Introduction: Most nursing students experience stress in nursing-related learning where they have to adapt to differ- ent teaching styles and clinical situations, to meet instructors’ expectations, work independently on learning objec- tives, and manage conflicts.Insome aspects of academic requirementmay be considered as highly stressful. There- fore, nursing students expected to have the ability to integrate emotional intelligence (EI) in their learning process. The aim of this study is to measure the level of EI and stress among UMS nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey designusing purposive sampling methods involving one hundred (100) nursing students. Trait EI Question- naire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) scale developed by Petrides & Furnham, (2006) and Jones Scoring Instrument: Students Nurse Stress Index (SNSI) scale developed by Jones and Johnston (1999) used to measure EI and stress level. Approval to conduct study obtained from Dean of faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UMS. Results: The data were an- alysed through descriptive method using SPSS for window 21.0. Total EI scores ranging from a low (M=2.41) to high (M=6.53) and Mean value 4.20, (SD + 0.705). Total high EI 62(62%). Total score for SNSI ranging from a low (M=1.5) to a high (M=4.18) and Mean value 2.92, (SD + 0.606). Total low stress 58(58%). Year 2 reported significantly high EI Mean value 4.24, (SD + 0.779) compared to the year 1 Mean value 4.22,(SD + 0.738), and Year 3, Mean value 4.15, (SD + 0.618). Year 1 reported significantly low stress Mean value 2.80, (SD + 0.598) compared to the Year 2, Mean value 2.90, (SD + 0.656), and Year 3, Mean value 3.06, (SD + 0.547). Conclusion: The level of EI was high and Stress level was low. However, attention should be given to nursing students with low EI as well as to nursing students with high levels of stress.
Over the years, various models have been proposed to explain the psychology and biology of drug addiction, built primarily around the habit and compulsion models. Recent research indicates drug addiction may be goal-directed, motivated by excessive valuation of drugs. Drug consumption may initially occur for the sake of pleasure but may transition to a means of escaping withdrawal, stress and negative emotions. In this hypothetical paper, we propose a value-based neurobiological model for drug addiction. We posit that during dependency, the value-based decision-making system in the brain is not inactive but has instead prioritized drugs as the reward of choice. In support of this model, we consider the role of valuation in choice, its influence on pleasure and punishment, and how valuation is contrasted in impulsive and compulsive behaviours. We then discuss the neurobiology of value, beginning with the dopaminergic system and its relationship with incentive salience before moving to brain-wide networks involved in valuation, control and prospection. These value-based neurobiological components are then integrated into the cycle of addiction as we consider the development of drug dependency from a valuation perspective. We conclude with a discussion of cognitive interventions utilizing value-based decision-making, highlighting not just advances in recalibrating the valuation system to focus on non-drug rewards, but also areas for improvement in refining this approach.
Introduction : Flood disaster in Johor started at the end of 2006 until the early year of 2007 causing the distruction of property and human life and it was the worse flood disaster in the history of Malaysia. The Muar and Kluang Health Office had been taken all the measures in the District Plan of Action for flood disaster in the early phase of the flood. Management of the Health and Medical team was one of the measures taken for the deployment of staff systematically and optimumly use of man power during a disaster.
Metodology : The objective for this article is to share the experience regarding human resource management during flood disaster. Data collected base on flood activities rosters used by health staff during morning briefing, analysis of record and daily flood report, interviewing the staff and flood victim involved regarding the experience and challengers they face and lastly by observing the services given to flood victim during the disasters.
Finding : There were 41 Medical and Health Team formed and responsible at 108 flood relived centre homing 26,824 flood victims in Muar District while in Kluang, 21 Medical and health Team were providing services in 60 flood relieve centre with 36,126 flood victims. All of the activities conducted by the Medical and Health team were coordinated by the district flood operation centre. District of Muar had been receiving 16 additional staff from other state while 34 additional staff had been providing services in Kluang. Challengers that had been identified include shortage of human resource compared to the increasing need and task during the flood disaster, shortage of personal protective equipments, frequent changers and inconsistency in the format use during flood reporting and lack of psychosocial support and motivation among the staff involved in the flood disaster operation.
Conclusion : Partnership among other department are very importance and the collaboration between them were very good.
