Design and modelling of SOI-based solar thermoelectric generators

In this work, solar micro-thermoelectric generators are designed with a lens concentrating solar radiation onto the membrane of a thermoelectric generator (TEG). By focusing solar radiation, the input heat flux increases; leading to an increase in the temperature gradient across the device. Consequently, a significant improvement in the device efficiency can be achieved. The TEG design involves the use of the SOI wafer's device layer as the first thermoelement and aluminum as the second thermoelement. Isolation trenches are also added to the design for electrical insulation. Heat transfer simulations in COMSOL are performed to verify the viability of the proposed system and an analytical model based on energy balance and heat transfer equations is developed to investigate the performance of solar TEGs with varying geometries, lens parameters, and external conditions. It is found that efficiency is improved by increasing both the concentration factor and the absorptance of the TEG membran

Contribution of Emotional Intelligence, Coping, and Social Support towards Adjustment and Academic Achievement amongst Fresh Students in the University

Adjustment is a significant predictor of academic achievement amongst fresh students in university. Adjustment problems can affect the students’ performance if they are not overcome. Thus, this study aims to investigate the role of students’ overall adjustment as a mediator in predicting the relationship between emotional intelligence, coping, and social support with academic achievement in the university. Besides that, this study also explores students’ level of academic achievement, adjustment, emotional intelligence, coping effort, and their level of satisfaction towards the availability of social support at the university. Using correlational descriptive design, this study involved 250 first semester students at a local public university. Instruments employed to measure the research variables in this study are: Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (to assess adjustment to university), Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence TestTM (to assess emotional intelligence), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (to assess coping effort), and Interpersonal Social Evaluation List-College Version (to assess social support). Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Research findings showed that majority of the students have a moderate overall adjustment level, as well as for the academic adjustment, social adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, and goal commitment/institutional attachment dimensions. Students also demonstrated a low level of emotional intelligence, which was at the developmental level. Research findings show that students’ level of coping effort and their statisfaction towards social support that was available at the university were moderate. Academic adjustment dimension was found to be the highest predictor for academic achievement followed by the personal-emotional adjustment dimension. Findings of the study indicated that there were significant differences in students’ overall adjustment level based on their gender and academic achievement. Male students’ overall level of adjustment was found to be higher compared to female students. Students who achieved higher grade point average were found to have higher overall level of adjustment compare to those who achieved low grade point average. The path analysis results showed that the overall adjustment was an important mediator in explaining the relationship between emotional intelligence, coping, and social support and students’ academic achievement. It was found that social support perceived the highest mediating effect from overall adjustment in predicting students’ academic achievement. Research findings also indicated that emotional intelligence contributed the highest overall effect on students’ academic achievement. In conclusion, this study shows that students’ psychological attributes such as emotional intelligence, coping, and social support have a positive impact on academic achievement through their overall adjustment as mediator

Developing undergraduates' multicultural skills for career success and national integration

In today’s global work environment characterized by workplace diversity, multicultural skills or cultural intelligence (CQ) are essential soft skills for managerial success.In a multi-cultural country like Malaysia, the development of multicultural sensitivity is also important so that its citizens will learn to live in harmony. This paper reports on a study which reviews the effectiveness of a campus wide program that was implemented by a Malaysian public university which specializes in management education from 2011 to 2013 that aimed to facilitate the development of multicultural skills in undergraduates.This study has provided some insights on areas for improvement of future programs.The findings of the study also indicated that there is a need to promote higher interaction between the university’s local and international students. One of the best ways to develop multi-cultural skills among Malaysian undergraduates is to promote greater interactions between Malaysian and non-Malaysian students as well interactions between Malaysian students of various races in campus

Understanding media violence and the development of aggressive behavior of school children

Aggressive behaviour among school children had raised a cause of concern in Malaysia. The development of aggressive behaviour places children at serious risk for future mal-adaptation in the form of continued aggression, conduct problems, and overall difficulties in the domain of social relationships. Therefore, there is a need to study the origins and development of aggressive behaviour. This paper focuses on the nature of aggressive behaviour among school children, the theories that underlying the aggressive behaviour, and the impact of media violence on the development of aggressive behaviour of school children

Perspektif Masa Dan Pencapaian Akademik Pelajar Aliran Sains Daerah Hulu Langat (Time Perspective And Science Student's Achievement From Hulu Langat District)

