Ethno-diversity and bio-diversity: Methods and measurement

Biology and Anthropology/Sociology have dealt with issues of diversity for a long time, developing different concepts, theories and methods. In recent years there has been, if not a convergence, but at least a recognition that problems in nature and in society are interrelated. This paper attempts to use concepts and methods of biodiversity research and test their applicability for a study of ethnic relations. It is noted that the preservation of biodiversity ranks high on the agenda of researchers and politicians, whereas ethnic diversity is often associated with unrest, conflict and economic decline. We try to reverse this tendency by emphasizing social cohesion and the social and economic value of ethnic diversity. An “ethnic diversity index” is proposed and used in the analysis of Malaysia’s plural society. This index is based on Simpson’s diversity index, commonly used in biodiversity research. Further research on the interrelation of bio- and ethnic diversity is advocated

A study on how the delayed claims from buyer’s loan can affect Bulatan Mekar Sdn Bhd / Anis Aliya Mohd Yusoff

This study provides an analysis regarding to the delayed claims from buyer’s loan. The purpose of this study is to analyze how this delayed claim can affect Bulatan Mekar Sdn Bhd. This study is also to identify what are the factors that contribute in this delayed claim. In Bulatan Mekar Sdn Bhd, claim is important because it is as a payment to finance their construction projects. Besides that, to understand what is claim I also study the procedure of claim in this company. These studies also try to answer what are the effects that may arise in the delayed claim. In order to analyze the issues, the data have been collected from primary and also secondary sources. Data and information had been collected from the article, internet, journals and annual report and as well as from interviewing the executives in Bulatan Mekar Sdn Bhd

Alumina recovery from industrial waste: study on the thermal, tensile and wear properties of polypropylene/alumina nanocomposites

The investigation on the influences of alumina (Al2O3) particles in nano-sized retrieved from Aluminium (Al) dross was conducted on the tensile, thermal and wear properties of polypropylene (PP) composites. The thermal decomposition method was used to synthesise the micro α-Al2O3 particles from Al-dross, was followed by the wet-milling method to produce the nano α-Al2O3. The PP composites (nano and micro α-Al2O3 particles) were prepared via melt compounding followed by compression molding. The coupling agent was also added to facilitate the particle dispersion. The tensile tests showed the maximum tensile strength and Young’s modulus of both composites to be corresponding to the samples containing 5 wt% of α-Al2O3. The superiority of nano α-Al2O3 on improving the property of PP had also been evident in the abrasive wear performance. A small amount of α-Al2O3 had been adequate in enhancing the thermal stability of PP than that of neat PP. The study on tensile and worn surface with SEM had revealed better adhesion and interaction between the filler and matrix in composites that were treated with coupling agent. The recovery of nano α-Al2O3 particles from Al-dross potentially decreases the quantity of harmful solid waste and can be an effective alternative filler for thermoplastics

Ethno-diversity and bio-diversity: Methods and measurement

Biology and Anthropology/Sociology have dealt with issues of diversity for a long time, developing different concepts, theories and methods. In recent years there has been, if not a convergence, but at least a recognition that problems in nature and in society are interrelated. This paper attempts to use concepts and methods of biodiversity research and test their applicability for a study of ethnic relations. It is noted that the preservation of biodiversity ranks high on the agenda of researchers and politicians, whereas ethnic diversity is often associated with unrest, conflict and economic decline. We try to reverse this tendency by emphasizing social cohesion and the social and economic value of ethnic diversity. An “ethnic diversity index” is proposed and used in the analysis of Malaysia’s plural society. This index is based on Simpson’s diversity index, commonly used in biodiversity research. Further research on the interrelation of bio- and ethnic diversity is advocated

Awareness of Microtakaful Development among Low-Income Earners in Malaysia

Malaysia is the third largest takaful market globally and the takaful sector in Malaysia shows sound growth in 2022. Takaful had a penetration rate of 20.1% in 2022, up from 18.6% the previous year. However, only 25% of adult employees in the low-income group have some form of life insurance or family takaful cover, in contrast with 59% of those who are employed in the overall population who have takaful or insurance protection. The Malaysian population can be classified into three income segments: the T20 group, the M40 group and the B40 group. This study will only focus on the B40 group with a median income of RM3,860.  Microtakaful is a kind of takaful product entailed for addressing the financial needs of households with low incomes in times of significant expenses. The main objective of this study was to examine the factors influencing the awareness of microtakaful development among the low-income group (B40). This study examines the relationship between (i) income level (ii) knowledge, and (iii) loss of exposure to the awareness of microtakaful. Data was collected by distributing 320 questionnaires to the residents in (PPR) Kerinchi Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the three independent variables, namely income level, knowledge, and loss exposures, have a strong positive relationship with microtakaful awareness. However, it is found that income level has the biggest impact on the awareness of microtakaful

Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Risk Factors among Malaysians: Findings of a Nationwide Study

Introduction: The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing worldwide and many of these affected individuals remain unidentified. Undiagnosed T2DM may impose substantial public health implications because these individuals remain untreated and at risk for complications. The objective of this study was to determine the national prevalence of undiagnosed T2DM and to identify the associated risk factors. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted involving 17,783 respondents. Two-stage stratified sampling design was used to select a representative sample of the Malaysian adult population. Structured validated questionnaires with face to face interviews were used to obtain data. Respondents, who claimed that they were not having diabetes, were then asked to perform a fasting blood glucose finger-prick test by Accutrend GC machine. Results: The prevalence of undiagnosed T2DM was 8.9% (n=1587). The highest percentage of undiagnosed T2DM was found among males (10.2%), 55-59 years old (13.4%), highest education attainers of primary school (11.1%), Indians (10.3%), married (10.3%), working (8.9%) and living in the urban areas (9.2%). Multivariate analyses showed that factors associated with undiagnosed T2DM were gender, age group, ethnicity, marital status, obesity and hypertension. Conclusion: This study found an increasing trend of undiagnosed T2DM in Malaysia compared to 2006. This finding is alarming as risk factors associated with undiagnosed diabetes were related to most of the socio-demographic factors studied. Therefore, early diabetic screening is crucial especially among adults aged 30 and above to prevent more serious complications of this disease

Islamic belief and practices: An integrative coping approach to life problems

This article provides an overview of related literature covering the wide range of issues pertaining to the problems and coping strategies in general from the Islamic worldview. There are many integrative methods and means provided in the Islamic authentic sources of the Holy Qur’an, Sunnah and the Islamic heritage as well as the modern methods. The novel aspect of this article is that apart from drawing theoretical conclusion from the existing work of coping mechanism, it is to integrate the Islamic principle pertaining to helping others in a way to address obvious inadequacies in the existing services offered to the Muslims. Therefore, it is appropriate to unearth the influence of Islamic belief and practices on man’s relationship with Allah and his relationship with mankind, on his ways of coping with the challenges and problems in his daily lives. From a review of literature, faith or belief influences the way individuals view and relate to God; and how religion in general is used to cope with difficult life circumstances. Besides that, the collaborative religious coping strategies balance an individual’s own efforts for managing stress with seeking help and support from others. Therefore, coping strategies of Muslims are approached from integrated and holistic perspective based on the understanding that man is created not from mere physical entity but also spiritual,psychological and intellectual entities. In conclusion, the Islamic coping mechanism should be planned in a way that all these dimensions of man can be better served

Development of Hybrid PV Wind Harvesting Energy for Electric Vehicles

The technology of electric vehicles (EV) is conventionally using battery to operate the motor. However it has one major disadvantage on energy storage capacity. Basically the battery needs to be recharged every day at the charging station which usually takes hours to fully charged. In this paper, the concept of battery charging using the hybrid PV-Wind for electric vehicles energy source is presented. The prototype of photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy harvesting has been developed to overcome this problem in the most effective way. This prototype will harvest the energy from both PV and wind to recharge the battery in electric vehicles so that the car can travel in longer time and distance. Three experiments have been conducted to analyze the best system namely PV system, wind generator system and hybrid PV wind system. Based on the experiment that has been carried out, it can be concluded that the hybrid PV wind system is the best compared to the other two because the current generated by hybrid PV wind is the highest which is 1A compared to 0.51A by PV system and 0.67A by wind system, respectively. The high current value is significantly means that the time taken to fully charge the battery is faster and this will lead to decrease the time used for the charging process

Preliminary investigation of myo-inositol phosphates produced by ASUIA279 phytase on MCF-7 cancer cells.

Phytate or myo-inositol hexakisphosphates (IP6) is widely distributed in plants like rice brans. The production of myo-inositol phosphate intermediates has received much attention due to the remarkable potential health benefits offered by the compounds. In this study, the cytotoxicity of the partially purified myo-inositol phosphate fractions and commercial IP1 and IP6 were investigated against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. The study showed that the commercial standard IP1 and IP6 showed good inhibition towards the MCF-7 cell line. The MCF-7 cells growth was inhibited in minimum concentration of myo-inositol phosphates (<1000 µg/ml). However, no inhibition observed on the MCF-7 cell line by the myo-inositol phosphates fractions partially purified from rice bran at concentration <1000 ?g/ml. The inhibition of MCF-7 was only observed at concentration more than 30 mg/ml with more than 40% cells were inhibited. This indicates that the partially purified rice bran myo-inositol phosphates degraded by ASUIA279 phytase on MCF-7 breast cancer cells exhibit positive results towards the inhibition of cancer cells growth at relatively high concentration

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