Towards a Successful Extension of Time (EoT) Claim: A Consensus View of Construction Professionals via a Modified Delphi Method

Undeniably, the claim document provides an opportunity for the claimants to defend and fight for their rights. Hence, it should be prepared in a well-organized, professional and convincing manner to facilitate the assessor in assessing the claim. However, it is not an easy task as a good claim not only requires fact and evidences but also demands other important elements that complement each other. Despite the many studies that have been carried out with regard to improving the management of contract claims, yet very little research has been conducted to address the issue in relation to the extension of time (EoT) claim, specifically as to what constitutes a good EoT claim and the possible measures that can be taken by industry players towards the successful settlement of an EoT claim. This paper reports on a Delphi study focusing on identifying the success elements for EoT claim specifically in the Malaysian construction industry. Two rounds of a modified Delphi surveys were conducted and consensus was obtained from twelve experts. The Delphi survey has successfully elicit experts’ consensus on the elements that perceived to be the most important element in producing a quality EoT claim that may lead to a speedy, successful and amicable settlement of such claim. Findings from this study is expected to provide an aid in assisting the claimants in the preparation of claims through the identification of the success elements for EoT claims that will then lead towards achieving harmonious claim settlement

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic properties of hard/soft nanocomposite permanent magnets

We report on an investigation of the magnetic properties of nanocomposite ferrite via different technique. Magnetic hard and soft ferrite, SrFe12O19/ Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanocomposites with mass ratio 4:1 were synthesised by using the mechanical alloying (750 rpm) method, physical mixing and high energy ball milling method. The nanocomposite ferrite was calcined at different temperatures from 500°C to 800°C to study the effect of calcination temperature on the magnetic properties of nanocomposite ferrite. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) result shows the double phase SrFe12O19 and Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 existed. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) image shows the particlesize is agglomerated, due to the attractive force. The magnetisation measurement was obtained at room temperature by using a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). For mixing by mechanical alloying, nanocomposite ferrite at 800°C gives the larger value of magnetisation, Ms 46 emu/g which is higher than the Ms of a single phase of SrFe12O19, 37 emu/g. The remanence ratio, Mr/Ms of nanocomposite ferrite at 800°C gives the value more than 0.5, this proves that the exchange coupling exists with the higher value of Ms. For physical mixing, the highest magnetisation obtains are 51 emu/g at a temperature of 750°C. From this simple technique, we are able to attain good magnetic properties of nanocomposite ferrite nanoparticles with a particle size below 50 nm

PROGRAM PEMULIHAN AKHLAK REMAJA DELINKUEN DI PUSAT PEMULIHAN AKHLAK DI MALAYSIA (Moral Rehabilitation Program for Delinquent Adolescents at Moral Rehabilitation Centers in Malaysia)

ABSTRAK Pelbagai program dilaksanakan di pusat-pusat pemulihan bertujuan memulihkan akhlak remaja yang terlibat dengan perlakuan delinkuen. Trend peningkatan bilangan kemasukan para pelatih dalam kalangan remaja ke pusat-pusat pemulihan akhlak memberi indikator keperluan tumpuan diberikan terhadap usaha pemulihan akhlak. Artikel ini bertujuan mengemukakan program-program pemulihan akhlak remaja delinkuen yang dilaksanakan di pusat-pusat pemulihan akhlak di Malaysia. Reka bentuk kajian ini ialah kajian tinjauan eksploratori. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui temu bual separa struktur. Seramai empat orang informan dipilih dari tiga kategori pusat pemulihan akhlak iaitu pusat pemulihan kelolaan Jabatan Penjara Malaysia (JPM), pusat pemulihan kelolaan Majlis Agama Islam Negeri dan pusat pemulihan kelolaan Jabaran Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM). Mereka dipilih menggunakan persampelan bertujuan. Data yang diperoleh daripada temu bual dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan tematik. Hasil kajian mendapati program-program pemulihan akhlak yang dilaksanakan di pusat-pusat pemulihan akhlak memberi penekanan terhadap aspek pemantapan kerohanian dan keagamaan, penyediaan slot bimbingan kaunseling dan motivasi serta kelas kemahiran dan akademik. Program yang dijalankan ini memberi implikasi positif khususnya dalam usaha pemulihan akhlak remaja delinkuen di pusat-pusat pemulihan akhlak di Malaysia. Kata Kunci: Program Pemulihan Akhlak, Remaja Delinkuen, Pusat Pemulihan Akhlak MalaysiaABSTRACT Various programs are implemented in rehabilitation centers aimed at restoring the morals of teenagers involved in delinquent behavior. The trend of increasing the number of trainees among teenagers entering moral rehabilitation centers indicates the need to focus on moral rehabilitation efforts. This article aims to present the moral rehabilitation programs for delinquent teenagers implemented in moral rehabilitation centers in Malaysia. The design of this study is an exploratory survey study. Data collection was done through semistructured interviews. A total of four informants were selected from three categories of moral rehabilitation centers which are rehabilitation centers managed by the Malaysian Prisons Department (JPM), rehabilitation centers managed by the State Islamic Religious Council and rehabilitation centers managed by Jabaran Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM). They were selected using purposive sampling. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using a thematic approach. The results of the study found that moral rehabilitation programs carried out in moral rehabilitation centers emphasize the aspects of spiritual and religious strengthening, the provision of counseling and motivational guidance slots as well as skills and academic classes. The program carried out has positive implications, especially in the moral rehabilitation of delinquent teenagers in moral rehabilitation centers in Malaysia. Keywords: Moral Rehabilitation Program, Delinquent Youth, Moral Rehabilitation Center Malaysi

