bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empirical Bayesian Binary Classification Forests Using Bootstrap Prior
Authors: Olaniran Oyebayo Ridwan , Abdullah Mohd Asrul Affendi Bin , Pillay Khuneswari A P Gopal , Olaniran Saidat Fehintola
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we present a new method called Empirical Bayesian Random Forest (EBRF) for binary classification problem. The prior ingredient for the method was obtained using the bootstrap prior technique. EBRF addresses explicitly low accuracy problem in Random Forest (RF) classifier when the number of relevant input variables is relatively lower compared to the total number of input variables. The improvement was achieved by replacing the arbitrary subsample variable size with empirical Bayesian estimate. Â An illustration of the proposed, and existing methods was performed using five high-dimensional microarray datasets that emanated from colon, breast, lymphoma and Central Nervous System (CNS) cancer tumours. Results from the data analysis revealed that EBRF provides reasonably higher accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve (AUC) than RF in most of the datasets used.
Performance Comparison between Salient and Segmental Rotors Single-Phase FEFSM Using Non-Overlap Windings for Home Appliances
Authors: Omar M. F. , Sulaiman E. , Soomro H. A. , Jusoh L. I.
Published: April 2019

Field excitation flux switching machines (FEFSMs) in which their torque performance produced by interaction between armature and field excitation (FE) coils have been widely designed for various applications. In this regard, three-phase salient rotor FEFSM with overlap windings is considered the most suitable candidate for high speed applications because of their advantages of flux controllability, and robust due to single piece of rotor structure. However, the overlap windings cause a high copper loss, hence efficiency of the motor becomes low and higher stack length. Besides, the salient rotor structure is found to produce low torque performance due to the longer flux path in stator and rotor yielding weak flux linkage. In this paper, a new single-phase FEFSM using non-overlap windings between armature coils and FE coils is proposed. Both non-overlap windings FEFSMs with salient and segmental rotors have been designed using JMAG Designer version 15 and the investigation process is conducted via 2D finite element analysis. The proposed motor performances verification has been done by comparing the results of flux linkage, flux line and distribution, flux strengthening, various torque capability, and torque-power versus speed characteristics. As a conclusion, single-phase non-overlap windings FEFSM using segmental rotor with power, torque and speed capabilities of 277.5 W, 0.91 Nm and 2,899 rpm, respectively considered as the best candidate for low torque high speed applications.
The Extended Monod Model for Microalgae Growth and Nutrient Uptake in Different Wastewaters
Authors: Sadiq Ummal Aisha Farhana Mohd , Yow Meow En , Jamaian Siti Suhana
Published: April 2019

Water pollution is a serious issue which always being concerned by public. Microalgae for wastewater treatment is an effective way to solve the problem due to its eco-friendly and apparently low cost. This research aims to investigate the efficiency of the mathematical model to estimate the microalgae growth and nutrient uptake by microalgae in wastewaters. The extended Monod model is applied in the Verhulst model to describe the microalgae growth and nutrient uptake by microalgae whereas microalgae Botryococcus sp. is the species of microalgae used in this research. The microalgae Botryococcus sp. growth and nutrient uptake in domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater are estimated and the results reveal that the extended Monod model is suitable for the estimation of microalgae growth and nutrient uptake by microalgae. In addition, microalgae Botryococcus sp. is promising for treating domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater.
Forecasting Electricity Consumption Using Time Series Model
Authors: Lee Y.W. , Tay K.G. , Choy Y.Y.
Published: April 2019

Electricity demand forecasting is important for planning and facility expansion in the electricity sector.Â  Accurate forecasts can save operating and maintenance costs, increased the reliability of power supply and delivery system, and correct decisions for future development. Â Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) which is a developing university in Malaysia has been growing since its formation in 1993. Â Thus, it is important for UTHM to forecast the electricity consumption in future so that the future development can be determined.Â  Hence, UTHM electricity consumption was forecasted by using the simple moving average (SMA), weighted moving average (WMA), simple exponential smoothing (SES), Holt linear trend (HL), Holt-Winters (HW) and centered moving average (CMA). Â The monthly electricity consumption from January 2011 to December 2017 was used to forecast January to December 2018 monthly electricity consumption. Â HW gives the smallest mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), while CMA produces the lowest mean square error (MSE) and root mean square error (RMSE). Â As there is a decreasing population of UTHM after the moving of four faculties to Pagoh and HW forecasted trend is decreasing whereas CMA is increasing, hence HW might forecast better in this problem.
Optimization of PFC SEPIC Converter Parameters Design for Minimization of THD and Voltage Ripple
Authors: Noor M. K. R. , Ponniran A. , Rashid M. A. Z. A. , Bakar A. A. , Jumadril J. N. , Yatim M. H. , Kasiran A.N.
Published: April 2019

