Exploring whistle-blowing intention among employees in Halal-certified food companies

Whistleblowing is one of the countermeasures proposed to reduce the vulnerability of the halal food supply chain. Despite the importance of whistleblowing as a monitoring mechanism, limited studies were conducted concerning whistleblowing intentions in the halal food sector. This research is proposed to fill the gap. The primary objective of this study is to learn the employees’ perspectives about whistle-blowing. The findings provide new knowledge and guidance on the framework model on the whistleblowing intentions among employees. This will serve well with the needs of the halal food industry players, agencies and companies and policymaker

Comprehensive analysis of flying altitude for high resolution slope mapping using UAV technology

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is one of the geoinformation data acquisition technologies that popularly used for slope mapping. UAV is capable to produce high resolution imageries in a short period. In order to obtained suitable results in slope mapping, specific UAV mapping factors have to be followed and the selection of the optimum Ground Control Point (GCP) and the UAV flying altitude become the most important factors. This paper presents the production of high resolution slope map using UAV technology. The research involved with the following steps, (i) preparation of field work (i.e. determination of the number of GCPs and flying altitude) and the flight mission; (ii) processing and evaluating of UAV images, and (iii) production of slope map. The research was successfully conducted at Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia as the condition of slope in that area is prone to the landslide incidences. A micro rotary wing UAV system known as DJI Phantom 4 was used for collecting the high resolution images with various flying altitudes. Due to the un-accessibility of the slope area, all the GCPs are measured from the point cloud data that was acquired from the Pheonix AL-32 LiDAR system. The analysis shows that the coordinates (X, Y and Z) accuracy is influenced by the flying altitude. As the flying altitude increases, the coordinate’s accuracy also increased. Furthermore, the results also show that the coverage slope area and number of tie point increases when the flying altitude increases. This practical study contributed to the slope work activities where the specific requirements for flying altitudes have been clearly stated

A study about terrestrial laser scanning for reconstruction of precast concrete to support QCLASSIC assessment

Nowadays, terrestrial laser scanning shows the potential to improve construction productivity by measuring the objects changes using real-time applications. This paper presents the process of implementation of an efficient framework for precast concrete using terrestrial laser scanning that enables contractors to acquire accurate data and support Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC). Leica Scanstation C10, black/white target, Autodesk Revit and Cyclone software were used in this study. The results were compared with the dimensional of based model precast concrete given by the company as a reference with the AutoDesk Revit model from the terrestrial laser scanning data and conventional method (measuring tape). To support QLASSIC, the tolerance dimensions of cast in-situ & precast elements is +10 mm /-5 mm. The results showed that the root mean square error for a Revit model is 2.972 mm while using measuring tape is 13.687 mm. The accuracy showed that terrestrial laser scanning has an advantage in construction jobs to support QLASSIC

Environmental Disclosure and Cost of Equity Capital of Public Listed Firms in Malaysia

Disclosure of environmental information in Malaysia is still at a minimal level due to no clear rules and regulations for sustainability reporting which lead to information asymmetry for investors. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between environmental disclosure and cost equity capital (COC) firms listed on Bursa Malaysia. The sample data were collected from the annual report and Eikon database. The regression result in this study showed environmental disclosure negative relationship with COC based on 171 firm observations in 2016. This study proved environmental disclosure reduces cost equity capital by reducing information asymmetry and firm risk. For control variables, firm size is a negative relationship with COC while leverage positive relationship with cost equity capital

Miniaturized 38ghz circular substrate integrated waveguide band pass filter using low temperature co-fired ceramic technology

This study presents design approach for realizing miniaturized Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) Band Pass Filter (BPF) using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) technology at TMRND’s LTCC Lab. Design method for the SIW BPF is based on the circular cavity structure with four pole Chebyshev and operating at center frequency of 38 GHz. This SIW BPF is an important part of the Remote Antenna Unit (RAU) transceiver for the Radio over Fiber (RoF) system. Two types of circular SIW BPF have been designed and investigated in term of performance and structure size which are planar SIW BPF and compact SIW BPF. Both SIW BPF were developed using LTCC Ferro A6M materials with dielectric constant of 5.8, loss tangent of 0.002 and metallization of gold. The insertion loss for planar SIW BPF and compact SIW BPF were measured at 6.2 dB and 6.3 dB, respectively. The passband return losses for both types of the SIW BPF were measured at more than 10 dB. The size of the compact SIW BPF is 6.94×6.94 mm2 meanwhile size for planar SIW BPF is 12.15×4.145 mm2. The size of the compact SIW BPF is reduced to nearly 10% compared to a planar SIW BPF structure

