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This repository contains multiple types of scholarly materials, especially USM theses and exam papers.

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  • Publication
    Development Of Procurement For Malaysian Housing Projects Using Industrialised Building Systems
    (2018-12)
    Abd Jalil, Ahmad
    The increasing demands for housing had led the government to enforce IBS, which should transform into better quality, economical and faster to construct. However, these were hard to achieve due to barriers such as supply chain, shortages skill labours, logistic constraint and high investment. Previous researches covered these issues but lacking on procurement aspect. Many agreed current procurements not suitable for IBS housing, thus caused design errors, disruption on components fabrication, less coordination, installation defects and disputes on payment, warranty and liability. To discover more, this research focused on procurement in IBS housing projects with the objectives to determine the procurement challenges and suggest their solutions; to investigate the stakeholders’ perceptions towards producing better procurement; and to propose new procurement that effective for IBS housing.
  • Publication
    The Properties Of High Performance Concrete Containing Granite Quarry Dust (Gqd) And Electric Arc Furnace Slag (Eafs) As Aggregates
    (2019-08)
    Lim, Jay Sern
    The utilization of industry by-product as the raw bulk replacement material has been emphasized to reduce the carbon footprint contributed from the concrete industry. This study was aimed to examine the optimum natural river sand-granite quarry dust (NRS-GQD) composition in ground granulated blast-furnace slag-pulverized fly ash (GGBS-PFA) ternary blended mortar. In addition, the influence of electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) as natural granite rock (NGR) replacement material towards the concrete properties and strutural responses in the manner of concrete slab panel subjected to four-points bending load in GGBS-PFA ternary blended binder system and optimum NRS-GQD composition as fine aggregate. The results showed that the inclusion of GQD as NRS replacement material at 60% in GGBS-PFA ternary blended mortar yielded the optimum mechanical strength. Moreover, the inclusion of EAFS tends to enhance the compressive strength of GGBS-PFA ternary blended concrete from 1.9% to 18.7% at 28 days onwards. The results also showed that there is a significant improvement in air, chloride and sulfate impermeability properties of the GGBS-PFA ternary blended concrete with the inclusion of EAFS as NGR replacement material. However, the inclusion of EAFS as NGR replacement material tends to impair the water absorption, capillary absorptivity and total porosity properties of the GGBS-PFA ternary blended concrete. The utilization of EAFS also reported enhanced the first and ultimate crack load also the stiffness of the concrete slab panel.
  • Publication
    Determinants Of Corporate Climate Change Disclosure: An Investigation Of Manufacturing Corporations In Bangladesh
    (2019-02)
    Mehedi, Sohel
    It has been claimed that the institutional environment plays a crucial role in motivating business corporations to be more accountable and transparent in their sustainable operations and reporting practices. Considering the development of the institutional environment in Bangladesh and based on institutional theory, the present study investigates the extent of the climate change disclosure (CCD) practices of the largest 137 manufacturing corporations listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited. The present study also provides empirical evidence regarding the determinants of CCD, as well as how such effects are mediated by corporations’ strategic response towards environmental innovation and sustainability. Data were collected from annual reports and analysed via partial least square regression. The findings indicate that manufacturing corporations in Bangladesh report voluntarily on climate change although the extent of their disclosure is relatively low. Furthermore, organizational factors, i.e., corporate attribute, corporate values, and strategic response towards environmental innovation and sustainability have significant, positive association with CCD, but the relationship of board diversity with CCD is not significant. Another key contribution to the study is the highlight on the positive role of the strategic response to environmental innovation and sustainability (EIS) as a mediating variable in the relationship between corporate attribute, board diversity, and corporate values, with climate change disclosure. The findings of this study suggest that efforts via environmentally friendly governance
  • Publication
    Surgical outcomes of the extensor carpi ulnaris sling procedure
    (2021)
    Savarirajo, Jude Cornelius
    Introduction Extensor carpi ulnaris subluxation is rare pathology of the wrist. It presents with ulna sided wrist pain, especially during wrist flexion, ulna deviation and forearm supination. This results in significant functional impairment to the patient. Non-operative methods are the usual treatment, however some recalcitrant cases require surgical intervention. The sling procedure is commonly performed for such cases. This study was conducted to assess and analyze the outcomes after the sling procedure Methodology This is a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the outcome the ECU sling procedure or ECU subsheath reconstruction from in patients operated by a single experienced surgeon between 2016 to 2020 at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and Hospital Queen Elizabeth II. All patients were seen in the clinics to assess their pre-and post-operative pain scores and functional status, as well as contralateral wrist and post-operative wrist range of motion and grip strength. Points for each parameter were accumulated and tabulated according to the Modified Mayo Wrist Score to obtain the outcome. Paired T-test and chi-square was used to analyze the difference between pre- and post-operative pain scores and functional status respectively, while independent t-test was used for the difference between contralateral wrist and post-operative wrist range of motion and grip strength. McNemar’s test was used to determine the difference between pre and post- operative points from the Modified Mayo Wrist Score. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25 (IBM Corp. Released 2017. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Results There were 13 females (86.7%) and 2 male (13.3%) patients included in our study. There was a significant improvement in mean pain scores and grip strength, but no statistically significant improvement in terms of functional status and wrist range of motion. The accumulated points from the Modified Mayo Wrist Score showed 8 patients with a good outcome (53.3%), 4 patients with a fair outcome (26.7%) and 3 patients had an excellent outcome (20%). Conclusion The overall scores from the Modified Mayo Wrist score indicate a favourable surgical outcome for the extensor carpi ulnaris sling procedure. Hence, we recommend this procedure for refractory cases of extensor carpi ulnaris subluxation in our population.
