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Fulltext Measuring gender equality in technical and vocational education and training

Mohamad, M.M., Sulaiman, N.L., Sern, L.C., Mohd Salleh, K.

Journal of Advanced Research Design, 2015;12(1):13-20.
MyJurnal

– This study was performed to measure the gender equality involvement in Technical and
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Program in one of the Malaysia Technical University
Network (MTUN). The focuses of this study are general perspective in gender equality, men and
women position in society, and sources of information about TVET. 200 respondents involving
students and lecturers from various field of TVET programs involved in this study. Questionnaire was
applied to gather the data information and descriptive analysis represent the findings. Result showed
that most respondents strongly agree with men helping in the household were women, they are also
aware about the national policies on gender equality in Malaysia, and for last section of survey,
respondents agree that they choose studying in TVET program because the better job opportunities.
In summary, there is no gender issue in Malaysia’s policy, position of work and opportunities in
further education especially in TVET programs.
Screening for the in vitro anti-tumor-promoting activities of edible plants from Malaysia

Murakami A, Ali AM, Mat-Salleh K, Koshimizu K, Ohigashi H

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 2000 Jan;64(1):9-16.
PMID: 10705442

A total of 114 methanol extracts from 42 plant families of edible Malaysian plants were screened for their inhibitory activities toward tumor promoter 12-O-hexadecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (HPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation in Raji cells. By testing at a concentration of 200 micrograms/ml, 74% of the 114 extracts inhibited EBV activation by 30% or more. This rate is comparable to those observed in the previous tests on edible Thai (60%) and Indonesian (71%) plants, and, importantly, much higher than that (26%) observed for Japanese edible plants. Approximately half of the Malaysian plants did not taxonomically overlap those from the other three countries, suggesting that Malaysian plants, as well as Thai and Indonesian plants, are an exclusive source of effective chemopreventive agents. Further dilution experiments indicated an extract from the leaves of Piper betle L. (Piperaceae) to be one of the most promising species. The high potential of edible Southeast Asian plants for cancer chemoprevention is collectively discussed.
Distribution and health risk assessment of trace metals in freshwater tilapia from three different aquaculture sites in Jelebu Region (Malaysia)

Low KH, Zain SM, Abas MR, Md Salleh K, Teo YY

Food Chem, 2015 Jun 15;177:390-6.
PMID: 25660902 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.01.059

The trace metal concentrations in edible muscle of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) sampled from a former tin mining pool, concrete tank and earthen pond in Jelebu were analysed with microwave assisted digestion-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results were compared with established legal limits and the daily ingestion exposures simulated using the Monte Carlo algorithm for potential health risks. Among the metals investigated, arsenic was found to be the key contaminant, which may have arisen from the use of formulated feeding pellets. Although the risks of toxicity associated with consumption of red tilapia from the sites investigated were found to be within the tolerable range, the preliminary probabilistic estimation of As cancer risk shows that the 95th percentile risk level surpassed the benchmark level of 10(-5). In general, the probabilistic health risks associated with ingestion of red tilapia can be ranked as follows: former tin mining pool > concrete tank > earthen pond.
H emibagrus sp. as a potential bioindicator of hazardous metal pollution in Selangor River

Idris NSU, Low KH, Koki IB, Kamaruddin AF, Md Salleh K, Zain SM

Environ Monit Assess, 2017 May;189(5):220.
PMID: 28425070 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5939-x

The spatial distributions of Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se and Pb in Hemibagrus sp. from Selangor River and a reference site were determined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer, in comparison to the levels in their surrounding water body and sediments. The results demonstrated significant differences in elemental accumulation pattern in different fish tissues originated from both sites. The variations observed were mainly subjected to their metabolic activities, and also the influence of the surrounding medium. In general, the liver tends to accumulate higher concentration of metals followed by the gills, and muscle tissues. The data also indicate associations between the concentrations of metal contaminants measured in the fish and the levels observed at the sites. The concentrations of hazardous metals As, Se and Pb in all the studied tissues reflect the influence of anthropogenic inputs. This suggests the potential utility of widely available Hemibagrus sp. as a valuable bioindicator of metal pollution in environmental monitoring and assessment.
Effects of carboxymethyl cellulose fiber formations with chitosan incorporation via coating and mixing processes

Jafri NF, Mohd Salleh K, Ahmad Ghazali N, Nyak Mazlan NS, Ab Halim NH, Zakaria S

Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Sep 18;253(Pt 4):126971.
PMID: 37729993 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126971

