Universiti Teknologi MARA

Recently, there has been a rapid growth in research and innovation in the natural fibre composite (NFC) area. Interest is warranted due to the advantages of these materials compared to others, such as synthetic fibre composites, including low environmental impact and low cost and support their potential across a wide range of applications. Much effort has gone into increasing their mechanical performance to extend the capabilities and applications of this group of materials. This review aims to provide an overview of the factors that affect the mechanical performance of NFCs and details achievements made with them.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether rivaroxaban alone or in combination with aspirin would be more effective than aspirin alone for secondary cardiovascular prevention. METHODS: In this double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 27,395 participants with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease to receive rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin (100 mg once daily), rivaroxaban (5 mg twice daily), or aspirin (100 mg once daily). The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. The study was stopped for superiority of the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group after a mean follow-up of 23 months. RESULTS: The primary outcome occurred in fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group than in the aspirin-alone group (379 patients [4.1%] vs. 496 patients [5.4%]; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.86; P<0.001; z=-4.126), but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group (288 patients [3.1%] vs. 170 patients [1.9%]; hazard ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.40 to 2.05; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in intracranial or fatal bleeding between these two groups. There were 313 deaths (3.4%) in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group as compared with 378 (4.1%) in the aspirin-alone group (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.96; P=0.01; threshold P value for significance, 0.0025). The primary outcome did not occur in significantly fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-alone group than in the aspirin-alone group, but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-alone group. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease, those assigned to rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin had better cardiovascular outcomes and more major bleeding events than those assigned to aspirin alone. Rivaroxaban (5 mg twice daily) alone did not result in better cardiovascular outcomes than aspirin alone and resulted in more major bleeding events. (Funded by Bayer; COMPASS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01776424 .).

BACKGROUND: More than 80% of deaths from cardiovascular disease are estimated to occur in low-income and middle-income countries, but the reasons are unknown. METHODS: We enrolled 156,424 persons from 628 urban and rural communities in 17 countries (3 high-income, 10 middle-income, and 4 low-income countries) and assessed their cardiovascular risk using the INTERHEART Risk Score, a validated score for quantifying risk-factor burden without the use of laboratory testing (with higher scores indicating greater risk-factor burden). Participants were followed for incident cardiovascular disease and death for a mean of 4.1 years. RESULTS: The mean INTERHEART Risk Score was highest in high-income countries, intermediate in middle-income countries, and lowest in low-income countries (P<0.001). However, the rates of major cardiovascular events (death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure) were lower in high-income countries than in middle- and low-income countries (3.99 events per 1000 person-years vs. 5.38 and 6.43 events per 1000 person-years, respectively; P<0.001). Case fatality rates were also lowest in high-income countries (6.5%, 15.9%, and 17.3% in high-, middle-, and low-income countries, respectively; P=0.01). Urban communities had a higher risk-factor burden than rural communities but lower rates of cardiovascular events (4.83 vs. 6.25 events per 1000 person-years, P<0.001) and case fatality rates (13.52% vs. 17.25%, P<0.001). The use of preventive medications and revascularization procedures was significantly more common in high-income countries than in middle- or low-income countries (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although the risk-factor burden was lowest in low-income countries, the rates of major cardiovascular disease and death were substantially higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. The high burden of risk factors in high-income countries may have been mitigated by better control of risk factors and more frequent use of proven pharmacologic therapies and revascularization. (Funded by the Population Health Research Institute and others.).

BACKGROUND: The optimal range of sodium intake for cardiovascular health is controversial. METHODS: We obtained morning fasting urine samples from 101,945 persons in 17 countries and estimated 24-hour sodium and potassium excretion (used as a surrogate for intake). We examined the association between estimated urinary sodium and potassium excretion and the composite outcome of death and major cardiovascular events. RESULTS: The mean estimated sodium and potassium excretion was 4.93 g per day and 2.12 g per day, respectively. With a mean follow-up of 3.7 years, the composite outcome occurred in 3317 participants (3.3%). As compared with an estimated sodium excretion of 4.00 to 5.99 g per day (reference range), a higher estimated sodium excretion (≥ 7.00 g per day) was associated with an increased risk of the composite outcome (odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 1.30), as well as increased risks of death and major cardiovascular events considered separately. The association between a high estimated sodium excretion and the composite outcome was strongest among participants with hypertension (P=0.02 for interaction), with an increased risk at an estimated sodium excretion of 6.00 g or more per day. As compared with the reference range, an estimated sodium excretion that was below 3.00 g per day was also associated with an increased risk of the composite outcome (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.44). As compared with an estimated potassium excretion that was less than 1.50 g per day, higher potassium excretion was associated with a reduced risk of the composite outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In this study in which sodium intake was estimated on the basis of measured urinary excretion, an estimated sodium intake between 3 g per day and 6 g per day was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events than was either a higher or lower estimated level of intake. As compared with an estimated potassium excretion that was less than 1.50 g per day, higher potassium excretion was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events. (Funded by the Population Health Research Institute and others.).

