Mining is one of the anthropogenic activities that can negatively affect the environment especially the waterways. Discharges from mining activities are usually in acidic state and containing elevated concentrations of metals. The exposure to these contaminants may cause several harmful effects not only to aquatic organisms but also to human health. The Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) test was applied to evaluate the toxic effects of tin mining effluents to aquatic organisms. An acute toxicity test with zebrafish (Danio rerio) was conducted where fish was exposed to 3.13%, 6.25%, 12.5%, 25% and 50% effluent for 96 hours under static renewal test system. Effects of effluent exposure were determined using endpoints with mortality of median lethal concentration (LC50) value. Results indicated that the LC50 value of zebrafish when exposed, was 14.21% effluent. The physicochemical properties of the effluent were also evaluated in order to assess the cause-effect relationships of the effluent. The low pH values of the mine effluent might be the main reason contributing to the fish mortality. This approach provides additional information of tin mining effect on freshwater fishes as well as to human health.
Recently, there is a heightened level of awareness towards energy efficiency in highperformance data centers both to reduce environmental pollution and save cost. Such data centers consume massive amount of energy for processing huge computational requirements from users. These supercomputers demand a constant supply of electricity to be available 24/7 for both its core computing functions as well as cooling the data center. Previously, researchers had introduced various strategies for achieving energy efficiency. However, in order to achieve a truly effective energy management, factors that influence energy usages must also be taken into consideration. The failure to manage such factors leads to excessive energy consumption. In this work, we shall focus on factors relevant to running the operation of high-performance data centers. We reconstructed and analyzed such factors or attributes based on the universally accepted Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Concept (3R). We recategorized energy attributes of the existing Energy Efficient Data Center Frameworks (EEDCFs) to be aligned with 3R. Then, we developed energy-saving algorithms in response to the concept. Our framework was then measured according to the performance metrics namely power usage effectiveness (PUE), energy reuse effectiveness (ERE) and carbon usage effectiveness (CUE) against variability size of data center. The simulation results of our EEDCF showed that better energy saving is achieved in comparison to the existing EEDCFs. This signifies that the application of the 3R concept in energy consumption yielded a promising result as a platform for other researchers to explore more on energy renewal initiatives and embrace it for future application.
In recent years, digital cameras have become one of the tools used by the new generation due to their unique advantages in capturing and processing data and usage in many applications, such as crop growth, forest monitoring and archaeological investigation. The quality of images captured by digital cameras originate from accurate measurements which are allied to the digital internal camera parameters. Instability of geometric cameras require consideration to achieve good accuracy in measurement. Therefore, camera calibration becomes an important task to ensure the stability of all internal camera parameters. This research is aimed to assess the internal camera parameters of non-metric cameras. The quantitative method was adapted by this research, which required an experimental implementation achieve quality in data acquisition. Several camera parameters needed to be emphasised in regard to camera calibration, which consisted of focal length, offset main point, radial lens distortion, and distortion of tangent lenses. The offset main point represents the image centre coordinates while the distortion of tangent lenses ensures image quality during image acquisition. The study found that Nikon SLR D60 camera provided a higher accuracy as compared to DJI 4 pro and iPad mini 4 cameras. In conclusion, all non-metric cameras can be used for mapping but it will provide various accuracy levels.
Tripoli coastal aquifer, Libya, which is located in a densely urbanised area, is the primary source of water supply in Tripoli city. In the last few decades and due to population growth, more than 100 wells have been drilled in Tripoli aquifer for the purpose of increasing pumping to meet demand on groundwater. The urbanisation at the Tripoli upper aquifer system has reduced the recharge rates and affected the groundwater storage. In this study, changes in groundwater dynamics in Tripoli’s unconfined aquifers were simulated using MODFLOW-2005 code. The model was calibrated and validated using measured and simulated values. Statistical tests such as coefficient of determination, R2 mean error, mean absolute error, and the root mean square error were computed and found to be 0.97, 0.31, 1.70 and 2.32 respectively. The simulation will assist in the assessment of the long term saline water intrusion. Calibrated transient groundwater flow models for the years 2020 – 2100 indicated that this case is likely to occur along pumping profiles with high pumping rates. Simulation results show that the groundwater levels will decline and exceed 12 m in the Southern area while in the Northern area near the coastal line, depletion is continuous and more than 70 wells will face saline water intrusion by the year 2100. Doubling the pumping rate from the wells will accelerate the drop in the groundwater levels and about 98% of the wells will be subjected to high salinity level by 2100. The salinity levels in these wells will make the groundwater unfit for human consumption.
