Business strategies implemented by Etiqa to promote their Takaful products / Munirah Ismail

Insurance is a risk transfer mechanism whereby the individual or the business enterprise can shift some of the uncertainties of life on the shoulder of the other. All the people will desire to live a cleaner, healthier, comfortable and easy life. To meet this requirement different enterprises produce and provide goods and services such as Takaful insurance. Takaful which is known as Islamic insurance is an insurance which based on Shari’ah compliance and being popular among the Muslim in Malaysia. On that causes, this study is to investigate the strategies that influence the sales performance of Takaful products at Etiqa. Then the related literature review was conducted to ensure the evidence in the case study is relevant with the company prospect. The case study analyze to identify either the business strategies can contribute to increase profit and produce best strategies to attract the customers. The interviews were conducted with the Etiqa Insurance and Takaful Berhad (Bandar Baru Klang Branch) and it shows that there is the business strategies used to increase the production of Takaful products

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership, Empowerment and Organizational Commitment: a Mediating Model Testing

The human resource development literature highlights that properly implemented transformational leadership style may have a significant impact on the organizational commitment. More importantly, a thorough review of such relationships reveals that the effect of transformational leadership on organizational commitment is indirectly affected by empowerment. The nature of this relationship is given less attention in the organizational leadership models; therefore, this study was conducted to examine the influence of empowerment in the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment using a sample of 118 usable questionnaires gathered from employees who have worked in one US subsidiary firm in Sarawak, Malaysia (ONEUSFIRM). Outcomes of Stepwise regression analysis showed that the relationship between empowerment and transformational leadership is positively and significantly correlated with the organizational commitment. This result confirms empowerment acts as a full mediating variable in the transformational leadership model of the organizational sample. Further, conclusion and implications of this study are elaborated.Transformational Leadership; Empowerment; Organizational Commitment

Rainfall-runoff modeling using HEC-HMS / Siti Munirah Ismail

The changes of natural hydrology characteristic due to the replacement of natural vegetation to a high percentage of impervious surfaces in the watershed will effect to the volume of runoff in receiving water. It is due to the increasing of surface runoff and flow velocities which will cause to decrease in flow travel time. This phenomenon has alleviate problems regarding the local runoff impacts on receiving water flow and lead to increase in flood peak. In Malaysia, flooding is one of the natural hazards that affect the communities and have caused damages worth of million every year. For more than thirty years, computer models have been used as an essential tool for flood analysis. This report depicts a hydrologic engineering study carried out at Sg. Junjung, Penang, Malaysia for rainfall runoff modelling using HEC-HMS. The Hydrologic Modeling System is designed to simulate the rainfall-runoff processes of dendritic watershed systems. HEC-HMS model was used to predict design flow for major system (ARI 50 and ARI 100 years). The data collected were used to develop flow rating curve and to derive historical and predicted flood hydrograph. The historical flood hydrograph for the 20^-21st October 2005 was used to calibrate with the predicted flood hydrograph (HEC- HMS model). The calibrated model was validated with historical flood hydrograph on storm event 15lh-17Ul July 2005. Hydrographs produced by this study can be used directly or in conjunction with other software for studies of water availability, urban drainage, flow forecasting, future urbanization impact, weir design, flood damage reduction, floodplain regulation, wetlands hydrology, and systems operation

Effects of Methyl Donor Nutrient Depletion on Gene Expression and DNA Methylation in Cervical Cancer Cell Line

