Transformational leadership style and job satisfaction relationship: A study of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)

The objective of the study was to empirically investigate the relationships between transformational leadership style proxied by charismatic or inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration with job satisfaction.100 respondents from an academic institution in Malaysia had voluntarily participated in the study.The data was analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS Amos software.The revised structural equation modeling (SEM) for relationship between transformational leadership style and job satisfaction passed goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests with near perfect results for absolute and incremental fit measures(chi square to degree of freedom 1.004; p-value 0.469; RMSEA0.006; and comparative fit index (CFI) 1.000).However, only two out of the three dimensions of leadership were having significant relationships with job satisfaction.Positive relationship existed between intellectual stimulation and job satisfaction, while individual consideration was negatively related.The result also revealed that leadership was an insignificant mediator in the relationships between charismatic, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration with job satisfaction

The Debt-Equity Ratio Choice: Risk Sharing Instruments, a Viable Alternative

Evidence has been documented in the literature that the interest based debt financing system is experiencing continuous discomfort. The outcome of the 2008 global financial crisis has further create fresh vigor to the assertion. Also, these authors have submitted that debt and leveraging are the two major causes of financial instability in the present system. This paper claims that the existence of the interest-based debt regime is becoming less acceptable, as excessive debt can affect the whole economic system, even in a developed country like United States. From an economic viewpoint, therefore, by banning interest rate-based contracts and decreeing exchange contracts, Islamic financeinspires risk sharing and prohibits risk transfer, risk shedding, and risk shifting. The paper proposes risk sharing based Islamic financing as a suitable alternative to the interest based debt financing. This study concludes that risk-sharing finance has several benefits, especially its potential to minimize, if not circumvent, the debt prompted financial crises that have beset the world.

Optimization of food waste utilization in the RDF recovery energy facility

It is well known that there is a significant increased in the quantity of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated every year. Therefore, the management of MSW must be handled carefully by experts. Malaysia as one of the developing country with population nearly 30 millions also facing problems related to MSW management and this issue is quite critical. Even though various programmes were established and few model technologies were introduced by the government to manage MSW effectively, but the impact remain unsatisfaction. For example, the energy facility recovery project which use MSW gathered around Kajang as an alternative fuel still not successful to provide energy according to the design capacity of that particular facility. This failure was observed due to the impact composition of MSW collected which consists huge amount of food waste (57%), 16% plastic, 15% diaper, 9% mixed papers and the remaining 3% textile. The existing process technology at Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) facility is no designed to create a new economic benefit from abundant incoming food waste to the facility. Therefore in this paper, the analysis and suggestion of technology on existing RDF recovery energy facility will be discussed especially on how to overcome the abundant composition of food waste

Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma (ACP) Treatment a New Technique to Improve Microstructure and Textural Properties of Healthy Noodles Fortified with Mango Flour

The effect of atmospheric pressure cold plasma (ACP) on microstructural, textural and sensory properties of healthy noodles fortified with mango flour was studied. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma was carried out using helium gas with a flow rate of 1000 ml/min at room temperature. The electrodes were powered by a direct current (DC) power supply voltage of 16.6 kV wrapped around the quartz glass tube to develop plasma plume. SEM for microstructural observation was done to study the changes in surface morphology of plasma treated noodles. It was observed that after the plasma treatment the gluten and fiber content on the noodles surface more coherent and smoother between gluten network and starch granules than the control with respect to plasma power and time of treatment. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma treatment maintained the hardness, springiness and gumminess of control noodles without mango flour (CNT) and noodles fortified with mango flour (NMFT) significantly (P<0.05) compared to untreated control noodles (CN) and untreated mango flour fortified noodles (NMF). The results suggest that ACP is an effective technique for enhancing the gluten strength and improving the qualities of noodles fortified with mango flour

The trend analysis of Islamization in Malaysia using Islamization index as indicator

This paper empirically analyses the trend of Islamization in Malaysia using the Islamization Index as an indicator to determine whether the time series dataset of the Islamization index possess deterministic trends or stochastic properties.The result determines the appropriateness of the employment of the Islamization index as a proxy of Islam in the empirical study of Islam and economic performance such as economic growth and development, and not as a spurious relation as in the case of the non-stationary stochastic trend

The Potential Use of Probiotics for Sustainable Aquaculture of Mud Crab, Scylla SP.

The mud crab (Scylla) is a commercially important crustacean, as there is a large demand in many Southeast Asian countries. Currently, one of the main bottlenecks to the expansion of Scylla aquaculture is the inconsistent and low production of hatchery juveniles. One major challenge to overcome at the hatchery level is disease issues caused by bacteria. The use of probiotics to outcompete pathogenic bacteria is being tested in the industry as a better disease prevention method in Scylla aquaculture compared to antibiotics, and is getting more recognition in aquaculture to reduce bacterial issues. The current review discusses mudcrab farming activities in Malaysia and the scope for using probiotics in Scylla aquaculture, as this is a potential way to increase survival rates in a long term sustainable way

Alternative railway tools and sustainability in RAMS: A review

RAMS is a tool and methodology that combines reliability engineering, availability, maintainability, and safety in a way that is tailored to the system’s goals. A comprehensive view on RAMS’s components and theory behind the underlying mathematical model is not to be found in journal publication. This paper would also discuss several benefits and sustainability of RAMS. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) would also being introduce as a complementary discipline in term of costing that normally regarded parallel to RAMS. There are a series of methods that being utilized at every discipline of the RAMS component such as Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Mode Effect Critical Analysis (FMECA), Reliability Block Diagram and many more. Some commonly used methods would be highlighted in this paper. RAMS application and implementation will aid asset owners, contractors, and operators in efficiently procuring, developing, and operating their assets. However, further research and analysis is needed in the railway industry to build a viable framework for project and operation implementation using both tools

Optimal allocation and sizing of multi DG units including different load model using evolutionary programming

This paper presents the optimal allocation and sizing of multi distributed generation (DG) units including different load models using evolutionary programming (EP) in solving power system optimization problem. This paper also studies on the effect of multi DG placement in different load model. To optimize the power distribution system, multi DG units were used to reduce losses power distribution system. By using EP, the optimal allocation and sizing of multi-DG was determined in order to obtain maximum benefits from its installation. The propose technique was tested into IEEE 69-bus distribution system. The result shows the placement of DG can reduce power loss 89% to 98%. The placement of multi-DG unit has better performance compare to single DG

Gasification characteristics and kinetics of lipid-extracted Nannochloropsis gaditana

A thermal behavior study of lipid-extracted Nannochloropsis gaditana (LEA) was performed in a thermogravimetric analyzer. The study was performed by heating the sample under different heating rates (5, 10, and 15 °C/min) from room temperature to 1000 °C using N2 gas as the medium. This is crucial for thermal stability studies in a kinetic control regime. The following three stages of chemical decompositions were found: (1) moisture removal (2) devolatilization (3) fixed carbon decomposition; maximum decomposition was observed at the second stage. Activation energies of the LEA were studied using the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa model and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose model. Main sample decomposition was observed from 100–700 °C during volatile matter evaporation. The thermal behavior study findings were used for the gasification of the sample with air to study the effect of varying reaction parameters on the compositions of the synthesis gas yield. Maximum H2 yield was found at 700 °C and 0.7 g, which were 51.2 mol% and 50.6 mol%, respectively. From the study, it was found that LEA is suitable to be used as feedstock in gasification for synthesis gas production