Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 731 in total

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  1. Hussin NA, Najimudin N, Ab Majid AH
    Heliyon, 2019 Dec;5(12):e02969.
    PMID: 31872129 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02969
    The subterranean termite Globitermus sulphureus is an important Southeast Asian pest with limited genomic resources that causes damages to agriculture crops and building structures. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to survey the G. sulphureus transcriptome composition. Here, we performed de novo transcriptome for G. sulphureus workers' heads using Illumina HiSeq paired-end sequencing technology. A total of 88, 639, 408 clean reads were collected and assembled into 243, 057 transcripts and 193, 344 putative genes. The transcripts were annotated with the Trinotate pipeline. In total, 27, 061 transcripts were successfully annotated using BLASTX against the SwissProt database and 17, 816 genes were assigned to 47, 598 GO terms. We classified 14, 223 transcripts into COG classification, resulting in 25 groups of functional annotations. Next, a total of 12, 194 genes were matched in the KEGG pathway and 392 metabolic pathways were predicted based on the annotation. Moreover, we detected two endogenous cellulases in the sequences. The RT-qPCR analysis showed that there were significant differences in the expression levels of two genes β-glucosidase and endo-β-1,4-glucanase between worker and soldier heads of G. sulphureus. This is the first study to characterize the complete head transcriptome of a higher termite G. sulphureus using a high-throughput sequencing. Our study may provide an overview and comprehensive molecular resource for comparative studies of the transcriptomics and genomics of termites.
  2. Abdullah NNA, Ab Majid AH
    Heliyon, 2023 Jan;9(1):e12833.
    PMID: 36711302 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12833
    BACKGROUND: The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, is the most prevalent domiciliary and invasive urban pest in the sewer and waste water system. It poses a substantial threat to human public health and home allergens. This study was conducted at Universiti Sains Malaysia main campus to highlight and provide information on the control and management of American cockroach infestations in sewage systems by comparing the efficiency of fipronil 0.05% gel bait with imidacloprid 2.5% gel bait. A total number of adult and nymph stages of trapped American cockroaches was recorded using glass jar traps at eight sampling sites. Gel baits were placed beneath the lids of each manhole shaft along the inner wall perimeter.

    RESULTS: The use of fipronil and imidacloprid gel baits in the sewer system resulted in a significant difference (P = 0.013). Imidacloprid 2.5% gel bait, compared to fipronil 0.05% gel bait, is the most effective treatment technique for reducing American cockroaches' population in sewer systems, with a high reduction percentage mean for both adult (91.17%) and nymph (85.50%) stages.

    CONCLUSION: As a conclusion, imidacloprid gel bait can effectively control cockroaches in sewer systems up to eight weeks.

  3. Vellupillai NM, Ab Majid AH
    Heliyon, 2024 Jan 15;10(1):e23692.
    PMID: 38192757 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23692
    Coptotermes termites were collected from forestry habitats at University Sains Malaysia, Penang, while urban samples were collected from residentials from Penang and Kedah, Malaysia. Mitochondrial DNA markers, Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (CO1), and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes were amplified and sequenced to confirm the species of the termite samples as Coptotermes gestroi. Through Blastn, all 25 CO1 and 16S rRNA sequences, respectively from urban and natural habitats were found to be 99.54-100.00 % similar to C. gestroi reference sequences from previous studies in Peninsular Malaysia. The phylogenetic trees constructed using Neighboring-joining (NJ) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods resulted in CO1 sequences clustering in two clades and 16S rRNA sequences clustering in a single clade. The overall mean distance was low for the C. gestroi populations from natural habitats and urban settings (FST = 0.004). Analysis of natural habitat populations using CO1 sequences revealed two haplotypes within the population, with a haplotype diversity (Hd) of 0.045 ± 0.005, while the urban population shared a common haplotype with the natural habitat populations and there was no haplotype diversity recorded between the populations. Urban and natural habitats included only one haplotype for 16S rRNA sequences, indicating a lack of nucleotide diversity. Based on the findings, a non-significant difference between the natural habitat and urban population suggests C. gestroi inhabiting both regions likely originated from a similar source and underwent population homogeneity in different settings facilitated by anthropogenic dispersal.