  • Publication
    Cardiac iron overload in thalassaemia major patients with various chelation therapy using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR T2*) value: A study in Hospital Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang
    (2021)
    Krishinan, Jegdiswary
    Introduction: Thalassaemia is the most common inherited blood disorder in Malaysia. Beta thalassaemia major is caused by impaired synthesis of the beta globin chain producing fragile erythrocytes and haemolytic anaemia. Lifelong blood transfusion leads to iron overload and toxicity. Cardiac involvement in TM patients, mainly characterised by left ventricular dysfunction due to iron over load. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T2* value is being used for quantitative evaluation of cardiac iron in recent years, for earlier detection of cardiac iron overload and helps to optimise chelation therapy for TM patients. To date the correlation between cardiac iron T2* value and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and types of chelation therapy is poorly defined in our population. Therefore this study was conducted to analyse the correlation between cardiac iron T2* with LVEF and types of chelation therapy. Patients and methods: A cross sectional study was performed based on retrospective record review of TM patients who came for yearly cardiac iron surveillance in Radiology Department Hospital Seberang Jaya (HSJ) , Pulau Pinang. Myocardial iron load was assessed using T2* value which was classified as none, mild, moderate and severe. The LVEF was assessed by area length ejection fraction (ALEF) method using long axis horizontal view. The proportion of cardiac iron value and its severity were presented as descriptive analysis. Pearson correlation was used to analyse the correlation between T2* value and LVEF. Paired t-test was used for comparison of mean value of T2* and LVEF between the baseline and the 24th month. P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were 150 patients in this study with mean age of 17.25 (± 7.20) years. Majority of them were males (n= 78, 52%) and mostly Malays (n = 122, 81.3%). Among this, 35 (23.3%) patients had cardiac iron overload CMR T2* <20 msec at baseline. Significant improvement seen in the mean cardiac T2* value of the cardiac iron overload patients, from 12.49 ± 4.93 msec at baseline to 15.51± 8.76 msec at 24th month (p value of 0.015). The mean LVEF of patients with cardiac iron overload was 58.91± 3.45% at baseline which also showed significant improvement at 24th month, 61.11 ± 5.49% (p value 0.015). There was significant correlation noted between T2* value and LVEF of all patients with cardiac iron overload with p value < 0.05. No significant association seen between the types of chelation therapy (single or combination) with the cardiac T2* value in patient with cardiac siderosis (p value >0.05). Conclusion: Our study showed there was significant improvement of cardiac T2* and LVEF value in thalassaemia major patients cardiac siderosis with significant correlation seen between the cardiac iron T2* value and LVEF. No significant association was noted with the cardiac iron T2* value and types of chelation therapy.
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    Synthesis Of Zinc Selenide Coated By Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticles Via Modified Polyol Method
    (Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2011-07)
    Lee, See Yau
    Zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanoparticles and zinc selenide@zinc sulphide (ZnSe@ZnS) core-shell structure were prepared using a surfactant-assisted process. ZnSe nanoparticles were prepared using zinc chloride and selenium powder as the precursor sources. The obtained ZnSe nanoparticles were then coated with ZnS to form the ZnSe@ZnS core-shell structure. Various parameters namely processing time, processing temperature, precursor ratio, concentration of surfactant, molecular weight of surfactant, and type of surfactant have been studied in order to produce finer particle with narrow particle size distribution of the ZnSe and ZnSe@ZnS coreshell nanoparticles. The optimum condition for the synthesis of ZnSe nanoparticles was 195°C for 2 minutes with the Zn to Se ions ratio of 1:1. Furthermore, 0.02g of 10,000 Mw polyethylene glycol (PEG) was found to be the most effective surfactant to form the nanoparticles with the mean diameter of 2.96 nm and particle size distribution within 1.5 – 4.5 nm. TEM and SEM analysis confirmed that the synthesized ZnSe and ZnSe@ZnS core-shell nanoparticles had a small particle size and a quasi-spherical shape with mild agglomeration. The success for the formation of ZnSe and ZnSe@ZnS core-shell nanoparticles was further confirmed by XRD, EDX, and ESI testing. PL and UV-Vis analysis recorded emission and absorption wavelength at 402 nm and 464 nm respectively. The successful of ZnS coating on ZnSe cores were confirmed by the drastic enhancement of PL intensity and red shift of ZnSe@ZnS absorption peak from UV-Vis testing.
