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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the contribution of personal factors towards career adaptability among fresh graduates who had been employed for less than two years. This cohort is considered as entry-level employees in organisations. Several dimensions of personal factors focussed in this study were self-esteem, conscientiousness, spiritual intelligence and social support. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey. This study sample comprised fresh graduate employees (n = 423) from four Malaysian public universities. Findings: The regression model fitted the data; the personal factors significantly predicted fresh graduates' career adaptability, F (4,418) = 31.982, p < 0.001. Conscientiousness showed the highest contribution compared to other variables, with social support being the lowest. Practical implications: Owing to challenges faced by fresh graduates as entry-level employees, continuous career adaptation in the working environment is crucial for achieving satisfaction and success in life. All stakeholders, especially in higher education institutions, play an important role in inculcating the requisite personal traits in undergraduates to enhance their career adaptability upon joining the job market. Originality/value: This study was conducted with fresh graduates as entry-level employees in Malaysia. It is hoped that the findings of this study would provide a better understanding of the impact of personal factors on career adaptability of fresh graduates in Malaysia so that the stakeholders involved could act accordingly to help fresh graduates enter the job market with the confidence to adapt to changes at the workplace.

Writing in English for academic purpose is a difficult task for many Jordanian postgraduate students (JPS) as English is a foreign language to them. This study aimed to explore academic writing problems encountered by JPS at a Malaysian university and to investigate how they address the problems. Employing a case study approach, a total of 182 online questionnaires were administered via email to registered JPS at UniSZA to which 90 responses were received. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 of the respondents to get further clarification of the questionnaire data and to gain rich insights into the phenomenon being investigated. The findings reveal that JPS faced several problems such as lack of vocabulary, difficulties in expressing the ideas, organizing the sentences and creating paragraphs, paraphrasing, the inability to build critical discussions and ideas, erroneous grammar, spellings, weak referencing and difficulty in finding the article/journal for literature review. In order to address these problems, they acquire help from their classmates, seniors, teaching faculties, participate in educational forums, workshops and lectures, attend paid tuition classes, translate Arabic to English, subscribe to journals and magazines and used online resources. The JPS recommend the provision of extensive language support at the university, regular lectures and workshops on improving academic writing and availability of language enrichment centre at the university to aid JPS to resolve their problems related to academic writing.

All engineering faculties in Malaysia are required to have at least three academics who have engineering competency for each program. Having an engineering competency means academics has obtained the compulsory endorsements from the Boards of Engineers, Malaysia, BEM. Upon approval, academics seeking such competency could carry the suffix Ir. to their names and are called Professional Engineers (PEs). In some developed countries, it is known as Chartered Engineer. Efforts in increasing the number of PEs should be taken seriously by all parties to meet these criteria. This paper presents the perceptions of academics about being a professional engineers and prospect applicants while preparing for PE certification. Academics mostly from the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) participated in the study. The surveys were grouped into two, namely, 1) academics who have PE qualifications and 2) academics who do not have PE qualifications. The respondent for this study are selected randomly. The response rate for the both group is around 30%. In the first survey, results show that PEs strongly acknowledge that this title improve quality of their careers as well as boosts their confidence among the society. These results also show that by being part of the registered professional body, PEs have bigger connections in the wider society, beyond academic field, and more interestingly receive more attentions and feel more respectful. In the second survey, responses in the first category indicate that lecturers have little intention to submit an application because the lack of department supports in term of remunerations and direct fee allowances. In the second category, lecturers blame procedures, but it is the eligibility in the third category that finally makes the cut; a large percentage of lecturers do not have an industrial attachment. Technically, they are ineligible to apply for the professional examination. This issue is also related to the unavailability of mentor at their work places. It is our views that departments should respond appropriately such as to award lecturers with remunerations or sponsor some of the fees. The department should also address the eligibility issue.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is a research university that continuously undergoes an audit and accreditation process for the management of its courses. The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FKAB) is subjected to such processes, one of them is the auditing conducted by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC), which gives recognition to engineering programmes in Malaysia. The criteria that have been set by the EAC requires the faculty to measure and evaluate graduates based directly on the course outcomes (CO) and programme outcomes (POs) to ensure that they are able to achieve the programme and course objectives. This paper discusses a method developed for the measurement and evaluation of POs which is a direct measurement for assessing the courses offered in the mechanical engineering programme. Assessment templates are developed using a Microsoft Excel based on the data presented on the grade coordination meetings conducted at the end of each semester. The data used for this study were semester 2 2010/2011 session, and semester 1 session 2011/2012. Based on the results obtained, the majority of the courses achieves more than 80% for course level monitoring for their individual PO achievement except for five subjects. For programme level monitoring, from the average POs marks, all POs were scored more than 80%, which indicates that the Mechanical Programs offered by the department are satisfied with the department standard.

One of the major concerns of the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) is the need for an effective monitoring and evaluation of program outcome domains that can be associated with courses taught under the Mechanical Engineering program. However, an effective monitoring method that can determine the results of each program outcome using Bloom's Taxonomy has not yet been established for each course. The purpose of this research is to conduct a Big Picture Assessment to achieve Outcome-Based Learning. Big Picture Assessment is a comprehensive monitoring tool of courses with studied program outcome domains. The tool applies the three main domains of Bloom's Taxonomy, namely, psychomotor, cognitive, and affective, in its monitoring process. Furthermore, the identification of program outcomes for each course is evaluated to meet standards set by the EAC. The results of this study will facilitate continuous improvement on existing courses.

