Decision Support System Model for Species Selection in Forest Plantations in Malaysia

Decision Support System (DSS) is a computer technology that is used to support decision making and problem solving processes. It was first implemented in forestry in early 1980s mainly for temperate forests but few for Malaysian forests. A DSS model for forest plantation in Malaysia is therefore needed because the forest plantation programmes is rapidly taking place. The objectives of this study are to propose a specific DSS model for supporting decision making process in selecting appropriate suitable species based on site conditions and economic parameters, and to develop a prototype based on the initial designed DSS model. In this study, four tree species were used as data samples to develop the model and these are Azadirachta excelsa, Acacia mangium, Hevea brasiliensis and Tectona grandis. An economic module was also incorporated in the model giving users the ability to make predictions on potential cost and benefit margins of the four timber species to be planted. The prototype was developed using Windows platform with Oracle JDeveloper. Java programming language was used to develop this prototype. he development of the prototype follows the initial designed of the DSS model. A survey was also conducted using questionnaire as well as interviews to evaluate the usability of this model. Eight usability factors used in the survey include efficiency, understandability, operability, attractiveness, error prevention, learnability, accuracy and effectiveness. Results from the survey indicated that the user satisfaction index for all usability factors of the DSS model was 0.43. This implies that the respondents were quite satisfied with the model. Furthermore, this study also shows that the factors of understandability, attractiveness and operability of the model have the highest user satisfaction index compared to other usability factors. Results from the interview session reflect some weaknesses of this model and suggestions were given to improve the model. In conclusion, the objectives of this study which are to develop a DSS model and a prototype for Malaysian forest plantation management were achieved. The DSS model is usable to support the decision making process for commercial tree planting in Malaysia. The economic parameters gave new insight on costing and the environmental parameters also complement the DSS model. This study revealed that respondents were quite satisfied with the proposed DSS model. However, additional environmental parameters particularly slope elevation and drainage need to be included. Other tree species and the use of weighing method should also be included to improve the DSS model

Hubungan dua hala UPM-Universitas Padjajaran diperkasa

SERDANG, 16 Julai – Seramai 22 orang mahasiswa Universiti Padjajaran (UNPAD), dengan diiringi seorang pensyarah Faisal Syahmurman mengunjungi Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) menerusi program Educational Visit to UPM

Risk Mitigation Strategies in Implementing Scrum Framework for Internet-Based IT Companies in Indonesia

To date many Information Technology Companies in Indonesia implement Scrum Framework which is one of the frameworks that uses Agile principles.  The implementation of the Scrum Framework does not guarantee that these companies will be free from risk, since many risks will also appear during the implementation of the framework itself.  Therefore, risk management strategies are needed to mitigate these risks.  This research is a qualitative research to manage risk due to the implementation of Scrum Framework in software development of IT companies, especially in Indonesia.  Interviews have been conducted to the Scrum stakeholders in three IT Companies to gather some initial data to be analyzed further using Qualitative Content Analysis Method and Risk Breakdown Structure.  Our finding show that there is 17 Risk Registers and their Mitigation Strategies for the implementation of Scrum Framework in Indonesian IT Companies. Furthermore, it can be used as guidelines for decision making about whether to implement this framework in their core businesses

Computed tomography image reconstruction in 3D voxelspace

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between 2D gray scale pixels and 3D gray scale pixels of image reconstructions in computed tomography (CT). The 3D space image reconstruction from data projection was a challenging and difficult research problem. The image was normally reconstructed from the 2D data from CT data projection. In this descriptive study, a synthetics 3D Shepp-Logan phantom was used to simulate the actual data projection from a CT scanner. Real-time data projection of a human abdomen was also included in this study. Additionally, the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the application was designed using Matlab Graphical User Interface Development Environment (GUIDE). The application was able to reconstruct 2D and 3D images in their respective spaces successfully.The image reconstruction for CT in 3D space was analyzedalong with 2D space in order to show their relationships and shared properties for the purpose of constructing these images

Exploring of Potential of Cloud Computing for Small and Medium Enterprises

Business activities such as human resources management, payroll, finance, and accounting are crucial for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, adopting technologies such as cloud computing is expected to improve SMEs’ efficiency. The migration from current business practices to cloud computing amongst SME entrepreneurs remains a challenge. Therefore, this study presents a short review of cloud computing concepts, the characteristics, types of cloud computing service models, and also cloud computing deployment models. This study highlights the benefits and challenges faced by SMEs entrepreneurs in adopting cloud computing. Also, this study explores the existing cloud computing services provided for SMEs. The present study aims to provide a better understanding of cloud computing’s potential to be applied in helping SMEs manage their business activities

Perception and Use of E-mail: A Case Study in Universiti Utara Malaysia

E-mail has grown out to become as one of the most successful and frequently used computer applications since it was invented. It can be used to communicate faster, easier, and at a lower cost with everyone all over the world. Besides providing flexibility and improving the quality of communication, researchers acknowledged that there are many problems faced by e-mail users, namely repeating emails, spam e-mails, huge size attachment files, and insufficient storage size. A case study was conducted to investigate on Universiti Utara Malaysia staff’s perception and use of e-mail in order to improve the e-mail service provided to them. This paper discusses the findings from the study, which involves 958 staff. There were five phases involved in this study, which are instrument design, sampling, pilot study, data collection for real survey, and analysis. Self-administered questionnaires were used to gather the data, while descriptive statistical analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that UUM staff appreciate the e-mail service. However, they faced problems such as limited storage size and overwhelming number of e-mails. They believed that the UUM e-mail system is being abused as observed from the repeating advertisements and news sent to them. The output of this study can be used as a guideline by the UUM management in revising its e-mail policy so as to improve the quality of its e-mail service

