Malaysia's policy on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean (A&SO) in the last three decades has evolved from being focused on diplomatic engagement to pioneering science in cooperation with the ...international community and strengthening science diplomacy by becoming a member of the international governance of Antarctic. Through process-oriented evaluation, the aim of this study is to map out the development of Malaysia's policy on the Antarctic region (from 1982 to 2016) and consequently, identify the current capacities and future needs to strengthen its involvement. This study reveals that Malaysia's policy on A&SO has strong integration in foreign affairs, science and technology (S&T), and the environment, and the involvements are parallel with the national development plan. To move forward, Malaysia is currently establishing a suitable governance structure and a long-term management plan to ensure a long-term political commitment, sustain investment of resources and strengthen the dynamic participation of stakeholders. This study advances the scholarly understanding of the political processes and challenges to Malaysia's Antarctic policy development, in its journey towards institutionalisation which will create distinctive and valuable positions for Malaysia to contribute to current debates on the future of the Antarctic region. In the context of ad-hoc decision on certain policy, this case study will contribute relevant information about the development process, issues and challenges on policy through ad-hoc implementation.
Abstract
The efficiency of using sustainable materials has been an important issue in ensuring the success of sustainable construction in Pulau Pinang. Unfortunately, the construction sector is one ...of the most energy-intensive sectors, contributing to global climate change and environmental issues. Thus, this study aims to identify the factor of sustainable materials selection in focusing on Seberang Perai Tengah and to determine the relationship between the decision-making factor and elements in the planning stage toward sustainable construction. The quantitative method was conducted by survey, and the instrument used was an online questionnaire survey. About 54 samples of the questionnaire were collected from those involved in the construction sector in Seberang Perai Tengah, Pulau Pinang. The result shows the factors of decision-making that have the most influence on sustainable material selection are technology and training. Meanwhile, the planning stage element that has the most significant influence on the criteria of sustainable material is the project life cycle. This study could be valuable for all parties in the construction industry, especially to the decision-maker, engineers, clients, employers and staff, academicians, policymakers, researchers, and organizations.
Heavy metal pollution is one of the major environmental issues in recent decades owing to the rapid increase in urbanisation and industrialisation. Sediments usually act as sinks for heavy metals due ...to their complex physical and chemical adsorption mechanisms. In this study, heavy metals like lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu) and Iron (Fe) in the surface sediment from 15 location (upstream and downstream) on the Perak River, Malaysia were investigated by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The geostatistical prediction map showed the range of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu and Fe concentration in upstream area was 14.56–27.0 µg/g, 20–51.27 µg/g, 1.51–3.0 µg/g, 6.6–19.12 µg/g and 20.24–56.58%, respectively, and in downstream areas was 27.6–60.76 µg/g, 49.04–160.5 µg/g, 2.77–4.02 µg/g, 9.82–59.99 µg/g and 31.34–39.5%, respectively. Based on the enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index, Cd was found to be the most dominant pollutant in the study area. Pollution load index, sediment quality guidelines and sediment environmental toxicity quotient data showed that the downstream sediment was more polluted than the upstream sediment in the Perak River. The multivariate analysis showed that Pb, Zn and Cu mainly originated from natural sources with minor contribution from human activities, whereas Fe and Cd originated from various industrial and agricultural activities along the studied area.
UiTM2025 provides future priorities framework by explicitly stated that UiTM is highly committed towards establishing a world-class research platform for global performance by providing impactful ...portfolios on translational research, high impact publications, creative and smart innovations, and partnerships with stakeholders. However, the design and implementation of international activity that sets out in UiTM2025 does not mean that the University has adequate capacity to address global issues, thereby undermining its international positioning and outlook. Against the historical account of the development of the UiTM, this paper evaluates evolution, opportunities and challenges associated with UiTM’s international positioning.
