Osteoporosis dikaitkan dengan radikal bebas dan tekanan oksidatif. Kandungan polifenol yang tinggi dalam minyak
kelapa dara (VCO) yang bertindak sebagai antioksidan mampu menghalang tekanan oksidatif seterusnya mencegah
osteoporosis. Uji kaji in vitro ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji mekanisme kesan perlindungan polifenol ekstrak daripada
VCO (PF) ke atas sel selanjar pre-osteoblas mencit (MC3T3-E1) teraruh tekanan oksidatif. Untuk mengkaji viabiliti
kesan perlindungan polifenol terhadap MC3T3-E1 daripada toksisiti hidrogen peroksida (H2
O2
), sel MC3T3-E1 dirawat
dengan beberapa dos polifenol selama 24 jam selepas dieram dengan 250 µM (IC50) H2
O2
selama 1 jam. Mekanisme
perlindungan dikaji dengan mengukur aras malondialdehid (MDA) serta aktiviti enzim antioksidan iaitu superoksida
dismutase (SOD), glutation peroksidase (GPx) dan katalase (CAT). Keputusan kajian menunjukkan bahawa kepekatan
perencatan median (IC50) H2
O2
pada 1 jam adalah 250 µM. Ujian viabiliti sel mendapati kesemua dos polifenol dapat
melindungi sel MC3T3-E1 daripada toksisiti H2
O2
. Dos 1 dan 0.01 µM polifenol dapat meningkatkan aras GPx dan CAT,
manakala dos 0.01 dan 0.0001 µM dapat meningkatkan aras SOD. Sementara itu, hanya dos 0.01 dan 0.001 µM sahaja
yang dapat menghalang peningkatan aras MDA. Kesimpulan yang dapat dibuat di dalam kajian ini adalah polifenol
daripada minyak kelapa dara mencegah lipid peroksida pada sel MC3T3-E1 yang telah diaruh dengan H2
O2
dengan
meningkatkan aktiviti enzim antioksidan.
The first visibility of the dawn occurs at a definite angle of the sun depression, Do
which is used to calculate the fajr
(dawn) prayer time. Dawn observations were carried out using Digital Single-lens Reflex (DSLR) camera in the period
from February to December 2017 at several locations in both Malaysia and Indonesia (Lat. between 2.0° - 7.0° N,
Long. 95.0°-106.0°E). Within the observational period, 64 days of the dawn luminance at horizon were recorded with
backgrounds of both sea and land. The purpose of these observations was to determine the sun depression angle Do
at the first moment when the dawn is seen using a DSLR camera. The results indicated that Do
can be determined using
a DSLR camera. The value of Do
is between -14.5° and -18.5° with a mean value of -16.67° and standard deviation of
0.9992. This suggests that the new sun depression angle Do
for dawn prayer is -17.0°.
Studies evaluating the association between pulse wave velocity (PWV), a gold standard measurement of aortic stiffness
and established markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with other established vascular markers or inflammation
among young adult is still scarce. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies on the
association between PWV with other vascular markers or inflammation. Relevant articles from Ovid Medline, Science
Direct and Scopus databases were explored between 2009 and March 2018. Original articles published in English
measuring any correlation between carotid-femoral PWV (PWVcf) with either augmentation index (AIx), carotid intima
media thickness (CIMT) or C-reactive protein (CRP) on young adult with age range between 18 and 45 years old were
included. The literature search identified 21 potential articles to be reviewed, which meet all the inclusion criteria.
Four articles investigated the correlation between PWVcf with CRP, however only two studies gave significant but weak
correlations. As for CIMT, a single relevant article was found and the correlation was not significant. In conclusion, lack
of association between PWV and other vascular markers and inflammation may suggest that these vascular markers have
their own property in assessing vascular status. Thus, these markers should be measured independently for comprehensive
assessment of future CVD risk.
