National University of Malaysia

With the development of live streaming technology, it has been applied to various industries, such as e-commerce and game streaming. The function of live barrage came into being, and its powerful linking ability greatly enhanced the interaction and participation of the audience. However, with the increase in the number of users, there is a phenomenon that the live broadcast bullet screen covers the video content too much, which affects the user’s viewing experience. Therefore, this study aims to explore how to combine people’s visual habits with the popup strategy of live barrage and adopt a more effective optimisation method to reduce the negative impact of excessive live barrage on users’ information acquisition. The study was successful through four main phases. Firstly, according to the characteristics of the live barrage, the relevant theories of previous studies are reviewed. Second, the existing research defects are identified in the current theoretical framework; third, while solving the present research defects, a program is implemented through coding technology for usability testing to verify the effectiveness of this optimisation strategy; fourth, the usability test demonstrates the effectiveness of the optimisation strategy. As an implication, this study further improves the optimisation strategy based on user feedback that could benefit viewers and live-streaming content providers.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic, technology has altered the education systems, making online learning more prominent. Collaborative Online Learning (COLAB) has been seen as one method to create more effective lessons in virtual classes. It provides a more meaningful online learning experience for the students. However, several issues have been highlighted as challenges to incorporate into COLAB, such as needing more technical skills and focus and distractions from internal and external factors. Thus, support from the main stakeholders, parents, teachers, and the school is vital to creating an effective COLAB environment. The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the issues, approaches, and importance of stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, and schools, in contributing to the success of COLAB. A systematic literature review (SLR) research method has been applied to examine the importance of each stakeholder for COLAB. This study concludes that the involvement of all stakeholders is essential in providing the best COLAB experience at school. Each stakeholder has a unique role in cooperating, addressing challenges and enhancing collaboration. In the end, the results of this study provide insight into the importance of involving stakeholders in COLAB to enhance parent-teacher involvement and engagement. Ultimately, all stakeholders significantly promote parent-teacher engagement while benefiting students’ experience in the COLAB setting at school.

This study provides insights into the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in vocational education and its ethical implications, highlighting the potential of AI technologies to improve teaching methods and enhance the learning experience. The focus of the study includes assessing the role of AI in improving the quality and efficiency of education and enhancing teacher collaboration and knowledge sharing. In particular, the paper analyses ethical challenges in AI applications, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and educational fairness issues, and how these challenges affect educational processes and outcomes. Through a literature review and multiple case studies, this study proposes strategies and recommendations to achieve practical and ethical applications of AI technologies in vocational education to ensure a fair and high-quality educational process. In addition, the study identifies future research directions that need to be further explored in this area.

Angioleiomyoma is a rare benign smooth muscle tumor that is uncommonly encountered within the nasal cavity and presents with non-specific symptoms. Biopsy with histopathology examination is required to establish the diagnosis. The primary therapy for nasal angioleiomyoma is total surgical excision and follow up is recommended to identify local recurrence. Here, we present a case of angioleiomyoma found in the inferior turbinate and provide an overview of the relevant literature.

Lifestyle intervention has proven effective in managing older adults’ frailty and mild cognitive impairment issues. What remains unclear is how best to encourage lifestyle changes among older adults with frailty and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). We conducted searches in electronic literature searches such as PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Reviews, ProQuest, and grey resources to find articles published in English between January 2010 and October 2023. This review focused on research using a qualitative study design. We extracted data on publication year, location, the aim of the study, study population, involved intervention, barriers, motivations, and preferences reported in the articles. Out of 5226 retrieved, 253 articles were selected after the deletion of duplicates, title, abstract screening, and. We included fourteen articles for final analysis at the end of the review process. The two main themes generated from this review are intrinsic and extrinsic factors in motivations and barriers to lifestyle changes. The most reported motivators were the perceived benefits of lifestyle intervention and self-efficacy. Among the obstacles participants face are perceived adverse effects of intervention, lack of knowledge, existing impairment (physical or mental), and social support. Lifestyle change motivations and barriers among older adults mainly were intrinsic factors such as the perceived benefit of the intervention, self-efficacy, knowledge, familial commitment, and existing impairments. There is a need to empower older adults to overcome the barriers with support from healthcare professionals, the community, and the family.

