The current study investigates the phytochemical composition of Malaysian stingless bee honey (Kelulut honey-KH), which consists of total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity. The honey was collected from five different regions in Malaysia i.e. south, central, eastern, northern and east coast regions. TPC and TFC were quantified by using Folin-Ciocalteu and the aluminum chloride colorimetric techniques, respectively. The antioxidant activity was investigated using two methods: 1) 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay; 2) ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay (FRAP). The findings indicated that there were significant differences in phytochemical compositions and antioxidant activities of KH between different regions. This implies that geographical location, as well as cultivation and treatment processes, have significant effects on the KH quality.
Jackfruit straws are normally disposed as waste by food industries and vendors which may lead to serious environmental issue. In order to reduce the wastage and negative effects to the environment, jackfruit straw waste generated by jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) shows potential as bio-based film incorporated with starch. This work describes the effect of different starch and plasticizer contents on mechanical and thermal properties of jackfruit straw powder (JSP)/starch films. Film-forming solutions were prepared and cast by mixing JSP with tapioca starch at different ratios and for the plasticized films, ca. 15 - 40% of plasticizers including sorbitol and glycerol were incorporated into the JSP/starch films respectively. The tensile strength and modulus of JSP/starch films pronouncedly increased with increasing starch content, accompanied with a slight decreasing in the elongation at break. The result demonstrated that starch interacted with JSP, resulting in the formation of a new network to improve the properties of JSP films. FTIR spectrum analyses demonstrated the presence of hydrogen bonding in the JSP/starch film. The tensile strength of the plasticized JSP/starch films decreased with increasing sorbitol and glycerol content from 15% to 40%. However, the plasticizing effect of sorbitol became more significant than glycerol, particularly on the tensile properties and thermal stability. Thermal analysis by thermogravimetric showed an increment in the decomposition temperature with the addition of plasticizers into JSP/starch films. The results suggest that films containing JSP and starch have the potential for the development of edible food packaging materials.
This study aims to characterise the scattered dose distribution from a ceiling-mounted X-ray unit in a multi-bay resuscitation room. The finding of this study is essential for optimisation and safety of staff and patients. Simulation of phantom imaging was carried out using MCNP5 code. The calculated data were initially compared against the measurements carried out using a survey meter. Three measurement positions, denoted by T2, T3, and T4 were considered for the dose calculation. The data suggested that T2 received the highest scattered dose. This value (maximum value of less than 6 µGy) is lower than the annual dose limit for the public and radiation workers as well as natural background radiation dose. Meanwhile, T3 consistently received a higher scattered dose (maximum difference of 25.62%) than T4. The angles of the X-ray tube resulted in scattered doses less than 6 µGy for both 90° and 100° scattering angles. In conclusion, the scattered dose for a single exposure imaging inside the room is safe. Yet, consideration of the placement of a portable lead shielding between X-ray tube and treatment couch is strongly recommended. This is due to a high number of imaging procedures commonly performed daily in a busy hospital. Hence, the cumulative dose to the paramedic staff and patients may exceed the safe level.
Parboiling process has been widely implemented in brown rice processing, but its effect on in vitro physiological antioxidant capacity of brown rice was not known. In this study, an in vitro method simulating the human physiological conditions was used to investigate the effect of parboiling on antioxidant capacity of brown rice in three Bario rice varieties. In this method, bacterial inocula were prepared from rat cecal contents. Results showed that parboiling process gave significant impacts on in vitro physiological antioxidant capacity of brown rice. The process improved total phenolic content at small intestine (Adan Halus), DPPH scavenging activity at both small and large intestines (Adan Halus and Bario Merah) and ferrous ion-chelating activity at large intestine (Bario Hitam). However, changes in antioxidant capacity were variety dependent, possibly due to different bran pigmentation. These suggested that parboiling process could improve physiological antioxidant capacity with in vitro simulation at small and large intestines by selecting a suitable rice variety and parboiled brown rice could offer good antioxidant properties to maintain physiological health.
In this paper, we present the absolute stability of the existing 2-point implicit block multistep step methods of step number k = 3 and k = 5 and solving special second order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The methods are then trigonometrically fitted so that they are suitable for solving highly oscillatory problems arising from the special second order ODEs. Their explicit counterparts are also trigonometrically fitted so that in the implementation the methods can act as a predictor-corrector pairs. The numerical results based on the integration over a large interval are given to show the performance of the proposed methods. From the numerical results we can conclude that the new trigonometrically-fitted methods are superior in terms of accuracy and execution time, compared to the existing methods in the scientific literature when used for solving problems which are oscillatory in nature.
