Distance learning developments in Malaysia

Distance education is a relatively new phenomenon in the Malaysian education scene. In its basic form it was introduced in 1971 when Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) established its Centre for Off–Campus Studies. In 1994, the Centre for Off–Campus Studies was renamed as the Centre for Distance Education. The Centre for Distance Education was upgraded in 1998 to School of Distance Education. From 1971 to 1989, USM is the only local university to offer courses through distance learning

Tracheal agenesis as a rare cause of difficult intubation in a newborn with respiratory distress: a case report

Introduction: Tracheal agenesis is a very rare congenital airway anomaly. It may pose a great challenge to the first attending physician both in diagnosis and in establishing the airway during the first day of life. Case presentation: We report a newborn Malay baby boy with trachea agenesis (type III by Floyd's classification) who presented with severe respiratory distress immediately after birth. Clinical diagnosis in this case was not straightforward, as it started with difficulty in intubation followed by an unsuccessful emergency tracheostomy in the neonatal intensive care unit. Urgent surgical neck exploration with endoscopic examination in the general operating theatre revealed the final diagnosis. The authors present a short description of the embryopathology and diagnostic criteria of the abnormality. Conclusion: We hope this case presentation will be valuable in increasing the awareness of physicians about this rare cause of tracheal obstruction or difficult intubation

The use of convolutional code for narrowband interference suppression in OFDM-DVBT system

The problem of mitigating narrowband interference (NBI) due to coexistence between Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) and International Mobile Telecommunication-Advanced (IMT-A) system is considered. It is assumed that a spectrum of IMT-A system between 790-862 MHz interfere the spectrum of the OFDM signal in DVB-T band. Two types of convolutional code (CC) which are non-systematic convolutional code (NSCC) and recursive systematic convolutional code (RSCC) are proposed to mitigate NBI. The performance of the two techniques is compared under additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. It is observed that NSCC has a better bit error rate (BER) performance than RSCC. The result showed good performance for low SNR (≤ 5dB)

Assessment of ITU-R predictions for ku-band rain attenuation in Malaysia

This paper presents findings on the assessments carried out pertaining to ITU-R’s predicted rain attenuations. The predictions are put against measurements acquired from a campaign in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The investigation tasks involve generation of annual cumulative distributions using assorted ITU-R recommendations as well as from measured data collected for a period of 20 months. Predicted values generated using established ITU-R rain attenuation prediction models are then compared with measurements values, in order to validate the applicability and effectiveness of each model. Based on the evaluation, it can be suggested that the ITU-R P.618-5 recommendation seems to be a befitting prediction model and capable of generating satisfactory prediction for Malaysia

BER performance of OFDM system with the effect of error control code

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is one of the promising modulation techniques suitable for high data rates in a wireless communication system. OFDM is the most effective modulation technique suitable for multipath communication channel and fading environment at reasonable complexity. However, the existence of Error Control Coding (ECC) in OFDM system is necessary for the reliable data transmission. This is due to the capability of ECC which can detect and correct the data received. Two types of ECC performance which are Hamming code and convolutional code are investigated in this paper. The simulation system and parameter are described and the results are discussed

Financial Dependency of Older Person on Their Adult Children: A Case of Older Persons in Rural Kedah Malaysia

One of the important issues in population aging is regarding the issues of financial dependency. The present paper aims at investigating the financial dependency of older persons in the village of Kubang Pasu, in the district of Kubang Pasu, Kedah, Malaysia. More specifically, the present paper analyzes (1): demographic and socioeconomic profiles of older persons in rural Kedah, Malaysia; (2): monthly income receives from children; (3): level of money dependency of older people on adult children; and (4): the relative importance of money sending from adult children in rural Kedah, Malaysia. This study was conducted in the village of Kubang Pasu, district of Kubang Pasu, one of the rural areas in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. This paper is basically employed a descriptive research design. It is used when a researcher seeks a better understanding and measure how variables are naturally distributed. Data for the study were collected through structured and unstructured interviews with research participants, coupled with observations on their daily lives. Data were analyzed using descriptive and thematic approach. Results of the study revealed that (1): older persons in this survey are 39 men and 37 women; they are young old, aged 64 to 79. Two of them aged 80 and over. Most of them reported as having secondary school certificate or above, still working and still married; (2): The majority of older persons have a monthly income of below than RM870, below poverty level. The income is too low, not enough for daily living, and older persons used all the income for daily expenses. (3): In terms of the level of financial dependency, the answer varies between older persons; there are older person who feel their level of financial dependency is low, while others are moderate and high, but in the future they believe their level of financial dependency will be high. (4): older person also varies in terms of perceive importance of money sending from children to help them lighten the burdens of daily problem; some perceive as important, while others perceive as not too important. To conclude, although income level of older persons in rural Kedah is low they do not feel they are too worry about their financial problems. Keywords: population ageing; older persons; rural areas; financial dependency; well-bein

