Torrefaction is a thermal process to convert biomass into a coal-like material, which has better fuel characteristics than the original biomass. Torrefied biomass has more energy density and hydrophobic which is superior quality for handling and storage. The objective of this research was to develop a simulation model of the torrefied pelletization process from empty fruit bunch (EFB). The process was simulated using ASPEN Plus. Optimization involved a selection of the model option that produced the maximum mass yield and minimum energy requirement, with a converged base case simulation as a starting point. Torrefied biomass pellet offered coal-like properties such as high heating value, brittle, high bulk energy density and more hydrophobic. These properties could potentially avoid costly power plant modifications. On the other hand, Malaysia has issued National Biomass Strategy 2020 with target to solve the problem of under-utilized biomass in this country. Base model was based on previous study. For optimization of mass yield and overall energy consumption, six model options of design configurations were analysed. Design model 0 was used as the base model. For design model 1, flue gas from combustion reactor was channelled to torrefaction reactor. For design model 2, flue gas from combustion reactor was split to dryer and torrefaction reactor. For design model 3, combustion reactor was removed. For design model 4, flue gas was channelled to dryer reactor without combustion reactor. For design model 5, flue gas separator after dryer was removed. Out of five options, results were tabulated for the optimum one. The results showed that the highest mass yield was achieved by simulation Model 5 at 90.76 % and lowest energy requirement was achieved by simulation Model 4 at 411.336 kW. Optimization result meanwhile had shown that Model 4 was selected because it gave the maximum profitability of RM 72834.45 by considering the yield and the energy consumption simultaneously.
Heat exchangers are used in many industries and power generation applications. The performance of heat exchangers depends on the operating parameters and the types of flow. The sudden pressure drop is one of the major problems encountered in heat exchanger, and this would significantly affect the efficiency and the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchanger. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating and analyzing the effects of operating parameters that cause pressure fluctuation and affect the overall heat transfer coefficient. Experimental study was carried out for two types of flows: co-current and counter concurrent flows. Comparisons of the overall heat transfer coefficients between shell and tube and spiral coil heat exchangers were made. It was observed that mass flow rate affected the overall heat transfer coefficient. Besides, the counter current flow was more efficient compared to the co-current flow with enhanced overall heat transfer coefficient. The maximum overall heat transfer coefficient for spiral coil heat exchanger counter flow was 2702.78 W/m2.K, showing a higher heat transfer efficiency when compared to the shell and tube heat exchanger. Moreover, the spiral coil heat exchanger occupied less space as opposed to the shell and tube heat exchanger.
The human hexokinase isoform II (HKII) is one of the important enzymes for dengue virus (DENV) replication and thus has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target for DENV drug development. In this work, compounds were identified using Ultrafast Shape Recognition with CREDO Atom Types (USRCAT) by utilizing both HKII’s substrate and product; alpha-D-glucose (GLC) and beta-D-glucose-6-phosphate (BG6), as well as a known HKII’s inhibitor, 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), as the query molecules. The analogues of the three query molecules were subsequently docked against the HKII’s crystal structure (PDB ID: 2NZT) by using Auto Dock 4 program on Chain B, where the active sites and strong bonds were located. Among the top-ranked compounds, Compound 4 (ZINC26898487), which was the most similar to 2DG, showed the best binding energy (-7.63 kcal/mol) and contained two H bonds. Compound 9 (ZINC16930948), an analogue of GLC emerged as the best inhibitor candidate because it had six H bonds. Similarly, among the molecules similar to BG6, Compound 14 (ZINC4403351) had been suggested as a potential inhibitor because it contained four strong H bonds. All compounds were predicted to be non-toxic, based on Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (TEST) analysis. By providing these valuable findings, this study has paved the way for the discovery of compounds that should be further tested for the development of anti-dengue drugs.
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a prevailing vertebrate model for developmental biology studies due to its ease of care, rapid embryogenesis stages development and translucent embryos. In this studies, ATM Kinase and MRN complex role as DNA damage response proteins during embryogenesis was examined by using specific MRN complex (Mirin) and ATM Kinase inhibitors (Ku60019 and Ku55933). To create DNA lesions in zebrafish, embryos at mid-blastula transition (MBT) stage were exposed to inhibitors (Mirin, Ku60019 or Ku55933) and later exposed to UVC irradiation wavelength of between 100 to 280 nm. Hatching but with visible physical deformation was observed for embryos treated with Mirin, Ku60019 or Ku55933 and UVC exposure at concentration of 3μM, 1.5 nM and 3nM or lower, respectively up to 72 hours-post fertilisation (hpf). On the other hand, no deformities were observed for all control as well as mock treated embryos. This study confirmed that DNA damage response proteins are crucial during embryo development to prevent undesired abnormal biological development. Thus, it is proven that protein inhibitors are a cheaper alternative in valuating specific protein roles during embryogenesis compared to both genomic and transcription modification tools.
