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Traditionally, the word 'life' in the concept of work-life balance focuses on family obligations. This conceptual paper sets out to present the notion that 'life' goes beyond family responsibilities and is unique to employees of different demographics. Given the impending difference in how 'life' is viewed by different groups of employees, this study reviews the literature and argues for the need to distinguish between different dimensions of the non-work domain. The discussion is centered on the transformation taking place within the Malaysian workforce. Recent trends indicate that 'life' and 'family' are indeed distinct domains. There is a need for organizations to acknowledge this distinction and provide relevant support to attain a balance between work, life, and family. The paper will help strengthen the knowledge about the 'life' in the concept of work-life balance and employers better understand the conceptualization of 'life' in work-life balance so that they can strategize and enhance employee well-being and eventually gain competitive advantage. Currently, the terms work-life balance and work-family balance are used interchangeably to represent a balance between the family and work domain. This is especially evident in collectivist countries such as Malaysia. However, the emphasis on family without due consideration to the needs of employees with different demographic configurations may result in work-life backlash. Hence, this study argues that the non-work domain is not limited to family obligations and should encompass both family obligations and personal activities. The emphasis on striking a balance between work and family domain should not be done at the expense of the well-being of employees with lesser or no family obligations., Author(s): Sharmila Jayasingam [sup.1] , Su Teng Lee [sup.1] , Khairuddin Naim Mohd Zain [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10347.31, 0000 0001 2308 5949, Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of [...]

This paper describes the gender disparities in the potential creation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) for China. Using the latest available data, social accounting matrix for 149 sectors, combined with employment satellite accounts based on China's seventh census published in 2022, we analyse gender disparities in the potential job creation from the RCEP. The results show that the RCEP will potentially create more than 4.08 million jobs in China, with a particularly large increase in low-value-added sectors such as agriculture, light industry and low-end manufacturing. Imports are likely to create more jobs than exports. The potential job creation for females is more than 1.58 million, which is still 910,000 less than for males. While the RCEP may create jobs for females, it may expand the gender and skills disparities. The increased rate of tertiary education for Chinese females has not resulted in significant gains in current female employment. Therefore, measures to reduce taxes on imports and exports, share the cost of childbirth between employer and husband, and upgrade industries to create more high-skilled jobs are important to address the gender disparity in employment in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel intumescent flame retardant (IFR) based on melamine, neopentyl glycol, and aluminum diethylphosphinate were prepared and tested. In addition, the synergistic effect of the novel IFR and zinc borate (ZB) on the flame retardancy of LLDPE composites was investigated. The structures of novel IFR and ZB were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) increased from 19.3% for the pure LLDPE to 27% for the 25 wt% IFR/5 wt% ZB composites and the composites achieved the desired V-0 rating in the UL-94 test. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the addition of IFR/ZB reduced the pyrolysis rate of the LLDPE composites at high temperatures and increased the amount of the char residues, and the char residue of LLDPE-5 reached 12.1 wt% at 700[degrees]C. Cone calorimetry (CCT) data showed that the peak of total heat release, heat release rate, and fire growth index were comparatively reduced, indicating that the addition of IFR/ZB decreased the fire hazard of LLDPE composites. The formation of a compact and thermally stable char layer on the surfaces of LLDPE composites was revealed from the scanning electrone microscopy images and digital photographs of the char residue after the CCT tests. KEYWORDS composites, flame retardant, polyethylene, synthesis, thermal properties, 1 | INTRODUCTION Polyethylene (PE) is a typical thermoplastic that currently has the highest production volume among the five general-purpose plastics. Polyethylene is used in a wide range of applications [...]

Purpose. To compare the refractive errors measured by the Spot photoscreener (with or without cycloplegia) to cycloplegic retinoscopy in 6- to 10-week-old infants. Materials and Methods. 101 right eyes from 101 healthy infants aged 6 to 10 weeks were recruited for this cross-sectional observational study. Refractive errors were measured using Spot photoscreener before and after cycloplegia, as well as cycloplegic retinoscopy. Comparisons between the refractive measurements were performed using one-way ANOVA with the post hoc Tukey HSD test or Kruskal–Wallis test with the Steel–Dwass test according to the data normality. Pearson's correlation test and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The agreement was evaluated using a Bland–Altman plot with 95% limits of agreement of the differences. Results. Spot photoscreener was found to underestimate the spherical equivalent by 2.33 Diopters (D) in these infants. Following the induction of cycloplegia, the spherical equivalent measured by Spot photoscreener was in excellent agreement with cycloplegic retinoscopy with the mean difference of 0.01 D. Spot photoscreener overestimated cylindrical parameter by 0.2 D with poor agreement with cycloplegic retinoscopy no matter whether cycloplegia was induced. It had good agreement with cycloplegic retinoscopy in the J 0 vector than the J 45 vector measurement. Conclusions. With the induction of cycloplegia, Spot photoscreener can accurately evaluate spherical equivalent in hyperopic infants with mild-to-moderate astigmatism. While it may provide valuable measurements of astigmatism, discrepancies in cylinder and axis should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although Bell's palsy is a common etiology for isolated facial paralysis, it is important clinicians perform a complete neurologic examination to avoid misdiagnosis. Multiple cranial neuropathy is often caused by tumor or infection.

Aluminum silicate nanofibers (ASNFs) have attracted significant attention due to their excellent stability and high-temperature properties. Al2O3-SiO2 aerogel (ASAs) has high porosity and low thermal conductivity, but its mechanical properties need to be improved. Reinforcing aerogels with fibers can lead to remarkable enhancements in their properties. Reducing the fiber diameter has proven to be an effective means of improving the structural integrity and mechanical stability of aerogel composites. In the context of this study, we prepared aluminum silicate nanofibers (ASNFs) with a diameter of 170 nm through the utilization of electrostatic spinning. These ASNFs were then successfully integrated with aluminum silicate aerogels (ASAs) to create a novel composite material known as aluminum silicate nanofiber-reinforced Al2O3-SiO2 aerogel (AS/ASNFAs). Its microstructure, mechanical properties and heat insulation properties have been researched. The results show that the compressive strength of AS/ASNFAs (0.44 MPa) is significantly higher than that of Al2O3-SiO2 aerogel (0.16 MPa). Meanwhile, the AS/ASNFAs has high specific surface area (600 m2/g), low density (0.15 g/cm3), and low thermal conductivity (0.026 W/(m·K)). This work provides a useful solution to improve the comprehensive properties of Al2O3–SiO2 aerogel composites. Highlight: An aluminum silicate nanofiber-reinforced Al2O3-SiO2 aerogel (AS/ASNFAs) has been prepared by sol-gel method. Addition of aluminum silicate nanofibers (ASNFs) improves mechanical properties of Al2O3-SiO2 aerogel (ASAs), and compressive strength of AS/ASNFAs-0.2 (0.44 MPa) is more than twice that of ASAs (0.16 MPa). Low thermal conductivity (0.026 W/(m·K)) is achieved for AS/ASNFAs-0.1. Due to the good dispersion of ASNFs in ASAs, the interaction of them not only improves mechanical properties of AS/ASNFAs but also increases thermal stability at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]