In its simplest terms, a closed-cavity façade (CCF) is a sealed, unventilated enclosure equipped with motorized shading devices, internal double or triple glazing, and external single glazing. This technology effectively controls solar energy and daylight entry into buildings. This research aims to enhance the thermal efficiency of CCFs in tropical climates using Venetian blinds (VB) and advanced glass coatings. EnergyPlus and DesignBuilder were employed to assess various CCF designs and compare them to a single glazing unit (SGU) with grey coatings. This was inspired by a residential case study on Penang Island, Malaysia. The findings indicate that CCFs surpass SGUs in thermal performance and occupant comfort, particularly in Malaysia's humid tropical climate. CCFs reduced operating temperatures by a monthly percentage ranging from 33.5% to 68.75% in all operations. On an annual basis, temperature reductions ranged from 27.5% to 80.25%, with maximum decreases between 2 °C and 4 °C and minimum decreases between 0.5 °C and 1 °C compared to SGU units. The results show that CCFs outperform SGUs in thermal performance and comfort, reducing operating temperatures by 33.5% to 68.75% monthly and 27.5% to 80.25% annually. Temperature reductions ranged between 2 °C and 4 °C at maximum and 0.5 °C and 1 °C at minimum compared to SGU. Notably, Venetian blinds with nano-coatings (83/58) and low-E coatings (83/23) (Tvis/Tsol) were the most effective. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate coatings for CCFs, and demonstrates their potential in enhancing interior temperatures and comfort in Malaysia's climate. The findings emphasize the significant impact of innovative glazing technologies on improving operational temperatures and occupant comfort using closed-cavity façades in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined (1) the effect of environmental concern, environmental knowledge, and health consciousness on attitude towards eBikes; (2) the effect of eBikes attributes of interest and infrastructure on perceived behavioural control; and finally, (3) the effect of attitude towards eBikes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on eBikes commuting intention and its usage among Malaysian youth. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling, and collected quantitative data from 699 Malaysian youth through an online survey. Findings revealed that (1) environmental concern, environmental knowledge, and health consciousness had a positive and significant impact on attitude towards eBikes; (2) eBikes attributes of interest and infrastructure were positively and significantly related to perceived behavioural control; (3) attitude towards eBikes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control had a positive and significant effect on eBikes commuting intention; (4) eBikes commuting intention was positively and significantly related to the usage of eBikes; (5) eBikes commuting intention significantly mediated the relationship between attitude towards eBikes and perceived behavioural control on the usage of eBikes among Malaysian youth; and (6) eBikes commuting intention did not mediate the relationship between social norm and usage of eBikes. Although environmental knowledge and social norm are proven to have a positive and significant relationship, this analysis demonstrated a relatively low effect size. To promote environmental and sustainable development in cities through the mass adoption of eBikes among Malaysian youth, policymakers should highlight the benefits of using eBikes, introduce proper policies, and involve the development of improved and connected cycling paths in the city sustainable infrastructure plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid development of Malaysia has caused population growth in urban areas. This includes new development near slope areas. Utilization of waste material such as coconut fiber could help to increase the slope stability. There is a limited study on the effects of coconut fibre as an additive for slope construction. This study aims to compare the shear strength between treated and untreated residual soil and to assess the Factor of Safety (FOS) with coconut fibre addition using Slope/W. A total of 15 shear box samples were set at the same percentage of coconut fibre (1% by weight of soil). Coconut fibre with different length of 15mm, 25mm, 35mm and 45mm was used in the study. It was found that coconut fibre could increase the shear strength. The optimum length of coconut fibre to achieve the maximum friction angle is 35mm, with soil internal friction angle of 52.15?. Moreover, the Slope/w analysis is conducted to analyse the slope's safety factor. The slope's safety factor increased significantly with the addition of coconut fibre. Based on the findings, this research could shed some light on the effect of coconut fibre incorporated in soil as an additive to improve the shear strength. Using coconut fibre in slope stabilisation could reduce slope failure and at the same time could save the environment by utilizing this waste material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infections that occur among surgical patients. Surgical site infections result in longer hospital stays, hospital readmissions, and higher death and morbidity rates. The current study was designed to highlight the importance of such surveillance studies in a Malaysian surgical population with a motive to evaluate and revise concurrent infection control and prevention policies by exploring the burden of surgical site infection and identifying its associated risk factors for future considerations. In this prospective observational cohort study, a total of 216 patients admitted to a surgical ward were identified and studied. Of these 216 patients, 142 elective procedures and 74 emergency procedures were included in the study, of which 13 patients (9.2%) undergoing elective procedures and 15 (20.3%) patients undergoing emergency procedures were SSI positive (OR: 2.5, p = 0.02). Among surgical site infections, 21 were superficial and 7 were deep incisional SSI. No case of organ/space SSI was identified. The time taken for SSIs to develop ranged from 2–17 days with a median of 6 days. Risk factors such as presence of comorbidities (p = 0.011), major co-existing medical diagnosis ≥2 (p = 0.02), and pre-existing infection (p = 0.027) were statistically significant. SSI-positive patients experienced an increase in the post-operative length of hospital stay. In the current population, it was seen that identifying patients who were at high risk of malnutrition via MUST and the NNIS risk index will help clinicians in identifying high risk patients and in managing their patients appropriately. Identifying patients who were at high risk of malnutrition will also improve postoperative outcomes considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow field in the near wake region (up to six turbine diameters downstream) of a tidal current turbine is strongly driven by the combined wake of the device support structure and the rotor. Accurate characterisation of the near-wake region is important, but it is dominated by highly turbulent, slow-moving fluid. At present, limited number of researches has been undertaken into the characterisation of the near-wake region for a Vertical Axis Tidal Turbine (VATT) device using the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) model in the shallow water environment of Malaysia. This paper presents a comprehensive statistical analysis using the Mean Absolute Error (MEA), Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) on the near-wake region for shallow water application by comparing numerical solutions (i.e., different types of RANS turbulence models using Ansys Fluent) with published experimental data. Seven RANS turbulence models with a single VATT, represented by using a cylindrical object, were employed in the preliminary study. The statistical analysis performed in this study is essential in exploring and giving a detailed understanding on the most suitable RANS turbulence model to be improved, specifically on its near-wake region. In this study, the near wake region is defined as D ≤ 6, where D is the device diameter. The analysis shows that the RANS numerical solutions are unable to accurately replicate the near-wake region based on large statistical errors computed. The average RMSE of near-wake region at z/D = [2, 3, 4, 6] are 0.5864, 0.4127, 0.4344 and 0.3577 while the average RMSE at far-wake region z/D = [8, 12] are 0.2269 and 0.1590, where z is the distance from the cylindrical object along the length of domain. The statistical error values are found to decrease with increasing downstream