A total of 133 samples of whole wheat and barley grains and wheat and barley flour collected from retail markets in the main cities of Punjab, Pakistan, were analyzed for the mycotoxin fumonisin B1 ...(FB1) using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Of these samples, 120 (90%) were positive for FB1, and 75 (63%) of the 120 positive samples had FB1 concentrations higher than the European Union maximum (200 μg/kg). The limit of detection was 4 μg/kg. The highest mean (±SD) concentration of FB1 was found in whole wheat samples, 980.5 ± 211.4 μg/kg. The calculated dietary intakes of FB1 from wheat and barley flours were 4,456 and 503.7 ng/g of body weight per day, respectively.
The internationalisation of research strategies is continuously evolving. Addressing global challenges is part of the mechanism that enhances the internationalisation of universities. With global ...interest in the polar regions (Antarctic and Arctic) increasing significantly, and with an extensive history of international collaboration in research, it is timely to explore how the efforts in polar research can contribute to a strong foundation for the internationalisation of university research. A conceptual analysis clearly indicates that an international collaboration of polar research has the potential of contributing to the debates on the future direction and strategy of internationalising universities by bringing in the values of mobility, co-authorship, global citizenship and knowledge diplomacy. This hypothesis needs to be further tested in an empirical study to support evidence-based policy making. This study sheds light on the theories and lends a new body of fundamental social knowledge related to the internationalisation of research strategies in university through global research initiatives.
In this research, the utilisation of used transformer oil (UTO) as carbon feedstock for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was targeted; with a view to reducing the environmental challenges ...associated with the disposal of the used oil and provision of an alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic plastic. Acinetobacter sp. strain AAAID-1.5 is a PHA-producing bacterium recently isolated from a soil sample collected in Penang, Malaysia. The PHA-producing capability of this bacterium was assessed through laboratory experiments in a shake flask biosynthesis under controlled culture conditions. The effect of some biosynthesis factors on growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation was also investigated, the structural composition of the PHA produced by the organism was established, and the characteristics of the polymer were determined using standard analytical methods. The results indicated that the bacteria could effectively utilise UTO and produce PHA up to 34% of its cell dry weight. Analysis of the effect of some biosynthesis factors revealed that the concentration of carbon substrate, incubation time, the concentration of yeast extract and utilisation of additional carbon substrates could influence the growth and polymer accumulation in the test organism. Manipulation of culture conditions resulted in an enhanced accumulation of the PHA. The data obtained from GC-MS and NMR analyses indicated that the PHA produced might have been composed of 3-hydroxyoctadecanoate and 3-hydroxyhexadecanoate as the major monomers. The physicochemical analysis of a sample of the polymer revealed an amorphous elastomer with average molecular weight and polydispersity index (PDI) of 110 kDa and 2.01, respectively. The melting and thermal degradation temperatures were 88 °C and 268 °C, respectively. The findings of this work indicated that used transformer oil could be used as an alternative carbon substrate for PHA biosynthesis. Also, Acinetobacter sp. strain AAAID-1.5 could serve as an effective agent in the bioconversion of waste oils, especially UTO, to produce biodegradable plastics. These may undoubtedly provide a foundation for further exploration of UTO as an alternative carbon substrate in the biosynthesis of specific polyhydroxyalkanoates.
Employees' work experience significantly impacts their cognition and workplace actions. Anger and negative affectivity are two personality traits that have been linked to workplace deviant behavior ...conduct.
This study aimed to empirically analyze the deviant workplace behavior and its antecedents among Malaysian nurses in public hospitals.
A cross-sectional design was employed in this study. The survey questionnaires were distributed proportionately to staff nurses in six government hospitals in 2020, with a total of 387 nurses selected using a simple random sampling. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis.
Trait anger triggered deviant workplace behavior in Malaysian nurses, thus supporting the argument that the personality trait could increase deviant behavior (
= 0.245,
= 0.000). At the same time, there was no evidence that negative affectivity could influence deviant behavior in the workplace among nurses in selected public hospitals in Malaysia (
= 0.074,
= 0.064).
The Malaysian nurses had positive affectivity, related to positive emotions like happiness, work interest, and attentiveness. On the other hand, the nurses were suffering from high levels of emotional tiredness. Further research should highlight a deeper understanding of Malaysian nurses' work experiences and workplace stress affecting their physical and mental health.
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