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Underwater archaeological research has been developed less aggressively in Malaysia than in other ASEAN partner countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. In past decades, financial constraints have limited the development of underwater archaeology, and the field has been dominated by commercial salvage experts. Malaysia has not addressed many issues or fundamental problems related to future development. The discovery of the Bidong Shipwreck in 2013 has raised hopes that underwater archaeological research in Malaysia will develop more dynamically. The successful excavation of this shipwreck site proves that local experts can conduct scientific excavations. This article presents and discusses the discovery and process of excavating artifacts from the Bidong Shipwreck. The project outcomes provide a guide for stakeholders and agencies involved in future underwater excavations in Malaysian waters.

Background and Aim: Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) 8b causes inclusion body hepatitis, resulting in major economic losses globally among chickens. The objectives were to inactivate FAdV 8b isolate propagated in chicken embryo liver (CEL) cells using a stirred tank bioreactor (UPM08136P5B1) and determine the humoral and cell-mediated immune response, efficacy, and virus shedding in broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: The FAdV 8b isolate UPM08136P5B1 was inactivated using binary ethyleneimine, adjuvanted with Montanide 71VG, inoculated into day-old broiler chickens in a booster group (BG) and non-booster group (NBG), and challenged with a pathogenic FAdV 8b strain. Clinical signs, gross lesions, body weight (BW), liver: body weight ratio, FAdV antibody titer using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histopathological changes were recorded. The CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-lymphocyte profiles of the liver, spleen, and thymus using flow cytometry, and viral load in liver and cloacal shedding using quantitative polymerase chain reaction were evaluated. Results: Chickens in the challenged control group (CCG) exhibited mild clinical signs, gross lesions, and histopathological changes, which were absent in the inoculated groups, and had lower BW and higher liver BW ratio than chickens in the unchallenged control group (UCG); BG and NBG on 35- and 42-days post-inoculation (DPI). Chickens in NBG and BG had higher antibodies than UCG on 7, 21, 35, and 42 DPI. The challenged BG and NBG produced higher antibodies than the CCG on 35 DPI. T-lymphocytes were higher among the inoculated groups than UCG in the liver, spleen, and thymus. Inoculated challenged groups recorded higher CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-lymphocytes on 35 and 42 DPI than CCG. The challenged control group had a significantly higher viral load in the liver than challenged that in BG on 35 DPI and BG and NBG on 42 DPI. The challenged control group had significantly higher challenge FAdV shedding than challenged inoculated groups on 35 and NBG on 42 DPI. Conclusion: UPM08136P5B1 was successfully inactivated and mixed with Montanide 71VG. The inactivated vaccine candidate that induced humoral and cellular immunity was effective, reduced FAdV load in the liver, and shedding in the cloaca, and could be useful against FAdV 8b infections in chickens.

Introduction: Nursing is a practice-based discipline. During their first clinical practice, nursing students may develop their initial perception of this discipline. This perception will then drive the students’ activities during their first clinical experience. The early identification of students’ perception towards clinical practice is imperative to their motivation and overall passion towards providing high-quality nursing care in the future. This study’s objectives are to explore first-year nursing students’ perceptions towards their first experience of clinical practice, to identify problems that faced during the clinical practice, and to explore their interest in the nursing profession. Method: A phenomenological design was used in this study. The sample was first-year nursing students from a bachelor’s program. All participants have undergone a face-to-face in-depth interview with the guidance of a semi-structured interview format. Result: There were three themes derived from the interview sessions. The students had a mixture of feelings towards the clinical practice. The positive perceptions were a feeling of excitement, a feeling of satisfaction, and positive support by the clinical instructors. As for the negative perception, the findings were the feelings of fear, nervousness, stress and lack of confidence. Conclusion: The majority of the participants expressed having mixed feelings of excitement and hesitancy. Excitement feeling is an effective boosting mechanism towards performing better clinical practice in the field. Whereas hesitancy feeling needs to be corrected by providing more hands-on training opportunities before going into clinical placement. This training approach is believed to be able to improve their skills and knowledge hence eliminating the feeling of hesitancy towards the clinical practice.

Leukemia is a type of cancer caused by the unregulated proliferation of immature blood cells derived from mutated hematopoietic stem cells. The malignant cells arise from the standstill of normal blood cell maturation. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and variants of this virus which cause severe disease in birds, have oncolytic properties and are potential anticancer agents because they can kill tumor cells with limited toxicity to normal cells. In this study, the morphophic changes and apoptosis induction of the NDV strain AF2240 treated WEHI 3B leukemia cell line were examined using phase contrast, fluorescence, scanning and annexin V flow cytometry techniques. Light microscopy and electron microscopy showed that NDV strain AF 2240 significantly altered cell morphology and reduced cell viability. In addition, early apoptosis was observed 6 h after inoculation by fluorescence microscopy and annexin V flow cytometry methods. Our results suggest that NDV is able to induce the apoptotic pathway in the WEHI 3B leukemia cell line and may have potential therapeutic utility in the treatment of leukemia.