Objective We aimed to examine the associations of telepsychiatry consultations with the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth policy changes (pandemic-related expansion and subsequent consolidation). Methods We performed a time series analysis of MBS telepsychiatry usage (January 2016–December 2023) using state/territory-level Medicare panel data. Linear regression analyses with panel-corrected standard error and autocorrelation were performed for telepsychiatry consultations (overall and age and sex subgroups). Telehealth policies, rural psychiatrist availability (rural psychiatrists per 100,000 population) and their interaction were the independent variables. The models were adjusted for pandemic lockdown severity (Stringency Index) and population size. Results Telehealth expansion and consolidation were associated with substantial increases in telepsychiatry consultations, with larger increases in the consolidation phase. Given the telehealth policy changes, lower per capita rural psychiatrists were associated with more telepsychiatry consultations. Males and older people (>65 years) showed greater relative consultation increases. Policy change-related telepsychiatry increases varied amongst states and territories. Discussion There was sustained telepsychiatry usage when it became more readily available, beyond the direct impact of acute pandemic lockdowns. Telehealth-enabling policies may contribute to fulfilling unmet mental health needs and improving access to psychiatric care amongst Australians. Further in-depth research in this area is needed.

The inefficiency of photovoltaic collector designs presents a significant challenge, particularly in hot climates. Therefore, this study undertakes a comprehensive analysis focusing on energy, exergy, entropy, and economical (4E) aspects of an innovative collector. The newly developed collector incorporates innovative design features, including ribbed and petal-patterned inner and outer surfaces, as well as helical twisted tapes. Furthermore, the study utilizes nanofluids and nanophase change materials, employing silicon carbide at volume concentrations of 0.6% and 1%. The experiment was conducted using an indoor solar simulator with irradiances of (400 to 1000) W/m2, flow rates of (0.01 to 0.085) kg/s, and various coolant types. The results demonstrated a positive correlation between all studied parameters and flow rates, except for thermal exergy efficiency. When solar irradiance reaches 1000 W/m2, the systems' electrical energy and exergy efficiency face a decline, while at the other solar irradiances, the relationship is positive. Utilizing advanced cooling techniques improves all the studied parameters. The system obtained its optimal overall energy and exergy efficiencies at 97.34% and 11.86%, respectively. Incorporating silicon carbide-enhanced nanofluids and nanophase change materials makes the system more cost-effective. Specifically, the most economical configuration was achieved with a coolant consisting of 1% nanophase change material and 0.6% nanofluid, resulting in the lowest cost-effectiveness factor of 0.820.

Background The increasing prevalence and burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), the challenges in implementing pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs and the limited availability of alternatives and supportive programs to serve patients with COPD necessitate the development of pulmonary telerehabilitation (PTR) systems to provide patients with COPD with PR programs. Objective This study aimed to design and develop the ChestCare mobile Health app using user-centred design (UCD) approach. Thus, it provided PTR for patients with COPD, enhancing their self-management of symptoms and improving their compliance with PR programs. Methods In this mixed-methods sequential research, we deployed the UCD iterative design through the prototype app design and development sequence. The first phase was built based on the results of a previous needs assessment study and an analysis of related apps. This produced the initial mock-up, the foundation for the focus group discussions with physiotherapists and patients. Six physiotherapists with cardiorespiratory specialisation evaluated each app module and item of the latest mock-up using the content validity index (CVI) document. The I-CVI (S-CVI/Ave) and (S-CVI/UA) were computed. Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated, and decisions were made by comparing their results. Results The UCD iterative design through sequential MMR has generated four mock-up app versions. The latest version identified 13 modules through 150 items validated by six experts using a CVI document. The I-CVI calculation of 145 items was 1, while 0.83 for the remaining items, was within accepted values. The S-CVI scored 99.4, indicating an overall validity of the ChestCare app as a PTR system for patients with COPD. Conclusions The development and validation of the ChestCare app resulted from conducting UCD iterative design and sequential MMR, which identified 13 functionalities, including symptom assessment, tracking lung volume, functional capacity test, action plan, intervention program, COPD education, COPD community, monitoring and reminders.

