Hubungan Pencemaran Partikel Terampai (PMIO) dengan Pesakit Asma

A study of 30 asthmatic children was conducted in Kuala Lumpur. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between respirable particulates (PMIO) and asthma attacks. This study was conducted from 1st September to 31st December 1994. Patients were selected from the Pediatric Unit, Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. Questionnaires were used to obtain information on the history and severity of asthma attacks of these patients. Diary cards were used to collect information on the frequency of asthma attacks. The patients' progress was followed through every week during the study period and the attacks recorded. The data on air quality and meteorology were collected from the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia air quality monitoring station located at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall. Based on the interviews, parents perceived that the causal factors of asthma attacks were cold weather (73.3%), air pollution (70%), and diet (67.7%). Statistical tests indicated that there was a significant relationship between asthma attacks and the PM10 concentration (r~0.73) throughout the study period. During the haze episode, the relationship between asthma attacks and PMIO concentrations was more significant (r = 0.86)

University’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Involvement of Students in Entrepreneurial Activities: A Case of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)

The concept of the entrepreneurial ecosystem refers to the interaction between the various stakeholders of institutions and individuals to encourage implementation towards entrepreneurship, innovation and the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Universities play an important role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem for entrepreneurship and forms a catalyst for economic growth and capacity building to enhance the innovation, creativity and competitiveness of a country. The objective of this study was to explore the involvement of UTHM students in entrepreneurial activities based on the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem in terms of financial assistance, infrastructure, education and training. The methodology employed for this study is a qualitative inquiry by using in-depth interview technique. The respondents consisted of 10 students and officers from the Centre of Business Entrepreneurship Development. The data were then being transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The results of this study showed that financial assistance, infrastructure, education and training is a very important ecosystem in increasing student involvement in entrepreneurship. The study also shows that there are inadequate infrastructure facilities to meet the demand of students for business. The lack of provision of loans also affected the level of student participation in entrepreneurship at the University

PBL project reflection: Challenges in communicating change

The objective of this paper is to discuss challenges of implementing a Project Based Learning (PBL) approach at three selected schools in one of the northern states in Malaysia.For this purpose, semi-structured interviewing and observation methods were employed.The data were analyzed based on the Five Sentiments Approach (Armenakis, Harris, Cole, Lawrence & Self, 2007a).The findings revealed that there was a high resistance from the teachers and students towards change due to the blatant exam-oriented culture which was still practiced in Malaysian educational institutions

Risk factors associated with low anterior resection syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Purpose Oncological outcomes following rectal cancer surgery have improved significantly over recent decades with lower recurrences and longer overall survival. However, many of the patients experienced low anterior resection syndrome (LARS). This study identified the prevalence and risk factors associated with the development of LARS. Methods This cross-sectional study involved patients who were diagnosed with rectal cancer and had undergone sphincter-preserving low anterior resection from January 2011 to December 2020. Upon clinic follow-up, patients were asked to complete an interviewed based questionnaire (LARS score) designed to assess bowel dysfunction after rectal cancer surgery. Results Out of 76 patients, 25 patients (32.9%) had major LARS, 10 patients (13.2%) had minor LARS, and 41 patients (53.9%) had no LARS. The height of tumor from anal verge showed an association with the development of major LARS (P=0.039). Those patients with less than 8 cm tumor from anal verge had an increased risk of LARS by 3 times compared to those with 8 cm and above (adjusted odds ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–9.13). Conclusion Results from our study show that low tumor height was a significant risk factor that has a negative impact on bowel function after surgery. The high prevalence of LARS emphasizes the need for study regarding risk factors and the importance of understanding the pathophysiology of LARS, in order for us to improve patient bowel function and quality of life after rectal cancer surgery

Students’ Inclination towards English Language as Medium of Instruction in the Teaching of Science and Mathematics