Prestasi pelajar Malaysia telah merosot di bawah purata antarabangsa bagi subjek Sains dan Matematik semenjak tahun 2003. Lebih membimbangkan lagi apabila hampir 50% pelajar aliran Sains memperoleh gred rendah iaitu D, E dan G dalam peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2008–2012. Perspektif masa dilihat antara faktor penting yang harus dikaji bagi merungkai faktor berkaitan masalah kemerosotan ini. Justeru, kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti tahap dan pola bagi setiap dimensi perspektif masa berdasarkan faktor jantina, bangsa, lokasi sekolah dan pencapaian akademik pelajar aliran Sains. Selain itu, kajian ini juga dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti hubungan antara dimensi perspektif masa dengan pencapaian akademik pelajar aliran Sains secara keseluruhannya. Seramai 390 orang pelajar aliran Sains di daerah Hulu Langat terlibat dalam kajian ini dan Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) telah digunakan untuk mengukur perspektif masa pelajar, manakala skor GPMP bagi empat mata pelajaran Sains iaitu Fizik, Kimia, Biologi dan Matematik Tambahan diambil untuk mengukur tahap pencapaian akademik mereka. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tahap bagi setiap dimensi perspektif masa pelajar aliran Sains di daerah Hulu Langat adalah berada pada tahap sederhana dengan mencatatkan peratusan antara 58.5–81.8%. Analisis ujian-t dan ANOVA satu hala menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan bagi dimensi perspektif masa berdasarkan faktor jantina, bangsa, lokasi sekolah dan pencapaian akademik pelajar aliran Sains. Secara keseluruhannya, dapatan kajian ini adalah selari dengan dapatan kajian lepas iaitu perspektif masa bagi seseorang pelajar aliran Sains amat mempengaruhi pencapaian akademik mereka khususnya dalam mata pelajaran Sains di sekolah

Investigating the relationship between playing violent video games and viewing violent TV programmes and aggressive behaviour among pre-teens

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the playing of violent video games and the viewing of violent TV programmes and aggressive behaviour among pre-teens. According to McGahee, Kemp and Tingen (2000), pre-teens referred to preadolescent children who are usually between 9 and 12 years of age. A total of 450 pre-teens aged 11 were randomly selected from nine schools in the state of Selangor, Malaysia, to participate in this study. This study employed a correlation research design and the data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to address the research objectives. The data were analysed to identify the top 10 favourite video games played by pre-teens in this study. Eight out of 10 video games played by pre-teens were found to be violent in nature. In addition, the top 10 favourite violent TV programmes viewed by pre-teens in this study were also identified. Findings from this study showed that there was a significant difference in the mean score of playing violent video games [t(257)=6.979, p<0.01] and viewing violent TV programmes [t(440)=3.544, p<0.01) between boys and girls who participated in the study. Moreover, the results from this study revealed there was a significant and positive relationship between playing violent video games (r=0.167, p<0.01), viewing violent TV programmes (r=0.126, p=0.000) and aggressive behaviour demonstrated by pre-teens. Multiple regression analysis showed that 39.4% of the variances in pre-teen physical aggression could be explained by both the playing of violent video games and the viewing of violent TV programmes, with the playing of violent video games as a stronger predictor of physical aggressive behaviour in pre-teens (ß=0.238, p=0.025)

Aggression among school children in Malaysia

This study aimed to investigate the level of aggression among primary school children in Malaysia. A total of 450 students aged 11 were randomly selected from nine schools in the Selangor State to participate in this study. Children Aggression Inventory (CAI) was administered to collect data from the respondents. The reliability of the CAI in this study was found to be high (α = 0.90). The data obtained were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to address the research objectives. Findings from this study showed that the aggression level demonstrated by school children was moderate (M = 2.18, SD = 0.392). The highest mean score for aggressive behaviour exhibited by the children is hostility (M = 1.88, SD= 0.37), followed by anger (M = 1.86, SD = 0.36), verbal aggression (M = 1.71, SD = 0.37), indirect aggression (M = 1.66, SD = 0.38), and physical aggression (M = 1.66, SD = 0.45). Results also indicated a significant difference between the boys and girls in the mean scores of physical aggression [t (443) = 6.034, p < 0.01] and anger [t (445.78) = -3.034, p < 0.01]. Boys were found to be more aggressive than girls in terms of physical aggression while girls were found to be more aggressive than boys in terms of anger