Normality tests can be classified into tests based on chi-squared, moments, empirical distribution, spacings, regression and correlation and other special tests. This paper studies and compares the power of eight selected normality tests: the Shapiro–Wilk test, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the Lilliefors test, the Cramer–von Mises test, the Anderson–Darling test, the D'Agostino–Pearson test, the Jarque–Bera test and chi-squared test. Power comparisons of these eight tests were obtained via the Monte Carlo simulation of sample data generated from alternative distributions that follow symmetric short-tailed, symmetric long-tailed and asymmetric distributions. Our simulation results show that for symmetric short-tailed distributions, D'Agostino and Shapiro–Wilk tests have better power. For symmetric long-tailed distributions, the power of Jarque–Bera and D'Agostino tests is quite comparable with the Shapiro–Wilk test. As for asymmetric distributions, the Shapiro–Wilk test is the most powerful test followed by the Anderson–Darling test.

Purpose Aims to investigate the extent of the effectiveness of monitoring functions of board of directors, audit committee and concentrated ownership in reducing earnings management among 97 firms listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia over the period 2002‐2003. Design/methodology/approach The current study employs the cross‐sectional modified version of Jones, where abnormal working capital accruals are used as proxy for earnings management. Findings The study reveals that earnings management is positively related to the size of the board of directors. This supports the view that larger boards appear to be ineffective in their oversight duties relative to smaller boards. A possible explanation for the insignificant relationship between other corporate governance mechanisms (independence of board and audit committee) and earnings management is that the board of directors is seen as ineffective in discharging their monitoring duties due to management dominance over board matters. The apparent reason for this phenomenon is attributed to the board of directors' relative lack of knowledge in company's affairs. The study also found that ethnicity (race) has no effect in mitigating earnings management, possibly due to the more individualistic behaviour of the Bumiputra directors. The modernisation of Malaysia and also the increase in Bumiputra ownership of national wealth may have caused the Malays to be more individualistic, similar to their Chinese counterpart. Originality/value Since, there are relatively few studies conducted in this area specifically among Malaysian firms, this study will broaden the scope by providing empirical evidence of the relationship between various corporate governance characteristics, cultural factors and earnings management.

Foot plantar pressure is the pressure field that acts between the foot and the support surface during everyday locomotor activities. Information derived from such pressure measures is important in gait and posture research for diagnosing lower limb problems, footwear design, sport biomechanics, injury prevention and other applications. This paper reviews foot plantar sensors characteristics as reported in the literature in addition to foot plantar pressure measurement systems applied to a variety of research problems. Strengths and limitations of current systems are discussed and a wireless foot plantar pressure system is proposed suitable for measuring high pressure distributions under the foot with high accuracy and reliability. The novel system is based on highly linear pressure sensors with no hysteresis.

Zinc oxide plays an important role in current industry due to its special characteristics such as anti-corrosion, anti-bacteria, has low electrons conductivity and excellent heat resistance. Therefore, the objective of this study is to synthesize zinc oxide nanostructures with the most practical ways by using sol-gel method and characterize the nanostructures. Sol-gel method is the simplest method and has the ability to control the particle size and morphology through systematic monitoring of reaction parameters. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via sol gel method using Zinc acetate dehydrate (Zn(CH3COO)2.2H2O) as a precursor and ethanol (CH2COOH) was used as solvent, Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and distilled water were used as medium. ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by using XRD, EDX, FESEM, and nano-particles analyser. Result of EDX characterization shows that the ZnO nanoparticles has good purity with (Zinc content of- 55.38% and; Oxygen content of- 44.62%). XRD result spectrum displays mainly oxygen and zinc peaks, which indicate the crystallinity in nature as exhibited. FESEM micrographs shows that synthesized ZnO have a rod-like structure. The obtained ZnO nanoparticles are homogenous and consistent in size which corresponds to the XRD result that exhibit good crystallinity. ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by sol-gel method in nanosize range within 81.28 nm to 84.98 nm.

