Pemodelan persamaan struktur (SEM) merupakan analisis statistik multivariat yang mengkaji hubungan antara konstruk mengikut teori atau kajian terdahulu melalui model hipotesis yang dibina. Kebiasaannya, kaedah penganggaran yang digunakan dalam analisis pemodelan ini adalah penganggaran kebolehjadian maksimum (ML). Kaedah penganggaran tersebut memerlukan taburan data yang bersifat kenormalan multivariat di samping memenuhi bilangan sampel yang tertentu. Oleh itu, penganggaran kuasa dua terkecil separa (PLS) amat berperanan dalam mengatasi dua kekangan berkenaan dan isu multikolineariti. Oleh itu, makalah ini bertujuan untuk melakukan analisis perbandingan keputusan pemodelan terhadap anggaran parameter dalam Model Kecemerlangan Prestasi Institusi Pengajian Tinggi (IPT) bersandarkan nilai teras bagi mendapatkan model akhir yang mematuhi kedua-dua teknik penganggaran ML dan PLS berkenaan. Model akhir merupakan model kecemerlangan yang disemak semula berdasarkan tahap kesignifikanan secara statistik dan penting secara praktikal bagi semua pekali lintasan dalam model. Kesimpulannya, kedua-dua teknik penganggaran yang digunakan saling melengkapi antara satu sama lain dan memberikan nilai tambah kepada model hipotesis yang diuji.
MeSH terms: Animals; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Lepidoptera; Fenofibrate; Echinochloa
Sebatian poliol minyak sawit olein (di-hidroksi-POo) (70% hasil) disintesis melalui pembukaan gelang oksirana minyak sawit olein terepoksida (EPOo) secara hidrolisis selanjar dan berkelompok. Hasil optimum pembukaan gelang oksirana (97.2%) bagi kedua-dua tindak balas selama 90 min (tindak balas selanjar) dan 75 min (tindak balas berkelompok) dengan menggunakan mangkin asid perklorik 3% v/wt. Spektrum transformasi Fourier inframerah (FTIR) di-hidroksi-POo menunjukkan kehadiran puncak lebar getaran regangan kumpulan hidroksil pada nombor gelombang 3429 cm-1, menunjukkan sebatian poliol telah berjaya dihasilkan. Spektrum resonan magnetik nukleus-karbon (13C-NMR) di-hidroksi-POo telah menunjukkan kehadiran puncak karbon yang terikat dengan kumpulan hidroksil (74.5 ppm). Spektrum resonan magnetik nukleus-proton (1H-NMR) di-hidroksi-POo telah menunjukkan kehadiran puncak proton yang terikat pada karbon poliol (3.4 ppm) dan proton pada kumpulan hidroksil (4.6 ppm). Kelikatan kinematik produk poliol (nilai hidroksil sebanyak 110.7 mgKOH/g minyak) adalah 1435.2 cSt (40oC) dan 55.2 cSt (100oC) dengan indeks kelikatan 78.
MeSH terms: Protons; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Penyakit denggi merupakan penyakit bawaan vektor yang menjadi salah satu ancaman utama kesihatan awam di Malaysia. Pemetaan taburan kes denggi daripada aspek reruang-masa boleh menjadi kaedah yang berguna dalam menilai risiko denggi kepada masyarakat. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk memetakan taburan reruang dan reruang-masa kes-kes denggi di dalam daerah Seremban, dijalankan dengan Sistem Maklumat Geografi (GIS) khususnya analisis reruang dan reruang-masa. Analisis taburan reruang menggunakan Indeks Moran, purata kejiranan terdekat (ANN) dan anggaran kepadatan Kernel. Analisis reruang-masa ditentukan dengan indeks kekerapan, jangka masa dan intensiti untuk mengenal pasti kawasan berisiko denggi mengikut masa. Sejumlah 6076 kes denggi dicatatkan di Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah Seremban dari tahun 2003 hingga 2009. Kadar insiden denggi adalah tinggi pada tahun 2003, 2008 dan 2009 dengan nisbah denggi : denggi berdarah adalah 21.6:1. Indeks Moran menunjukkan kes denggi berlaku dalam pengelompokan dengan skor Z adalah 16.384 (p=0.000). Analisis ANN dengan 0.264 (p= 0.000) dengan purata jarak insiden antara kes denggi di dalam kawasan kejiranan adalah 55 m. Anggaran kepadatan Kernel menunjukkan lokasi kawasan panas kes denggi tertumpu di Nilai dan Ampangan. Analisis reruang masa dengan purata nilai tertinggi indeks kekerapan, jangka masa dan intensiti masing-masing melebihi 0.023, 0.614 dan 0.657 di kawasan berisiko tinggi denggi di Nilai, Seremban dan Ampangan. Pengawalan denggi perlu diberi tumpuan kepada kawasan berisiko tinggi ini.
MeSH terms: Malaysia; Methylglycosides; Fenofibrate; Geographic Information Systems
Keputusan terakhir yang dicari dalam menyelesaikan masalah berbilang kriteria ialah satu pangkat kedudukan unit yang dianalisis berdasarkan prestasi keseluruhan unit-unit tersebut. Satu cara untuk mendapatkan prestasi keseluruhan setiap unit adalah dengan menggabungkan prestasi dan wajaran kriteria masing-masing melalui pelbagai kaedah pengagregatan. Kajian tertumpu kepada penerapan tiga kaedah asas pangkat dalam menilai kepentingan kriteria yang melibatkan satu panel penilai dengan kewibawaan berbeza. Hanya dua pendekatan pengagregatan berasaskan kaedah pemurataan tertib berpemberat sesuai diutarakan agar hasil akhir boleh dicapai. Setiap pendekatan pengagregatan yang dicadangkan diringi dengan contoh pengiraan.
Kertas ini membincangkan satu keluarga lengkung peralihan satahan licin yang dibina menggunakan dua lingkaran kuartik Bezier. Lingkaran kuartik yang diperkenalkan ini mempunyai enam darjah kebebasan yang memberi kelebihan untuk mempelbagaikan rupa bentuk lingkaran di dalam selangnya. Kelicinan adalah dirujuk melalui ciri-ciri keselanjaran geometri G2 dan kelengkungan monoton yang dimiliki oleh sesuatu lengkung peralihan. Oleh sebab lengkungan ini tidak memiliki sebarang juring, gelung dan titik lengkok balas, di samping tanpa perubahan kelengkungan yang mendadak maka ia amat sesuai untuk aplikasi tertentu dalam Reka Bentuk Berbantukan Komputer (RBK) bagi memenuhi keperluan estatis serta kepentingan fungsinya seperti reka bentuk produk industri, trajektori robot tidak holonomi dan juga reka bentuk mendatar landasan kereta api serta lebuh raya. Sebagai suatu perwakilan polinomial, lingkaran kuartik Bezier ini mampu digabungjalinkan ke dalam sistem RBK yang kebanyakannya berasaskan perwakilan NURBS (nonuniform rational B-splines).
Maternal nutrition is one of the dominant factors in determining fetal growth and subsequent developmental health for both mother and child. This study aimed to explore the association between maternal consumption of food groups and birth size among singleton, termed newborns. One hundred and eight healthy pregnant women in their third trimester, aged 19 to 40 years who visited the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia completed an interviewed-administered, validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The maternal socio-demographic, medical and obstetric histories and anthropometry measurements were recorded accordingly. The pregnancy outcomes, birth weight, birth length and head circumference were obtained from the medical records. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression by controlling for possible confounders. Among all food groups, fruits intake was associated with higher birth weight (p=0.018). None of the food intake showed evident association with respect to birth length while only fruits intake was associated positively with head circumference (p=0.019). In contrast, confectioneries and condiments were associated with lower birth weight (p=0.013 and p=0.001, respectively). Also, condiments appeared to associate inversely with ponderal index (p=0.015). These findings suggest the potential beneficial effects of micronutrient rich food but detrimental effects of high sugar and sodium food on fetal growth. Such an effect may have long term health consequences to the lives of children.
MeSH terms: Birth Weight; Child; Condiments; Demography; Female; Fruit; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Malaysia; Medical Records; Mothers; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sodium; Linear Models; Micronutrients; Parturition; Pregnant Women; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Fetal Development
Kajian pengetahuan pemakanan dalam kalangan pelbagai kumpulan populasi kerap dilaporkan tetapi kajian berkaitan dalam kalangan tentera jarang dilaporkan. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan tahap pengetahuan pemakanan dan amalan penggunaan suplemen dalam kalangan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM). Sejumlah 909 anggota TLDM berpangkalan di Lumut, Kuantan dan Johor terlibat dalam kajian ini. Soal selidik digunakan bagi menentukan latar belakang, ciri-ciri sosio demografi, pengetahuan pemakanan dan penggunaan suplemen. Pengukuran antropometri yang dijalankan termasuk berat dan tinggi. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa min skor pengetahuan pemakanan subjek ialah 62.5% iaitu pada tahap pengetahuan sederhana. Min skor pengetahuan pemakanan adalah lebih tinggi dalam kalangan anggota di Pangkalan Lumut, lebih berusia, lebih berpendidikan, berpangkat pegawai dan berat badan berlebihan. Sumber maklumat pemakanan yang paling popular ialah televisyen/radio (27.3%), kursus/seminar (24.9%) dan doktor/jururawat (21.6%). Sejumlah 36% subjek melaporkan menggunakan sekurang-kurangnya satu atau lebih suplemen dalam seminggu dan ini termasuk 5.8% yang menggunakannya setiap hari. Kajian asas ini dijangka memberikan maklumat berguna kepada Angkatan Tentera Malaysia dan adalah dicadangkan pendidikan pemakanan perlu diperkenalkan dalam program latihan anggota TLDM bagi memastikan status kesihatan anggota sentiasa terpelihara.
The discourse on climate change of both natural and anthropogenic origins has a long history and the subject has been discussed from both scientific and social perspectives. This paper reports on a study that begins with a review of the historical perspective of the subject with a focus on the enhanced greenhouse effect from the 15th to 19th centuries by identifying the main discussion platforms and delineating their temporal and substantial interactions. The three main climate change platforms are the science platform, the media platform and the policy platform. The science platform is where theories related to the greenhouse effects and their enhancements are developed. The media platform comprises newspaper coverage on climate change themes, while the policy platform is mainly the UN and its decisions relating to climate change. The authors assert that if not for the discussion, attention and actions within each, the climate change discussion would not have become so intense and the climate change agenda would not have been furthered. It is observed that less attention is given to science-media interaction compared to science-policy interaction. Similarly, NGOs have received little attention in these platforms and their interactions. The second part of the paper presents a descriptive case study that was undertaken to discuss the climate change agenda at a national level to determine whether the national scenario will have a pathway similar to that of the global one. It is suggested that in Malaysia this agenda is more likely to be driven by policy. The country’s climate change policy is expected to address the needs and gaps identified in this study.
Jaafar S, Mohd Noh K, Abdul Muttalib K, Othman NH, Healy J, Maskon K, et al.
ISBN: 978-92-9061-584-2
Citation: Jaafar S, Mohd Noh K, Abdul Muttalib K, Othman NH, Healy J, Maskon K, et al. Malaysia Health System Review. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013
Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and 2 territories in a parliamentary democracy, with the Prime Minister the head of government and a constitutional monarch elected by the Sultans. Malaysia is a multicultural society and a secular state with Sunni Islam as the official religion. Classified by the World Bank as an upper middle-income country, its society and economy were transformed by rapid economic growth in the latter half of the 20th century. Malaysia’s population (now numbering over 28 million with 70% living in urban areas) has benefited from a well developed health care system, good access to clean water and sanitation, and strong social and economic programmes. Life expectancy at birth is 73 years. Noncommunicable diseases now account for most mortality and morbidity but communicable diseases remain a concern. Section 2 describes the organization and governance of the health system. Health care services consist of tax-funded and governmentrun primary health care centres and hospitals, and fast-growing private services mainly located in physician clinics and hospitals in urban areas. Public sector health services are administered by the Ministry of Health through its central, state and district offices. The Ministry of Health regulates the private sector, pharmaceutical industry and food safety and plans and regulates its own health care services. Legislation governing health care professionals requires them to register with statutory professional bodies. Section 3 reports on health care financing. Malaysia’s public health system is financed mainly through general revenue and taxation collected by the federal government, while the private sector is funded principally through out-of-pocket payments from patients and some private health insurance. Spending on health reached 4.6% of GDP in 2009 with the majority from public spending, reaching 56% of total health expenditure (THE) in 2009. The main sources of THE in 2008 were the Ministry of Health (42%), followed by household out-of-pocket expenditure at nearly 34%. The Ministry of Health funds public facilities through line item budgets and patients pay private physicians and private hospitals on a fee-for-service basis. Physical and human resources are described in Section 4. The number of public primary care facilities (currently 802 centres and over 2000 small community clinics) and dental clinics were expanded steadily in earlier decades, particularly to reach people in under-served rural areas. Secondary care is offered in smaller public hospitals and more complex tertiary care, in regional and national hospitals (including university teaching hospitals run by the Ministry of Higher Education). Growth has slowed in recent years, however, and public services in urban areas have not kept pace with rapid urbanization, while the population ratio of hospital beds has declined slightly. Private clinics and hospitals in urban areas have grown rapidly over the last decade. The supply of health professionals remains seriously below the required number, although the government has increased the number of training places. Section 5 looks at provision of services. National health policies stress public health and health promotion, that is, ‘a wellness’ as well as a ‘disease’ perspective. The Ministry of Health has developed an extensive network of public primary care centres and also dental services especially for children, but these services are under strain and have staff shortages, so patients often encounter long waits. Primary care exerts only a limited gatekeeper function since people can bypass a referral from a general practitioner and for a small additional fee (if in the public sector) can go directly to specialists and hospitals. Government services increasingly serve the poor and private services the better-off people who live in urban areas. Hospital policy currently has three main thrusts: strengthening specialty care in large public hospitals; increasing the number of day surgery centres; and expanding top-end private hospital care to cater to the medical tourism market (with 35 participating hospitals in 2010). Malaysia has a large pharmaceutical manufacturing sector that exports to other countries and also supplies 30% of domestic demand. The principal health care reforms are discussed in Section 6. The government has stepped up its surveillance and early response to infectious disease outbreaks as a result of recent pandemics such as SARS and avian flu, which had a major impact on the country’s economy. The Ministry of Health has maintained its extensive vaccination programmes, has consolidated its primary health care clinics and upgraded its hospitals, and is slowly introducing information communication technology into its public facilities. The government has increased training places to counter shortages of health professionals, has strengthened food and drug safety regulation, is considering price xv regulation of pharmaceuticals, and is positioning the country as a medical tourism destination. Section 7 provides an assessment of the health system. Malaysia has a strong population health tradition and well-established and extensive health care services. Although total health expenditure at 4.6% of GDP in 2008 is in the range for middle-income countries, the government is concerned about future sustainable financing. Successive administrators have prioritized the provision of cost-effective, preventative and mainly free primary health care in public clinics. The rapid growth of private health care means that private spending has risen faster than public spending, including out-of-pocket payments by the public, with the government share (from general revenue) just above half (56%) of health expenditure in 2009. In conclusion, Malaysia has achieved impressive health gains for its population with a low-cost health care system funded through general revenue that provides universal and comprehensive services. Like many other countries in the region, Malaysia has struggled to produce an adequate supply of health professionals, and to integrate and regulate its rapidly growing private health sector. Public services have not kept pace with population growth in urban areas and those with higher purchasing power use private rather than public doctors and hospitals, which leaves the public sector with more poorer and sicker patients. The Malaysian Government recently revived the debate over options for a national social health insurance scheme. The financing challenge is to agree on a scheme for fair and sustainable funding and its respective contributions from general revenue and private payments. The regulatory challenge for the Malaysian Government is to strengthen its governance of both public and private health services in order to ensure high quality and safe services and fair charges. The structural challenge is to determine the balance between public and private sector delivery and to engage in a more productive partnership between public and private sectors. The administrative challenge is to consider whether the community would be better served by more decentralized and responsive services. As Malaysia seeks to attain high income country status, and as demographic and epidemiological transitions continue and new technology expands the possibilities for intervention, the demand for xvi health care by the population will continue to rise. The government will need to address growing concerns about equity, efficiency and budgetary constraints and balance conflicting policy principles. Pressures are building up for health system reform in Malaysia looking towards the year 2020 and beyond.
MeSH terms: Delivery of Health Care; Health Services; Malaysia; Private Sector; Public Sector
Citation: Garis Panduan Kawalan Infeksi Di Fasiliti Kesihatan Primer. Putrajaya: Bahagian Pembangunan Kesihatan Keluarga, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia; 2013
Translation:
Guidelines on Infection Control at Primary Care Facilities. Putrajaya: Family Health Development Division. Ministry of Health, Malaysia; 2013
MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities; Primary Health Care; Infection Control
The process of drug rehabilitation is an important agenda for the National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA). Various efforts have been taken to aid NADA in treating drug addicts. This study focuses on identifying the mental health status and psychological factors to design appropriate treatment strategies. Therefore, this research aims to determine the level of family functioning, cognitive distortion and resilience among clients of CCRC and C&C. A total of 495 clients from these institutions took part in this study. The instruments used were FACES III to measure family functioning, CDS to measure cognitive distortion and Resilience Scale to measure resilience. Results indicate that clients’ family functioning is at a moderate level, clients’ cognitive distortion is at a low level, whilst their resilence is at a high level. This indicates that the rehabilitation programs conducted at the institution had an impact on clients’ resiliency and cognitive distortion.The implications of the study can be attributed to the counseling intervention at NADA.
MeSH terms: Ambulatory Care Facilities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Malaysia; Substance-Related Disorders; Family Conflict; Drug Users; Resilience, Psychological*
ocial appearance is common among university students in Malaysia. In this study, we examine the reliability and validity of the SAAS in a sample of university students in Malaysia. This study aims to examine internal consistency and to validate the social appearance anxiety scale for Malaysian university students. Using a systematic random sampling, a set of questions was distributed to 400 academic college residents of a public university in Malaysia with a response rate of 86%. The student participants completed the social appearance anxiety scale, the social interaction anxiety scale, the brief fear of negative evaluation scale, and the general health questionnaire. The internal consistency of questions within the social appearance anxiety scale was 0.92. The social appearance anxiety scale had good convergent validity with the social interaction anxiety scale (r=0.55), the brief fear of negative evaluation (r=0.69, p
MeSH terms: Anxiety; Fear; Interpersonal Relations; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Students; Universities; Reproducibility of Results
Walaupun telah terdapat banyak kajian mengenai gaya pengajaran guru, namun hanya terdapat sedikit sahaja kajian yang menfokuskan kepada hubungan antara gaya pengajaran guru dengan pemupukan kreativiti di kalangan pelajar. Oleh itu kajian secara deskriptif ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji tentang gaya pengajaran guru (N=250) yang membantu memupuk kreativiti di kalangan pelajar dalam bilik darjah. Dapatan kajian ini secara keseluruhannya menunjukkan bahawa para guru memiliki gaya pengajaran yang membantu ke arah pemupukan kreativiti dalam bilik darjah. Salah satu implikasi kepada guru ialah perlunya mereka memiliki gaya pengajaran yang membantu memupuk kreativiti pelajar.
Anger is a natural human emotion experienced by everyone at one time or another. It is said to be the most talk about but least studied emotion. When experienced, it involves a combination of cognitive, physiological, behavioral and social components. This preliminary study is aimed to test the reliability of the instruments and to examine the effect of Anger Management Module using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on anger expression among the adolescents in secondary school. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather data. Adolescents with high T-score value of anger level in Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (AARS) were selected to the study through purposive sampling. There are four main interventions in this module such as self-administered cognitive restructuring; relaxation; communication skills and problem solving routine were taught throughout the 10-weekly group counseling sessions. The module internal consistency was obtained using the content reliability questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.883 had shown that the module commands high internal reliability. Whereas the effect of the anger management using CBT interventions was determined by comparing the scores in pretest, post-test and a retention test obtained from the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (AARS) instrument. Finally, the qualitative data were obtained through interview and feedback questionnaire where the data were analyzed using the descriptive method. Both the analysis revealed that all the interventions in this module are effective to help the adolescents manage their anger problem.
Malaysia mencapai kemerdekaan pada tahun 1957. Telah banyak pembangunan yang tercapai semenjak kemerdekaan termasuklah pembangunan infrastruktur dan ekonomi. Perubahan besar yang dialami oleh negara boleh juga mempengaruhi rakyatnya. Khususnya, dari segi kesejahteraan psikologi rakyat. Maka, kajian ini meneroka personaliti dan gaya kognitif rakyat Malaysia yang dilahirkan sebelum dan selepas merdeka. Soal selidik yang digunakan bagi mengukur kedua-dua konstruk psikologi ini adalah NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) bagi mengukur personality dan Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) untuk mengukur gaya kognitif. Responden kajian ini terdiri daripada 261 individu yang dilahirkan sebelum tahun 1957 dan 291 individu dilahirkan selepas 1957 (N=552). Keputusan kajian menunjukkan bahawa tidak terdapat hubungan signifikan antara domain personality dengan gaya kognitif bagi generasi pra merdeka. Walau bagaimana pun, terdapat korelasi positif yang lemah antara domain personaliti keterbukaan dengan gaya kognitif bagi kumpulan generasi pasca merdeka. Bagi gaya kognitif, terdapat perbezaan signifikan antara kumpula pra dan pasca merdeka. Responden pasca merdeka adalah lebih kepada ‘field independent’ daripada responden pra merdeka. Keputusan juga menunjukkan terdapatnya perbezaan signifikan antara kumpulan pra dan pasca merdeka pada trait-trait keterbukaan dan kehematan. Rakyat Malaysia yang terdiri daripada generasi pasca merdeka adalah lebih terbuka pada pengalaman daripada mereka yang dilahirkan sebelum merdeka. Walau bagaimana pun, bagi trait kehematan, mereka yang dilahirkan sebelum tahun 1957 memperoleh kehematan yang tinggi berbanding mereka yang dilahirkan selepas merdeka. Dapatan kajian ini memberi implikasi bahawa wujudnya perbezaan pada personaliti dan gaya kognitif antara generasi Malaysia sebelum dan selepas merdeka.
Kajian kuasai-eksperimental ini dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengukur kesan terapi keluarga ke atas herotan kognitif pesalah remaja. Subjek kajian terdiri daripada 18 orang pesalah jenayah remaja yang menerima perintah bon berkelakuan baik berserta perintah tambahan bengkel interaktif sebagai kumpulan rawatan dan 18 orang pesalah remaja yang menerima perintah bon berkelakuan baik tanpa perintah tambahan bengkel interaktif sebagai kumpulan kawalan. Herotan kognitif diukur menggunakan soal selidik laporan kendiri Cognitive Distortion Scale (CDS). Subjek rawatan diberikan enam sesi terapi keluarga dalam jangka masa 2 - 3 bulan selama 50 ke 90 minit bagi setiap sesi. Ujian SPANOVA digunakan untuk mengukur kesan terapi keluarga ke atas pesalah remaja. Hasil kajian menunjukkan terapi keluarga berkesan secara signifikan untuk mengurangkan herotan kognitif pesalah remaja.
Following the process change from counselor scheme to psychology officerscheme in the year 2007, has led to changes in its role and function. Thedemands for effective job performance criteria for the scheme are surely different. Therefore, this study aimed to identify what are the criteria for effective job performance that have been the demands of the new service scheme from the perspective of Job Analysis Based on Personality (PBJA) and the Five Factor Personality Model (FFM). The design of the study is quantitative using the Personality-Related Position Requirements (PPRF) questionnaire adapted by Fatimah wati Halim et al. (2013). A total of 161 Malaysian Public Service Psychology Officers participated as respondents for the study. Results of the analysis of the measurement model of PBJA (modification) using AMOS 5 showed that general trustworthiness is the most important job personality to ensure effective job performance, followed by cooperation, emotional stability and thoroughness. On the contrary, leadership, friendly and achievement motivation are only helpful. The resulted PBJA measurement model (modification) can be taken as a guideline to build psychometric instrument for job personality, to produce desk-file/job description tasks, management and development of human resource for psychology officers. Future research needs to examine personality factors and their influence on psychology officers’ job personality.