Developing a trust management scheme in mobile computing environment is increasingly important,
and the effective trust management model is a challenging task. Business, education, military, and
entertainment have motivated the growth of ubiquitous and pervasive computing environments, which are always available due to the widespread of portable and embedded devices. Wireless and mobile computing are good example of ubiquitous and pervasive computing environments. Due to the uncertainty and mobility in such environments, the issue of trust has been regarded as an important security problem. Malicious nodes are a major threat to these networks; the trust system can monitor the behaviour of nodes and accordingly rewards well-behaved nodes and punishes misbehaving ones. At present, there are a lot of endeavours on the trust model of the pervasive computing environment. In this paper, a trust management framework for mobile computing is presented. The hybrid framework is based on a fusion of the support vector machine (SVM) and fuzzy logic system. From the results, it can be stated that the framework is effective, dynamic, lightweight, and applicable.
Mixed culture anaerobic fermentation generates a wide range of products from simple sugars, and is potentially an effective process for producing renewable commodity chemicals. However it is difficult to predict product spectrum, and to control the process. One of the key control handles is pH, but the response is commonly dependent on culture history. In this work, we assess the impact of pH regulation mode on the product spectrum. Two regulation modes were applied: in the first, pH was adjusted from 4.5 to 8.5 in progressive steps of 0.5 and in the second, covered the same pH range, but the pH was reset to 5.5 before each change. Acetate, butyrate, and ethanol were produced throughout all pH ranges, but there was a shift from butyrate at pH < 6.5 to ethanol at pH > 6.5, as well as a strong and consistent shift from hydrogen to formate as pH increased. Microbial analysis indicated that progressive pH resulted in dominance by Klebsiella, while reset pH resulted in a bias towards Clostridium spp., particularly at low pH, with higher variance in community between different pH levels. Reset pH was more responsive to changes in pH, and analysis of Gibbs free energy indicated that the reset pH experiments operated closer to thermodynamic equilibrium, particularly with respect to the formate/hydrogen balance. This may indicate that periodically resetting pH conforms better to thermodynamic expectations.
Objective: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is described as the ability to perceive, express,
understand, motivate, control and regulate emotion. The USM Emotional Quotient Inventory (USMEQ-i) was designed to measure EI and it was found to be a reliable and valid tool in a sample of prospective medical students. The objective of this study is to determine stability of the USMEQ-i to measure EI at different time and occasions. Methods: A prospective cohort study was done on 196 first year medical students. It was administered to the medical students at four different intervals. The Cronbach’s alpha and intra-class correlation analysis were applied to measure the internal consistency and agreement level across the intervals. The analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18. Results: A total of 196 first year medical students participated in this study. Its overall Cronbach’s alpha value across intervals ranged between 0.94 and 0.97. The Cronbach’s alpha values of emotional control, emotional maturity, emotional conscientiousness, emotional awareness, emotional commitment, emotional fortitude, and emotional expression scale ranged between 0.59 and 0.91. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the faking index scale ranged from 0.76 to 0.89. The ICC coefficient values for EI total score was 0.83, EI domain score ranged between 0.62 and 0.76 and the faking index score was 0.76. Conclusion: The USMEQ-i has demonstrated a good level of stability and internal consistency to measure EI at different time and occasions. It is a promising psychometric instrument that can be used to measure EI.
Introduction : An organization performs well with proper management methods. Participation is a process involving cooperation and collaboration within all levels of individuals, groups or community for the purpose of organization improvement. Empowerment brings the organization further by delegation of power and responsibilities to others for better result.
Methodology : This is a systematic review on various publications, articles and studies based on the findings and researches conducted by experts and scholars involved with participation and empowerment of organizations.
Results : Participation and empowerment are crucial in every organization including healthcare. Its success depends on factors such as proper planning, mutual understanding, regular training and continuous education. They contribute towards better outcome in goal setting, decision making, problem solving and organizational development. There are also various levels of empowerment and participation depending on the type of activities, organisation’s performance and level of authority.
Conclusion : The prerequisite for an organisation’s success is dependent upon holistic participation and appropriate empowerment. The benefits gained from these measures are indeed invaluable. It creates sense of ownership, increases motivation and satisfaction, optimizing resources, promote innovations, enhancing quality and improving efficiency.
The term ‘sustainable’ has become a buzz word in today’s business world. Consumption of green food is just one facet or ‘trip’ to the whole journey of sustainable development. This paper explores and synthesizes the findings of research on green food consumption in Malaysia. The already conducted studies in Malaysia have revealed various demographic and psychographic factors contributing to consumers’ intension to buy green food. This study revealed that majority of Malaysians consider food safety and health issue to be their prime reason for buying green food. To ensure the long term sustainability, the green food as well as the broad food industry in Malaysia must evidently understand the consumers’ buying motives of green food. Although mentionable limitation of the paper is the reliance on only published literature, this can be used as input for further large scale empirical research. The paper concludes with implications and suggestions for further research.
