In general, most of the consumers in Malaysia would throw away their cooking oil just after one or two times of usage. Waste of the cooking oil is one of the root causes of water pollution as well as the cause of clogged the sink and drainage system in the residential areas. These situations occur due to bad habits of people to simply throw away used cooking oil that would affect and harm the environment. As the world moves forward to a sustainable city and greener environment, the society need to tackle this bad habit from becoming worse. This paper proposes a conceptual idea on how to educate, promote, create awareness as well as encourage the public to be more responsible in managing and disposing used cooking oil. The objective of this study is also aligned and inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Canarium odontophyllum is a rare tropical fruit that is primarily propagated by seeds.
However, there is little information regarding its seed handling and germination. As
low seed moisture content (MC), generally that below 10%, is the key determinant to
successful seed storage while avoiding microbial damage, the objective of this study
was, hence, set to investigate C. odontophyllum’s seed germination as affected by
desiccation using drying beads (DBs) at room temperature or convection oven at
40C to varying seed MCs, from its initial MC of above 20% down to that below 10%.
It was found that the seeds tolerated fast dehydration within 24h at room temperature
using DBs. They retained 90% germination despite seed MC was reduced to below
10%. Desiccation tolerance with DBs was, however, found only with seeds extracted
from fresh fruits. As the fruits started rotting with wrinkled appearance and fungi on
the pericarp from four days after harvest onwards, the seeds extracted from them died
at MC of below 15%. A slower seed drying method using convection oven at higher
temperature of 40C, on the other hand, took 72h to bring the seed MC down to
This study explores how laboratory activity with the argumentative approach could promote
students' conceptual understanding in the Hess' law energy cycle through laboratory work.
Laboratory work with an argument-based inquiry instructional strategy was set up to 15 preuniversity
students from one of the Form 6 Centre at the West Coast Division of Sabah,
Malaysia. The laboratory work consists of a guided inquiry-based instruction with an
argumentative approach in the topic of thermochemistry. The students' understanding of the
energy processes was analyzed with a qualitative method using a semi-structured interview
and triangulated with conversation analysis. The data collected from students' conversation
during the activity was then triangulated with reflective writing at the end of the laboratory
lesson. The study shows the students' prior knowledge and argumentation discourse
significantly influences the development of conceptual understanding. This study emphasizes
argument-based inquiry (ABIIS) in laboratory work to enhance their conceptual knowledge in
the laboratory.
The Silver Reed Model LK150 knitting machine is a home knitting machine which is
extremely lightweight and compact, making it preferable by most home knitters.
There are various knitwears with interesting patterns can be made using this model. In
the field of garments manufacturing by using flatbed knitting machines, it is
important to understand the physical properties of fabric so that their impact on
dimensional changes can be predicted to produce the most suitable end use. The
samples were produced by using a blended bamboo/cotton yarn, with a composition
of 30% cotton and 70% bamboo. The main objectives of this study are to to evaluate
the physical properties of single jersey fabric knitted on home knitting machine by
using different stitch dials and to relate the physical properties with different stitch
lengths. Then, all tests were conducted to compare the physical properties of samples
between three different stitch dials and the effects of before and after washing. The
physical properties measured in this research were stitch length, stitch density, weight,
thickness, absorbency and shrinkage. The result indicated that the longer the stitch
length, the higher the percentage of the water impact penetration. Meanwhile, there
was a slight reduction on the density, thickness and fabric weight. In addition, the
result after three times washing showed that the samples only had slight changes in
density, thickness, weight and stitch length, but has significant changes on the water
impact penetration.
Rodents are the world’s largest group of small mammals with more than 2200 living species, comprising around 40 percent of all small mammal species existing today. Rodents are non-volant small mammals that weigh approximately less than 500g and inhabit various types of habitat such as grasslands, desert and even in human settlements. This review explained the roles, threats and distribution of rodents in the ecosystem they inhabit. Some species play critical roles as seed disperser, pollinator and even as laboratory subjects in many experiments. This article serves as an eye-opener about the rodent status distribution and abundance in natural and modified habitat, especially in Malaysia. This review of literature can provide knowledge to people to know more about rodents.
Black pod rot is the most economically important disease of cocoa in Malaysia which is
mainly caused by a highly polyphagous Phytophthora species, called Phytophthora palmivora.
The fungus could attack all parts of the cocoa plant organs and caused various diseases at
any growth stage from seedling until the mature stages, especially during raining season. The
application of synthetic fungicides has been widely recommended to manage the disease but
their repeated use had led to other problems such as environmental, human health and
development of fungicide resistance issues. This study isolated and identified Phytopththora
isolate from a cocoa pod sample based on micro-morphological characters. Besides, the
present investigation was undertaken to screen for the antifungal potency of different weed
extracts against the Phytophthora pathogen using poisoned food technique. The fungal isolate
was successfully recovered from pod tissues of clone PBC123 on 20% tomato juice agar
culture (20T). Only one out of ten weed extracts tested showed a significant in vitro inhibitory
effect towards mycelial growth of Phytophthora isolate, which was aqueous crude leaf extract
of Solanum torvum (42.68%). This study indicated that the potential of weed extracts in the
management of Phytophthora diseases, and may offer more natural, effective and economical
control methods.