Islam merupakan satu agama yang menitikberatkan kesihatan manusia termasuklah sistem pencernaan manusia. Najis
(tinja) manusia yang dibincangkan dalam kajian ini merupakan hasil buangan manusia yang menjadi salah satu kaedah
untuk melihat sudut kesihatan manusia. Objektif penyelidikan ini ialah untuk mengkaji fizikokimia dan ciri-ciri najis
serta kegunaannya daripada perspektif sains dan sudut pandangan Islam terutamanya mengenai diet yang diamalkan
oleh Rasulullah SAW. Kajian ini dijalankan dengan menggunakan ulasan literatur secara deskriptif. Kajian mendapati
bahawa sistem pencernaan merupakan satu sistem yang rumit. Tinja terdiri daripada 75% air dan 25% bahan pepejal
serta ciri-ciri tinja seperti bentuk, warna dan bau memberi kesan kepada kesihatan manusia. Daripada sudut Islam
warna, bau dan rasa tinja merupakan perkara asas yang dititikberatkan semasa proses pembersihan najis terutamanya
bagi memulakan sesuatu ibadah. Selain itu, diet, senaman, umur dan jantina merupakan faktor-faktor yang membezakan
jenis tinja bagi setiap individu. Malah, kajian ini juga merungkai beberapa alternatif yang kini diguna pakai bagi
mengurus najis-najis manusia dalam menjamin kesihatan dan pemeliharaan alam sekitar. Kajian ini kemudiannya
mengupas diet makanan-makanan sunnah yang terdapat di dalam Al-Quran dan hadis yang terbukti kaya dengan serat
dan sihat untuk manusia terutamanya bagi sistem pencernaan manusia. Oleh itu, najis (tinja) manusia daripada sudut
sains mampu menggambarkan kesihatan seseorang dan amalan diet makanan-makanan sunnah sangat baik dalam
memelihara sistem pencernaan manusia.
Piper sarmentosum (PS) is an herb with various medicinal properties. The antioxidant activity of PS contributes to many
of its pharmacological effects such as anti-hypertension, anti-cancer and anti-diabetes. This systematic review provides
information regarding the antioxidant activity of PS. The review was conducted systematically to identify relevant published
articles on the antioxidant activity of PS. The collected data was based on the searched articles through PubMed, Science
Direct and Scopus databases between the years 1946 until March 2018. Only articles written in English and related
to antioxidant activity of PS were included in this review. Based on the literature searched, 130 potential articles were
identified and 19 articles met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies related to chemical assays, five studies combined in vivo
animal and chemical assays, three studies combined chemical assays and in vitro studies and a single study combined
chemical assay, in vitro and in vivo studies were included in this review. All studies showed positive effects of PS against
oxidation, indicating the potential of PS as a source of natural antioxidant.
In this study, the performance of two types of nanocarbons (NCs), namely carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs), on the three-dimensional shrinkage and swelling properties of three clayey soils were investigated. The specimens of soil mixed with clay with bentonite contents of 0, 10 and 20% by weight of dry soil. NC contents of 0.05, 0.075, 0.10 and 0.20% were chosen to investigate the influence of different NC types, CNTs and CNFs. All soil specimens were compacted under maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content conditions by using standard compaction tests. The physical and mechanical characteristics of the reinforced samples were then determined. These included the desiccation cracking area, used to determine the crack intensity factor (CIF), as well as the shrinkage and swelling. The CIF for the soil specimens without NCs were higher than the soil specimens with NC additives. These results show that NCs decrease the development of desiccation cracks on the surface of compacted samples. The shrinkage and swelling tests showed that the rate of volume changing of the compacted soil specimens reduced with the increasing of NCs.
Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) have risen dramatically in recent years among high risk immunocompromised patients.
Rapid detection of fungal pathogens is crucial to timely and accurate antifungal therapy. Two multiplex polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) assays were developed to detect major fungal species that cause invasive infections and identify
resistant species. Genus specific primers for Candida, Aspergillus, Fusarium and species specific primers for Candida
glabrata, Candida krusei and Aspergillus terreus which are known to be clinically resistant species, were designed from
the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene complex. Both assays were
performed simultaneously to promote rapid detection of fungal isolates based on distinct amplicon sizes. Inclusion of the
universal fungal primers ITS 1 and ITS 4 in the genus specific assay produced a second amplicon for each isolate which
served to confirm the detection of a fungal target. The limit of detection for the genus specific assay was 1 nanogram
(ng) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans, 0.1 ng DNA for Fusarium solani, while
the species-specific assay detected 0.1 ng DNA of A. terreus and 10 picogram (pg) DNA of C. krusei and C. glabrata. The
multiplex PCR assays, apart from universal detection of any fungal target, are able to detect clinically important fungi
and differentiate resistant species rapidly and accurately, which can contribute to timely implementation of effective
antifungal regime.
Bacteria play an important roles in the soil ecosystem and in the rhizosphere, they are intricately linked to nutrient content
and its accessibility to plants, plant protection and sometimes pathogenicity. Banana grows well in the tropics and it is
popularly grown in Orang Asli (OA) (indigenous people) settlements. Banana is also grown in commercial plantations.