Although the modern medicine has progressed for a long time, there are empirical studies shows the effectiveness of traditional and complementary treatments (TCT) in curing chronic diseases. In Malaysia, TCT is often related to the use of herbs and meditation that vary according to ethnicity. Each ethnic group has its own beliefs system in curing diseases. This study mainly aims to provide an overview on the perceptions of the effectiveness TCT in curing chronic diseases. The authors used electronic database to select 10 journal articles according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings show the highest statistic among Sabah natives and followed by Malay ethnic on believing in the effectiveness of TCT. Price and encouragement from family and friends are the main influencing factors of taking TCT. We suggest that counsellors need to be aware of the TCT practices on particular culture in order to increase respect and trust in the helping relationships.
Poor mental health can affect a person’s quality of life and well-being, impacting cognitive, emotional, social, and physical functioning. Mental health difficulties have been found commonly in parents of children with autism spec- trum disorder (ASD), who often struggle to cope with a range of challenges. These parents tend to have reduced over- all wellbeing. This review study targeted an under-researched area, aiming to review mental health studies on the coping strategies used by Muslim parents of children with ASD in Malaysia, focusing on psychospiritual strategies. Journal articles were searched via Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Mendeley software online databases using relevant keywords. This narrative review identified 5 studies that examined parental coping, but only 4 reported the inclusion of Muslims. This review identified a gap in published knowledge regarding coping from a spiritual per- spective in Muslim families of children with ASD in Malaysia and recommended future research from a biopsycho- social-spiritual perspective.
Introduction: The objective of the study is to identify the relationship between knowledge and the practice of mental training skill during competitions which requires the athletes to gain control and boost their confidence. The study significantly states that knowledge and the practice of mental training skill during competitions are able to increase the athletes’ ability to control their state of mind and raise their confidence. Methods: 115 students of Malaysian Sport School, Pahang Malaysia participated in the study. One set of Likert scale questionnaire, which consists of five parts is used as the study instrument. The study instrument is based on the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory (CSAI- 2), Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS) and Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ-48). Results: The research findings demonstrate an average level of knowledge on mental training skill with reference to the athletes’ control of their mental state and their confidence. However, the significant relationship between the knowledge and the prac- tice of mental training skill with regards to the athletes’ mind control and confidence during competitions shows a highly positive and moderate relationship. Conclusion: Healthy mental training skill helps improve the athletes’ per- sonality during competition. Apart from prioritising on the physical element in training applied in the competitions, the main elements which become the athletes’ source of mental strength, level of control and confidence are able to overcome the mental challenges.
Extant literature highlights certain comparisons between the effect of demanding parenting style in non-Western families (Muslims and non-Muslims) and that of the democratic type of parenting in Western counties on emotional intelligence, which contributes to improvements in mental health. A systematic review was conducted on original published articles using ‘parenting style’ and ‘emotional intelligence’ as keywords. Initial data collected from Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Science and PubMed were searched using the Rayyan software (26) for relevant articles written in English. However, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 28 articles (14 from each type of society, that is, non-Western and Western) were included in the review. Consequently, the review found that social environment, cultural, religious and economic conditions significantly predicted emotional intelligence.
People with disabilities are acknowledged as part of multiculturalism in term of the diversity in their abilities. The aspect of acceptance, fairness, indiscrimination and freedom are counted in deciding whether the equality concept in multiculturalism being practiced or not. This article is a systematic review study which explores equality practice in employment of people with disabilities. Electronic database, ScienceDirect, is used to search relevant reading ma- terials and 10 journals are found by considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review is derived systemati- cally from the trend of employment among people with disabilities, the factors that affect the chances of employment among disabilities and the adaptation of the people with disabilities in the world of work. Findings show that the main factor that is essential for employment opportunity is the type of disability. Implication for the workplace to accommodate includes modified working hours, modified duties and human support.
Introduction: Teachers play a vital role in identifying students with dyslexia. The acquisition of this knowledge will help teachers to classify students who are at risk of dyslexia. The objective of this study is to identify the level of teachers’ knowledge about dyslexia that comprises of its general knowledge, diagnosis, symptoms and treatments. A cross sectional study was done upon 138 preschool teachers. This research was conducted by using ‘Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia’ questionnaire, which consists of 36 items with 3 Likert scale questions. Findings revealed that the level of general knowledge possessed by the pre-school teachers was relatively different based on the construct even though they have respectively received the Diploma in Early Childhood Education. On the same hand, most of the respondents were found to be having higher understanding on the general knowledge about dyslexia compared to their understanding on the symptoms, diagnosis and the treatments.