Clinical students’ reflections on the preclinical anatomy learning experience

Objectives: Anatomy is a fundamental pillar of medical knowledge that bridges basic medical science knowledge and clinical practice. However, integrated modern medical curricula have reduced the anatomy teaching content, and cadaveric dissection is no longer conducted. Medical graduates who lack anatomy knowledge are anticipated to be inadequately equipped for safe clinical practice. This study was aimed at exploring clinical year students’ experiences regarding their anatomy learning during the preclinical phase in Malaysian medical schools. The findings reflect how the students’ preclinical anatomy training prepared them for their clinical years of study. Methods: A qualitative phenomenology study using the focus group discussion method was conducted on 30 final-year students from four public universities. Four focus group discussion sessions were conducted, and students’ responses were transcribed and converted to electronic formats. The transcripts were analyzed thematically with ATLAS.ti software. Results: The first-cycle coding of the text analysis generated 157 open codes based on the phrases used by the participants. The subsequent coding cycle produced 16 axial codesdgroups of open codes with similar features. During the final coding cycle, the content and interrelations between the axial codes were categorized into six codes: (1) preclinical anatomy learning experience, (2) anatomy content and teaching, (3) anatomy-related competency, (4) the importance of anatomy knowledge in clinical practice, (5) the importance of early exposure to applied clinical anatomy, and (6) suggestions for future anatomy education. Conclusions: The six identified themes reflected students’ perceptions of their anatomy learning experience, the challenges that they faced during their preclinical years, and their opinions regarding the anatomy knowledge and skills that are functionally relevant during the clinical years. Their responses also echoed the need to improve anatomy teaching and learning, thereby emphasizing the importance of early clinical integration and applicatio

Evaluating mobile laser scanning for landslide monitoring

Landslide is one of the natural disasters that give a huge impact to human life and social-economic development. Landslide needs to be monitored periodically in order to avoid loss of human life and damages of properties. Various methods have been used for monitoring landslide. This aim of the research is to evaluate the potential of mobile laser scanning technique for monitoring of landslide area. The objectives of the research are to acquire three-dimensional surface data of landslide area in different epochs and to analyze the movement of the landslide area using three-dimensional surface deviation and ground surveying techniques. The methodology begins with the GPS survey for the establishment of ground control points for the project area. The total station survey was then carried out to measure the three-dimensional coordinates of twenty well distributed targets located at the project area. The data collection phase was then continuing with the mobile laser scanning survey. The processing of the two epochs data acquired from both techniques was then carried out simultaneously and the methodology concluded with the output comparison analysis for the movement detection of the land slip. The finding shows that the mobile laser scanning provides fast and accurate data acquisition technique of the landslide surface. The surface deviation analysis of the two epochs laser scanning data was capable to detect the movement occurred in the project area. The results were successfully evaluated using the changes of the three-dimensional coordinates of the targets from the two epoch’s ground surveying data

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

An optimized volume determination method based on aerial photogrammetry approach for sustainable environment

Beach erosion occurs continuously along the shoreline due to the interaction of natural processes. The beach volume aspect is critical to represent the entire profile of beach evolution. Most advanced survey techniques are costly, requiring arduous control survey setup effort to measure the beach volume. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems have recently attracted interest in the mapping community, which provides similar products to aircraft systems and comes with Structure from Motion Multi View Stereo (SfM-MVS) technology at a lower cost. The UAV photogrammetric beach volume mappings were mostly conducted by using nonoptimal methods such as low altitude mapping, bundle amount of Ground Control Points (GCPs) distribution, and uncalibrated Ground Sample Distance (GSD). Hence, this study aims to invent an optimized volume determination method accurately using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry mapping to minimize work time and perform less laborious beach mapping work for sustainable environment study through several objevtives, firstly, to investigate the camera calibrations, UAV altitudes, and GCPs distribution for optimized beach volume UAV mapping method, secondly, to modify the SfM-MVS photogrammetric volume formula for the development of accurate and optimized beach volume mapping method, and thirdly, to analyze the optimized beach volume mapping method produced. The study was conducted at Desaru Beach, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Irama Beach 1, and Irama Beach 2. Various GCP distributions (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 20 GCPs) and UAV mapping altitude differences at 10m, 20m, 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m, 80m, and 100m were studied. This study utilized robust statistical analysis to investigate the beach volume measurement trend and UAV mapping behaviour from various GCP distributions and different UAV altitude mapping. The study results indicated that 4GCP and 100m altitude UAV mapping were the optimal methods for measuring beach volume using UAV with minimal mapping work. Based on the modified photogrammetric volume calculation methods in determining the beach volume, it is evident that the beach volume value is significant. In conclusion, this study shows that the modified photogrammetric volume formula provides better accuracy than the existing volume formula

Camera calibration for unmanned aerial vehicle mapping

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can be used to acquire highly accurate data in deformation survey and low-cost digital cameras are commonly used in UAV mapping. Thus, camera calibration is considered important in high-accuracy UAV mapping using low-cost digital camera. The main focus of this study is to calibrate UAV camera at different camera distances and to assess the accuracy of the image mapping. The scope of this study includes camera calibration for short and long interval range and UAV image mapping accuracy assessment using calibration parameters of different camera distances. The camera distances for the image calibration acquisition and mapping accuracy assessment were 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 metres for the short interval range using the Sony F828 camera, and 1.4, 15, 25, and 55 metres for the long interval range using Sony NEX6. The study was conducted on a flat football field of about 2,500 square metres and in the 3D Measurement Laboratory, both located in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The large calibration field and a portable calibration frame were used as the tools for the camera calibration and for checking the mapping accuracy at different camera distances. Australis software was used to perform the camera calibration and image mapping processes. The results show that camera distance changes the camera calibration parameters, i.e. principal point (xp, yp), lens distortion (k1, k2, k3, p1, p2), and affinity (b1). From different camera distances in calibration process, only specific camera distance resulting the best highly accurate UAV mapping, which can achieve millimetre and sub-millimetre levels. In conclusion, camera calibration using UAV can be done at several distance intervals to choose the best camera parameters for highly accurate UAV mapping