This paper presents a study on the effect of Arenga Pinnata fibre volume fraction on the tensile and compressive properties of Arenga Pinnata fibre reinforced epoxy composite (APREC). The composites were produced using four different Arenga Pinnata fibre volume contents, which were 10vol%, 15vol%, 20vol%, and 25vol%, in unidirectional (UD) fibre alignment. Tensile and compression tests were performed on all APREC specimens in order to investigate the effect of fibre volume fraction on modulus of elasticity, strength and strain to failure. The morphological structure of fractured specimens was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to evaluate the fracture mechanisms involved when the specimens were subjected to tensile or compressive loading. The results indicated that the higher the amount of Arenga Pinnata fibres, the higher the stiffness of the composites. This is shown by the increment of tensile and compressive modulus of the specimens when the fibre volume content was increased. Tensile modulus increased up to 180% when 25vol% Arenga Pinnata fibre was used in APREC compared to Pure Epoxy specimen. It can also be observed that the tensile strength of the specimens increased 28% from 53.820 MPa (for Pure Epoxy) to 68.692 MPa (for Epoxy with 25vol% APREC addition). Meanwhile, compressive modulus and strength increased up to 3.24% and 9.17%, respectively. These results suggest that the addition of Arenga Pinnata fibres significantly improved the tensile and compressive properties of APREC.
Safe level of daylighting for artefact conservation in historic buildings is a difficult task to achieve. Previous studies indicated that lighting problems in historic museum galleries were mainly due to unshaded walls that allowed direct sun penetration over the display areas. Ceiling geometry can also affect the daylighting performance significantly, particularly on the interior distribution of light. Malaysia, with hot and humid climate, and tropical sky conditions receives plenty of natural light all year around. The fluxes in natural lighting exposures confirm the need for strategic daylight control programme in the exhibition gallery. The study aims to assess the ceiling geometry contribution for four orientations; North, East, South and West through computer simulations. The research approach was based on comparisons between pitched and flat ceiling simulation output data. Further comparisons were performed with the recommended lighting limits for conservation of artefacts. The comparisons allowed better understanding of light damage issues and highlight the control of daylighting distributions through realistic predictive images and ceiling geometry designs. The results showed that the types of exhibits materials and its placement are affected by the ceiling geometry and constant changes in natural lighting exposure. The study confirms that ceiling geometry can act as a control mechanism with the environment physical features as part of preventive conservation criteria in the exhibition gallery. Thus, a systematic light-monitoring programme in the exhibition gallery is necessary to control illuminance level and cumulative exposure limits, for artefact preservation.
Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterised by severe hypercholesterolaemia leading to premature coronary artery disease (CAD). Oxidised low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), F2-isoprostanes (ISP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) are established oxidative stress biomarker, but the status of oxidative stress in FH is not well studied. The aim of this study is to investigate oxidative stress status among FH patients and normocholesterolaemic control (NC) subjects. Ninety-eight FH patients and 100 (age, gender and BMI matched) NC subjects were recruited in series of health screening programmes across the country. Fasting blood samples were analysed for serum ox-LDL, ISP and MDA. Ox-LDL, ISP and MDA concentrations were higher in FH groups compared to NC (mean±SEM: 63.0±6.5 vs 25.5±1.2 (U/l), p
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured on microcarrier beads to accommodate different experiment apparatus such as rotating wall vessel. In this study, fluid operating apparatus (FPA) was used. However, the effect of inflammation and endothelial activation biomarkers in HUVECs cultured on different culture surface and containers are not well established. The effects of temperature changes on these biomarkers in HUVECs grown in FPA, a spaceflight hardware, are still unclear. The objective of this study was to compare the protein and gene expression of inflammation and endothelial activation biomarkers in (i) HUVECs cultured on microcarrier beads in conventional culture flask (CCFMC) vs. conventional culture flask (CCF) (ii) HUVECs cultured on microcarrier in FPA (FPAMC) vs. CCFMC and (iii) HUVEC cultured in FPAMC with ideal temperature (37°C) (FPAMC) vs. simulated space travel temperature(25-37°C), (FPAMC-ST). sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1protein expression in HUVECs grown in CCFMC were higher than CCF. FPAMC had higher IL-6, TNF-α, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, e-selectin, NFκB and eNOS gene expression than in CCFMC. FPAMC-ST had higher ICAM-1 and e-selectin protein expression than FPAMC- in ideal temperature. HUVECs are cultured onto microcarrier in simulated space flight temperature compared with ideal temperature had higher protein expression of sICAM-1 and e-selectin but the protein and gene expression of other biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial activation are comparable. This suggests that differences in culture surface and container are have an impact on the expression of inflammation and adhesion molecule by HUVECs.