Gifted and talented students are different from the other normal students and special attention is needed for due to their high cognitive ability and their socio-emotional conditions. Literatures show shortcomings and ineffectiveness of the counselling services to the gifted and talented students. The lack of effective interventions and approaches targeted to the students hinders the understanding on the importance of counseling services to the students. Hence, this study aims to explore the school counseling services for gifted and talented students. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were selected and reviewed. Findings from different journal sources conducted in different countries were assimilated to attain better understanding of the relevance of school counseling services to gifted and talented students. The role of the school counselors and the challenges in the school counseling services were also identified from the articles.
The current study aims to investigate the validated measures used to assess anxiety in Malaysia through a systematic review. The PsycINFO and MEDLINE databases, and 28 local journals were used to search for published papers in this particular area. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria and reviewed. The results showed that majority of the studies have validated self-report inventories, rather than structured clinical interviews. The preferred measures validated were Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and General Health Questionnaire-12 item. The psychometric properties of the validated measures were also reported in this review. In general, the measures have a wide range of reliability, validity, and factor structures. However, not all of the studies adhere to the standard procedures for adapting Western-based measure. The limitations of the studies under review were also being highlighted.
Introduction: There is a significant increase in the number of divorce cases among Malay Muslim couples over the past years which serves as a strong signal for the government to take initiatives to understand the current situation. A plethora of literature can be found on marriage satisfaction and the quality of the relationship within marriages. However, exploration on contributing factors to long lasting marriages amongst the Malay Muslim community are lacking. This paper aims to share the initial findings in an effort to explore of the strength of relationship in a lasting marriage amongst Malay Muslim couples in Malaysia. Methods: This paper adopted a quantitative approach utilizing the Eternal Love Instrument (c) 2016 which consisted of 171 items, distributed to 350 respondents based on simple random sampling technique. Results: The findings indicated that there are three main considerations in selecting a spouse which were (1) Religion (95.2%); (2) Character (responsible) (96.1%); well mannered (95.8%); and (3) Race (79.3%). Age, looks and type of jobs were the least considered factors amongst the respondents surveyed. The respondents perceived that the strongest element in their relationship was communication (69.6%), followed by tol- erance (62.6%) and responsible towards family wellbeing (56.4%). Conclusion: The initial survey has indicated that a lasting marriage is a consequence of having a responsible partner with good religious background. Also, from all these five constructs, these respondents considered their spouses to be highly responsible.
Introduction: A jinn possession model from the Islamic epistemology is discussed and its role in causing inter-psyche and intra-psyche conflicts. An analysis of the symptoms of jinn possession can also help differentiate jinn possession from mental disorders. Methods: An analysis of 34 symptoms of jinn possession, derived from symptoms used by globally established ruqyah experts, was conducted using quantitative approach. Out of the 1088 participants, 530 were diagnosed as having jinn possession. Their symptoms were analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with Principal Component extraction method and Varimax rotation. Results: Some cases of mental health disorders can also be diagnosed as jinn possession according to ruqyah practitioners. The EFA analysis of the symptoms ex- tracted 6 factors associated with jinn possession i.e. “abnormal thoughts”, “faith delusion”, “scary dreams”, “sleep disturbances”, “low mood” and “hallucinations”. Conclusion: Some mental disorders may also be cases of jinn possession. Jinn possession refers to any disorder with an underlying jinn possession factor. “Faith delusion” can be used to distinguish jinn possession from mental disorders. The findings can act as a foundation for the development of a model for jinn possession that will lead to the development of an instrument for the diagnosis of jinn possession.
Introduction: The cyberspace creates an infrastructure to build relationships, so the counseling practitioners has taken the initiative to maximize their services. An alternative service helps through this virtual interaction is created and practised. This virtual counselling service is known as cyber-counselling. So, there is a need to see the effective- ness of this cybertherapy service based on personality traits. The objectives of this study are to see the relationships or differences between personality trait in cyber-counselling approach. Methods: This quasi-experimental research applied the Non-Equivalent Pre & Post Test design. 60 research subjects are identifed and divided into the two groups the Face-to-Face approach and Cyber-counselling approach. Junior Eyneseck Personality Inventory was used to determined their personality traits and Client Satisfaction Inventory to determine the effectiveness of the therapy. Results: Pearson Chi-Square test shows that client satisfaction has no relationship on personality traits towards cy- bertherapy approach. Conclusion: Since the findings of this study are not in line with past literatures, some assump- tions can be made regarding the findings of this study. Firstly, the distribution of the subjects based on personality traits can not be done in view of the ‘walk-in’ elements practiced in this study. Secondly, since the subjects are within the age of 13 to 17 years, the likelihood of the formation and development of their personality traits has yet to mature or steady, while the previous studies conducted on the study of adults.
