Effects of covid-19 on the cost of construction enterprises: Case of China

Covid-19 epidemic has caused huge losses to the world economy, and its development speed and impact have far exceeded expectations. The outbreak of the epidemic is mainly concentrated in densely populated areas such as urban centers. Construction enterprises are labor-intensive enterprises, and the risk of increased costs is inevitable. This paper takes Chinese construction enterprises as an example, based on the survey report issued by the China Construction Industry Association on the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on construction enterprises, analyzes the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on the cost of construction enterprises, and provide relevant suggestions for how to deal with the risks of increased costs for construction enterprises

The effects of household characteristics on the acquisition of life insurance: the case of Sabah

Life insurance policies can be an element of a retirement plan to ensure financial stability after a person retires. However to date, most research conducted from the perspectives of the Malaysian market are focused only on the effect of economic variables rather than any other explanatory factors especially the non-economic variables towards the acquisition of life insurance by household in this country (Ahmad, Lim & Abdul Jamal, 2011; Redzuan, Abdul Rahman & S.H. Aidid, 2009; Ahmad & Yaakob, 2005). In line to address the gap, this research is expected to address the following objectives that are to examine the influence of socioeconomic variables, financial status, savings attitudes and the type of life insurance towards the acquistion of life insurance by households in the state of Sabah. The analytical approach is based on the model by Ferber and Lee (1980) and the Consumer Expenditure Surveys (2011) whereby a multiple regression function of a linear model is constructed to test the effects of the independent variables consisted of non-economic factors on the life insurance acquisition. This research suggests that the acquisition is contributed by the occupation, level of education, ownership of house and/or credit card and budget attitude. Also, two other independent variables namely the Financial Status and the Type of Life Insurance seem influential in affecting the life insurance acquisition. Overall, the results from this study seem to conform to those expected of rational insurance consumers

Key Attributes of Graduate Interim’s Capabilities For successful Transfer Knowledge: a Structural Equation Modelling Using Partial Least Squares

A spirit of collaborative partnership amongst universities, industries, and communities is a prerequisite for a success of knowledge transfer program initiatives. The effort provides a platform for exchange of ideas either tangible or intangible, expertise, explicit or implicit knowledge and skills amongst parties involved. Companies are now beginning to recognize the fundamental value of knowledge transfer mechanism on how it is acquired, used and shared which contribute to their core competencies and in making sound strategic decisions to maintain the competitive advantage in today’s business environment. As to promote the ideas of knowledge transfer, the Ministry of Education (MOE) Malaysia has underlined the graduate intern’s capability as one of the areas under the critical agenda which need to be addressed in portraying the success of the knowledge transfer programme (KTP). Therefore, in order to obtain deeper insights of the issue, this project attempts to examine the contribution of graduate intern capabilities towards the success of KTP project in Malaysia. This study has employed a questionnaire that has been distributed to academics in the public universities in Malaysia who have obtained KTP grants from the government. The study has revealed that graduate interns’ capabilities contribute significantly to the implementation of knowledge transfer projects. Thus, higher education institutions must then address and review its present teaching and learning delivery to enhance students’ capabilities in dealing with the industry as well as with community

Unveiling the practices and challenges of professional learning community in a Malaysia Chinese School

Professional learning community (PLC) studies in the Asian Chinese nations remain scarce despite the emerging interest in the practice of PLC beyond the Western context. This study attempts to provide an understanding of the practices of PLC and challenges in implementing PLC in a Malaysian Chinese culture–dominated secondary school. This qualitative study used a phenomenological constructivist approach as a strategy of inquiry. Semi-structured interview data were collected from six middle leaders and ordinary teachers in a national-type Chinese secondary school in the northern region. Findings informed three existing PLC practices at the school level, namely, (a) peer coaching, (b) sharing of personal practices, and (c) professional development courses. However, the practice of PLC encounters various challenges, including excessive workload, teachers’ passive attitudes, unsupportive conditions in the school, poor execution of PLC by the school community, and a vague understanding of PLC. Interestingly, this study identified two uncovered challenges hindering the development of PLC: misconception about PLC and lack of supervision from the authority. Implications and future studies are presented

Tardive dyskinesia in Asia— current clinical practice and the role of neurologists in the care pathway

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that can arise as a side effect of treatment with dopamine receptor-blocking agents (DRBAs), including antipsychotic drugs (APDs) used to manage psychotic illnesses. Second-generation APDs (SGAs) are often preferred to first-generation drugs due to their lower propensity to cause TD, however many SGAs-treated patients still develop the condition. Although TD is a global health concern, evidence regarding the occurrence of TD and how it is managed in Asian countries is currently limited. This article reports the results of a systematic review of the published literature on TD focusing on its prevalence, types of patients, knowledge of the condition, causative factors, and usual treatment pathways in clinical practice in Asian countries. Epidemiological data suggest that the prevalence of TD is increasing globally due to an overall rise in APD use, contributing factors being polypharmacy with multiple APDs, the use of higher than necessary doses, and off-label use for non-psychotic indications. Although exact prevalence figures for TD in Asian countries are difficult to define, there is a similar pattern of rising APD use which will result in increasing numbers of TD patients in this region. These issues need to be addressed and strategies developed to minimize TD risk and manage this disabling condition which impacts patients' quality of life and daily functioning. To date, both research into TD has been predominantly psychiatry focused and the perspectives from neurologists regarding the clinical management of this challenging condition are scarce. However, neurologists have an essential role in managing the movement disorders manifestations that characterize TD. Optimum management of TD, therefore, should ideally involve collaboration between psychiatrists and neurologists in joint care pathways, wherever practical. Collaborative pathways are proposed in this article, and the challenges that will need to be addressed in Asian countries to improve the care of people with TD are highlighted, with a focus on the neurologist's viewpoint and the implications for the management of TD globally

