Review of EEG and ERP studies of extraversion personality for baseline and cognitive tasks

According to psychological studies, the most fundamental personality is the extraversion personality. Most studies looking at differences between extroverts and introverts are pen and paper based studies. However, in a few studies, electrophysiological signals were involved. In this paper, we reviewed studies examining extraversion personality using electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERP). It was found that some of the EEG studies claimed that extroverts and introverts can be differentiated using baseline EEG, while some others claimed otherwise. Conflicting findings were also observed in the ERP studies; higher/lower P300 amplitude in extroverts compared to that of introverts in visual stimuli tasks. These various findings are probably due to differences in their experimental protocols, sample size, or age of subjects. Other possible reasons include no consideration given on the main feature of extraversion and the studies only focused on EEG power spectral analysis. We are thus suggesting for future investigations to involve the main feature such as sociability and/or to incorporate more EEG features in the analysis to produce more robust and reliable results. This review constitutes a guidance for research on brain-related conditions of extroverts and introverts and shall be useful in many areas

Step by step procedures : degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in potable water using photo-Fenton oxidation process

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds, composed of two or more fused benzene rings and abundantly found in mixed-use areas. Mixed-use areas consist of dense population, urbanization, industrial and agricultural activities. River pollution are common in mixed-use areas and 98% of Malaysia's fresh water supply originates from surface water. The biological degradation, adsorption and advanced oxidation process were documented as the available PAHs treatment for water. To date, the application of the photo-Fenton oxidation process has been reported for the treatment of PAHs from contaminated soil (review paper), landfill leachate, municipal solid waste leachate, sanitary landfill leachate, aniline wastewater, ammunition wastewater and saline aqueous solutions. As for potable water, the application of Fenton reagent was aided with photo treatment or electrolysis not focusing on PAHs removal. • The presented MethodsX was conducted for PAHs degradation analysis in potable water samples using photo-Fenton oxidation process. • The designed reactor for batch experiment is presented. • The batch experiment consists of parameters like concentration of 17 USEPA-PAHs in the prepared aqueous solution (fixed variable), reaction time, pH and molarity ratio of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2): ferrous sulfate (FeSO4)

Engineering education for sustainable development in Malaysia : student stakeholders perspectives on the integration of holistic sustainability competences within undergraduate engineering programmes

The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) stresses the importance for Malaysian engineering graduates to be sustainability literate. This is apparent in the 2012 Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC 2012) manual which outlines 12 graduate outcomes that Malaysian public and private universities are encouraged to integrate as undergraduate engineering programme outcomes, with some of the outcomes related to sustainable development. Although Malaysian universities are required to develop programme outcomes using outcome based approaches to learning, integration methods are not particularly outlined, perhaps to allow for academic creativity. To address the manner in which sustainable development outcomes could be integrated within the undergraduate engineering programme, a list of 30 hypothetical engineering education for sustainable development (EESD) competences was developed to address a holistic integration of sustainability outcomes within the engineering curriculum. Using a Malaysian private engineering university as a case study, this chapter focuses on the views of the institution’s final year undergraduate engineering student stakeholders on the inclusion of these 30 competences. Stakeholders’ perspectives were sought through a 5 point Likert scale survey on the: (a) competences they deemed as important to enable them to become sustainability competent engineers when they graduate (b) competences they deemed as necessary to be included as learning outcomes of engineering modules and non-engineering modules, namely language and communication, business and management modules, and (c) competences they deemed as necessary to be included as learning outcomes of university level programmes. Survey results indicate that the student stakeholders found the 30 competences for (a), (b) and (c) to be important, with mean scores ranging within the ‘somewhat important’ to ‘very important’ levels. The 30 competences were further categorised into relevant sustainability competence dimensions through principle component analysis, upon which the findings of the analysis were presented as a set of guidelines for the holistic incorporation of sustainability competences within the undergraduate engineering programme. The implications of the findings of the study are also discussed in this chapter, with the hope of giving engineering education stakeholders a foretaste of students’ views on integrating sustainability within the curriculum to advance EESD

