The Use of Bahasa Melayu in the English Language Classroom by ‘Non-optionist’ English Teachers

AbstractThis research attempts to investigate the extent of the use of Bahasa Melayu to teach English. Fifty four inexperienced and experienced ‘non-optionist’ English teachers from three districts in Pahang took part in this study by responding to a set of questionnaire. These teachers were originally trained to teach other subjects but were given the task to teach the second language due to the lack of ‘optionist’ English teachers. The results of the findings show that there are differences on the extent of the use of Bahasa Melayu by inexperienced and experienced ‘non-optionist’ English teachers

Pilot Study on the Vibration Behavior of TCC Laminated Deck Systems

The timber concrete composite (TCC) deck system is a new technology that consists of timber and concrete composite structures but remains uncommon in Malaysia. TCC is a structural system where timber beams and concrete slabs are combined to form a composite material, resisting tensile stress and compressive stress, respectively. The addition of concrete slabs protects timber beams from direct contact with water, which is crucial to ensure the durability of timber beams. Different types of connectors can be used to provide force exchange between concrete slabs and timber beams. This research was conducted to study the vibration behavior of timber-concrete composite deck systems with or without concrete topping. The deck was constructed using twenty pieces of sawn timber measuring 3.6m x 0.09 m with a concrete topping of 0.065m. Experimental tests were conducted using an electrodynamic shaker with a frequency range of 1 Hz to 200 Hz. The shaker was placed on a laminated deck as vertical force and 15 accelerometers were used as output data collectors. Me´scope and SAP2000 package were used for data analysis. The natural frequency values of the first mode shape with and without concrete topping based on Me´scope analysis are 12.8Hz and 16.9Hz, respectively. Meanwhile, the finite element modeling analysis shows that the frequency of the first mode shape with laminated deck without concrete topping is 11.4 Hz while the one with concrete topping is 16.2 Hz. The natural frequencies obtained from the experimental test and the modal analysis are greater than 8 Hz, thereby concluding that the TCC laminated deck system is suitable and comfortable for building occupants

A review on ray capture according to fishing gear worldwide

A coral reef is one of the important ecosystems. However coral Gillnets are usually used as a fishing gear by an artisanal fishery in Malaysia. This gear is commonly used by most countries. This paper discussed the rays capture worldwide by using a variety of fishing gear and also bycatch issues that commonly happen. The efficiency of the fishing gear used in capture ray species is compared and discussed among the countries. This paper distinguishes the maturation size for the female and male ray according to the species presence. The bycatch scenario is also discussed as the majority of this elasmobranch (shark and ray) which is caught as bycatch in both small-scale fisheries (gill nets, long lines and hooks) and large-scale fisheries (bottom trawl and purse seine). This paper explains the suitable type of fishing gear to use to capture ray species in a particular country

Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis in a young boy: a case report

We report a case of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis in a young boy with no clinical visualization of nematode. The diagnosis was made based on clinical findings and detection of Toxocara immunoglobulin G by Western blot test. An 11-year-old Malay boy presented with progressive blurring of vision in the left eye for a duration of 1 year. It was associated with intermittent floaters. Visual acuity in the left eye was 6/45 and improved to 6/24 with pinhole. There was positive relative afferent pupillary defect, impaired color vision, and presence of red desaturation in the left eye. There were occasional cells in the anterior chamber with no conjunctiva injection. Posterior segment examination revealed mild-to-moderate vitritis and generalized pigmentary changes of the retina with attenuated vessels. The optic disk was slightly hyperemic with mild edema. There was presence of multiple, focal, gray-white subretinal lesions at the inferior part of the retina. Full blood picture results showed eosinophilia with detection of Toxocara immunoglobulin G by Western blot test. Investigations for other infective causes and connective tissue diseases were negative. The diagnosis of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis secondary to Toxocara was made based on clinical findings and laboratory results. He was treated with oral albendazole 400 mg daily for 5 days and oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg with tapering doses over 6 weeks. At 1 month follow-up, the inflammation had reduced, and multiple, focal, gray-white subretinal lesions were resolved; however there was no improvement of vision

Academic Plagiarism in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions: Legal Perspective

