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This paper focuses on designing a comprehensibility test and a questionnaire for spoken world Englishes in Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, and utilizing the test to investigate the comprehension of Burmese, Cambodians, Indonesians, Laotians, Thais and Vietnamese. We reviewed the demarcation of users of English based on Kachru's (1984, 1985) three concentric models within the bloc's context where two circles--Outer Circle and Expanding Circle are present. The findings established a moderate comprehensibility level of Expanding Circle listeners toward the speakers of the Outer Circle. The variations of comprehensibility scores paved way for the exploration of the comprehension scores' possible relationships with language proficiencies, attitudes toward speakers, familiarity of spoken variety, historical origins of languages, and political ambiance between and among ASEAN nations. (Contains 8 tables and 1 figure.) [Work on this paper was partly supported by Prince of Songkla University's Graduate School Grant.]

The predicted widespread use of English as a lingua franca following ASEAN's 2015 integration mushroomed intelligibility studies between and among Asean nationals including Bruneians, Burmese, Cambodians, Filipinos, Indonesians, Laotians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, Thais and Vietnamese. Previous studies regarding ASEAN nationals' intelligibility and/or comprehensibility were reviewed. This paper presents a study of five exposures that relate to the intelligibility and/or comprehensibility within world Englishes speaker-listener paradigm. They are exposures to English through education, work experiences, outside the classroom (non-educational settings), social media, and travel and stay abroad. The Comprehensibility Testing Flowchart was used as the main framework of the study and data analysis. The findings show that there are positive correlations and significances between the five variables and the comprehensibility levels Aseans gained in the comprehensibility test. Questionnaire is appended. (Contains 1 note, 1 figure, and 6 tables.) [Work on this paper was partly supported by Prince of Songkla University's Graduate School Grant.]

The advent of technology and the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the higher education landscape by highlighting online education platforms, thus bringing transformation to the teaching and learning process. Drawing from the dynamic capability theory, this study examines whether institutional, technology and human resources are determinants for the performance of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. A quantitative approach was employed in this study, specifically utilising a structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 217 educators in Malaysian public and private HEIs. Data were analysed using the SmartPLS software. The empirical results reveal that institutional and technology resources significantly influence the performance of ODL in the HEIs. These results suggest that the ODL practices could be improved with dynamic resources supported by the HEIs. A sustainable ODL implementation would increase access to academic advancement for educators and students. The study's findings underscore the importance of sustainable education for HEIs, emphasising the need for robust policies and standards, efficient procedures, modern infrastructure, advanced information systems, and strong management support to ensure the long-term success of ODL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates the psychological adoption of technology in relation to employees' mental beliefs about using technology in their workplace, because it is necessary to investigate the direct and indirect effects of information systems (IS) on employees' work-related results that underpin creativity and engagement. Design/methodology/approach: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 153 human resource (HR) employees who used human resource information systems (HRIS) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Findings: The results show that effective acceptance and adoption of an HRIS enables HR employees and management in SMEs to be creative, balanced and engaged. Facilitating conditions and task-technology fit positively affect the behavioral intention to accept and adopt an HRIS. Additionally, organizational citizenship behavior moderates the relationship between the behavioral intention to accept and adopt an HRIS and employee creativity. Originality/value: This study significantly advances the fields of human resource management and IS by elucidating the factors influencing employees' adoption of technology. In an effort to address a research gap in existing research, it introduces a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, which precedes the psychological adoption process by individuals. Furthermore, it offers both empirical and theoretical insights into the interplay between technology adoption factors and their subsequent impact on work-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid deployment of negative emissions technologies (NETs) will be needed to help mitigate climate change. Among various NETs, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is seen as an option with multiple environmental benefits, including increasing the share of renewable energy while capturing carbon and providing an effective