Heterotrigona itama is a Malaysian stingless bee species that actively reared for meliponiculture. This stingless bee is cultivated in a commercial scale for its honey production, propolis and among the greatest commercial potential as crop pollinators. However, this species has been potentially exposed to agronomic practices, among which the use of synthetic insecticides against pests.The indirect toxicity effect of the post-insecticide had affected the mortalities of H. itama especially, to the foragers. Due to that, a study has been conducted to determine the lethal concentration of 50% (LC50) and 95% (LC95) of the selected insecticides against stingless bee forager workers through residual exposure. The bioassay test was conducted to the local stingless bee H. itama at Agricultural Research Station, Tenom. Four commonly used insecticides in crop protection; Deltamethrin, Chlorpyrifos, Cypermethrin and Malathion were tested at five concentrations that diluted with 500 ml of distilled water in three replications for each insecticide. Lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC95) were obtained from probit analysis after 1-hour dry residues exposure and 24-hour mortality observation. The result shows that; all four tested insecticides were harmful to H. itama through dry residue. Deltamethrin shows the higher value of LC50 (1.256 ml) and LC95 (3.582ml) that make it less toxic to the H. itama than cypermethrin, malathion, and chlorpyrifos, however, as the concentration gets higher it becomes more toxic.
University students are known to have different sleeping schedules. Students’ sleep difficulties will affect their health and their performances in studies. Sleep hygiene is a collection of healthy sleep habits that can improve one’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It is considered to be imperative to treat sleep disturbance especially among university students. The aim of this study is to examine the sleep beliefs among the students of UiTM Sabah based on gender and academic performance. This study was conducted on Diploma students between March and July 2018. The respondents were randomly selected from Diploma students of all faculties in UiTM Sabah: Accounting, Business Management, Public Administration, Science, Planting Industry Management, Hotel Management, and Tourism Management. This paper is based on the Sleep Belief Scale questionnaire to assess the sleep hygiene awareness. Questionnaires were distributed using online survey. Findings of this study were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The result of findings showed that the Sleep Incompatible Behaviours (drinking coffee, taking sleep medication, smoking before sleep) is the highest contributor of the students’ sleep hygiene and therefore it affects the sleep quality. While the Sleep Wake Cycle Behaviours (going to bed & waking up always at the same hour, going to bed two hours earlier than the habitual hour) and Thoughts and Attitude to Sleep (over thinking before sleep, trying to fall asleep without having a sleep sensation)also contributed to the sleep hygiene of the students but not as high as the Sleep Incompatible Behaviours. Based on the results of the findings, the counseling department of UiTM Sabah may organise an education program to create awareness among students about the intervention and prevention strategies as well as the incorrect beliefs about sleep.
Electromyography (EMG) is a random biological signal that depends on the electrode
placement and the physiology of the individual. Currently, EMG control is practically limited
by this individualistic nature and requires per session training. This study investigates the
EMG signals based on six locations on the lower forearm during contraction. Gesture
classification was performed en-bloc across 20 subjects without retraining with the objective
of determining the most classifiable gestures based on the similarity of their resultant EMG
signals. Principle component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were the
principal tools for analysis. The results showed that many gesture pairs could be accurately
classified per channel with accuracies of over 85%. However, classification rates dropped to
unreliable levels when up to nine gestures were classified over the single channels. The
classification results show universal classification based on a common EMG database is
possible without retraining for limited gestures.
Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo during the period of British colonisation from 1888-1963 produced many texts about the British presence and their activities on the island. This review highlights that the post-war studies especially Sabah’s colonial literature is the missing link to its alternative history. Colonial literature has left its legacy in the form of history, anthropology and art but also in the textual and literary representations of Sabah through a western lens. The critique of colonial fiction and non-fiction texts in former colonies in Malaya and Sarawak have paved the way for critical examination and commentary on the modes of representation of the indigenous and immigrants. This review discusses the highlights of postcolonial criticism in Malaysia. It briefly introduces some of the issues about postcolonial criticism in Sabah and its potential.
The highest formal academic qualification is the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Currently, in US alone, 1.77% of its population has doctorates or its equivalent degree holders. It differs in every country depending on the quality of education system that it has. As it is the highest recognition for academic performance, a lot have dreamt to hold the revered scroll. However, quite a number have failed trying. There are a lot of descriptions for the acronym PhD; the most frightening one, Permanent Head Damage. Upon reflection, one description fits well. The formula of success for obtaining PhD consists of the elements known as strategical Plan (P), the rich health (H) and the awesome determination (D). This paper is elaborating these three elements and more, required for a person who is attempting to acquire the degree based on a review of literature and my personal experiences. Hopefully, it will be able to help those who are still fighting their way through their journey.
