Moderating effect of innovation on human capital and small firm performance in construction industry: the Malaysia case

This study evaluate the importance of human capital on the performance of small firms in the construction sector in developing countries. Primary data was obtained from 255 small contractors in the construction sector in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. Analysis of the study was carried out through descriptive and multiple regression methods. The results show that 2 elements of human capital namely business experience and level of education have significant positive correlation with the performance of small firms in the construction sector, while training elements do not due to small-contractors’ low preference towards training programs. This study proves that human capital and innovation are important for the small firm performance in the construction industry. The findings are consistent with the Theory of Human Capital and Theory of Economic Development in the context of Western countries.Keywords: human capital; innovation; small contractors; housing construction industry; small firm performance; entrepreneurshi

Pemphigus foliaceus in a patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumor treated with adjuvant imatinib mesylate

Pemphigus is an autoimmune bullous disease with a number of described associations, including medications, which have been grouped into three structural categories - thiol drugs, phenol drugs, and drugs with neither functional group [1]. Discontinuation of the offending medication is considered a mainstay of therapy. We report a patient in whom the onset of pemphigus foliaceus was associated with initiation of imatinib mesylate adjuvant therapy in a patient with resected gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Imatinib was continued because of the survival benefit to the patient with a resected, high risk GIST. Treatment with rituximab resulted in near resolution of his blistering rash and follow up enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated reference range immunoreactivity for both desmoglein 1 and desmoglein 3. After dose increase of imatinib therapy owing to tumor growth, the patient subsequently again developed a similar eruption. Re-biopsy and ELISA were consistent with recurrence of pemphigus. In conclusion, although the patient's pemphigus was cleared with a single cycle of rituximab infusions while continuing imatinib therapy, the disease returned after imatinib dose was increased a year later, suggesting a dose-response relationship

Ciri-ciri dan faktor kemiskinan digital yang di hadapi peniaga luar bandar di kawasan Sipitang

Perubahan landskap ekonomi yang mulai beradaptasi dengan perniagaan atas talian berikutan penutupan pasar tamu dalam tempoh Perlaksanaan Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) telah menimbul isu kemiskinan digital terutamanya kepada golongan peniaga di luar bandar. Walaupun perniagaan atas talian menjadi alternatif untuk menjana pendapatan semasa tempoh PKP, namun penurunan penggunaan Internet luar bandar dari tahun 2014 sehingga 2020 menggambarkan golongan ini tidak mampu beradaptasi dengan perubahan landskap ekonomi. Ia secara tidak langsung memberi impak kepada peniaga luar bandar berikutan penutupan pasar tamu sehingga menyebabkan penjanaan pendapatan mereka terhenti dan turut berhadapan dengan masalah kemiskinan digital. Hasil temu bual beberapa orang informan mendapati peniaga luar bandar berhadapan dengan ciri-ciri kemiskinan yang mana mereka mengalami kesukaran untuk menggunakan teknologi sebagai platform berniaga walaupun mereka mempunyai akses Internet akan tetapi penggunaannya masih secara pasif. Terdapat dua faktor yang menjadi penghalang kepada peniaga luar bandar untuk menyertai perniagaan atas talian iaitu faktor kekurangan pengetahuan dan kemahiran dalam menggunakan teknologi. Ini berikutan kursus berkaitan teknologi jarang diadakan kawasan Sipitang. Faktor seterusnya ialah jurang generasi dan sukar menerima perubahan, golongan ini berpendapat bahawa kemahiran teknologi hanya perlu dipelajari oleh golongan muda dan lebih selesa berniaga di pasar tamu menyebabkan mereka sukar beradaptasi dengan teknologi dan berniaga atas talian

Factors Affecting the Role of Human Resource Department in Private Healthcare Sector in Pakistan: A Case Study of Rehman Medical Institute (RMI)

Abstrac

Kemiskinan digital dalam kalangan peniaga di kawasan luar bandar: suatu kajian kes di Kota Belud dan Kudat Sabah

Pandemik COVID-19 yang menular di Malaysia secara tidak langsung telah mempercepatkan penggunaan teknologi digital dalam kalangan peniaga sekitar luar bandar Sabah. Pelaksanaan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) telah menyebabkan peniaga wajib mematuhi arahan kerajaan dengan menutup premis jualan mereka. Perkara ini telah menyebabkan peniaga mengalami kerugian dan perlu mencari alternatif bagi meneruskan perniagaan dan memastikan penjanaan pendapatan secara berterusan. Pada masa kini, peranan teknologi digital bukan sahaja mampu mentransformasikan peniaga luar bandar malah mampu membantu peniaga untuk terus bertahan dalam perniagaan. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengenal pasti kemiskinan digital yang berlaku dalam kalangan peniaga luar bandar dan menjelaskan halangan yang dihadapi oleh peniaga luar bandar dalam berhadapan isu kemiskinan digital di kawasan Kota Belud dan Kudat, Sabah. Kajian ini telah menemu bual sebanyak enam (6) orang peniaga di sekitar kawasan Kota Belud dan Kudat, Sabah dengan menggunakan kaedah temu bual secara mendalam. Hasil kajian mendapati peniaga luar bandar berhadapan dengan isu kemiskinan dalam kategori kaya digital dan terhubung, ini kerana kesemua informan tidak mempunyai masalah untuk menggunakan teknologi Internet untuk bersosial, mencari informasi terkini, malah ada dalam kalangan mereka yang kerap melakukan transaksi jual-beli atas talian. Namun walaupun semasa PKP para peniaga mengalami kerugian yang sangat besar, tidak banyak daripada kalangan mereka mencuba untuk mengubah landskap perniagaan mereka daripada berniaga secara tradisional kepada atas talian, sedangkan pihak kerajaan memberi banyak bantuan untuk menggalakkan peniaga memasuki perniagaan digital