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    Imej insan dalam novel-novel Ahmad Lutfi
    (Universiti Sains Malaysia, 1981)
    Mohammad bin Abdullah
    Kesusasteraan jenis novel telah bermula sejak pertengahan tahun 1920an, yang memperlihatkan tahap-tahap perubahan imej insan. Sesungguhnya terdapat empat zaman yang memperlihatkan perubahan ini. Zaman sebelum Abdullah Munshi, Zaman Abdullah Munshi, Zaman Sebelum Perang dan Zaman Selepas Perang Dunia ke Dua hingga kini.Hikayat Faridah Hanum merupakan novel Melayu pertama.lanya ditulis oleh Syed Sheikh Al- Hadi dalam tahun 1926.Karya tersebut diakui sebaga i novel Melayu pertama kerana didalamnya mengandungi kisah kehidupan insan yang terpijak di alam nyata. Fakta ini sangat bersesuaian dengan pendapat lan Watt : Realisma adalah ciri yang paling nyata bagi membezakan proses cerita moden yang di golongkan sebagai novel dengan cerita - cerita tradisional sebelumnya.
  • Publication
    Evaluating Delinquent Juveniles’ Rehabilitation Programs In The Juvenile Welfare Department In Abu Dhabi
    (2025-05)
    Naji, Ruqaya Abdu Shayef Mohammed
    This research focused on this important point, aiming to evaluate the juvenile rehabilitation programs in the juvenile welfare department in abu dhabi, united arab emirates. These programs include psychological evaluation and care, social engagement and community-building activities, spiritual guidance and religious education, discipline training and cultural heritage education. The primary objectives include examining the effectiveness of juvenile rehabilitation programs on the behaviour of juvenile delinquents in abu dhabi's juvenile welfare department, assessing the impact of staff competence (service quality) on their behavior, investigating the relationship between the environmental setting of rehabilitation facilities and their behaviour, and exploring the moderating effect of program benefits on the relationship between rehabilitation programs and juvenile delinquents' behaviour in abu dhabi's juvenile welfare department. The research used a quantitative design with surveys to collect data from juveniles in rehabilitation programs at the abu dhabi juvenile welfare department
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    Strategi Peperangan Masyarakat Melayu Tradisional Sebelum Abad Ke – 19
    (Universiti Sains Malaysia, 1989)
    Suaib, Johari
    Seringkali media massa sekarang ini membicarakan tentang peperangan yang berlaku khususnya negeri-negeri luar seperti Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestin, Vietnam dan lain-lain lagi. Atas dasar peperangan yang berlaku sekarang ini, saya terfikir bahawa sebelum kini khususnya masyarakat dahulu juga mengalami peperangan.
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    The relationship between market orientation and export performance
    (2007)
    Sefnedi
    Manufacturing sector plays a major role in Indonesia’s exports and contributes significantly to its gross domestic product (GDP). Indonesian exporters in the manufacturing sectors are encouraged by Indonesian government to upgrade their implementation of marketing management competency in order to export more. The study investigates the mediation impact of export marketing management competency on the relationship between market orientation and export performance in Indonesian manufacturing firms. Moderating effect of competitive intensity, market turbulence, and technological turbulence on the relationship between export marketing management competency and export performance are also investigated. The study also considers the influence of the control variables (firm size, export experience, export mode, and industrial type) on export performance. Data are collected through mail survey and a total of 109 usable responses, representing 12.43 per cent of the total sample, are analyzed. The results of the study indicate that the constructs of market orientation (customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination) and export marketing management competency (export product management competency, export pricing management competency, export promotion management competency, and export distribution management competency) are statistically significant predictors of export performance, whereas market orientation is a determinant of export marketing management competency. The results support the mediation effect of export product management competency and export pricing management competency on the relationship between market orientation and export performance. This study does not find any evidence to support the moderating effect of competitive intensity, market turbulence and technological turbulence on the relationship between export marketing management competency and export performance. In addition, the findings revealed that none of the control variables significantly influence export performance.