Hepatitis C infection is a major public health problem that can be dealt with urgent and timely attention. Recently, WHO Global Hepatitis Report showed that 71 million people, equivalent to approximately 1% of the world population, are infected with hepatitis C. The disease incidence, mortality rate and risk factors vary across geographical regions. The virus is transmitted primarily through drug injection and exposure to infected blood products in healthcare and community settings. The common causes of death related to virus infections are decompensated liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis C infection is mainly prevented by identifying and controlling any possible risk factors for virus transmission because treatment is costly and limited in availability. In this review, articles discussing the natural history, epidemiology and risk factors for hepatitis C infection are reviewed.
Unintentional injuries cause huge economic and social burden for the country. To further prevent unintentional injury by different age groups, it is crucial to identify the recent pattern of paediatric mortality. For a start, this study included a retrospective record review of 334 paediatric trauma patients (0-18 years) who were hospitalized due to unintentional injuries. The patient’s medical records from the period 2007 to 2010 were obtained from the National Trauma Database (NTrD). The patients were categorized into
This study was conducted to evaluate the physical habitat of spawning areas for Thynnicthys thynnoides (T. thynnoides) in the Rui River, Gerik, Perak. Five sampling sites of Rui River’s floodplain were chosen. Sampling was conducted between May and October 2015 by using a visual-based habitat assessment developed for Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish. This study showed that T. thynnoides still migrated to the upper stream of Rui River during spawning season mainly in August. Habitat assessment scoring indicated that the physical habitat structure of Rui River fell into a suboptimal category, which was most likely able to support fish populations and thus providing a suitable habitat for T. thynnoides during the spawning season. Conclusively, it was observed that the T. thynnoides population was dependent on environmental conditions.
The presence of imaging technologies in Malaysia needs to be supported by homegrown research to optimize and tailor their usage for local benefits. Research done elsewhere may not be applicable to local situations. This study investigates the contribution of researches by Malaysian academicians and service providers to the field of medical imaging, as evident in the Malaysian Citation index (MyCite) database. Bibliometric and thematic analyses were performed on publications featured in the database from 2006 to 2016. The bibliometric analysis provided information on the affiliation of the authors, their professional backgrounds, types of studies, and the journals involved while the thematic analysis identified the themes and sub-themes of identified articles. The study found that Malaysians contributed 54.1% of the publications, followed by non-Malaysians (41.8%) and collaboration authors (4.1%). Researchers were mostly from university-based and hospital university-based institutions. The thematic analysis presented that 42.9% of articles were classified under clinical themes. The results also suggested that the current trends of research in medical imaging are focused on topics involving clinical and modality, and only a few patient-centered researches. This is an indication that more researches that are relevant to local practices and needs are required as this will strengthen the medical imaging practice in the country.
Aggression is one of the most common Paediatric Psychiatric emergency problems presented in healthcare services with major public health impacts. The aim of this review is to determine the psychosocial predictors of adolescent aggression. Systematic review on observational study designs were conducted. Recent five years English published journal articles (2014-2018) were searched in three databases (Science Direct, PubMed and EBSCO) from April 2018 until May 2018. The final 15 articles (seven prospective cohort, eight cross-sectional studies) were included in the systematic review. Psychological predictors were mainly on the personality traits and emotional problems experienced by the adolescents including callous-unemotional traits, hostility, anger, and low empathy. Self-control was found to be protective against adolescent aggression. Social predictors that contribute to the aggression among adolescents according to the highest reported number of articles were peer influence, followed by school climate, substance use, neighbourhood influence, family, and parent factors. In conclusion, psychosocial predictors of adolescent aggression include both Psychological Factors; mainly personality traits and emotional problems, and Social Factors; mainly peer influence and substance use. This warrants for more holistic approach in dealing with aggressive adolescents that can be applied in more targeted and focused intervention strategy deliveries.
