Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) is a vegetable crop which is commonly consumed as vegetables or incorporated into food products. Pumpkin flesh was reported abundant with carotenoid compounds includes α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. As this antioxidant related to the colour pigment, these nutrients highly potential to be in other parts of pumpkin such as peel and seed. Therefore, the aim of this was to determine the total lutein content in different parts of pumpkin and their antioxidant properties. The pumpkin would be collected and evaluated at the commercial maturity stage (60% to fully orange-yellow of fruit peel). The presence of the lutein properties using DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays in different parts of pumpkin was tested by using microplate spectrophotometer and analysed statistically with SPSS version 20. Among of all pumpkin fruit parts, flesh presented the highest concentration of potential lutein extracts, followed by peel and seed, respectively. On the contrary, potential lutein extracts from the pumpkin peel had the highest antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays when compared to the lutein extracts in flesh and seeds. This study indicates that the potential lutein from Cucurbita maxima especially peel may be the alternative to be used as both natural antioxidants in food products due to increasing demand for natural food preservatives. Therefore, this study may act as a source for others to further study to optimize the usage of pumpkin by-products
The purpose of this study was to integrate the available data published to date on susuk or charm needles into a com- prehensive analysis of their clinical/radiological features. An electronic search was undertaken in September 2019. Eligibility criteria included publications having enough clinical and radiological to confirm a definite diagnosis. The initial literature search resulted in 48 publications. Ten publications were excluded for duplicates, and another 17 excluded after a screening of the abstract. Besides, the screening of the abstract shows that five publications were not meeting the inclusion criteria, resulting in a total of 14 publications of susuk that were included in the systematic review. Bias analysis was conducted according to Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. The resulting total of 78 cases from the selected publications were analysed, showing a wide age range with different distribution among gender and ethnicity. Three cases reported in the literature having symptoms related to susuk. Susuk can be seen as an incidental finding during a routine radiographic assessment, and clinicians should be able to differentiate it from other radiopaque foreign bodies. The practice is not limited to South East Asian population and can be seen in wide racial profiles.
Salinity is one of the major constraintsin the rice production worldwide. Rice plants have moderate tolerance towardssalinity. Salinitychangescell membrane permeability and fatty acid compositionsby releasing the free fatty acids. Nonetheless, the effect of exogenous fatty acid such as arachidonic acid (AA) on rice grown on saline soil is yetunknown. Theobjective of the current study isto determine the effectofAA onthe morphological traits and freefatty acidsofrice plantgrown under saline conditions.Rice plants grown on saline soil (EC=12 ds/m)were treated with 50 μMAAon day 45 after transplant. Leaves and panicleswere sampledafter two weeks of treatment and analysed for fatty acid profile using GC-MS. Themorphological traits were observedat the maturity stage. Results showed that AA treatment improved the grain fill-in of the saline stress riceand reduced the accumulation of free fatty acids in the cell. The AAtreatment also increased the linoleic acid (18:2), linolenic acid (18:3) in paniclesand, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid(20:3) and nervonic acid (24:1) in leaves. The finding suggests that exogenous AAregulates salinity stress in rice by reducing the accumulation offree fatty acids.
Star-shaped polymers have vast potential in bioapplication due to their architecture. In this study, the suitability of ring opening polymerization (ROP) technique to synthesis star-shaped poly(caprolactone) and the thermal properties of the synthesized star-shaped polymers were demonstrated. The 4 -arm star- shaped of poly(caprolactone) (4s PCL) with -OH terminal and average molecular weight (Mn) of 5000, 10000, and 15000 g/mol were synthesized via ROP of ԑ-caprolactone (ԑ-CL) using a symmetric pentaerythritol (PET) as the core. Different molecular weights were obtained by using different ratios of ԑ-CL and PET in the presence of catalyst, stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)2). The FTIR spectra showed the presence of bands of methylene group of polymer repeating chain which confirm ROP of the ԑ- caprolactone. The average molecular weight (Mn) determined from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis showed that all 4s PCL have approximately the same molecular weight as the theoretical values. All polymers obtained had high yield with >85%. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that there were no significance different in the thermal properties of the synthesized polymers. A single step degradation for all 4s PCL was observed and the crystallization melting point of the polymers was within the range of melting point of PCL.