Sustainability, blended learning and the undergraduate communication skills classroom : negotiating engineering undergraduates’ expectations and perceptions

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the outcomes of a study conducted to explore the perceptions and expectations of undergraduate engineering learners on the potential of incorporating sustainability within the Professional Communication Skills (PCS) module, via blended learning. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methods case study approach was used, using surveys, learner reflections and interviews. Findings: Key findings include (a) learners finding a heightened sense of awareness of environmental, social and cultural dimensions of sustainability, (b) development of sustainability literacy and communication skills for the real world, (c) scepticism and apprehension of blended learning teaching and learning methods, (d) development of capacity for self-directed learning resulting from flipped learning and (e) differences in quality of peer and lecturer interaction online and in the traditional classroom set up. Originality/value: Sivapalan’s (2015) study suggests that Malaysian engineering graduates lack sustainability knowledge, competences and values, and often struggle to cope with professional responsibilities that require them to exercise these literacies. Much of this is attributed to the lack of sustainability integration within the undergraduate engineering curriculum, and within teaching approaches used. To date, there is little research within the Malaysian engineering education context to gauge the extent to which non-technical academic modules such as the PCS module could be used as a platform to incorporate sustainability learning outcomes. Research to gauge learners’ feedback and reflections on the integration of sustainability via non-technical modules and blended learning approaches is also scarce

Community education and partnerships for sustainable development: a way forward for Indigenous Asia

Asian Indigenous community voices are largely overlooked and underrepresented in global sustainability dialogues, and this is a cause for concern, especially since Indigenous communities in so many regions mostly live below the poverty threshold. Asian Indigenous communities also continue to grapple with basic human needs, such as lack of access to quality education, healthcare, electricity and clean water. Community education for sustainable development and partnerships for sustainability are considered as means to address these shortcomings on a global scale. Here we discuss transformations in learning in community education for sustainable development. We first highlight the positioning of Indigenous communities within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and the extent to which Asian Indigenous community perspectives are accounted for within the United Nations (UN) agenda. We then discuss the sustainability issues surrounding the Indigenous (Orang Asli) community of Malaysia, and its implications for the socio-economic wellbeing of the community, as well as the extent to which community education for sustainable development and partnerships for sustainability can help address these shortcomings. We highlight key challenges faced in implementing community education and partnerships for sustainable development within the Orang Asli community and provide insights on ways in which these challenges can be collectively addressed through local community-academia-industry-local government-NGO partnerships

Blended learning the higher education classroom : a critical review of developments within engineering education

The rapid development of technology in the past two decades has had many points of contact and impact upon the global higher education sector. Technology and globalisation have unlocked entirely new directions for higher education and has provided a conducive circumference for the growth and utilization of novel pedagogical approaches and tools for teaching and learning (TL). Blended Learning (BL) based courses are gaining much popularity within the global higher education context. There is much research within the engineering education context that supports the integration of technology into Higher Education Institutions (HEI) classrooms. Interestingly though, the majority of the frequently cited research on BL and engineering education within the global context have tended to focus on specific interventions or pedagogical approaches for incorporating BL into HEI engineering classrooms. This review paper thus discusses the position and integration of BL within the higher education classroom, and current limitations within the context of engineering education

Communicating sustainability : context matters

Engineering graduates from Malaysian IHLs have an obligation to practice the knowledge and skills they have gained in a responsible manner to create sustainable living conditions for the society. Ironically though, research indicates that not only are local engineering graduates lacking the competences to do so, local IHLs are also failing to develop the relevant sustainability competences their engineering graduates must develop to be able to function and communicate productively within the sustainability conscious engineering workplace. This issue can be addressed through the advancement of sustainability communication. The present study thus set out to explore this phenomenon further. Using an exemplifying case study approach, perspectives of student stakeholders of a private engineering institution of higher learning's (IHL) were sought, on the inclusion of sustainable development as the context of the professional communication skills module offered within the undergraduate engineering programme at the said IHL. The study employed an action research methodology, through two interventions, i.e. engagement sessions with sustainability practitioners from the industry, and lecturer-peer think-pair-share scaffolding activities. Learner perceptions of the interventions were sought via pre and post surveys, interviews and learner reflections, over three cycles. Finding from the study suggest that the engagement sessions with sustainability practitioners from the industry were more effective. These findings provide important pointers for local IHLs to consider in developing their undergraduate engineering curriculum

