Vocational Colleges Curricula: A Comparative Study between Malaysia and Nigeria

The aims of Vocational Colleges (VCs) are to give training and impart necessary skills leading to the production of craftsmen who will be enterprising and self-reliant. Many developing countries face the problem of unemployment among graduates; this may not be far from curricula modules mismatching job requirements. The scenario of low participation of private sector in skills development of graduates exists in Nigeria as a result of which the needs of local industries is not met. The objective of this paper is to compare the curriculum framework, courses/subjects-matter, aims, modes of transaction, and evaluation strategies in VCs in Malaysia and Nigeria. The methodology used in this study involved gathering previous studies on comparative analysis in education through Google Scholar, Science Direct, and JSTOR. Related Procedia were also retrieved from Elsevier. Literatures show that students have to adapt with 21st century knowledge, skills, innovative practice and competence as key points to job creation and wealth generation. The findings of this paper show that the curriculum structures in VCs in Malaysia are more updated than in Nigeria. However, curricula in VCs in Malaysia and Nigeria still need some improvements in entrepreneurship skills. This is necessary for effective transmission of knowledge and skills from school to work environment in the 21st century

Mechanical and thermal properties of tapioca starch films plasticized with glycerol and sorbitol

Recently, the use of natural polymer such as starch to produce packaging film has received much attention as a substitute for conventional petroleum-based packaging film since starch is biodegradable and sustainable. However, the poor characteristic of starch such as high brittleness will limit the application of the film. This problem can be solved by adding plasticizers. In this work, the effects of different types of plasticizers (glycerol, sorbitol and 1:1 mixture of glycerol-sorbitol) on mechanical and thermal properties of tapioca starch films prepared by solvent casting method were investigated. The films were characterized in term of mechanical (tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), Young Modulus (YM) and thermal properties (thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA)). Film plasticized with sorbitol exhibited higher TS and YM but lower EAB value which contributed to higher thermal stability than glycerol-plasticized film. This was due to the strong interactions between the polymer chains resulting from the high molecular weight of sorbitol. Hence, films became more rigid and thus promoted to a greater thermal resistance

Occupational Stress among Academicians between Two Selected Universities in Malaysia and Indonesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study

Occupational stress has become a major concern for both employees and employers globally. Stress leads to a loss of interest among workers as well as unproductive and valueless outputs if not managed well. The education sector is one work setting dominated by stress. This comparative cross-sectional study aimed to determine the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among academicians as well as their work-related stressors and coping strategies between a selected public university in Malaysia and a private university in Indonesia. A total of 82 academicians from universities in Malaysia and 52 from Indonesia were recruited using convenience sampling. Data was collected using a validated self-reported questionnaire via Google Forms. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among Malaysian academicians was 19.5%, 29.5%, and 12.2%, respectively. In contrast, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among Indonesian academicians was 15.7%, 33.3%, and 9.8%. Career development, research, teaching, and interpersonal relationships significantly contributed to stress at both universities (p-value<0.05). Participants from both universities reported using active coping, planning, venting, self-distraction, positive reframing, acceptance, and religion as coping strategies. In conclusion, determining depression, anxiety, and stress prevalence; major work-related stressors; and coping strategies are essential to maintaining the safety, health, and well-being of academicians, which eventually can encourage university administrators to provide support in enhancing their quality of life

Characterization of jackfruit straw-based films: effect of starch and plasticizer contents

Jackfruit straws are normally disposed as waste by food industries and vendors which may lead to serious environmental issue. In order to reduce the wastage and negative effects to the environment, jackfruit straw waste generated by jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) shows potential as bio-based film incorporated with starch. This work describes the effect of different starch and plasticizer contents on mechanical and thermal properties of jackfruit straw powder (JSP)/starch films. Film-forming solutions were prepared and cast by mixing JSP with tapioca starch at different ratios and for the plasticized films, ca. 15 - 40% of plasticizers including sorbitol and glycerol were incorporated into the JSP/starch films respectively. The tensile strength and modulus of JSP/starch films pronouncedly increased with increasing starch content, accompanied with a slight decreasing in the elongation at break. The result demonstrated that starch interacted with JSP, resulting in the formation of a new network to improve the properties of JSP films. FTIR spectrum analyses demonstrated the presence of hydrogen bonding in the JSP/starch film. The tensile strength of the plasticized JSP/starch films decreased with increasing sorbitol and glycerol content from 15% to 40%. However, the plasticizing effect of sorbitol became more significant than glycerol, particularly on the tensile properties and thermal stability. Thermal analysis by thermogravimetric showed an increment in the decomposition temperature with the addition of plasticizers into JSP/starch films. The results suggest that films containing JSP and starch have the potential for the development of edible food packaging materials

Keperluan pembinaan struktur kurikulum kursus penghasilan dan pengkomersilan makanan