  4. Abdul Rahman MH, Sadi T, Ahmad AA, Masri IN, Mohammad Yusoff M, Kamaruddin H, et al.
    Heliyon, 2020 Aug;6(8):e04748.
    PMID: 32885080 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04748
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04486.].
  5. Abdul Rahman MH, Sadi T, Ahmad AA, Masri IN, Mohammad Yusoff M, Kamaruddin H, et al.
    Heliyon, 2020 Jul;6(7):e04486.
    PMID: 32715140 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04486
    Composting of yard waste is one of the waste management approaches in the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. The yard waste inventory was developed in the headquarters' area and a pilot-scale study was performed on the potential compost product. The total amount of yard waste generated from June 2017 to December 2017 was 16.75 tonnes with an average generation of 0.60 tonnes per week on the dry weight (d.w.) basis. The collected yard waste consisted of three major characteristics, namely dry leaves, fresh green leaves, and grass cuttings, and a waste estimation technique was applied to determine the composition of these three elements. The acquired information was used to formulate the initial compost mixture. The wastes were then mixed with an appropriate amount of livestock manure and other wastes to obtain the optimum initial C/N ratio, which was then found in the analysis to range between 25:1 and 42:1. Meanwhile, the C/N ratios obtained from the matured compost product were from 10:1 and 15:1. Moreover, most of the compost yield ranged between 50% and 70% (w w-1 d.w. basis), while the percentage of the seed germination in the compost was over 95%. The viability of the project was indicated from the economic analysis, with benefit to cost ratio (BCR) values of more than 1. The results also suggested that the large scale composting of yard waste in MARDI was feasible and its applicability is continuous. This technique also fulfilled the objective of producing quality compost, which was suitable for agricultural use.
  6. Alakbari FS, Mohyaldinn ME, Ayoub MA, Salih AA, Abbas AH
    Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17639.
    PMID: 37539270 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17639
    Erosion of piping components, e.g., elbows, is a hazardous phenomenon that frequently occurs due to sand flow with fluids during petroleum production. Early prediction of the sand's erosion rate (ER) is essential for ensuring a safe flow process and material integrity. Some models have been applied to determine the ER of the sand in the literature. However, these models have been created based on specific data to require a model for application to wide-range data. Moreover, the previous models have not studied relationships between independent and dependent variables. Thus, this research aims to use machine learning techniques, namely linear regression and decision tree (DT), to predict the ER robustly. The optimum model, the DT model, was evaluated using various trend analysis and statistical error analyses (SEA) techniques, namely the correlation coefficient (R). The evaluation results proved proper physical behavior for all independent variables, along with high accuracy and the DT model robustness. The proposed DT method can accurately predict the ER with R of 0.9975, 0.9911, 0.9761, and 0.9908, AAPRE of 5.0%, 6.27%, 6.26%, and 5.5%, RMSE of 2.492E-05, 6.189E-05, 9.310E-05, and 5.339E-05, and STD of 13.44, 6.66, 8.01, and 11.44 for the training, validation, testing, and whole datasets, respectively. Hence, this study delivers an effective, robust, accurate, and fast prediction tool for ER determination, significantly saving the petroleum industry's cost and time.
  7. Mensah EE, Abbas Z, Azis RS, Ibrahim NA, Khamis AM, Abdalhadi DM
    Heliyon, 2020 Dec;6(12):e05595.