In the development of the diagnostic kit, it was favorable to have a low antigen concentration due to the difficulty of antigen preparedness and purification. However, it can cause the coffee-ring effect, producing different pattern formations on the selected membrane. It can lead to a false interpretation of the result. Thus, the immobilization of protein solution (lysozyme) as a model protein for antigen, with the addition of hydrosoluble polymer additive onto a membrane, was evaluated to suppress the coffee-ring effect. This research aims to evaluate the effect of polyethylene glycol on the protein solution for coffee-ring effect suppression and to analyze the image of the coffee-ring effect. From the experimental studies, 5 different concentrations (v/v%) of PEG which are 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, 0.1 and 0.01 v/v% is added at 4.0 mg/mL of lysozyme solution before being spotted onto nitrocellulose membrane. The color intensity of the dried spot, together with the formation of the coffee-ring effect, is analyzed by Image-J software. It is the approach to measure the suppression of the ring effect, in which 0.01 v/v% concentration portrays the most faded ring effect on nitrocellulose membrane. This effect occurs due to a surface tension gradient that causes the solute particles to accumulate at the edge of the droplet. As Marangoni flow has been altered, the coffee-ring effect is successfully suppressed; thus, uniform pattern deposition is achieved.

The main focus of the study was to assess the effect of lipid levels on the reproduction of the female orange mud crab, Scylla olivacea. Four isonitrogenous feed (~420 g/kg) were formulated with different lipid percentages: T 1 = 60 g / kg , T 2 = 80 g / kg , T 3 = 100 g / kg , and T 4 = 120 g / kg . A feeding trial was carried out on 120 matured female mud crabs for 90 days with 30 replicates in each treatment. Based on the morphological, histological, and hormonal analysis of each crab, the performances of each experimental diet were tested. The results of the experiment disclosed positive body weight gain (BWG) and specific growth rate (SGR), with the highest value recorded in crabs that were fed T4 (BWG: 14.43 ± 1.14 g ; SGR: 0.10 ± 0.01 % da y − 1 ). The highest gonado-somatic index (GSI) and hepato-somatic index (HSI) were noted in mud crabs that were fed T4, each with a value of 14.51 ± 1.13 % and 5.23 ± 0.55 % , respectively ( P < 0.05 ). The histological assessment revealed that the highest oocyte diameter was recorded in mud crabs fed T4 ( 192.80 ± 21.93 μm), where the oocyte diameter was correlated with the progesterone (Pg) concentrations in the ovary with r = 0.73 . Evidence also indicated that Pg and estradiol (E2) are important in the ovarian development in S. olivacea and their concentrations were affected by the lipid levels. An overall analysis revealed that 120 g/kg of lipid in the diet contributes to optimal reproductive performance in Scylla olivacea. Yet, a further experiment is expected to be carried out in the future to determine the nutrient-dose response as 120 g/kg lipid may not be the optimum lipid level for reproductive and growth performance in S. olivacea. Moreover, the extrapolation of data from this study can be used as guidelines in feed formulation for developments in future research in adult crustaceans.

Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) provide the first line of immunological defense after the invasion of the intestine by a pathogen. To understand the changes of IEL response in chickens, we measured the population of different subsets of avian IELs at different time points after primary inoculation of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) lentogenic strain (LaSota) and subsequent challenge with NDV velogenic strain- genotypes VII and VIII. Furthermore, NDV shed after each treatment was quantified. Specific-pathogen-free chickens were randomly divided into six groups of chickens, one to six, inoculated with phosphate buffered saline; NDV lentogenic strain (LaSota); genotype VII (GVII); LaSota and challenged with GVII (LSGVII); genotype VIII (GVIII); and group of LaSota and challenged with GVIII (LSGVIII). The chickens were euthanized at 12, 36, and 60 h postchallenge. Immunophenotyping of CD25

Astroviruses have been associated with enteric and extra-intestinal disorders in many animal species, including chickens. Here, we describe the detection and characterisation of chicken astrovirus (CAstV) in broilers and its seroprevalence in broiler breeder flocks. Based on PCR protocol, viral confirmation was carried out on clinical tissue samples from broiler chickens suffering from uneven growth and poor performance. The tissues were molecularly detected for CAstV with differential diagnostic testing against the Newcastle disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, avian nephritis virus, avian rotavirus, fowl adenovirus and avian reovirus. Polymerase gene-based phylogenetic analyses of the twenty samples detected positive for CAstV indicate they belong to Group I and are related to strains from the US, UK, India and Poland. From these 20 samples, CastV could be isolated from 3 samples upon inoculation in 5-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) embryonated chicken eggs (ECE); virus-infected embryos showed dwarfing, haemorrhages, oedema and gelatinous lesions at harvest. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results revealed a high prevalence of antibodies against CAstV amongst the broiler breeder flocks tested. It is the first study that describes the detection and prevalence of CAstV in broiler chickens and broiler breeder flocks in Malaysia.

