bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information System "Shoemaker" to Improve the Quality of Preparation of Shoe Production
Authors: Shemerey G. I. , Popov E. O. , Golubeva O. A.
Published: June 2020

В статье рассматривается описание разрабатываемой информационной системы, а именно веб- и мобильного приложения, и разработанной базы данных к этому программному обеспечению для внедрения на обувные предприятия с целью улучшения качества их работы и увеличения производственных мощностей.Цель данной работы – описать алгоритмический и пользовательский функционал разрабатываемого программного обеспечения и разработанной базы данных, ее устройство и наполнение.Проведен анализ существующих аналогов разрабатываемому программному обеспечению, причем как программ для мобильных устройств, так и десктопных и веб. Рассмотрены их преимущества и недостатки. Описана техническая составляющая программного обеспечения с представлением каждой отдельной части программ с ее предназначением под конкретные цели для выполнения определенных задач. Проведен анализ существующих типов систем управления базами данных, и на его основе выбрана наиболее актуальная система для разрабатываемого программного обеспечения. Осуществлен сбор необходимой исходной информации. Спроектирована и разработана база данных со всей необходимой информацией для производства обуви на предприятиях обуви различных конструкций и видов с применением различных технологий производства, доступными и необходимыми видами материалов и оборудования.Описан принцип работы и предназначение разрабатываемого программного обеспечения, а именно веб- и мобильного приложения, внутренняя алгоритмическая структура практически всех модулей, из которых состоят программные средства, предполагаемый интерфейс веб-приложения, через который пользователи смогут взаимодействовать со всей системой. Разработаны новые сводные перечни структурированной информации для производства обуви различных марок и конструкций: технологического процесса изготовления низа и верха обуви, описание операций, необходимого оборудования и инструментов, необходимых материалов для производства верха и низа обуви на предприятиях, способов крепления подошв на обувных изделиях со всеми примечаниями, стандартами, дополнениями и пояснениями.Полученные результаты могут быть использованы для разработки и доработки программного обеспечения, которое может быть внедрено практически на любое обувное предприятие с целью улучшения качества подготовки процесса производства и рабочих показателей. Всего этого можно будет достичь благодаря продуманному алгоритмическому функционалу программных средств для каждой производственной операции, разработанной на базе данных всего необходимого перечня данных для организации бесперебойного процесса производства и интуитивно понятного интерфейса программных средств.
Effect of workplace spirituality on creative teaching behavior: Intrinsic job satisfaction as a mediator
Authors: Ke Jianglin , Zhang Jizheng , You Jie
Published: June 2020

We explored how workplace spirituality affects the creative teaching behavior of Chinese elementary and secondary school teachers through their intrinsic job satisfaction, according to conservation of resources theory. We used data from 478 teachers to test the hypotheses with structural
equation modeling. The results showed that the workplace spirituality scale that we developed had satisfactory reliability and validity. We also found that workplace spirituality had a positive effect on the teachers' creative teaching behavior, and that their intrinsic job satisfaction fully
mediated this relationship. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Peptic Ulcers and their Complications
Authors: Kumar Akhilesh , Kumar Dhanesh , Kumar Rajendra , Prasad Jhakeshwar , Kumar Mahendra , Joshi Prachita , Fulzele Pratiksha
Published: June 2020

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is an uncommon disorder of early life. Peptic ulceration of the stomach or duodenum is usually associated with abnormalities of the gastric mucosa such as gastritis and/or gastropathy. Gastritis and ulcers of the stomach and duodenum can be classified into either primary or secondary depending on their aetiologies. The majority of primary or unexplained peptic ulcers are the result of chronic inflammation caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. However, an increasing number of children with PUD without evidence of H. Pylori infection are now being seen. Rarely PUD is caused by hypersecretory states. Secondary ulceration occurs in response to acute stress from severe systemic illnesses such as sepsis, head injury, burns, and as sequelae to use of certain drugs. The prognosis for recovery from peptic ulcers is good as most patients will respond to treatment.

Keywords:  Peptic ulcer disease, Complication, Helicobacter pylori, NSAIDs, Management.
Silymarin Loaded Novel Drug Delivery for Oral and Topical Administration
Authors: Gorhe Ankita Arun , Kulkarni Abhijeet , Pallavi Kandalkar , Snehal Jagtap
Published: June 2020

Silymarin is polyphenolic flavonoid obtained from the seeds of silybum marianum plant. It has various pharmacological properties such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, hypolipidemic properties. Silymarin has recently reported to be neuroprotective agent against neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer, Parkinson’s and cerebral ischemia. It contains eight active components, among which silibinin is the most active component. However, silymarin is BCS class II drug which having poor bioavailability due to extensive phase II metabolism, poor aqueous solubility, low permeability across intestinal epithelial cells and rapid excretion in bile and urine.  Therefore, it is necessary to understand all formulations and analytical aspects including all possible future prospects. In this review a potential approach to enhance solubility, bioavailability and to develop a robust formulation is studied. The number of studies describes novel drug delivery system (NDDS) based formulations have been significantly increased. The raise in novel drug delivery exploitation is essentially due to defeated barriers within technological process of lipid based nanoparticles formulations and increased knowledge of underlying mechanisms of transport of NDDS via different route of administration. This review focuses on pharmacological properties of silymarin, challenges, benefits and application of novel drug delivery system. To reduce the adverse effects and toxicities novel drug delivery will be an attractive approach of current therapies.