Kebolehcapaian nasihat bagi pengurusan penyakit tanaman oleh pekebun kecil lada hitam, Sarawak: Tinjauan awal

Lada hitam (Piper nigrum L.) merupakan salah satu tanaman industri yang mempunyai nilai eksport yang tinggi dan menyumbang kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi di Malaysia khususnya di Sarawak. Kebelakangan ini insiden serangan penyakit terhadap tanaman lada hitam telah merencat pengeluaran produktiviti tanaman ini. Situasi semasa yang dihadapi oleh pekebun kecil yang mampu memberi impak terhadap kualiti dan kuantiti hasil tanaman mereka jarang dilaporkan. Kaedah penasihatan yang kurang efisien, ketidakcukupan pengetahuan dan tempoh masa yang panjang bagi capaian sesuatu nasihat dipercayai boleh memberi kesan kepada aspek ekonomi dan pengurusan penyakit. Oleh itu, satu tinjauan awal telah dilaksanakan untuk mengenalpasti situasi semasa yang merangkumi aspek penasihatan dan penyakit tanaman khususnya bagi tanaman lada hitam daripada perspektif pekebun kecil di kawasan luar bandar. Kaedah penyelidikan ini menggunakan borang senarai semak dan telah diedar kepada pekebun kecil yang mengusaha tanaman lada hitam di kawasan Penempatan Semula Asap Koyan, Belaga yang terletak di Bahagian Kapit, Sarawak. Hasil tinjauan awal ini mendapati pekebun kecil yang mengusaha tanaman lada hitam sering menghadapi masalah tanaman berpenyakit dan turut menghadapi isu kaedah penasihatan yang kurang efisien. Kaedah sistem penasihatan baru yang strategik seperti penggunaan teknologi maklumat perlu diperkenalkan supaya pekebun kecil di kawasan luar bandar boleh memperolehi maklumat dengan pantas bagi menyelesaikan masalah apabila menghadapi insiden serangan penyakit tanaman dan membantu mengurangkan risiko kerugian akibat kemusnahan tanaman

Empowering holistic learning experience through Project Outcome-based Learning (Po-BL): reflecting on a case study of Malaysian university undergraduate students

The application of Project Outcome-based Learning (Po-BL) has been applied in teaching and learning environments for many years. Po-BL plays an important role in ensuring students learning effectiveness and frequency. Po-BL offers tangible invention as a result that is proof of student participation and which confirms student competency in the relevant subject-matter. However, it is often misinformed that not only can Po-BL transform student comprehension, in the context of the subject matter at hand, but also indirectly promotes student practical understanding which becomes the ultimate goal of the teaching and learning. This research argues that the existing accepted method of Po-BL, was not solely designed for the purpose of developing a product, but also encourages overall student learning experiences. In contemplating the issue, this research is a case study of 40 undergraduate students enrolled in STE3603 (Manipulative Skills III). This course takes 14 weeks (one semester) to complete. The students have undergone myriad Po-BL activities and participated in organizing an Innovation Showcase at the Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia. As part of the showcase, students were able to exhibit their invention (Robot) by contesting in a RoboWars competition. The students who experienced multiple phases in the Po-BL activities were invited to be part of the research study by answering online qualitative open-ended questions via Jot Form. The questions were formulated in a broader sense to allow participants to reflect on their entire experiences from Po-BL activities. All responses were downloaded in an Excel Spreadsheet and analyzed using two different phases, both Word Cloud and thematic analysis with the color-coding technique. The themes that emerged from the study describe the entire learning outcomes from the Po-BL experiences, which guide future research to glean more understanding on what Po-BL potentially offers

Pembangunan dan penilaian model hasrat mengguna aplikasi mudah alih penasihatan penyakit panaman lada hitam

Kajian hasrat mengguna aplikasi mudah alih dalam domain pertanian masih kurang diterokai.Penggunaan m-Pertanian seperti aplikasi memberi faedah apabila menerima dan mengguna aplikasi tersebut.Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk membangun sebuah model Tingkah laku hasrat mengguna (HM) aplikasi mudah alih penasihatan penyakit untuk tanaman lada hitam (m-Naslada),mengesah model HM serta membangun prototaip m-Naslada berdasarkan beberapa faktor daripada model HM.Model kajian dibangun berteraskan model penerimaan teknologi.Faktor yang dipertimbangkan pada model kajian adalah mobiliti,kesederhanaan,norma subjektif, keserasian, inovasi kendiri, efikasi kendiri, kualiti maklumat, interaktif, persepsi kebergunaan, persepsi mudah guna dan tingkahlaku hasrat mengguna. kaedah kuantitatif dengan instrumen soal selidik baharu diguna bagi mengesah model kajian.Tinjauan sebenar dilaksana dengan mentadbir instrumen kepada 200 orang pekebun kecil lada hitam di Sarawak.Data diperoleh dianalisis mengguna pendekatan pemodelan persamaan berstruktur melalui kaedah kuasa dua terkecil separa (KDTS), ujian analisis kuasa statistik post hoc dan ujian kebagusuaian global (KBG). Hasil kajian mendapati faktor mobiliti, kesederhanaan, norma subjektif, keserasian, inovasi kendiri, efikasi kendiri, persepsi kebergunaan, persepsi mudah guna mempengaruhi tingkah laku hasrat mengguna. Berdasarkan ujian analisis kuasa statistik post hoc, pelaksanaan kajian ini didapati memberi impak sebenar kepada populasi pekebun kecil lada hitam. Hasil analisis ujian KBG mendapati model HM boleh dipakai dalam kajian ini. Secara keseluruhan, model dan instrumen kajian boleh menjadi indikator bagi mengukur hasrat mengguna sesebuah aplikasi mudah alih untuk domain pertanian