Cervical cancer arises when high-risk strains of human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) become integrated into the host genome in cervical epithelial cells and loss of episomal expression of the viral transcriptional regulator gene E2 occurs. However, not all women who acquire HPV infection develop cervical cancer: about 60% of HPV infections are transient and resolve on their own due to innate and adaptive immunity, indicating other risk factors. Among other known factors, dietary methyl donor nutrients that influence the methyl donor cycle may also be important in determining cervical cancer risk. They are required for the maintenance of DNA methylation, modification of which is associated with cancer progression through dysregulation of gene expression. The aim of this study is to identify molecular mechanisms by which alterations in methyl donor nutrients availability affect cervical cancer risk and progression. A bioinformatics analysis was carried out to identify gene clusters susceptible to both methyl donor depletion and HPV integration using the DAVID, ClueGo and GeneMania software. The C4-II cervical cancer cell model of methyl donor depletion was used for this experimental study. Cells were grown for 8 days in complete medium, or medium depleted of folate, methionine or combined folate and methionine. The cell model was validated by measuring the intracellular folate, intracellular methionine and extracellular homocysteine concentrations. The STAT1, RSAD2, OAS1, IFIT1 and ISG15 genes expression were measured using RT-qPCR. A comprehensive DNA methylation profiling was performed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip, followed by methylation data analysis with the RnBeads and bioinformatics software. Additionally, the TNF-α and IL-1β cytokine production in THP-1 methyl donor depleted cells was measured using the Quantikine ELISA kit. Gene clusters associated with host defence mechanisms, cell cycle, cell death and cell signalling were highly enriched. Additionally, a cluster of genes involved in antiviral defence induced by the type I interferon (IFN) pathway appeared to be most affected by methyl donor nutrients availability. These genes (RSAD2, OAS1, IFIT1 and ISG15) were reported to be significantly upregulated with methionine or combined folate and methionine depletion; while STAT1 gene expression was downregulated in all depleted conditions. Folate deficiency did not cause significant alteration to the expression of these genes. TNF-α and IL-1β cytokine production was significantly reduced in all methyl donor depleted conditions. A majority of CpG sites were significantly hypomethylated in all conditions where methionine was deficient, while changes in folate depleted medium was not statistically significant. A high proportion of genes associated with host defence mechanisms, immune response as well as mitosis, cell differentiation, cell motility and angiogenesis were found to be hypomethylated. This study highlights the importance of methionine over folate as a methyl donor in the regulation of gene expression, and also the regulatory functions of both folate and methionine on IFN-stimulated gene expression associated with antiviral immunity in a cervical cancer cell line. By identifying changes that occur in methyl donor regulated genes, there is a potential diagnostic or therapeutic approach based on epigenetic changes occurring due to nutrient availability for those who are in the at-risk group

Web-based panorama view of UiTM (Terengganu) Dungun Campus rental facilities / Nur Munirah Ismail

The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by many different people with different meanings, from the entertainment applications to complex scientific data visualization includes tourism, training, and manufacturing sectors. VR applications are used widely to create the illusions of realistic environment for the users. This project applied non-immersive VR that are 360 degree and 180 degree of Panorama View within an Online Reservation System that was developed to ease of the people outside the UiTM (Terengganu) and also for student and staff of UiTM (Terengganu) in making reservation for rental facilities provided. Panorama View and Online Reservation System for ‘Bahagian Pengurusan Fasiliti’ (BPF) UiTM (Terengganu) was developed by adapting ADDIE model as a methodology to achieve project objective. To develop the system, web development tools and techniques were used. For database, mySQL was used, PHP for server-side and scripting language, and Wampserver as a mini server. Evaluation of the Web-Based Panorama View was done by thirty candidates includes students, staffs and people outside UiTM (Terengganu). The result shown that the candidates interested and satisfied with the Web-Based Panorama View

