FPGA-Assisted Assertion-Based Verification Platform

In this paper, field programmable gate array (FPGA)-assisted verification platform is devised to enhance the assertion-based verification methodology to address the issues of high demand of integrated circuit with the advanced features to be delivered to market within tight Time-To-Market. The concept of SystemVerilog Assertion (SVA) checker generator is introduced to translate non-synthesizable verification coding into hardware so-called assertion checker in Verilog. A lookup table, which comprises of SVA operators mapped to their corresponding synthesizable Verilog coding was developed to generate assertion checker, which produces a single bit 1 when the assertion fails. Collection module implemented using a memory block and an arbiter was devised to be simple and fast enough to collect assertion results from the assertion checker. Since assertion checker can produce assertion result at any time, an arbiter is required to act as an interface between assertion checker and collection module. Case studies have been conducted on the proof-of-concept designs, which are the firstin-first-out (FIFO), up-down counter and Context Adaptive Variable Length Coding (CAVLC) to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed FPGA-assisted verification platform. In the case studies, we have shown that the proposed FPGA-assisted verification platform works correctly. Besides, we also evaluated the method in area utilizations (ALMs). It has been proven that simulation-based verification time can be reduced for as much as 50% for complexity of VLSI design. Thus, implementing assertions using hardware such as FPGA becomes a solution to alleviate issue of long simulation time

Attitude towards ageing and perceived health status among the elderly in Malaysia / Noor’ain Mohamad Yunus ... [et al.]

There is an increasing number of older people globally, thus it is essential to build knowledge of how older people view their own ageing, considering their health related circumstances. However, limited attention has been given to attitude towards ageing, particularly in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between self-perception of ageing and perceived health status in adults aged 60 years and above. This study is primarily conducted via survey among the elderly patients who are 60 years old and above, who are using the services at public hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. The ‘Attitudes towards ageing’ questionnaire was used to measure participants’ perception of ageing, while perceived health status was measured using questions from the Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) developed by World Health Organization(WHO). All items in both questionnaires were measured on a 5-point Likert-scale. The findings reveal that positive attitudes to ageing were associated with health status in older adults. The research contributes to greater understanding of the attitudes among the elderly towards ageing and their perceived health status. Understanding these associations may help healthcare providers and policy makers consider strategies to enhance the quality of life of the elderly

Healthcare utilisation among elderly in Malaysia: The mediating role of health literacy

Background: The relationship between the socio-demographic characteristics of the older persons and healthcare utilisation is well established. However, the process underlying this relationship is poorly understood particularly in the Malaysian context. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April in 2016 to examine the mediating effect of health literacy on the relationship between age and healthcare utilisation. A total of 452 older persons were recruited from 14 public hospitals in Malaysia. Results: The average age of the respondents was 66.69 years old, with an age range between 60 to 105 years. The findings reveal that the relationship between age and healthcare utilisation was mediated by health literacy. Conclusion: The results help to improve the understanding of healthcare utilisation among the older persons in Malaysia, which is beneficial to the healthcare provider and policymakers

FPGA-Assisted assertion-based verification platform

In this paper, field programmable gate array (FPGA)-assisted verification platform is devised to enhance the assertion-based verification methodology to address the issues of high demand of integrated circuit with the advanced features to be delivered to market within tight Time-To-Market. The concept of SystemVerilog Assertion (SVA) checker generator is introduced to translate non-synthesizable verification coding into hardware so-called assertion checker in Verilog. A lookup table, which comprises of SVA operators mapped to their corresponding synthesizable Verilog coding was developed to generate assertion checker, which produces a single bit 1 when the assertion fails. Collection module implemented using a memory block and an arbiter was devised to be simple and fast enough to collect assertion results from the assertion checker. Since assertion checker can produce assertion result at any time, an arbiter is required to act as an interface between assertion checker and collection module. Case studies have been conducted on the proof-of-concept designs, which are the firstin-first-out (FIFO), up-down counter and Context Adaptive Variable Length Coding (CAVLC) to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed FPGA-assisted verification platform. In the case studies, we have shown that the proposed FPGA-assisted verification platform works correctly. Besides, we also evaluated the method in area utilizations (ALMs). It has been proven that simulation-based verification time can be reduced for as much as 50% for complexity of VLSI design. Thus, implementing assertions using hardware such as FPGA becomes a solution to alleviate issue of long simulation time

How comfortable are Malaysian users in utilizing webpages of small businesses?