Existing research recognizes the critical role of vocabulary in the acquisition of a second (L2)
or foreign language. In the context of L2 writing, it has been established that as vocabulary
size increases, so does the ability to write more effective texts. The purpose of this study
was to investigate the relationship between vocabulary size and ESL students’ written
performance. The participants were 69 Malaysian university students whose writing skills
were assessed as part of their English course requirement. Vocabulary size was measured
using Laufer and Nation (1990) Vocabulary Level Test (VLT). Performance on the VLT
was correlated with writing scores as a measure of written performance. Findings indicated
that a majority of participants achieved a mastery level of the 2000-word test but had
difficulty in the 3000-word and 5000-word level. Participants’ vocabulary size was also
found to be strongly associated with their written performance. These results elucidate the
importance of vocabulary knowledge in L2 writing. The pedagogical implication of the
current work calls for the integration of vocabulary in writing classrooms.
Most of the plants in the ginger family Zingeberaceae are well-known for their medicinal properties. However, the genus Hornstedtia found in Sabah is less reported. This research aims to investigate the phytochemical constituent and vitamin C content of a fruit, locally known as the Tolidus fruit in Sabah. The dried fruit sample was extracted using three solvents which were water, ethanol and methanol. The phytochemical constituents were determined using standard Colour Test for the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin and tannin. Then, the content of Vitamin C was determined using the standard Colorimetric Titration and ascorbic acid as standard. The phytochemical evaluation revealed that all three targeted constituents were present in all extracts except for the alkaloid. The vitamin C content was determined in both dried and fresh sample of fruits, where 52.84 mg was quantified in the fresh fruit aqueous extract and 23.93 mg in the dried fruit aqueous extract respectively. These results are comparable to the content of vitamin C in orange and lime fruits. The phytochemical evaluation and vitamin C content of Tolidus suggested the potential of this underutilised fruit to be the natural and affordable source of vitamin C. Additionally, may protect the body against harmful free radicals. However, further analysis is needed to determine other constructive natural contents and evaluate the efficacy of this fruit as a natural source of antioxidant
This study is focused on formulating a natural-based fabric softener using baking
soda and vinegar with the addition of insect repellent finish of citronella oil and
vanillin. The effectiveness of the fabric softener was evaluated by conducting a fabric
stiffness test on both untreated and treated fabric samples with the softener
formulated in this study. The assessment for the efficacy of insect repellence was
carried out using 3 human participants of the same gender and build but different
blood type, positioned at a mosquito infested area. Three tests; negative, positive, and
normal tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the formulated mosquito
repellent finishes in the fabric softener. The results show that the formulated fabric
softener is good mosquito repellent and it is good at giving a soft effect on the treated
fabric.
In today’s society, there is a great demand for appreciating nutritional standards in which characterized by rising costs and often decreasing availability of raw material together with concern about environmental pollution. Consequently, there is a considerable emphasis on their recovery, recycling and upgrading wastes. The food industry produces large volumes of wastes, both solids and liquids, resulting from the production, preparation and consumption of food. Due to legislation and environmental reasons, the food and beverage industry is highly enforced to find an alternative use for the residual matter. The latest trends impacting the food industry include moves to reduce the huge amount of food waste, as consumers simultaneously adapt their habits in times of continuing austerity. In the last decades, consumers demands in the field of food production has changed considerably. Consumers believe that food contribute directly to their health. Therefore, the idea of using underutilized and waste food products was triggered, where the main ingredient is made of plants waste which is corn silk. It is an invention to transform plant waste to corn silk flour – Zea Mays Flour ( ZMF) that benefit the society through its help of increasing food for the world. Furthermore, it can help to enhance global efforts towards food security, nutrition, dietary needs, as well as foster health and income generation. Recycling products using underutilized and waste food products also could help to sustain the environment. There is one fact that must be beared in inventors’ mind that scientific research alone does not guarantee for a product to be successful in the market. The product invented should fit the taste and needs for the consumers as the market success rate is influenced by the degree of familiarity and acceptance toward the product being sold. Many of the today’s food and beverage products are not intended merely to satisfy hunger and provide humans with necessary nutrients, as they aim to prevent nutrition related diseases and increase physical and mental well-being of consumers. Therefore, it is necessary for product development to explore which need that consumers are concerned about, so that the product could achieve success and market acceptance. The idea using food product using underutilized/waste product, corn silk become Zea Mays Flour ( ZMF), is hoped will support the idea of sustainability, specifically ins steadily gaining more attention from many food producers worldwide, to save the environment while at the same time boost the business through reduction of costs and considerable amount of waste.