Malaysia mempunyai banyak agensi kerajaan yang membantu pengusaha Perusahaan Kecil Sederhana (PKS) makanan dalam bentuk latihan inovasi dan teknologi, modal insan, pembiayaan, akses pasaran dan pembangunan infrastruktur. Walau bagaimanapun sehingga 2014, jumlah perusahaan firma besar dalam penghasilan produk makanan hanya 2.7%. Oleh itu kajian bagi mengenalpasti kelemahan latihan penghasilan m akanan dan pengkomersialan sediada yang dikendalikan oleh agensi tersebut telah dijalankan. Kajian ini mengaplikasi rekabentuk kajian kualitatif. 20 sampel dipilih secara bertujuan daripada kalangan bekas peserta program yang pernah mendapat latihan pengha silan dan pengkomersilan makanan yang dikendalikan oleh mana - mana daripada agensi latihan tersebut. Pengumpulan data menggunakan kaedah temubual. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat kelemahan dalam latihan yang diberi dari aspek tidak menyediakan struktur kurikulum yang terancang, kandungan pelajaran latihan yang tiada kesinambungan di antara satu sama lain. Latihan berbentuk amali tidak dijalankan di tempat yang kondusif, jurulatih latihan kurang kurang mahir, strategi pengajaran latihan dijalankan berpusa tkan jurulatih dan tiada penilaian penguasaan isi kandungan latihan. Dengan mengambil kira kelemahan – kelemahan tersebut kajian ini mencadangkan kurikulum latihan bagi penghasilan dan pengkomersialan produk makanan perlu dibangunkan

The Effect of Jackfruit Skin Powder and Fiber Bleaching Treatment in PLA Composites with Incorporation of Thymol

Food packaging has seen a growth in the use of materials derived from renewable resources such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA). However, the initial costs to produce bioplastics are typically high. Tropical fruit waste as naturally sourced fibres, such as jackfruit skin, can be used as a cost-reducing filler for PLA. The main objective in this study is to fabricate a low-cost natural fibre-reinforced polymer that potentially applies in packaging with the aid of bleaching treatment. The treatment shows a rougher surface fibre in Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs and it is expected to have better mechanical locking with the matrix, and this is found similar with a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Unfortunately, fibre insertion does find low tensile performances, yet bleached-fibre composites improved its performance significantly. A similar situation was found in the thermal characterization where a low-thermal stability natural fibre composite has lower thermal behaviour and this increased with bleaching treatment. Besides, bleached-fibre composites have a longer service period. Besides, a 15 wt% thymol insertion inhibits the growth of Gram-positive bacteria in the composites and the non-treated fibre composite has better thymol effects. The 30 wt% of the bleached-fibre insertion composite has a high potential to reduce the cost of bioplastic products with minimum alterations of overall performances

Characterization of active and pH-sensitive poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) films containing essential oils and anthocyanin for food packaging application

Active and pH-sensitive films of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) have been fabricated and tested. The PLA and PLA/NFC films with 1.5% NFC were prepared via solvent casting method, with different loadings of essential oil (EO), including thymol and curry, being added at 5, 10, and 15%. The fixed content of anthocyanin powder (1%) was incorporated into the films as a pH indicator. The active PLA and PLA/NFC films were characterised on their physical, mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties. The addition of NFC reduced the tensile strength but increased the flexibility of films due to the plasticizing effect of EOs. The PLA/EO and PLA/NFC/EO films containing curry demonstrated a slightly higher strength than the films with thymol. The flexibility of films was increased at higher loading of EO regardless of the types of EO. The thermal profile demonstrated that the neat PLA film had a higher maximum degradation temperature than the active PLA/EO and PLA/NFC/EO films. The active PLA/EO and PLA/NFC/EO films containing anthocyanin successfully changed its colour in pH 2.0 and 14.0. The PLA/NFC films with thymol and anthocyanin formulation could inhibit fungus growth better in the cherry tomato sample than the PLA/NFC films with curry and anthocyanin

Progress in the Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes: Active Packaging, Biocomposites, By-Products, and Innovative Technologies Used for Bioactive Compound Extraction

According to the Food Wastage Footprint and Climate Change Report, about 15% of all fruits and 25% of all vegetables are wasted at the base of the food production chain. The significant losses and wastes in the fresh and processing industries is becoming a serious environmental issue, mainly due to the microbial degradation impacts. There has been a recent surge in research and innovation related to food, packaging, and pharmaceutical applications to address these problems. The underutilized wastes (seed, skin, rind, and pomace) potentially present good sources of valuable bioactive compounds, including functional nutrients, amylopectin, phytochemicals, vitamins, enzymes, dietary fibers, and oils. Fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) are rich in nutrients and extra nutritional compounds that contribute to the development of animal feed, bioactive ingredients, and ethanol production. In the development of active packaging films, pectin and other biopolymers are commonly used. In addition, the most recent research studies dealing with FVW have enhanced the physical, mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of packaging and biocomposite systems. Innovative technologies that can be used for sensitive bioactive compound extraction and fortification will be crucial in valorizing FVW completely; thus, this article aims to report the progress made in terms of the valorization of FVW and to emphasize the applications of FVW in active packaging and biocomposites, their by-products, and the innovative technologies (both thermal and non-thermal) that can be used for bioactive compounds extraction

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to &lt; 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of &amp; GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P &lt; 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo