VOTERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS POLITICAL PARTY: A GEOSPATIAL CASE STUDY OF YOUNG VOTERS IN JOHOR BAHRU

The application of Geographic Information System (GIS) and election is a study that stresses geospatial aspects which gives support to election boundaries, election information management system along with GIS analysis in election boundaries. This article, as a concept, explains the role and function of GIS and geopolitics as an introduction to examine the election pattern in Malaysia. This study was aimed at understanding the issue that influenced youth voters in DUN Nusajaya to cast their votes in General Election, thus charting new strategies for future election. In doing so, nine issues are carefully selected and analysed from a geographical perspective by using GIS method. Socio-demographic data, issues influenced and assessment of state political figure, are used to explore geographic variability in relationships between each variable at a detailed spatial level. Spatial analysis using geographically weighted regression (GWR) was employed, which enables the investigation of local variations in voting patterns. The results demonstrate that assessment of state political figures do vary over geographic space and some of the variables that are traditionally assumed affect certain locations

Factors Towards Voluntary Turnover Among Employees in Malaysia Banking Institution

Voluntary Turnover refers to the decision of an employee to leave their organization based on their own intention and self-control. Thus this condition may give negative affects to one organization in terms of monetary, productivity and time deficit. The paper aimed to explore the relationship between factors namely job satisfaction, career adaptability, turnover intention and pay towards voluntary turnover in the banking sector. Self-administered questionnaire is distributed conveniently among respondents from several departments known as Human Resources, Marketing, Retail Rehabilitation, Branch Operation Processing, Treasury and Investigation Audit. The study uses SPSS (Scientific Package for Social Sciences) to specified frequencies distribution, reliability analysis, correlation coefficient (Pearson’s) and regression analysis. The analysis proved that there is a significant relationship between voluntary turnover and three independent variables (turnover intention, job satisfaction and pay). The result revealed that the turnover intention is the most influence factor toward voluntary turnover.     Keywords: Voluntary Turnover; Job Satisfaction; Career Adaptability; Turnover Intention; Pa

ASSIMILATING GEOSPATIAL METAMODEL AND INVENTORY MAPPING FOR NON-STRUCTURAL MITIGATION OF LANDSLIDE

In Malaysia, issues related to disaster management are always given attention in society and by the responsible parties. However, in general, citizen do not think of the consequential impact of disaster due to less of knowledge regarding the early phase in disaster management. Therefore, citizen in those areas will be more vulnerable to landslide as the citizen face difficulties in identifying specific areas with the tendency of landslides. This paper presents a geospatial metamodel approach for non-structural mitigation of landslide using data from airborne LiDAR and aerial photograph. Disaster management metamodel with geospatial element combines activity for managing disaster along with geospatial database that makes it handy for appreciating the metamodel. On the other hand, the digital terrain model (DTM) from LiDAR and aerial photograph is required to produce landslide inventory mapping. The case study area is located in Kundasang, Sabah, where landslides occur frequently. In order to get better visual in identifying landslides in the study area, three types of data are required to carry out image interpretation. The three types of data are hillshade, topographic openness and colour composite. The result of the landslide inventory map shows that there are five types of landslide, which is debris flow, debris fall, mud flow, deep-seated landslide and shallow landslide. Finally, the result of landslide inventory map will be integrated into the developed metamodel for presentation to the users. This landslide inventory map is used as a non-structural mitigation step in one of disaster management phases that is suitable to prepare and use in mitigating the landslide hazard impact

GEOSPATIAL APPROACH FOR LANDSLIDE ACTIVITY ASSESSMENT AND MAPPING BASED ON VEGETATION ANOMALIES

Remote sensing has been widely used for landslide inventory mapping and monitoring. Landslide activity is one of the important parameters for landslide inventory and it can be strongly related to vegetation anomalies. Previous studies have shown that remotely sensed data can be used to obtain detailed vegetation characteristics at various scales and condition. However, only few studies of utilizing vegetation characteristics anomalies as a bio-indicator for landslide activity in tropical area. This study introduces a method that utilizes vegetation anomalies extracted using remote sensing data as a bio-indicator for landslide activity analysis and mapping. A high-density airborne LiDAR, aerial photo and satellite imagery were captured over the landslide prone area along Mesilau River in Kundasang, Sabah. Remote sensing data used in characterizing vegetation into several classes of height, density, types and structure in a tectonically active region along with vegetation indices. About 13 vegetation anomalies were derived from remotely sensed data. There were about 14 scenarios were modeled by focusing in 2 landslide depth, 3 main landslide types with 3 landslide activities by using statistical approach. All scenarios show that more than 65% of the landslides are captured within 70% of the probability model indicating high model efficiency. The predictive model rate curve also shows that more than 45% of the independent landslides can be predicted within 30% of the probability model. This study provides a better understanding of remote sensing data in extracting and characterizing vegetation anomalies induced by hillslope geomorphology processes in a tectonically active region in Malaysia

