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Malaysia transitions from a pandemic to an endemic state, beginning on April 1, 2022. The dietary intake and physical activity of university students were altered during the COVID-19 pandemic confinement period, but there is limited information on this topic in the post-COVID-19 period. This cross-sectional study aims to understand gender differences in dietary intake and physical activity among university students and investigate the factors influencing their body mass index (BMI) in the post-COVID-19 period.

The questionnaire used in this study comprised three main segments: sociodemographic information, a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results indicated that males exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean intakes of total dietary energy and macronutrients compared to females. Compared to the Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intakes 2017, 76.4% of males and 68.8% of females had a sufficient daily energy intake. The majority of males (52.7%) and females (46.4%) were moderately physically active. Regression analysis revealed that male university students with lower fiber intake (ß = −0.309, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with higher BMI reading after confounding adjustment. However, a similar trend was not observed in female university students.

Understanding the gender differences in dietary intake and physical activity can provide insights into the development of effective gender-specific health promotion strategies and the formulation of policies aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles among university students in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

This study provides insights into the gender differences in the dietary and physical activity habits of university students, as well as the factors influencing their BMI in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Indonesia was chosen to be a site of study on leadership style due to its high economic growth potential. The primary objectives of this study are twofold. This paper aims to, first, explore the leadership styles of Indonesian managers and investigate whether the full range leadership theory by Bass (1985), i.e. transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership, is applicable in the Indonesian context and second, investigate whether there are differences in leadership styles among Indonesian managers, as Indonesian people are composed of over 300 ethnicities.

Respondents were asked to rate their direct bosses on leadership and their perceived performance on an multifactor leadership questionnaire. In all, 425 Indonesian managers participated in the study. Multiple regression and t-test were used to address the above research questions.

Results indicated that the full range leadership theory is applicable in the Indonesian context, in which Indonesian people generally rate their superiors who use transformational leadership higher than those who use transactional and laissez-faire leadership. Ethnic differences in leadership style were found between that of Padang and Javanese and of Padang and Chinese. Padang managers, whose cultural values are quite unique, seem to practice more transformational leadership and contingent reward, which is a positive reinforcement in transactional leadership.

Common method bias may occur due to the single source of data, i.e. subordinates. The confidentiality of the survey helps reduce the bias as subordinates could evaluate their bosses in a true manner. In addition, categorizing ethnicities among Indonesians is not an easy task. A finer distinction of ethnicities is certainly needed in future research.

The results are useful for human resource department in selecting the potential leaders, as transformational leaders are generally more preferable. In addition, the findings shed some light on the effective leadership styles of Indonesian managers perceived by their subordinates.

One major theoretical contribution of this study is a proof of the applicability of the full range leadership theory by Bass (1985) in Indonesian work setting. It confirms the extension of the theory’s universality. A unique theoretical contribution of this study is its being the first study that addresses the ethnic differences in leadership style in Indonesia.

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of perceived supervisor listening (PSL) on employee organizational citizenship behavior Islamic perspective (OCBIP) with several mediating variables as a link.

The research was conducted using a purposive sampling technique with a total sample of 100 employees in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs). The collected data were analyzed using SEM-PLS.

The results of this study indicate that PSL is one of the factors that can improve OCBIP attitudes among employees of IFIs. In addition, this study also shows the role of job motivation and satisfaction in mediating the relationship between PSL and OCBIP. However, the results do not indicate affective commitment.

Based on the results of this study, the leadership of IFIs must be able to develop superior attitudes in OCBIP to increase employee motivation and satisfaction and help increase company productivity.

This study confirms the importance of the role of leaders in shaping positive employee behavior and strengthens the literature related to OCBIP variables that can be used for Islamic-based organizations.

Technology-enhanced learning (TEL), particularly in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), revolutionizes educational approaches by fostering active, transformative learning and expediting the learning process. TEL employs various tools like online courses, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, virtual reality (VR), simulations, makerspaces, visual learning, and project-based learning, all contributing to accelerated learning in STEAM. A notable TEL innovation is the emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI chatbots, exemplified by the release of GPT-3 in December 2022. These tools utilize extensive parameters to generate natural language and perform tasks such as classification and prediction, thereby offering personalized and collaborative learning experiences essential for STEAM education. The generative pre-training transformer (GPT), a leading model in natural language processing (NLP), excels in generating human-like text and handling complex tasks like translation, summarization, and question answering. This chapter explores TEL environments that support transformative learning in STEAM, focusing on AI models. It reviews research on TEL’s impact on STEAM education, discussing the constructionism theory and emphasizing TEL’s role in creating engaging, student-centered learning experiences. However, challenges like technology access, instructor training, infrastructure, internet connectivity, and hardware resources are crucial. Additionally, the rise of AI brings ethical concerns regarding privacy, security, and potential biases in AI algorithms. Despite these hurdles, TEL’s potential to enhance STEAM learning experiences and accelerate the educational process is significant. By effectively implementing TEL strategies and leveraging LLMs and AI tools, educators can substantially improve learning outcomes in STEAM education.

