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- PublicationTime series modelling and forecasting commuting accident and association with meteorological parameters in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2015-2019)(2024-12)Introduction: In tropical countries such as Malaysia, rainfall and temperature serve as primary meteorological parameters that potentially increase the risk of road traffic accidents (RTAs). The working population in major cities is particularly vulnerable, especially during commuting hours, resulting in a surge of commuting accidents. However, research evidence utilizing objective measures, such as time series data, to model the association between meteorological factors and commuting accidents or even the RTAs in general, particularly within the Malaysian context are substantially limited. Therefore, this study aims to model the association between rainfall and temperature with commuting accidents and forecast their future occurrence. Methods: This study employed retrospective secondary data on RTAs, rainfall, and temperature from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019. In the first phase, the outcome variable was the number of RTAs among the working population. A quasi-Poisson regression model was utilized to investigate the influence of different temporal factors on the outcome variable. Its association with temperature and rainfall was then examined using a combination of Hurdle Negative Binomial (HNB) regression and Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM). The second phase focused on the number of commuting accidents as an outcome variable, defined as RTAs involving the working population during commuting hours (7:00 am to 8:00 pm). A combined approach using time-stratified case-crossover design and DLNM was implemented to investigate the association between temperature and rainfall with commuting accidents and subsequently, an ARIMA model was employed to forecast their future incidence. Results: In phase one, 11,877 and 8833 workers were involved in 11,531 and 8632 RTAs over five years in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, respectively. The majority of workers were male (> 75%) and aged 15-44 years (> 70%). The time of day, divided into two time zones, was significantly associated with RTAs among workers. The incidence risk ratio (IRR) was highest during T3 (12:00 pm - 5:59 pm) compared to T1 (12:00 am – 5:59 am) and during PEAK 2 (4:30 pm-7:30 pm) compared to OTHER (12:00 am – 7:29 am, 7:31 pm – 11:59 pm) in both cities. In Kuala Lumpur, workers had higher RTA risk during weekdays compared to weekend (IRR of 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.27). Weeks comprising of three or more school holiday showed a reduced RTA risk in both cities (Kuala Lumpur: IRR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69-0.88; Johor Bahru: IRR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.72-0.95). Lower temperatures significantly affected RTA occurrence, peaking at 22°C in Kuala Lumpur (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.10-1.94) and 26°C in Johor Bahru (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.04-1.78). The strongest lag effect of extremely low temperature (23°C) was at lag 0, and for extremely high temperature, it was delayed up to 16 hours in Kuala Lumpur (36°C) and 24 hours for Johor Bahru (34°C). Rainfall intensity increased RTA odds, with the most pronounced effects at lag 9-hour and 12-hour in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, respectively. In phase two, 8941 and 6548 commuting accidents were recorded in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019. Kuala Lumpur showed a significant inverse linear association between daily maximum temperature and commuting accidents, with the highest odds at 28°C (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.14-2.72), while Johor Bahru had a non-significant positive association, peaking at 35°C (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.63-2.32). No significant association between rainfall and commuting accidents was observed in both cities. The best forecasting model for Kuala Lumpur was a regression with ARIMA (1,1,1) error, with a weekly daily minimum temperature utilized as regressor. In Johor Bahru, ARIMA (1,1,1) was identified as the best fitted model. Both models indicated no substantial changes in the projected trajectory of weekly commuting accidents during 2020. Conclusion: The study findings elucidate the association between temperature, rainfall, and their lag effect with RTAs among the working population, and subsequently on commuting accidents, underscoring the significance of incorporating meteorological parameters in public health policy related to occupational safety and health, urban planning, and road safety. These insights can also inform targeted intervention and enhance the preparedness of urban workers for extreme weather events resulting from climate change.