Significant Factors Affecting Civil Engineering Project Performance

Civil engineering projects trigger the economic growth by providing infrastructure facilities and job opportunities as well as attracting the attention of foreign investments. Due to their significant contributions toward the nation growth, the performance of civil engineering projects has become the upmost concern by the government. Unfortunately, many civil engineering projects in Malaysia are dominantly associated with unsatisfactory performance in terms of cost, time and quality of the delivered products. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the underlying causes which lead to unsatisfactory performance by determining the factors affecting civil engineering projects. The objective of this paper is to identify the civil engineering project characteristics and the quality of Standard Form of Contract (SFoC) adopted and the contractual behaviour of key participants of civil engineering project which affecting the performance. Questionnaires survey were conducted to undertake the research. 124 feedbacks received out of 300 questionnaires distributed to the G7 contractors registered under Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and consultant engineer registered under Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM). The data was statistically analysed using SPSS 21 and descriptive analysis was used for rank assessment of factors. It was found that the top three (3) most significant factors affecting civil engineering project performance are delay in making payment, environment uncertainty and the clarity of SFoC. These factors belong to three categories i.e the contractual behaviour of key participants, project characteristics and the quality of SFoC category. Thus, these categories are paramount to be put more concern on the performance of civil engineering projects in Malaysia

Effect of methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaves against paracetamol- and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver toxicity in rats

The present study aimed to determine the hepatoprotective activity of methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaves (MEDL) using two models of liver injury in r ats. Rats (n = 6) received 10% DMSO(negative control), 200 mg/kg silymarin (positive control) or MEDL (50, 250, and 500 mg/kg) orally once daily for 7 days and 3 hours after the last adminis tration of the test solutions, they were subjected to the hepatotoxic induction either using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or paracetamol (PCM). The bloods and livers were collected and subjected to biochemical and microscopical analysis. From the data obtained, all doses of MEDL significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in CCl4-induced hepatotoxic rats while only the 500 mg/kg MEDL caused significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the level of both enzymes in the PCM-induced liver toxicity model. The histological results obtained were in line with the biochemical analysis. In conclusion, the MEDL-induced hepatoprotective activity is attributed partly to its free radicals scavenging and antioxidant activities and high flav onoids content

Hepatoprotective activity of methanol extract of Melastoma malabathricum leaf in rats

The present study aimed to determine the hepatoprotective activity of a methanol extract of Melastoma malabathricum leaves (MEMM) using two established rat models. Ten groups of rats (n = 6) were given a once-daily administration of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (negative control), 200 mg/kg silymarin (positive control), or MEMM (50, 250, or 500 mg/kg) for 7 days followed by induction of hepatotoxicity either using paracetamol or carbon tetrachloride. Blood samples and livers were collected for biochemical and microscopic analysis. Based on the results obtained, MEMM exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) hepatoprotective activity against both inducers, as indicated by an improvement in the liver function test. These observations were supported by the histologic findings. In conclusion, M. malabathricum leaves possessed hepatoprotective activity, which could be linked to their phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity; this therefore requires further in-depth studies

