The academic performance of Malaysian students has recently been in the spotlight
when it was revealed that our high schoolers had performed dismally in recent major
international benchmarking studies. Malaysian students were not only ranked below
the global average, but they also appear to be performing worse in Mathematics,
Science and Reading Literacy compared the previous assessments. This has raised
alarm among not only educational policy makers and academicians, but also other
stakeholders who are directly or indirectly affected by the success or failure of the
educational system. This study aims at empirically analysing the academic
performance of students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
Program at Kolej MARA Banting (KMB) over a span of 23 years. It attempts to identify
whether there is a similar declining trend as reported by PISA and TIMSS, and identify
factors that accounted for the students’ performance. Students’ IB results from 1993
to 2016 sourced from KMB database were analysed for trend and the strength of the
relationship of subjects that contributed to the total points of the IB examination for
two main programs offered at the college. Finally, future performance for the next
three years was forecasted using time series analysis using ARIMA (1,0,0). The Mann
Kendall Test confirmed existence of a downward trend in the students’ results.
Correlational analyses found that high level subjects comprising of the High Level
Chemistry, High Level Physics, High Level Biology and High Level Mathematics are
highly correlated to IB examination results. This is accentuated further after a policy
change in 2009 when the program for pre-Medical students opted for Standard Level
Mathematics, instead of High Level Mathematics it used to offer. It is anticipated that
the findings of this study will provide the relevant authorities with invaluable
information with a view of instituting corrective measures.
Riparian vegetation has been recognized for its remarkable environmental and
management implications. Occurred within the dynamic tract of river systems, riparian
vegetation is a complex character that often exposed to the changes of river water and
river beds. Their spatial extent is strongly controlled by inundation and flood
disturbance, which result in the riparian vegetation migration to the point of
destruction, if the competition for the area and other sources are lacking. This paper
presents the findings of collected riparian vegetation information along Sg Johor at the
upstream and downstream of Kota Tinggi. Using Point-Centre-Quarter Method, the
vegetation’s species, density, basal area, diameter at breast height and relative
composition were recorded, identified and classified. Vitex pubescens and Drypetes
spp. dominantly occurred along the upstream and downstream of this river,
respectively. Species like Gymnacranthera bancana, Endospermum malaccense, and
Aquilaria malaccensis are also found inhabit along Sg Johor bank. Classified as woody
vegetation, these vegetations are equipped with buttress roots that enable them to
increase soil strength. This paper also suggests that proper study of riparian vegetation
along river banks could promote a better understanding of the function of each
species, to ensure the sustainability of riparian vegetation as part of river system
engineer.
Climate change influences over years clearly can affect a catchment area in terms of
quantity and quality of water. High annual rainfall in Malaysia does not solve water
scarcity problems during the El Nino phenomenon and can cause severe flooding
during La Nina. A simulation from year 1980 to 2006 has been done at Sg. Ketil
streamflow station at Kuala Pegang, Kedah in the North region of Malaysia according
to availability of data. The monthly streamflow later has been calibrated and validated
using SWAT-CUP. Water level data was obtained from an inventory water level station
recorded at the station. Land-use, soil type and slope are taken account to produce a
number of hydrologic response units (HRU). This study used developed gridded daily
hydrometeorological data set for Peninsular from 1980-2006using interpolation
technique. The results shown that the calibrated model is able to simulate the flow for
the river basin successfully with the R2
= 0.65 and NSE=0.52 and validated value of
R
2=0.5 and NSE=0.43. A recommendation is purposed to simulate the catchment using
hydrometeorological data set in the stations located in the area to compare the results
for further study.
Honeycomb with good mechanical properties and low density are the top priorities in
material selection. Therefore, the facesheet thickness is a factor that contributes to it
as it made up most of the weight in the structure. Appropriate thickness can optimize
the mechanical performance. However, the sandwich composite may associate to high
density if the facesheet is of high thickness yet deteriorate the mechanical properties
as an overall. As the facesheet is attached to the sandwich structure via matrix, the
peeling properties for various facesheet thickness is investigated. The facesheet
thickness in terms of one to five layers are glued to the rubber wood core. The
structures are tested for its peeling strength under vertical 90° test according to the
ASTM standard. The optimal number of facesheet with good peeling strength is
discussed
This paper presents the speed control of DC series motor by using field control method,
armature control method and voltage control method. In field control method, a
variable resistance is connected in parallel with series field winding to shunt some
portion of the line current from the series field winding. Thus weakening the field and
increasing the speed. While in armature control method, a variable resistance is
directly connected in series with the supply to reduce the voltage available across the
armature and hence the speed falls. For voltage control method, the motor is supplying
with a variable voltage supply to change the speed of the motor. A laboratory
experiment is designed to control the speed of dc series motor where a rheostat
(variable resistor) is used to vary the field and armature resistance of the motor. The
applied voltage is kept constant for both field control method and armature control
method experiment. The result of the experiment shows at a constant supplied
voltage, the speed of the motor increased when the flux and armature resistance
decreased. Meanwhile, the speed of the motor increased when the terminal voltage
increased. This study concluded that the speed of a series DC motor can be controlled
by varying the field, armature and supplied voltage.