    PMID: 33305050 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05595
    The development of microwave absorbing materials based on recycled hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles and polycaprolactone (PCL) was the main focus of this study. α-Fe2O3 was recycled from mill scale and reduced to nanoparticles through high energy ball milling in order to improve its complex permittivity properties. Different compositions (5% wt., 10% wt., 15% wt. and 20% wt.) of the recycled α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were melt-blended with PCL using a twin screw extruder to fabricate recycled α-Fe2O3/PCL nanocomposites. The samples were characterized for their microstructural properties through X - ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties were respectively measured using the open ended coaxial (OEC) probe and a microstrip in connection with a vector network analyzer in the 1-4 GHz frequency range. An average α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle size of 16.2 nm was obtained with a maximum imaginary (ε") part of permittivity value of 0.54 at 4 GHz. The complex permittivity and power loss values of the nanocomposites increased with recycled α-Fe2O3 nanofiller content. At 2.4 GHz, the power loss (dB) values obtained for all the nanocomposites were between 13.3 dB and 14.4 dB and at 3.4 GHz, a maximum value of 16.37 dB was achieved for the 20 % wt. nanocomposite. The recycled α-Fe2O3/PCL nanocomposites have the potential for use in noise reduction applications in the 1-4 GHz range.
  8. Alsalahi A, Maarof NNN, Alshawsh MA, Aljaberi MA, Qasem MA, Mahuob A, et al.
    Heliyon, 2024 Mar 30;10(6):e27390.
    PMID: 38510007 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27390
    The immune-modulatory effects of black seeds (Nigella sativa seeds, NSS) are well documented, but the overall in vivo impact of this important natural medicinal product on immune system function has yet to be established. Here we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the effects of NSS on humoral [serum titers of immunoglobulins including IgG, IgM, anti-Newcastle virus disease (anti-NDV), and sheep red blood cell antigen (anti-SRBC)] and cellular immunity [total white blood cell (WBC) count and percentages of monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils, neutrophils, and eosinophils] in healthy animals. The PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched according to predefined eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the final effect size using RevMan software. Seventeen animal studies were eligible for analysis. For humoral immunity, the overall pooled effect size (ES) of NSS on serum titers of IgM and anti-NVD antibodies was not significantly different [mean difference (MD) 75.27, 95% CI: -44.76 to 195.30, p = 0.22 (I2 = 89%, p = 0.003), and -0.01, 95% CI: -0.27 to 0.25, p = 0.94 (I2 = 74%, p = 0.02), respectively]. However, NSS significantly increased serum titers of IgG and anti-SRBC antibodies [MD 3.30, 95% CI: 2.27 to 4.32, p = 0.00001 (I2 = 0%, p = 0.97), and 1.15, 95% CI: 0.74 to 1.56, p = 0.00001 (I2 = 0%, p = 0.43), respectively]. For cellular immunity, the ES of NSS on WBCs, monocytes, and lymphocytes were not significantly different [MD 0.29, 95% CI: -0.55 to 1.13, p = 0.50, (I2 = 14%, p = 0.32), - 0.01, 95% CI: -0.45 to 0.44, p = 0.97 (I2 = 0%, p = 0.77), and 4.73, 95% CI: -7.13 to 16.59, p = 0.43, (I2 = 99%, p = 0.00001), respectively]. In conclusion, black seeds enhance humoral immunity in healthy animals but do not affect cellular immunity.
  9. Abdelhafez MA, Ahmed KM, Ahmed NM, Ismail M, Mohd Daud MNB, Ping NPT, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e20958.
    PMID: 37954333 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20958
    BACKGROUND: Women of reproductive age frequently suffer from psychiatric disorders. The risk of developing anxiety, bipolar, and depressive disorders is especially significant during the perinatal period.

    OBJECTIVES: This article aims to identify and discuss the different psychiatric conditions that might affect pregnant women and update the mother's carers about the recent and updated bidirectional relationship between psychiatric disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, As well as the most updates in diagnostic and management strategies.

    METHODS: A thorough analysis of the literature was conducted using database searches in EMBASE, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed to obtain the objectives and aim of the study.

    RESULTS: The presence of maternal mental illness during pregnancy has been linked to preterm delivery, newborn hypoglycemia, poor neurodevelopmental outcomes, and disturbed attachment. Placental anomalies, small-for-gestational-age foetuses, foetal discomfort, and stillbirth are among more undesirable perinatal outcomes.

    CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy-related psychiatric disorders are frequent. The outcomes for pregnant women, infants, and women's health are all improved by proper diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric problems.