- PublicationHousehold air pollution and childhood bronchial asthma new onset risk in Kota Bharu Kelantan: the determinants and modelling(2024-12)Background: Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have led to increasing environmental pollution, heightening children's vulnerability to bronchial asthma (BA). Environmental factors, including rising household product consumption and poorly regulated outdoor pollution, play a key role in this trend. Despite the growing risk, locally focused studies on household-related contributors to childhood BA remain limited. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the relationship between household air pollution and the risk of childhood BA onset in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. It includes the development, validation, and reliability analysis of the HAPBAC-Checklist, as well as identifying the determinants of childhood BA onset and modelling them. Methodology: The study was conducted through two phases, from March 2023 to April 2024. The first phase involved the development and validation of the HAPBAC-Checklist, which included four stages: 1) the development of the checklist 2) content validation 3) face validation and 4) reliability analysis (kappa agreement analysis). Then, the second phase employed a case-control study involving 194 children; 97 newly diagnosed BA cases and 97 controls, in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Data were collected using the HAPBAC-Checklist and air quality measurements. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression identified factors linked to childhood BA new onset, which were then used to develop accurate predictive models. Results: The final validated HAPBAC-Checklist consists of five domains (sociodemographic, family history of atopy, child’s medical history, household attributes, and outdoor attributes) with 59 items. The I-CVI scores indicated good relevancy (value ranged from 0.83 to 1.00), and the S-CVI value was satisfactory (value of 0.94). The I-FVI (at least 0.83) and the S-FVI (value of 0.96) indicating the checklist was easily understood. The kappa analysis for reliability testing for five domains combined was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.95; p<0.001). A case-control study found that case group had a higher proportion of indoor smoking, indoor pets, new wooden furniture, and other household attributes. As for outdoor, the case group had a higher proportion vehicle near their homes, use outdoor wood stoves, and live closer to pollution sources such as major roads and garbage burning. Air quality measurements indicated higher pollutant levels among households in the case group. Multiple logistic regression revealed the significant determinants were younger age (AdjOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.89; p=0.007), mother with history of atopy (AdjOR: 5.18, 95% CI: 1.54, 17.38; p=0.009), and sibling with history of atopy (AdjOR: 4.88, 95% CI: 1.51, 15.78; p=0.008); Household attributes: indoor smoking (AdjOR: 5.64, 95% CI: 1.95, 16.29; p=0.001), indoor pets (AdjOR: 3.65, 95% CI: 1.21, 11.04; p=0.022), recent home painting (AdjOR: 9.25, 95% CI: 1.56, 54.91; p=0.014), poorly ventilated kitchens (AdjOR: 12.28, 95% CI: 2.80, 53.87; p=0.001), frequent frying (AdjOR: 14.15, 95% CI: 3.01, 66.48; p=0.001), wood stove use indoor (AdjOR: 17.84, 95% CI: 1.29, 247.20; p=0.032) and fragrance indoor (AdjOR: 7.54, 95% CI: 2.23, 25.51; p=0.001); Outdoor attributes: proximity to main roads (AdjOR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98, 0.99; p=0.001) and nearby livestock or outdoor pets (AdjOR: 5.62, 95% CI: 1.82, 17.38; p=0.003); and air quality measurement: elevated levels of indoor PM10 (AdjOR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.05; p<0.001) and Aspergillus spores (AdjOR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.16; p=0.048). The predictive model developed from these 14 determinants showed an excellent fit (ROC curve = 0.947; 95% CI: 0.92, 0.97), effectively predicting childhood BA onset. Conclusion: The HAPBAC-Checklist is a novel tool specifically tailored to address locally identified household and outdoor factors influencing BA. The widespread determinants underscore the urgent need to prevent childhood BA. This study recommends policies promoting healthier living environments, incentives for safer practices, stricter regulation of household products, and health advocacy on key risk factors.