Temperature monitoring system plays a very important role in modern liquid industrial
process especially where temperature monitoring is impossible through traditional
methods. In this paper a design and implementation of temperature monitoring
system using ATmega328 microcontroller has been proposed. The proposed system
consists of two different parts. The first part is temperature monitoring system and the
other is GUI interfacing between temperature monitoring system and computer as
temperature data storage. The monitoring part is composed of an ATmega328
microcontroller, temperature sensor LM35, alarm buzzer, a LED and a LCD. The
microcontroller is programmed in embed C language using Arduino Uno software to
read data from temperature sensor LM 35, convert and display in digital form on LCD.
Moreover, this part also indicates whether the temperature is low, high or safe by LED
light and alarm buzzer. The second part is GUI interfacing between temperature
monitoring system and computer which is performed through visual basic
programming using Microsoft visual basic software. The function of this part is to store
and display the temperature values and their waveform along with time and date on
computer.
The fragmented and unstable nature of the construction industry associated with
unpleasant working environment caused the diminishing preference of potential
manpower to participate in the construction industry. An increasing number of
construction firms are experiencing severe outflow of the workforce, not limited to loss
of manpower, but contemporaneously, expertise and valuable experiences too. The
construction industry is conservative and particularly resistant to synchronise with
hectic and rapid changes to content and accommodate current demands.
Accumulation of a few causes such as the refusal of locals to involve, unsatisfied
working conditions, labour-intensive trades, etc had caused workforce scarcity as the
supplies unable to overcome and cope in-parallel with the demands. The objective of
this study was to identify labour composition (profiles) at construction sites. The
method used to fulfil the objective was face to face questionnaire survey to the
targeted respondents. The questionnaire consisted two (2) sections; details of the
construction project and details of construction labours such as background, education
and training level, working experiences, general welfare and working hours and wages.
The collected data were analysed using percentage distribution methods and
presented in the tables and charts for easy understanding. From the result gathered,
the respondents’ education level is low and most of them are from the Philippines and
Indonesia. Most of them acquire the construction skills through site experience and no
formal training. The majority of them stayed off-site comfortably with their family and
being paid according to their skills.
HEIs are facing major challenges in the current era, and an investigation of their
structures and roles is imperative. The survival and continued competiveness of HEIs
depend on the willingness and acceptance of changes and consideration for the
methods that will allow their practices to be improved. A learning organization is one
that seeks to maximize fully the capacities of its people to change, to survive in a
volatile environment and to sustain competitive advantage. The HEI sector is one such
sector that exists in a volatile environment; this sector needs to be resilient in facing
these challenges and adopting new ways to survive and cope with them. Thus, this
paper proposes that the learning organization approach has a direct influence on
knowledge transfer and organizational performance, which in turn, leads to HEIs
attaining success and continued survival.
Face recognition has attracted significant attention due to its wide range of
applications. Recently, researchers have focused on robust face recognition such as
face recognition systems invariant to pose, expression and illumination variations.
Illumination variation is still a challenging problem in the face recognition research
area, especially for appearance-based approaches. This paper will discuss two main
categories of the existing illumination methods namely frequency domain approach
(DCT & DWT) and filtering approach. This includes the introduction of the
representative algorithms, theories, and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of
these algorithms correspondingly. The aim of this paper is to explore the technique
and limitations of the existing illumination normalization strategies. Based on the
reviews that have been conducted, it is found that the filtering technique is more
effective when compared to the frequency domain technique. Hence, the implications
of the review can help researchers to propose a novel idea in order to solve the existing
problems and automatically improve the recognition performance.
Recently, research has been critically focused on finding new compounds with antirepellent
activity due to the rising of new types of mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquito
repellents are the safer and cleaner alternative to fight the anthropods from bitten
human skins, hence reduce the spread of diseases. This study investigated the
relationships between biological activity and structure of carboxamides by using
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis. The data set used in this
study comprised of 40 carboxamide compounds taken from the literature with their
activities expressed as log PT (protection time). These compounds were split into
training set for model building and test set for external validation using activity-based
ranking method. The training set contained approximately 75% of the compounds
while the remaining compounds were then used as the validation set to verify the
accuracy of the model. DRAGON software was employed to generate molecular
descriptors. The important relevant descriptors were further selected and reduced by
using Genetic Algorithm (GA) as variable selection method. Two QSAR models were
developed by combining GA method with two different modelling techniques that are
multiple linear regressions (MLR) and partial least square (PLS). All the models are
robust with good correlation coefficient (r2) greater than 0.6 and external validation
r2test more than 0.5. Statistics of the GA-MLR model are r2 = 0.779 and r2test = 0.646.