AbstractMalay language, the national language of Malaysia has been the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics for the past four and a half decades in Malaysia. The government however changed the medium of instruction of these subjects to English in January 2003. The “Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English” (PPSMI) policy was implemented in all primary and secondary schools. It aims to improve the English language proficiency among students as well as the learning and achievement level in science and mathematics. This paper presents findings of the study on students’ inclination towards English language as medium of instruction in teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in Higher Learning Institutions in Malaysia. The respondents were 291 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) and Faculty of Education (FPEND) of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). A questionnaire pertaining to students’ inclination was used as research instrument. Using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and t-test, the study found that undergraduate students of FST and FPEND had an inclination towards English as medium of instruction in the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics. Using the Post-Hoc test, it is found that Indian students and students from other races than Malay and Chinese have greater inclination towards English as medium of instruction in teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in UKM for both faculties. However, FST students who studied in Mandarin and Tamil at pre-university level (STPM) had higher inclination compared to those who used Malay language or even English

Production of biofertilizer from vermicomposting of landfill leachate using earthworms

Nowadays, the accumulation of waste in landfill site is largely due to increasing of urbanization and industrialization in Malaysia. The non-proper management of wastes have worsened the condition whereby the amount of leachate produced from the waste led to critical environment issue. Thus, the objective of the study was to determine the effects of vermicomposting of landfill leachate using earthworms on biofertilizer production in 31 days. Liquid leachate that majorly consist of organic matter can yield highly nutritive biofertilizer through vermicomposting process. The process used earthworms to convert organic matter in leachate into plant-nutrients that enhance the growth of the plants and plants productivity. The amount of nitrate (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in vermicompost was found to increase while pH and number of earthworms declined at the end of the vermicomposting period. The vermibin containing 90 earthworms (approximately 52g) in a mixture of 150 ml of leachate and 800 g of soil obtained the highest concentration of NPK in vermicompost compared to those containing 39 earthworms and 15 earthworms. This indicates that the concentration of NPK increased with the high amount of earthworms. The number of earthworms decreased with decrease in pH in all vermibins after 31 days of vermicomposting period. V1 experienced increase 53–fold in N, 194-fold in P and 210–fold in K with 6.13 in pH after vermicomposting period due to earthworm activity during the process, thus improving the number of leaves (32 leaves). The data shows that vermicomposting is a suitable technology for the decomposition of landfill leachate into nutritive biofertilizer

The impact of participating in extracurricular activities on academic performance among STML students in UUM

As university students, the extracurricular activity is an essential part of their lives in campus. This study proceeded to examine the impact participating in extracurricular activities on academic performance among STML students in UUM. This study was also conducted to know whether joining the extracurricular activities will influence the students’ academic performance. This study was also carried to compare the students’ performance along the number of activities participated. The research focused on undergraduate students in UUM-STML. The study used quantitative approach with a survey as the data collection approach. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The study found that participating students believe that extracurricular activities are positively related to students’ performance

Identity and Land in Mahmoud Darwish’s Selected Poems: An Ecopostcolonial Reading

The search for identity and the sense of the loss of land seem to be vital aspects in Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry of resistance. His poetry is populated with a continuous but unique cry for the loss of Palestinian identity and land. His poems such as “Identity Card”, “the Passport”, “To My Mother”, “To My Father”, “A Lover from Palestine” and “On Perseverance” are highly praised in Arabic poetry because they embody emblems of the interconnectedness between identity and land. This paper aims at analyzing how Darwish links between identity and land in these poems from an ecopostcolonial perspective and the extent to which they share a common ground as both entail a mode of resistance to the occupiers of the poet’s homeland. By explicating the link between identity and land in Darwish’s selected poems, we can implant a new awareness of man’s connection to land.

Perceived autonomy support and agentic engagement among Malaysian undergraduates: the mediatory role of personal best goals

Despite continuously growing literature that emphasises the significant role of students’ agency in classroom activities, the construct of agentic engagement has received scant attention in recent empirical research. Drawing from the self-determination theory, the present study aims to determine the relationship between teacher autonomy support and agentic engagement, and explore whether personal best goals mediate such associations. For this purpose, using a cross-sectional design, data from 536 university students in northern Malaysia were analysed. The associations among the constructs were evaluated using structural equation modelling. The empirical results indicate that students’ perceptions of teacher autonomy support were associated with personal best goals and agentic engagement. In addition, the findings suggest that personal best goals significantly mediate the relationship between teacher autonomy support and agentic engagement. These findings highlight the critical role of personal best goals as a mechanism by which an autonomy-supportive teaching style facilitates students’ agency during their learning activities