  10. Mujafarkani N, Ahamed FMM, Babu KS, Debnath S, Sayed AA, Albadrani GM, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Oct;9(10):e20459.
    PMID: 37810859 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20459
    In an innovative approach to push the boundaries of antimicrobial and antioxidant strategies, we present the synthesis and characterization of a novel terpolymer derived from N-Phenyl-p-phenylenediamine and 2-aminopyrimidine with formaldehyde in the presence of dimethylformamide as a reaction medium through polycondensation technique. Leveraging this terpolymer as a ligand, we introduce an intriguing terpolymer-metal complex, created with Ni (II) metal ion. In our pursuit to validate the structure and properties of these substances, we performed meticulous characterizations using important spectral studies such as FTIR, electronic, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. This provided us with a unique fingerprint for the (N-Phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-2-aminopyrimidine-formaldehyde) terpolymeric ligand (PAF) and its metal complex. In addition, the molecular weights of PAF terpolymer were established using gel permeation chromatography. Upon investigation, PAF terpolymer and PAF-Ni complex exhibited impressive antimicrobial activity, tested by the disc-diffusion technique. Both demonstrated potency against a range of harmful bacterial and fungal strains, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. In an extension to their biological applications, we evaluated the free radical scavenging activity of PAF terpolymer and PAF-Ni complex using the DPPH assay. The complex PAF-Ni showcased an enhanced scavenging activity 73.94% (IC50 = 17.58) compared to the ligand PAF 63.06% (IC50 = 27.61) at 100 μg/ml indicating its potential role in oxidative stress management.
  11. Anuar N, Sabri AH, Bustami Effendi TJ, Abdul Hamid K
    Heliyon, 2020 Jul;6(7):e04570.
    PMID: 32775730 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04570
    Lipophilic compounds constitute a majority of therapeutics in the pipeline of drug discovery. Despite possessing enhanced efficacy and permeability, some of these drugs suffer poor solubility necessitating the need of a suitable drug delivery system. Nanoemulsion is a drug delivery system that provides enhanced solubility for poorly soluble drugs in an attempt to improve the oral bioavailability. The purpose of this study is to develop a nanoemulsion system using ibuprofen as a model drug in order to investigate the potential of this colloidal system to enhance the absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. Ibuprofen loaded-nanoemulsion with different drug concentrations (1.5, 3 and 6% w/w) were formulated from olive oil, sucrose ester L-1695 and glycerol using D-phase emulsification technique. A pseudoternary phase diagram was utilised to identify the optimal excipient composition to formulate the nanoemulsion system. In vitro diffusion chamber studies using rodent intestinal linings highlighted improved absorption profile when ibuprofen was delivered as nanoemulsion in comparison to microemulsions and drug-in-oil systems. This was further corroborated by in vivo studies using rat model that highlighted a two-fold increase in ibuprofen absorption when the drug was administered as a nanoemulsion relative to drug-in-oil system. On the other hand, when ibuprofen was administered as microemulsions, only a 1.5-fold increase in absorption was observed relative to drug-in-oil system. Thus, this study highlights the potential of using nanoemulsion as a drug delivery system to enhance the oral bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs.
  12. Zolkiflee NF, Meor Mohd Affandi MMR, Abdul Majeed AB
    Heliyon, 2023 Apr;9(4):e14363.
