Taylors University

About: Taylors University is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Tourism & Population. The organization has 1513 authors who have published 2954 publications receiving 33603 citations.

What Lies Behind the Transition From Plant-Based to Animal Protein?

Abstract: Dietary changes that occur in response to economic development are collectively known as the nutrition transition. More specifically, diets built around staple cereals and tubers give way to diets with more animal products and more added sugars and fats. Although the proportion of dietary protein stays constant, plant proteins are replaced by animal proteins but in ways that are dependent on regional cultural, religious, and ethical concerns. The protein transition, viewed here as a subset of the broader nutrition transition, illustrates how dietary patterns in low- and middle-income countries are shaped by societal as well as by economic forces. The complexity of food decisions justifies the need to integrate nutrition with the social sciences in the study of evolving food systems.

Application of Biochar Derived from Different Types of Biomass and Treatment Methods as a Fuel Source for Direct Carbon Fuel Cells

Abstract: The direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) is an emerging technology for energy production. The application of biomass in DCFCs will be a major transition from the use of coal to generate energy. However, the relationship between biomass or biochar composition and the electrochemical performance of a DCFC is yet to be studied. The performance of a DCFC using fuel sources derived from woody and non-woody biomass were compared in this study. The effect of pyrolysis temperature ranges from 550 °C to 850 °C on the preparation of biochar from rubber wood (RW) and rice husk (RH) were evaluated for power generation from DCFCs. In addition, the effect of applying chemical pre-treatment and post-treatment on biochar were further investigated for DCFC performance. In general, the power density derived from rubber wood biochar is significantly higher (2.21 mW cm−2) compared to rice husk biochar (0.07 mW cm−2). This might be due to the presence of an oxygen functional group, higher fixed carbon content, and lower ash content in rubber wood biochar. The acid and alkaline pre-treatment and post-treatment have altered the composition with a lower ash content in rubber wood biochar. The structural and compositional alterations in alkaline pre-treatment bring a positive effect in enhancing the power density from DCFCs. This study concludes that woody biochar is more suitable for DCFC application, and alkaline pre-treatment in the preparation of biochar enhances the electrochemical activity of DCFC. Further investigation on the optimization of DCFC operating conditions could be performed.

Sargassum siliquosum J. Agardh extract as potential material for synthesis of bioplastic film

Abstract: In this study, alginate extracted from the brown alga Sargassum siliquosum J. Agardh was used as raw material for the synthesis of bioplastic film. Two-level full factorial design (FFD) and augmented central composite design (CCD) were employed in analysing the effects of following parameter toward the physical properties of the film produced: alginate loading, addition of sago starch and sorbitol as well as the concentration of calcium chloride (CaCl2) used during treatment process. Statistical analysis of results indicated that bioplastic film could be produced from S. siliquosum by using a mixture containing 2 g of extracted alginate powder and 15% w/w of sorbitol followed by the treatment with 75% w/w of CaCl2. Model validation proved that the percentage error was below 3.21% in general, indicating the proficiency of the models in predicting an optimised film with the following properties: tensile strength of 33.90 MPa, elongation at break of 3.58%, water vapour permeability of 2.63 × 10−10 g Pa−1 s−1 m−1 and water solubility of 33.73%.

The perception of undergraduate students towards accountants and the role of accountants in driving organizational change

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to bridge the research gap on the perception of accountants, intention to pursue an accounting career and the role of accountants in driving organizational change among undergraduates in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approach – The study sample comprises 279 undergraduate students from a business school in Malaysia. The constructs of the study are leadership, ethical values, professionalism and role of accountants as drivers of change. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha are used to assess validity and reliability. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression are employed for hypotheses testing.Findings – The study found that students perceive accountants positively in leadership, professionalism and ethical values. However, only leadership and professionalism exert a significant positive influence on the role of the accountant as a driver of change. Ethical values was not only insignificant but had a negative relationship.Practical implications – The study su...

Role of components of destination competitiveness in the relationship between customer-based brand equity and destination loyalty

Abstract: Previous research suggests that an increase in customer-based brand equity (CBBE) can lead to greater competitiveness of the brand by influencing consumer behaviour through the greater possibility of brand selection, increased brand loyalty, reduced price sensitivity, and a willingness to pay more for the brand. However, there are also studies that suggest that certain destination competitiveness attributes can be the antecedents of a destination's CBBE. This study argues that the construct of destination competitiveness can be classified into the components of: (1) “functional attributes” being the antecedent of CBBE and (2) “abstract attributes” that are actually influenced by CBBE. A Delphi survey was conducted to assist in the classification of competitiveness attributes into the component of either functional or abstract attributes. Subsequent tests using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping confirm the mediating effect of CBBE in the relationship between the functional and abstract attribu...