Almost everyone is talking about the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). The 4IR wave is so strong that change is inevitable, including within the education setting, making Education 4.0 the famous buzzword among educationists today. What is Education 4.0? Do educators really understand it or they simply follow what others are doing. Education 4.0 is a respond to the needs of IR4.0 where human and technology are aligned to enable new possibilities. The paper explains the nine trends of Education 4.0, preference of the 21st century learners, skills for 21st century teachers, share some ideas on how to implement Education 4.0 trends in the language classrooms and students’ feedback on their experience in learning in the Education 4.0 classroom.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in the world, the incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Inadequate regulation of the blood sugar imposes serious consequences for health. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, however, also with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants may act as an alternative source of antidiabetic agents. Examples of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential are described, with focuses on preclinical and clinical studies. The beneficial potential of each plant matrix is given by the combined and concerted action of their profile of biologically active compounds.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate governance characteristics, namely the board size, board independence, duality, audit committee, ten largest shareholders, managerial ownership, foreign ownership and government ownership and the extent of corporate social responsibility disclosure. Design/methodology/approach The content analysis was used to extract the CSR disclosure items from annual report and companies' web sites. Then, a CSR disclosure index was constructed after combining CSR disclosure items disclosed both in annual reports and in companies' web sites. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the corporate social disclosures index and the independent variables, namely the board size, board independence, duality, audit committee, ten largest shareholders, managerial ownership, foreign ownership and government ownership after statistically controlling the effects of a firm's size and the profitability of the companies. Findings Results based on the full regression models indicated that only two variables were associated with the extent of disclosures, namely government ownership and audit committee. Government ownership and audit committee are positively and significantly correlated with the level of corporate social responsibility disclosure. The most significant variable that influences the level of CSR disclosure is government ownership. Research limitations/implications The findings are limited to the context of the study and it was limited to Malaysian public listed companies, January to December 2006. The sources of data in this study were companies' annual reports and web sites only. Practical implications The study is useful to organizations and statutory bodies to take into consideration in identifying the corporate governance characteristics that will enhance CSR disclosure, since it had been shown in previous studies that corporate social responsibility reporting in Malaysia is generally low. The government can determine how important it is that a company should be willing to allocate their costs towards corporate social responsibility activities. Thus, this study will emphasize the level of activities through corporate social responsibility reporting in Malaysian public listed companies and help the government to ascertain the level of corporate social responsibility activities through corporate social responsibility reporting among Malaysian public listed companies. Originality/value The study reveals the extent of the disclosure of corporate social responsibility to companies web sites and constructed the CSR index based on two sources of data, namely companies' web sites and annual reports.

Purpose In this study, Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior is used as a theoretical framework with the aim of extending prior research examining halal food purchasing behavior in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected through self‐administered questionnaires. This paper uses multiple regression analysis to identify the factors affecting halal food purchasing behavior of Malaysian consumers. Findings The multiple regression analysis results indicate that all factors have positive and significant influence on halal food purchasing intention. Research limitations/implications Like other empirical studies, this study is not without its limitations. The sample size itself is relatively small. The study can be strengthened by increasing the sample size and including participants in other geographical areas. This study also considered only three antecedents of halal food purchasing among consumers in Malaysia. As Malaysia is actually trying to play for a bigger role in the halal industry, more research is needed to identify and address problematic aspects of consumption of halal food. Potential correlations between some of the independent variables (e.g. trust, moral obligation, habit, and self‐identity) need to be reported in a future study. Originality/value This study contributes to and extends our understanding of the halal food purchasing behavior, identifying the rationales for purchasing of halal foods. From a managerial viewpoint, the findings provide support for investment decisions and for decisions relating to the establishment of Malaysia as a halal hub that address and take the concerns and needs of businesses and Malaysian Government agencies into consideration.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of a training program on physical performance in junior male soccer players.Methods: Twenty five players (mean age = 13.28 ± 0.45 years), were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n-13) or a control group (n-12).The experimental group followed the warm-up training program, 5 days per week for 12 weeks.The control group performed the usual warm-up training.Before, middle and after the intervention, both groups performed a battery of soccer-specific physical tests, including (1) Standing long jump test (explosive leg power), (2) Sargent jump test (vertical leg power), (3) Illinois agility test (agility), (4) Prone hold test (core stability/abdominal muscle endurance), and (5) Running speed test (speed).Data were analyzed by Repeated Measures ANOVA for comparison between groups to evaluate the changes over time.Results: At the end of the intervention the experimental group showed superior changes compared to the control group for explosive leg power (12.85% vs 1.58%), vertical leg power (18.45% vs 3.78%), agility (-4.49% vs 0.76%), muscle endurance (98.85% vs 8.08%) and running speed (-6.16% vs 1.11%).Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the warm-up training program is an appropriate and effective tool for improving soccer-specific physical performance characteristics of junior soccer players.

