Factors influencing household debt in Malaysia / Nur Natasha Liyana Ramli

This paper aim at finding out the factors influencing household debt in Malaysia which the household debt is monitor based on the total loans and financing from Commercials Banks and Islamic Banks. The variables are considered are gross domestic product (GDP), housing price (HP), interest rate (INT) and unemployment (UN). This study required 9 years data which is equal to 36 data by quarterly for each variable from 2010 until 2018. Methodology used for this study is using Multiple Linear Regression with series data. Thereafter, this test is to be conducted to observe the relationship of the independent variables with dependant variable which is household debt. Interactive software package E-view would be used for testing and analyzing the data collected. This study is attempting to investigate the relationship between the independent variables with the household debt and which variables contributes most to household debt. Findings from previous study mostly show that gross domestic product (GDP), housing price, interest rate and unemployment rate have a significant role in the determination of household debt As guidance to the past research that have been done, this study will examine the relationship between impact of independent variables and household debt

MITIGATING RESPONDENT FATIGUE IN SELF-ASSESSMENT: CEFR-BASED ITEMS FOR MALAYSIAN UNDERGRADUATES

Background and Purpose: The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an internationally recognised instrument for describing language skills. It describes language proficiency on a six-level scale, ranging from A1 for beginners to C2 for those who have already mastered a language. The roadmap in the Malaysian Education Plan 2013-2025 sets B2 as the target for Malaysian higher education graduates as this is the level at which they can expect to get a job and function adequately in English, while graduates of English language degree programmes are expected to reach C1 when they graduate. The aim of this study is to test and verify whether it is appropriate to use only the items from B2, C1 and C2 to measure the language proficiency of Malaysian students to avoid respondent fatigue in answering the questionnaire.   Methodology: A proportionate stratified random sampling method was used and four strata were defined: Strata I and II were male and female students in public institutions, Strata III and IV were male and female students in private institutions. The instrument used was a questionnaire containing demographic profiles and eight items from the CEFR Global Self-Assessment Grid. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted using SPSS.   Findings: The eigenvalue of 7.263 with factor loadings between 0.774 and 0.854 and the Cronbach’s alpha value for language ability of over 0.9 indicate excellent reliability of the selected items. The study found that Malaysian university students were good at understanding and discussing personal information, events, opinions and plans. However, they found it difficult to understand complex and longer texts, to use language flexibly in social and academic settings and to express themselves without constantly asking for feedback. As the current education system focuses too much on memorization, it does not contribute to the development of practical language skills. In order to improve, students should use the CEFR as a self-assessment tool.   Contributions: The findings of the study contribute to the understanding of the optimization of the CEFR framework in Malaysian higher education by reducing respondent fatigue and improving the quality of self-assessment. The study provides empirical evidence of the effectiveness of using CEFR-based items at B2, C1 and C2 levels in reducing fatigue, improving the quality of self-assessment and informing language teaching and learning practices. The findings can assist educators and policy makers in developing more effective language teaching and assessment strategies that promote student learning outcomes and ultimately improve the language education of Malaysian students.   Keywords: CEFR rubric, ESL, self-assessment, perceived language proficiency, answering fatigue.   Cite as: Tg Nur Liyana, T. M. F., Wan Nazihah, W. M, & Mimi Mazlina, M. (2024). Assessing the self-perceived language proficiency of Malaysian ESL learners in higher education utilizing the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(2), 474-489. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp474-48

Accessible housing guidelines: A global comparison

House is one of the most important necessities in one’s life. Houses with good accessibility parameters will be able to improve the life quality of the occupants regardless of age and abilities and support the aging process. Hence, guidelines related to accessibility in housing have been developed globally, respectively, either by the countries’ governments or as initiatives of its housing developers. Therefore, this research aims to determine and explore the current guidelines on accessibility in housing from several countries. In response, the research employs a qualitative approach by comparing these guidelines to develop a suitable accessibility guideline for the context of Malaysian housing. The findings determine the important spaces are: bathroom; building entrance; circulation/corridor; kitchen; bedroom and; access to the site. Furthermore, the important categories for each element are: size; accessibility; materials; safety; comfort, and; fitting. These findings are hoped to assist local authorities, developers, and professionals in improving the housing development in Malaysia, in particular to accessibility aspects

Modelling And Fuzzy Logic Control Of An Underactuated Tower Crane System

Tower crane is one of the flexible maneuvering systems that has been applied pervasively as a powerful big-scale construction machine. The under-actuated tower crane system has nonlinearity behavior with a coupling between translational and slew motions which increases the crane control challenge. In practical applications, most of the tower cranes are operated by a human operator which lead to unsatisfactory control tasks. Motivated to overcome the issues, this paper proposes a fuzzy logic controller based on single input rule modules dynamically connected fuzzy inference system for slew/translational positioning and swing suppressions of a 3 degree-of-freedom tower crane system. The proposed method can reduce the number of rules significantly, resulting in a simpler controller design. The proposed method achieves higher suppressions of at least 56% and 81% in the overall in-plane and out-plane swing responses, respectively as compared to PSO based PID+PD control

Identification and evaluation of locally isolated fungi through rapid screening for potential mycelium-based biofoam application in Malaysia

Expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) contributes to environmental problems due to its inability to decompose in nature within a short period. In addition, petroleum as a core source for EPS is now depleting and new biological and environmentally friendly approaches are encouraged. As an alternative to EPS, mycelium-based biofoam (MBF) is a new foam technology formed of agricultural biomass and mycelium as a binding matrix is introduced. However, based on previous literature, the fungal strains used are mainly highlighted as one of the main factors which affect the final properties of MBF. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the most potential fungus used for MBF application using OPEFB, biomass from the palm oil industry as novel substrate using rapid screening. Twelve local fungi isolated from a local forest in Selangor, Malaysia were cultivated on Potato Dextrose Agar and OPEFB plate before being screened on agar containing four different types of dye indicators, which are methylene blue, guaiacol, Remazol Brilliant Blue R and azure B. As a result, Phanerochaete concrescens isolate LYN-UPM S1 and Perenniporia subtephropora isolate LYN-UPM S9 have shown the ability to produce ligninolytic enzymes and high content of chitin, which will be useful for the fabrication of mycelium-based biofoam

A Study Examining the Customer Service Experience Using the Partial Least Square (PLS) Approach, with a Particular Focus on Personal Interaction Encounters and Customer Involvement

The relationship between academic achievement, student happiness, and the quality of academic services provided by university staff is a critical issue in Malaysian public higher education. This correlation highlights the importance of understanding the factors that influence the interactions between academic staff and students. Knowledge of the variables affecting how academic staff members and service encounters interact is quite important. This study aims to examine the influence of personal interaction encounters and customer involvement on the level of customer service experience provided by academic staff at Malaysian public universities. To gather data from 454 academic faculty members at Malaysian public universities, a self-administered questionnaire was developed. PLS 4.0 was used in this work and proportionate stratified random sampling was utilized. The results showed significant relationships between consumer involvement and personal interaction encounters with customer service experience. By acknowledging and addressing these variables, Malaysian public universities can foster more positive and productive interactions between staff and students or other stakeholders, ultimately improving the academic experience

MDMA-induced BV2 microglial cell activation in vitro

Background: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a psychostimulant drug that induces neurotoxicity. Even though several psychostimulant substances activate microglia, little is known about MDMA's effects on these cells, and evidence of MDMA-induced microglial activation is equivocal. Materials and Methods: This study employed a murine microglial cell line, BV2, to examine the effects of MDMA on the microglia morphological changes and the survival of microglia in vitro. MDMA was incorporated into the media at the time of plating, and cell number and mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (MTT) levels were determined in vitro. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α was also determined. Results: Treatment of BV2 cells with MDMA resulted in morphological changes, reduced cell viability after 24h incubation with the inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 243.6 µg/mL, and increased TNF-α level in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings proposed that MDMA could induce BV2 microglial cell activation in vitro and suggested that it has an essential role in developing MDMA use disorder

Assessment tools to measure postnatal mental illness: A 10-year scoping review

Introduction: The use of assessment tools to measure postnatal mental illness is essential in healthcare settings. However, variations in the types of tools and their reliability in a particular population lead to under-recognition of mental health status in postnatal mothers. The aim of this review is to evaluate the most recent 10 year of research on the validity and reliability of postnatal mental illness assessment tools. Methods: A literature search of studies from online databases PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct was conducted. Results: A total of 59 studies were selected for this review. Several studies utilised multiple assessment tools, and a total of 96 assessment tools were identified and classified into six domains: postnatal blues, postnatal stress, postnatal anxiety, postnatal depression, postnatal psychosis, and postnatal psychological disorder. In this review, EPDS was the most common tool used to identify postnatal depression and anxiety while DASS 21 was the most common tool used to identify postnatal psychological disorder. There is a wide range in preponderance of evidence for the reliability of each assessment tool and there were inconsistencies in assessing the validity of the assessment tools. Conclusion: This review provides information regarding some of the main assessment tools currently available to measure postnatal mental illnesses. There were no standardised tools that were used in a particular setting. The results may differ in different population because there are differences in not only languages and dialects, but also cultural and racial backgrounds, which greatly influences their perception and interpretation of postnatal mental illness

Exploring the views of healthcare practitioners on postnatal mental illness screening among Malaysian women

Introduction: Healthcare practitioners involved in the maternity care provision should be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills in the screening of postnatal mental illness. The promotion of a screening tool for this purpose can enhance these skills among the healthcare providers. In Malaysia, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge among healthcare practitioners regarding postnatal mental illness and their perceptions are not fully understood, thus hindering the development of relevant screening tools. This study aimed to explore the views of Malaysian healthcare practitioners on the indicators and potential mechanisms for the screening of postnatal mental illness. Method: This qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews involving 28 healthcare practitioners at maternal and child health clinics, psychiatric departments, and obstetrics and gynaecology departments across 18 maternal and child health clinics and six government hospitals in the states of Pahang, Terengganu, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Kuala Lumpur. The data were analysed using framework analysis. Results: The healthcare practitioners’ views on postnatal mental illness were reflected in three themes, namely perceived causes of postnatal mental illness, indicators of postnatal mental illness, as well as screening and intervention mechanisms for postnatal mental illness. According to the respondents, the existing screening tools available within the clinical practice were less sensitive in assessing postnatal mental illness. Conclusion: The introduction of a relevant screening tool in addressing the common symptoms of postnatal mental illness can improve its the detection among Malaysian women

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