The global Tuberculosis epidemic (TB) poses a significant public health threat. While the consequences of TB treatment interruption are indisputable, the knowledge about the timing and prognostic factors of TB treatment interruption is fundamental. Despite a considerable amount of evaluation, the timing and prognostic factors of TB treatment interruption have been inconsistently identified from one study to another. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the evidence obtained from published literature on the timing and prognostic factors of TB treatment interruption at different points of the treatment course. In this review, three databases namely Pubmed, Scopus, and Science Direct were used to identify articles published from January 2003 to February 2018. This was based on the inclusion criteria and keywords including ‘default’, ‘survival time’, ‘tuberculosis’, and ‘treatment interruption’. The nine selected studies were prospective and retrospective cohort studies conducted in developing countries. The diversity of the study’s participants and TB treatment interruption definition were allowed, thus delineating a heterogeneous finding. This review suggests that the interruption predominantly occurred during the maintenance phase of treatment course. Despite the finding, a considerable gap in understanding the prognostic factors at different time points of TB treatment interruption was elicited. The heterogeneity across the studies may limit the inferences and warrant further evaluation. In essence, the time-related information should be integrated into framing impactful public health strategy, while a vigorous attempt on the evaluation of the cognitive, behavioural and psychosocial aspects may be beneficial.
Degradation of coastal water quality is one of the major concern in the Malacca Strait since this area is one of the most important fishing ground in Malaysia. Despite being great in the fishery industry, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan somehow recorded the lowest marine fishes landing, which raises a question about dynamics of this area. It is therefore, a preliminary study of the physical properties and nutrient concentrations carried out from 27 March to 4 April 2016 at the coastal water off the southern west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, specifically at Pulau Besar, Malacca and Tanjung Tuan, Negeri Sembilan. Data for temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) was acquired by using Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) probe. Meanwhile, nutrient concentrations determination in this study was done by using a Westco Smartchem 200 Discrete Analyser, according to the procedure adopted from United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In general, results of this study indicated the coastal stations were characterised with cooler, less saline, and high DO waters than stations away from coast. Large sea surface heating and weak winds were determined as the causative factors affecting dynamics of water column at the study area. At nearshore area, temperature, salinity, and DO variability were modulated by degree of freshwater intrusion. High nutrient concentrations at the stations closer to the coast was believed to be associated with river outflow, which acted as the main source of nutrients supply in this area. Comparison to previous study had shown that nutrient concentrations in this research were low, which could contribute to an insight on declining marine fish catches in these two states. With regard to Malaysian Marine Water Quality Criteria and Standard (MWQCS), mean nutrient concentrations at the study area were in Class 1, which are suitable for marine parks and marine protected areas conservation. Regardless of limited scope, the outcome of this study is believed to be a good baseline reference for future studies seeking to understand coastal dynamics.
Sound is a form of wave vibrations that contributes significantly in our daily life. Plants may interact with sound around us but we cannot certainly sure their reaction because of their immobility. Thus, this study intends to find the significant effect between different types of acoustic patterns on the growth of plants. Mung bean or its scientific name, Vigna radiata was chosen as seed material in this experiment due to their short growth cycle. The plants were grown in six environmental chambers with proper ventilations. The chambers were placed on open field with ambient conditions. Mung beans were exposed to five different types of acoustic patterns (soprano, classical, nature, rock, Quranic recitation) with sound pressure level of 60 dB ± 10 dB and one chamber was kept without any acoustic exposure. The length of stem, number of leaves and length of roots were recorded on the 15th day of mung beans’ growth. Experimental results indicate that different types of acoustic patterns promoted the growth of different part of mung beans. Soprano had significant effect on the length of stem while Quranic recitation promoted the production of leaves. However, there is no significant evidence that acoustic exposure stimulates the length of roots.