Online transaction for business and individual purchases is now becoming routine works for the users worldwide due to the inception, development and rapid expansion of World Wide Web in last three decades. The internet era in Malaysia started during the year 1995 and since then dramatic changes have taken place in terms of internet facilities and customers’ perceptions. The main objective of the current study is to explore the challenges the Malaysian consumers face in terms of e-commerce experiences with small businesses in general and, in particular, to identify the ranks of bad experiences they encounter within the framework of descriptive statistics and multiple regressions based on a questionnaire approach. In addition, the study also looks into the potential impacts of demographic profiles of respondents on the e-commerce experiences in general and bad experiences in particular using one way ANOVA. The results suggest that e-commerce users face highest challenges with after purchase services followed by overall quality, usage experience, value, and installation. Regarding bad experiences, slow internet appears on the top of the list followed by slow delivery of the products, unfriendly website, poor quality products, complicated payment system, and unsecured operations. Although many previous studies of the last decade identified that security concern is the top barrier of e-commerce adoption, this study reveals that security issue is no longer serious issue for Malaysian customers. The demographic characteristics such as gender, race and income have significant impacts on the level of satisfaction perceived in the e-commerce transaction while regarding bad experiences the demographic profiles have little or no impacts. The results of this study provide insights to the policymakers and business practitioners to address the issues of after purchase services and slow internet

Attitudes to ageing and perceived health status among the elderly in Malaysia

With increasing number of the older people globally, it is essential to build knowledge of how older people view their own ageing, considering their health related circumstances. However, limited attention has been given to attitudes towards ageing particularly in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between self-perception of ageing and perceived health status in adults aged 60 years and above. This study is primarily conducted as a survey design among the elderly patients who are 60 years old and above who are using the services at public hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. The Attitudes towards ageing questionnaire was used to measure participants’ perception of ageing while perceived health status was measured using questions from Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) developed by World Health Organization (WHO). All items in both questionnaires were measured on a 5-point Likert-scale. The findings reveal that positive attitude to ageing were associated with health status in older adults. The research contributes to greater understanding of the attitudes of the elderly towards ageing and their perceived health status. Understanding these associations may help healthcare providers and policy makers consider strategies to enhance the quality of life of the elderly

Determinants of healthcare utilisation among the elderly in Malaysia

Population ageing is pervasive, a global phenomenon and has implications for society and the nation. Among them is demand for greater allocation of financial resources for healthcare services to cope with this demographic trend. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the determinants of utilisation of healthcare services among the elderly in Malaysia. A questionnaire survey was conducted among those aged 60 in 14 public hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. Findings revealed that age, education level, income level and need for care were associated with healthcare utilisation. Thus, this study contributed to a greater understanding of the determinants of healthcare utilisation among the elderly in Malaysia. Understanding these associations may help healthcare providers and policy makers design strategies to enhance the quality of healthcare services for the elderly

Individual characteristics and health literacy among the elderly in Malaysia

ABSTRACT Health literacy is a major lever to help individuals assume responsibility for their health. Past studies reported that the problem of health literacy is greatest among the elderly as they utilised more healthcare services and acquire more chronic illness compared to other age group. It is estimated that two-thirds of the elderly are unable to understand the information provided to them regarding the prescribed medication. Research on health literacy has taken place around the world, however research on health literacy among the elderly particularly in Malaysia is relatively small. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify individual factors that influence level of health literacy among the elderly in Malaysia as well as to fill the gap of information in this area. A positivist approach was used to explore the relationship between the variables. The study was primarily conducted via administered survey among 500 elderly outpatients who are 60 years old and above in public hospitals in Malaysia. The level of health literacy was measured using Health Literacy Management Scale (HeLMS), which measure knowledge where to access health and application to manage health. The results of the HeLMS are computed and the findings revealed that the respondents possess a high level of health literacy. The findings further revealed that age group, ethnicity, education and income level were associated with health literacy. As Malaysia is moving towards an ageing nation, the findings of this study will help the healthcare providers and policy makers in establishing provision of continuum care and services for elderly people

How comfortable are Malaysian users in utilizing webpages of small businesses?

The main objective of the current study is to explore the challenges the Malaysian consumers face in terms of e-commerce experiences with small businesses in general. In addition, the study looks into the potential impacts of demographic profiles of respondents on the e-commerce experiences in general and bad experiences in particular. The results suggest that e-commerce users face highest challenges with after purchase services followed by overall quality, usage experience, value, and installation. Regarding bad experiences, slow internet appears on the top of the list followed by slow delivery of the products, unfriendly website, poor quality products, complicated payment system, and unsecured operations. Also, this study reveals that security issue is no longer serious issue for Malaysian customers. The demographic characteristics have significant impacts on the level of satisfaction perceived in the e-commerce transaction while regarding bad experiences the demographic profiles have little or no impacts

Attitude towards ageing and perceived health status among the elderly in Malaysia

There is an increasing number of older people globally, thus it is essential to build knowledge of how older people view their own ageing, considering their health related circumstances. However, limited attention has been given to attitude towards ageing, particularly in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between selfperception of ageing and perceived health status in adults aged 60 years and above. This study is primarily conducted via survey among the elderly patients who are 60 years old and above, who are using the services at public hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. The ‘Attitudes towards ageing’ questionnaire was used to measure participants’ perception of ageing, while perceived health status was measured using questions from the Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) developed by World Health Organization(WHO). All items in both questionnaires were measured on a 5-point Likert-scale. The findings reveal that positive attitudes to ageing were associated with health status in older adults. The research contributes to greater understanding of the attitudes among the elderly towards ageing and their perceived health status. Understanding these associations may help healthcare providers and policy makers consider strategies to enhance the quality of life of the elderly