Whereas, the second model generated from GA and PLS shows good r2 with value of
0.775 and r2test = 0.563. These results could be useful in finding new, safe, and more
effective repellents against Aedes Aegypti in a short time by providing guidance for
further laboratory work as well as prediction of external compounds and help to
understand the factors affecting their activity.
Large costs associated with employee turnover due to stress among the offshore
worker can be related to the individual and organisation factors. This article presents
the relationship between individual and organisational factors toward occupational
stress of off-shore worker. A quantitative method has been carried out to investigate
the relation of interpersonal relationship, job characteristics, and organizational role
toward stress among the operators in an offshore platform. Set of data has been
gathered from respective respondents, then analysed using Statistical Package for
Social Science (SPSS) version 21.0. For the credential, the data were initially tested for
its reliability, then were analysed using frequency analysis, Pearson's correlation
analysis, coefficient regression analysis and SWOT analysis. The findings indicate that
job characteristics, interpersonal relationship, organizational role have a significant
influence toward the occupational stress. However, this study shows that
organizational role is identified as major contribution to the occupational stress of the
offshore workers. A few recommendations to manage stress among the workers have
been identified. It is expected that this could reduce the number worker of turnover
due to stress.
An effective sharps injury prevention program includes several components that must work in concert to prevent healthcare personnel from suffering needlesticks and other sharp related injuries. Sharp injury management program in Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) is currently at surveillance state outlined in the Manual of Sharp Injury Manual Surveillance 2007. Latest data showed that as much as 1405 cases reported in Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia facilities in 2011. In Hospital Melaka, high sharp injury prevalence was recorded with 25 per 1000 healthcare worker being affected each year. However, according to World Health Organization, surveillance data tend to underestimate the true rate of sharp injuries between 18% and 70%. Although reasons for sharp injury underreporting are well documented in many studies, less in known on what motivates healthcare personnel to report their injury. In order to encourage healthcare workers engagement to prevention program, these motivators need to be determined. Various factors affecting reporting behavior can be divided into organizational factors and health belief. The objective of the study is 1) to determine the level of awareness and compliance on sharp injury reporting among healthcare workers in Melaka, 2) To identify the relationship between awareness of reporting, organizational factors and health belief with sharp injury-reporting behavior among healthcare workers, 3) To determine the impact of awareness on reporting, organizational factors and health belief with sharp injury reporting behavior among healthcare workers, 4) To suggest improvements in sharp injury prevention program. Healthcare workers who reported sharp injury between 2011 and 2015 were invited to answers questionnaires pertaining these factors. Descriptive statistics, mean scores and multiple logistic regression were used for the analysis. Results and recommendation are discussed.
In this study, compatibilizing effects of caprolactam-maleic anhydride (CL-MAH) and
polyethylene-grafted-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MAH) with different blend compositions on polymer
blends of recycled high density polyethylene (RHDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blends were
investigated by tensile properties and swelling behavior. The use of CL-MAH improved the
compatibility of RHDPE80/EVA20 blend composition, and tensile properties of the resultant blend
compared well with those of RHDPE/EVA blends. Addition of PE-g-MAH improved the tensile
properties of RHDPE/EVA/PE-g-MAH blends than RHDPE/EVA blends without compatibilizer. The
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphologies of fracture surface for RHDPE/EVA blends with
presence of compatibilizers showing better incorporation of two different phases of polymer matrix.
At present, the learning activities carried out is in line with the rapid growth of development of technology and lifestyle. ICT literacy is categorised as those who can operate a computer and Internet. This study is conducted to determine the level of computer and Internet literacy in generation Y. A total of ten respondents among university students were interviewed. The level of the skill is measured in terms of the use of information processing systems and the Internet. The new knowledge addresses the themes in information communication technology literacy namely; defining, accessing, assessing, managing, integrating, creating and passing data. As such, the model of computer technology in education can also be produced. A more robust method of learning can be heightened by seeing the level of skills possessed by university students. The findings of this study is expected to determine the level of competence of the students and university can provide the necessary equipment to ensure effective teaching and learning.
The present study reports on the preparation processes and characterization of fibers from pineapple cores. The effects of different washing techniques (tap-water and hot-water washing) and particle sizes (0.2, 0.5 and 1 mm) on two important characteristics of dietary fiber, i.e. water holding capacity (WHC) and oil holding capacity (OHC), were investigated. It was found that the washing pre-treatment significantly improved WHC. Meanwhile larger particle sizes of fiber gave better WHC and OHC for all types of fibers. Tap-water washing was the most appropriate pretreatment method compared to hot-water washing and unwashed method. However, there was no difference in morphologies of the fibers before and after being prewashed at different particle sizes. The fiber morphology was preserved best after the drying process using microwave freeze dryer (MFD) and microwave vacuum dryer (MVD). This study demonstrates the potential of pre-treatment and drying methods in functional fiber preparation for food enrichment.