- PublicationAttitude and needs toward geriatric care among primary care doctors in Malaysia: A mixed methods study(2024-12)Background: Primary care doctors (PCD) are pivotal in an ageing society. They must possess the appropriate attitudes in offering effective care to the older persons. Their need to deliver effective geriatric care must also be addressed to ensure they are equipped to provide high-quality care to the older persons. Therefore, this study sought to determine the attitudes of PCDs toward geriatric care and its associated factors and to explore the needs of PCDs in delivering geriatric care in Malaysia. Method: This convergent mixed-method study was conducted between December 2022 and November 2024. The quantitative method was a cross-sectional of 328 PCDs in Malaysia and used convenience sampling. While the qualitative method was an in-depth interview of 11 PCDs. This study included doctors who had worked for at least six months in a primary care setting. Doctors who did not attend to older persons were excluded from the study. For the quantitative method, the University of California Los Angeles - Geriatric Attitude Scale questionnaire was administered online. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine associated factors. For the qualitative method, in-depth interviews were conducted among participants recruited from the quantitative study. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Result: Primary Care Doctors’ attitudes towards geriatric care in Malaysia were positive. Being a family medicine specialist (Adj. B 0.25; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.37, p ≤ 0.001) and those who perceived to have administrative support for geriatric care services (Adj. B 0.15; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.24, p = 0.001) were associated with a positive attitude. From the qualitative study, three major themes were found regarding PCDs' needs in geriatric care: “education and awareness needs,” “administrative and operational needs,” and “support system needs.” Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for PCDs to have periodic and specialized training in geriatric care and highlights the administrative support necessary to deliver geriatric care. The community must also fully support them in delivering comprehensive geriatric care, including interagency collaboration in delivering the care service. Targeted strategies can be used to cultivate a supportive and understanding environment for PCDs, which, in turn, will positively impact their attitudes and fulfil their needs toward delivering comprehensive geriatric care.
- PublicationMechanism Of Actions Of Bilimbi Fractions And Its Natural Compounds In Stimulating Brown Adipocyte Differentiation(2024-03)Averrhoa bilimbi, or bilimbi, is one of the medicinal plants in the ayurvedic medicine system with various pharmacological activities. The bilimbi leaves were mainly reported for their traditional uses in treating hyperglycemia, diabetes, and related disorders. In previous studies, hexane bilimbi fractions have demonstrated promising anti-obesity properties by stimulating brown adipocyte differentiation. Similarly, major natural compounds of the bilimbi fractions, including phytol and squalene, have also been reported to possess browning activity. However, our understanding of this mechanism of action is still limited to date. To that end, this study focused on a series of transcriptional and translational studies to elucidate the mechanism of action of bilimbi fractions and their corresponding natural compounds in stimulating brown adipocyte differentiation. In the present study, hexane bilimbi fractions (f7, f8, and f9) and their natural compounds (phytol and squalene) substantially stimulated brown adipocyte differentiation at 50 μg/ml and 100 μm, respectively, on the cell-based assay. Based on qrt-pcr analysis, treatment with bilimbi fractions, phytol, and squalene significantly induced the brown-adipocyte marker genes of ucp-1, prdm16, and pgc1-α. Correspondingly, a higher protein expression of cidea, the brown-adipocyte-specific protein marker, was exhibited on a translational level via immunofluorescence assay. The treatment led to the co- development of myotubes and brown adipocytes upon gene knockdown of prdm16. Interestingly,
- PublicationTranslation And Communication Model Of Chinese Literature: A Case Study Of Cultural Communication Of English Translation Of Li Bai’S Selected Poems(2024-11)Translation acts as a vital bridge in intercultural communication. However, significant inequalities persist in the international communication of translated literature, including english translations of chinese literature. At present, most studies focus on isolated elements of translation and communication (tc) within chinese literature, leaving the translation and communication model for chinese literature—especially classical chinese poetry—yet to be fully developed. This study aims to investigate the translation and communication model of chinese literature in the west taking li bai’s poetry as an example. Quantitative analysis was applied to data obtained from the translation and communication questionnaire, the reader response questionnaire on translations of classical chinese poetry, and the worldcat database, while qualitative analysis was conducted on data from interviews and english translations of li bai’s poetry. Additionally, both quantitative and qualitative analyses were applied to data from the jastor database, amazon, and goodreads websites.
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- ItemControl, Regulations And Legitimacy Of An Islamic Bank: An Indonesian Case Study(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2014-01)This is a research about an Islamic bank in Indonesia that has managed to maintain its existence and grown over the two decades of its operation in Indonesia. The purpose of this research is to understand how the bank gains and maintains its legitimacy from its diverse stakeholders, specifically in terms of the way the bank is regulated/controlled and how the external control mechanism influences the bank’s internal practices of the bank. This research also reviews the history of banking, in general, as well as of Islamic banking in Indonesia to obtain a contextual understanding of the issues This research uses a case study approach informed by the new institutional sociology (NIS) and legitimacy theory. The NIS theory is used to analyse how the Islamic bank responds to pressure and influence from the stakeholders. The legitimacy theory is used to analyse how the Islamic bank gains and maintains its legitimacy from the stakeholders. Data were generated from 24 interviews with the management of the bank and as the regulators as well as from documentary evidence and observations. This research found that the bank faced various pressures and influences with the most critical pressure coming from the regulator through control and regulations. However, the pressures are sometimes conflicting; with investors demanding high profit while the public expect the bank to play a social role. The bank finds innovative ways to respond to such conflicting pressures, and, as a result, gains legitimacy from its stakeholders.