The aims of this study are to estimate the equivalent dose to the skin, eyes and thyroid in intra- and extra-oral imaging examination and to compare the dose-area product (DAP) derived from the calculation method with Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRL) that has been provided by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH). Dose equivalent is measured by placing Thermoluminescence Dosimeter (TLD-100H) in the anthropomorphic RANDO phantom. Exposure is performed using intra-oral X-ray machine ActeonSatelec X-Mind® and extra-oral X-ray machine InstrumentariumOP300®, and the value is compared to the equivalent dose of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dose limit. DAP value for both examinations was obtained by using formula and comparing them with the DRL from MOH. The average dose equivalent of intra- and extra-oral radiographic examination is lower than the ICRP dose limit. The doses derived from both examinations did not exceed the prescribed levels when compared with DRL. The doses calculated for intra-oral examination of molar maxillary, molar mandibular and interproximal (bitewing) was 0.880 mGy while periapical examination of the anterior maxillary and mandibular was 0.688 mGy and occlusal examination was 1.100 mGy. For the panoramic examination the dose was 0.011 mGy.m2 while lateral cephalometric examination was 0.0054 mGy.m2. The doses obtained from this study were within the dose limit and predetermined level. This shows that a patient receives the minimum dose for both dental radiographic examinations with the optimum level of safety which meets the ALARA concept.
The study aims to investigate the effect of injection moulding parameters on plastic flows behaviour of the multiple-cavity polyethylene terephthalate (PET) cylindrical containers via injection moulding process. The motivation of this study is to present an alternative manufacturing solution to make cylindrical type containers that are commonly used in packaging beverages, such as the 330 ml standard size for packaging carbonated soft drink. The PET cylindrical container was modelled using CATIA drawing software and the injection moulding simulation process was done via Moldflow software. The investigation was done by varying two significant moulding parameters; the material melt temperature and the mould temperature. The effects of these two parameters on the PET plastic flow behaviour were studied. In particular, the simulations of the model were analysed and focused on the mould filling time as well as the moulded PET cylindrical container’s shrinkage occurrence. Three types of mould cavities structure were understudied; single-cavity, four-cavity and eight-cavity. Results show that the eight-cavity mould yielded higher production rate. The simulation results indicated that the production rate of 4-cavity and 8-cavity mould increased by 258.5% and 578.8% respectively. It was observed by increasing the melting temperature, the mould filling time is shorter and as a result, the production rate has increased by 7.75% per °C. But with this Mouldflow setting, the volumetric shrinkage and the maximum deflection have been significantly affected; increased by 23.15% and 29.26% respectively. The mould filling time and maximum deflection did not show a steady trend line however, the volumetric shrinkage increased by 7.28% per °C.
Ventilation is the process of exchanging air in a closed space to provide good indoor air quality. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become one of the most important and reliable tools to assess natural ventilation. This paper presents the effect of wind direction on temperature and velocity inside a building with outlet windows at leeward wall and side wall. The CFD simulation was performed using Reynolds-Average Navier-Stoke (RANS) approach with k-ε model. The selection of standard k-ε model is due to suitability of this model to perform the wind speed profile and temperature profile inside the building. Validation of cross-ventilation is performed based on earlier Particular Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements and shows very minimal discrepancy between CFD and PIV result. The result of velocity and temperature shows that the wind speed and temperature inside a building strongly depends on the incident winds angle and outlet opening of the building.