A study was conducted to identify the responses of Aedes albopictus to different diet regime towards the development of juvenile and adult mosquitoes. Fish pellet was selected as standard diet in order to study the effect of diet regime on the development of Ae. Albopictus. Four different diet regimes (1.0 mg, 0.6 mg, 1.0 mg an1.6 mg) were tested on 50 eggs of Ae. albopictus under laboratory conditions. Juvenile development until adult emergence was observed and recorded. Results indicated that the time taken to mature the mosquitoes was significantly affected by the diet regime. Furthermore, juvenile body size and adult wing size of Ae. albopictus were found to be greatly affected by diet regime exposed during juvenile stages. In summary, an increase of diet regime resulted in the decrease of developmental time and an increase in juvenile body size and adult wing size.
Introduction: Negative automatic thoughts refer to subconscious thinking patterns in response to irrational and self-defeating stimuli. Individuals who are depressed tend to have biased negative automatic thoughts. Therefore, there is a need to refine our understanding of what contributes to the development of adolescent depressive symp- toms. The current study examined the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts in the link between maternal attachment and depressive symptoms among late adolescents in Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study fo- cused on 936 (males=423, females=513) students aged 17 to 19 years old, who were selected through multistage cluster sampling technique. Respondents answered self-report questionnaires which assessed maternal attachment, depressive symptoms, and negative automatic thoughts. Structural equation modelling was utilised to analyse the relationships among the research variables. Results: The findings indicated that 39.3% had negative automatic thoughts; whereas, 5.6% experienced severe depressive symptoms. Correlational analysis showed that maternal attachment had a negative association with depressive symptoms and negative automatic thoughts. In contrast, de- pressive symptoms were positively related to negative automatic thoughts. Structural analysis revealed that negative automatic thoughts partially mediated the association of maternal attachment with depressive symptoms among late adolescents. Findings specifically demonstrated that those with insecure maternal attachment tend to have negative automatic thoughts, which subsequently lead to depressive symptoms. Conclusion: In conclusion, findings highlight the importance of secure attachment to the mother and positive automatic thoughts in combating depressive symp- toms; thus ensuring a healthy psychological development for adolescents.
Introduction: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly occur following exposure to traumatic events. Since its formal introduction into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd Edition (DSM-III) in 1980, it has seen a few changes to its criteria. Currently in DSM-5, major changes was made and tools such as the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) were developed to reflect those changes. Tools to screen and diagnose PTSD is invalu- able to properly manage the condition, but to date no measure, in keeping with the DSM-5, has been produced for the Malaysian population. The objective was to translate the PCL-5 into Malay and validate it for use in the Malaysian population. Methods: The PCL-5 was translated according to guidelines. A convenient sample of subject were re- cruited from those attending the Orthopaedic Ward and Outpatient Departments due to injuries from motor vehicle accidents (MVA). Subjects completed the Malay PCL-5 (MPCL-5) on the day of recruitment and were then inter- viewed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Two weeks later they were followed-up to again complete the MPCL-5. Results: 204 subjects participated in the study. The MPCL-5 was found to have good face, content and construct validity. It also demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = .89) and inter-rater reliability (r = .81). Conclusion: The MPCL-5 is a valid and reliable measure for PTSD to be used in the Malaysian population.