Effect of aqueous extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaves against paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver toxicity in rats

The present study aimed to determine the hepatoprotective activity of Dicranopteris linearis L. (family Gleicheniaceae) leaf aqueous extract (DLAE) using two models of liver injury in rats. Rats were divided into ten groups (n=6) and received dH2O (negative control), 200 mg/kg silymarin (positive control) or DLAE (50, 250 and 500 mg/kg) orally once daily for 7 consecutive days and on the 8th day subjected to the hepatotoxic induction either using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or paracetamol (PCM). The bloods and livers were collected and subjected to biochemical and microscopical analysis. From the data obtained, only the highest dose of DLAE significantly (p<0.05) reduced the ALP, ALT and AST levels in CCl4-and PCM-induced hepatotoxic rats while the other doses caused significant (p<0.05) reduction only in the levels of ALT and AST. The histological results obtained were in line with the biochemical analysis wherein reduction in the CCl4- and PCM-induced tissue formation of necrosis, steatosis and inflammation occurred in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the DLAE possesses hepatoprotective activity, which could be attributed to its free radicals scavenging and antioxidant activities, and high flavonoids content. Thus, in-depth studies regarding the hepatoprotective activity of DLAE are warranted

Open Access Publication of Universiti Sains Malaysia: a Bibliometric Analysis

Open Access (OA) is the new publishing model that allows unrestricted access and reuse of research outputs. OA accelerates discovery in the sense that researchers can freely read and build on new findings based on other research. While public seems to welcome more involvement in OA among academics, many researchers are still discussing about the challenges that they face to publish with OA journals including the issue of article processing charge (APC) and the quality of OA journals. This paper examines several aspects relate to OA publication such as publication productivity, citation impact, subject coverage, and publishing cost of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) based on SCOPUS data from 2013 to 2015. The findings show that School of Medical Sciences, Physics and Pharmacy dominated the OA publications. Thus, it also indicates that science-based researchers are highly inclined towards publishing in OA as compared to non-science researchers. Top three OA journals in the list are Plos One (Multidisciplinary), Acta Chrystallographica Section E (Chemistry) and Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering (Engineering, Geology). Most of the authors tend to publish in Quartile 3 journals (43%), followed by Q2 (28%), Q1 (16%) and Q4 (13%). However, with regard to citation impact per paper (average), every paper in Q1 journal received 6.25 citations, followed by Q2 (2.8 citations), Q3 (1.33 citations) and Q4 (0.87 citation). The APC range of OA publication found to be from RM0 to RM15, 000 per paper. The study provides useful insights about OA publication among USM researchers which can guide other researchers who wish to engage with OA in the future. Further study can be done by interviewing authors, to further explore on the OA research funding, strategy in choosing OA journals to publish in and also the motivation in publishing with OA

Knowledge, attitude and practice on food higiene among the homemakers in Bukit Aup, Sibu, Sarawak from 8th July 2013 to 20th September 2013

Background: Foodborne diseases are a potential threat to the public health. Despite all the Food Act and Regulation, the problem of foodbome diseases is still not uncommon in Malaysia. Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) with regards to food hygiene among homemakers of Bukit Aup in Sibu, Sarawak. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done among 101 homemakers in Bukit Aup, Sibu, Sarawak. A Non-probability sampling method was adopted to select at least one homemaker from each household in the village. An interviewer-guided style of data collection was used. The data was analysed for descriptive data of mean and median, frequencies and standard deviation using SPSS. Results: Among the respondents, the level of good KAP are 53.5%, 39.6% and 58.4% respectively. A significant positive correlation is noted between attitude score and practice score (r=0.203, p<0.05) using Pearson correlation analysis. Out of a total number of 457 villagers, 33 of them (7.2%) had gastrointestinal health complaints in the past six months. There were 36 episodes (7.9%) of abdominal cramp or pain, followed by 18 episodes (3.9%) of diarrhoea and three episodes (0.7%) of vomiting. Conclusion: Generally, it was observed that the respondents had a satisfactory level of knowledge and practices of food hygiene. However some of the respondents had some lapses in their responses to queries on food hygiene attitude