This paper discusses the current total harmonic distortion (THDi) and voltage ripple minimization of SEPIC converter based on parameters design optimization. This conventional PFC SEPIC converter is designed to operate in discontinuous conduction mode in order to achieve almost unity power factor. The passive components, i.e., inductor and capacitor are designed based on switching frequency and resonant frequency. Meanwhile, the ranges of duty cycle for buck and boost operations are between 0<D<0.5 and 0.5<D<1, respectively, for the output voltage variation of the converter. The principle of the parameters design optimization is based on the balancing energy compensation between the input capacitor and output inductor. The experimental results show that, the current THD is reduced to 2.66% from 70.9% after optimization process is conducted. Furthermore, it is confirmed that the output voltage ripple frequency is always double from the input line frequency, fL = 2foutand the output voltage ripple is always lower than the maximum input voltage ripple. Therefore, the designed parameters of the experimental converter is confirmed with approximately 65 W of the converter output power.
Chitosan-Zinc Oxide Composite for Active Food Packaging Applications
Authors: Razak S.R. Abdul , Basri H.
Published: April 2019

Chitosan-zinc oxide (C-ZnO) films were prepared by a simple one pot procedure. In order to investigate the property of C-ZnO films, two composite films were prepared by varying the loading of ZnO and compared with pure chitosan film (C). The films were characterized by various techniques such as FTIR, DSC, tensile, contact angle and water vapour permeability. FTIR analysis showed changes in hydrogen bonds band at 3351 cm-1 compared to pure chitosan film. The incorporation of ZnO in chitosan films increased the contact angle by 30.5% in C-ZnO1.0 film while water vapour transmission rate decreased by 7.8% compared to C film. From the tensile test, C-ZnO0.5 and C-ZnO1.0 films were found to be much superior by 1.5 times and 2.5 times respectively compared to bare chitosan film. Larger inhibition ring (by 47%) was exhibited by C-ZnO1.0 as compared to C-ZnO0.5 when tested against S.aureus. From the results, it is displayed that the incorporation of zinc oxide to chitosan improve their properties which also shown the potential to become a candidate for food active packaging.
Predicting the Capability of Oxidized CNW Adsorbents for the Remediation of Copper Under Optimal Operating Conditions Using RSM and ANN Models
Authors: Hamid Hazren A. , Harun H. , Sunar N.M. , Ahmad Faridah Hanim , Jasmani Latifah , Suleiman Norhidayah
Published: April 2019

Metal pollutants such as copper released into the aqueous environment have been increasing as a result of anthropogenic activities. Adsorption-based treatment technologies offer opportunities to remediate metal pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewater effluent. The aim of this work was to evaluate the capability of modified cellulose nanowhisker (CNW) adsorbents for the remediation of copper from water matrices under realistic conditions using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Considerations for design and application to remediate Cu(II) from wastewater by developing a continuous flow experiment are described in this study. However, the physical structure of modified CNW adsorbents renders them unsuitable for use in column operation. Therefore, a more detailed study of the mechanical properties of CNW adsorbents would be necessary in order to improve the strength and stability of the adsorbents. This work has demonstrated that modified CNW are promising adsorbents to remediate copper from water matrices under realistic conditions including wastewater complexity and variability. The use of models to predict the test parameter system and account for matrix variability when evaluating CNW adsorbents for remediating Cu from a real-world wastewater matrix may also provide the foundation for assessing other treatment technologies in the future.
Optical Absorption of Plasmonic Cylindrical Gold Nanoparticle in Hexagonal Geometry
Authors: Nasar Norasikin M , Kahar Rosmila Abdul- , Hamzah Nor Shamsidah Amir , Esa Fahmiruddin
Published: April 2019

A high quality solar cell depends on how good the design of the solar cell can absorb light.Â  In this study, cylindrical gold nanoparticles were embedded into indium tin oxide (ITO) layer and silicon layer arranged in hexagonal geometry on plasmonic solar cell simulation design. The aim is to investigate the optical absorption percentage in terms of wavelength and angle of incidence for the solar cell design. The numerical results showed that the highest absorption has occurred in 480 nm in the range of visible spectrum. In this wavelength, the highest absorption occurred at the incidence angle of 48 degree.
Dynamic Programming to Solve Picking Schedule at the Tea Plantation
Authors: Budijati Siti Mahsanah , Iskandar Bermawi Priyatna
Published: April 2019

The tea picking schedule at PT Perkebunan Ciater is set to be the same for all plantation blocks. In fact, the altitude from sea level and the pruning age of each plantation block is different, this results in the difference of budsâ€™ growth. The implementation of the same picking schedule causes the quality and quantity of tea buds often could not be fulfilled. This research is to determine the precise picking schedule by considering the budsâ€™ growth of each plantation block. Two steps are implemented to solve the problem. The first step is to look for picking period and the pattern of budsâ€™ quality for each plantation block, which corresponds to the altitude of the location and the pruning age. The regression method is applied in this first step. The budsâ€™ quality pattern is then used to determine the cost of decreasing budsâ€™ quality and the costs of the buds that left in the plantation. The second step is to develop the picking schedule using dynamic programming, which minimizes the total cost of picking. In addition to this, we also develop a rolling schedule, which schedule time interval is three days. The model results show that the proposed schedule gives a better total cost than the current schedule and the budsâ€™ quality target is easier to achieve.
Review on Queueing Problem in Healthcare
Authors: Ariff Hajar , Kamardan M Ghazali , Sufahani Suliadi , Ali Maselan
Published: April 2019