Introduction: Depressive symptoms are major public health issues with significantly increasing rates during adoles- cence. Specific factors and mechanisms associated with depressive symptoms still need to be identified. The present study aimed to examine direct relationships between paternal attachment and negative life events (NLE) to depres- sive symptoms. Indirect effect of automatic thoughts on the relationships was also examined. Methods: A sample of 1030 adolescents aged between 13 and 19 years (mean=15.36) was recruited using probability proportional to size cluster sampling from selected states in Peninsular Malaysia to complete self-report measures on the study variables. Results: Structural equation modelling indicated that paternal attachment in terms of secure, approachability and anxious fearful were directly associated to depressive symptoms. Broadly, increases in secure and approachability attachments followed by decreases in depressive symptoms. Adolescents who experienced anxious fearful attach- ment seemed to be more vulnerable to depressive symptoms. Moreover, results from mediation analyses revealed that automatic thoughts mediated the effect of two attachment variables (i.e., anxious fearful and responsiveness) and NLE to depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These findings shed light on the concurrent effects of attachment and life events on depressive symptoms, providing evidence on how to reduce depressive symptoms among adolescents. The current study also expands knowledge on the role of automatic thoughts as potentially relevant mediator. Interven- tion and prevention programs aimed at preventing adolescents from the deleterious effects of depressive symptoms should involve both parents and adolescents in order to promote optimal attachment relationships and minimize depressive cognitions in adolescents.
Introduction: Psychological consequences of traumatic events are often overlooked by both medical professionals and patients themselves. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most serious condition in the spectrum of trau- ma- and stressor-related disorders. Left untreated, it may result in physical and mental illnesses as well as social and occupational dysfunction. In the Malaysian Muslim population, stigma against mental illnesses frequently deter in- dividuals suffering from psychological trauma from presenting to mental health services. These people prefer the use of spiritual and religious healing approaches to manage their post-traumatic stress symptoms. The objective of this study was to describe the Islamic cognitive restructuring techniques employed by motor vehicle accident victims for post-traumatic stress. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study involving 9 Muslim motor vehicle accidents victims was conducted from May to September 2015. Subjects were interviewed in-depth using semi-structured interview schedules. These interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed with the aid of Atlas.ti software. Re- sults: Psychological intervention such as cognitive restructuring is an effective technique to overcome post-traumatic stress. In this study, our subjects employ cognitive restructuring techniques with predominantly Islamic content. Al- most half of the subjects believe that God will not create hardship but some good will come out of it. Other subjects approach cognitive restructuring by being thankful for the small tests of hardships and compared their situation with others of worse fate. Conclusion: Islamic cognitive restructuring is a useful technique to manage posttraumatic stress symptoms. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this approach.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a critical rehabilitation component for teens who involved in sexual offences. CBT restructures their reasoning capacity to control their anti-social behaviour. An in-depth qualitative study was conducted in one of the state’s institutions for girls to investigate the practice of CBT. Ten pregnant out of wedlock teens who were participate in the therapeutic rehabilitation programme were interviewed thoroughly about the practice of CBT. The study found that the practice of CBT in the programme focused only on the religious activities, tend to focus on the vocational programme, the absence of knowledge enhancement programme, no therapy expert to conduct the CBT procedure, and the absence of any set of protocol treatment for therapy. The findings then encourages the study to recommend few interventions that can enhance the implementation of the CBT practice for teens who involved with sex offence.
From 101 records relating to health kept in the National Archives of Malaysia for the period 1946–1981, 30 records were chosen using purposive criterion-based sampling on dimensions of universal health coverage (UHC) and health system governance. From those 30, document review was performed on 13 records that were selected based on relevance to analysis of the evolution of private and public health institutions and their roles in achieving UHC from 1946 to 1981. UHC relates to the ability of patients to access good quality service with high population coverage of health care at low financial risk. Malaya was a former Western Pacific nation ruled by the British colonial government. Initially, the government bore the cost of medicines and passages between the United Kingdom and Malaya for Red Cross and St. John’s ambulance teams to serve in rural areas in Malaya. This was later replaced by home grown Rural Health Teams trained in purpose built Rural Health Centres beginning with the first such training school in Jitra under the Rural Health Scheme. The Rural Health Scheme was implemented from 1953 to 1956 and marked an ambitious period of utilising limited resources to expand human resource and establish District Health Centres, Sub-District Health Centres, Midwives’ Houses and Maternal and Child Health Centres across the rural landscape of Malaya. After analysis, it was found that the British colonial government’s efforts in improving public health through the Rural Health Scheme had provided the foundation for achieving UHC in Malaysia today.
