ABSTRACT
This study is conducted to investigate the effectiveness and readiness of teaching and learning among students during the pandemic (COVID-19) towards the online learning among hospitality and tourism students. A quantitative method was employed and students from the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management Penang Campus were chosen as the target sample. The sample size for this study was 430 and a total of 360 questionnaires were successfully collected with the return rate of 83.72%. Descriptive analysis was used to interpret the demographic data, Pearson Correlation analysis was employed to examine the correlation among variables, and multiple regression analysis was used to measure the overall relationship between independent and dependent variables. From these analyses, the three (3) variables (social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence) were found to have positive relationships with a student's learning experience. Overall, this study is important to fellow academicians, academic researchers, and practitioners in improving their methods of teaching and learning, assisting the students, and strengthening their teaching techniques in online learning.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis research presents a comparative perception study towards rejuvenated, community-driven shophouses in George Town, Penang.Design/methodology/approachIt captures the opinions of two distinct age groups by utilizing a mixed-methods approach encompassing quantitative (main) and qualitative (supporting) research to obtain a dynamic understanding of perceptions between younger and older residents in the city and how these impact the long-term sustainability of heritage conservation efforts. The distribution of questionnaires to residents of Penang was the primary data collection method, with the structure of the questionnaires supported by recent academic literature and past perceptional research studies about built heritage.FindingsThe four main findings from the study are therefore as follows: 1. Both age groups have a similar, positive perception towards the tangible, physical elements of rejuvenated shophouses. 2. Intangible, functional factors play an equal or stronger role in influencing people and their attitude towards public participation and overall "Sense of Place”. 3. The pessimistic "Sense of Place” responses from the "Older” group reflect an equally pessimistic attitude towards intangible, functional factors surrounding rejuvenated shophouses. 4. Youth-led changes to George Town's heritage shophouses are degrading the "sense of place” connecting the older generation to the city.Originality/valueThe study can serve as a guide for the development of more inclusive and socially sustainable conservation and adaptive re-use policies for safeguarding the heritage identity and value of shophouses for current and future generations to experience in a post-COVID world.
ABSTRACT
In the present paper, we show how uncertainty emanating from fluctuations in economic uncertainty, news-based uncertainty, and geopolitical risks affect the number of containers exported from Thailand via Penang Port, Malaysia. Our sample extends from January 2009 to May 2020 from three main entry points in the Northern Peninsular Malaysia–Thailand Border: Padang Besar, Surat Thani, and Bukit Kayu Hitam. Two modes of transportation of containers are mainly used for export purposes, namely, road and rai. This study examines the nonlinear effect of uncertainty on trade by employing a two-regime Markov regime-switching approach. The empirical results show that, overall, uncertainty significantly affects the movement of containers in the high-uncertainty regime. Therefore, small ports must continue to diversify their client base to cushion the impact of fluctuations in global trade due to uncertainty.
ABSTRACT
Background: The integration of teleconsultation into health care systems as a complement to existing approaches to care is growing rapidly. There is, however, limited information on the extent of its implementation across low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the availability and the extent of teleconsultation in Malaysian primary care clinics. Methods: A cross-sectional study of public primary care clinics in Malaysia was conducted between November 2020 and December 2020. All clinics in Malaysia that see more than 300 daily patients were recruited. A web-based, self-administered questionnaire including questions on availability of the service, whether it uses video or telephone, and the types of services it provides was distributed to the medical officer in charge of each clinic. Results: In total, 97.6% (249/255) of the clinics responded. Out of these clinics, 45.8% (114/249) provided teleconsultation. A majority of the clinics providing consultation (69/114, 60.5%) provided only telephone consultation, while 24.6% (28/114) of the clinics offered video and telephone consultation, and 14.9% (17/114) offered only video consultation. Eighty percent (92/114) of the clinics were located in urban areas. A breakdown by state showed that 17.5% (20/114) and 16.7% (19/114) of the clinics were from two larger states;other states comprised less than 10% each (range 7-9/114). For the clinics providing video consultation, funding for the service came mostly (42/45, 93%) from the Ministry of Health. Conversely, nearly 1 out of 4 (23/97) clinics that provided telephone consultation funded the service either from donations or through self-funding. Most of the clinics provided teleconsultation for diabetes and hypertension. Less than 50% of the clinics with teleconsultation used it for follow up with allied health care providers or pharmacists (video consultation, 20/45;telephone consultation, 36/97). Conclusions: Our findings show that telephone consultation is more widely used than video consultation, despite a quarter of its funding being self-subsidized or obtained through donations. Also, teleconsultation was less utilized by allied health care providers and pharmacists. Plans for the expansion of teleconsultation in Malaysian primary health care should take into consideration these findings to ensure a better and more cost-effective implementation of the service.
ABSTRACT
Systematic disinfection of the stethoscope diaphragm is required to ensure that it does not act as a vector for cross-transmission of health-related diseases. Thus, an antimicrobial latex film could be used as a cover to inhibit pathogenic bacteria from growing on its surface. The aim of this work is to determine the antimicrobial activity and mechanical properties of antimicrobial natural rubber (NR) latex films with different types of antimicrobial agents (mangosteen peel powder (MPP), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP), and povidone-iodine (PVP-I)). The antimicrobial loading was varied from 0.5, to 1.0, and 2.0 phr to monitor the effective inhibition of Gram-negative bacteria and fungi growth. For MPP and PVP-I antimicrobial agents, a loading of 2.0 phr showed good antimicrobial efficacy with the largest zone of inhibition. Simultaneously, ZnO NP demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activity at low concentrations. The addition of antimicrobial agents shows a comparable effect on the mechanical properties of NR latex films. In comparison to control NR latex film (29.41 MPa, 48.49 N/mm), antimicrobial-filled films have significantly greater tensile and tear strengths (MPP (33.84 MPa, 65.21 N/mm), ZnO NP (31.79 MPa, 52.77 N/mm), and PVP-I (33.25 MPa, 50.75 N/mm). In conclusion, the addition of antimicrobial agents, particularly ZnO NP, can be a better choice for NR latex films because they will serve as both an activator and an antimicrobial. In a clinical context, with regard to frequently used medical equipment such as a stethoscope, such an approach offers significant promise to aid infection control.
ABSTRACT
Así, la crisis que atravesamos hoy en día por el advenimiento de la pandemia por la Covid-19 en el 2020, nos ha llevado a replantear de manera significativa nuestros métodos y sistemas de enseñanza en el ámbito virtual. Entre los tres, hicimos una colaboración en la que se planteó un pequeño proyecto independiente;es decir, no estaba ligado a las instituciones donde laboramos, simplemente era una colaboración entre amigos docentes llevada al aula de nuestras respectivas instituciones, las cuales nos dieron facilidades para implementar este proyecto, y en el que nuestros alumnos participaron en un intercambio cultural por cuatro semanas, aprovechando las ventajas de un entorno virtual. La neutralidad del ambiente virtual La institución educativa donde trabaja mi amigo Carlos se ubica en Huatusco, Veracruz, en México, y pertenece a la educación media superior y técnica de la educación pública (institución 1, ver cuadro 1), con enfoque en las competencias laborales para responder a las demandas de desarrollo socioeconómico local y nacional. Quizás la mayor diferencia que puede observarse es que en la institución 2, en Penang, la instrucción se imparte completamente en inglés, mientras que en la institución 3, en San Luis Potosí, la instrucción se da en español y sólo se lleva el idioma inglés como parte del currículum.