This article shows the application of queueing, simulation and scheduling used in the field of healthcare. A summary of queueing, simulation and scheduling theory used in waiting time, appointment system and patient flow are summarised in this article. Different departments in the healthcare system are also considered in this article such as emergency department, outpatient department and the pharmacy. The aim is to provide the reader a general background into queueing, simulation and scheduling in the healthcare.
Leachability of Fired Clay Bricks Incorporated with Sewage Sludge by Using Tank Leaching Test
Authors: Salim Nurul Salhana Abdul , Kadir Aeslina Abdul , Kamarudin Mohamad Asyraf , Zaidi Mohd Hafizul Fadzli
Published: April 2019

This research was conducted to fully utilize the sludge that rich in dangerous heavy metals and at the same time act as low cost alternative materials in brick manufacturing. Different series of sludge and clay proportioning ratios were studied, which exclusively involved the addition of sludge with ratios of 0, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30% of the total weight of sludge-clay mixture. Each molded brick were oven-dried at 105ËšC for 24 hours followed by heating at 1050ËšC. The investigation includes determination of heavy metal concentration of the sludge and clay using XRF and heavy metals leachability of the bricks by using Tank Leaching Test according to NEN7345 that has been analyzed by using ICPMS. The leaching behavior of several heavy metals (As, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, V, Ba, and Cr) from incorporated sludge into fired clay bricks shows to be insignificant and far below the USEPA regulations limits which fulfill the general requirement for usage of clay brick in construction and comply with the leaching standard limit. As a conclusion, the utilization of sewage sludge can reduce the disposal to landfill and reduce the leachability of sludge which can effect environment and human.
Passively Q-Switched Pulse Erbium Doped Fiber Laser Using Antimony (III) Telluride (Sb2Te3) thin Film as Saturable Absorber
Authors: Zalkepali Noor U.H.H. , Awang Noor A. , Yuzaile Yushazlina R. , Latif Amirah A . , Ahmad Fauzan , Azmi A N , Hadi Fatin S. Abdul , Zakaria Zahariah
Published: April 2019

This paper demonstrates on an antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) thin film sandwiched between two fiber ferrule as saturable absorber for Q-switched pulsed Erbium doped fiber (EDF) laser. The saturable absorber is fabricated by dissolving Antimony (III) Telluride powder into PVA solution and dry in the ambient temperature for 48 hours. Then, 1 mm2 x 1 mm2 Sb2Te3-PVA film based saturable absorber is sandwiched in between FC/PC ferrule for Q-switched laser generation. The modulation depth of the Sb2Te3 is measured as 28.01% with input intensity 0.02 MW/cm2. The developed passive saturable absorber integrated in EDF laser in ring cavity and the characterised pulse is with repetition rates of 30.21 kHz, shortest pulse width of 3.26 Âµs and signal-noise-ratio (SNR) of 42 dB. The maximum output pulse energy is achieved at pump power 69.5 mW with 29.5 nJ and the output power 0.89 mW.
Characterization of Cr/Ag Bi-Layer thin Metal Contacts Sputter Deposited on N-Type Si Semiconductor
Authors: Al Ahmad Hadi , Pauzi Nurul Syafiqah
Published: April 2019

Good electrical conductivity of metal contacts on semiconductor are very crucial in determining quality of the energy conversion efficiency. This paper reports on the Cr/Ag thin metal contacts properties sputter deposited on n-type Si. The metal contacts were characterized based on the morphological and electrical properties. The surface morphology of metal contacts was characterized by using atomic force microscope (AFM) and resulted in increment of the surface roughness from 1.35 nm to 9.21 nm at the thickness of 20 nm to 100 nm. The electrical characteristics were characterized by using four-point probe system. From the measurement, the lowest electrical resistivity was measured as 1.19 Ã— 10-6 W-cm at Ag thickness of 100 nm. Whereas the electrical conductivity of the thin metal contact was obtained as 8.40 Ã— 105 W-cm-1 at Ag thickness of 100 nm. From the analysis, it is clearly shown that as the Ag thin metal thickness gets thicker, the surface roughness gets rougher thus resulting in the improvement of the electrical characteristics of the Si/Cr/Ag contacts.
Investigation on the Effect of Centrifugation Speed on the Shape Separation of Gold Nanorods
Authors: Minun Caessandra Addine , Anâ€™Nisa Nur Zehan , Morsin Marlia , Razali Nur Liyana , Nafisah Suratun , Sanudin Rahmat , Salleh Muhamad Mat
Published: April 2019