In order to determine the safety level of water parameters and nutrients in the natural environment of fish and freshwater prawn in Nyatuh River, Terengganu, Malaysia, it is necessary to conduct an assessment of water quality parameters. Due to its important, a study was conducted to assess the water quality parameter and nutrients contents from Nyatuh River of Setiu Terengganu in relations to the population of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii caught along the Nyatuh River basin. Total of four expeditions and five stations at different tidal condition for the water quality parameter were assessed during the study. From the results achieved, the overall temperature varied between (26.56°C–29.30°C), dissolved oxygen, DO (3.59 mg/L–6.50 mg/L), pH (4.99–7.01), salinity (0.01ppt–4.22ppt), depth (2.71 m–5.54 m) while for ammonia (0.01 mg/L–0.24 mg/L), nitrite (0.01 mg/L–0.05 mg/L) and phosphate (0.01 mg/L–0.12 mg/L). While the number of prawns caught are 176, 160, 102 and 68 for Expeditions 1, 2, 4 and 3, respectively. Possibly, the heterogeneous number of prawns caught is a result of significant differences in water level depth during high tides and low tides, as well as a fluctuation in the ammonia concentration levels in each of the stations and expeditions. For statistical analysis, the temperature showed no significant difference between the expedition, stations and tidal. That is p = 0.280, p > 0.05 and F = 1.206, respectively. While dissolved oxygen, DO, showed no significant difference as well, that is p = 0.714, p > 0.05 and F = 0.737. However, the level of water depth was significantly different between expedition, station and tidal, that is p = 0.000, p < 0.05 and F = 3.120. Ammonia, on the other hand shows no significant difference between expedition, station and tidal, that is p = 0.476, p > 0.05 and F = 0.973. The same goes for nitrite and phosphate concentration. There was no significant difference between expedition, stations and tidal, that is p = 0.569, p > 0.05 and F = 0.879 and p = 0.247, p > 0.05, F = 1.255, respectively. In Expedition 1, the good water quality parameter and very low ammonia concentration resulted in a larger prawn population as compared to other expeditions. The distribution or mixture of prawns caught is heterogeneous at different stations due to the significant differences in water depth and also to the fluctuation in water quality due to varying ammonia levels. In conclusion, the water quality in Nyatuh River fluctuated across expeditions, stations, and tides, as well as significant differences in water level depths between high and low tides. Due to the rapid growth and importance of industrial and aquaculture operations along the river, extra attention should be devoted to avoid the impact of excessive pollutant in order to protect the ecosystem.

An agricultural waste, palm oil fuel ash (POFA) has been evaluated as a Ni catalyst support for the methane decomposition process. The effects of solvent and pre-treatment technique during the POFA pre-treatment have been investigated towards the catalytic performance of Ni supported on POFA (Ni-POFA) catalyst prepared at 10 wt% Ni loading. Methane decomposition of Ni-POFA catalyst was carried out at 550 °C for 6 hrs. The POFA and Ni-POFA were characterized using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms and field emission scanning electron spectroscopy (FESEM). The results showed that citric acid solution was the best solvent for POFA pre-treatment. The SiO2 content in the POFA pre-treatment improved from 42.4 to 72 wt%. Good CH4 conversion achieved by Ni-POFA catalyst in the methane decomposition was attributed to high SiO2 in the POFA treated with citric acid. Compared to conventional stirring, pre-treatment of POFA with ultra-sonication technique has produced POFA support with smaller particles size, and Ni-POFA catalyst with better BET surface area and better Ni dispersion. These catalyst properties have contributed to an exceptional catalytic performance of 71% of initial CH4 conversion and 4.2% of initial H2 yield of Ni-POFA catalyst in the methane decomposition. The work suggests that POFA has the potential to be utilized as catalyst support, and pre-treatment is crucial for a reasonable catalytic performance in methane decomposition.

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic had prompted many governments to enforce lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading. In Malaysia, a series of Movement Control Orders (MCO) were introduced starting March 18, 2020. As a result, many people’s lives were affected, including university students. These affected students had to stay in their campus residential facilities, isolated from family, relatives and friends, which could lead to the feeling of loneliness. This study aims to explore the phenomenon among students stranded on campus during MCO periods. Approximately 243 students from several public universities were surveyed using Google form. Results from the 210 usable responses showed that most of these students experienced moderate loneliness and often used coping approaches like acceptance, positive interpretation, active coping, and active solitude. Friends seemed to be a more immediate source to seek for support in times of isolation. Correlation results suggested that social support availability is negatively associated with student loneliness experience, and positively related with student coping strategies. Specifically, the availability of support from friends and significant others may minimize loneliness experience.