This paper details a study conducted to evaluate the performance of cold in-place recycling (CIPR) using polymer modified asphalt emulsion (PMAE). The asphalt emulsion was modified using natural rubber latex (NRL). Four proportions of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) which are 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% were mixed with natural aggregates and modified asphalt emulsion using natural rubber latex (NRL). The results showed that the optimum modified asphalt emulsion for each proportion of RAP decreased due to the increase in RAP content. Results obtained from Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) and Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) test for the mixes complied with the requirements of the Road Engineering Association of Malaysia (REAM) specifications. The unsoaked and soaked ITS values obtained were 0.2 MPa and 0.15 MPa respectively, and the minimum compressive strength of CIPR mix obtained was 0.7 MPa. Based on the evaluation of performance for the four RAP proportions, it was determined that 50% of RAP gave the best combination of the CIPR mixture.
Objective: It is important to investigate the association between spousal support
and psychology of cancer patients, thus a validated instrument to measure the
degree of perceived spousal support is required. We translated and evaluated the
psychometric properties of the Sources of Social Support Scale-Malay version
(SSSS-Malay) among Malaysian cancer patients.
Methods: In this study, the
SSSS-Malay and Hope Scale-Malay [used to compare with the SSSS-Malay to
assess discriminant validity] were administered to 195 Malaysian cancer patients
during baseline assessment. The SSSS-Malay was re-administered 2 months
after the baseline assessment during follow-up.
Results: The SSSS-Malay total
score (Cronbach’s α = 0.70, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.72) and
its domains (Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.70 to 0.83, intraclass correlation
coefficient ranging from 0.6 to 0.76) exhibited good internal consistencies and
good test-retest reliability. The SSSS-Malay also demonstrated good convergent
and discriminant validities. However, confirmatory factor analysis of the SSSSMalay
showed that it was best fit into a 3-factor model instead of the 4-factor
model of the original English version.
Conclusion: The SSSS-Malay
demonstrated good psychometric properties for use in Malaysian cancer
patients.
Introduction: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is a positive psychological change in
life that occurs as a result of struggle with highly challenging life crises. There is
a growing need to explore posttraumatic growth (PTG) in cancer patients, as
higher PTG may enhance well-being of patients.
Objectives: The aim of this
study was to translate the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGISF)
into the Malay language and evaluate its psychometric properties for
assessing Malaysian cancer patients in future studies.
Methods: Two parallels
forward and backward translations of the PTGI-SF into the Malay language
were conducted. The test was administered to 195 cancer patients. Reliability
was evaluated by testing internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and calculating the
test-retest intra-class correlation coefficient, and validity was examined by
determining face, convergent, and discriminant validities and using
confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
Results: The Malay version of the PTGI-SF
and its five domains demonstrated good internal consistencies and acceptable
test-retest reliability. All 10 items of this version were highly correlated with
their own domains and thus exhibited convergent validity. Discriminant validity
was achieved, as all domains of the Malay PTGI-SF was not highly correlated
with the domains of the Source of Social Support Scale. CFA resulted in a bestfitting
5-factor model.
Conclusion: The Malay version of the PTGI-SF is a
suitable tool for measuring PTG in Malaysian cancer patients.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of time of measurement on central corneal thickness in young myopes.