High-quality gold nanorods (AuNRs) with a uniform aspect ratio and sizes are crucial for applications in biomedical or sensor industry. AuNRs is implementing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) as sensing method which is highly dependent on the size, separation of nanoparticles, aspect ratio and the shape of the nanoparticles. Thus, in this process, the shape, surface density and aspect ratio of AuNRs were investigated to be used further as LSPR sensing material. The AuNRs was prepared using Seed Mediated Growth Method (SMGM) and the growth solution of the AuNRs was centrifuged with the speed ranging from 2500 rpm to 5000 rpm to separate the particles shaper prior to deposition as thin film. The XRD result shows the peak at 2Î¸ = 38Âº which shows the (111) crystal orientation of the AuNRs. There are also two distinct peaks formed at the absorption spectra graph obtained from the UV-Vis result which associated with transverse plasmon peak (t-LSPR) and longitudinal plasmon peak (l-LSPR). The t-LSPR peak is significantly smaller than the l-LSPR and located in the wavelength ranges from 500 nm to 560 nm whereas the l-LSPR of the AuNRs shows a stronger and a higher peak which is located in the wavelength ranges from 700 nm to 780 nm. The morphological analysis using FESEM shows that the higher centrifugation speed separates the AuNRs with higher aspect ratio and higher surface density.
Graphite Saturable Absorber for Q-Switched Fiber Laser
Authors: Yuzaile Yushazlina R. , Awang Noor A. , Zakaria Zahariah , Zalkepali Noor U.H.H , Latif Amirah A. , Azmi Atiqah N. , Hadi Fatin S. Abdul
Published: April 2019

This paper reported a successful demonstration on Q-switched fiber laser by using graphite as saturable absorber (SA). The graphite is deposited on the fiber ferrule through a simple mechanical exfoliation method. The modulation depth of the graphite SA is 19.2% with a saturation intensity of 85 MW/cmÂ². The maximum achievable pulse repetition rates and pulse width are 42.41 kHz and 3.40 Î¼s respectively. Meanwhile, its optical signal-to-noise ratio is about 50.81 dB. The Q-switched pulses have the maximum pulse energy of 5.84 nJ. These outcomes demonstrated that a stable output of passively Q-switched fiber laser is produced and can be applied for various optical fiber applications.
A Study on Significant Predictors for Prediction of Undiagnosed T2DM Using Binary Logistic Regression Model
Authors: Zainal S. S. N. , Masnan M. J. , Ahmed A. , Amin N. A. M.
Published: April 2019

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease that can cause premature deaths worldwide. Malaysia is one of the many countries that facing this serious epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also estimated that Malaysia would have 2.8 million people having T2DM disease in 2030. This study aims to identify significant predictors for prediction of undiagnosed T2DM patients in one of the highest prevalence states of T2DM. Binary logistic regression model proposed to predict the presence of T2DM among undiagnosed respondents. The selection of significant predictors using univariate, multivariate and backward stepwise selection was implemented in this study. The study concludes that four predictors were found significant for prediction of undiagnosed T2DM patients.
Finite Element Analysis on Knee Joint with Leg Length Inequality
Authors: Othman N. F. , Suhaimi M. N. A. , Basaruddin K. S. , Som M. H. Mat , Rusli W. M. R.
Published: April 2019

This study aims to investigate the effect of leg length discrepancy (LLD) on the joint reaction stress and strain of femur particularly in the knee joint. The knee joint model was developed using CATIA and imported into ANSYS to simulate the LLD case based on the value of the joint reaction force from the previous experimental study. The analysis was done under a linear static condition. The knee components were divided on three; bone (femur and tibia), cartilage (femoral cartilage and tibial plateau cartilage) and menisci. The effect of LLD on the knee joint was determined by observing the contour of equivalent stress and strain distribution on the knee joint components and the maximum equivalent von-Mises stress and strain. The result shows a higher value of stress and strain was found on the short leg compared to the long leg due to the LLD. The pattern of overall results shows that the magnitude of stress-strain is proportional to the level of increments in LLD. Since the short leg demonstrate the greater in stress and strain value, it is prone to experience failure in the future such as wear in cartilage.
Effect of Holding Time on Density and Morphological Property of Aluminium Composite Using Recycled Materials by Stir Casting Method
Authors: Nuhu Awwal Hussain , Jikan Suzi Salwah Binti , Asman Saliza Binti , Badarulzaman Nur Azam Bin , Zago Dagaci Muhammad
Published: April 2019