solution for waste management if waste biomass is utilised. This research presents the first environmental and economic sustainability assessments of BECCS utilising palm oil waste abundant in palm oil producing countries, such as Malaysia. The following five types of waste are considered: fronds, trunks, empty fruit bunches (EFBs), shells and fibres. Process simulation, techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) are combined to determine the life cycle impacts and costs of BECCS from cradle to grave. Two units of analysis are considered for both the impacts and costs: 'generation of 1 MWh of electricity' and 'capture of 1 tonne of CO 2 '. The global warming potential (GWP) is net-negative for both functional units, ranging from −1270 to −1410 kg CO 2 eq./MWh and −840 to −1729 kg CO 2 eq./t CO 2 removed, the latter depending on the credits for electricity generation. However, all other 17 impacts increase by 13–217% with the addition of CCS. The systems without CCS have net-positive GWP of 59–126 kg CO 2 eq./MWh. Per MWh electricity, the system with fibres has the lowest and palm fronds the highest impacts for most of the categories considered; per tonne of CO 2 removed, there is no clear feedstock preference. The levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) of BECSS plants are US$98–119/MWh, with fibres being the best and fronds the worst feedstock. Compared to the systems without CCS, the LCOE of BECCS are 3.6–4.1 times higher. The costs of BECSS per tonne of CO 2 removed are US$66–74, with CCS contributing US$50–53/t CO 2. Based on the current availability of palm oil wastes in Malaysia, the system could generate 7730 GWh/yr, boosting the national share of bioenergy by 7.6 times, while removing 12 Mt CO 2 /yr, equivalent to 10% of annual emissions from the electricity sector. [Display omitted] • BECCS with palm oil wastes achieves −840 to −1729 kg CO 2 eq./t CO 2 removed. • However, all other impacts are higher by 13–217% compared to systems without CCS. • Levelised costs of electricity of BECCS are 3.6–4.1 times higher than without CCS. • CCS emits additional 0.175–0.183 t CO 2 eq. and costs US$50–53 per t CO 2 removed. • BECCS could reduce emissions from the Malaysian electricity sector by 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infections that occur among surgical patients. Surgical site infections result in longer hospital stays, hospital readmissions, and higher death and morbidity rates. The current study was designed to highlight the importance of such surveillance studies in a Malaysian surgical population with a motive to evaluate and revise concurrent infection control and prevention policies by exploring the burden of surgical site infection and identifying its associated risk factors for future considerations. In this prospective observational cohort study, a total of 216 patients admitted to a surgical ward were identified and studied. Of these 216 patients, 142 elective procedures and 74 emergency procedures were included in the study, of which 13 patients (9.2%) undergoing elective procedures and 15 (20.3%) patients undergoing emergency procedures were SSI positive (OR: 2.5, p = 0.02). Among surgical site infections, 21 were superficial and 7 were deep incisional SSI. No case of organ/space SSI was identified. The time taken for SSIs to develop ranged from 2–17 days with a median of 6 days. Risk factors such as presence of comorbidities (p = 0.011), major co-existing medical diagnosis ≥2 (p = 0.02), and pre-existing infection (p = 0.027) were statistically significant. SSI-positive patients experienced an increase in the post-operative length of hospital stay. In the current population, it was seen that identifying patients who were at high risk of malnutrition via MUST and the NNIS risk index will help clinicians in identifying high risk patients and in managing their patients appropriately. Identifying patients who were at high risk of malnutrition will also improve postoperative outcomes considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove land use changes of varied intensities have long been a problem in tropical mangrove forests. This has resulted in various degrees of mangrove land use modification, which catch many interests in the region for research. The research provided here is a bibliometric analysis of scholarly articles published around the world in various publication document types on changes in land use of tropical mangrove forests based on remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS). Scientific data analysis was undertaken by using bibliometric approaches on 6,574 papers extracted from the Scopus databases between 2010 and 2020. The findings revealed that the number of publications continuously climbed from under 400 to an average of 50–60 per year till 2019. The data showed that the mangrove forest modifications study gained traction when the highest number of citations, 9,236 in 2015, were observed. We can also notice that the overall number of citations fluctuated a lot during the first five years (2010–2015) but increased from 2013 to 2015. The findings demonstrate how remote sensing satellites have aided vegetation and land study in recent years. The findings also revealed that the analysis tools of Land Use Change, Vegetation Index, Mangrove, Tropical Country, Remote Sensing, and Tropical contributed to scientific knowledge of current issues of mangrove land use change in the tropical region. The authors' keywords, Remote