    PMID: 37009243 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14363
    Levocetirizine dihydrochloride (LCTZ) is a second-generation antihistamine known for its efficacy without sedation. However, the binding mechanism with plasma protein which makes it devoid of sedative effects is yet to be uncovered. In this study, we elucidated thermodynamic parameters of solute-solvent and solute-cosolute interactions between LCTZ, and the amino acids l-alanine (Ala) and l-glutamine (Gln) in aqueous solutions. The volumetric and conductance parameters were calculated using the experimental density and conductance data of aqueous solutions of Ala and Gln (concentration range of 0.02-0.20 mol kg-1) and LCTZ (concentration range of 0.01, 0.07, and 0.13 mol kg-1) at 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15 K. Volumetric analysis study revealed that the apparent molar volume (Vφ), limiting apparent molar volume (Vφ 0), and Masson's coefficient (Sv) values indicated predominantly solute-solvent interactions that were influenced by the solute's concentration and temperature. Meanwhile, partial molar expansibilities (Eφ 0), transfer volume ΔtrVφ 0 and Hepler's constant (δ2V0/δT2) established the solution system's structure-breaking tendency. The Gibb's free energy (ΔG0) values derived from conductometry data indicated the system's spontaneity. These calculated constants provided a detailed understanding of the different types of intermolecular interactions found in the ternary (LCTZ + water + amino acids) system.
  13. Hazrol MD, Sapuan SM, Ilyas RA, Zainudin ES, Zuhri MYM, Abdul NI
    Heliyon, 2023 Apr;9(4):e15153.
    PMID: 37095902 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15153
    This paper documents the thermal and biodegradation behaviour of kenaf/cornhusk fiber reinforced corn starch-based hybrid composites film (CS/K-CH) produced by solution casting method. To develop both components as biodegradable hybrid composite, this research used corn starch as matrix, kenaf fiber and cornhusk fibre as a filler. Changes in physical structure and weight from the soil burial test were measured using Mettler Toledo digital balance ME. Films produced from physically blended corn starch reinforced kenaf biocomposites films (CS/K) biocomposite film had faster biodegradation and lost 96.18% of weight within 10 days compared with corn starch hybrid composites that only lost 83.82% of total weight. It was observed that the control film, CS/K biocomposite film was completely degraded after 10 days, meanwhile it took 12 days for hybrid composite films to be fully degrade. The thermal properties such as TGA and DTG were also measured. Addition of corn husk fiber significantly improve the film's thermal properties. Glass transition temperatures of corn starch hybrid films were significantly lowered when cornhusk compositions were increased from 0.2% wt to 0.8% wt. Importantly, the current work has demonstrated that hybrid films made of corn starch can be a suitable biodegradable material for substitute synthetic plastic.
  14. Abiri R, Rizan N, Balasundram SK, Shahbazi AB, Abdul-Hamid H
    Heliyon, 2023 Dec;9(12):e22601.
    PMID: 38125472 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22601
    Over the decades, agri-food security has become one of the most critical concerns in the world. Sustainable agri-food production technologies have been reliable in mitigating poverty caused by high demands for food. Recently, the applications of agri-food system technologies have been meaningfully changing the worldwide scene due to both external strengths and internal forces. Digital agriculture (DA) is a pioneering technology helping to meet the growing global demand for sustainable food production. Integrating different sub-branches of DA technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics into agriculture practices to reduce waste, optimize farming inputs and enhance crop production. This can help shift from tedious operations to continuously automated processes, resulting in increasing agricultural production by enabling the traceability of products and processes. The application of DA provides agri-food producers with accurate and real-time observations regarding different features influencing their productivity, such as plant health, soil quality, weather conditions, and pest and disease pressure. Analyzing the results achieved by DA can help agricultural producers and scholars make better decisions to increase yields, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and manage resources. The core focus of the current work is to clarify the benefits of some sub-branches of DA in increasing agricultural production efficiency, discuss the challenges of practical DA in the field, and highlight the future perspectives of DA. This review paper can open new directions to speed up the DA application on the farm and link traditional agriculture with modern farming technologies.
  15. Madhavan K, Rukayadi Y, Abdul-Mutalib NA
    Heliyon, 2023 Aug;9(8):e18749.