Iraq is one of the five countries most affected by high temperatures, low precipitation, drought, and desertification hazards. In this research, Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) images of Basra, southern Iraq, were used from 1986 to 2021. The relationships between Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and Normalized Difference Built-up Index were examined to determine the impacts of LST on Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) changes and to estimate future changes under projected temperature and precipitation scenarios for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) scenarios from 2010 to 2091. The results indicated significant changes in different LULC categories in Basra from 1986 to 2021. Orchards and swampy areas (especially in Hawiza, Msahab, and Salal marshes) decreased by 45%, mostly converting to built-up or barren areas. The sand area increased by 15.6%. The built-up area increased rapidly from 1217 to 1371 km2, a 12.7% increase. Most of the built-up and barren areas in the north, center, and south of Basra province recorded LST values less than 50 °C, especially in gas-flaring areas in petroleum locations. The overall accuracy of LULC was 90% in 1986 and 88% in 2021, while the kappa coefficients were 0.797 in 1986 and 0.848 in 2021. Based on RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, the values of the temperature increase in both scenarios by 1.7 °C in 2050 and 2.2 °C in 2091 in Basra. Due to Basra's significance to Iraq’s economy, society, and politics, the findings of this study will be helpful to city planners and decision-makers in future development of Basra province.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens presents a significant global health challenge, which is primarily fuelled by overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Bacteria-derived antimicrobial metabolites offer a promising alternative strategy for combating antimicrobial resistance issues. Bacillus velezensis PD9 (BvPD9), isolated from stingless bee propolis, has been reported to have antibacterial activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This study aimed to characterise and identify the antimicrobial compounds (AMCs) synthesised by BvPD9 through integration of genome mining and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis. The whole-genome sequence of BvPD9 contained 4,263,351 base pairs and 4101 protein-coding sequences, with 12 potential AMC biosynthetic gene clusters. Comparative genomic analysis highlighted the unique profile of BvPD9 that possesses the largest number of unknown proteins, indicating significant potential for further exploration. The combined genomics-metabolic profiling uncovered five AMCs in BvPD9 extract, including bacillibactin, bacilysin, surfactin A, fengycin A, and bacillomycin D. The extract exhibited a broad antibacterial spectrum against 25 pathogenic bacteria, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC, 0.032 mg/ml) against S. epidermidis ATCC 12228, and the lowest minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC; 0.128 mg/ml) against MRSA ATCC 700699 and Aeromonas hydrophilia. The robust stability of BvPD9 extract was demonstrated at high temperatures, over a wide range of pH conditions (6 to 12) and in the presence of various hydrolytic enzymes. Additionally, the extract showed 50% haemolytic and cytotoxicity activity at 0.158 and 0.250 mg/ml, respectively. These characteristics suggest potential applications of BvPD9 metabolites for tackling antimicrobial resistance and its applicability across diverse industries.

Financial capital flow is an essential part of the national economy system and human resource capital. In this paper, we identify that financial development is an important determinant factor of productivity growth and can affect productivity through financial technology (fintech) investment. By constructing a multi-province, cross-year dataset in China from 2011 to 2021, this paper empirically investigates how fintech investment plays a role in the association between financial development and labour productivity. By examining the paths and possible association between them, we observed that the effect of finance on labour productivity is not reinforced by fintech investment in wealthier region. However, in less developed provinces, fintech investment, as represented by R&D expenditures in financial sector and the digital finance index, does the financial sector’s function in driving productivity growth. Financial development can contribute to increased technology investment in the financial sector, especially in digital finance, which, in turn, contributes to labour productivity in relatively poorer provinces more than in richer ones. Therefore, the government should formulate a finance-related development strategy targeting poorer provinces to stimulate fintech investment and boosts productivity growth.