Seventy healthy myopic subjects (non contact lens wearers) were involved in this study with mean age of 22.43 ± 1.76
years. Subjective refraction was determined using cross-cylinder technique, corneal curvature was measured using
keratometer (Shin-Nippon) and central corneal thickness (CCT) was determined using specular microscope (Topcon
SP-3000P). The CCT was measured in the morning (between 8 to 11 am) and in the afternoon (between 2 to 5 pm). The
results showed that the mean of refraction for all subjects was -2.59 ± 1.85 DS and mean of cornea curvature was 7.74
± 0.25 mm. Mean CCT in the morning was 517 ± 37 μm and 516 ± 36 μm in the afternon. Statistical analysis showed no
significant difference between both measurements (T = 1.713 and P = 0.091). Correlation analysis showed insignificant
correlation between CCT and refractive error (r = -0.078, p > 0.05) and CCT with corneal curvature in the horizontal
meridian (r = 0.014, p > 0.05) and at vertical meridian (r = 0.029, p > 0.05). This study concluded that there is no
significant effect of time of measurement on CCT in young myopes
To compare the ability of methods based on skeletal muscle index (SMI) and another one by the European Working Group
on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) based on both muscle mass and physical function in identifying older adults
with sarcopenia. Anthropometric measurements and physical performance (hand grip strength and gait speed) were
performed. In order to determine the value of SMI, body impedance analysis was also carried out. A total of 426 older
adults, mostly women (60.8%) with mean age of 68.4 ± 6.2 years participated in this study. Methods based on SMI and
EWGSOP identified 50.5% and 32.2% older adults as sarcopenic respectively. Method based on SMI showed a significantly
higher percentage of men (70.7%) were sarcopenic as compared to women (37.5%) (p < 0.05). No such difference was
noted for EWGSOP method, with 28.7% of men were sarcopenic as compared to women (34.4%). Binary logistic regression
indicated that aged 75 years and above (adjusted odds ratio: 3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.9 – 5.6) and having arthritis
(adjusted odds ratio: 2.5, confidence interval: 1.3 – 4.7) to be associated with sarcopenia as assessed using method
recommended by EWGSOP. The lower prevalence of sarcopenia by EWGSOP as compared to SMI may be due to the more
comprehensive method by EWGSOP. Further research regarding validation of these two screening methods against a gold
standard of screening for sarcopenia is needed in order to identify the best method..
This study aims to investigate the viability and effectiveness of the Hanen More Than Words (HMTW) programme amongst
parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This quassi-experimental study involved 31 children (27 boys,
4 girls; M = 34.58 months, SD = 3.67) who met criteria for ASD and their parents. The measurement was conducted in
three phases; Time 1 (prior to intervention), Time 2 and Time 3 (at three and five months after the intervention begins).
The outcome measures were assessed based on: (1) changes in parental facilitative strategies; (2) the children’s growth
in vocabulary and (3) the progress of communication and social skills. The paired t-test were used to analyze the pre
and post findings within the intervention and control group with p-value
MGMT (O6
-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase) suppresses tumor development by removing alkyl adduct, while
SPOCK2 (SPARC/Osteonectin CWCV and Kazal-like domains proteoglycan) abolishes the inhibition of membrane-type
matrix metalloproteinases (MT-MMP) which leads to angiogenesis. Hence, MGMT methylation may initiate malignant cells
transformation. In contrast, SPOCK2 methylation is hypothesized not to be a common event in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
(DLBCL). In this study, we examined the methylation status of MGMT and SPOCK2 in DLBCL as in Malaysia the information
is extremely lacking. A total of 88 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue of patients diagnosed with DLBCL from the
year 2006 to 2013 were retrieved from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan and Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan,
Pahang. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to examine the methylation status of both genes.
Interestingly, methylation of MGMT was detected in all the 88 DLBCL samples, whereas SPOCK2 was found to be methylated
in 83 of 88 (94.3%) DLBCL cases. Our study showed a remarkably high percentage of promoter methylation of both
MGMT and SPOCK2 genes. Our finding also negates initial expectation that SPOCK2 methylation would be an uncommon
event in the majority of DLBCL cases. This study has shown a very high percentage of promoter methylation of MGMT and
SPOCK2 in the DLBCL cases studied by MSP, using archival lymphoma tissues. Nonetheless, additional research is needed
to quantitatively evaluate MGMT and SPOCK2 methylation, and to analyse gene expression and/or protein expression in
order to further understand the role of MGMT and SPOCK2 methylation in the pathogenesis of DLBCL.