Aluminium metal matrix composites were fabricated from recycled materials via stir casting method. The composites differed in their holding time (ht) that is 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 60 minutes accordingly. The microstructures of the composites were analysed using optical microscope as well as scanning electron microscope in order to examine their morphological make-up. The average densities of the composites were determined and compared with one another. There is no significant difference between average densities of the fabricated composites. The observations revealed that varying the ht has greater impact the composites’ morphology, particularly on those composites which have been fabricated at 60 minutes ht.
Analysis of Toothbrush Rig Parameter Estimation Using Different Model Orders in Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm (RCGA)
Authors: Y Ainul, H.M.. , M Salleh, S. , N Halib, , H. Taib, , S Fathi, M.
Published: April 2019

System identification is a method to build a model for a dynamic system from the experimental data. In this paper, optimization technique was applied to optimize the objective function that lead to satisfying solution which obtain the dynamic model of the system. Real-coded genetic algorithm (RCGA) as a stochastic global search method was applied for optimization. Hence, the model of the plant was represented by the transfer function from the identified parameters obtained from the optimization process. For performance analysis of toothbrush rig parameter estimation, there were six different model orders have been considered where each of model order has been analyzed for 10 times. The influence of conventional genetic algorithm parameter - generation gap has been investigated too. The statistical analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the model based on the objective function which is the Mean Square Error (MSE). The validation test-through correlation analysis was used to validate the model. The model of model order 2 is chosen as the best model as it has fulfilled the criteria involved in selecting the accurate model. Generation gap used was 0.5 has shorten the algorithm convergence time without affecting the model accuracy.
Probing Dynamic Mechanical Analysis and Atomic Force Microscopy of Polypropylene/Kaolin Nanocomposite
Authors: Zago Dagaci Muhammad , Jika Suzi Salwah Binti , Badarulzaman Nur Azam Bin , Ruslan Nurun Najwa Binti , Nuhu Awwal Hussain , Bano Nazia
Published: April 2019

The Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies were conducted and evaluated on polypropylene/kaolin (P/K) nanocomposite treated with maleic anhydride (MA) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as additives in an in- situ process.  Two-roll mill was used in compounding of the nanocomposites while moulding were done by injection moulding machine. Investigation in to the effect of K and MA/DCP on the nanocomposites (NCs) indicates that interfacial interactions between PP and K as filler was eminent. DMA analysis reveals an increase in the storage modulus which was at maximum significantly in P/K NC with 3 wt% and decrease in damping factor tan δ also at P/K NC of 3 wt%. The AFM study indicates that there was uniform and smooth surface roughness among the NCs. Thus, addition of MA/DCP on to P/K NC improves the reinforcing influence on the nanocomposites for better improvement.
The Discrete Time-Space SIR-SI Age-Structured Model for Leptospirosis
Authors: Samat Nor Azah , Awang Aznida Che
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study is to introduce new discrete time-space SIR-SI age-structured disease transmission models for Leptospirosis disease. The term “age-structured” here refers to having two different age groups, which are children and adult. These models are important because it will later lead to a conclusion of whether children or adult have high risk of being infected by Leptospirosis disease. In this study, two types of SIR-SI age-structured models are introduced. These include models with and without the transition rate between age groups. The future application of these two models will be based on the availability of parameter value and Leptospirosis data.
A Correlational Analysis of Social Factors with Obesity among Malay Obese People
Authors: Ullah Saif , Abdul Ghani Norizan , Ameen Baig Atif
Published: April 2019

This study examines the correlation between social factors and obesity among Malay obese people (age: 20-59 years old) in Terengganu, Malaysia. Comprised of cross-sectional research design, this study has been applied a convenience sampling technique. Clinical Practice Guidelines on Management of Obesity (2004) criteria was adopted < 27.49kg/m2 to measure the body mass index. The number of participants were included in this study n = 150 (male = 80 & females = 70). Data is collected by using close-ended self-administrated questionnaire. SPSS version 21.0 was used for the data analysis. The results reveals that obesity is significantly correlated with feelings (low self-esteem), body image dissatisfaction, eating and dieting frequency (eating habits), frequency of exercise (physical inactivity), physical activity barriers, and media influence. Moreover, obesity has found insignificant with health knowledge, religious knowledge, religious practices and their relation with obesity. It is a pioneer study that has assessed the correlation of social factors and obesity among Malay obese adults in Terengganu, Malaysia. This study reports that majority of the social factors are significantly correlated with obesity. Therefore, interventional programs should be arranged by government based on the social factors in order to decrease the level of obesity in Terengganu, Malaysia.Â Â
Consumer Awareness Towards Rainwater Harvesting System in Selangor, Malaysia
Authors: M. Aminuddin Normadihah , Afgani @ Eusoff Yendo , Adeena Raslee Nor , Puad Mat Som Ahmad
Published: April 2019

Reusing water and implementing rainwater-harvesting system are an effective way to reduce the usage of treated water at home. A study on consumerâ€™s awareness towards Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) in urban areas of Malaysia is less explored among researchers. This study was to identify the level of consumerâ€™s awareness on RWHS among domestic water users in Gombak District, Selangor. Quantitative approaches were applied through individual distribution of structured questionnaires to 397 domestic water users in the study area from December 2016 to February 2017. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Based on the results of quantitative analysis, four major constructs emerged namely â€˜the advantages of RWHSâ€™, â€˜alternative water sourcesâ€™, â€˜consumersâ€™ concernâ€™ and â€˜consumersâ€™ willingnessâ€™. The total mean scores (total average score) for each construct in ascending order are 3.48 for consumers' readiness, 3.81 for advantages of RWHS, 3.98 for alternative source, and 4.09 for consumers' concern. The findings provide important contribution to water conservation practices in the country as RWHS is considered greener, more efficient, more self-reliant with sound technology.Â Â
A Sociocultural Theory to Learning: Malaysiaâ€™s Experience
Authors: Abu Bakar Norsuhaily , Puad Mat Som Ahmad
Published: April 2019

The study explores and analyses some of the challenges inherent to incorporating play into classroom practice, which occurs in two types of preschool classroom settings in Malaysia. It investigates the implementation of play in each of these settings. This study builds an understanding of the processes involved. It demonstrates a theory of learning that supports analysis of participation in social activity where participants work towards social goals within a view of learning being based on a cultural and collective foundation. The discussion is designed to convince the reader the value of the underpinning theory for this study and to explain the interpretive lens on learning through play that emerges. The approach recognizes that this interpretive lens offers a particular way of guiding the data collection and interpreting the data. In developing a conceptual framework for this study, it provides not only a way to interpret what is learning through play, but also to report the research findings within a sociocultural frame.Â Â Â
A Measurement Model for River Conservation Behavior Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
Authors: Nor Azilawanie Tun Ismail Wan , Amin Aziz
Published: April 2019

River conservation represents important environmental behavior for a sustainable environment. This research is to measure the validity and reliability of the instrument for measuring river conservation behavior model. The research instrument was administered to 373 respondents who were selected trough cluster sampling in 10 polluted rivers in the Terengganu state, Malaysia. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to validate the measurement model for items in the behavioral instrument. The findings of the study have dropped 36 items and retained 48 valid and reliable items to measure eleven constructs that affected the residentâ€™s behavior. These behavioral instruments can be used to obtain a community profile as an indicator to improve the behavior of the residents towards river conservation.Â Â
Assessment on Regional Flood Risk Trend in Northern Region of Malaysia: Case Study in Muda River Basin, Kedah
Authors: Abd Halim Marhanisa , Shakir Mohd Saudi Ahmad , Khairul Amri Kamarudin Mohd , Mahmud Muaz , Bala Krishnan Arvind , Nizam Mohd Isa Khairul
Published: April 2019

Flood is a major issue during monsoon season in Northern region of Malaysia especially in Muda River Basin. This study focused on the specific hydrology parameters that lead to the flood events in Muda River Basin, Kedah. There were 4 hydrologic parameters for thirty years of collected data from selected hydrology monitoring stations provided by Department of Irrigations and Drainage, Malaysia. The study applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and result shown that stream flow and suspended solid stand with highest correlation of coefficient variables with the changes of water level in the study area. Statistical Process Control (SPC) applied in this study was to determine the control limit for every selected parameter obtained from PCA. The Upper Control Limit value for water level reported from SPC analysis in the study area was 7.568m and starting from this level and above, the risk of flood is high to occur in the study area. This research proved that the flood risk model created in this study was accurate and flexible for flood early warning system at Muda River Basin.Â Â
The Impact of Smartphone Adoption on Marketing Therapeutic Tourist Sites in Jordan
Authors: Alghizzawi Mahmoud , Abd. Ghani Mazuri , Puad Mat Som Ahmad , Fazil Ahmad Muhamad , Amin Aziz , Abu Bakar Norsuhaily , A. Salloum Said , Habes Mohammed
Published: April 2019

The aim of the study is to find out the effect of smartphone on marketing therapeutic tourist sites in Jordan. Several factors contribute to this study, including market type templates, therapeutic, demographic and their impact on tourist behavior in Jordan. We apply the technology acceptance (TAM) model to study through the incorporation of smartphone applications on marketing therapeutic tourist sites in Jordan. To achieve this, we use the quantitative research design and rely on appropriate data to test the hypothesis. We distributed questionnaire to 400 tourists as a sample of study but two hundred and four were collected. The researchers had used the structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for measuring relationships and correlations between variables and their impact on the behavior of tourists in Jordan. According to the study findings, there was a positive impact on market type template, therapeutic, and demographics on tourists' perceived ease of use of smartphone on marketing therapeutic tourist sites in the country. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use also led to an increase in tourists' intention to use smartphone.Â Â
Examining Certification Values of Certified Employees in Indonesiaâ€™s Tourism Industry
Authors: Marannu Eppang Buntu , Puad Mat Som Ahmad
Published: April 2019

The study of values of certification is lacking in the tourism industry. This study is an exploratory study based on the perception of tourism workforce in tourism industry in Indonesia as a developing country. Initially, a descriptive analysis was used to provide professional's viewpoints about values of certification. Later a confirmatory factor analysis was employed to explore parameters which construct values of certification in the tourism industry. The result of the study shows that parameters of intrinsic values dominate the construct of values of certification. This finding implies that the implementation of values of certification is beyond the expectation and there is a need to enforce regulations related to values of certification in developing country.Â Â
Organizational Justice from the Perspective of Potential Applicants
Authors: Anip Bustaman1 Hasnun , Malek A. Tambi Abdul
Published: April 2019

This paper reviews the recent advancement of organizational justice influencing the people from outside organizations, which has been gaining keen attention from scholars lately. Precisely, this paper aims to construe organizational justice with a greater emphasis on the potential applicant attraction. The discussion involved the elementary of four justices encompassing procedural justice, distributive justice, interpersonal justice and informational justice in the eye of potential applicant. Finally, this paper enlarged the conceptuality of study by providing some arguments of appropriate methodology for empirical testing.Â Â
Analysis of Spatiotemporal Land Use and Land Cover Changes using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Review
Authors: Abdulkadir Gidado Kabir , Khairul Amri Kamarudin Mohd , Ahmad Firdausaq Nik , Muhammad Nalado Aliyu , Shakir Mohd Saudi Ahmad , Hafiz Md Saad Muhammad , Ibrahim Salisu
Published: April 2019

The land-use and land-cover (LULC) pattern of an area is an outcome of natural and socio-economic factors and their use spatially by man; this LULC varies from the forest, water body, agricultural land and so on. Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) studies have predominantly focused on providing the technical knowledge of, where, and the type of LULC change that has occurred and its impacts on man and the environment. Knowledge about LULC changes is essential for understanding the relationships and interfaces between humans and the natural environment. The purpose of this article is to review the previous studies of the spatiotemporal LULC changes. However, thirty (30) articles were reviewed from 2011 to 2017. However, these articles studied the LULC, classification, changes and change detection analysis, using different methods and software of RS and G.I.S. The finding shows that these articles have overall accuracy assessment ranges from 75% to 95% validations. Also, supervised classification in Maximum Likelihood Algorithm method was mostly employed for the LULC classification. Moreover, these reviewed articles confirmed that LULC changes are imminent as a result of both natural and human factors which lead to increase and decrease of one LULC cover to another. Therefore proper monitoring of LULC changes when applied help the relevant government bodies, agencies and environmental managers utilise the environment to the fullest.Â Â
The Use of Language by the Siamese Community and Its Influences on Cultural Integration: A Case Study in Kampung Keluang, Besut, Terengganu
Authors: J. Ariffin W. , Abdullah R. , M. Rahim E.
Published: April 2019

This study is conducted to observe how language element gives impact to the integration of the Siamese and Malay communities in Kampung Keluang. The study is done by applying two techniques of data collection through fieldwork, namely join observation and thematic interview with the villagers in Kampung Keluang which consist of the Malays and Siamese, besides some other noteworthy individuals. The research findings showed the Siamese community use Malay language as their main language in daily undertakings and their fluency in in using the language has become an element that fosters their integration with the surrounding Malay community. Nevertheless, Siamese language is kept preserved as an identity of the Siamese through informal approach such as the socialization of parents towards their children. Preservation of the Siamese identity through their mother-tongue apparently has not given any repercussion towards integration process of the society in Kampung Keluang. The sharing of language with similar dialect, with the Malay community by the Siamese community proved that they have shared a comparable code system when interacting and it has given positive impact to the social integration in Kampung Keluang.Â Â
Towards Sustainable Development: Indonesia Project-Based Sukuk for Infrastructure
Authors: Dewi Nila , Mulyati Yati , Tantular Yoga , Abdulhadi Dudi , . Islahuzzaman
Published: April 2019

Indonesiaâ€™s economy the last few years has showed a good performance, although faced with the challenges of the global economy. However, the achievement of economic growth still has not been accompanied by equalization and adequate infrastructure. Infrastructure has an important role in supporting economic growth and thereby promotes to the reduction of economic disparity and poverty. Greater access of the poor to education and health services, water sanitation, employment, credit and markets produce is needed for creating sustainable and socially inclusive development. Recent innovation in project financing schemes to accelerate the provision of infrastructure is the implementation of sharia compliant financing. The issuance of Project Based Sukuk as an instrument for infrastructure financing has potential to enhance sustainable development. Thus, this study aims to determine the opportunities and challenges through descriptive analysis method. The result indicates that the challenges consist of investors aspects include: lack of understanding, averse to risk, market liquidity, and supporting aspects such as innovation and regulatory framework. Short term and long term strategies are applied including fundamental, technical, and roadmap strategy which are expected for the implementation of project-based sukuk in the future.Â
Asset Management Competencies and Organizational Structure on the Effectiveness of Village Asset Management
Authors: Rachmawati Rima , Mulyawan Ferry , Gunanta Remon , Nababan Daniel
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of asset management competence with the effectiveness of village asset management. The research was conducted on the existing village in the city of Bandung with the technique of purposive sampling. The result of this research concludes that asset management competence influence the effectiveness of asset management of village with the variability of effectivity of asset management of village formed by competence of asset management equal to 27,9% and increase after organizational structure as variable the moderate both competence relation to effectively of asset management of village. Description analysis concludes that there are still obstacles in managing village assets such as that there is no accurate recording and documentation of assets so that they are controlled by other parties because the low proof of ownership and report does not reflect accountability. It is that causes Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia to provide a Fair Exception Opinion.Â Â
Investment Portfolio of Pension Funds: Regulation and Implementation
Authors: . Alfiana , CM Simatupang Ervina , Borshalina Ita
Published: April 2019

This study determines which pension fund investments affect the return of investment in the pension fund industry. This research is an explanatory research conducted using multiple regression with data from the monthly pension fund statistics for the March 2015 to June 2018 period. The results show that of the 19 investments that the pension fund industry can make, there are still 2 types of investments that have not yet been made and 3 types of investments exceeding the limit specified allocation. In this study, only government bonds and land investments have a positive effect on return of investment while land and building investments have a negative effect. The results of this study indicate that the regulations do not have an impact on changing the type and allocation of investment in the pension fund industry, and is still dominated by certain investments that do not have an influence on the profitability of the pension fund industry which is measured by return of investment. Therefore, further studies are needed. This study is useful for (1) the pension fund industry to be able to apply investment portfolio theory regarding the types and allocations of investments and start new types of investment that are permitted (2) for financial services authorities (financial services authority) in order to arrange regulations regarding the type and allocation of investment.Â
Systemic Approach to Solve Problem of Managing Zakat in Contemporary Muslim Society in Indonesia
Authors: Hardiyanto Nugroho , Choirul Afif Nur , Bayu Aji Sumantri Muhammad , Haizam Mohd Saudi Mohd
Published: April 2019

In a Muslim society, the issue of zakat has always been an interesting topic to be discussed. It is related to the fact that zakat from Muslim society has a huge potential. In Indonesia for instance, using the assumption of 1.7% of Indonesia GDP it reached 270 trillion Rupiah. This number is highly significant even though the management of zakat conducted by government agency from local until national level is yet to be optimized. This research is discussing several factors that causing failure in zakat management using the systemic approach. This approach is trying to analyze several factors of failures in optimizing zakat collection in Indonesia and alternative solution for the problem.Â Â
The Influence of Financial Performance against Stock Prices in Companies Listed in LQ45 Index 2012 - 2016 Period
Authors: Henry Wijaya John , . Gusni , . Kartika
Published: April 2019

This study aims to determine the effect of financial performance of each variable on stock price of the companies listed in the LQ45 Index in 2012 â€“ 2016. This type of research used in this research is explanatory research with descriptive research method and correlation. This study used secondary data. The research population comprised LQ45 companies in 2012-2016 consisting of 45 companies. The sample was selected by the purposive sampling technique and 21 companies were included in the research sample. The data analysis technique was panel data regression using the random effect model. The results of the study showed that earnings per share had a significant effect on stock price. Cash position had a significant effect on stock price. Trading volume had a significant effect on stock price. While return on equity, debt to asset ratio and firm size did not have significant effect on stock price. The results of research F-test showed that the model in regression equation is just right. The coefficient of determination (R2) in this study was 0.758096. This means that the contribution of all independent variables was explained the dependent variable was 75.8%, while the remaining 24.2% was explained by independent variables outside the model.Â Â
Bandung City Government Performance, Balance Scorecard Model
Authors: . Nuryaman , Haizam Mohd Saudi Mohd , Rachmawati Mariana , Nisjar S. Karhi
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this study was to measure the performance of the Bandung City government offices using the Balance Scorecard model. Descriptive analysis method is used to find out the description of each variable stated in the questionnaire on service, internal operation process, learning and growth and financial performance. The survey was carried out in 2016. The results showed the performance of 17 government service offices of Bandung City with the balanced scorecard method included in the good performance category.
The Importance of Personal Shopper’s Services to Support Consumer Mobility
Authors: Y Hapsari Ayuningtyas , Haizam Mohd Saudi Mohd , . .
Published: April 2019

The demand for personal shopper is very high. A personal shopper becomes a new profession that is in great demand, especially for women, they can be personal shopper only with high trust capital. This study aims to determine the effect of service quality on purchasing decisions and the effect of pricing on purchasing decisions. And to find out how much influence the quality of services and pricing on purchasing decisions. This study used a descriptive verification method by distributing questionnaires to 115 consumers who never used personal shopper services and using accuracy level tests, feasibility tests for the Hosmer and Lemeshow models, the linear test for square r and the hypothesis test. Based on the results of calculations, it can be found that the quality of service has an influence on purchasing decisions and pricing has an influence on purchasing decisions.