In traditional planting practices, the OA do not add pesticide nor fertilizer to their crops which are planted for selfsustenance
mainly. On the other hand, fertilizer and pesticide are added to commercial banana plantations to maximise
yield. Rhizosphere bacteria from the banana plant, Pisang Nipah, grown in OA fields and commercial plantations were
identified by clone library construction of the 16S rRNA gene. This was to determine whether farming practices influenced
the bacterial community in the banana plant rhizosphere. Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were found in
all the soil. Other common phyla found in some soil (but not all) were Nitrospirae, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi,
Verrumicrobia, Gemmatimonadetes and Cyanobacteria. The bacterial diversity was a little more diverse in the OA fields
than the commercial plantations. The latter had higher contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These could
have exerted selective pressure to reduce the bacterial diversity in the commercial plantations.
Nutritive value and persistence of different alfalfa cultivars, but very little information is available in the literature on
mineral concentrations, especially on microelements. This study was carried out to determine crude protein and mineral
contents in alfalfa cultivars from two different locations, Ankara and Konya provinces, in Central Anatolia during 2005
and 2007. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Significant
differences in many investigated traits were found between cultivars, years, locations and location x year, location x
cultivar, year x cultivar, and location x year x cultivar interactions. A crude protein ratio and micro and macro element
contents (K, P, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, B, Mo, Cu, Cr, Se and Al) were analyzed in alfalfa on a dry weight basis. The results
showed that the protein content ranged 17.23 to 20.71%. The macro element contents ranged 2.06 to 3.95 g kg–1 for
K, 13.65 to 23.25 g kg–1 for P, 1.31 to 2.53 g kg–1 for Mg, 6.71 to 22.81 g kg–1 for Ca, and 44.3 to 92.7 mg kg–1 for Fe,
whereas the microelement contents ranged 15.4 to 54.3 mg kg–1 for Mn, 24.6 to 121.9 mg kg–1 for Zn, 46.4 to 85.4 mg
kg–1 for B, 0.50 to 6.13 mg kg–1 for Mo, 3.13 to 4.17 mg kg–1 for Cu, 0.93 to 2.40 mg kg–1 for Cr, 0.77 to 1.03 mg kg–1
for Se and 31.2 to 57.8 mg kg–1 for Al. Significant differences at the p<0.01 or p<0.05 level in many investigated traits
were found between cultivars, years, locations and location × year, location × cultivar, year × cultivar, and location
× year × cultivar interactions. In conclusion, due to the fact that the location × year × cultivar interaction was found
statistically significant, we suggest that appropriate cultivars are selected for each region.
Catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol is an attractive way to recycle and utilize CO2. A series of Cu/ZnO/Al2O3/ZrO2 catalysts (CZAZ) containing different molar ratios of Cu/Zn were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray analysis (FESEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Higher surface area, SABET values (42.6-59.9 m2/g) were recorded at low (1) and high (5) Cu/Zn ratios with the minimum value of 35.71 m2/g was found for a Cu/Zn of 3. The reducibility of the metal oxides formed after calcination of catalyst samples was also affected due to change in metal-support interaction. At a reaction temperature of 443 K, total gas pressure of 3.0 MPa and 0.1 g/mL of the CZAZ catalyst, the selectivity to methanol decreased as the Cu/Zn molar ratio increased, and the maximum selectivity of 93.9 was achieved at Cu/Zn molar ratio of 0.33. With a reaction time of 3h, the best performing catalyst was CZAZ75 with Cu/Zn molar ratio of 5 giving methanol yield of 6.4%.
The Nipah virus is highly virulent to swine and humans. The envelope attachment glycoprotein (G) of Nipah virus
plays a key role in viral entry and induction of neutralizing antibody in mammalian hosts, thus is considered a good
candidate for vaccine development. Plant transient expression systems are gaining recognition as a viable alternative
for the production of vaccine antigens. In this study, we expressed the Nipah virus G protein heterologously in Nicotiana
benthamiana using an agroinfiltration approach. The highest expression of recombinant G protein in N. benthamiana at
RNA and protein levels was detected on day 9 post-infiltration. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the purified G
protein reacted specifically with rabbit anti-Nipah Virus serum, indicating its potential for vaccine use.