Termites encompass a various range of destruction of crops and capable of decomposing woods. The widely being used of hazardous chemical pesticides has develop many health problems to the users. Hence, the aim of this study was to substitute the use of hazardous chemical pesticides to herbs based pesticides as repellent agent against rubber termites (Coptotermes curvignathus), which is safer and easier to use. The selected herbs species for this study are lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), garlic (Allium sativum) and wild mint (Mentha arvensis). As for C.curvignathus, they were obtained from Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia. Khaya wood (Khaya senegalensis) (3cm x 2cm x 2cm) is the woods sample that being used. All woods samples were treated with all the selected herbs extract. The repellent testing was conducted for 21 days. The result obtained showed that the three herbs were effective to be used as repellent when compared to percentage weight loss of control, which is 23.58%. The percentages of weight loss of treated groups using aqueous extraction of herbs were 0.61% (lemongrass), 1.56% (mint), and 1.72% (garlic), whereas for methanol extraction of herbs were 0.52% (lemongrass), 1.13% (mint) and 1.55% (garlic). From Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), there is significant different in mean among group with F=275.49, p- value=0.000
UiTM Negeri Sembilan Kuala Pilah Campus Forest Reserve was a lowland rainforest canopy located in Kampung Beting, Kuala Pilah, which hold various habitats for a wide range of organisms. Many of the species, however, were poorly known and documented. Therefore, a preliminary study was conducted to record the diversity of spider fauna in UiTM Kuala Pilah Campus Forest Reserve in two separate areas using three different methods: hand picking, net sweeping and pitfall traps. The present study resulted in 85 samples of spiders from seven families (Araneidae, Ctenidae, Eutichuridae. Oxyopidae, Pholcidae, Salticidae, and Sparassidae) and 13 genera. There were 29 individuals from four families collected from Site A, and 56 individuals from seven families collected from Site B. Salticidae spiders had dominated both sites with 62% of total samples collected. The second dominant family was Araneidae, which constituted 15% of the samples, followed by Ctenidae (6%), Oxyopidae (6%), Eutichuridae (5%), Sparassidae (4%), and Pholcidae (2%). This ecosystem’s spider fauna was qualitatively rich due to diverse microhabitats that represented the high flora and fauna diversity in UiTM Negeri Sembilan Kuala Pilah Campus Forest Reserve. However, the study did not reflect the full spider inventory as fewer sampling periods and areas were conducted. Therefore, additional sampling activities and study periods are anticipated to submit to the inventory of the organisms.
Perioperative hyperglycemia resulted from known diabetes mellitus, occult diabetes or stressed-induced hyperglycemia. It is associated with increasing risk of surgical-site infection (SSI). This research is to evaluate relationship between perioperative hyperglycemia and early SSI in stable trauma patients with orthopaedic injuries. Materials and method: We conducted an observational cohort study in Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu over 15 months. We included patients 18 years and older with operative orthopaedic injuries and excluded those with steroid use, multisystem injuries, critically ill or unstable and patients with perioperative infection. Demographics, medical comorbidities, body mass index, type of fracture, HbA1c level in diabetic patients and length of hospital stay were recorded. Fingerprick glucose values were obtained twice daily. Hyperglycemic index (HGI), an area under the glucose curve above the normal range divided by the length of stay, were calculated. Perioperative hyperglycemia was defined by HGI greater than 1.76. SSI was defined by gross purulence or positive intraoperative culture at reoperation within 30 days. The categorical data were analysed using chi square test while continuous data were analysed using T-test. Results: Total of 90 patients, 15-diabetic and 75 non-diabetic. 10 diabetic and 1 non-diabetic patients were hyperglycemic (p=0.001). Perioperative hyperglycemia was associated with mean age 54.3 year old, having 1 or more co-morbidity or mean admission glucose 13.1 mmol/L (p=0.001). There were 12 early SSI giving infection rate 13.3%. Early SSI was associated with HGI 1.76 and more (p=0.001), patients with 1 or more co-morbidity (p=0.006), mean admission glucose of 9.63 mmol/L (p=0.001). Conclusion: Our study showed perioperative hyperglycemia in stable trauma patients with orthopaedic injuries were associated with SSI. More patients are needed to find association of other variables and more studies are required in determining the acceptable glucose level and optimal treatment of perioperative hyperglycemia in stable trauma patients.
Elektron mikroskop digunakan untuk melihat tindakbalas bahan ekstrak air kantan atau Etilingera elatior akan mekanisma tindakbalasnya. Di dalam kajian ini kesan tindakbalas antibakteria bunga kantan telah di kaji. Pengimejan dari elektron mikroskop imbasan telah memberikan imej kerosakan pada permukaan bakteria yang disebabkan oleh ekstrak air kantan. Ekstrak kantan pada kepekatan 1.5mg/ml, merencat pertumbuhan bakteria S. aureus dan B.subtilis . Apa yang penting adalah kesan mekanisma tindakbalas ekstrak kantan yang menghasilkan kerosakan seperti lekukan pada bakteria Gram positif. Ini menunjukkan ekstrak air kantan sangat berkesan terhadap lapisan peptidoglikan pada permukaan Gram positif sehingga kerosakan ini menyebabkan kesan bakterisidal.