An accurate monitoring of glucose level can facilitate appropriate treatment. An electrochemical sensor consisting of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was enhanced by the addition of electrosprayed gold nanoparticles and electrospun polyacrylic acid/polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (PAA/PAN/AuNPs) for the non-enzymatic determination of glucose. The volume ratio of PAA:PAN of 6:4 was used due to the highest conductivity value of 1.64 × 10−3 ± 1.11 × 10−4 S cm−1. Addition of electrosprayed gold nanoparticles onto the electrospun PAA/PAN increased the conductivity up to 2.65 × 10–3 ± 2.97 × 10–4 S cm−1. The electrochemical behavior of SPCE before and after modification was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. To achieve the optimal electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose, pH, deposition potential, and deposition time of differential pulse voltammetry were utilized. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor had a detection limit of 0.756 mM with sensitivity of 1.043 µA cm−2 mM−1 for linear range of 2 mM to 16 mM.

In spite of the available information on the role of natural killer (NK) cells in several viral infections, the interactions between chicken intraepithelial-NK (IEL-NK) cells and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated these interactions following the inoculation of chickens with NDV vaccine strain LaSota and subsequent challenge with velogenic NDV (vNDV) genotype VII (GVII) and VIII (GVIII), through quantification of IEL-NK cell's apoptosis and expression profiling of its surface receptors. Specific-pathogen-free chickens were randomly divided into six groups, as follows: one group of an uninfected control, one group infected with NDV LaSota, two groups each infected with either GVII or GVIII, and two groups inoculated with NDV LaSota and challenged with either GVII (LaSota-genotype VII [LSGVII]) or GVIII (LaSota-genotype VIII [LSGVIII]). Avian intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) were isolated from the duodenal loops, and CD3- cells were characterized. Immunophenotyping and apoptosis analysis of CD3-/CD25+/CD45+IEL NK cells were conducted using a flow cytometer. In addition, a gene expression study was conducted using real-time quantitative PCR. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance. The results showed that vNDV GVII or GVIII caused apoptosis of IEL-NK cells; however, following inoculation of LSGVII or LSGVIII, the effect of vNDV GVII and GVIII to cause a reduction in the population of viable IEL-NK cells was significantly reduced. Furthermore, the expression profiles of activating receptors CD69, NK-lysin, and IFN-γ, were generally upregulated in chickens inoculated with LSGVII or LSGVIII. In contrast, B-NK, an inhibitory receptor, was downregulated in these treatment groups. In NDV GVII- and GVIII-challenged groups, however, B-NK was upregulated, whereas the other receptors were generally downregulated. The findings of this study showed that NDV vaccine strain LaSota may prevent apoptosis and cause upregulation of activating receptors of chicken IEL-NK cells in velogenic virus-challenged settings.Perfiles de expresión de genes relacionados con la inmunidad y estudio de apoptosis de células asesinas naturales intraepiteliales aviares en pollos inoculados con la cepa vacunal del virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle (NDV) y desafiados con de Newcastle virulento. A pesar de la información disponible sobre el papel de las células asesinas naturales (NK) en varias infecciones virales, se conoce poco acerca de las interacciones entre las células NK intraepiteliales de pollo (IEL-NK) y el virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle (NDV). En este estudio, investigamos estas interacciones luego de la inoculación de pollos con la cepa vacunal LaSota y con el desafío posterior con los genotipo VII (GVII) y VIII (GVIII) velogénico de NDV (vNDV), mediante la cuantificación de la apoptosis de las células IEL-NK y los perfiles de expresión de sus receptores de superficie. Los pollos libres de patógenos específicos se dividieron aleatoriamente en seis grupos, de la siguiente manera: un grupo de control no infectado, un grupo infectado con LaSota, dos grupos cada uno infectado con GVII o GVIII, y dos grupos inoculados con LaSota y desafiados con ya sea el genotipo GVII (LaSota-genotipo VII [LSGVII]) o con el genotipo GVIII (LaSota-genotipo VIII [LSGVIII]). Se aislaron células NK intraepiteliales de pollo de las asas duodenales y se caracterizaron las células CD3-. La inmunofenotipificación y el análisis de apoptosis de las células NK CD3-/CD25+/CD45+IEL se realizaron utilizando citometría de flujo. Además, se realizó un estudio de expresión de genes mediante PCR cuantitativa en tiempo real. Los datos se analizaron utilizando un análisis de varianza de dos vías. Los resultados mostraron que el virus de Newcastle genotipos GVII o GVIII causaron apoptosis de células NK intraepiteliales; sin embargo, después de por los tratamientos LaSota-genotipo VII o LaSota-genotipo VIII, el efecto de del virus virulento de Newcastle GVII y GVIII para provocar una reducción en la población de células NK intraepiteliales viables se redujo significativamente. Además, los perfiles de expresión de los receptores activadores CD69, NK-lisina e IFN-γ generalmente aumentaron en pollos inoculados con los tratamientos LaSota-genotipo VII o LaSota-genotipo VIII. Por el contrario, B-NK, que es un receptor inhibidor, se reguló a la baja en estos grupos de tratamiento. Sin embargo, en los grupos expuestos a los virus de Newcastle genotipos GVII y GVIII, el gene B-NK estaba regulado al alza, mientras que los otros receptores generalmente estaban regulados a la baja. Los hallazgos de este estudio mostraron que la cepa vacunal LaSota puede prevenir la apoptosis y causar una regulación al alza de los receptores activadores de las células NK intraepiteliales de pollo en entornos expuestos al virus velogénico.