2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) has herbicidal properties that cause lipid peroxidation on plant tissues. The
present study aimed at examining the phytotoxic effects of 2,4-DTBP compared to that of selected herbicides which
induced lipid peroxidation based on quantum yield (Φ) and membrane integrity of two bioassay weed species namely
Oldenlandia verticillata and Leptochloa chinensis under light and dark conditions. Laboratory assays showed reduced
Φ of 2,4-DTBP- and dinoterb-treated leaf discs within the first 3 h of the dark incubation period, with further decrease
during the subsequent 15 h dark period and 6 h light period. Diuron drastically reduced the Φ of the bioassay species
throughout the incubation period. The Φ of glufosinate-treated O. verticillata leaf discs was marginally reduced and
decreased further upon light exposure; it had no effect on the Φ of L. chinensis. Fluridone, isoxaflutole, clomazone and
oxyfluorfen also had negligible effect on Φ, whereas paraquat caused a rapid reduction in Φ upon light exposure for both
bioassay species. 2,4-DTBP, paraquat and dinoterb induced electrolyte leakage during the dark incubation period; this
was further increased in the presence of light for O. verticillata and L. chinensis. For both bioassay species, glufosinate
caused a marked amount of electrolyte leakage, whereas diuron, fluridone, isoxaflutole, clomazone and oxyfluorfen had
negligible effect on ion leakage. These results suggested that 2,4-DTBP has herbicidal activity comparable to that of
dinoterb without dependence on light.
A nitrate-based nickel salt was used to prepare NiO-BaCe0.54Zr0.36Y0.1O2.95 (NiO-BCZY) composite powders by an evaporation
and decomposition of solution and suspension (EDSS) method. The prepared powders with different weight ratios of NiO to
BCZY (NiO:BCZY) were denoted as S1 (50:50) and S2 (60:40). The powders were characterized using Thermogravimertic
analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive
X-ray (EDX) spectrometer. TGA results showed that the thermal decomposition of intermediate compounds in the dried
powder (T = 150°C) completed at ~700°C. XRD analysis confirmed that the calcined powder (T = 1100°C) of S1 and
S2 did not show any crystalline peaks related to BCZY compound as the peaks associated to impurity phases of BaCeO3
and BaZrO3
were appeared in their XRD patterns. The impurity phases along with NiO still remained in the S1 sample
after it was calcined at 1400°C. As the calcination temperature increased, the particles size of S1 also increased and Zr
elemental composition deviates from the nominal stoichiometric of the NiO-BCZY as proven by SEM/EDX analysis. The
results indicate that the formation of homogenize NiO-BCZY composite prepared using EDSS method was not favored even
after calcined at high temperature (T = 1400°C).
Understanding the interactions of plant soil environment and rhizosphere microbial changes are necessary to develop
new strategies for the sustainable agriculture. A field experiment with combination of three water levels and three
nitrogen rates was conducted to investigate the effect of water and nitrogen management on the changes of soil
microbial properties in non-rhizosphere and rhizosphere soils of spinach. Non-Rhizosphere and rhizosphere microbial
diversities were affected by water and nitrogen applications. Evenness index in the no-nitrogen treatment was more
than that of 85 and 170 kg ha–1 nitrogen treatments in the non-rhizosphere or rhizosphere soil. Microbial biomass
carbon in non-rhizosphere soil or rhizosphere soil decreased with the increase of nitrogen application, but showed
the highest value in 16.5% of soil water content, followed by 12.5% and 20.5% of soil water content. Soil microbial
biomass phosphorus content of 85 kg ha–1 nitrogen treatment in the non-rhizosphere soil or rhizosphere soil was
significantly different for 0 and 170 kg ha–1 nitrogen treatments. Nitrification rate increased with the increase of soil
water content in 0 and 170 kg ha–1 treatments. Our results demonstrated that water and nitrogen could impact the
soil fertility and microbial activity of spinach.
Enzim RNA-bergantung RNA polimerase adalah sasaran dadah yang menarik untuk mengubati jangkitan denggi. Analog
nukleosida menyerupai substrat asal enzim polimerase. Ia bertindak sebagai perencat atau substrat kepada enzim ini lalu
menyebabkan penamatan pramatang bebenang DNA/RNA atau penghasilan DNA/RNA yang rosak. Ini akan menghentikan
proses replikasi virus. Kajian dok molekul untuk mengenal pasti interaksi molekular antara enzim dan ligannya telah
dilakukan berdasarkan maklumat yang diperoleh berkenaan struktur kristal domain RdRp. Tapak pengikat-ligan domain
RdRp yang terdiri daripada sisa asid amino Asn492, Asn405, Lys401, Thr605 dan Gly601 telah dikenal pasti setelah
pengedokan analog nukleosida yang boleh didapati secara komersial dijalankan. Pengedokan analog nukleosida yang
menyerupai substrat asal RdRp ke dalam tapak pengikat menunjukkan mod pengikat-ligan dengan ikatan hidrogen,
aromatik-π dan interaksi cas adalah interaksi utama yang terlibat. Kajian ini juga memberi maklumat berkenaan
farmakofor analog nukleosida yang boleh digunakan dalam reka-bentuk dadah berasaskan struktur terhadap sasaran
penting ini.