BACKGROUND: Different study designs and population size may require different sample size for logistic regression. This study aims to propose sample size guidelines for logistic regression based on observational studies with large population. METHODS: We estimated the minimum sample size required based on evaluation from real clinical data to evaluate the accuracy between statistics derived and the actual parameters. Nagelkerke r-squared and coefficients derived were compared with their respective parameters. RESULTS: -squared. CONCLUSIONS: refers to number of independent variables in the final model.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status is associated with differences in risk factors for cardiovascular disease incidence and outcomes, including mortality. However, it is unclear whether the associations between cardiovascular disease and common measures of socioeconomic status-wealth and education-differ among high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries, and, if so, why these differences exist. We explored the association between education and household wealth and cardiovascular disease and mortality to assess which marker is the stronger predictor of outcomes, and examined whether any differences in cardiovascular disease by socioeconomic status parallel differences in risk factor levels or differences in management. METHODS: In this large-scale prospective cohort study, we recruited adults aged between 35 years and 70 years from 367 urban and 302 rural communities in 20 countries. We collected data on families and households in two questionnaires, and data on cardiovascular risk factors in a third questionnaire, which was supplemented with physical examination. We assessed socioeconomic status using education and a household wealth index. Education was categorised as no or primary school education only, secondary school education, or higher education, defined as completion of trade school, college, or university. Household wealth, calculated at the household level and with household data, was defined by an index on the basis of ownership of assets and housing characteristics. Primary outcomes were major cardiovascular disease (a composite of cardiovascular deaths, strokes, myocardial infarction, and heart failure), cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. Information on specific events was obtained from participants or their family. FINDINGS: <0·0001). Medical care (eg, management of hypertension, diabetes, and secondary prevention) seemed to play an important part in adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes because such care is likely to be poorer in people with the lowest levels of education compared to those with higher levels of education in low-income countries; however, we observed less marked differences in care based on level of education in middle-income countries and no or minor differences in high-income countries. INTERPRETATION: Although people with a lower level of education in low-income and middle-income countries have higher incidence of and mortality from cardiovascular disease, they have better overall risk factor profiles. However, these individuals have markedly poorer health care. Policies to reduce health inequities globally must include strategies to overcome barriers to care, especially for those with lower levels of education. FUNDING: Full funding sources are listed at the end of the paper (see Acknowledgments).

Traditionally, the success of a researcher is assessed by the number of publications he or she publishes in peer-reviewed, indexed, high impact journals. This essential yardstick, often referred to as the impact of a specific researcher, is assessed through the use of various metrics. While researchers may be acquainted with such matrices, many do not know how to use them to enhance their careers. In addition to these metrics, a number of other factors should be taken into consideration to objectively evaluate a scientist's profile as a researcher and academician. Moreover, each metric has its own limitations that need to be considered when selecting an appropriate metric for evaluation. This paper provides a broad overview of the wide array of metrics currently in use in academia and research. Popular metrics are discussed and defined, including traditional metrics and article-level metrics, some of which are applied to researchers for a greater understanding of a particular concept, including varicocele that is the thematic area of this Special Issue of Asian Journal of Andrology. We recommend the combined use of quantitative and qualitative evaluation using judiciously selected metrics for a more objective assessment of scholarly output and research impact.