The restaurant concept plays an important role in establishing and running a successful food business. Maintaining the quality of foods is an important criterion that service providers must look at to attract new customers and retain existing customers on the premises. By considering the importance of the quality of foods and customers in the restaurant industry, this study examines the relationship between the quality of food attributes and customer satisfaction. The research utilized a quantitative approach to conducting the study. Universiti Utara Malaysia students who visited The Lake restaurant are chosen as the unit of analysis. The close-ended questionnaires were distributed to the students to obtain the data for this study. In order to conduct the survey, the researchers used Google form as a tool. The questionnaires were distributed by Google form using the purposive sampling method. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among the students, and 364 usable questionnaires proceeded for the descriptive and inferential analyses of the study. The study found that there is a positive relationship between food quality attributes (freshness, taste, healthy options, variety of menu, presentations, and temperature) and customers' satisfaction. The findings of the study posed significance and added new knowledge to the practitioners and academicians.

Recent investigations suggest that human capital investment influences and largely impacted the organization’s performance and success. Other human resource practices such as training and development may also improve the level of human capital in the firm. In this study, the human resource investment that aims to improve the level of knowledge and skills of mid-level managers, as well other features such as their managerial and leadership skills, employee engagement, and empowerment, that was practiced by The Datai Langkawi, will be the main focus. The program initiated by The Datai Resort in Langkawi called the ‘Datai Investing People’ or ‘DIP’ program, is a certification for an executive program for their mid-level managers and supervisors. A qualitative interview was conducted with nine of the DIP program participants, in investigating the impact and challenges of the DIP program. The data from the interview were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis. It was found that overall, participants of the DIP program were satisfied and mentioned improved managerial and leadership skills, personal development, and improvement, and improved interdepartmental communication and engagement as the impact of the DIP program. Meanwhile, among the challenges found are the approaches and method and unfamiliar classroom setting and environment of the DIP program. Furthermore, the program has successfully conducted and achieved its intended outcome for The Datai. As a pioneer of such a program, this could be a catalyst to promote human resource practices among hotels, in ensuring an improved organization’s performance and human capital’s knowledge and skills development.

The present study is to investigate the feasibility of mixed non-edible oils, Sterculia foetida (SFO), and rice bran oil (RBO) for biodiesel production. The transesterification process variables of SFO50RBO50 as the suitable blend were optimised using response surface methodology. The optimum conditions of the transesterification process are as follow; KOH catalyst concentration of 0.7% wt, the ratio of methanol to oil of 42%, the reaction time of 50.64 min, resulted in the methyl ester yield of 98.93%. The result shows that the SF50RB50 methyl ester properties satisfy the biodiesel requirements laid in ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 standards.

The evaporation process of deposited solution drop is likely to form ring-like structure on solid surfaces. In this study, we studied the effect of coffee-ring observed on two different polymeric membrane with understanding of membrane’s morphology. Characterization of both nitrocellulose and polyvinylidene (PVDF) membranes were performed with water contact angle (WCA) test, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) before performing porosity test and measuring pore size. The characterized membranes were then spotted with IgG from bovine serum. The dried spots were stained using Ponceau S dye before being scanned using scanner and undergo pre-analysis using online software, ImageJ for quantitative measurements. Different type of ring-like structure were observed in the respective membrane referring to the reliance of stain formation within the parameter that had been characterized. Between the membranes, PVDF shows higher porosity despite lower mean pore size compared to nitrocellulose but lower distribution of pore size. As the protein solution immobilized on the surfaces, the side profiles shows that the ring-like effect are visible in both condition. However nitrocellulose membrane are able to reduce the effect compared to PVDF as the pore size distribution are much smaller in even manner alongside with the surface roughness that leads to smaller contact angle. This contribute to faster evaporation rate in nitrocellulose as these factors enhanced the capillary flow, driving the particles to the contact line. In suppressing the coffee-ring effect, it is suggested to further investigate the interaction of solution with the membrane for a better result.