The incidents of plagiarism are prevalent in academic community throughout the world. In the context of academic community, plagiarism may damage the reputation as well as negatively affect the credibility and integrity of the institutions and those involved in such behaviours. This paper provides an overview on academic plagiarism in Malaysia and discusses the relevant Malaysian legal provisions, specifically those which applied to Malaysian public higher education institutions concerning the issue of plagiarism. Analysis of statutes and relevant case law was done by employing doctrinal legal method. It is learnt that a number of statutes governing the management and administration of the universities in Malaysia contain provisions on plagiarism that are to be subjected to disciplinary punishment. Of all the statutes, the paper found that the Educational Institutions (Discipline) Act 1976 (Act 174), which governs matters related to discipline in educational institutions but not including universities explicitly stated provision on plagiarism. The paper suggests that universities should adopt clear policy or guideline on student writing handling in order to avoid and deal with plagiarism issues effectivel

Academic plagiarism in Malaysia higher education institutions: legal perspective

The incidents of plagiarism are prevalent in the academic community throughout the world. In the context of the academic community, plagiarism may damage the reputation as well as negatively affect the credibility and integrity of the institutions and those involved in such behaviours. This paper provides an overview of academic plagiarism in Malaysia and discusses the relevant Malaysian legal provisions, specifically those which applied to Malaysian public higher education institutions concerning the issue of plagiarism. Analysis of statutes and relevant case law was done by employing the doctrinal legal method. It is learned that a number of statutes governing the management and administration of the universities in Malaysia contain provisions on plagiarism that are to be subjected to disciplinary punishment. Of all the statutes, the paper found that the Educational Institutions (Discipline) Act 1976 (Act 174), which governs matters related to discipline in educational institutions but not including universities explicitly stated provision on plagiarism. The paper suggests that universities should adopt clear policy or guideline on student writing handling in order to avoid and deal with plagiarism issues effectively

Prospective diagnostic study on the use of narrow‐band imaging on suspicious lesions during colonoscopy examination

Introduction: Colonoscopy is the gold standard to detect colorectal neoplasm. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) has a good diagnostic accuracy to differentiate between neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal lesions. This study explores the diagnostic validity of NBI colonoscopy as well as its associated factors related to neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal lesions. Methods: This study enrolled 100 patients in a single-center tertiary teaching hospital. Patients presented for screening colonoscopy, and those with suspicious colorectal lesions were included in this study. During colonoscopy, the most suspicious lesion in each patient was analyzed using the NBI system based on Sano’s classification. Each lesion was biopsied for histopathological analysis, the gold standard. Endoscopic images were captured electronically. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of NBI colonoscopy were assessed. Other associated factors related to neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions were analyzed accordingly. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the NBI were 88.2% and 71.9%, respectively. The area under the receiver–operator curve was 0.801, indicating that NBI has a good ability to differentiate between disease and non-disease. There are significant associations between histopathological examination outcomes and both presenting symptoms, especially weight loss, and lesion site, even after other variables were controlled (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The NBI system in colonoscopy was capable of distinguishing neoplastic from non-neoplastic colorectal lesions. It indicates an acceptable level of agreement with histopathology, the gold standard. However, the role of NBI in screening and surveillance in Malaysia still needs further evaluation and exploration

An oncological curiosity of a male patient with a huge leiomyoma of the terminal ileum

Leiomyoma is a smooth muscle tumour that can arise in any part of the body especially the uterus. Even though it is traditionally linked with hormonal inf luence, it can also develop in extrauterine organs with a slight female predominance. It is indistinguishable with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) histologically. We report a case of a 30-year-old gentleman who presented with a huge painful mass in the right iliac fossa. Computed tomography revealed a 10 × 10 cm homogeneous mass arising from the terminal ileum; he subsequently underwent an open right hemicolectomy. Histology showed a well-circumscribed lesion composed of interlacing bundles of smooth muscle fibres of the submucosa with positive smooth muscle actin and H-Caldesmon stains but negative for DOG-1 and CD117 (c-kit) stains which were consistent with leiomyoma. Despite its rarity, this hormone-related tumour needs to be considered regardless of gender. Immunohistochemistry is paramount as it is histologically identical to GIST

Scienceploration 2023

The Scienceploration Camp is an initiative of the Centre for Pre-University Studies, UNIMAS (PPPU), which aims to increase the interest in science among secondary school students. It is also an effort taken by PPPU towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 4 in providing equal quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. On top of that, this camp supports Sarawak’s Digital Economy Strategy in nurturing an integrated ecosystem to foster inclusive digital society, by building the right foundations to grow our local digital economy