Background: Reflection on the process of learning is an essential ingredient in transforming novice into expert learners. Learning to compile portfolio encourages reflective skills, which help students to work systemically in translating metacognition into self-regulatory control in order to adjust their action and monitor their learning objectives. Introducing to compile portfolio in the early years of postgraduate training is an effective tool to stimulate students’ reflective abilities. Reflective learners are better motivated than the conventional learners to take the responsibilities as researcher in future. Reflective skills achieve both learning in right direction and learning for whole life. However, use of formal methods of reflective portfolio to monitor the learning objectives is an uncommon practice in postgraduate training, primarily due to intensive time and labor required. Challenged with those constraints in Master’s of Surgery Program of Otolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery in School of Medical Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia, a structured self-reflective portfolio was introduced to determine its feasibility and acceptance among supervisors and trainees. Portfolio was practiced as one of the tool for formative assessment and for making recommendations to certify independent thyroid surgery allowed to practice in future. Methodology: A self-reflective structured portfolio was introduced to monitor the learning objectives in trainees of 2007 cohort, using a model as "mentor-system for authentic and structured learning with self-reflective assessment" (MASSRA). Initially a semi-structured portfolio comprising of 12 items and guidelines to compile a portfolio was followed by a structured format in training of thyroid module in sub-specialty of Head and Neck Surgery. Mentoring was organized by putting one-mentor verses 9 students to provide general pastoral guidance to compile portfolio as two entries a year. Mentors held the counseling session with student twice a year after evaluating the portfolios to monitor their progress. Besides, candidates were also observed for their performance in thyroid surgery during a 4-years training program. Those identified with problems for their level of training were referred to "Joint Committee for Surgical Training" comprising of 3 supervisors from Head and Neck Surgery Sub-specialty and a chairman supposedly the head of the department. 7 randomly selected students were also interviewed for direct feedback to evaluate this model. Result: 28 trainees at different level of their training compiled a self-reflection structured portfolio minimum twice a year with instructional feedback from the mentor, which was used as a tract for their personal development plan (produced by each trainee) for training in thyroid surgery. Initial analysis of portfolio revealed interesting feedback from the trainees reflecting on their knowledge, surgical skills and attitude towards thyroid surgery seen in tables 2-4. Conclusion: Self-reflections about each structured items in portfolio-helped trainees to identify their problems, seek mentors guidance and work systemically to help adjust their actions by revising learning objectives. Though time and labor intensive, portfolio was rated as feasible and practical.
The aim of the study was to assess the potential role of dentists as smoking cessation counsellors in their practice. The target group comprised of all public and private sector dentists in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (FTKL) and Selangor. Data were collected via a twenty-six item questionnaire which was mailed to 831 dentists. A response rate of 67.1% was obtained. Results revealed that the majority of the respondents (97.8%) perceived that in addition to providing oral care, dentists should also be interested in their patients’ general health. Generally, about two-thirds of dentists (69.1%) and especially those from the public sector (76.4%) considered that they have an important role to play as smoking cessation counsellors. However, less than half of the respondents (40.3%) perceived that patients do not expect smoking cessation advice from their dentists. Yet, more than half of the respondents (55.1%) provided advice or helpful hints in order to motivate their patients to quit smoking. About 65% of the overall respondents did explain to their patients regarding the health risk due to smoking and its detrimental effects. Perceived obstacles to smoking cessation include lack of information between dentistry and smoking cessation (86.1%) followed by lack of training and lack of time.
This pilot survey was conducted to determine the main reason and the motivating factors which, influence patients in seeking orthodontic treatment. 115 patients aged 11-30 years old were taken from the orthodontic waiting list at the Dental Faculty, University Malaya dated December 1999 - May 2000. A structured questionnaire was designed and the survey of patients was carried out using the telephone. The desire to have a better dental appearance was the main reason (65 %) given by patients who were seeking orthodontic treatment. The most important motivating factor that influences patients in seeking orthodontic treatment was to attain straight teeth (48 %). In conclusion, patients seek orthodontic treatment mainly due to psychological reason, which is to improve dental appearance and aesthetic. Perceived needs of an orthodontic patient should also be taken into consideration before commencing orthodontic treatment to increase chances of mutually satisfying result for both the orthoqontist and patient.
Organ shortage is a major concern in many countries. The objective of this paper was to investigate the factors that contribute to the low quantity of organ donation in Malaysia. The 1311 respondents in this survey came from the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia (Malay, Chinese and Indian). The survey was based on these components: The reason for not pledging to become a donor; the reason of refusing to become a donor; and whether non-fungible incentive would influence decision. The lack of information and trust were the factors that influenced the respondents to remain apathetic to organ donation. The results denote that people are unlikely to become a donor even if non-fungible incentive were provided to them. Thus, it is important for the government bodies to evaluate the programme and strategies of public education in relation to organ donation.