Sensing in particular, supplied roughly 43%, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (13%), Vegetation Index (9%), and other keywords contributed less than 7%. The growth pattern of the keywords "MODIS" and "Landsat" implies that both will stay important over the next five years, according to an analysis of the type of satellite used in land use assessment. Meanwhile, papers pertaining to policy on land use change, food security, and forest resources were evaluated in order to highlight policy and academic research findings on the topics. The application of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, which is a very relevant tool that can be used in monitoring land use changes and assessing vegetation status because it is a desirable technique in measuring plant health and vigour, can help fill the research gaps presented in this study. This review can help with the development of better mangrove land use change approaches in tropical mangroves and around the world using satellite remote sensing and GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper explores how a specific context supports or hinders work‐life balance (WLB) experiences focusing on women doctors and nurses in Malaysia. WLB and gender formed the conceptual basis of a qualitative study using in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews. The 26 participants were employed across public and private healthcare sectors. A systematic multi‐step data analytical procedure produced three key themes which contribute to the contemporary debate on WLB. In Malaysia, contextual factors exert a strong influence on WLB experiences for women doctors and nurses. Due to gender norms, women carry the burden of dual responsibilities for both professional and familial duties which disrupts WLB. Notably, collegiality at work facilitates WLB but is an informal mechanism rooted in a collectivist society. Finally, staff shortages in the healthcare sector also impede WLB. Based on the key themes, recommendations are made for a sustainable workforce in the Malaysian healthcare industry. Key points: WLB experiences for women doctors and nurses in Malaysia are influenced by the contextual environment (gender norms, collectivist work culture and workforce situation).A collectivist work culture supports WLB experiences, but gender norms and staff shortages impede WLB.WLB experiences for women doctors and nurses are supported by an informal institutional structure which exists in the Malaysian healthcare system.HR policy needs to formalise informal practices to support a sustainable workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article elaborates researchers' challenges in designing a structured survey on B40 urban women across three major ethnic groups in a multi-ethnic city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is an outcome of a sociological, quantitative research. A major focus of this article is to enrich the knowledge associated with designing a survey questionnaire involving interethnic study - a field that has a direct impact on any diverse-cultural societies. It provides an overview of methodological matters in conducting research on the interethnic theme. Its main objective is to raise understanding about methodological issues and procedures in designing the interethnic content survey. It is found that in designing the research questions and items in interethnic studies, researchers need to comprehend the socio-cultural-historical-political experiences of each ethnic group in Malaysia. This article hopes to provide helpful guidance to future researchers to engage in interethnic study. Understanding the influences of ethnic diversities regarding social relations is pertinent within the Malaysian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic testing aids patients in making important decisions in the prevention, treatment, or early detection of hereditary disorders. Low awareness of the importance of genetic testing contributes to the increase in the incidence of hereditary disorders. This study aims to explore the knowledge, awareness, and perception of genetic testing for hereditary disorders among local residents of the Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the potential variables that influence their understanding of genetic testing. A survey was conducted in different municipalities of the Klang Valley through self-administered questionnaire assessing the public's knowledge, awareness, and perception of genetic testing. Overall, the results revealed adequate knowledge and positive awareness of genetic testing, in which both were influenced by the respondent's educational level (P < 0.001), field of study (P < 0.001), and status of heard or unheard of genetic testing (P < 0.001). The perception of genetic testing was generally positive and influenced by the respondent's differences in age (P < 0.016), educational level (P < 0.001), field of study (P < 0.001), and status of heard or unheard of genetic testing (P < 0.001). Although positive responses were obtained, ~20.2% of the respondents had never heard of genetic testing. Of the respondents, 24.5% were unwilling to undergo genetic testing, with 25.1% believing that genetic testing tampers with nature and 18% believing that it opposes religion and their beliefs. Such attitude calls for the need to conduct programs to eliminate any misconception, as well as to educate the public to lessen any perceived misunderstanding of the concepts of genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Community pharmacist's knowledge about the uses of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reactions reporting can contribute in better therapeutic outcomes and patient safety. Objectives: To evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reactions reporting in Kedah state, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 103 pharmacists from 74 different community pharmacies to assess their knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting by using a pre-validate knowledge questionnaire consisting of 12 questions related to it. The pharmacists' responses were measured at a 3-point Likert scale (Poor=1, Moderate=2, and Good=3) and data was entered in SPSS version 22. The minimum and maximum possible scores for knowledge questionnaires were 12 and 36 respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed by using One Way ANOVA and Paired t-test whereas Chi-square and Fisher exact test were used for qualitative data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all the analyses. Results: About 92% of the pharmacist had good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting with a mean knowledge score of 32.88±3.16. One-way ANOVA determined a significant difference of employment setting (p<0.043) and years of experience (<0.008) with mean knowledge scores of Pharmacists. Pharmacists' knowledge was significantly associated with their years of experience with the Chi-square test. Conclusion: Pharmacists exhibit good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting. However, with an increasing trend of herbal medicine use and its adverse drug reaction reporting it recalls the empowerment of experienced pharmacists with training programs in this area for better clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores online news ability to on set the agendas of its readers on Facebook. Due to the decline in printed circulation, most contemporary newspaper organizations have opted to share their content on social media, most specifically, Facebook. By doing this, newspaper organizations are able to reach wider readership as well as facilitate more dynamic user engagements and interactions whereby readers are able to comment, discuss and even share a news piece. Within these dynamic user interactions, lies the potential for extending the agenda setting function of newspapers. On top of that also lies the newspapers' ability to facilitate the readers' opinions on issues. To confirm this relationship between online news, Facebook and public opinion, this article content analyzed reader comments on over 600 news articles from major English newspapers written during the Semenyih and Rantau byelections in Malaysia. Results of the analysis indicated that while the newspapers and its readers on Facebook do share some issue salience, the relationship does not adopt the traditional agenda-setting dynamic. The ability to communicate on Facebook has allowed the readers to do more than simply receiving news and issues. Instead, they disrupt the oftenstraightforward public opinion model by influencing how others receive news. Thus, newspapers' contested relationship with the formation of public opinion is a significant change in the role of newspapers as the main agenda setter of political news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants and environment play important roles in Bateq culture. They possessed a high level of knowledge related to forests based on their intimacy with the forests and their heavy dependents on forests for their daily lives. The indigenous knowledge among Bateq was inherited from generation to generation through verbal communication passed from the eldest, but none of this knowledge has been regarded as important, neither has it been documented systematically. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire method to obtain information on the use of medicinal plants for traditional healthcare among Bateq in a designated study area located in Kuala Koh, Kelantan. The objective of this study is to identify and document the traditional uses and remedies of various medicinal plants, which commonly used among Bateq and to identify the plant part, the modes of preparation and routes of administration used for medication of each medicinal plant. In this study 50 medicinal plant species from 35 families were used as traditional health care were recorded. Leaves were the most frequently used plant's part (42%). Fifty percent of medications were prepared as decoctions and preparations are mostly administered orally. This study provides the first ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used among Bateq in Kuala Koh. Future studies towards conserving the reported species and administration of traditional herbal medicine are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is steadily increasing worldwide, with a significant DM population in Asian countries. Adherence to medications is important to achieve good glycaemic control among patients with DM. Thus, patients' adherence to their medication regimen should be determined to optimise DM management. Aims: To determine medication adherence and the relationship between patient profile and medication adherence among patients with type 2 DM (T2DM). Design: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: This study was conducted in a public hospital in Selangor, Malaysia, from December 2016 to June 2017. Data was obtained through administration of the Medication Compliance Questionnaire and an electronic medical records database. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of medication adherence. Results: A total of 232 (95.9% response rate) patients participated in this study. The overall percentage of medication adherence among patients with DM was 55.2%. The majority of participants were female (53.4%), Malay (47.0%), aged 41–64 years (55.2%; mean age, 56.69 years), married (84.5%), unemployed (60.8%) and attended secondary school (53.9%). The factors independently associated with adherence were ethnicity (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.99) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level (OR, 2.71; 95% CI: 1.56–4.72). Conclusions: The medication adherence among patients with DM in a public hospital in Selangor, Malaysia was low. A health intervention emphasising patient-centred care is warranted to improve DM patients' adherence to prescribed medication. Considering that Malaysia has a multi-ethnic population, the patients' ethnicity and their HbA1c levels need to be considered in the implementation of any intervention to improve medication adherence. Impact statement: Medication adherence is influenced by individual patients' characteristics. To improve adherence to the medication regimen, nurses should consider patients' profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to analyse the emergence of a Bosnian Muslim community in Malaysia during the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and answer central questions of how and why this community formed in a distant Southeast Asian state. The community that developed there in the early 1990s included professionals, students, and concentration camp survivors and their families — the vast majority of whom arrived during the war, in late 1992 and early 1993. After the war ended, the community gradually began to disperse. Based mostly on interviews, this article pieces together a narrative of the Bosnian Muslim community that existed in Malaysia during the war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study is aimed to explore the types of CAM and reasons of using CAM among elderly Malaysians. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 256 conveniently selected elderly Malaysians who were residing in the states of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. A pre-validated interview administered questionnaire was used to gather information. Data was entered into PASW version 18 and analyzed. Results: A total of 256 questionnaires were included in the study. A response rate of 64% was achieved. Out of 256 respondents, 92 (35.9%) were male while 164 (64.1%) were female. More than half of the respondents (n = 141; 55.1%) agreed that CAM is more effective than allopathic medicine. Chinese respondents showed strong belief in the effectiveness of CAM. In terms of safety of CAM, close to three quarters of respondents (n = 178; 69.5%) believed that CAM is safer than allopathic medicine. A large majority of respondents agreed that CAM has less side effects compared to allopathic medicine (n = 201; 78.5%) and also agreed that CAM is good to maintain overall health and wellbeing (n = 212; 82.8%). A majority of the respondents expressed that they use CAM because allopathic medicine is less effective (n = 113; 44.1%). Conclusion: The current study reflects the reasons of using CAM among lay public from different ethnicities. There are no reports of adverse effects related to CAM use. Future approaches should be intended for awareness campaigns for consumers, highlighting safety profile of CAM and as well as forbidding their use without the consultation of healthcare professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Artesunate (AS) and amodiaquine (AQ) are two prodrugs widely used as antimalarial agents and are metabolized by the CYP P450 2A6 (CYP 2A6) and CYP P450 2C8 (CYP 2C8) enzymes, respectively. Objective: In this study, we aim to investigate the association of both genes on AS and AQ's tolerabilities in the hope of identifying a pharmacogenetic approach that could be useful in prediction and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among Malaysian population. Materials and methods: In this randomized crossover study, loose and AS/AQ formulations were administered to normal healthy volunteers ( n == 24) over two study phases. The drugs' tolerabilities (incidence of facial flushing, giddiness, headache, nausea, abdominal discomfort, progression of liver enzymes and neutrophil counts) were compared between the two treatment arms. Volunteers were also genotyped for the CYP2C8 and CYP2A6 variants. Results: The frequency of the CYP2A6**1B, CYP2A6**4, CYP2A6**8 and CYP2A6**9 alleles were 54.2%, 16.7%, 4.2% and 10.4%, respectively. No mutations for CYP2C8 gene were, however, detected. Most (96%) of the subjects were of the Malay ethnicity. Subjects having the CYP2A6**1B variants responsible for ultra rapid metabolism of AS suffered a significantly higher incidence of ADRs. Discussion: Our study is the first to report that CYP2A6 genotyping influences AS's ADR. Gender also plays a role where females reported more incidences of nausea ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: It is concluded that genetic polymorphisms of CYP2A6 as well as gender influence the side effect profiles of subjects receiving AS among this Malaysian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]