3D model by using oblique images from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

In recent years, 3D modelling had been a major outcome for obtaining a high-level detail structure of facade and building. The role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as platform had been widely used as its accessibility to the location and geometry aspects such as terrain, mount and higher building. This paper aims to obtain highly-level-detail 3D model of building acquire from oblique images of UAV. Several parameters should be considered such as flight planning, minimum time to cover whole building, inclination of camera and ground control points to achieve complete information of the building. Oblique images acquire by a very close circular flight to the building. Some nadir images will be used for further tie and strengthen block. The images obtained were processed using Agisoft Photoscan Professional. Several steps were taken for image processing such as calibration, extraction, point cloud generation and orientation. The UAV data was validated with check points observed from GPS to obtain Root Mean Square (RMSE) values. RMSE value for planimetric accuracy is ±0.026m, ±0.034m and ±0.018m for X, Y and Z respectively. The average RMSE values obtained is ±0.037m. In conclusion, the value achieved centimetre accuracy and show that the use of UAV and processing software as an effective tool for surveying, reduce cost, acquisition of data more rapid and need for high level detail

In Vivo evaluation of the novel nanocomposite porous 3D scaffold in a rabbit model: hematology and biochemistry analysis

Issues of safety are very crucial with biomaterials and medical devices. Sixteen male New Zealand White rabbits equally into four groups: Group A, rabbits had part of their radial bone (2 cm, mid shaft) and left empty as a control. Group B, rabbits were implanted with scaffold 5211. Group C, rabbits were implanted with scaffold 5211GTA+Alginate. Group D, rabbits were implanted with 5211PLA. All scaffolds were prepared by freeze-drying method. Blood samples were collected at day 0 and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th week after implantation. The blood examination included complete hemogram and certain serum biochemical parameters. The results showed that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) among each treatment group in comparison with control group (day 0). However, red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, monocyte, plasma protein, inorganic phosphate, sodium, chloride and urea were significantly increased (P<0.05) among treatment groups at week 8. An abnormal architecture of viscera was observed in all animals, thus indicating a form of toxicity related to the degrading scaffold materials. The severity of histopathological lesions in viscera was not coated polymers dependent nor development materials. In conclusion, implantation of 5211 scaffold with or without coated framework has a significant impact on histopathological and certain hematological and biochemical parameters

Cellco: Portable Device for Automated Blood Cell Count and Abnormal Cell Detection

In medical diagnosis, cell counting and cell analysis are very important to determine our health condition. The aim of this project is to automate the counting of red blood cell, white blood cell and platelets, and detect cell anomalies such as malaria using an affordable and portable device. A device called Cellco was developed based on image analysis technique due to its simplicity and portability. With the Cellco mobile application and the hardware setup, Cellco will first capture the blood sample image under microscope or microscopic camera. With image processing algorithm, Cellco performs the counting process automatically and returns the result within several seconds to the user’s phone. Cellco is fast, portable and affordable, especially for hematologists and mobile doctors

Effect of thermal energy storage material on the performance of double-pass solar air heater with cross-matrix absorber

This study was to experimentally investigate the influence of thermal energy storage material inside the tube of a double-pass solar air heater with a cross-matrix absorber (DPSAH-CMA). The fabricated SAH was tested in both indoor and outdoor conditions under a variety of operating conditions. It was found that the DPSAH-CMA-with PCM achieve a better thermal buffer of −0.81 °C/min as compared to the one without PCM at a mass flow rate of 0.005 kg/s. PCM contributed to the increment of obtainable cumulative heat rate for DPSAH-CMA-with PCM as compared to the one without PCM with a maximum value of 1548.54 W at higher solar radiation of 900 W/m2. Storage efficiency of DPSAH-CMA-with PCM was maximum at a higher mass flow rate and directly proportional with solar radiation values. Performance comparison was conducted under the outdoor conditions in which the DPSAH-CMA-with PCM achieved higher thermal efficiency by 17% compared to DPSAH-CMA-without PCM. For the DPSAH-CMA-with PCM and without PCM, the exergy efficiency was 23% and 15%, respectively. The calculated cost-benefit ratio for DPSAH-CMA-with PCM was 0.17 RM/kWhr, which is 22% lower than the one without PCM

The Effect Of Ni And Cu Catalysts On The Growth Of Graphene Under Different Ethanol Flow Rates Using Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition

Graphene was grown on both nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) catalysts by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) technique at various ethanol flow rates. Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to study morphological and structural properties of APCVD grown graphene. The crystallite size, defect intensity, distance between defects and the graphene thickness were estimated based on Raman spectra analysis. For the same growth conditions, Ni catalyst promote the formation of more graphene layers as compare to Cu. This because of the higher carbon solubility in Ni as compared to Cu which leads to different growth mechanisms