Unveiling the Practices and Challenges of Professional Learning Community in a Malaysian Chinese Secondary School

Professional learning community (PLC) studies in the Asian Chinese nations remain scarce despite the emerging interest in the practice of PLC beyond the Western context. This study attempts to provide an understanding of the practices of PLC and challenges in implementing PLC in a Malaysian Chinese culture– dominated secondary school. This qualitative study used a phenomenological constructivist approach as a strategy of inquiry. Semi-structured interview data were collected from six middle leaders and ordinary teachers in a national-type Chinese secondary school in the northern region. Findings informed three existing PLC practices at the school level, namely, (a) peer coaching, (b) sharing of personal practices, and (c) professional development courses. However, the practice of PLC encounters various challenges, including excessive workload, teachers’ passive attitudes, unsupportive conditions in the school, poor execution of PLC by the school community, and a vague understanding of PLC. Interestingly, this study identified two uncovered challenges hindering the development of PLC: misconception about PLC and lack of supervision from the authority. Implications and future studies are presented

Unveiling the practices and challenges of professional learning community in a Malaysian Chinese Secondary School

Professional learning community (PLC) studies in the Asian Chinese nations remain scarce despite the emerging interest in the practice of PLC beyond the Western context. This study attempts to provide an understanding of the practices of PLC and challenges in implementing PLC in a Malaysian Chinese culture–dominated secondary school. This qualitative study used a phenomenological constructivist approach as a strategy of inquiry. Semi-structured interview data were collected from six middle leaders and ordinary teachers in a national-type Chinese secondary school in the northern region. Findings informed three existing PLC practices at the school level, namely, (a) peer coaching, (b) sharing of personal practices, and (c) professional development courses. However, the practice of PLC encounters various challenges, including excessive workload, teachers’ passive attitudes, unsupportive conditions in the school, poor execution of PLC by the school community, and a vague understanding of PLC. Interestingly, this study identified two uncovered challenges hindering the development of PLC: misconception about PLC and lack of supervision from the authority. Implications and future studies are presented

Combining Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction, Mechanistic Modeling, and Machine Learning for In Situ Subsurface Temperature Quantification during Laser Melting

Laser melting, such as that encountered during additive manufacturing (AM), produces extreme gradients of temperature in both space and time, which in turn influence microstructural development in the material. Qualification and model validation of the process itself and resulting material produced necessitates the ability to characterize these temperature fields. However, well-established means to directly probe material temperature below the surface of an alloy while it is being processed are limited. To address this gap in characterization capabilities, we present a novel means to extract subsurface temperature distribution metrics, with uncertainty, from in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements to provide quantitative temperature evolution during laser melting. Temperature distribution metrics are determined using Gaussian Process Regression supervised machine learning surrogate models trained with a combination of mechanistic modeling (heat transfer and fluid flow) and X-ray diffraction simulation. Trained surrogate model uncertainties are found to range from 5% to 15% depending on the metric and current temperature. The surrogate models are then applied to experimental data to extract temperature metrics from an Inconel 625 nickel superalloy wall specimen during laser melting. Maximum temperatures of the solid phase in the diffraction volume through melting and cooling are found to reach the solidus temperature as expected, with mean and minimum temperatures found to be several hundred degrees less. The extracted temperature metrics near melting are determined to be more accurate due to the lower relative levels of mechanical elastic strains. However, uncertainties for temperature metrics during cooling are increased due to the effects of thermomechanical stress

The role of financial literacy and individual's behavioural belief in predicting retirement savings in Malaysia

This paper investigates on how different level of financial literacy interacts with retirement savings in Malaysia. Alongside, the study adds mediating variable of individual behavioural beliefs, which focuses on public and private employees’ intention to accumulate regular savings for an old-age provision. The significant factors have found between advanced financial literacy and retirement savings, with the mediating effect of behavioural beliefs for that association. However, basic literacy has no sufficient impact, so does the mediating effect to support the outcome variable. Several implications have emerged: government and stakeholder’s involvements in intensifying financial educational programmes exclusively for advanced capital markets and strategic investment, offering more alternative retirement savings and investments portfolio with a higher potential growth of product, and by constantly promoting individual’s salient beliefs notably for those with an advanced literacy and propensity to save and invest for retirement adequacy