Tangki NAHRIM, a desktop application developed in 2008, is widely used for the calculation of optimal tank size for rainwater harvesting in Malaysia. Here we present an overview of the updated version, Tangki NAHRIM 2.0 (TN2) which was developed in the R computing environment. In TN2, a rainwater harvesting system is simulated using a daily water balance model with rainfall input from a built-in database by adopting the yield-after-spillage (YAS) convention. Proposed tank sizes are evaluated based on water saving and storage efficiencies. These results are then visualised in charts showing the relationships between tank sizes and both efficiency measures to help users select the optimal tank size based on their criteria of choice. A simulation was conducted based on a typical Malaysian household for domestic non-potable use as a case study. A web-based GUI for TN2 was developed in R Shiny framework for the public. The GUI has the advantage of being accessible online from any device, and will be able to facilitate the adoption of rainwater harvesting systems by the public at large.

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is an ancient food that had been consumed by Chinese people for well-being purposes. Nevertheless, the effect of EBN on cholesterol metabolism is poorly studied. Since the cholesterol is primarily being metabolized in the liver, HepG2 cell lines was selected as the model for in-vitro preliminary assessment. Our EBN extract (EBNE) showed 71% cell viability in HepG2 cell lines, even at the highest dose (1.5 mg/mL). Simultaneously, EBNE was significantly up-regulated the LDL-R gene expression via suppression of HMGCR at the highest concentration. Besides that, ACAT2 was up-regulated significantly to allow exogenous cholesterol storage. Expression analysis of these genes were correlated with high immunofluorescence distribution of the LDL-R and LDs compared to other treatment groups. Consistent with gene expression and immunofluorescence staining, intrahepatocellular cholesterol concentration was increased significantly at the highest dose of EBNE. The EBNE had significantly improved cholesterol metabolism in the HepG2 cell line via suppression of the HMGCR gene and subsequently up-regulated LDL-R gene expression at the highest dose. Therefore, this study provides an insight to understand the effect of EBNE in improving cholesterol metabolism.

The rapid increase in energy demand coupled with the depletion of fossil-based resources has elevated the need for cleaner, renewable and sustainable fuels. Amongst alternative energies, hydrogen-based energy solution has become a promising replacement candidate due to its clean emission, high efficiency and it is considered to be a perfect substitute to reduce the dependency on non-renewable sources. Recently, the valorization biomass has become one of the attractive routes for hydrogen production and it has received growing attentions from worldwide researchers. Glycerol, the by-product from the biodiesel production faced oversupply crisis due to the high refining cost and this has affected the economics and sustainability of biodiesel industry. Hence, the most attractive way to boost the economic value of biodiesel is through the valorization of crude glycerol into value-added products, i.e., H2 and syngas. Previously, the production of H2 from glycerol has been carried out using various reforming processes such as aqueous phase reforming, pyrolysis, steam reforming, partial oxidation and dry reforming reactions. In the large scale industrial applications, Ni-based catalyst has been reported as the most common catalyst used in reforming reactions since this type of catalyst is readily available, inexpensive and possesses high catalytic activity. Ni was also found to have a good intrinsic activity and easily dispersed over the support materials. Throughout the years, various production routes and catalyst design have been reported in literature; however, none of the literatures are specifically focusing on benefits, constraints, limitation and challenges faced by glycerol reforming reactions catalyzed by Ni-based catalysts. Therefore, the focus of this review is to highlight the recent findings on Ni-based thermochemical processes of glycerol reforming reactions and emphasis will be given on the recent advances in catalyst and reactor designs as well as discovering the main routes of catalyst deactivation.

The important role of food choices in symbolic, economic and social aspects of life leads to the increased attention given to this area. This role became increasingly important and complicated for international students living in a foreign country for the first time, away from their families, as they are now required to make individual decisions on food choice. Therefore, the food choice strategy as practiced by the international students will receive dedicated attention to this study. This study is set within the academic environment at a local university in Northern Malaysia. Several qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and observation were used to assess the international students’ food choice strategies and how the local food environment influences their food choice decision. Six international students took part in this study. The findings indicated that most international students resorted to preparing and cooking their own food, mainly to satisfy their cravings and as a cure to homesickness. The food choice strategy also depended on their level of knowledge in food preparation, convenience, and resources available to them. These finding advances the food choice decision process and explicates the food acculturation among international students in Malaysia. Moreover, the findings have direct implications for institutions’ management of international students in assisting and improving their overseas experience.

