objective, this study involves collecting and analyzing interview data with industry practitioners. The significant findings from the analysis are: (1) COVID-19 affects the infrastructure construction industry by causing financial and productivity problems; and (2) mechanisms to address those problems include legal, financial, productivity, and environmental support. This paper's finding is valuable for the government in determining the right actions in assisting contractors in this critical period