    PMID: 37600365 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18749
    Terminalia catappa L. is a large, spreading type of tree which usually grows in tropical environment, especially at coastal area with sandy stones. The current study evaluated anti-Bacillus potential of the ethanolic ketapang (Terminalia catappa L.) leaf extract (EKLE) as antibacterial and sporicidal agent against vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus spp. The antibacterial activity of EKLE against Bacillus spp. (B. cereus ATCC33019, B. pumilus ATCC14884, B. subtilis ATCC6633 and B. megaterium ATCC14581) vegetative cells were determined by performing well diffusion assay (WDA), minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) and time-kill curve analyses. The sporicidal activity was tested at different concentrations of EKLE. Then, the extract's stability in terms of antibacterial and sporicidal activities upon exposure to different temperatures and pHs were carried out. Results demonstrated inhibition zones of EKLE against Bacillus spp. was in the range of 9.25 ± 0.75 mm - 11.67 ± 0.47 mm. All vegetative cells of Bacillus spp. were inhibited with MIC values at 0.63-1.25 mg/mL and can be completely killed with MBC values of 0.63 - >5.00 mg/mL. Time-kill analysis showed all the Bacillus spp. tested can be completely killed at concentrations of 2.50-5.00 mg/mL from 1 to 4 h. EKLE concentration of 1% (w/v) completely killed all Bacillus spp. spores at different exposure time. The antibacterial and sporicidal activities of EKLE were not affected by exposure to different temperatures (4, 30, 50, 80 and 121 °C) and pHs (3, 7 and 10), revealing the stability of the extract against different conditions. In conclusion, Terminalia catappa L. leaf exhibits antibacterial and sporicidal activities against Bacillus spp., therefore, the extract can be developed as anti-Bacillus agent, paving the way for its utilization in food industry as a natural food preservative.
  16. Wang C, Tang Y, Mo Y, Huang MM, Abdul-Rahman H
    Heliyon, 2023 Feb;9(2):e13386.
    PMID: 36755599 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13386
    The significance of innovation management in triggering and sustaining increase in corporations of distinct size, age or enterprise type, is receiving growing attention, yet scant empirical research have been carried out in project-oriented service firms, in particular small-scaled enterprises. This study aims to identify how innovation management in small construction firms could enable them to pursue innovation and achieve greater business performance. Data collection comprises 157 empirical surveys leading to a conceptual framework modelled using the structural equation modelling approach. The findings show that entrepreneurship and networking have a direct and considerable influence on both technological and non-technological innovation, which consequently improves firm performance.
  17. Sarfika R, Moh Yanuar Saifudin IM, Sari IM, Murni D, Malini H, Abdullah KL
    Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e21459.
    PMID: 38027961 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21459
    BACKGROUND: Emotional and Behavioral Problems (EBPs) are prevalent among adolescents, and adolescents' capacity for adaptation can be influenced by their interactions with their parents, environment, and self-esteem. This link has not been systematically examined among adolescents in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This study aimed to assess the association of parental attachment and self-esteem with EBPs in adolescents.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to November 2022 in Padang West Sumatra, Indonesia. In total, 854 students from public senior high school 4 Padang were involved in this study and completed questionnaires on demographics, EBPs, parental attachment, and self-esteem. There was a total of five subscales for EBPs, which included emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems and prosocial. Additionally, there were three subscales for parental attachment, which included the mother's attachment, father's attachment, and peer attachment. Spearman's correlation, independent-sample t-tests, ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to examine factors associated with EBPs.

    RESULTS: This study showed that father's attachment (r = -0.191, p 

  18. Hussein HA, Maulidiani M, Abdullah MA
    Heliyon, 2020 Oct;6(10):e05263.