distance from a cylindrical object. Notably, the standard k–ε and realizable k–ε models are the two best turbulent models representing the near-wake region in RANS modelling, yielding the lowest statistical errors (RMSE at z/D = [2, 3, 4, 6] are 0.5666, 0.4020, 0.4113 and 0.3455) among the tested parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developed countries, contamination of soil due to industrial activities and illegal toxic waste disposal has been identified as major environmental problems. Established mechanisms for identifying, prioritizing, characterizing, assessing, and improving soil conditions have been implemented to reduce risks to human health and environmental receptors. However, the Contaminated Land Management System (CLMS) and the practices for the management of this contaminated land in Malaysia, including the enforcement of legislation are ineffective. The objective of this study is to discuss an overview of potential chemical substances, especially regarding its existence in contaminated soil in Malaysia. The report also examines the parameters of several heavy metals especially arsenic and mercury found in contaminated soil areas. In addition, this study is an explanatory effort to assess the level and characteristics of illegal disposal including current enforcement practices in Malaysia after three guidelines related to contaminated land management were developed by the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia in 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With Malaysia being surrounded by water bodies, tidal energy could be used for energy extraction. While several turbine designs and technologies have been used for tidal energy extraction, information on the use of vertical-axis tidal turbines (VATTs) for shallow-water applications is scarce. However, implementing horizontal-axis tidal turbines (HATTs) is not feasible due to Malaysian ocean depths. Hence, examining the wake-flow characteristics of VATTs in a shallow water-working environment in Malaysia is essential. The wake turbulence of the Savonius turbine model was compared with that of a hypothetical 'actuator' cylinder, a VATT representation. Subsequently, the wake turbulences of a Savonius turbine model in static and dynamic simulations were compared to understand the flow distinction. Compared with that exhibited by the hypothetical actuator cylinder of 2.5 m, the hypothetical actuator cylinder of 5 m exhibits greater velocity deceleration. Additionally, the modelled Savonius turbine exhibits significantly more deceleration than that exhibited by the hypothetical actuator cylinder. Finally, the analysis of the static model of the Savonius turbine shows deceleration that is greater than that of the dynamic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable enterprises are essential for developing economies' progress and prosperity. Micro-enterprises (MEs) play an important role in creating jobs and actively participating in socioeconomic activities. However, little is known about how MEs use internal capabilities to achieve long-term success. This study explores the influence of the strategic orientations (i.e., sales, consumer, competitive, emotional, business, and networking) instigating the sustainability orientation. The sustainability orientation nurtures the sustainable performance of the MEs. The cross-sectional data collected from the 450 MEs with the structured interviews and samples were randomly selected from the list of MEs registered in seven districts of Kelantan, Malaysia. The collected data were analyzed with partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The data analysis discovered that the sale, consumer, competitive, and emotional orientation significantly impact the MEs' sustainable orientation. The business and networking orientations insignificantly facilitate the sustainable orientation among the samples. The MEs' sustainable orientation suggestively influences the sustainable performance among the MEs. Furthermore, the study analysis postulated a significant mediating effect of sustainable orientation among the orientations (sale, consumer, competitive, and emotional) on the MEs' sustainable performance. Our study offers a better understanding of the RBV in the MEs and brings significant empirical evidence to attain sustainable performance with the firm's level orientation for the MEs. The study brings forward the practical implication for business and policymakers that the MEs require internal and external support to align the business and networking orientation to harness the sustainable performance among the MEs. In the end, the study limitations and future research options are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the effect of attitude towards entrepreneurship (ATE), need for achievement (NFA), risk-taking propensity (RTP), proactive personality (PRP), self-efficacy (SLE), opportunity recognition competency (ORC), entrepreneurship education, uncertainty avoidance (UNA), and entrepreneurial knowledge (ENK) on entrepreneurial intention (ENIN) among university students in Malaysia. This quantitative study had adopted the cross-sectional design approach and involved 391 university students in Malaysia via the online survey. The study outcomes revealed that the NFA, PRP, and SLE significantly affect students' attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Moreover, entrepreneurship education and UNA significantly affect ORC. Finally, ATE has a positive and significant effect on ENIN among university students in Malaysia. As entrepreneurship offers an alternative career path for people seeking economic prosperity and addressing social issues, including unemployment, the government should formulate effective policies and regulations that support entrepreneurship activities. Universities and other institutions should play a pivotal role in providing the proper exposure via entrepreneurship education while honing the essential traits for a career in entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the sentiment analysis research in the Malaysian context lacks in terms of the availability of the sentiment lexicon. Thus, this issue is addressed in this paper in order to enhance the accuracy of sentiment analysis. In this study, a new lexicon for sentiment analysis is constructed. A detailed review of existing approaches has been conducted, and a new bilingual sentiment lexicon known as MELex (Malay-English Lexicon) has been generated. Constructing MELex involves three activities: seed words selection, polarity assignment, and synonym expansions. Our approach differs from previous works in that MELex can analyze text for the two most widely used languages in Malaysia, Malay, and English, with the accuracy achieved, is 90%. It is evaluated based on the experimentation and case study approaches where the affordable housing projects in Malaysia are selected as case projects. This finding has given an implication on the ability of MELex to analyze public sentiments in the Malaysian context. The novel aspects of this paper are two-fold. Firstly, it introduces the new technique in assigning the polarity score, and second, it improves the performance over the classification of mixed language content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global progress empowers the development of new business and expansion of existing business. The availability of sufficient accounting professional are necessary to manage and document the business activities. However, youth are less inclined to purse accounting as profession to keep the progress of global and local economic development. The current study aimed to explore the formation of the intention to pursue Certified Professional Accountancy Qualification (CPAQ) with factor of capabilities, career opportunities, job security with respect to the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), i.e., attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. The study adopted a cross-sectional design and collected quantitative data from a total of 339 accounting students from Malaysia using an online survey. The finding revealed that capabilities and career opportunities influenced the students' intention to pursue CPAQ. Meanwhile, perceived behavioral control had significantly affect the students' decision to pursue CPAQ, which is in line with the TPB. The study concentrated on the importance of these factors in influencing the students' intention and decision to pursue CPAQ. The study offered vital implications for accounting educators and educational institutions to promote the accounting profession as choice and students engage in pursuing CPAQ. The Malaysian government should encourage and support