To date, the utilization of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) fibers are only restricted to weak mechanical application such as wound dressing. Physically, CMC has a weak mechanical strength due to the high hydrophilicity trait. However, this flaw was saved by the extensive number of reactive functional groups, allowing this macromolecule to form linkages with chitosan to ensure its versatility. This work successfully fabricated CMC-chitosan fiber via dissolution, crosslinking, dry-jet wet-spinning extrusion, and coagulation processes. Chitosan was constituted with CMC fiber in two approaches, coating, and inclusion at various concentrations. Morphologically, chitosan incorporation has triggered agglomerations and roughness toward CMC fibers (CMCF). Chemically, the interaction between CMC and chitosan was proved through FTIR analysis at peaks 1245 cm-1 (ECH covalent crosslinking), while 3340 cm-1 and 1586 cm-1 were due to ionic and hydrogen bonding. The result from analysis showed that at higher chitosan concentrations, the chitosan-included CMC fiber (CMCF-I) and chitosan-coated CMC fiber (CMFC) were mechanically enhanced (up to 86.77 and 82.72 MPa), thermally more stable (33 % residual mass), and less hydrophilic compared to the plain CMCF. The properties of CMC-chitosan fibers have opened up vast possible applications, especially as a reinforcement in a watery medium such as a hydrogel.
Fulltext Effects of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] coating on the bacterial communities of artificial structures

Chai YJ, Syauqi TA, Sudesh K, Ee TL, Ban CC, Kar Mun AC, et al.

PLoS One, 2024;19(4):e0300929.
PMID: 38635673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300929

The expanding urbanization of coastal areas has led to increased ocean sprawl, which has had both physical and chemical adverse effects on marine and coastal ecosystems. To maintain the health and functionality of these ecosystems, it is imperative to develop effective solutions. One such solution involves the use of biodegradable polymers as bioactive coatings to enhance the bioreceptivity of marine and coastal infrastructures. Our study aimed to explore two main objectives: (1) investigate PHA-degrading bacteria on polymer-coated surfaces and in surrounding seawater, and (2) comparing biofilm colonization between surfaces with and without the polymer coating. We applied poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)) coatings on concrete surfaces at concentrations of 1% and 6% w/v, with varying numbers of coating cycles (1, 3, and 6). Our findings revealed that the addition of P(3HB) indeed promoted accelerated biofilm growth on the coated surfaces, resulting in an occupied area approximately 50% to 100% larger than that observed in the negative control. This indicates a remarkable enhancement, with the biofilm expanding at a rate roughly 1.5 to 2 times faster than the untreated surfaces. We observed noteworthy distinctions in biofilm growth patterns based on varying concentration and number of coating cycles. Interestingly, treatments with low concentration and high coating cycles exhibited comparable biofilm enhancements to those with high concentrations and low coating cycles. Further investigation into the bacterial communities responsible for the degradation of P(3HB) coatings identified mostly common and widespread strains but found no relation between the concentration and coating cycles. Nevertheless, this microbial degradation process was found to be highly efficient, manifesting noticeable effects within a single month. While these initial findings are promising, it's essential to conduct tests under natural conditions to validate the applicability of this approach. Nonetheless, our study represents a novel and bio-based ecological engineering strategy for enhancing the bioreceptivity of marine and coastal structures.
Retrospective review of the prevalence and risk factors of anaemia among antenatal mothers attending health clinics in Alor Gajah, Melaka

Ali N, Nur Kalmi Z, Sanusi NS, Ahad A, Mohd Khairuddin NA, Rosman SR, et al.

Malays Fam Physician, 2022 Nov 30;17(3):137-143.
PMID: 36606167 DOI: 10.51866/oa.135

INTRODUCTION: Anaemia is common during pregnancy and can lead to miscarriage, intrauterine growth retardation, premature labour and antepartum haemorrhage. Anaemia in pregnancy is defined as a haemoglobin (Hb) level of <11 g/dL.
METHOD: This retrospective review included 407 antenatal mothers diagnosed with anaemia at 36±1 weeks of gestation at all 10 health clinics in Alor Gajah between January and December 2018.
RESULTS: According to the district annual returns, 2,407 antenatal mothers (36 weeks of gestation) were registered in the health clinics in Alor Gajah in 2018. Among them, the prevalence of anaemia was 18.6% (n=448). However, there were only 407 cards found. Most participants were Malays (89.4%), aged 20-40 years (93.6%) and married (96.3%). Almost all anaemia cases (96.5%) were mild (Hb level of 9-10.9 g/dL). Approximately 34.4% of the mothers were already anaemic at booking; 77.6% belonged to the B40 income group; and 31.6% had poor pregnancy spacing of <2 years. Iron deficiency anaemia was the most common type of anaemia (51.0%), followed by dilutional anaemia (34.0%), which did not normalise at 36 weeks of gestation. Anaemia was associated with lower educational (p<0.05) and Hb levels at booking (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION: Having normal maternal Hb levels in early pregnancy especially at booking is crucial, as it may reduce the possibility of anaemia during pregnancy. Early screening and supplementation of at-risk pregnancies may be applied as a preventive strategy. Suitable methods of iron treatment and investigation need further exploration.