Universities around the world have been directly and indirectly affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Within the span of less than one month, the traditional face-to-face learning has been replaced by online learning to ensure education continuity. This paper sets out to examine online learning readiness among university students who have been thrown in at the deep end. It aims to investigate if demographic factors make any difference in their readiness to learn, online learning experiences and intention to continue using online learning. It also examines their preferred methods of online learning and challenges they face. Data collected from 399 students in two different online learning courses in Malaysia showed that respondents are generally ready for online learning. However, females are found to be more ready than male, degree students are more ready than diploma students while female students and degree students are more satisfied with online learning and have better learning experiences compared to male and diploma students. More than half of the respondents indicated that if given a choice, they do not want to continue with online learning in the future. Most respondents preferred online learning via pre-recorded lectures uploaded to Google Classroom and YouTube. While the biggest challenge for degree students is internet connectivity, for diploma students, it is the difficulty in understanding the content of the subject. Moving forward, government, telecommunication companies and universities should invest in developing internet infrastructure across the country as online learning will be the new norm in the foreseeable future. University also needs to provide further training to enhance academics’ online teaching skills to ensure lessons are delivered more effectively

Purpose The ESG factor, which consists of environmental, social, and governance factors, represents the non-financial performance of a company. United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment invites investors to consider ESG issues when evaluating the performance of any company. Moreover, nowadays, the contribution of corporations towards sustainable development is a major concern of investors, creditors, government, and other environmental agencies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of ESG factors on the performance of Malaysian public-limited companies (PLC) in terms of profitability, firm value, and cost of capital. Design/methodology/approach A total of 54 companies are selected from Bloomberg’s ESG database that has complete ESG and financial data from 2010 to 2013. This study conducted panel data regressions such as the pooled OLS, fixed effect, and random effect. Findings Based on the regression results, there is no significant relationship between individual and combined factors of ESG and firm profitability (i.e. ROE) as well as firm value (i.e. Tobin’s Q ). Moreover, individually, none of the factors of ESG is significant with the cost of capital (weighted average cost of capital, WACC), but the combined score of ESG positively and significantly influences the cost of capital (WACC) of a company. Practical implications As this is a new study on Malaysia, the findings of this study will be useful to investors, SRI analysts, policy makers, and other related agencies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first empirical study to examine the impact of ESG factors on the performance of Malaysian PLC in terms of profitability, firm value, and cost of capital.

Generally, different individuals have the tendency to perform differently while reading. Despite such variation, studies have shown that readers have the tendency to be consistent in their performance. Studies have also found such consistency can be traced to the personality traits of the subjects. Hence, the purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between personality traits and reading proficiency score.The respondents of this study are mainly third semester diploma students of various courses from one of the 11leading institution of higher learning in Malaysia involving 313 students. The respondents are required to sit for a reading proficiency test and a personality trait test. An analysis of variance is used to see whether certain personality traits can be associated with reading proficiency. Using a one-way analysis of variance, it is found that none of the personality traits shows a significant relationship to reading proficiency as p&gt;0.05.However, despite the insignificant relationship between reading proficiency and personality traits, it is found that there are some negative correlations between reading proficiency score and personality traits.

Electromagnetic properties of a thermoplastic natural rubber (TPNR), a lithium–nickel–zinc (Li–Ni–Zn) ferrite and a TPNR–ferrite composite subjected to transverse electromagnetic (TEM) wave propagation were investigated. The incorporation of the ferrite into the matrix of the TPNR was found to reduce the dielectric loss but the magnetic loss increased. The absorption characteristics of all the samples subjected to a normal incidence of TEM wave were investigated based on a model of a single-layered plane wave absorber backed by a perfect conductor. It is evident from a computer simulation that the ferrite is a narrowband absorber, whereas the polymeric samples show broadband absorption characteristics. Minimal reflection of the microwave power or matching condition occurs when the thickness of the absorbers approximates an odd number multiple of a quarter of the propagating wavelength. This is discussed as due to cancellation of the incident and reflected waves at the surface of the absorbers. The Li–Ni–Zn ferrite exhibits another matching condition at low frequency when the magnitude of the complex relative dielectric permittivity (εr*) equals that of the complex relative magnetic permeability (μr*). The specular absorber method provides a simple theoretical graphic aid for determining the absorption characteristics and the location of the matching conditions in the frequency domain. The result for the ferrite sample was tested and confirmed directly from terminated one-port measurements.