The integration of new technologies and digitalisation causing significant changes in the skills demanded, leading to skills shortages and skills gaps in digital context. Undoubtedly, the employees’ digital skills and knowledge need to be aligned with the ongoing technological changes. This study obtains inputs from the employers from professional services sector regarding the demand for digital skills and the existence of gaps in digital skill among the employees. The impact of digital skills and willingness to pay for the micro-credential on the employability was investigate. 308 responses from the employers reside in Klang Valley, Johor and Penang collected via online survey. The five areas of digital skills adopted from Digital Competence 2.0, and the pair-sample t-test in SPSS was used to identify the present of skill gaps. Besides, PLS-SEM was used to test the hypotheses with regard to impacts of digital skills and micro credential on employability. The findings indicate that problem-solving and safety skills were ranked as highly demanded digital skills in the future. The skill gaps were found in all areas of digital skills except information and data literacy. The employers agreed that digital skills did affect their decision in hiring the graduate employees and they are willing to pay for micro-credentials to address the skills gaps. Yet, willingness to pay for micro-credentials did not affect the employability directly and indirectly. This study provides insights into the demand of digital skills and the digital skills gaps. Implications of the study from theoretical and practical perspectives are discussed.

Deficiencies in postharvest technology and the attack of phytopathogens cause horticultural products, such as tomatoes to have a very short shelf life. In addition to the economic damage, this can also have negative effects on health and the environment. The objective of this work is to evaluate an active coating of sodium alginate in combination with eugenol-loaded polymeric nanocapsules (AL-NP-EUG) to improve the shelf life of tomato. Using the nanoprecipitation technique, NPs with a size of 171 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.113 and a zeta potential of −2.47 mV were obtained. Using the HS-SPME technique with GC-FID, an encapsulation efficiency percentage of 31.85% was determined for EUG. The shelf-life study showed that the AL-NP-EUG-treated tomatoes maintained firmness longer than those without the coating. In addition, the pathogenicity test showed that tomatoes with AL-NP-EUG showed no signs of damage caused by the phytopathogen Colletotrichum gloesporoides. It was concluded that the formulation of EUG nanoencapsulated and incorporated into the edible coating presents high potential for its application as a natural nanoconservative of fruit and vegetable products such as tomato.

Modified chitosan hybrids were obtained via chemical reaction of chitosan with two pyrazole aldehyde derivatives to produce two chitosan Schiff bases, Cs-SB1, and Cs-SB2, respectively. FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed both chemical structures and morphology of these Schiff bases. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed an improvement of thermal properties of these Schiff bases. Both chitosan Schiff bases were evaluated in a batch adsorption approach for their ability to remove Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Energy dispersive X-ray for the Schiff bases adsorbed metal ions in various aqueous solutions was performed to confirm the existence of adsorbed metal ions on the surface substrate and their adsorptive efficiency for Cu(II) ions. Results of the batch adsorption method showed that prepared Schiff bases have good ability to remove Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The Langmuir isotherm equation showed a better fit for both adsorbents with regression coefficients (R² = 0.97 and 0.99, respectively) with maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II) of 10.33 and 39.84 mg/g for Cs-SB1 and Cs-SB2, respectively. All prepared compounds, pyrazoles and two chitosan Schiff bases, showed good antimicrobial activity against three Gram +ve bacteria, three Gram –ve bacteria and Candida albicans, with varying degrees when compared to the standard antimicrobial agents.

This research investigates the impact of digital academic supervision (DAS) on teacher professionalism (TP), with a focus on the mediating role of personal learning networks (PLNs) and their implication for educational policy. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 276 teachers in prestigious secondary schools in East Java, Indonesia. The study uses a regression model design to explore direct and mediated effects between DAS, PLNs, and TP. Findings demonstrate that DAS directly impacts both PLNs (0.638) and TP (0.550), while PLNs also directly influence TP (0.293). Mediated analysis indicates that DAS enhances TP through PLNs (0.187). These results underscore the importance of digital tools in academic supervision, fostering collaboration, and promoting teacher professional development. The empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of DAS in enhancing teacher professionalism, suggesting significant implications for educational policy and practice in Indonesia in terms of regulatory framework, such as data privacy and security, standardization, training programs, and certification and accreditation.

In developing countries, urban mobility is a significant challenge due to convergence of population growth and the economic attraction of urban centers. This convergence of factors has resulted in an increase in the demand for transport services, affecting existing infrastructure and requiring the development of sustainable mobility solutions. In order to tackle this challenge, it is necessary to create optimal services that promote sustainable urban mobility. The main objective of this research is to develop and validate a comprehensive methodology framework for assessing and selecting the most sustainable and environmentally responsible urban mobility services for decision makers in developing countries. By integrating fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making techniques, the study aims to address the inherent complexity and uncertainty of urban mobility planning and provide a robust tool for optimizing transportation solutions for rapid urbanization. The proposed methodology combines three-dimensional fuzzy methods of type-1, including AHP, TOPSIS and PROMETHEE, using the Borda method to adapt subjectivity, uncertainty, and incomplete judgments. The results show the advantages of using integrated methods in the sustainable selection of urban mobility systems. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to validate the robustness of the model and to provide insights into the reliability and stability of the evaluation model. This study contributes to inform decision-making, improves policies and urban mobility infrastructure, promotes sustainable decisions, and meets the specific needs of developing countries.