The paper aims to provide up-to-date analysis on how a country like Singapore, with a rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage associated with burial customs, approaches heritage preservation while ensuring modernisation and sustainable growth.

The paper is an exploratory analysis of the association between cultural heritage preservation, particularly the one associated with elaborate burials, and the need for modernisation in Singapore. It mainly uses desk research tools, fieldwork and interviews with death services providers to build a set of conclusions. It employs a historical review approach and uses comparative analyses with other countries in the Asian region to substantiate the arguments.

The paper provides insights about how, since its independence, Singapore has switched to pragmatic models of growth and development which imply maximising the limited space available, often at the cost of precious cultural heritage. The rapid development has had a significant impact on the country's burial customs and legacies, particularly on elaborate graves and tombs, which traditionally use a considerable amount of space. The analysis concludes that Singapore is in the constant challenge of exploring alternative ways of handling death and its ramifications.

This paper presents a new outlook on the relationship between the preservation of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage associated with death practices and a sustainable approach to modernisation in the context of Singapore.

This study aims to explore how inter-organizational systems (IOSs) drive tourism businesses to a new normal based on the resource-based view through the supply chain of tourism and information and computer technology used in IOSs.

Data were collected from the management of tourism businesses, and stratified sampling was used in the study. The authors selected 1,000 travel agencies as the study sample, mailed the research questionnaire to their managers and received 252 completed questionnaires. The authors analyzed the data using the partial least squares approach.

IOS is seen as a transformational service mechanism that provides a dynamic support weapon for members of the tourism supply chain. Tourism businesses should look for suppliers providing comprehensive services through IOS, excellent quality tourism products and customized tourism products to enhance the competitiveness of tourism businesses in the new normal.

This study provides an industrial marketing research perspective on tourism businesses facing the challenges of the new normal. For tourism businesses, technological innovation allows for changes in the strategies and procedures for their transformation and improves the business model of tourism businesses in the new normal.

In the realm of education, there has been an increasing emphasis on developing analytical thinking (AT) in the past few years. This systematic review focuses on an analysis of journal publications that have explored AT within the context of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. This analysis investigated four primary issues: (1) the operational definition that was used; (2) the types of theories that were used; (3) the interventions that were implemented to enhance AT skills; and (4) the research designs that were used.

To ensure a comprehensive and thorough review, we used the guidelines of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

A comprehensive review of 28 pertinent scholarly articles reveals that scholars frequently rely on the concepts proposed by Anderson (2002), Marzano and Kendall (2008), Rodrangsee and Tuntiwongwanich (2021) and Suyatman et al. (2021) to establish a framework for delineating the competencies associated with analytical thinking (AT). Quasi-experimental designs were the most frequently used research designs in the studies analysed, followed by research and development approaches and then correlational designs. Most researchers have focused on investigating the effectiveness of problem-based learning as an intervention for improving AT skills. However, most research indicates that the theories or theoretical frameworks used to guide the research must be evident.

To the extent the authors know, this study represents the initial comprehensive examination of analytical thinking in STEM education. It presents a consolidated summary of the available evidence, assessing its quality and bringing it together in a single resource.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and unified presentation of recent developments in skid-steer wheeled mobile robots (SSWMR) with regard to its control, guidance and navigation for the researchers who wish to study in this field.

Most of the contemporary unmanned ground robot’s locomotion is based upon the wheels. For wheeled mobile robots (WMRs), one of the prominent and widely used driving schemes is skid steering. Because of mechanical simplicity and high maneuverability particularly in outdoor applications, SSWMR has an advantage over its counterparts. Different prospects of SSWMR have been discussed including its design, application, locomotion, control, navigation and guidance. The challenges pertaining to SSWMR have been pointed out in detail, which will seek the attention of the readers, who are interested to explore this area.

Relying on the recent literature on SSWMR, research gaps are identified that should be analyzed for the development of autonomous skid-steer wheeled robots.

An attempt to present a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the field of WMRs and providing references to the most intriguing studies.