The commercially available Newcastle disease (ND) vaccines were developed based on Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates genetically divergent from field strains that can only prevent clinical disease, not shedding of virulent heterologous virus, highlighting the need to develop genotype-matched vaccines.This study examined the efficacy of the NDV genotype-matched vaccine, mIBS025 strain formulated in standard vaccine stabilizer, and in carboxymethyl sago starch-acid hydrogel (CMSS-AH) following vaccination via an eye drop (ED) and drinking water (DW).A challenge virus was prepared from a recent NDV isolated from ND vaccinated flock. Groups of specific-pathogen-free chickens were vaccinated with mIBS025 vaccine strain prepared in a standard vaccine stabilizer and CMSS-AH via ED and DW and then challenged with the UPM/NDV/IBS362/2016 strain.Chickens vaccinated with CMSS-AH mIBS025 ED (group 2) developed the earliest and highest Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) NDV antibody titer (8logThe efficacy of mIBS025 vaccines prepared in a standard vaccine stabilizer or CMSS-AH was affected by the vaccination routes. The groups vaccinated via ED had better protective immunity than those vaccinated via DW.

Background: Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) 8b and other serotypes cause inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in chickens. Specific detection of aetiologic serotype in mixed infection and vaccine failure could be difficult. Aim: The objective of this study was to develop a TaqMan probe-based qPCR method for the detection and quantification of the FAdV 8b challenge virus. Methods: Forty-eight broiler chickens inoculated with live attenuated or inactivated FAdV 8b strains at day 1 of age either with or without booster at day 14 post-inoculation were used. The chickens were challenged with a pathogenic strain of FAdV 8b at day 28 of age. Liver and cloacal swabs were collected on days 7 and 14 post-challenge. Primers and probe were designed, specificity confirmed, and used to carry out qPCR amplification. Results: The assay amplified the FAdV DNA challenge virus, but not that of the live attenuated virus. It could detect FAdV 8b DNA as low as 0.001ng/µl in liver and cloacal swab samples. Copy numbers obtained indicate virus load and shedding. Conclusions: It shows that a selective detection of FAdV 8b within serotype is possible. It can be useful for rapid detection and diagnosis of the disease, virus quantification and differentiation within species, determination of vaccination failure and efficacy especially the virus load in the target organ and shedding.

Microplastics pollution has become a threat to aquaculture practices, as nearly all farming systems are saturated with microplastics (MPs) particles. Current research on MPs is limited considering their effects on aquatic organisms and human health. However, limited research has been conducted on potential cures and treatments. In today's world, bioremediation of needful parameters in different culture systems is being successfully practiced by introducing floc-forming bacteria. Researchers had found that some bacteria are efficacious in degrading microplastics particles including polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP). In addition, some bacteria that can form floc, are being used in fish and shellfish culture systems to treat toxic pollutants as the heterotrophic bacteria use organic compounds to grow and are effective in degrading microplastics and minimizing toxic nitrogen loads in aquaculture systems. In this review, the ability of biofloc bacteria to degrade microplastics has been summarized by collating the results of previous studies. The concept of this review may represent the efficacy of biofloc technology as an implicit tool in the fish culture system restricting the MPs contamination in water resources to safeguard ecological as well as human health.

Frequent Newcastle disease (ND) outbreaks in poultry have been reported in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. However, limited studies have been carried out on detecting the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) from non-poultry birds. In this study, the detections of NDV were carried out using tissues samples from suspected ND cases from commercial chickens and swab samples of non-poultry birds captured in bird sanctuaries. Five samples from commercial chickens and one sample from black swans were found positive for ND. They were classified as velogenic NDV based on the partial sequencing of the fusion (F) gene, which revealed the amino acid motif on the F cleavage site of 112RRQKRF117. In addition, phylogenetic analysis based on partial F gene showed that all NVD isolates are classified as class II genotype VII subgenotype VII.2 (VIIi) and are clustered together with NDVs isolated from chickens in 2017 in Indonesia. This finding indicates the occurrence of subgenotype VII.2 (VIIi) as the fifth panzootic of ND in Malaysia and the importance of the epidemiology of virulent NDV in various avian species.

Plasmodium knowlesi, a simian malaria parasite responsible for all recent indigenous cases of malaria in Malaysia, infects humans throughout Southeast Asia. There are two genetically distinct subpopulations of Plasmodium knowlesi in Malaysian Borneo, one associated with long-tailed macaques (termed cluster 1) and the other with pig-tailed macaques (cluster 2). A prospective study was conducted to determine whether there were any between-subpopulation differences in clinical and laboratory features, as well as in epidemiological characteristics. Over 2 years, 420 adults admitted to Kapit Hospital, Malaysian Borneo with knowlesi malaria were studied. Infections with each subpopulation resulted in mostly uncomplicated malaria. Severe disease was observed in 35/298 (11.7%) of single cluster 1 and 8/115 (7.0%) of single cluster 2 infections (p = 0.208). There was no clinically significant difference in outcome between the two subpopulations. Cluster 1 infections were more likely to be associated with peri-domestic activities while cluster 2 were associated with interior forest activities consistent with the preferred habitats of the respective macaque hosts. Infections with both P. knowlesi subpopulations cause a wide spectrum of disease including potentially life-threatening complications, with no implications for differential patient management.