Kemiskinan digital dalam kalangan peniaga di kawasan luar bandar: suatu kajian kes di Kota Belud dan Kudat Sabah

Pandemik COVID-19 yang menular di Malaysia secara tidak langsung telah mempercepatkan penggunaan teknologi digital dalam kalangan peniaga sekitar luar bandar Sabah. Pelaksanaan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) telah menyebabkan peniaga wajib mematuhi arahan kerajaan dengan menutup premis jualan mereka. Perkara ini telah menyebabkan peniaga mengalami kerugian dan perlu mencari alternatif bagi meneruskan perniagaan dan memastikan penjanaan pendapatan secara berterusan. Pada masa kini, peranan teknologi digital bukan sahaja mampu mentransformasikan peniaga luar bandar malah mampu membantu peniaga untuk terus bertahan dalam perniagaan. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengenal pasti kemiskinan digital yang berlaku dalam kalangan peniaga luar bandar dan menjelaskan halangan yang dihadapi oleh peniaga luar bandar dalam berhadapan isu kemiskinan digital di kawasan Kota Belud dan Kudat, Sabah. Kajian ini telah menemu bual sebanyak enam (6) orang peniaga di sekitar kawasan Kota Belud dan Kudat, Sabah dengan menggunakan kaedah temu bual secara mendalam. Hasil kajian mendapati peniaga luar bandar berhadapan dengan isu kemiskinan dalam kategori kaya digital dan terhubung, ini kerana kesemua informan tidak mempunyai masalah untuk menggunakan teknologi Internet untuk bersosial, mencari informasi terkini, malah ada dalam kalangan mereka yang kerap melakukan transaksi jual-beli atas talian. Namun walaupun semasa PKP para peniaga mengalami kerugian yang sangat besar, tidak banyak daripada kalangan mereka mencuba untuk mengubah landskap perniagaan mereka daripada berniaga secara tradisional kepada atas talian, sedangkan pihak kerajaan memberi banyak bantuan untuk menggalakkan peniaga memasuki perniagaan digital

Detection of the Natural Alpha Decay of Tungsten

The natural alpha decay of 180W has been unambiguously detected for the first time. The alpha peak is found in a (gamma,beta and neutron)-free background spectrum. This has been achieved by the simultaneous measurement of phonon and light signals with the CRESST cryogenic detectors. A half-life of T1/2 = (1.8 +- 0.2) x 10^18 y and an energy release of Q = (2516.4 +- 1.1 (stat.) +- 1.2 (sys.)) keV have been measured. New limits are also set on the half-lives of the other naturally occurring tungsten isotopes.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review C Revised versio

The Fine-structure Constant as a Probe of Chemical Evolution and AGB Nucleosynthesis in Damped Lyman-alpha Systems

Evidence from a large sample of quasar absorption-line spectra in damped Lyman-alpha systems has suggested a possible time variation of the fine structure constant alpha. The most statistically significant portion of this sample involves the comparison of Mg and Fe wavelength shifts using the many-multiplet (MM) method. However, the sensitivity of this method to the abundance of heavy isotopes, especially Mg, is enough to imitate an apparent variation in alpha in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 1.8. We implement recent yields of intermediate mass (IM) stars into a chemical evolution model and show that the ensuing isotope distribution of Mg can account for the observed variation in alpha provided the early IMF was particularly rich in intermediate mass stars (or the heavy Mg isotope yields from AGB stars are even higher than in present-day models). As such, these observations of quasar absorption spectra can be used to probe the nucleosynthetic history of low-metallicity damped Lyman-alpha systems in the redshift range 0.5 < z < 1.8. This analysis, in conjunction with other abundance measurements of low-metallicity systems, reinforces the mounting evidence that star formation at low metallicities may have been strongly influenced by a population of IM stars. Such IM stars have a significant influence on other abundances, particularly nitrogen. We constrain our models with independent measurements of N, Si, and Fe in damped Lyman-alpha systems as well as C/O in low-metallicity stars. In this way, we obtain consistent model parameters for this chemical-evolution interpretation of the MM method results.Comment: 38 pages, latex, 25 ps figures, as accepted in Ap

Immediate and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on physical activity in patients with implanted cardiac devices

Background: Physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of cardiovascular health that may be affected the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we examined the immediate and long-term effects of the pandemic and lockdown on PA in patients with established cardiovascular risk. Methods: Objectively-measured daily PA data was obtained from cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) from 3453 U.S patients (mean and standard deviations [SD] age, 72.65 [13.24] years; 42% women). Adjusted mixed-effects models stratified by device type were used to compare daily PA from periods in 2020: pre-lockdown (March 1–14), lockdown (March 15 to May 8), and the reopening phase of the pandemic (May 9 to December 31) versus 2019. Patient characteristics and events associated with inactivity during lockdown and the proportion of patients who returned to their 2019 PA-level by the end of reopening phase (December 31, 2020) were examined. Results: Daily PA was significantly lower during the lockdown compared to the same period in 2019 (−15%; p <.0001), especially for pacemaker patients, adults aged <65, and patients more active prior to lockdown. Non-COVID hospitalization and ICD shock were similarly associated with low PA during lockdown (p =.0001). In the reopening phase of the pandemic, PA remained 14.4% lower in the overall sample and only 23% of patients returned to their 2019 PA level by the end of follow-up. Conclusions: In this large cohort of patients with CIEDs, PA was markedly lower during the lockdown and remained lower for months after restrictions were lifted. Strategies to maintain PA during a national emergency are urgently needed