Introduction: Mandated counselling is usually associated with forced participation. Therefore, there is considerably higher likelihood of involuntary participation resulting in client’s dissatisfaction toward the counselling session. However, there exists literature that shows satisfaction and positive outcomes among mandated clients. Mandated counselling is widely practised, especially in the case of Malaysia. Thus, an instrument to measure client’s satisfac- tion was developed to capture the client’s perception, attitude and factors that contributed to the mandated counsel- ling satisfaction. Methods: The respondents involved in this study were adolescents in rehabilitation centres under the supervision of the Department of Social Welfare (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat) aged 13 to 19 who had attended mandated counselling at least twice. The study was divided into four phases. Initially, in the first phase, the items were developed based on themes narrated by mandated clients and from the counsellor’s perspectives. Next, the ini- tial measurement developed was tested to identify dimensions conceptualized in the instrument. Then, the reliability of the instrument was tested. In the final phase, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to confirm the model. Results: Findings showed a 52% of total variance was explained in the exploratory factor analysis, with an internal consistency of .919. The findings also showed a 16-item measurement with four dimensions: (a) alliance-system; (b) counselling efficacy; (c) therapeutic change; (d) counsellor-counselling effect. Conclusion: : In summary, this study had identified significant factors essential in influencing satisfaction of mandated counselling clients in the Malaysian context. It is thus beneficial for counselling practitioners in their counselling work involving mandated clients.
Introduction: Psychological problems like anxiety, depression and stress significantly exacerbate the pressure on stu- dents to perform better. These factors collectively hamper their performance leading to low academic achievement especially among postgraduate students who majority of them are working and married. This study aims to identify the level of depression, anxiety and stress among postgraduate students, and to investigate the correlation between depression, anxiety and stress based on gender, marital status and age. Methods: The study was a quantitative survey and correlational research design using a clustered random sampling, selected from all postgraduate students (179) in Faculty of Education. The DASS-21 was used as measuring tools for depression, anxiety and stress among post- graduate students. Results: Findings of the study revealed that majority of the respondents are having moderate level of depression, anxiety and stress. Meanwhile, there were strong correlations between depression, anxiety and stress. However, there were no significant differences for level of depression, anxiety and stress based on demographic factors (gender, marital status and age). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that depression, anx- iety and stress are strongly correlated. This study can give some insight to the educators, universities administration as well as students’ family to develop common intervention on how to curb depression, anxiety and stress among postgraduate students.
Introduction: The advancement of technology and an ecological shift in the creative media industry requires manag- ers and TV production workers to adapt to changes to ensure their well-being. Recent development shows a growing concern for the mental, physical and social health of creative media workers that demands a more in-depth inves- tigation. Studies have found that those working in television production are facing long hours of work, poor pay, isolation and insecurity. However, there is little empirical research undertaken on those who work in the Malaysian creative media industry, especially Malay Muslims. Studies of media workers in Malaysia are mostly concerned with news production and the impact of reporting and journalistic challenges. The purpose of this study is to explore how Malay Muslim creative media workers manage and negotiate their mental health and well-being issues. Methods: By employing a phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with seven participants, exploring their experience in the creative media industry. Results: The study found four emergent themes: (a) passion and commit- ment for creative endeavours, (b) work culture, (c) issue on work-life balance, and (d) role of religion. Discussion: This study is an attempt towards understanding the mental health of those working in the creative and entertainment realms in Malaysia. Based on the findings, implication for practitioners and future studies are discussed.
Introduction: Previous studies have found that unwed pregnant teenagers have a variety of psychological issues such as loss of self-confidence, emotional stress, fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. In addition, the society’s negative perception has made these teenagers to be alienated and mocked by the community and also by their own family members. Thus, this research aims to identify the mental health state and also to deeply explore on these teenagers’ emotional and psychological conditions. Methods: This research adopts qualitative phenomeno- logical research design. Four residents of a Protection Centre in Johor Bahru have been selected through purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data has been transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis method. Results: Results obtained show that the teenagers’ mental health symptoms are at moderate to severe states. They also show signs of emotional disturbance such as depression, seclusion, difficulty in sleeping, lips dry, easy to sweat, uncontrolled emotion, no appetite, headache, anxiety or worry, negative thoughts and not energetic. Apart from these, they also experience unstable emotional and psychological situations such as sadness, anger, fear, shock, stress and guilt due to shaming their families. Conclusion: This study is expected to pro- vide an early explanation on mental health among Muslim unwed pregnant teenagers. Therefore, the appropriate methods to use in addressing their emotional and psychological states need to be explored.