The world continues to search for renewable energy resources, due to the devastating effect of global warming and the dwindling resources of fossil fuels. Without needing much modifications to the existing diesel engines, biodiesel is regarded as one of the most promising ways to treat these two issues simultaneously. However, the production of biodiesel is always associated with a higher cost compared to its counterpart; the petroleum-derived diesel. In addition, the type of feedstock used in the production of biodiesel also has also become a big concern due to the never-ending fuel vs food debate. Jatropha curcas is a second generation feedstock which can be specifically grown to avoid the usage of edible oils as feedstock to produce fuel. In this paper, the energy saving potential of using elite Jatropha curcas hybrid for biodiesel production in Malaysia are evaluated by conducting a full chain energy analysis. It was found that the new hybrid consumed 25.32 MJ of energy in order to produce 1kg of biodiesel. The net energy balance (NEB) and net energy ratio (NER) when by-products are not utilized are found to be 15.89 MJ/kg and 1.63, respectively. However, the NEB and NER increase to 26.72 MJ/kg and 2.84 when the by-products are used in the biodiesel conversion process. Hence, this new hybrid of Jatropha curcas has a huge potential to be used for the production of biodiesel.

The main aim of our study was to explore the genome sequence of the inclusion body hepatitis associated Fowl adenovirus serotype 8b (FAdV-8b) UPM04217 and to study its genomic organisation. The nucleotide sequence of the whole genome of FAdV-8b UPM04217 was determined by using the 454 Pyrosequencing platform and the Sanger sequencing method. The complete genome was found to be 44,059 bp long with 57.9% G + C content and shared 97.5% genome identity with the reference FAdV-E genome (HG isolate). Interestingly, the genome analysis using ORF Finder, Glimmer3 and FGENESV predicted a total of 39 open reading frames (ORFs) compared to the FAdV-E HG that possessed 46 ORFs. Fourteen ORFs located within the central genomic region and 16 ORFs located within the left and right ends of the genome were assigned as being the high protein-coding regions. The fusion of the small ORFs at the right end terminal specifically in ORF22 and ORF33 could be the result of gene truncation in the FAdV-E HG. The frame shift mutation in ORF25 and other mutations in ORF13 and ORF17 might have lead to the emergence of genes that could have different functions. Besides, one of the minor capsid components, pVI, in FAdV-8b UPM04217 shared the highest similarity of 93% with that of FAdV-D, while only 47% similarity was found with FAdV-E. From the gene arrangement layout of the FAdV genome, FAdV-8b UPM04217 showed intermediate evolution between the FAdV-E HG and the FAdV-D although it was apparently more similar to the FAdV-E HG. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13337-019-00530-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels have spurred many efforts in the quest for finding renewable, alternative sources of fuels, such as biodiesel. Due to its auxiliary functions in areas such as carbon dioxide sequestration and wastewater treatment, the potential of microalgae as a feedstock for biodiesel production has attracted a lot of attention from researchers all over the world. Major improvements have been made from the upstream to the downstream aspects related to microalgae processing. One of the main concerns is the high cost associated with the production of biodiesel from microalgae, which includes drying of the biomass and the subsequent lipid extraction. These two processes can be circumvented by applying direct or in situ transesterification of the wet microalgae biomass, hence substantially reducing the cost. In situ transesterification is considered as a significant improvement to commercially produce biodiesel from microalgae. This review covers the methods used to extract lipids from microalgae and various in situ transesterification methods, focusing on recent developments related to the process. Nevertheless, more studies need to be conducted to further enhance the discussed in situ transesterification methods before implementing them on a commercial scale.

Schmidt rebound hammer test was employed in this study as a nondestructive test. This test method has been universally utilized due to its non-destructiveness for quick and easy assessment of material strength properties and quality of concrete of an existing structure. Industrial waste materials (air-dried alum sludge, treated alum sludge, limestone dust and quarry dust) were employed as replacement material for fine aggregates in this study. A normal strength concrete was designed to achieve 35 MPa at 28 days, with industrial waste materials replacing fine aggregate at different percentages (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%), and then cured for 7, 28 and 180 days. The compressive strength values and rebound numbers for all the mixes obtained were correlated, and a regression equation was established between compressive strength and Schmidt rebound number. The correlation result showed an excellent relationship between rebound number and compressive strength of concrete produced in this study at all curing ages, with correlation coefficients of R2 = 0.98, R2 = 0.99 and R2 = 0.98. The predicted equation showed a strong relationship with the experimental compressive strength. Therefore, it can be used for the prediction of compressive strength of concrete with industrial waste as a replacement for fine aggregate.