- PublicationSimulation study of biodiesel production via transesterification process from waste cooking oil(2021-06-01)Biodiesel is an environmental-friendly and alternative liquid fuel that can be used to substitute conventional diesel. It can be produced by a variety of feed stocks such as animal fats, non-edible oils and by-product of the refining vegetable oils. Biodiesel becomes a spotlight as a renewable fuel that is non-toxic and is biodegradable. It is usually synthesised by the transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat with short chain alcohol such as methanol or ethanol. Its high oxygen content makes it a better choice for diesel engines. Waste cooking oil is one of the feedstocks that can be converted into biodiesel. Therefore, in this simulation study, waste cooking oil has been used as the raw material that reacted with methanol. This study was done by using Matlab software to observe how the operating conditions affect on the yield, conversion and selectivity of biodiesel. It was found that the temperature of 60 ̊C exhibited the highest yield of methyl ester. Oil to alcohol ratio of 1:15 gives the highest yield at 59%and catalyst weight of 1.4 wt % leads to the maximum yield of biodiesel. The simulation results obtained reasonable with the literature results and within the range studied by the previous researchers.
- ItemPengetahuan Dan Tingkah Laku Pengguna Dadah Secara Suntikan (IDU) Yang Mengikut Program Pertukaran Jarum Dan Alat Suntikan (NSEP) Di Pulau Pinang(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2017-07)Kajian kualitatif ini dijalankan bagi meningkatkan tahap kualiti dan keberkesanan penyampaian perkhidmatan dalam Program Pertukaran Jarum dan Alat Suntikan (NSEP) kepada pengguna dadah secara suntikan (IDU). Objektif kajian ini meliputi: (1) mengenal pasti ciri-ciri sosiodemografi IDU yang terlibat dalam NSEP; (2) meneroka pengetahuan IDU yang terlibat dalam NSEP berkaitan HIV/AIDS, HCV, VCT dan NSEP; (3) meneroka bentuk tingkah laku IDU yang terlibat dalam NSEP berkaitan dengan tingkah laku suntikan dan tingkah laku hubungan seks; (4) menganalisis halangan dan cabaran IDU dalam mengamalkan tingkah laku pengurangan risiko; dan (5) mencadangkan strategi atau peranan yang boleh dipraktikkan oleh pekerja sosial dalam meningkatkan lagi keberkesanan NSEP ke arah pembentukan tingkah laku pengurangan risiko dalam kalangan IDU. Kajian ini telah dijalankankan di Pulau Pinang dengan melibatkan seramai 20 orang responden. Kaedah temu bual mendalam berlandaskan panduan temu bual separa berstruktur telah digunakan dalam proses pengumpulan data. Penemuan kajian mendapati dalam konteks pengetahuan bahawa: (1) IDU mempunyai pengetahuan mengenai HIV/AIDS yang baik; (2) IDU tidak mempunyai pengetahuan mengenai HCV yang baik; (3) IDU mempunyai pengetahuan mengenai VCT yang baik; dan (4) IDU mempunyai pengetahuan yang baik mengenai NSEP. Dalam konteks tingkah laku menyuntik dadah dan hubungan seks pula, didapati bahawa: (1) tingkah laku penggunaan jarum dan picagari adalah secara amalan pengurangan risiko; (2) tingkah laku menggunakan pad alkohol adalah secara amalan pengurangan risiko; (3) penggunaan kapas adalah secara amalan pengurangan risiko; (4) tidak menggunakan tourniquet secara amalan pengurangan risiko; (5) mengamalkan pemilihan urat berbanding arteri; (6) mengamalkan penukaran kawasan anggota badan bagi tujuan menyuntik dadah; (7) tidak mengamalkan penyimpanan jarum dan alat suntikan yang telah digunakan di tempat yang selamat; dan (8) IDU tidak aktif dalam tingkah laku hubungan seks.