    PMID: 33102866 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05263
    Heavy metal pollution has become a major concern globally as it contaminates eco-system, water networks and as finely suspended particles in air. In this study, the effects of elevated silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) levels as a model system of heavy metals, in the presence of microalgal crude extracts (MCEs) at different ratios, were evaluated against the non-cancerous Vero cells, and the cancerous MCF-7 and 4T1 cells. The MCEs were developed from water (W) and ethanol (ETH) as green solvents. The AgNPs-MCEs-W at the 4:1 and 5:1 ratios (v/v) after 48 and 72 h treatment, respectively, showed the IC50 values of 83.17-95.49 and 70.79-91.20 μg/ml on Vero cells, 13.18-28.18 and 12.58-25.7 μg/ml on MCF-7; and 16.21-33.88 and 14.79-26.91 μg/ml on 4T1 cells. In comparison, the AgNPs-MCEs-ETH formulation achieved the IC50 values of 56.23-89.12 and 63.09-91.2 μg/ml on Vero cells, 10.47-19.95 and 13.48-26.61 μg/ml on MCF-7; 14.12-50.11 and 15.13-58.88 μg/ml on 4T1 cells, respectively. After 48 and 72 h treatment, the AgNPs-MCE-CHL at the 4:1 and 5:1 ratios exhibited the IC50 of 51.28-75.85 and 48.97-69.18 μg/ml on Vero cells, and higher cytotoxicity at 10.47-16.98 and 6.19-14.45 μg/ml against MCF-7 cells, and 15.84-31.62 and 12.58-24.54 μg/ml on 4T1 cells, respectively. The AgNPs-MCEs-W and ETH resulted in low apoptotic events in the Vero cells after 24 h, but very high early and late apoptotic events in the cancerous cells. The Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Electrospray Ionization (LC-MS-ESI) metabolite profiling of the MCEs exhibited 64 metabolites in negative ion and 56 metabolites in positive ion mode, belonging to different classes. The microalgal metabolites, principally the anti-oxidative components, could have reduced the toxicity of the AgNPs against Vero cells, whilst retaining the cytotoxicity against the cancerous cells.
  19. Zamzuki FA, Lola MS, Aruchunan E, Muthuvalu MS, Jubilee RVW, Zainuddin NH, et al.
    Heliyon, 2023 Nov;9(11):e21433.
    PMID: 38027815 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21433
    Homestay ecotourism in Malaysia has been extensively examined in terms of its concepts, approaches, activities, and community engagement. However, a comprehensive assessment of the sustainability factors pertaining to host families remains a critical area awaiting exploration. This is paramount for ensuring the long-term viability of homestays and fostering economic benefits within rural communities. The present study seeks to establish direct subjective measurements for evaluating the interplay between local communities, tourism, and resources in safeguarding sustainable homestays. Utilizing the Delphi approach, this research conducted interviews with 51 experts who were actively involved in six homestays located on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The objective was to identify key evaluation indicators pertinent to the homestay industry. The findings underscored the pivotal roles played by community resources and tourism in the sustainability of homestays. Additionally, environmental, economic, and social factors emerged as crucial components for maintaining the industry's sustainability. This innovative assessment methodology offers a valuable instrument for enhancing the sustainability of the homestay sector, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. By embracing this approach, homestay operators can fortify their sustainable management practices and prepare themselves for future pandemics. This study represents a significant contribution to the field of homestay ecotourism, emphasizing the imperative for continued research in this dynamic domain.
  20. Chen F, Abdullah R
    Heliyon, 2024 Feb 15;10(3):e25217.
    PMID: 38327399 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25217
    In recent years, English as a foreign language (EFL) reading instruction has emerged as a prominent and recurring research theme in the realm of education. Despite this growing interest, prior studies have not outlined the research status of EFL reading instruction from a bibliometric lens. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to provide valuable insights into the research landscape of EFL reading instruction by using scientific mapping analysis on documents sourced from the Web of Science Database between 1994 and 2023. The study found that: 1) The analysis of publication trends suggests that the field of EFL reading instruction continues to evolve, with a foreseeable ongoing increase in research output. 2) Asian countries, specifically Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia emerge as leading contributors and collaborators in terms of research on EFL reading instruction. 3) Authors mainly from Asian countries demonstrate the highest levels of productivity and citation impact. 4) The most productive and cited journals primarily originate from developed countries, notably the United Kingdom and the United States. 5) The research foci identified cover various aspects such as "technology-based instruction," "critical thinking," and "literacy skills." However, there is an emerging shift in research focus towards themes "English proficiency," "Covid-19," "technology," "blended learning" and "mobile-assisted language learning (MALL)." By shedding light on the significant concepts and trends of the research field, this study adds to the burgeoning body of literature and provides valuable guidance to new scholars seeking to enrich their knowledge and perspectives on this particular topic.
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