Environmental sustainability is increasingly influencing organizational strategies, highlighting the critical role of absorptive capacity in knowledge transfer, learning, innovation, and performance within a green context. Despite a growing body of literature on this topic, a comprehensive review remains lacking. This study addresses this need by conducting a bibliometric and visualization analysis of 489 articles from the Web of Science database, providing an overarching understanding of the field’s size, dynamics, structure, and emerging trends. Using performance analysis and science mapping with VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, the research identified the most influential countries, journals, and authors; mapped the intellectual structure through co-citation analysis; and highlighted current research streams through bibliographic coupling, including green innovation, corporate social responsibility efforts, sustainable supply chain management, and inter-organizational learning. Co-word analysis uncovered research hotspots and future directions, emphasizing the centrality of absorptive capacity in linking knowledge acquisition to environmental strategies and organizational performance. Based on these findings, a systematic framework for applying absorptive capacity in the green context was developed, providing practical guidance for managers to enhance sustainability performance and competitive advantage. This study contributes to both absorptive capacity and environmental management literature by offering a holistic overview, synthesizing diverse perspectives, and bridging the gap between academic research and practical implementation.

The Raman Watershed which is located in Pekalongan District covers an area of approximately 4,375 hectares of technically irrigated rice-field. The area was repeatedly hit by extreme flooding during the rainy season. The largest recorded flood occurred in December 2021, with an average daily maximum rainfall of 153 mm. This flood caused serious damage to the primary canal of the North-Raman Irrigation- Area. This research objective is to predict the flood peak-discharge in the Raman Watershed in the rainy season in December 2021. Flood discharge is calculated for various return periods based on daily rainfall- data from 2012 to 2021 obtained from BMKG Central Lampung. Hydrological analysis includes: 1) assessment of annual average rainfall-depth using the Thiessen method; 2) analysis of rainfall distribution and predictions of design rainfall using three common probability distributions; and 3) flood discharges are predicted using the Nakayasu method. Distribution analysis shows that LPT3 is the most suitable distribution. The average daily maximum rainfall recorded in December 2021 (153 mm), is in very good agreement with the design rainfall for the 25-year return period (152.58 mm). Thus, the flood peak-discharge in the Raman Watershed with average daily maximum rainfall of 153 mm is estimated at 23.27 m³/s.

This study presents the fabrication, characterization, and optimization of planar-heterojunction Cs₃Bi₂I₉ perovskite solar cells, supported by SCAPS-1D simulations. Experimental results reveal that among the fabricated devices (A1, A2, and A3), sample A3 demonstrates the highest efficiency, with a 0.72% improvement over its counterparts. This superior performance is attributed to its larger crystallite size, reduced strain, minimal dislocation density, and enhanced carrier mobility. These properties collectively minimize recombination losses, increase carrier lifetime, and improve charge transport and collection. To further understand and enhance the performance of the fabricated devices, SCAPS-1D was employed to simulate the model. By experimental parameters such as minority carrier lifetime and absorber layer thickness, the efficiency of the A3 device improved significantly in the simulated optimized model, achieving a notable increase in short-circuit current density (JSC). The optimization highlights the importance of balancing material properties and device architecture to minimize losses and enhance efficiency. This work also explores the relationship between carrier lifetime, diffusion length, and film thickness, emphasizing their combined impact on solar cell performance. While minor discrepancies were observed between experimental and simulated data, they fell within an acceptable range, validating the simulation approach. The findings underline the potential of targeted material and structural optimization to push the efficiency of Cs₃Bi₂I₉ solar cells closer to their theoretical limits. The success of sample A3 offers valuable insights for advancing perovskite photovoltaics.

Global adoption of wind energy continues to increase, while improving the efficiency of turbine settings requires reliable wind speed (WS) models. The latest models rely on artificial intelligence (AI) optimizations which constructs tests on a range of novel hybrid models to examine the reliability. Gradient Boosting (GB), Random Forest (RF), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) are used in new combinations for data pre-processing. A Time Varying Filter-based Empirical Mode Decomposition (TVFEMD) model is coupled with the GB and LSTM standalone models, to create TVFEMD-GB and TVFEMD-LSTM hybrids, which are run in competition with each other. Eventually, a preferred hybrid form is established, simultaneous hybridization of TVFEMD with GB and LSTM. This study is the first to hybridize these fundamental systems, and create a TVFEMD-GB-LSTM model that can forecast WS. This study finds that the novel hybrid models exhibit superior performance to standalone GB and LSTM models, opening the pathway to alternative WS prediction techniques.