The World Health Organisation recommends healthcare practitioners to equip themselves with appropriate skills to assess the psychological distress in women attending the antenatal and postnatal healthcare. Nevertheless, little is known about the healthcare practitioners’ perceptions of postnatal depression and its management. The aims of this review were: (1) to explore the experiences of healthcare practitioners in caring for women with postnatal depression in different countries and (2) to identify any qualitative study conducted in Malaysia regarding the healthcare practitioners’ perceptions of postnatal depression. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative synthesis of studies reporting the healthcare practitioners’ experience of managing women with postnatal depression was conducted. A search in CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and ASSIA databases was performed using specific keywords and published peer-reviewed articles from 2006 to 2016 were screened for inclusion criteria. A total of 15 relevant studies were identified and reviewed. The studies included were conducted in eight different countries: America, Australia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Greek, Mexico and Slovenia. No study conducted in Malaysia was found. This review suggestedthat the experiences of managing women with postnatal depression were relatively similar among the healthcare professionals in different countries. The main limitations reported by the healthcare practitioners were the lack of resources on maternal mental health and the absence of policy regarding the management of postnatal depression. Further research should investigate how Malaysian healthcare practitioners perceive postnatal depression and their roles in its management to provide more insights into the current clinical practice in Malaysia for postnatal depression.
A novel electrophoretic separation system has been successfully applied for the preparation of human sperm prior to the execution of assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs). This new system is designed to overcome the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through centrifugation in conventional sperm preparation. Since the previous study showed favorable outcomes in humans, this study intends to implement this new system for animal sperm preparation particularly in bull. Fresh semen from adult bulls were used. Optimization of the electrophoretic system for optimum bull sperm separation involved different strength of voltage and separation time. The voltages applied were 10V, 20V, 30V, 40V, 50V, and 60V. For each voltage applied, the system was operated for a duration of 12 min. An average of 10 μl fractionalized semen was taken out at the collection site at every 2-min interval. Every fractionated sperm was then evaluated for percentage of viability, motility, and DNA damage assessment. Result showed that electrophoresis at 20V and 6 min yielded more than 80% viable and more than 70% motile sperm population with the lowest DNA damage. In conclusion, the system was able to fractionate high quality bull sperm at 20V and 6 min.
The controversial usage of antiseptic in treating wound infections had become a huge issue over the years due to its minimal effectiveness and high toxicity level that are harmful to humans. Hence, numerous studies had been carried out to determine other possible approaches including herbal remedies. The alarming situation had led us to study on Piper sarmentosum and its antimicrobial activity against selected pathogens. In present study, methanol extract of Piper sarmentosum leaves were prepared to investigate the presence of phytochemical compounds. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of crude methanolic extract was evaluated using disc diffusion and microdilution broth methods. The study demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of leaves extract against Staphylococcus aureus (7 mm) and Escherichia coli (6.5 mm). However, no zone of inhibition was observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Meanwhile, the MIC values for Staphylococcus aureus was 6.25 mg/mL whilst Escherichia coli was 12.5 mg/mL. In addition, the phytochemical screening results revealed that the extract contained glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids and phenolics. In conclusion, methanolic extract of Piper sarmentosum leaves has the potential as a new, effective alternative towards current drugs that are available for skin-associated infection. The findings from this study are crucial in providing latest information of the plant’s additional values that can be incorporated as a baseline for current and future studies as well as in investigating other possible plants that are beneficial for health purposes, particularly for combating skin-associated infection.
Piper aduncum essential oil exhibit repellency activity and has a potential to be use as an alternative for synthetic repellent such as N,N-diethyl-3- methylbenzamide, (DEET). However, the volatility properties of the essential oil decrease their persistence as a topical repellent. Study has shown that formulation of the essential oil with some fixatives may increase their effectiveness. Therefore, this study was conduct to evaluate the effectiveness of gel formulation containing P. aduncum essential oil with two fixative; vanillin and paraffin oil. Gel formulations containing P. aduncum essential oil with 5% and 10% vanillin and 6% paraffin oil was prepared and tested against Aedes aegypti in laboratory using Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) bioassay method. After 240 minute post-application, formulation containing 5% and 10% vanillin was able to provide >70% repellency percentage against mosquito while formulation containing 6% paraffin oil gives
Multivariate statistical techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were applied to water quality parameters in order to interpret complex matrices for better assessment of water quality and environmental status of a watershed. A study was conducted to assess water quality and to establish relationship among water quality parameters in Kelantan River basin. Water quality data was obtained from Department of Environment, (DOE) Malaysia from 2005-2014. Multivariate statistical techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were applied to 15 water quality parameters in order to interpret complex matrices for better assessment of water quality and environmental status of the watershed. From the results, five PCs were extracted which are collectively accountable for controlling approximately 70% of the watershed’s water quality. Results of cluster analysis indicated that three water quality parameters that included total suspended solids, total solids and turbidity control the water quality of the study area. These parameters were allocated into three clusters based on their similarity. The finding of this study will contribute to existing knowledge of the problems associated with water quality in the basin. This information can be put to use by land use managers and policy makers for future planning and development of the watershed.