The 5'-3' exoribonuclease pacman is required for epithelial sheet sealing in Drosophila and genetically interacts with the phosphatase puckered

Background information. Ribonucleases have been well studied in yeast and bacteria, but their biological significance to developmental processes in multicellular organisms is not well understood. However, there is increasing evidence that specific timed transcript degradation is critical for regulation of many cellular processes, including translational repression, nonsense-mediated decay and RNA interference. The Drosophila gene pacman is highly homologous to the major yeast exoribonuclease XRN1 and is the only known cytoplasmic 5′–3′ exoribonuclease in eukaryotes. To determine the effects of this exoribonuclease in development we have constructed a number of mutations in pacman by P-element excision and characterized the resulting phenotypes. Results. Mutations in pacman resulted in flies with a number of specific phenotypes, such as low viability, dull wings, crooked legs, failure of correct dorsal/thorax closure and defects in wound healing. The epithelial sheet movement involved in dorsal/thorax closure is a conserved morphogenetic process which is similar to that of hind-brain closure in vertebrates and wound healing in humans. As the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) signalling pathway is known to be involved in dorsal/thorax closure and wound healing, we tested whether pacman affects JNK signalling. Our experiments demonstrate that pacman genetically interacts with puckered, a phosphatase that negatively regulates the JNK signalling pathway. Conclusions. These results reveal that the 5′–3′ exoribonuclease pacman is required for a critical aspect of epithelial sheet sealing in Drosophila. Since these mutations result in specific phenotypes, our data suggest that the exoribonuclease Pacman targets a specific subset of mRNAs involved in this process. One of these targets could be a member of the JNK signalling pathway, although it is possible that a parallel pathway may instead be affected. The exoribonuclease pacman is highly conserved in all eukaryotes, therefore it is likely that it is involved in similar morphological processes, such as wound healing in human cells

The Relationship between Emotional Quotient and the Acquisition of Basic Skill Among Primary School Children

Studies have shown that emotional intelligence is twice as important as IQ for outstanding performance (Wright, 2002). With that statement, the focus is now on children in schools where we educate them with one objective in mind: their success. In the past IQ had always been associated with success, so the question now is, can EQ make the difference? According to Goleman (1995), IQ alone is no more the measure of success; it only accounts for 20%, and the rest goes for emotional, social Intelligences and luck. Therefore it is the objective of this study to find out whether there is a relationship between EQ and children’s acquisition of basic skills. A total of 344 primary school children (Year 1 and Year 2) from Kuala Terengganu made up the respondents. They are from the academically weak classes. Out of this sample 3.8 % are those who could not read, write or do Arithmetic. Among these students, 3.2% had problems in Bahasa Melayu and 3.8% had problems in Arithmetic. The study utilized the descriptive correlational method. Data were collected using the EQ questionnaire, a modified version of Goleman EQ questionnaire and the reliability using the Cronbach Alpha is .81. The preliminary findings indicated that there is a positive correlation between EQ and basic skills acquisition (r =.47,pStudies have shown that emotional intelligence is twice as important as IQ for outstanding performance (Wright, 2002). With that statement, the focus is now on children in schools where we educate them with one objective in mind: their success. In the past IQ had always been associated with success, so the question now is, can EQ make the difference? According to Goleman (1995), IQ alone is no more the measure of success; it only accounts for 20%, and the rest goes for emotional, social Intelligences and luck. Therefore it is the objective of this study to find out whether there is a relationship between EQ and children’s acquisition of basic skills. A total of 344 primary school children (Year 1 and Year 2) from Kuala Terengganu made up the respondents. They are from the academically weak classes. Out of this sample 3.8 % are those who could not read, write or do Arithmetic. Among these students, 3.2% had problems in Bahasa Melayu and 3.8% had problems in Arithmetic. The study utilized the descriptive correlational method. Data were collected using the EQ questionnaire, a modified version of Goleman EQ questionnaire and the reliability using the Cronbach Alpha is .81. The preliminary findings indicated that there is a positive correlation between EQ and basic skills acquisition (r =.47,p