Introduction: : Hotel housekeepers are exposed to various ergonomic risks and there is a need to assess the physical risk factors for the work tasks performed. This study aims to determine the distribution of musculoskeletal symp- toms (MSS) and perform ergonomic risk assessment among hotel housekeepers working in budget hotels in District of Sepang, Selangor. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among hotel housekeepers from 13 budget hotels around District of Sepang. Nordic questionnaire was used for the assessment of MSS. The overall risk level was determined by Workplace Ergonomic Risk Assessment (WERA) while Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) was used to evaluate the whole body postural risks. Data obtained were entered into statistical program for further analysis according to objectives. Results: This study received 67.0% (n=40) response rate. In total, MSS was reported by 100% (n=40) of the participants in this study. Lower back is the most affected region (77.5%, n=31) and this was followed by heels (57.5, n=23) and shoulders (52.5%, n=21). WERA results showed that all housekeepers are found to be in medium action level of risk meanwhile REBA assessment reported scores that are categorised into medium, high and very high risk. This study suggests that there is the need for changes being implemented in daily work tasks performed. Conclusion: Hotel housekeepers were exposed to high body postural risk due to exposure to highly re- petitive movements and awkward posture while performing work tasks. Effective ergonomic intervention is needed for prevention of debilitating musculoskeletal disorders besides to increase work productivity.
Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the principal cause of admission and death in the Malaysian government hospitals. Method: The pattern of cardiac related mortality (CRM) cases in Hospital Serdang, Selangor was reviewed to determine the specific trends in ethnicity, age, gender and type of CRM. Data was drawn from the death registry records in Forensic Department of Hospital Serdang from January 2006 to December 2008. This preliminary project was carried out to assess the number of CRM cases and their characteristics to feed the decision to sensibly embark on another project related to atherosclerosis. Results: Out of 573 CRM cases, 84.5% were Malaysians out of which the majority were Malays (45.9%), fol- lowed by Chinese (30.2%), and Indians (22.1%). The majority were men (78.4%) with a mean age of death at 51.83 ± 14.10 (95% CI 50.52-53.14) years as compared to women (21.6%) with a mean age of death at 57.42 ± 16.92 (95% CI 54.41-60.43) years. Declining mortality trend was observed only in men. The 46-60 years old age group had the highest percentage of mortality and continually increase by year. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was the most common CRM type (69.1% in 2006, 66.2% in 2007, and 71.9% in 2008). Conclusion: We observed inconsistent trends of CRM in Hospital Serdang in terms of ethnicity, age, gender and type of CRM cases presented. Nevertheless, these findings do not necessarily represent the overall trends of CRM in Malaysia.
Microglia-induced neurotoxicity occurs when inflammation mediated by microglia causes loss of neuronal structures or functions in the central nervous system implicated in stroke, spinal cord injury, sepsis, neurodegenerative diseases and even psychiatric illnesses. Various co-culture in vitro microglia-induced neurotoxicity (MINT) models have been established to enable an in-depth study of this process and yet there is a dearth of information regarding usages, advantages and limitations of each of the components of this model. In this review, we examined 56 MINTs for the cells, stimuli, parameters, methods of neurotoxicity measurement and formats of co-culture used in their construction. We aim to provide foundational information, overall guideline and framework for the novice researcher to develop his/her own model and for the advancement of improved, novel and more representative MINT models.
Introduction: Good academic performance is important for children to ensure their personal well-being. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between demographic and socio-economic characteristics, house- hold food security status and academic performance among primary school children at North Kinta, Perak, Malaysia. Methods: Two national primary schools were selected randomly and all Standard 5 and 6 students were invited to participate in this study. Self-administered questionnaire on demographic and socio-economic characteristics and food security status was completed by parents. The results from last year examination were acquired from the teach- er to evaluate students’ academic performance. Results: Overall, 140 respondents were involved, in which 51.4% were male. A majority of the household (80.7%) displayed food insecurity. Multiple logistic regression revealed that students from well-off households were more likely to have higher marks in English Language Comprehension (OR=8.28, 95%CI: 1.49, 45.91), Writing (OR=25.02, 95%CI: 2.36, 265.69) and Mathematics (OR=7.79, 95% CI:
1.44, 42.11). Female students showed high odds to pass English Language Comprehension (OR=3.47, 95% CI: 1.49, 8.16) and Writing (OR=4.16, 95%CI: 1.51, 11.45) compared to male students. Conclusion: This study unveiled that gender and low household income results in the low achievement in students’ academic. Therefore, for the upcom- ing intervention programmes should focusing more on helping students from poor households in order to enhance students’ academic performance.