The notion of fruit and vegetables (FV) in preventing chronic diseases has long been discerned. To meet the recommended
FV intake, FV juices have emerged as a convenient and healthy choice. Mixed fruit and vegetable juices (MFVJ) cater the
blend of desirable flavor and taste of consumers. This study was carried out to determine the total phenolic content (TPC),
antioxidant activities and sugar content of selected MFVJ. Folin-Ciocalteu assay was employed to quantify TPC, whereas
DPPH and FRAP assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activities of MFVJ. The sugar content was determined using
phenol-sulfuric acid method. MFVJ extracted from bitter gourd, green apple and orange (BGO) had the highest TPC content
(76.4 ± 4.2 mg GAE/100 ml). Celery and green apple (CG) juice showed the highest DPPH value (522.3 ± 7.6 mg TE/100
ml) whereas carrot and starfruit (AS) juice have the highest FRAP value (419.6 ± 21.6 mg TE/100 ml). The sugar content
of MFVJ was within the range of 5.7-13.3 g/100 ml. MFVJ can be considered as healthy beverages with considerable
amounts of phenolic compounds and low sugar content. This study provides some useful reference for consumers who
consume juices with combinations of FV. Future studies need to discover more combinations of FV juices, providing more
data pertaining to MFVJ. Identification of individual phenolic compounds should also be part of future research using
various instrumental analyses.
The efficacy of a 2.15% imidacloprid gel bait against laboratory strain Periplaneta americana and Blattella germanica
was evaluated under laboratory conditions. The susceptibility trend of both species towards imidacloprid was: adult male
< adult female < nymphs. All stages of both species were dead within 10 days in primary poisoning testing. Periplaneta
americana adult male (LT50 = 0.47 h; LT95 = 5.24 h) died fastest, while nymphs of B. germanica took the longest time to
reach 95% mortality (LT95 = 43.84 h). In indirect exposure via secondary poisoning, only adult males of P. americana (LT50
= 100.63 h) and B. germanica (LT50 = 54.66 h) obtained 50% mortality before the testing ended. No complete mortalities
were achieved in any stages of both species within 10 days of secondary poisoning testing. Therefore, imidacloprid gel
bait used in this study was able to cause complete mortalities within less than 2 days of 10-day primary poisoning testing
but less effective in the 10-day secondary poisoning testing.
Cochlear implant (CI) is the main intervention option for people with severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the auditory performance of a group of prelingually deafened paediatric
cochlear implant users using direct speech perception measures (objective) and a parental questionnaire (subjective)
and to identify significant demographic factors that might contribute to their performance. A total of 48 children from the
Cochlear Implant Program under the Malaysian Ministry of Health with hearing age of 12 to 89 months (mean = 42.60
± 19.46 months) participated in this study. The speech perception test was conducted using selected tests from the Malay
version of the Evaluation of Auditory Response to Speech (EARS) while parental views of the children’s performance were
collected using the Malay version of the Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) questionnaire.
The recorded speech stimuli were presented to the children in a free field at approximately 65 dB SPL in a sound treated
room. The speech perception test results were then categorized using the Malay version of the Categories of Auditory
Performance Index (My-CAPI) with 10 categories ranging from ‘0’ to ‘9’. Results showed that most of the children (N = 20,
41.7%) were performing at category 2 of My-CAPI (limited closed set speech perception) with three children achieved the
maximum category 9 (advanced open-set sentences in noise). Communication mode was the only demographic factor that
significantly correlated with the My-CAPI and PEACH scores (p < 0.01). Pearson correlation coefficient showed a strong
relationship between the PEACH scores and My-CAPI levels (p < 0.01; r = 0.71) suggesting that the PEACH questionnaire
can be used as an indicator of the auditory performance if the speech perception tests cannot be performed. The findings
suggest that the majority of the CI children tested in this study had not achieved satisfactory auditory performance and that the use of oral communication mode was the main
factor associated with better auditory outcomes.