Rainfall- runoff modeling using hec-hms/ Siti Munirah Ismail

The changes of natural hydrology characteristic due to the replacement of natural vegetation to a high percentage of impervious surfaces in the watershed will effect to the volume of runoff in receiving water. It is due to the increasing of surface runoff and flow velocities which will cause to decrease in flow travel time. This phenomenon has alleviate problems regarding the local runoff impacts on receiving water flow and lead to increase in flood peak. In Malaysia, flooding is one of the natural hazards that affect the communities and have caused damages worth of million every year. For more than thirty years, computer models have been used as an essential tool for flood analysis. This report depicts a hydrologic engineering study carried out at Sg. Junjung, Penang, Malaysia for rainfall runoff modelling using HEC-HMS. The Hydrologic Modeling System is designed to simulate the rainfall-runoff processes of dendritic watershed systems. HEC-HMS model was used to predict design flow for major system (ARI 50 and ARI 100 years). The data collected were used to develop flow rating curve and to derive historical and predicted flood hydrograph. The historical flood hydrograph for the 20th -21st October 2005 was used to calibrate with the predicted flood hydrograph (HECHMS model). The calibrated model was validated with historical flood hydrograph on storm event 15th -17th July 2005. Hydrographs produced by this study can be used directly or in conjunction with other software for studies of water availability, urban drainage, flow forecasting, future urbanization impact, weir design, flood damage reduction, floodplain regulation, wetlands hydrology, and systems operation

Rainfall-runoff modeling using HEC-HMS / Siti Munirah Ismail

The changes of natural hydrology characteristic due to the replacement of natural vegetation to a high percentage of impervious surfaces in the watershed will effect to the volume of runoff in receiving water. It is due to the increasing of surface runoff and flow velocities which will cause to decrease in flow travel time. This phenomenon has alleviate problems regarding the local runoff impacts on receiving water flow and lead to increase in flood peak. In Malaysia, flooding is one of the natural hazards that affect the communities and have caused damages worth of million every year. For more than thirty years, computer models have been used as an essential tool for flood analysis. This report depicts a hydrologic engineering study carried out at Sg. Junjung, Penang, Malaysia for rainfall runoff modelling using HEC-HMS. The Hydrologic Modeling System is designed to simulate the rainfall-runoff processes of dendritic watershed systems. HEC-HMS model was used to predict design flow for major system (ARI 50 and ARI 100 years). The data collected were used to develop flow rating curve and to derive historical and predicted flood hydrograph. The historical flood hydrograph for the 20th-21st October 2005 was used to calibrate with the predicted flood hydrograph (HECHMS model). The calibrated model was validated with historical flood hydrograph on storm event 15th-17th July 2005. Hydrographs produced by this study can be used directly or in conjunction with other software for studies of water availability, urban drainage, flow forecasting, future urbanization impact, weir design, flood damage reduction, floodplain regulation, wetlands hydrology, and systems operation

An embedded 5(4) explicit Runge-Kutta-Nyström method with dissipation of high order

A new 5(4) embedded explicit Runge-Kutta-Nystrom (RKN) method with dissipation of high order is developed to solve integration of initial-value problems for second-order ordinary differential equations possessing oscillating solutions. The fifth order formula has dispersive order eight and dissipative order nine. The fourth-order embedded formula is obtained to control the local truncation errors. Numerical experiments indicate that the new method is more efficient than the existing embedded explicit RKN methods

A fifth order phase-fitted Runge-Kutta-Nyström method for periodic initial value problems

A new Runge-Kutta-Nyström (RKN) method with phase-lag of order infinity for solving second order periodic initial value problems possessing oscillating solutions is derived in this paper. The derivation of phase-fitted four stage explicit RKN method with algebraic order five is discussed. The numerical results show that the new method is much more efficient than the existing methods in the literature

Human-Oriented Leadership and Organizational Commitment in US Subsidiary Company Based in Sarawak

This article was conducted to examine the relationship between human-oriented leadership (HOL) and organizational commitment. A survey method was employed to obtain data from the employees of one US subsidiary companybased in Sarawak. Results of the Partial Least Squares (SmartPLS) model analysis confirmed that participative leadership, supportive leadership, and empowerment act as important antecedents of organizational commitment.These findings reveal that the capability of managers practicing HOL styles (supportive, participative, and empowerment) has enhanced employees' commitment to the organization