accounting students financially for pursuing CPAQ by providing job security and enhancing subjective norms that may enable these students to complete the required professional qualifications. The study's limitations and future research opportunities are documented at the end of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The optimal placement of the endotracheal tube (ETT) in ventilated infants is essential, but birthweight may be not the best parameter to predict it. The aim of this study was a direct comparison of shoulder-umbilical length (experimental group) versus birthweight (control group) as predictor of optimal ETT placement in Malaysian ventilated infants.Methods: All infants requiring ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Malaysia during the 4-month study period were eligible to enter this randomised controlled trial. All participants were randomised into two groups: experimental and control group. The main outcome measure was malposition of the ETT (requiring adjustment), as seen on the chest X-ray performed within 1 h after intubation. Tube placement was assessed by two neonatologists, blinded to the allocation.Results: One hundred and ten infants were randomised, 55 in each group. The ETT was malpositioned in 13 of 55 infants (23%) for the experimental group and 22 of 55 infants (40%) in the control group (P = 0.06).Conclusion: In the experimental group, fewer infants showed a need for tube adjustment than in the control group. While a larger study may be necessary to show statistical significance, the difference shown in this study may be large enough to be of clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The study examines the effect of fund management companies' (FMCs) attributes on FMC performance in the four countries with the largest number of Islamic funds from 2007 to 2018. Methodology: The study uses pooled regression analysis on 70 FMCs, comprising Saudi Arabia (25), Malaysia (20), Indonesia (14) and Pakistan (11). The sample is further divided into FMC with Islamic funds focused (IFFMC) and conventional funds focused (CFFMC). Findings: Only past flows are insignificantly related to performance. Both proxies for size positively relate to returns, but only in the case of Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, performance improves with assets under management (AUM), while in Malaysia and Indonesia, an increasing number of funds negatively relate to performance. A relatively high number of better performing funds positively affect FMC and vice versa. Additionally, there are significant differences in the factors determining IFFMC and CFFMC performance, with the number of funds and AUM positively affecting the performance of IFFMC but not CFFMC. Poorly performing funds adversely affect CFFMC but not IFFMC. Contributions: This study provides useful information for investors using a top-down approach to FMC then fund selection, and for managers in evaluating the impact of factors like FMC scale and scope on performance. The impact of these attributes differs between CFFMCs and IFFMCs which lies in the performance differences commonly observed, at the FMC and fund level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infographics are visual representations of complex information or data created by combining elements such as symbols, graphics, shapes, pictures, texts and illustrations to present information in a simple, concise and easy to understand manner that piques the reader’s or viewer’s interest. Based on these criteria, infographics are deemed highly suitable for use as a medium for contemporary da’wah in an age of media centralization, particularly among the young. The current COVID-19 pandemic has severely harmed traditional preaching and learning through lectures and talks in mosques and suraus, particularly in our country, Malaysia. This is due to the strict enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO), which limits movement and mass gathering with strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and suspends all religious activities. In order to overcome obstacles to preaching, we must creatively diversify the method of da’wah based on the concept of murunah (flexibility), which is the foundation of Islamic tasawwur in implementing Shariah. Thus, the objectives of this study are to (i) explain the idea of ICT-based da’wah, (ii) analyse the concept of infographics and multimedia in da’wah, and (iii) summarise the community’s perspective of infographics as an interactive da’wah medium. This study employed exploratory sequential mixed methods, beginning with a qualitative literature review using content analysis, followed by quantitative perception questionnaire, analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings of the study finds that an average of 91.3% of the respondents agreed that infographics represent a significantly suitable form of visual information through social media for most people, especially during the COVID-19 crisis for the continuity of Islamic da’wah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Liver cirrhosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Methods Our study aimed to describe the aetiologies of liver cirrhosis and its associated risk factors among adult patients attending the Hepatology Clinic, Serdang Hospital, Malaysia from 1st January 2010 to 30th June 2017. Aetiology was determined by patients' medical history as well as biochemical and/or histological findings. The severity of the liver cirrhosis, together with the presence of complications and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma were documented. Results A total of 357 adult patients were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis including 199 male patients (55.7%) and 158 female patients (44.3%), with a mean age of 54-year-old (range: 28--84 --year-old). The determined most likely causes of liver cirrhosis were chronic hepatitis B (N=145, 40.6%), chronic hepatitis C (N= 67, 18.8%), cryptogenic liver disorder (N= 63, 17.6%), alcohol (N=42, 11.8%), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (N=25, 7.0%), and others (N=15, 4.2%). Chronic hepatitis B was predominant among Chinese whereas alcohol consumption was mainly found among Indians, and Hepatitis C-linked liver cirrhosis was highest among Malays. Majority of the patients had compensated cirrhosis with Child-Pugh A (N=221, 61.9%) at the time of diagnosis. 80.4% (N=287) of the cirrhotic patients had performed at least one endoscopy surveillance, with 28.6% (82/287) of them had endoscopic evidence of portal hypertension. 32.2% of patients had at least one hospitalization due to complication of cirrhosis. 41 patients (11.5%) had concurrent hepatocellular carcinoma during the follow up. Conclusions Hepatitis B viral infection remains the most common cause of cirrhosis among patients attending Hepatology Clinic, Serdang Hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal product marketing strategies are essential to company success. Profit generation is the main goal in covering management costs and increasing competitiveness regularly. The financial constraints of most Private Tahfiz Institutions (PTIs) in Malaysia created opportunities to venture into business and entrepreneurship. The situation generates income for survival instead of completely relying on the government, private sector, charity, and waqf assistance. Hence, the study aims to identify PTI marketing strategies to promote their products. The study performed semi-structured interviews with six chosen PTI founders involved in the marketing of tahfizpreneur products. The interview data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The findings revealed that the PTIs applied four main marketing strategies to promote the respective tahfizpreneur products: (i) direct sales to customers, (ii) printed promotions using brochures and paid newspaper advertisements, (iii) product sales agents, and (iv) electronic digital marketing, such as Facebook Ads, WhatsApp, Blaster, Instagram, YouTube, EQ2U, and Yezza. The various marketing strategies adopted increased consumer access to tahfizpreneur products, which positively impacts the sales of products and services of PTIs in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine is widely used in the disinfection process of water supply systems to eliminate pathogens. However, a complication that occurs during the disinfection process is the formation of by-products that include volatile organic compounds such as chloroform and other trihalomethanes. This study is intended to assess the risk of trihalomethanes in tap water. Water samples were taken from end-user tap water near wastewater treatment plants in various