Psychobiological predictors of emotionality were evaluated in relations to complex reaction and movement performances have been considered as the significant aspect of research interest. Considerable research base confirms that the expert players employ more pertinent search strategies, eliminate irrelevant cues which enable them to effectively anticipate action requirements and they have superior ability to use cue-related information to reliably anticipate occurrence of relevant events. Present study was aimed at identification of intricate relationship between the ability of the high performing swimmers (National - level swimmers of Malaysia) in anticipatory cue-utilization and corresponding autonomic phasic skin conductance responses isolated from the tonic measures. Altogether two-hundred and twenty-five individuals having high athletic calibre, and holding top-positions in recently held (within the period March 2011 up to the June 2011) National and International (Mostly ASEAN level) meets volunteered as the participants in this study. Simultaneous evaluation of autonomic arousal modulation (habituation paradigm tonic and phasic measures of skin conductance) was done when the swimmers were engaged in cue-related anticipatory task, associated with complex reaction performance. For this purpose, participants were evaluated intermittently (twice within the calendar year August 2010 - June 2011) with the identical research paradigm. Perceived sense of competence as well as the subjective feelings of apprehension of loosing was explored, and attempts were made to identify the obscure subjective expression of cognitive-emotional make-up, in explaining differential performance outcomes evident in the participants. Findings of multiple linear and polynomial regression analyses however suggested direct, inverse and supportive relationships between decomposition of skin conductance tonic and phasic autonomic components related to cognitive-affective and affective motivational aspects of sports behaviour explaining pathways to both excellent and debilitative performance outcomes during practice sessions as well as in actual competitive situations.
Games are an increasingly popular approach for conservation teaching. However, we know little about the effectiveness of the games on students' experiences and knowledge acquisition. Many current games are supplemental games (SG) that have no meaningful interaction with the subject matter. We adapted the experiential gaming (EG) model where students were immersed in goal-orientated tasks found in real-life situations, and they tackled questions to complete actions for their main task. Classroom-based games were created for eight different conservation topics for an annual Wildlife Conservation Course and an annual Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice. Data were collected over two cycles, a total sample size of 55 multinational students. We used a combination of repeated-measures design and counterbalanced measures design; each student was subjected at least twice to each of the EG and didactic instruction (DI) treatments, and at least once to the SG approach. We compared students' perception, learning and behavioural responses to the treatments, including measures of student personality types and learning styles as explanatory variables. Findings revealed multiple benefits of the classroom EG compared to the DI approach, such as increased attention retention, increased engagement and added intrinsic motivation. The improved level of intrinsic motivation was mainly facilitated by increased social bonding between participants. Further, we show that this EG approach appeals to a wide range of learning styles and personalities. The performance of SG was generally intermediate between that of EG and DI. We propose EG as a beneficial complement to traditional classroom teaching and current gamified classes for conservation education.
Construction industry is one of the major contributors towards Malaysian economy and socio-economy. It is an important
industry gearing Malaysia towards developed nation status. However, fatalities in this industry are a crucial problem. Number of
fatalities in this industry is the highest compare to other industries registered in Malaysia. The contributing factors can be separated
into immediate (human and worksite elements) and underlying (management and external). Occupational safety and health (OSH)
management is a challenge in the construction industry due to its hazardous nature. A framework of construction OSH management
consisting of policy, process, personnel and incentive elements were tested. 13 respondents from 13 residential projects comprising of
high-rise and low-rise in Pulau Pinang were interviewed. It was found that the immediate factors are being more recognized by the
respondents compare to the underlying factors. Human element is perceived as the most significant contributor, while the external
element is the least significant. In terms of construction OSH management, process and personnel elements are the most significant in
developing an effective OSH management programme.
Conservation benefits from understanding how adaptability and threat interact to determine a taxon's vulnerability. Recognizing how interactions with humans have shaped taxa such as the critically endangered orangutan (Pongo spp.) offers insights into this relationship. Orangutans are viewed as icons of wild nature, and most efforts to prevent their extinction have focused on protecting minimally disturbed habitat, with limited success. We synthesize fossil, archeological, genetic, and behavioral evidence to demonstrate that at least 70,000 years of human influence have shaped orangutan distribution, abundance, and ecology and will likely continue to do so in the future. Our findings indicate that orangutans are vulnerable to hunting but appear flexible in response to some other human activities. This highlights the need for a multifaceted, landscape-level approach to orangutan conservation that leverages sound policy and cooperation among government, private sector, and community stakeholders to prevent hunting, mitigate human-orangutan conflict, and preserve and reconnect remaining natural forests. Broad cooperation can be encouraged through incentives and strategies that focus on the common interests and concerns of different stakeholders. Orangutans provide an illustrative example of how acknowledging the long and pervasive influence of humans can improve strategies to preserve biodiversity in the Anthropocene.
Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education 5(2): 61-73, 2016 – Participation in
adventure recreation is increasing in popularity in recent years. However, out of the 13
million people who participated in outdoor recreation activities globally, 12 million are no
longer participated in these activities due to low satisfaction of the acitivity, which includes
the implementation of activities, environment and facilities provided (Outdoor Industry
Foundation, 2013). This study aims to understand the patterns of participation, specifically in
whitewater rafting activity by identifying the motivation factor and the satisfaction level of
participants. It also examines the relationship between motivation and satisfaction in
whitewater rafting activity. Recreation Experience Preferences Scale (REP) was used to
identify the motivation factors, while Leisure Satisfaction Scale was employed to assess the
level of satisfaction in whitewater rafting activity. The respondents consisted of 404 people
who participated in whitewater rafting in Kampar River, Perak. Mean, standard deviation and
Pearson Correlation were used to answer the research questions. Results showed that
elements of nature, excitement and sociability as the main motivation in the activities of
whitewater rafting. Higher satisfaction levels were recorded in the aesthetic, psychological
and social. This study revealed that there is a positive relationship between participants‟
motivation and satisfaction in whitewater rafting activity. In conclusion, the motivation
factors that encourage participants to participate in whitewater rafting activity may not
necessarily be the same factors that contribute to participants‟ satisfaction. Therefore, the
operators of the activity and the related parties need to identify factors that contribute to
satisfaction of aesthetic, psychological and social in whitewater rafting activity to ensure
higher satisfaction in participation of this activity.
The capacity limitation of working memory is a widely recognised determinant of human learning. A cognitive load exceeding the capacity hampers learning. Cognitive load can be controlled by tailoring an instructional design to levels of learner prior knowledge. However, such as design does not necessarily motivate to use the available capacity for better learning. The present review examines literatures on the effects of instructional design, motivation, emotional state, and expertise level on cognitive load and cognitive effort, which ultimately affect working memory performance and learning. This examination suggests further studies on the effects of motivation and negative emotional states on the use of working memory. Prospective findings would help better explain and predict individual differences in the use of working memory for cognitive learning and task performance.
This study aims to examine the interrelationship of self-determination, the big five, achievement motivation and academic achievement among students. This questionnaire survey study involving 150 students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The National University of Malaysia. The data obtained in this study were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Instrument that has been used was Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L), Big Five Inventory (BFI), and achievement motivation scale (CLAMS). The results showed that the autonomous regulation (r =.40) and controlled regulation (r =.43) were significantly related to achievement motivation. Results also showed that the autonomous regulation (r =.45) and controlled regulation (r =.29) were significantly related to academic achievement. Correlation results also show that the big five personalities, that openness (r =.62), conscientiousness (r =.56), extraversion (r =.61), agreeableness (r =.43) and neuroticism (r =1.58) were significantly related to achievement motivation. The results showed openness (r =.31), conscientiousness (r =.44), extraversion (r =.30), agreeableness (r =.22) and neuroticism (r = -.23) were significantly related to academic achievement. In general, this study explains that self-determination and big five personalities can be used to predict the relationship with achievement motivation and academic achievement.
Lameness continues to be a welfare and economic issue for dairy cows. However, the consequences of lameness seem to be better understood by veterinarians and related personnel in comparison to dairy farmers. Prompt detection and treatment of lame cows is essential in reducing its negative impact on milk processing systems. To that end, understanding farmers' perceptions regarding the significance of lameness to dairy cows is vital. One fundamental aspect is the underestimation of lameness prevalence by dairy farmers, which is as a result of different understanding of the problem. The same applies to their decision to treat lame cows and to adopt various detection and management practices. All of these shortcomings contribute to poor cattle welfare and economic losses in dairy production. This review summarizes the results of studies that have investigated dairy farmers' perceptions of lameness and the associated implications on the wellbeing and productivity of dairy cows. Factors associated with farmers' attitudes toward claw health and lameness management are also presented. Additionally, economic observations relating to lameness prevention, treatment and the adoption of lameness detection systems are also highlighted. To strengthen these points, interventional programmes requiring farmers' participation are discussed as a promising approach in answering some of these challenges. A review of the literature indicates both the opportunities and barriers inherent in the tackling the lameness issue from the farmers' perspectives. Such knowledge is crucial in identifying measures on how to motivate dairy farmers towards proper lameness management.