Kes relaps dalam kalangan penagih dadah heroin semakin meningkat bilangannya di Malaysia. Kajian ini cuba mengaitkan kes relaps ini dengan tempoh penyalahgunaan heroin terhadap daya ingatan dan bahagian otak dalam usaha meleraikan persoalan tingkah laku relaps. Seramai 45 orang subjek terlibat dalam kajian ini. Kesemua subjek dipilih secara rawak berdasarkan kepada tempoh penagihan. Subjek dibahagi berdasarkan tempoh penagihan singkat, penagihan lama dan subjek normal. Setiap kumpulan diwakili seramai 15 orang subjek. Kajian ini dijalankan secara eksperimen selari dengan menggunakan ujian tingkah laku melalui ujian ingatan N-Back dan juga ujian pengimejan melalui ujian (fMRI). Dapatan data daripada ujian tingkah laku dianalisis menggunakan Program SPSS. Manakala data daripada ujian kefungsian pengimejan resonans magnet (fMRI) dianalisis menggunakan perisian pemetaan statistik berparameter (SPM) dan MATLAB (r2008a). Pengujian hipotesis dilakukan dengan menggunakan ujian ANOVA rekabentuk campuran (repeated measure) dan juga Post Hoc serta analisis kesan rawak (RFX) untuk melihat tahap pengaktifan otak yang dilakukan dengan menggunakan SPM. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa daya ingatan berbeza secara signifikan mengikut tempoh pengambilan, wujud interaksi yang signifikan antara tempoh pengambilan dadah dengan ujian N-Back, dan perbezaan corak pengaktifan pada bahagian otak dalam kumpulan eksperimen dan kawalan mengikut kesukaran ujian N-Back yang diberikan. Kajian ini menunjukkan semakin tinggi tempoh penagihan semakin kurang pengaktifan bahagian otak dan semakin tinggilah kecenderungan penagih untuk merelaps.
MeSH terms: Analysis of Variance; Cuba; Heroin; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Malaysia; Nerve Tissue Proteins; RNA-Binding Proteins; Magnets
Polis Diraja Raja Malaysia (PDRM) is the biggest law enforcement organization in the nation. Therefore, professionalism characteristics are emphasized in job tasks. However, since the year 2005 to 2011 SUHAKAM received 569 reports related to civil non-compliance among PDRM officers that affected PDRM’s professionalism. In relation to that, this study aimed to identify the validity of the claim that civil non-compliance factor affects the professionalism of PDRM’s officers. A total of 223 respondents were selected purposively around the area of Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Kajang, Selangor administration. Civil non-compliance questionnaire and professionalism questionnaire were established by the reserchers based on community’s reports to SUHAKAM, Smith’s (2004) theory of civil non-compiance, Nayman’s (1973) professionalism model and PDRM’s codes of ethics. Regression analysis results showed that delay in action and power abuse, except excessive brutality subfactor, are the two civil non-compliance subfactors that influence four subfactors of PDRM professionalism. They are expertise, commitment, autonomy and responsibility. Outcome of this study indicates that delay in action factor and power abuse are the main factors that have to be focused by PDRM to change the negative perception of society towards PDRM professionalism. This study gives an impact that society’s belief towards PDRM professionalism can be improved through institutional reinforcement, positive relationship with the community and honesty such as those outlined in the institutional theory. Police officers’ communication skill aspect with youth must also be refined. Future research needs to re-examine professionalism and civil non-compliance concepts from the perspective of PDRM officers and its comparison with the youth group.
The Malaysian fruit fly, Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel), is a pest of peppers (Capsicum spp.) in Thailand. A field trial was undertaken to determine whether five commonly used cultivars of C. annuum, with marked differences in morphology and pungency, varied in their susceptibility to infestation by B. latifrons. Experiments carried out in both the dry and rainy seasons showed temporal differences in the number of fruits per cultivar, but there was no effect of variety or season on the proportion of fruits attacked or the number of pupae obtained per infested fruit However, the number of dead larvae per infested fruit was significantly higher, and the percent of pupae giving rise to adults was lower for the larger sweet pepper than other cultivars tested.