A study was conducted to investigate the duration of growth stages and flowering behaviour of a landscape tree,
Xanthostemon chrysanthus (F. Muell.) Benth. This species is known as golden penda and locally known as jambu kuning.
It is widely planted for urban beautification due to its distinctive coloured flowers. Under local climate condition, this
species flowers throughout the year. However, the flowering of this species has not been studied extensively. In the present
study, the growth of selected trees aged approximately six years after planting was monitored for a year. The growth
duration was determined using the extended Biologishe Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemical Industry (BBCH)
scale. Percentages of flower and fruit and new leaf abundances were expressed as estimated percentage of each stage as
compared to total surface area of the tree crown. The vegetative and reproductive stages of the species required 198 and
176 days, respectively. The flowering period took about 40 days from inflorescence bud swelling to drying and senescence
of stamens and petals. Unsynchronized flowering was observed among the trees. The occurrence of flowers was also
influenced by the development of new leaves or fruits. The information on the duration of each growth stage and the
flowering behaviour of the species may enhance a more detailed study related to flowering of urban trees in Malaysia.
A new species of the genus Boysidia Ancey, 1881, collected from Doi Pha Tang, Chiangrai Province, Northern Thailand, is described as B. phatangensis sp. nov. The new species is characterized by its small size, conical shape with 5 ¼ - 5 ½ whorls, yellowish-brown color, aperture subquadrate consists of 6 barrier teeth, outer lip expanded. B. phatangensis seem limited to the high altitude area in northern part of Thailand.
This paper reports the effects of glyceryl ether specifically mono-tert-butoxypropanediol on oil in water emulsion system.
Based on 12 HLB value, screening for stable emulsions was carried out without the presence of glyceryl ether. A stable
emulsion was used as a control. Then the effects of glyceryl ether on the emulsion system were investigated. The emulsions
prepared were analyzed for stability, viscosity, pH value, particle size, in vitro dermal irritation potential, in vitro ocular
irritation potential and also moisturizing property. The incorporation of glycerol in the emulsion system was also done
for comparison. Emulsions with glyceryl ether showed lower viscosity values than emulsions with glycerol. Furthermore,
the emulsions also exhibited moisturizing property compared to the control emulsion. Glyceryl ether is suitable to be
used in cosmetic products which require reduced viscosity but retain its skin hydration property.
This study was conducted during two different seasons to determine the best concentration of gibberellic acid (GA3) that
could result in better growth and higher yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Experiments were conducted during
the 2015 dry season and 2016 wet season at the field of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor,
Malaysia. The purpose of the experiments was to investigate the response of the groundnut plants to four levels of GA3
(0, 50, 100 and 150 mg L−1) as foliar spray at 21 and 42 days after sowing. The treatments were laid out in a randomized
complete block design and replicated thrice. The results showed that the treatment of 150 mg L−1 GA3 significantly
(p<0.05) increased plant height, number of branches per plant, total dry weight, number of pods per plant, pod yield,
100 seed weight, % shelling, oil content, protein content, seed moisture and germination percentage during the wet and
dry seasons. In conclusion, the 150 mg L−1 GA3 concentration is the optimum level required to enhance the growth and
yield in groundnuts during the wet and dry seasons.
Technical benefit of incorporation of Palm Oil Clinker (POC) in cement-based applications has been proven in recent
studies. The aim of this work was to assess the heavy metal leaching behavior to ensure environmental safety of using
POC in cement-based applications. The chemical composition, morphology, total organic carbon (TOC) and mineralogy
were determined using XRF, FESEM, TOC analyzers and XRD to select appropriate chemical reagents for complete digestion.
HNO3
, HF and HClO4
were used for digestion of POC to measure heavy metal content using ICP-MS. The chemical reagents
CH3
COOH, NH2
OH-HCl, H2
O2
+CH3
COONH4
and HF+HNO3
+HCl were used for extraction of acid soluble, reducible,
oxidizable and residual fractions of heavy metals in POC, respectively. The leaching toxicity of the POC was investigated
by the USEPA 1311 TCLP method. The result showed the presence of Be, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Ag, Cd, Ba and Pb with
levels of 5.13, 11.02, 2.65, 1.93, 45.43, 11.84, 15.07, 0, 0, 81.97 and 1.76 mg/kg, respectively, in POC. The leaching value
in mg/L of As (4.56), Cu(1.05), Be (0.89), Zn(0.51), Ba(0.26), Ni (0.17), V(0.15), Cr(0.001) and Se (0.001) is found well
below the standard limit of risk. Risk assessment code (RAC) analysis confirms the safe incorporation of POC in cementbased
applications.