Centella asiatica is one of the traditional herbs consumed by many communities due to its wide range of applications such as treating Parkinsonism, promoting memory enhancement, and preventing oxidative stress. This study was conducted to investigate the neuroprotective potential of aqueous C. asiatica extract (CAE) against neurodegeneration induced by chronic stress. Administration of CAE at three different dosages (200 mg/kg/day, 400 mg/ kg/day and 800 mg/kg/day) was conducted for a period of 21 days along with exposure to chronic stress using restrainer and forced swimming regimes. The administration of CAE significantly improved the thickness of dentate gyrus and reduced the amount of neuronal cell death at dentate gyrus and CA3 (p
Malays consist of multi sub-ethnic group believed to have different ancestral origins based on their migrations centuries ago. The DNA profiling for every individual in Malaysia is not recorded, making Malaysia lacking in genetic data of its own citizens. This research aimed to study the geographic-ancestry origin of two Malay sub-ethnic population; Kelantan- Malay and Jawa-Malay by looking into the variation of TPA-25 insertion in each population. It specifically studied on several areas of Peninsular Malaysia in the region of Kelantan, Selangor and Johor as the representative of main areas with high percentage of Kelantan- Malay and Jawa-Malay populations. All the data were obtained from an application of TPA-PCR method, forensic parameter (F-statistic) and survey questionnaire that polled genetically on their ancestry origin in each sub-ethnic population. The research showed that population with high percentage of heterozygous allele (Tt) of TPA-25 insertion was likely to have high possibility of genetic drift occurrence. Jawa- Malay showed the highest percentage of heterozygous allele (Tt) with approximately 48% of the population. The FIS value of Kelantan-Malay and Jawa-Malay populations were recorded positive with the values of 0.678 and 0.366 respectively. Moreover, the FIT value recorded was 0.535 which suggested that these two populations were deficits of heterozygotes.
Failure of pancreas can cause uncontrolled blood glucose levels in the body. This research focuses on type 1 diabetes patients who depend on external insulin injection. The Hovorka model was used as the mathematical model in the development of control algorithm for artificial pancreas. However, the model showed a lack of interaction on selected parameters and variables in its glucose-insulin dynamic system. An improvement on the Hovorka equations was done, but no work was carried out to simulate the proposed equations. The objectives of this study are to simulate the modified Hovorka equations using MATLAB and to compare the simulation results between the reference and modified ones. This study showed better interaction among all variables and parameters on its glucose-insulin dynamic system using the modified equations compared to the original equations. The lower administered amount of insulin, Ut at 16.7mU/min and 20mU/min could regulate the blood glucose level at normoglycemic condition throughout the study.