The aim of this study is to examine the factors that drive students’ self-disclosure on Social Networking Sites (SNSs). A total of 215 undergraduates from two public universities in East Malaysia were recruited as respondents. This study adapts self-disclosure model by Elmi, A.Iahad and Ahmed (2012), where the model proposed trust as one of the factors that complementing other existing factors in online self-disclosure. This study proved that privacy concerns (r = -.212, p < .01), perceived trust (r = .22, p < .01), perceived ease of use (r = .213, p < .01), and perceived enjoyment (r = .28, p < .01) are significantly related to students’ online self-disclosure on SNSs. In addition, as trust plays a vital role in moderating the users’ online self-disclosure behavior, this study formulated students’ trusts on SNSs based on three dimensions which are individual, institutional and online trust. Findings of study suggested that there is a significant difference between online trust based on male and female respondents.
The Energy Equivalence Rule (EER) is an unresolved issue in ecology. This rule states that the amount of energy used for each species in a population is independent of its body size. A study on the relationship between abundance and body size of bird assemblages was conducted in Western Sarawak. Abundance data of bird assemblages from seven selected sites in Western Sarawak were used to produce a regression line of log absolute species abundance versus log average body mass. Data from all selected sites were combined to represent bird assemblages in Western Sarawak and the slope produced was -0.216. The slopes obtained for each site were 0.808, -0.080, -0.258, -0.067, -0.161, -0.072 and -0.237, respectively. Statistical analysis shows that the slope of combined data did not differ significantly from -0.75, as expected under the EER. Thus, this study shows that the EER can be applied as a general rule of community structure of bird assemblages in Western Sarawak.
Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic neurological disorder which can lead to abnormal tumour suppression. Neurofibromatosis associated neurological tumour is usually benign in nature, only occasionally can become malignant. Gastrointestinal involvement is reported to be infrequent with only up to 25% of patients with neurofibromatosis showing involvement. Solitary gastrointestinal neurofibroma is very rare, with most cases involving the stomach or small bowel. We report here a case of solitary small intestinal neurofibroma with no other associated systemic signs, causing intussusception and intestinal obstruction.
Mobile robots often have to discover a path of collision-free towards a specific goal point in their environment. We are trying to resolve the mobile robot problem iteratively by means of numerical technique. It is built on a method of potential field that count on the use of Laplace’s equation in the mobile robot’s configuration space to constrain/which reduces the generation of a potential function over regions. This paper proposed an iterative approach in solving robot path finding problem known as Accelerated Over-Relaxation (AOR). The experiment shows that these suggested approach can establish a smooth path between the starting and goal points by engaging with a finite-difference technique. The simulation results also show that a more rapidly solution with smoother path than the previous work is achieved via this numerical approach.
We demonstrate a multi-wavelength light source using a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in conjunction with an array waveguide grating (AWG). The experimental results showed more than 20 channels with a wavelength separation of 0.8 nm and an optical signal-to-noise ratio of more than 10 dB under room temperature. The channels operated at the wavelength region from 1530.4 nm to 1548.6 nm, which corresponded to AWG filtering wavelengths with SOA drive current of 350 mA. The proposed light source had the advantages of a simple and compact structure, multi-wavelength operation and the system could be upgraded to generate more wavelengths.
The ultimate goal of treatment of glottic malignancy is eradication of the cancer and preservation of maximum function. Ideally this would mean return of normal speech, respiration and deglutition. The foundation of vertical partial laryngectomy (VPL) is based on the knowledge of laryngeal anatomy and an understanding of how cancers invade the larynx. The VPL surgery of the glottic cancer is based on oncological sound principles, which will be further disscussed in this article. For the purpose of description we briefly presented 3 of our cases that underwent vertical partial laryngectomy for glottic cancer.
Objective: Individuals with ADHD are known to have more risk of developing substance use disorder (SUD). However the underlying mechanisms behind it are not straightforward. Method: We report a case of an adult with ADHD, who has a long standing history of polysubstance use, since the age of 10. He had multiple relapses, even after numerous efforts undertaken to keep him drug-free. Result: ADHD symptoms were not optimally treated during admission. He had preference towards opioid-based and amphetamine-type substances in order to attain euphoria. Conclusion: Taking into account the biological and psycho-social condition of this man, we discussed the role of ADHD from the perspective of dysfunctional rewards system and other possible factors in explaining his drug-craving behavior.
Objective: This case report highlights on the challenges in the management of people with bipolar disorder. Method: We report a case of 36 year-old lady living with this disorder and her journey in a search for a meaningful life. Result: Adherence to treatment is a major determinant of outcome in bipolar patient like Ms WMY. Poor insight, negative attitudes towards treatment and poor understanding of medications and the illness can all lead to reduced adherence. Conclusion: This case demonstrates on how poverty of insight, poor social support, on-going stressors with significant life events and poor compliance to treatment create a series of stumbling blocks in recovery from bipolar disorder.