Toxicological studies of Perak River water using biological assay

Perak River, the second longest river in Peninsular Malaysia supplies water mainly for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes, whilst contributing to the state’s economy along the river. However, the increasing demand for water has strained anthropogenic environmental pressures on the river basin itself. This paper presents the findings of a toxicological study conducted to evaluate pollution levels in the Perak River using Allium cepa (AC) assay, an excellent biological indicator of pollution that is frequently used in environmental monitoring studies. The water samples, both treated and raw, were taken from 3 water treatment plants (WTPs), namely Parit (P), Kampung Senin (KS) and Teluk Kepayang (TK). ACs were grown in these water samples for a 96-hour period of exposure at 22°C of incubation temperature. The presence of cytotoxic and genotoxic substances in the water samples collected from Perak River were confirmed based on root morphology deformation and cytogenetic alterations observed in the root meristem cells of the ACs

Genotoxicity assessment of raw and treated water samples using Allium cepa assay : evidence from Perak River, Malaysia

Allium cepa assay was carried out in this study to evaluate genotoxic effects of raw and treated water samples from Perak River in Perak state, Malaysia. Samples were collected from three surface water treatment plants along the river, namely WTPP, WTPS, and WTPK. Initially, triplicates of equal size Allium cepa (onions) bulbs, 25–30 mm in diameter and average weight of 20 g, were set up in distilled water for 24 h at 20 ± 2 °C and protected from direct sunlight, to let the roots to grow. After germination of roots (0.5–1.0 cm in length), bulbs were transferred to collected water samples each for a 96-h period of exposure. The root physical deformations were observed. Genotoxicity quantification was based on mitotic index and genotoxicity level. Statistical analysis using cross-correlation function for replicates from treated water showed that root length has inverse correlation with mitotic indices (r = − 0.969) and frequencies of cell aberrations (r = − 0.976) at lag 1. Mitotic indices and cell aberrations of replicates from raw water have shown positive correlation at lag 1 (r = 0.946). Genotoxicity levels obtained were 23.4 ± 1.98 (WTPP), 26.68 ± 0.34 (WTPS), and 30.4 ± 1.13 (WTPK) for treated water and 17.8 ± 0.18 (WTPP), 37.15 ± 0.17 (WTPS), and 47.2 ± 0.48 (WTPK) for raw water. The observed cell aberrations were adherence, chromosome delay, C-metaphase, chromosome loss, chromosome bridge, chromosome breaks, binucleated cell, mini cell, and lobulated nuclei. The morphogenetic deformations obtained were likely due to genotoxic substances presence in collected water samples. Thus, water treatment in Malaysia does not remove genotoxic compounds. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

A framework for integrating sustainable development concepts into the chemistry curriculum towards achieving education for sustainable development in Malaysia

Purpose: In Malaysia, research indicates that there is an interest amongst the stakeholders, namely, administrators and academicians to be engaged in education for sustainable development (SD), but it is rarely implemented as a part of the higher education curriculum due to various barriers. This paper aims to develop a framework for integrating SD concepts into the chemistry curriculum, using a case study approach. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted at a local university located in Selangor, Malaysia, offering a foundation programme to students between 17 to 18 years of age. Data was collected using a qualitative approach that involved 12 experts as informants. The collected data was analysed via three coding stages, namely, open coding, category coding and thematic encoding using Atlas.ti 7.0 software. Findings: The research revealed that six aspects contribute to the integration of SD concepts into the chemistry curriculum, namely, educational policy, awareness, resources, curriculum, pedagogical approach and stakeholders' engagement. The proposed framework was formulated by considering these aspects. Originality/value: The findings of this study can be used as a guide to facilitate the integration of SD concepts into the chemistry curriculum. It is expected to encourage the involvement of more teachers in adopting sustainable chemistry teaching