Background and Objectives Some families faced difficulties accessing speech therapy in some areas of Malaysia and/or during the COVID‐19 lockdown. Therefore, parent‐mediated intervention could be one of the ways to solve this issue, as it has been proven to effectively improve communication skills among children with communication disorders. Hence, a Mandarin parental guidebook comprising a series of language stimulation activities was developed to explore the perception of parents of children with communication disorders, ranging from 3 to 6 years old, regarding the feasibility of (1) conducting speech–language home programs and (2) using a home‐based parental guidebook as a tool to deliver a speech–language home program. Design, Setting and Participants Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine Malaysian parents of child (ren) with communication disorders, who fulfilled the inclusionary criteria. Parents had attempted the speech–language home program by using the guidebook prior to the interview. The participants were subjected to 45‐min to 1‐h interviews. The interviews were audio‐ or video‐recorded for verbatim transcription. Thematic analysis was used for data interpretation. Results Four main themes were identified: (1) ‘ Golden Period ’: a guidebook to deliver speech–language home program, (2) perception of the speech–language home program among parents of children with communication disorders, (3) challenges faced by parents when practicing speech–language home program and (4) suggestions for improvements: parent's needs. The themes informed the perspective of parents towards the user experience of the parental guidebook, the feasibility of the speech–language home program and their recommendations. Overall, participants conveyed positive responses on the parental guidebook. Conclusions Malaysian parents face difficulties in accessing speech therapy because of limited numbers of SLTs, geographical barriers, financial constraints, availability of facilities and so forth. Findings could assist SLTs in adopting a family‐centred approach in their service delivery, thus increasing the cost‐effectiveness of their service delivery.

Introduction Poly(methyl vinyl ether co-maleic acid) (PMVE/MA) hydrogel microneedles (HMN) are investigated for transdermal delivery of macromolecular drugs owing to their biocompatibility and super-swelling properties. However, the drug delivery efficacy reduces with increasing molecular weight due to the entrapment within the HMN matrices. Furthermore, integrating external drug reservoirs extends the drug diffusion path and reduces the efficiency of drug permeation. Methods A direct drug loading approach in the HMN matrix was introduced in this work following a pH modification step. The effect of pH modification on the physicochemical properties of HMN was studied. Then, bovine serum albumin (BSA), a model protein, was loaded into the pH-modified HMN, and the morphological changes in HMN and protein stability were also assessed. Finally, the efficacy of BSA-loaded HMN in the transdermal delivery was evaluated ex vivo. Results A significant increase in swelling was recorded following the pH modification of HMN (p < 0.001). The structure of pH-modified hydrogel was highly porous, and ATR-FTIR spectra indicated a shift in the carboxylic peak. The secondary structure of BSA loaded in the pH-modified HMN was also preserved. The BSA-loaded HMN mediated a sustained ex-vivo drug release with a cumulative release of 64.70% (3.88 mg) in 24 h. Conclusion Hence, the model drug-incorporated PMVE/MA HMN system shows potential for sustainable transdermal delivery of proteins.

Arthropods are hosts to a variety of parasitic fungi, including those within the order of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniomycetes). Species in the genus Hesperomyces are specialized in growing on ladybirds (Coccinellidae). Recent studies have uncovered multiple cryptic species within the Hesperomyces virescens species complex. They found that these species are segregated not only by host, but also by a geographic component. Here, we describe two new species in this species complex, based on morphological, molecular phylogenetic, ecological, and geographical evidence: Hesperomyces chilocori-bipustulati sp. nov. on Chilocorus bipustulatus from the Mediterranean region, and He. coccinellae-transversalis sp. nov. on Coccinella transversalis from Peninsular Malaysia. Hesperomyces chilocori-bipustulati is the second species known to associate with a representative of the genus Chilocorus, after He. virescens sensu stricto which was described from Ch. stigma from the USA. The findings of this paper contribute to our understanding of the diversity, host specificity, and biogeographical distribution within the Hesperomyces virescens species complex and highlight the need for further integrative taxonomy approaches in Laboulbeniales.