Seaweed contains various nutrients that has the potential to be a source of nutritious food, but only a few studies done on
the red seaweeds in Malaysia. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the macronutrients content, amino acid
profile and fatty acid component in Kappaphycus alvarezii and Kappaphycus striatum. The study found that the range
of moisture, fat, ash, protein, fiber and carbohydrates content for both red seaweeds were 6.9% - 7.3%, 0.5% - 2.6%,
29.4% - 30.9%, 2.5% - 5.7% , 5.3% - 5.5% and 50.1% - 53.3% respectively. A total of 16 amino acids were identified
in which the essential amino acid for K. alvarezii and K. striatum were 41.11% and 36.15% respectively. A total of 34
fatty acids were identified in which the content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) was the highest (42.7% - 72.8%), followed
by mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) (13.8% - 36.2%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was the lowest (13.5%
- 21.2%). In conclusion, this study suggest that K. alvarezii and K. striatum are potentially be used as raw materials or
food ingredients to improve the nutritional value of the human diet.
A preliminary field study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a mosquito trap; Mosquito Killing System (MKS) in
capturing mosquitoes and other insects. MKS has an automatic activation by the use of a photocell. It is also supplemented
with carbon dioxide and heat as attractants for mosquitoes and other insects. Three units of MKS were employed at three
different locations within two study sites for ten days. The mosquitoes and other insects that were trapped in MKS were
collected and morphologically identified daily in the laboratory. A total of 1,928 mosquitoes and other insects were
trapped in all units of MKS. High numbers of mosquitoes (93.05%), particularly Aedes sp. and Culex sp. were captured
from MKS. Among these, Culex quinquefasciatus (91.81%) was most abundant species collected. Only 0.84% of Aedes
aegypti and Aedes albopictus trapped in MKS. Female mosquitoes (83.44%) were found to be more attracted to MKS
compared to male mosquitoes of various species. These findings illustrated the potency of MKS utilization in surveillance
and control activities of Cx. quinquefasciatus; a nuisance mosquito and also potential vector of urban brancroftian
filariasis in Malaysia.
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3
) plays a crucial role in influencing the growth of osteoblast. This study was conducted
to compare the performance of alginate/cockle shell powder nanobiocomposite (nCP) bone scaffold developed from
naturally occurring CaCO3 with alginate/calcium carbonate (CC) bone scaffold developed using synthetic CaCO3. The
study compares the performance of the scaffold in supporting the growth of osteoblast through in vitro evaluations as
well as initial biocompatibility observations through in vivo methods. Both scaffolds were developed using the mixture
of 40% alginate solution with either 60% of nano cockle shell powder or synthetic CaCO3 to obtain a three dimensional
scaffold structure. In vitro evaluation on calcium release and ALP enzyme activity was conducted on both scaffolds seeded
with osteoblast on day’s three, five and seven using commercial kits. In vivo observations using histological methods
were further conducted by implanting osteoblast seeded scaffold subcutaneously at the dorsum of 8 albino mice for 21
days. Findings from in vitro studies showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the release of calcium and ALP enzyme
activity in nCP scaffolds on day seven compared to days three and five of CC scaffold. Histological observations using
H&E and von Kossa staining showed infiltration and proliferation of osteoblast on both scaffolds as well as early stage
bone tissue formation. Formation of new blood vessels within the scaffolds was also observed in nCP scaffold. Both the
developed scaffolds were noted to support osteoblast growth and new tissue formation with better potentials displayed by
nCP scaffolds comparatively. This study shows that naturally occurring CaCO3 obtained from cockle shells in the form
of nano powder has good potentials to be used as a biomaterial for bone tissue engineering applications.