Keywords: Silymarin, route of administration, novel drug delivery, bioavailability, solubility
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Self-Medications in a Rural Community
Authors: Athira Raju , Govind G , Irene Mary Johns , Sachin Cyriac , Ritty Sara Cheriyan , Vishwanath B A
Published: June 2020

Background: The consumption of drugs without consulting healthcare professional regardless of side effects and duration of therapy is known as self-medication. This study was conducted to analyze the practice of self-medication and knowledge about the medicines among the common people of rural areas.

Methods:  6 months Study was carried out by collecting the data with the help of questionnaire and thereby collecting their answers. The data was analyzed statistically in terms of actual numbers and percentage.

Results:  As an outcome of our survey, majority of the population were unaware about proper usage of medicines. The survey also shows that NSAIDs are the most consumed medicines. 72.11% stop taking medications without the advice or without informing healthcare provider. 77.56% believe medication without prescription will help them.

Conclusion: The survey that most of the common population in the rural areas don’t know about the indication for which they are taking medication and the study also emphasizes  the unawareness of common population towards proper usage of medication. Elderly people are on polypharmacy due to multiple and inter current diseases, with their improper use due to lack of knowledge of correct dose, side effects, and interactions would bring serious implications. Community pharmacists should get continuous education and repeated training programs because they are easy accessible to the common population. A proper statutory drug control must be implemented, rationally restricting the availability of drugs to the public. Self-medication is an area where governments and health authorities need to ensure that it is done in a responsible manner, ensuring that safe drugs are made available over the counter and the consumer is given adequate information about the use of drugs and when to consult a doctor.

Keywords: Self-medication, irrational use, prevalence, pharmacist, drugs.
Impact of Participation in a Virtual Diabetes Clinic on Diabetes-Related Distress in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Polonsky William H. , Layne Jennifer E. , Parkin Christopher G. , Kusiak Coco M. , Barleen Nathan A. , Miller David P. , Zisser Howard , Dixon Ronald F.
Published: June 2020

The Onduo Virtual Diabetes Clinic is a telehealth program for people with type 2 diabetes that combines mobile app technology, remote personalized lifestyle coaching, connected blood glucose meters, real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) devices, and clinical support from board-certified endocrinologists. This analysis evaluated change in diabetes distress among 228 program participants who reported moderate distress (score 2.0–2.9) or high distress (score ≥3.0) on the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) at enrollment. Participants reported significant reductions in overall distress from 3.0 ± 0.8 at baseline to 2.5 ± 0.9 (P <0.001) at an average of 6 months of follow-up. Significant reductions in all DDS17 subscale scores were observed; most notable were reductions in the regimen-related and emotional distress subscales (−0.9 and −0.4, respectively; both P <0.001). Significantly greater reductions in overall distress (P = 0.012) and regimen-related distress (P <0.001) were reported by participants who were prescribed and used intermittent rtCGM (n = 77) versus nonusers (n = 151). Although the generalizability of these findings may be limited by the study’s small sample size and potential for self-selection bias, these results do suggest that telemedicine programs such as the Onduo VDC could be a valuable tool for addressing the problem of diabetes-related distress.
NKG2D Signaling Within the Pancreatic Islets Reduces NOD Diabetes and Increases Protective Central Memory CD8+ T-Cell Numbers
Authors: Trembath Andrew P. , Krausz Kelsey L. , Sharma Neekun , Gerling Ivan C. , Mathews Clayton E. , Markiewicz Mary A.
Published: June 2020

NKG2D is implicated in autoimmune diabetes. However, the role of this receptor in diabetes pathogenesis is unclear owing to conflicting results with studies involving global inhibition of NKG2D signaling. We found that NKG2D and its ligands are present in human pancreata, with expression of NKG2D and its ligands increased in the islets of patients with type 1 diabetes. To directly assess the role of NKG2D in the pancreas, we generated NOD mice that express an NKG2D ligand in β-islet cells. Diabetes was reduced in these mice. The reduction corresponded with a decrease in the effector to central memory CD8+ T-cell ratio. Further, NKG2D signaling during in vitro activation of both mouse and human CD8+ T cells resulted in an increased number of central memory CD8+ T cells and diabetes protection by central memory CD8+ T cells in vivo. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that there is a protective role for central memory CD8+ T cells in autoimmune diabetes and that this protection is enhanced with NKG2D signaling. These findings stress the importance of anatomical location when determining the role NKG2D signaling plays, as well as when developing therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway, in type 1 diabetes development.
Reservorio ileal, resultados funcionales
Authors: Cedeño Ruíz Andrés , Ortiz Quevedo Enrique , Suárez Espinoza Gabriela , Flores Pinos María , Gómez Tabares Jhon , Benavides Perdomo Malfy
Published: June 2020

Objetivo: presentar la experiencia y resultados de corto plazo del Reservorio Ileal y Anastomosis Reservorio ileo-anal (RIARA) en “J” luego de proctocolectomía en el manejo de Colitis Ulcerosa (CU) y Poliposis Adenomatosa Familiar (PAF). Métodos: revisión de los expedientes clínicos de una serie de casos manejados con RIARA evaluados entre 2014 y 2016. Resultados: se incluyeron 11 casos (8 hombres y 3 mujeres), de los cuales 8 casos tenían PAF y 3 CU. La edad media fue de 45 años. Se encontró absceso pélvico en tres casos y en uno incontinencia anal a líquidos de manera temporal. Sólo 1 caso requirió re-intervención quirúrgica. La media de estancia hospitalaria fue de 11.9 días con un número de 5 evacuaciones en 24 horas a los tres meses. No hubo muertes en la serie. Conclusiones: los resultados de esta serie demuestran adecuada calidad de vida y buenos resultados funcionales, morbilidad aceptable y sin mortalidad. Es necesario el seguimiento a largo plazo para identificar complicaciones tardías.
Síndrome Hemofagocítico asociado a infección por virus Epstein Barr. Reporte de caso
Authors: Páez Pesantes Xavier Ulpiano , Chanatasig Guamangallo Isabel , Blasco Arriaga Erika , Arboleda Inés
Published: June 2020

El síndrome hemofagocítico (SHF) comprende un grupo heterogéneo de enfermedades que se caracterizan por un estado hiperinflamatorio debido a una incontrolada activación de células T, macrófagos e histiocitos, acompañado por la producción excesiva de citoquinas. Se clasifica en formas primarias y secundarias, de estas últimas la más común y grave es la asociada al virus Epstein-Barr. Se presenta el caso de una niña de un año de edad con cuadro clínico de fiebre de un mes de evolución, a la exploración física presentó palidez generalizada y hepatoesplenomegalia. Los hallazgos de laboratorio fueron bicitopenia, hipertransaminasemia, hipoalbuminemia, hipofibrinogenemia, hipertrigliceridemia, hiperferritinemia, reactantes fase aguda elevados; en aspirado medular se evidenció hemofagocitos, con lo que se sustentó el diagnostico, iniciándose tratamiento con protocolo HLH-04; pese a ello la evolución fue tórpida con desenlace fatal, postmortem se recabó PCR para virus Epstein-Barr positivo. Se concluye que es necesario realizar diagnóstico temprano y tratamiento oportuno de los pacientes con SHF para disminuir su mortalidad, tomando en cuenta que las características clínicas de esta enfermedad en pacientes críticamente enfermos son similares en caso de sepsis o fallo multiorgánico, lo que retrasa el reconocimiento y tratamiento.
Prevalencia de sífilis congénita en neonatos atendidos en la unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales. Hospital Abel Gilbert Pontón, 2013-2015
Authors: Arévalo Morales Katherine , Arreaga Sotomayor Carmen , Carrillo Alvarado Pavel
Published: June 2020

Es una infección causada por el treponema pallidum (sífilis) que se transmite de la madre al feto durante el desarrollo fetal o en el momento del nacimiento. La sífilis congénita constituye una causa de muerte fetal y perinatal en un 40% de los niños afectados, sin embargo con un adecuado tratamiento antes de las 36 semanas de gestación, probablemente se evitarían las lesiones fetales. Sífilis congénita, enfermedad sexual de trasmisión vertical más frecuente en Latinoamérica ascenso en población vulnerable de mujeres gestantes, siendo los objetivos para el milenio Organización Panamericana de Salud es disminuir la sífilis congénita al 0,5% de los recién nacidos .Se analizaron intervenciones para disminuir su incidencia y tomar acciones preventivas. Se realizó un estudio de prevalencia partiendo del total neonatos ingresados en el servicio de cuidados intensivos neonatales del hospital “Abel Gilbert Pontón” en el periodo comprendido entre los años 2013 - 2015. De un total de 1229 neonatos ingresados en el servicio de unidad de cuidados intensivos, se encontraron 27 casos con diagnóstico de sífilis congénita, representando 2,2% de la población de estudio, con predominio de casos en el sexo masculino (59%). Se evidenció una disminución de ingresos hospitalarios con diagnóstico de sífilis congénita durante los dos últimos años del período estudiado, como resultado de la reducción de la prevalencia de la sífilis en las mujeres embarazadas, así como la prevención de la transmisión de la sífilis de la madre al niño.
Comparation of SAW Method and Topsis in Assesing The Best Area Using HSE Standards
Authors: Bendra Wardana  , Roni Habibi  , M. Harry K Saputra
Published: June 2020

Pertamina Gas is a company engaged in the midstream and downstream industry sectors of Indonesian gas. Currently, the process to access the best areas in PT. Pertamina Gas has not been computerizedand it is still doing manu ally. In assessing the area itself, this method is considered less effective and efficient to determine the best area. Area Assessment according to PT. Pertamina Gas itself is important to iincrease the performance and safety in improving PT. Pertamina Gas Health, Safety, Environment quality. Therefore, we need a system to determine which areas are the best in the PT. Pertamina Gas environment, using predetermined criteria. To create a system commenting on the area in PT.  Pertamina Gas Environment, the author used the method Simple Additive Weighting (SAW)  and  Techniques  for  Other  References  With  Similarities  to  Ideal Solutions (TOPSIS) for the best process of conversation and area testing.This  study  suggests  finding  the  best  method  for  reporting  and  helping  to make decisions based on the best alternative value. The results obtained from this study show that the testing using SAW method is more optimal than using TOPSIS method, with the value of sensitivity change for SAW is 2.4 and TOPSIS is 0.7754.
Energy Efficiency Optimization for Intermediate Node Selection Using MhSA-LEACH: Multi-hop Simulated Annealing in Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Aidil Saputra Kirsan  , Al Rasyid Udin Harun , Iwan Syarif  , Dian Neipa Purnamasari
Published: June 2020

Energy usage on nodes is still a hot topic among researchers on wireless sensor networks. This is due to the increasing technological development increasing information requirements and caused the occurrence of information exchange continuously without stopping and impact the decline of lifetime nodes. It takes more effort to manually change the energy source on nodes in the wireless sensor network. The solution to such problems is to use routing protocols such as Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH). The LEACH protocol works by grouping nodes and selecting the Cluster Head (CH) in charge of delivering data to the Base Station (BS). One of the disadvantage LEACH protocols, when nodes are far from the CH, will require a lot of energy for sending data to CH. One way to reduce the energy consumption of each node-far is to use multi-hop communication. In this research, we propose a multi-hop simulated annealing (MhSA-LEACH) with an algorithm developed from the LEACH protocol based on intra-cluster multi-hop communication. The selection of intermediate nodes in multi-hop protocol is done using Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm on Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). Therefore, the multi-hop nodes are selected based on the shortest distance and can only be skipped once by utilizing the probability theory, resulting in a more optimal node path. The proposed algorithm has been compared to the conventional LEACH protocol and the Multi-Hop Advance Heterogeneity-aware Energy Efficient (MAHEE) clustering algorithm using OMNeT++. The test results show the optimization of MhSA-LEACH on the number of packets received by BS or CH and the number of dead or alive nodes from LEACH and MAHEE protocols.
A Study of Chip Formation on Turning with Minimum Quantity Lubrication Method (MQL)
Authors: Qoryah Rika Dwi Hidayatul , Azizi Agil Widhy , Darsin Mahros
Published: June 2020

The cutting fluid is one of the essential factors in machining to increase machinability. The issuance of ISO 14000 about reducing the use of cutting fluid for its danger for operator and environment has encouraged many researchers to find ways to minimize its use. The Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) is an answer to it.  To further reduce the use of cutting fluid, a device that complies with MQL criteria for controlling the spray based on the tool temperature has successfully designed. This paper is discussing the effect of applying this device to the chips formation. The experiments were on turning of AISI 4340 using carbide tools. The Taguchi method L9 used to design the experiments. The variations made on the method of applying the cutting fluid, depth of cut, and cutting fluid composition. The chips formation was calculated based on the value of the degree of serration. Analysis of the S/N ratio, followed by ANOVA, revealed that the cutting fluids application method is the least factor affecting the chips formation. In contrast, the depth of cut influences the chips formation by 75 per cent more. The highest degree of serration achieved when applying the combination of depth of cut of 1.8 mm, the composition of 5:5, and flood method of applying cutting fluid.
Unsupervised Twitter Sentiment Analysis on The Revision of Indonesian Code Law and the Anti-Corruption Law using Combination Method of Opinion Word and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering
Authors: Prayoga Nur Restu , Tresna Maulana Fahrudin  , Made Kamisutara  , Rahagiyanto Angga , Primananda Alfath Tahegga , Latipah  , Winardi Slamet , Susilo Kunto Eko
Published: June 2020

The rejection on ratification of the revision of Indonesian Code Law or known as RKUHP and Corruption Law raises several opinions from various perspectives in social media. Twitter as one of many platforms affected, has more than 19.5 million users in Indonesia. Twitter is one of many social media in Indonesia where people can share their views, arguments, information, and opinions from all points of view. Since Twitter has a great diversity of users, it needs a system which is designed to determine the opinion tendency towards the problems or objects. The purpose of this study is to analyze the sentiment of Twitter users' tweets to reject the revision of the Law whether they have positive or negative sentiments using the Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering method. The data that being used in this study were obtained from the results of crawling tweets based on hashtag (#) (#ReformasiDikorupsi). The next stage is pre-processing which consists of case folding, tokenizing, cleansing, sanitizing, and stemming. The extraction features Opinion words and Term Frequency (TF) which performs the process automatically. In the clustering stage, two clusters use three approaches; single linkage, complete linkage and average linkage. In the accuracy calculation phase, the writer uses the error ratio, confusion matrix, and silhouette coefficient. Therefore, the results are quite good. From 2408 tweets, the highest accuracy results are 61.6%.
Analysis of Energy Consumption Using Sequential to Better Signal (SBS) Scheme for Green Celluler Network
Authors: Mahmudah Haniah , Puspitorini Okkie , Wijayanti Ari , Siswandari Nur Adi , Kusumaningrum Yetik Dwi
Published: June 2020

Over time, cellular communication technology developed significantly from year to year. This is due to increasing the number of users and the higher needed. To overcome this problem, many providers increase the number of new base station installations to fill up the customer's needed. The increase number of base stations does not take into account the amount of power consumption produced, where in the cellular network Base Stations (BS) are the most dominant energy consuming equipment estimated at 60% - 80% of the total energy consumption in the cellular industry. In addition, energy waste often occurs in the BS where the emission power will always remain even if the number of users is small. Power consumption and energy savings are important issues at this time because they will affect CO2 emissions in the air. This paper proposes to save energy consumption from BS by turning off BS (sleep mode) if the number of users is small and distributed to other BS (neighboring BS) which is called cell zooming technique. The cell size can zoom out when the load traffic is high and zoom in when the load traffic is low. To determine the central BS and neighboring BS, a sequential to better signal (SBS) scheme is used where this scheme sorts neighboring BS based on the SINR value received (user). The results of this research, base station can be able to save energy 29.12% and reduce CO2 emission around 3580 kg/year.  It means saving energy consumption which is also reducing air pollution occurs and this term can be named as green cellular network.
Higher Rate Secret Key Formation (HRKF) based on Physical Layer for Securing Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication
Authors: Dewi Inka Trisna , Sudarsono Amang , Kristalina Prima , Yuliana Mike
Published: June 2020

One effort to secure vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication is to use a symmetrical cryptographic scheme that requires the distribution of shared secret keys. To reduce attacks on key distribution, physical layer-based key formation schemes that utilize the characteristics of wireless channels have been implemented. However, existing schemes still produce a low bit formation rate (BFR) even though they can reach a low bit error rate (BER). Note that V2V communication requires a scheme with high BFR in order to fulfill its main goal of improving road safety. In this research, we propose a higher rate secret key formation (HRKF) scheme using received signal strength (RSS) as a source of random information. The focus of this research is to produce keys with high BFR without compromising BER. To reduce bit mismatch, we propose a polynomial regression method that can increase channel reciprocity. We also propose a fixed threshold quantization (FTQ) method to maintain the number of bits so that the BFR increases. The test results show that the HRKF scheme can increase BFR from 40% up to 100% compared to existing research schemes. To ensure the key cannot be guessed by the attacker, the HRKF scheme succeeds in producing a key that meets the randomness of the NIST test.
An Improved Crow Search Algorithm for Data Clustering
Authors: Vivi Nur Wijayaningrum  , Novi Nur Putriwijaya
Published: June 2020

Metaheuristic algorithms are often trapped in local optimum solutions when searching for solutions. This problem often occurs in optimization cases involving high dimensions such as data clustering. Imbalance of the exploration and exploitation process is the cause of this condition because search agents are not able to reach the best solution in the search space. In this study, the problem is overcome by modifying the solution update mechanism so that a search agent not only follows another randomly chosen search agent, but also has the opportunity to follow the best search agent. In addition, the balance of exploration and exploitation is also enhanced by the mechanism of updating the awareness probability of each search agent in accordance with their respective abilities in searching for solutions. The improve mechanism makes the proposed algorithm obtain pretty good solutions with smaller computational time compared to Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization. In large datasets, it is proven that the proposed algorithm is able to provide the best solution among the other algorithms.
IDENTIFICATION OF BASIC TECHNOLOGY DIFFICULT TOPICS AS PERCEIVED BY UPPER BASIC EDUCATION TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS
Authors: Abd-El-Aziz Abd-El-Latif Adekunle , Jimoh Jelil Adebayo , Muhammad Hassan Abdullahi
Published: June 2020

The study identified basic technology difficult topics in upper basic curriculum as perceived by teachers and students in Ibadan metropolis. A research question and one hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey of the correlational research design using multi-stage sampling technique. “Questionnaire for Identification of Basic Technology Difficult Topics in Upper Basic Education” (QIBT-DTUBE) was the main instrument for data collection. Face and content validity of QIBT-DTUBE was established by three technology education experts. The reliability coefficient for QIBT-DTUBE yielded 0.91 using Cronbach Alpha reliability technique. Research questions were analyzed using Mean and Standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance using t-test statistics. Result obtained indicated that teachers and students perceived ten topics as difficult to teach and learn while the students identified additional nine topics that are difficult to learn. More so, a significant difference exists between the mean ratings of upper basic education teachers and students on their perceived levels of difficulty of basic technology topics. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that basic technology specialist teachers be supported with appropriate trainings and refresher courses on all the topics identified as difficult.

Keywords: Difficult Topics, Basic Technology, Basic Education Curriculum, Teachers’ Perception, Students’ Perception
SOCIAL MEDIA USE INTENSITY AT WORKPLACE AMONG HUMAN RESOURCES EXECUTIVES OF A GOVERNMENT AGENCY HEADQUARTERS IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Authors: Ishak Nurhamizah , Khairuddin Farah Nadzirah , Aziz Nur Shaziella
Published: June 2020

Browsing social media is a common daily activity for most people all around the globe nowadays regardless of age and gender. Although the frequency, duration and motive of browsing social media differs from one person to another, the existence of employees who have social-media mania and keep browsing social media all the time even during their working hours causes the employers to monitor their employees‘ social media use intensity at workplace from time to time. This study looks at the level of social media use intensity at workplace among Human Resources executives of a government agency headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Questionnaires were used to collect data on the sample. Due to its quite small population size, total population sampling method is applied. Out of 68 executives, only 30 completed the questionnaires (response rate = 44.12%). Findings revealed that the sample have high level of social media use intensity at workplace. However, there was no statistically significant difference between social media use intensity and gender. Other than that, it was found that the main motive behind using social media at workplace is interpersonal. As for the implications of this study, it contributes to the corpus of knowledge in the area of social media use intensity at workplace in local organization context and provides empirical data to assist organization in conducting appropriate policy to control social media use intensity at workplace among their employees.

Keywords: Social Media Use Intensity, Motives Behind Using Social Media, Government Agency
ECONOMIC GROWTH ANALYSIS: A STUDY ON MALAYSIAN MARKET
Authors: Abdul Manaf Suhaily Maizan , Mohamed Hamidi Shuhada , Mohd Said Nur Shafini , Omar Ali Siti Rapidah , Adenan Nur Dalila
Published: June 2020

Economic performance of a country is mostly determined by the growth and any other internal and external factors. In this study, researchers purposely focused on Malaysian market by examining the relationship between export, inflation rate, government expenditure and foreign direct investment towards economic growth in Malaysia by applying the yearly data of 47 years from 1970 to 2016 using descriptive statistics, regression model and correlation method analysis. By applying Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method, the result suggests that export, government expenditure and foreign direct investment are positively and significantly correlated with the economic growth. However, inflation rate has negative and insignificant relationship with the economic growth. The outcome of the study is suggested to be useful in providing the future research direction towards the economic growth in Malaysia.

Keywords: economic growth; export; inflation rate; government expenditure
FACTORS INFLUENCING EMPLOYEE’S TURNOVER INTENTION IN BANKING SECTOR IN PENANG
Authors: Arvindraj Arvindraj , Shanmugam Jaya Kumar
Published: June 2020

This study aims to investigate factors that influence employee’s turnover intention in banking sector in Penang. The are several factors expected to influence the employee’s turnover intention which are distributive justice, job stress, job satisfaction and compensation. A total of 150 bank employees from different banking sectors were selected and questionnaires were distributed to them. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results revealed that there is a significant relationship between all factors and employee’s turnover intention. All factors have an influence towards employee’s turnover intention. This study will help the bank management to identify the potential factors that influence their staff to quit from the current job. Several recommendations and suggestions for further research are also discussed at the end of this study.

Keywords: Employee Turnover, Distributive Justice, Job Satisfaction, Compensation
Assessing the Impact of Recent Global Crisis on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Winarno Tri
Published: June 2020

In this article we examine three broad issues. The first is to measure the impact of 2008 global financial crisis on Indonesia’s economy, particularly on loans extended to small and medium scale enterprises at regional level. Next is to analyze significant factors of inducing loans extended to small and medium scale enterprises. Finally, it is to fill the gap in the literature by introducing a quantitative methodology. A spatial lag model and spatial error model are used to assess the three broad issues. Regionally, quarterly panel data spanning from 2002 up to 2011 are employed to support the analysis. One of the results is the global financial crisis that negatively impacts on Indonesia economy, particularly on the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).  In terms of loan extended to the SMEs, there is strong and positive spatially correlation among province, showing commoving and integrating economy within the territories of Indonesia. Finally, this research suggests that interest  rates is not significantly correlated with loans to SMEs, which indicates that the access to financial institutions is more important and urgent to boost the performance of SMEs in Indonesia which is  reinforcing the opinion of financial inclusions for SMEs.
The Impact of Political Risk on Imports in Malaysia
Authors: Hanif Azlina , Sidek Noor Zahirah Mohd
Published: June 2020

This paper examines the impact of political risks on imports in Malaysia.  A wide array of indicators for political risk is used to examine their relative importance on imports. The paper uses Fully-modified OLS regression technique and the findings reveal that several types of indicators namely socio-economic conditions, law and order, religion in politics, democratic accountability and bureaucracy quality seem to exert significant impact towards imports in Malaysia.  The impact however, is relatively small. An important policy implication is that policy makers should account for political risks apart from other institutional risks such as the conventional economic and financial risks in the formulation of trade policies.
Leap-frogging the Urban-Poor to a High Income Economy: A Case Study From a Developing Country
Authors: Nair Mahendhiran , Vaithilingam Santha
Published: June 2020

Urban-poverty is a major concern for policy-makers in the developing world. If measures are not taken to address urban-poverty, it will result in growing social problems, which can lead to economic and political instability. It is widely recognized that ICT is a leap-frogging technology that can close the knowledge-divide and income gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. In this study, we examine if ICT diffusion can improve the income level of urban-poor communities in Malaysia. Three types of ICT were considered in this study, namely mobile phones, computers and internet. The study was conducted using survey data for 434 respondents from selected urban-poor communities in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia. The empirical analysis showed that all three ICTs enhanced the income level of this marginalised community. This provides evidence that ICT diffusion strategies should be an integral part of national development plans to address urban-poverty in developing countries.
Qualitative Research on Critical Issues In Halal Logistics
Authors: Ab Talib Mohamed Syazwan , Rubin Lim , Zhengyi Vincent Khor
Published: June 2020

This is a preliminary study developed to explore the determinants of capital structure of Shariah-compliant firms listed in Bursa Malaysia. This study is primarily motivated by the issue of the determinants still being inconclusive in the area of capital structure. The study is performed using the static models namely Pool Ordinary Least Square, Fixed Effect and Random Effect Model. Empirical analysis on the determinants reveals that country specific factor which is GDP and sector specific factor which is industry concentration are also significant in influencing the corporate financing decisions in this country along with firm specific factors such as efficiency, bankruptcy risk, profitability, tangibility, liquidity and size of the firm. The findings revealed that results are sensitive to models employed in the study. Nevertheless, the applicability of capital structure theories such as the trade-off theory, agency theory and pecking order theory diverge across sectors in Malaysia. The pecking order theory and agency theory are found to be the dominant theories governing the corporate financing decision in the country as well. It indicates strong evidence of hierarchy practised in firms’ financing decision. The finding on agency theory being dominant justifies the function of short-term debt as a controlling mechanism to mitigate the agency problem arises within firms across sectors.
Halalan Toyyiban Supply Chain of the Food Industry
Authors: Omar Emi Normalina , Jaafar Harlina Suzana , Osman Muhamad Rahimi
Published: June 2020

The paper presented a study on factors influencing the consumer behavior among Saudi women pertaining to online purchase. Hence, this study is conducted to gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding on the possible factors behind the virtual business transaction. This study involves 34 Saudi women representing diverse background ranging from 18 to 35 years old. The interview survey consists of an open-ended question and analyzed through theme analysis procedure. The study yields interesting findings with both trust (45%) and risk (40%) are found to be the outstanding factors compared to others that affect consumer decision making. Finally, the paper highlights on the recommendation for future research related to online purchase that can be carried out by other researchers.
Al-Qaradawi’s Juristic Perspectives On Zakah of Agricultural Wealth as Reflected in His Fiqh Al Zakah
Authors: Rosele Muhammad Ikhlas , Abdullah Luqman , Ramli Mohd Anuar
Published: June 2020

This paper discusses al Qaradawi’s perspective on several issues in zakah of agricultural wealth. It analyzes his juristic views on the issues as reflected in his master piece Fiqh al Zakah.  This paper focuses mainly on three issues, namely, nisab of agriculture, deduction of debts and expenses and zakah on rented land. It is found out that al Qaradawi’s perspectives on zakah of agricultural wealth based on the maqasid and he goes beyond the typical approaches of many Muslim scholars who only rely on the usul fiqh methods in deducing the rulings from the legal texts in Al Quran or Al Sunnah.
The Determinants of The Success of Microenterprise: A Case Study of BRI Clients in Medan City, Indonesia
Authors: Hawariyuni Weni , Ghani Gairuzazmi Mat , Derus Alias Mat
Published: June 2020

This study focuses on the determinants of the success of microenterprise owners in receiving loan from one of the successful microfinance institutions in the world, namely BRI Unit in Medan city, North Sumatra, Indonesia. This study applies the methodology before and after approach for measuring the success. It utilizes some financial indicators to measure the success of the microenterprises such as income, fixed assets, and household expenditures. The findings found financing in terms of amount of loan accessed has positive relationship with success indicators in terms of changes in income and fixed assets. However, it does not have positive relationship with changes in household expenditures. In the meantime, firm characteristics in terms of dummy variable for type of business of food and household facilities and necessities have positive relationship with changes in income. In conclusion, financing, firm characteristics, and household characteristics are the factors that determine the success of microenterprise in terms of income, fixed assets, and household expenditures. It is expected that policy makers of microfinance institutions (MFIs), including BRI Unit and Indonesian government could solve the common problems faced by MSMEs such as financing, raw materials, marketing, advanced technology, and others, as MSMEs play crucial role in increasing economic growth in terms of reducing poverty and unemployment; and increasing GDP. In this respect, policy makers of MFIs including BRI Unit is also expected to provide the facilities besides credit services such as training, health programs, education, family planning, and other programs to render greater effectiveness of the microfinance on the performance of microenterprise.
Service Quality and Its Impact on Patient Satisfaction: An Investigation in Vietnamese Public Hospitals
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Cong , Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai
Published: June 2020

This study explores the relationship between service quality and patient satisfaction in the context of the public hospitals in Vietnam, an emerging economy in Asia. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this investigation. To test the hypothesized relationships, a large survey data were collected and multiple regression analyses were performed. The results provided empirical evidence for the impact of three dimensions of service quality (‘tangibles’, ‘accessibility to healthcare services’, and ‘attitude and medical ethics’) on patient satisfaction. Discussion of the research findings is presented. Implications for hospital management and policy makers, and future research directions are also provided.
American Politics and its Debt Issue
Authors: Maniam Balasundram
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the on-going debate about the United States’ debt level and how U.S. lawmakers are attempting to resolve it. On the surface, it seems like they are not working together to resolve the issue, but further complicating it with various tactics, such as the government shutdown. That raises the question, “why is this the case?” to which the answer can be found through the understanding of the American political system and the way it was founded. It should be noted that many leading economists have questioned the very idea as to why we are making a big deal about the U.S. debt issue and assert that the U.S. does not have a debt crisis to begin with, and the issue is simply made up for political reasons. Many leading economists have a position on this argument and they strongly believe that their position is the correct one. The objective of this paper is to highlight those views as well as share its own view on the important topic while keeping an eye on why the U.S. political system functions the way it does.
Do Religious Practices Influence Compliance Behaviour of Business Zakat among SMEs?
Authors: Khamis Mohd Rahim , Mohd Rohani , Md Salleh Arifin , Nawi Abdol Samad
Published: June 2020

Religious value is one of the factors determining compliance behavior of zakat as revealed by a number of studies. However, lack of study focused on religious practices and compliance behavior of zakat especially in the business zakat scenario. Hence, the main objective of this study is to determine whether religious practices influence compliance behavior of business owners towards business zakat. 276 questionnaires managed to be collected from SMEs entrepreneurs in Selangor. Rasch Measurement Model was employed to analyze the data. The construct was found reliable with Cronbach Alpha of 0.98. The statistical indicators such as mean square (MNSQ), Z-standardized (ZSTD), point measure correlation (PtMea Corr) and Person Item Distribution Map (PIDM) revealed that among 276 respondents, 106 respondents who performed religious practices meet the business zakat compliance. Interestingly 132 respondents did not comply with business zakat payment even though they perform business practices. The implication of this paper provides evidence of the usefulness of Rasch Measurement Model in identifying the compliance behavior of zakat payment among businesses. It is also able to explain that religious practices really influence Muslim business community to comply with business zakat payment.
Lunar Effect: Analysis on Emerging Countries Stock Returns, Prior and During Financial Crisis
Authors: Mohamed Yousop Nur Liyana , Sipon Zuraidah , Yoke Carolyn Soo Kum
Published: June 2020

The random walk hypothesis is a theory which states that market prices are not influenced by prior price movements and therefore, prices in the stock market cannot simply be predicted. The stock market is considered efficient and follows the random walk theory when intelligent market participants lead the situation and reflect all available information based on the past or future events. The phenomena of calendar anomalies in stock markets are proven from the previous study, where behavior of returns tend to be high or low during specific calendar periods. Thus, for this study, we aims to investigate relationships between lunar effect and average stock returns for ten emerging countries for the period of January 2004 until December 2010. A lunar effect is a phenomenon where mean returns around the new moon is higher than mean returns around the full moon. Using non-parametric and basic multiple linear regression analysis, the result shows that returns on the full moon were slightly lower as compared to the returns on the new moon prior to the financial crisis and vice versa during the financial crisis.
Financial Literacy: An Exploratory Review of the Literature and Future Research
Authors: Abdullah Mohamad Azmi , Chong Rosita
Published: June 2020

There are voluminous literatures written on financial literacy or financial knowledge. Since there is a renewed interest in Islamic finance, this article provides an account of reviews on current financial literacy studies in particular studies with respect to Islamic financial products. It was several years ago when the Governor of Central Bank of Malaysia pointed out that in order to make Islamic financial products acceptable to a wider spectrum of investors and businesspeople alike, financial literacy on Islamic financial products need to be enhanced. This is in order to facilitate transactions, with a clear understanding and appreciation of the unique characteristics and features of Islamic finance and its real economic value. Nevertheless, Kayed (2008) in his paper posed a pertinent question enquiring if there are any attempts by the research community to assess levels of Islamic financial literacy in various Muslim communities. In addition, another question was put forth by Ahmad (2010) on the importance of Islamic financial literacy. These two questions have actually motivated the current study to review available literatures on financial literacy main focus on the Islamic financial literacy. The objectives of this study are to determine if there are sufficient studies available on financial literacy with respect to Islamic financial products and services, as well as to examine if there are sufficient studies on the differences in the factors that affect financial literacy of people. The implications and recommendations are then put forward for future research.