locations in Perlis, Malaysia. Following the standard procedure and calculation method proposed by the US EPA, the exposure dose (mg/kg day)) for oral ingestion, dermal absorption and inhalation was calculated. A total of 90 independent data were obtained from the Perlis regions. Risk assessments were calculated and three groups were formed to represent three separate waste water treatment plants. The assessment of cancer risk in the Timah Tasoh area by ingestion routes for dibromochloromethane, bromo-dichloromethane and chloroform was 3.04 × 10–5, 1.73 × 10–4, and 2.67 × 10–5, while for the dermal pathway it was 6.65 × 10–4, 3.97 × 10–4, and 7.19 × 10–5 and inhalation for dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane, bromoform and chloroform—1.33 × 10–3, 1.02 × 10–3, 1.38 × 10–3, and 6.32 × 10–5. Another study area, Kuala Sungai Baru, has the lowest trihalomethane content. Obviously, the lowest risk as some of the compounds were found to be below the US EPA limit. The combined risk of cancer in these three study areas for the ingestion method was 1.23 × 10–5, 1.07 × 10–4, and 1.11 × 10–5. The results showed that the carcinogenic risk assessed for chloroform, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane was within the established limit in some areas, but exceeded the acceptable level in other areas of the study. In addition, the greatest risk from trihalomethanes appears to arise from inhalation followed by ingestion and skin contact. This study made the Perlis Exploration Area Warning as a reference point for other nearby areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association of socio-demographic and clinic-pathological risk factors with oral cancer in Kelantan, Malaysia. Material and Methods: A 19-year cross-sectional survey was performed in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Malaysia. Medical record of 301 oral cancer patients was retrieved from the Medical Records office. Results: The majority of the oral cancer cases were male (62.8%), non-smokers (57.5%), non-alcohol consumers (83.4%), non-betel quid chewers (96.7%), and belonged to Malay ethnicity (68.8%). At the time of diagnosis, most of the patients were at stage II (38.9%). Approximately one-third (30.6%) of the total OC patients experienced loco-regional/distant metastasis, whereas no metastasis was detected in around two-thirds of cases (69.4%). A combination of surgery and radiotherapy was the most commonly employed treatment modality (27.2%). At the time of this study, the survival status of most of the patients was alive (69.1%). The most frequently encountered oral cancer in the Kelantanese population was oral squamous cell carcinoma (70.1%), with the tongue being the most frequently involved oral cavity site (35.5%). Conclusion: More than three-fourths of the cases were alive at follow-up, which included the cases that did not undergo any form of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The writing of this article is intended to apply the study of hadith taken from Sahih Bukhari to the students of primary schools in Malaysia. The method of writing in this article is that the author examines the hadiths from Sahih Bukhari to be used as teaching aids to students in primary schools. The author chooses a hadith from the book of al-Iman which is about the role or responsibility of a Muslim to another Muslim by taking care of his limbs and hands and also related to the advantages of congregational prayer in the Kitab al-Solat. While in terms of teaching methods or methods are teacher and student centered, the author has used Microsoft Powerpoint software as a tool or teaching aid (BBM) for primary school students based on topics related to the hadith. The special feature of this teaching aid is that students can look at it repeatedly at home and review it to strengthen their understanding of a hadith and apply it in their lives. Pupils can also share the material with their peers from other schools. It is hoped that through the tools or teaching aids (ABM) produced can give awareness to the current generation on the actions or practices that should be displayed on social media should always be guided by true Islamic guidelines and help teachers in diversifying their teaching methods in primary schools, especially the study of hadith in the subject of Islamic Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the transsexualism problem in Malaysia is rampant. This becomes worries as transsexualism practice causes many negative effects. Even the transsexualism practice itself violates normal human life. Besides that, most of them who involve in this transsexualism problem is from among teenagers who are supposed to become future country leaders. However, the question is how the transsexualism problem began and how is its trend in Malaysia until statistics of transsexual practicers number published by Pink Triangle Foundation in the year 2013 was 30,000 individuals in Malaysia. Moreover, does the transsexualism problem in Malaysia bring implications, especially towards the Muslim community in Malaysia? Therefore, to answer these inquiries, this paperwork possesses two main objectives. First, to explain the trend of transsexualism problems in human civilization, including Malaysia. Second, to explain the implications of transsexualism problems towards the Muslim community in Malaysia. To achieve these two objectives, then documentation method was performed. Documentation study was done to obtain data related to the trend of transsexualism problems in Malaysia and its implication towards the Muslim community in Malaysia. Data collected were analyzed through content analysis. The findings of this study indicated that the trend of transsexualism ill has happened since the early age of the world until today. This ill also brings negative impacts towards the Muslim community in Malaysia and defies the position of Federal Religion, which is Islam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the literature of community-based mental health services (CMHS) optimization in Malaysia that focus on the aspects of perceived challenges or barriers and facilitating factors for community-based mental health centre (CMHC). Design/methodology/approach: Relevant peer-reviewed literature was identified and being reviewed in three databases and one local journal. Findings: Nine studies were eligible for inclusion and the extracted data were summarized into a narrative review. The evidence provided for what constituting an optimal implementation of CMHS in Malaysia appeared lacking. However, there are adequate recommendations and suggestions on the component of facilitating factors; on how to increase service user's engagement towards the improvement of mental health systems. Research limitations/implications: Research in the literature had focussed on the optimization aspects from the perspective of the service user. Additionally, this had been discussed through the lens of a variety of mental health systems and not specifically on the community-based perspectives. Originality/value: This current systematic review provides valuable and important evidence that further explorations of the existing experiences of the mental health care professionals in delivering CMHS in Malaysia CMHC. The review serves as the foundation for future research to explain the local explanatory framework on what are the best practise models for local CMHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted at the Institute of Sustainable Agrotechnology farm and laboratory, University Malaysia Perlis, Padang Besar, Perlis, Malaysia, with an aim to evaluate the impact of Mucuna bracteata extract on seedling growth and germination of sweet corn and okra. Aqueous extract (dry, fresh) derived from root and shoot were used and water was kept as a control. Mucuna bracteata plants exposed to different drying duration were considered, namely fresh and after 1 week and 2 weeks, followed by drying at 40°C. Random distribution was followed for the experiment based on completely randomized design (CRD) with four replicates. The germination and seedling growth was significantly retarded for sweet corn and okra, treated with fresh, 1 and 2 weeks extracts when compared to control. Similarly, the number of roots as well as okra shoot length seedlings were significantly reduced by shoot extract and sweet corn seedlings' shoot length. However, shoot length of okra increased to a great extent with fresh extract from roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Solat or prayer, as one of the five pillars of Islam, is associated with bio-psycho-social benefits in Muslim patients. Many Muslim patients neglected solat while being hospitalized as they are unaware of the convenience (rukhsoh) available for them. Ibadah Friendly Hospital Courses have been conducted in different states of Malaysia to impart knowledge to the hospital staff who can in turn educate their patients. This study aims to construct a content-validated assessment tool to assess the effectiveness of a state-level Hospital Mesra Ibadah course. Materials and methods: A self-administered questionnaire was constructed and content-validated by a panel of three experts (two religious teachers and one consultant spine surgeon). All 15 questions achieved item-level content validity index (I-CVI) of 1.00 after two rounds of validation. The questionnaires were distributed to participants of a state-level Hospital Mesra Ibadah course to compare the participants' pre-course and post-course test scores. Results: A total of 88 participants (48.9%) were included in this study. There was a significant difference in the pre-course test mean score and post-course test mean score among the participants. There was also a significant reduction of unsure answers after the course. There was no significant association found between the gender, place of work and occupation with the pre-post test score difference. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the Hospital Mesra Ibadah course is effective in imparting as well as consolidating the knowledge among participants, hence it should be routinely organized to benefit more participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identity refers to how people understand their relationship to the world, how that relationship is constructed across time and space, and how people understand their possibilities for the future. This research examined some claims made that learners of the English language as a second language have associated themselves with the culture and practices of the native speakers thus eroding the identity of the learners as good Moslems. This research aimed at investigating this phenomenon, to what extent the changes existed, if any. The main topics to discuss were the influence of the English language towards religious secondary school students' identity and to what extent the students could retain their identity as Moslems. There was one theory employed in this research called Self-Identity Theory. 90 religious secondary students and 8 teachers were used as respondents by conducting focused group interviews and face to face interviews with them. They came from urban, sub-urban, elite and rural schools respectively. The findings revealed that there were mixed responses from the respondents on the issues. 85 students, making up 94.5% of the whole respondents, asserted that the English language did not change the students' Islamic identity. Meanwhile only 5 students, comprising 5.6% of the respondents, were of the opinion that the students had been influenced by the culture of native speakers of the English language thus eroding their identity as good Moslems. In a positive note, it was also found that there were some good values instilled in the teaching of the English language such as confidence, helping each other, teamwork, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morinda citrifolia L., commonly known as mengkudu in Malaysia, is a medicinal plant utilized for thousands of years to treat various health problems. The plant has been widely used in traditional medicine, especially among the Malay community. However, there is little scientific proof of the medicinal properties of the plant. Thus, this review discussed and summarized the latest scientific findings on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of M. citrifolia L. The research articles were gathered from various electronic databases and following the title, abstract and content screening, a total of 136 articles were selected from SCOPUS (56), Web of Science (25), Science Direct (16), and Google Scholar (39) from 2016 to 2022. The duplicated articles from the databases were then eliminated. Information was gathered from the resulting 45 articles and discussed in this review. The data suggested that phytochemical compounds, mainly from the phenolics and flavonoids classes, found within different parts of the M. citrifolia L. plant possessed biological activities, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anticancer, and antihypertensive properties. Factors such as the conditions and solvents used during the extraction process played essential roles in investigating the therapeutic properties of different parts of the plant. Although M. citrifolia L. could treat diseases, more clinical trials are needed to understand its therapeutic and preventive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic anthropology is most often employed in person identification. Researchers have proved that body dimensions differ for various populations. There exists a relationship between one's body weight and foot impressions. Hence the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between human body weight and breadth measurements of foot impressions among Bidayuh ethnic groups in east Malaysia. The results showed significant positive correlation between body weight and breadth measurements of foot impressions. The correlation coefficient (R) values in pooled sample are found to be comparatively higher in the foot impressions (footprint 0.265-0.457; foot outline 0.414-0.484) than those of males (footprint 0.128-0.371; foot outline 0.324-0.348) and females (footprint 0.241-0.380; foot outline 0.275-415). The result of this research has provided regression equations to determine body weight from foot impressions for person identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Footprint is an important physical evidence and weight is a biometric trait. Body weight involves a variety of cultural and physical variables. Limited studies were conducted correlating body weight and footprint. Hence the present study was aimed to develop regression equations to estimate body weight from footprint lengths, collected from 200 consented Lun Bawangs in east Malaysia. The results show that all footprint lengths exhibit statistically positive significant correlation with body weight. The correlation coefficient (R) in pooled sample (0.235-0.296) is found to be comparatively higher than those of male (0.125-0.144), and females (0.083-0.138). The result findings have been presented in the form of tables. The equations derived for pooled sample can be used even when the sex of the footprint owner remains unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical energy consumption in Malaysia has increased sharply in the past few years, and modern energy-efficient technologies are desperately needed for the national energy policy. This article presents a comprehensive picture of the current status of energy consumption and various energy conservation options viable for the Malaysian environment. A detailed survey is made to assess the consumption pattern and the existing techniques for energy efficiency. Based on the survey, the feasibility of improving the available systems and adopting new programs in different sectors is investigated. The proposed options are then categorized into four main sectors such as building, industrial, electrical and transportation. The study reveals the fact that the energy conservation policy of the country has been fairly improved in the last ten years. However the country has to pay more attention to this area and make urgent measures to adopt more energy-efficient technologies in various sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Particulate matter (PM10) associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air were determined at two sites within the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur (urban, KL) and Petaling Jaya (industrial, PJ), and one site outside the Klang Valley, Bangi (semi-urban, BG). This study aimed to determine the concentration and distribution of PAHs in PM10 and the source of origin through principal component analysis (PCA) and diagnostic ratio analysis. This study also assessed the health risk from exposure to airborne BaPeq. PM10 samples were collected on glass fiber filter paper using a High Volume Sampler (HVS) for 24 h between September 2010 and April 2011. The filter papers with PM10 were extracted using dichloromethane-methanol (3:1), and analysis of 16 USEPA priority PAHs was determined using gas chromatography with mass spectra (GC–MS). Health risk assessment was estimated using toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) which quantitatively estimate the exposure risk for age specific group. The results showed that the total PAHs concentrations throughout seasonal monsoons for KL, PJ and BG ranged from 1.33 ng m−3 to 2.97 ng m−3, 2.24 ng m−3 to 4.84 ng m−3 and 1.64 ng m−3 to 3.45 ng m−3 respectively. More than 80% of total PAHs consisted of 5-ring and 6-ring PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP). The presence of benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP) with high concentration at all locations suggested a source indicator for traffic emission. PCA and diagnostic ratio analysis also suggested substantial contributions from traffic emission with minimal influence from coal combustion and natural gas emissions. The use of total BaPeq concentration provide a better estimation of carcinogenicity activities, where they contributed to more than 50% of the potential health risk. Health risk assessment showed that the estimated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) from exposure to airborne BaPeq is negligible at all sampling sites for all age specific group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The 2008 financial crisis has been an extremely challenging one for many businesses worldwide. Malaysia has not been spared from the difficulties posed by this economic disaster even though we were supposed to be somewhat isolated from being hit very hard. This paper examines the challenges faced by the Malaysian companies, in particular Automobile manufacturers or sometimes known as the Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). This paper will also try and single out the least affected companies in Malaysia and try to understand what are the best practices in having a sustainable competitive advantage. The study has shown that car sales in Malaysia have seen a sharp decline especially between in the 2nd half of 2007 and the 1st half of 2008. This is mainly attributed to the global economic condition which has also had an affect on Malaysia. Nevertheless, some companies have been harder hit than others and this is what the author has tried to study. It is been found that while short term strategies may have had some influence on the performance of automotive companies in Malaysia, the long term strategies have a more profound influence over the performance of companies even during the more difficult times. Companies which have been steadfast in their long term strategies and have not been swayed by the different conditions have been less affected than those which have chosen to adopt short term strategies which are not well coordinated. The paper will also share some possible lessons that can be learnt from other OEMs in trying to become competitive players in the Malaysian automotive Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Until now, biting behaviour of black flies in Malaysia are still unknown. • The first black fly human-attracted species was reported in Malaysia. • Morphological and molecular analysis confirmed that it was similar to Simulium aziruni ; a Simulium gombakense species-group. Most female black flies in the genus Simulium are blood-sucking flies and they can cause various parasitic diseases in human and animal. A total of 94 species of black flies have been reported in Malaysia, however, their biting behavior and role as vector of infectious agents remain understudied. To fill in this knowledge gap, we attempted to survey adult black flies from field populations in Peninsular Malaysia. In a survey carried out in 2017 at Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu, three females were caught while attracted and landed on human skin. Further morphological and molecular analyses showed that the specimens were identical to Simulium (Gomphostilbia) aziruni Takaoka, Hashim & Chen of the Simulium gombakense species-group. This is the first report on a black fly species attracted to human in Malaysia which serves as a steppingstone towards in-depth studies for black flies in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A report on the de novo Whole Genome Sequence (WGS) of Marinobacter litoralis SW-45, a moderately salt-tolerant bacterium isolated from the seawater in Malaysia is presented. The strain has a genome size of 3.45 Mb and is capable of producing halophilic lipase, protease and esterase enzymes. Computational prediction of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes in M. litoralis SW-45 was performed using standalone software known as the non-coding RNA characterization (nocoRNAc). In addition, a phylogenetic tree showing the evolutionary relationship between the strain and other members of the genus Marinobacter was constructed using 16SrRNA sequence information. A total of 385 ncRNA transcripts, 1124 terminator region, and 2350 Stress Induced Duplex Destabilization sites were predicted. The current WGS shotgun project has provided the relevant genetic information that may be useful for the strain's improvement studies. This manuscript gives the first description of M. litoralis with a complete genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Particulate matter (PM) is one of the main causes of air pollution, and it has been demonstrated to pose significant health risk to human. However, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the fine (PM1) and ultrafine particles (PM0.1) are yet to be confirmed. Hence, this study aimed to determine the genotoxicity of the organic and inorganic extracts from the PM1 and PM0.1 against the V79 Chinese hamster mammalian lung cells. Methods: In this study, air sampling was conducted by using the Nanosampler Model 3180 in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Then, the organic and inorganic extracts of PM1 and PM0.1 were subjected to cytotoxicity and genotoxicity testing by using the MTT assay and alkaline comet assay, respectively on the V79 Chinese hamster mammalian lung cell line. Results: The V79 Chinese hamster lung cells exhibited cytotoxic effects when exposed to extracts from both organic and inorganic sources of PM1 and PM0.1. Notably, PM1 displayed greater cytotoxicity compared to PM0.1. Interestingly, solely the organic extracts from PM1 and PM0.1 revealed noteworthy (p<0.05) genotoxic impacts on the V79 Chinese hamster lung cells, whereas the inorganic extract did not. Furthermore, the ultrafine PM0.1 displayed higher genotoxicity in comparison to PM1. Conclusion: Our current findings showed that the organic extracts of PM1 and PM0.1 may cause DNA damage towards the V79 Chinese hamster mammalian lung cell line, and the genotoxicity of the ultrafine PM0.1 was greater than the PM1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Particulate matter (PM) with smaller aerodynamic diameter such as the PM1 and PM0.1 are believed to induce more pronounced toxic effects in humans due to their enhanced capabilities to penetrate deeply into our body system. They also have a greater surface area per unit mass, thus enabling them to adsorb more toxic compounds as compared to their larger counterparts. As mutations may lead to the development of various diseases, including cancer, this study aimed to evaluate the mutagenicity of organic and inorganic air samples of PM1 and PM0.1. Methods: Air sampling was conducted by using the Nanosampler Model 3180 in UKM Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Following extraction, the mutagenicity of organic and inorganic air samples PM1 and PM0.1 was then evaluated using Ames test without and with metabolic activation on three different strains of bacteria, which were Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100 and Escherichia coli (E. coli) WP2. Results: There is no mutagenic activity observed in all samples. However, the mutagenicity potential of organic air sample is higher than inorganic air sample on Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 while inorganic air sample showed higher mutagenicity potential in E. coli WP2. Based on size, fine particles (PM1) showed higher mutagenic potential than ultrafine particles (PM0.1). Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that organic and inorganic air sample as well as PM1 air sample have the potential to cause mutations. Future studies focus on the investigation of chemical composition that responsible to the mutagenicity of PM1 and PM0.1 are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mermithids are the most common parasites of black flies and are associated with host feminization and sterilization in infected hosts. However, information on the species / lineage of black fly mermithids in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia requires further elucidation. In this study, mermithids were obtained from black fly larvae collected from 138 freshwater stream sites across East and West Malaysia. A molecular approach based on nuclear-encoded 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene was used to identify the species identity / lineage of 77 nematodes successfully extracted and sequenced from the specimens collected. Maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining phylogenetic analyses demonstrated five distinct mermithid lineages. Four species delimitation analyses: automated simultaneous analysis phylogenetics (ASAP), maximum likelihood Poisson tree processes with Bayesian inferences (bPTP_ML), generalized mixed yule coalescent (GMYC) and single rate Poisson tree processes (PTP) were applied to delimit the species boundaries of mermithid lineages in this data set along with genetic distance analysis. Data analysis supports five distinct lineages or operational taxonomic units for mermithids in the present study, with two requiring further investigation as they may represent intraspecific variation or closely related taxa. One mermithid lineage was similar to that previously observed in Simulium nigrogilvum from Thailand. Co-infection with two mermithids of different lineages was observed in one larva of Simulium trangense. This study represents an important first step towards exploring other aspects of host – parasite interactions in black fly mermithids. [Display omitted] • Five distinct mermithid lineages were identified. • Two lineages possibly represent closely related taxa. • One lineage was similar to a black fly mermithid recorded in Thailand. • Two mermithid lineages were observed infecting one species of black fly larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the link of corporate sustainability practices towards financial performance remains an area of interest to many scholars. But still, the Islamic perspective of the nexus is over sighted. In this vein, the main objective of this study is to inquire about the nexus of corporate sustainability practices towards financial performance from an Islamic perspective. However, the major challenge in this regard is the unavailability of an Islamic corporate sustainability index. To cope with the challenge, this study developed a novel Islamic corporate sustainability practices index and aligned it with sustainable development goals for greater generalizability and better financial performance. The study collected 10 years of panel data (2009–2018) for 16 Islamic banks in Malaysia and 12 Islamic banks in Indonesia. Panel corrected standard errors regression technique was used to analyse panel data. Results were first generated on the combined dataset including both Malaysia and Indonesia, and then from individual countries' perspectives to obtain a holistic point of view. Furthermore, results are also generated on Islamic corporate sustainability practices as a formative factor as well as a reflective factor indicating (environmental, economic and social) dimensions. Results of panel corrected standard errors regression analysis show that Islamic corporate suitability practices as a formative factor have a significant positive impact on financial performance from the combined as well as the separate dataset from Malaysia and Indonesia. However, results of the reflective factors of Islamic corporate sustainability practices show variation in the combined (Malaysian and Indonesian) dataset. These results provide insights into various policy formulations at Malaysian and Indonesian Islamic banks in specific. And in general, these results insights into the world Islamic banking industry for ensuring better compliance with sustainable development goals aimed at achieving greater financial performance. More importantly, this study may serve as a launching pad for the development of the global Islamic banking corporate sustainability practices index. • The Islamic perspective of the nexus between corporate sustainability practices and financial performance is over-sighted. • Developed Islamic corporate sustainability practices index (ICSPI) aligned with SDGs toward greater financial performance. • ICSP as a formative factor has a positive impact on firm performance on datasets from Malaysia and Indonesia. • ICSP as a reflective factor show variation in its impact on firm performance in the combined Malaysia and Indonesia dataset. • This study may serve as a base for the development of the global Islamic corporate sustainability practices index (GICSPI) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of restaurants is increasing day by day in almost all the developing countries, causing the increase in the generation of restaurant wastewater. Various activities (i.e., cleaning, washing, and cooking) going on in the restaurant kitchen lead to restaurant wastewater (RWW). RWW has high concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, and solids. RWW also contains fats, oil, and grease (FOG) in alarmingly high concentration, which after congealing can constrict the sewer lines, leading to blockages, backups, and sanitatry sewer overflows (SSOs). The paper provides an insight to the details of RWW containing FOG collected from a gravity grease interceptor at a specific site in Malaysia, and its expected consequences and the sustainable management plan as prevention, control, and mitigation (PCM) approach. The results showed that the concentrations of pollutants are very high as compared to the discharge standards given by Department of Environment, Malaysia. Maximum values for COD, BOD and FOG in the restaurant wastewater samples were found to be 9948, 3170, and 1640 mg/l, respectively. FAME and FESEM analysis are done on the RWW containing FOG. In the FOG, palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1n9c), linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) are the dominant lipid acids with a maximum of 41, 8.4, 43.2, and 11.5%, respectively. FESEM analysis showed formation of whitish layers fprmed due to the deposition of calcium salts. Furthermore, a novel design of indoor hydromechanical grease interceptor (HGI) was proposed in the study based on the Malaysian conditions of restaurant. The HGI was designed for a maximum flow rate of 132 L per minute and a maximum FOG capacity of 60 kg. [Display omitted] • Characterization and analysis of restaurant wastewater containing FOG was conducted. • Peak flow discharge was measured at the gravity grease interceptor which was the sampling point during the study. • FAME & FESEM analysis was carried on the composition of FOG in restaurant wastewater. • Design of Hydromechanical grease interceptor was proposed for the indoor and onsite installation to control the FOG. • Prevention, control, and mitigation approach to combat the deleterious effects of FOG in RWW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nine of 42 simuliid species in Malaysia were parasitized by mermithid nematodes. • The number of mermithids per simuliid host larva was 1–3, with a mean of 1.10. • Mermithid distributions were patchy among simuliid hosts and streams. • Parasitism was significantly associated with environmental factors, e.g. temperature. • Patchy parasite distributions suggest strong host–parasite–environment interactions. Mermithids are parasites of black flies that cause host mortality along with physical and behavioural changes in infected hosts. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the distribution of mermithids infecting black fly larvae and the factors that influence these distributions in Asia, including Malaysia. A total of 13,116 mid- to late-instar black fly larvae belonging to 42 species were collected from 138 streams across East and West Malaysia and screened for the presence of mermithid parasites. Overall, 121 mermithids were obtained from 107 (0.82%) larvae of nine (21.4%) black fly species. The average number of mermithids per black fly host was 1.10 ± 0.04 (SE), ranging from one to three mermithids per host. Mermithid infection was highest in Simulium trangense , with a frequency of occurrence of 6.5%, followed by S. cheongi (5.8%) and S. angulistylum complex (2.9%). Infection was lowest in S. brevipar and S. tahanense , with a frequency of occurrence of 0.7% each. Regression analysis indicated that mermithid infections in larval black flies were significantly associated with cooler and shallower streams with more canopy cover, dense riparian vegetation, high dissolved oxygen, and lower conductivity and complete pH. Forward logistic regression further indicated that infections in S. cheongi were associated with shaded, cooler, slightly acidic streams with higher conductivity and dissolved oxygen. These findings suggest that mermithid infections in larval black flies in Malaysia are not randomly distributed and are influenced by the breeding habitat of their hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]