A coconut de-husking machine comprising of two rollers with spikes, chain drives,
presser, clearers, shafts and belting system was developed for small-scale production in rural areas.
Performance test analysis showed that the machine de-husks coconut fruits without any nut breakage
or distortion of the extracted fibre length. The objective of this project is to improve the efficiency and
productivity in producing coconut fruits without husks by using the best selection of mechanical
mechanisms with minimum costs. One electric motor (2hp, 1500rpm) is used to drive two shafts using
a combination of pulley and belt. In between the motor and the shafts, one box of worm gears is used
to reduce the rotation speed from 1500rpm to 21rpm (ratio 70:1). Two metal cylinders with a series of
spikes are used to remove the husks from the coconut fruit and are attached to the rotary shaft. The
machine’s average de-husking efficiency and capacity are 90.42% and 222 coconuts per hour,
respectively. In addition, the development of the machine is also a solution to the constraint of space,
whereby a compact-size machine is more suitable for small and medium enterprises (SME’s). Plus, it
operates with lesser noise, which also contributes to a more viable operating condition for the
environment.
Numerical studies are conducted on turbulent incompressible flow over 2D backwardfacing
step in order to investigate the performance of three different turbulence models (standard k-e,
realizable k-e and SST k-ω) in predicting the region of separation and reattachment behind the edge
of the step. Current solutions of Reynolds number (Re= 13200) and expansion ratio (H: H2=1:3) are
compared with experimental measurements. Among the turbulence models, SST k-ω and standard k-e exhibited good agreement with the experimental results.
Moringa oleifera is a plant with various benefits to mankind from its root until leaves.
From food to biofuel applications, all parts are useful for daily uses. In this research, the pod husk
was examined to determine the possibility of producing ethanol. The pod husks were dried and used in
two forms; one is grinded into powder, and the other is cut within 5 x 5 x 2 mm. About 10 grams of
Moringa oleifera pod husk was put into a conical flask and added with distilled water up to 250 mL.
The pre-treatment was made by adding an alkaline solution, NaOH, where the pH of the sample was
adjusted to (4.5, 5.0, and 5.5) using H2SO4. The samples were autoclaved at a temperature of 120°C
for 2 hours before the samples were cooled to room temperature (25+/-2oC). Baker’s yeast
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was prepared with different concentrations (1g, 5g, and 10g) and added
to the samples for fermentation process that took place in the incubator shaker at a temperature of
36°C, for a period of 72 hours. The bioethanol concentration was measured using High Performance
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with a refractive index detector and REZEX ROA-Organic Acid
HPLC Column using 0.05 N H2SO4 as the mobile phase. The bioethanol produced from Moringa
oleifera pod husk was 8.400 g/L using 1g/L yeast, and the fermentation took place at pH 4.5 for the
sample size of 5 x 5 x 2 mm. The results showed that Moringa oleifera pod husk can be introduced as
a new material for bioethanol production in Malaysia and other tropical countries where this tree is
available
here are many contaminants that could lead to the alteration of oil viscosity. Diesel fuel
is one of the deteriorating contaminants for diesel engine oils. It is among the main factors that give
high impact towards the deterioration of engine oils as one study has found that, in average, 0.36% of
total fuel consumption ends up in the crankcase. Many studies have demonstrated the effect of fuel
dilution on the wear characteristic. However, there are limited studies that focused on the percentage
amount affecting the wear characteristics together with other influencing factors such as load, speed
and temperature. In this research, used motor oil - Gibson 20W50 had been mixed well with fuel
percentages of 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7, hence creating 5 samples that were run under different speeds. The
experiment is conducted by following the ASTM 4172 standard. Based on the results, the fuel
contamination in used motor oil was considered limiting at 5% contamination and became totally
deteriorated at 7%. Through a Stribeck Curve, it could be understood that wear is inversely
proportional to sliding velocity, where it is one of the lubrication parameters together with speed and
load. Rough surface on the balls indicated that abrasive wear has occurred due to the use of used
motor oil
Palm oil-based wax is a waste material from palm oil refining process. Recent prototyping
activities have used industrial blue wax or synthetic wax to produce prototype parts by machining
processes. The new palm oil-based wax blended with LLDPE reduces the use of synthetic wax for
engineering applications. This paper studies the machining characteristic of two different composite
blends: LLDPE/PALMAC 95 -16 Palm Oil-Based Wax and LLDPE/PALMAC 98-18 Palm Oil-Based
Wax. Three machining characteristic results were recorded, namely; surface roughness, temperature
and dimensional consistency.