The sago starch industry is one of the major revenue sources of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. This state is currently among the world’s leading producers of sago starch, exporting more than 40,000 tons every year to different Asian countries. This number is expected to rise since starch production and export value have been increasing 15.0%– 20.0% each year. Sago palm is subjected to various processes to obtain starch from its trunk. During processing, a huge amount of residual solid wastes is generated, such as bark and hampas, and in general, is burned or washed off to nearby streams. Along with the rising sago starch demand, the sago starch industry is now facing waste management problems, which have resulted in environmental pollution and health hazards. These wastes comprise starch, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin; hence, can be valorized into feedstock as value-added products. To date, these wastes have been utilized in the production of many materials like adsorbents, sugars, biofuels, nanomaterials, composites, and ceramics. This review article aims to summarize the various methods by which these wastes can be utilized besides to enlighten the major interest on sago hampas and bark.
Known for its plain and dry content, tajweed learning is often tedious, particularly for children. Our preliminary study confirmed that most of the learners were uninterested to learn tajweed and this fact was agreed by their educators. Currently, technological advancement helps learning enormously and it has been widely utilised, especially for the digital native generation. Therefore, we highlighted the use of augmented reality and gamification as an attempt to attract children to learn tajweed. Based on experience and motivational theory, tajweed augmented reality-based gamification learning model (TARGaLM) was implemented in the tajweed learning. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of their emotional engagement (enjoyment) potential and learning performance, 198 children constituted four groups participated in the learning activities. TARGaLM successfully gained positive results of autonomy, challenge, points, badges, leader board, progression, immersion, and feedback, which are crucial for enjoyment. In the post-activity interviews, the students mentioned that the proposed approach was interesting. Furthermore, the proposed approach group indicated the highest decrease in articulation errors from the post-test compared to other groups. The use of current technology and approach not only has potential in bringing enjoyment, but also gives a positive impact on the learning outcomes.
A large scale of investigation had been carried out to predict the personality, or in precise, the behaviour of online users through user-generated texts, such as Tweets and status messages. Nevertheless, only a handful of machine learning (ML) studies have applied the personality model to assess criminality behaviour, particularly within the context of Malay social network messages. Based on the concept of sentiment valence, this study annotated a list of Malay Tweets that might be subjected to crime or illicit messages from the stance of Psychoticism trait. Consequently, the supervised-based text classification method was conducted by using Naïve Bayes (NB), Sequential Minimal Optimisation (SMO), and Decision Tree (DT) on Tweets using several features determined via Chi Square (x2). The analyses outcomes signified that SMO outperformed other classifiers insignificantly by achieving 92.85% of accuracy. Based on x2, several swear terms, such as bontot, melancap, and kote, displayed significant correlation with Psychoticism Tweets due to the nature of the trait that has been subjected to criminality behaviour, for instance, aggressive and antisocial attributes. The findings illustrate the possibilities to adapt several personality aspects in order to enhance the effectiveness in detecting illicit social network messages.
Working in a virtual team presents many challenges. Communication is one of the most important challenges, especially when a virtual team includes members from different countries and background. Virtual project management enables organizations to save on resources such as cost and time. Organizations often struggle with poor communication in their geographically dispersed teams and ineffective communication have been identified as one of the main causes project failure. The aim of this study is to determine the most critical barriers to effective communication in virtual teams. A mixed method of data collection was adopted using semi structured interview with communication and construction experts, and questionnaire approach with construction companies that are G5-G7 rated. Data were analyzed using pareto and exploratory factor analysis for the development of a strategy for enhancement of communication management within virtual teams. The result shows that lack of trust and misunderstanding are the most important barrier to communication within virtual teams. However, managing communication process has been identified to have more impact on the barriers, while planning communication has the least impact. Establishing rule for response and changing focus from individual to group were identified as the two most important factors required in order to sustain trust within virtual teams.