This study aimed to evaluate surface roughness (SR) changes with surface treatments and shear bond strength (SBS) of two prefabricated and one laboratory-made composite veneer systems. The prefabricated groups, Edelweiss (EDL) and Componeer (CMP) while, SR Nexco (NEX) was a laboratory-made group. A total of hundred twenty samples, comprising 40 samples for each group were divided into four subgroups of surface treatment (n=10): (a) no treatment (control), (b) 9% hydrofluoric acid (HF), (c) abrasion with a high-speed diamond bur and (d) sandblast with aluminum trioxide (Al2O3) particles. A profilometer was used to evaluate the SR before and after surface treatments applications. Stereo electron microscope was utilized to assess changes occurred on the surface texture of the veneers. For SBS test, the prepared veneer was uploaded over an epoxy resin mould. Two cylindrical adhesive resins were bonded binary and perpendicular over the inner surface of the veneer and tested using Universal Testing Machine (SHIMADZUTM, Japan). Data was analyzed using One-way ANOVA, post-hoc student’s t-test and Duncan test with p
Clinacanthus nutans, known to the locals as Belalai Gajah, is a medicinal plant widely used by Malaysians in the belief to cure various diseases including cancer. However, the production of Belalai Gajah hardly fulfils the market demand since the growing techniques of stem cutting and tissue culture are inefficient and expensive. Therefore, improvements in tissue culture techniques and materials application are required. Hence, this study tested Carica papaya (locally know as papaya) stem, an agricultural waste, to enhance the tissue culture of C. nutans. The effects of C. papaya stem powder and extract on the shoot proliferation of C. nutans parameters were investigated. The average number of shoot, leaves and length of leaves were observed. Phytochemicals screening was also conducted. Overall, C. papaya stem extract showed positive performance and 1% extract was found to be the optimum concentration to enhance the shoot proliferation. Meanwhile, C. papaya stem powder inhibited the shoot proliferation. It was also found that flavonoids, glycosides, steroid and terpenoid contributed in the shoot proliferation. In conclusion, the papaya stem extract is a potential in-vitro supplement for tissue culture studies. This study gained insights in sustainable green economy and showed that zero waste can be attained by converting local papaya stem waste to valuable product. In addition, sustainable technology in pharmaceutical approach could be addressed through in-vitro low cost large-scale production of Belalai Gajah medicinal plant.
Solid waste management in developing countries including Malaysia is dominated by waste dumpsites which have a high possibility of transporting organic and inorganic pollutants to the underlying groundwater and surface water within the surrounding area. The objective of this study is to characterise the landfill leachates and its surrounding groundwater and river water quality and metals concentrations, namely arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) from Beris Lalang, Kelantan. Nine sampling points were collected within the dumpsite for analysis of in-situ: dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, turbidity and ex-situ; Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Suspended Solids (SS) and the results were compared with permissible limits. As and Pb in groundwater samples were collected from the surface of two dug grounds within the vicinity of the dumpsites exceeded the standard of Ministry of Health. Cr, Cu and Pb in leachates exceeded Environmental Quality Act (EQA, 1974)’s standard, whereas Ni, Pb and Zn in surface water of Gali River exceeded the limit of class III National Water Quality Standard (NWQS). Exceeding metals concentration in leachates and its surrounding groundwater and river water relative to their respective standards points out toward potential leachate migration to the waterbodies within the surrounding vicinity of Beris Lalang dumpsite. This study provides the initial baseline data and preliminary monitoring assessments as a first step towards improving water security and waste management in Kelantan.
Exposure to industrial air pollutants is a public health concern particularly in children due to their immaturity of respiratory systems. The distance between their school and home from the industrial area will elevate the risk of airway inflammation among children. This study aims to determine the exposure of Industrial Air Pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and VOCs) and its association with airway inflammation (FeNO) among primary school children in industrial and non- industrial areas in Kemaman, Terengganu. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among Malay primary school children in Kemaman, Terengganu. A validated questionnaire was randomly distributed to children to get the background information, respiratory symptoms and exposure history of the children. The assessment of indoor air quality was carried out in each primary school and home using indoor air monitoring equipment. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) was measured using an NIOX MINO device. The results showed a significant difference between concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and VOCs in different classrooms from selected schools and homes of exposed and comparative groups, P
This study compares the distribution of dissolved nutrients (NO3 − and PO4 3−) between two seasons (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon) in Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu. The concentration of dissolved PO4 3− was found to be 16 to 83 times higher during the postmonsoon period (April 2015) compared to the pre-monsoon period (October 2014). On the other hand, the concentration of dissolved NO3 − was two (2) to three (3) times higher during the post-monsoon period (April 2015) compared to the pre-monsoon period (October 2014). These nutrients’ inputs were converted from P limitation condition during the premonsoon period to N limitation condition during the post-monsoon period at our study area. The results of this study suggest that the Northeast monsoon plays an important role in influencing the distribution of dissolved nutrients between seasons in Pulau Perhentian. It is thought that during the post-monsoon period, a considerable input of nutrients from bottom water is responsible for increasing dissolved nutrients in surface water, in particular PO4 3−.