- PublicationFabrication and characterization of electrospinning biodegradable fabric layer for face mask application(2022-08-19)The increased use of 3-ply facemasks has raised concerns about the pollution they cause to the environment. The non-biodegradability of current 3-ply facemasks is highlighted because it is difficult to manage the waste and much more pollution is created when facemasks are discarded. Several studies have been conducted in order to improve the filtration layer on a consistent basis by using biodegradable polymers as an alternative. The present study aimed to fabricate polylactic acid (PLA), poly (butylene adipate-co terephthalate) (PBAT) and PLA/PBAT fibre mat layers. The effect of different needle sizes on the properties and morphology of PLA and PBAT fibre mats was identified by using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) tabletop, ImageJ and Universal Tensile Machine (UTS). In addition, the effect of single and binary solvents was investigated to produce PLA/PBAT fibre mat layer. Results showed that small size needles produced small-diameter fibres. The best needles to use for the fabrication of the PLA and PBAT fibre mats are 25G and 23G, respectively based on the fibre diameter and tensile properties. A 25G needle produced the smallest diameter and compact fibre mat. However, a 21G needle produced a PLA fibre mat with the highest tensile strength and Young’s modulus. On the other hand, a 25G needle is the best needle size to produce a PBAT fibre mat with good tensile properties. Binary solvents using DCM and DMF produced continuous and thinner fibres and showed higher tensile properties compared to the single solvent system.
- ItemCrash recovery support for variable strength t-way test generation strategy(2016-06-01)Often, the biggest challenge in software testing relates to the fact that it is not feasible to test for all the input parameters exhaustively owing to constraints in costs, resources and time. Considering these factors, software testers must appropriately sample the test cases in order to best utilize the resources at hand. Within the context of Combinatorial Testing, testers often resort to t-way test generation strategy (where t indicates the strength of interaction). Empirical evidence in the literature indicated that t-way test generation strategy has managed to minimize the test cases significantly whilst maintaining the fault detection capability of the testing process. Much useful progress has been achieved as far as the development of t-way test generation strategy is concerned. Nevertheless, some issues remain especially in the context of addressing ever increasing complexity and size of software (i.e. lines of code) resulting into high number of interaction among input parameters. Firstly, the test generation can be painstakingly long, interruption is expensive as the whole generation process needs to be restarted from scratch. Time and efforts will also be wasted. Secondly, existing strategies commit too early on selection of the best value of input parameters when sampling of the test cases. For this reason, these strategies were less sufficient in terms of generating optimal test suite size. Here, to enhance the t-way testing capability, there is also a need to consider variable-strength strategy. This approach is often favored because of the compromise in terms of test suite size as the strategy focuses testing where it has the most potential value which usually is associated with a risk analysis and priority. In order to address these issues, this research develops a variable-strength (VS) interaction t-way test generation strategy, called Test Suite Generator with Crash Recovery support (TSGCR). Unlike existing strategies, TSGCR adopts Multilevel Greedy algorithm, which delays choosing the best value until it satisfies certain rules. To provide a reliable operation, TSGCR also permits crash recovery support integrated as part of the strategy itself. As the test generation can potentially be long lasting processes (i.e. due to large selection of input parameters and values), TSGCR tolerates involuntary transaction failures (e.g. such as power failure or system errors) or voluntary execution suspension (e.g. to give ways for other computations) enabling restoration of state and data to the last consistent state. To evaluate the competitiveness of TSGCR, the test generator is tested with uniform and mixed input parameters and the performance (in terms of the generated test suite size) is compared with existing variable strength t-way test generation strategies using well-known standard benchmark configurations (based on six sets of experiments). Benchmarking results showed that for VS interaction configurations for uniform input parameters, TSGCR is able to get seven Δ with 0 value, i.e. similar value to the best solution obtained by other strategies, seven Δ with +ve values, i.e. able to get the best solution; from fourteen out of forty four experimental results. While for VS interaction configurations for mixed input parameters, TSGCR is able to get twenty seven Δ with 0 value, eight Δ with +ve values; from thirty five out of forty one experimental results. Hence, the results demonstrated that TSGCR produces competitive results as far as the size of the test suite is concerned against most existing strategies.