Dynamic frequency reuse: a method for interference mitigation in OFDMA Based LTE-A Networks

Spectrum scarcity is one of the most discussed restraining aspects in wireless communication system. To solve this issue Frequency Reuse (FR) concept is introduced. It is a promising development to fulfil the requirement of Long Term Evolution Advanced (LET-A). With the introduction of FR comes the problem of Inter Cell Interference as the neighboring eNodeBs (eNB) which uses the same frequency band that will act as an interference source. In this paper, a Dynamic Frequency Reuse (DFR) method is anticipated. Continuous optimization of resource allocation of each cell is considered in this method. The important focus of the paper is to expand the capacity of the users placed in cell edge areas by reducing out of cell interference. Simulation has been done to prove that the proposed scheme leads to efficient resource management

THE USE OF CONVOLUTIONAL CODE FOR NARROWBAND INTERFERENCE SUPPRESSION IN OFDM-DVBT SYSTEM

ABSTRACT The problem of mitigating narrowband interference (NBI) due to coexistence between Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) and International Mobile Telecommunication-Advanced (IMT-A) system is considered. It is assumed that a spectrum of IMT-A system between 790-862 MHz interfere the spectrum of the OFDM signal in DVB-T band. Two types of convolutional code (CC) which is non-systematic convolutional code (NSCC) and recursive systematic convolutional code (RSCC) are proposed to mitigate NBI. The performance of the two techniques is compared under additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. It is observed that NSCC has a better bit error rate (BER) performance than RSCC. The result showed good performance for low SNR (≤ 5dB)

Validity of instrument to measure mathematics teachers’ perceptions towards 4C skills in problem solving

In the contemporary education 4.0 landscape, teachers are urged to prioritize the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity (4C) skills during teaching and learning, recognized as crucial skills for the 4.0 industrial revolution (I.R 4.0). This research aimed to develop and validate an instrument assessing mathematics teachers' perceptions of the 4C skills through problem-solving teaching method. Employing a quantitative research design, the study utilized a questionnaire for data collection, involving four experts and 120 participants. Descriptive analysis using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed a high reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.934) and factor eigenvalue exceeding 1. The KMO values (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin) for each construct were 0.50, and Bartlett's Test was significant (<0.5). Additionally, each item demonstrated a factor loading value above 0.50 and a variance percentage of ≥60%. The instrument comprised 4 sub-constructs and 16 fitting items. In summary, the study affirms the utility of this instrument in investigating mathematics teachers' perceptions of 4C skills through problem-solving teaching methods

Hybrid MMSE precoding for Millimeter-Wave (mmW) Multi-user Massive MIMO systems

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) cellular systems is considered to be the key enabling technology for the future 5G wireless communication systems because of its high data rates, low latency, high system capacity, and huge available bandwidths. However, in order to meet the increasing demand, mmWave communications need to overcome certain challenges including high path loss and interference which can be reduced by applying large antenna arrays to achieve high beamforming gains. Although multi-user beamforming can improve spectral efficiencies, full digital beamforming strategies used in the conventional microwave systems increase the hardware cost and consumes high power for large number of antennas in mmW systems. In this paper, a multi-user hybrid precoding structure is proposed for mmWave massive-MIMO channels utilizing MMSE precoders at the BS with perfect channel knowledge. Simulations show that the sum-rate obtained by the proposed hybrid precoding scheme is nearly similar to the single-user rate and also performs better compared to other hybrid precoding approaches