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The acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) epidemic from 2010 to 2013 significantly affected white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) production in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the status of AHPND in P. vannamei culture from detecting PirA/B toxin genes in hepatopancreas tissues and isolation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus for identification of pathogenic strain from major white shrimp producing farms in Malaysia. Bacteria from the hepatopancreas organ were cultured on tryptic soy agar and identified using API® 20 NE (bioMérieux, France) for Vibrio species. Confirmation of PirA/B toxin genes in hepatopancreas and V. parahaemolyticus isolates were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-three V. parahaemolyticus isolates were identified from 7.7% of the analysed samples. Fourteen (14) (4.7%) were detected with PirA/B toxin genes from districts of Johor such as Batu Pahat (1) and Kota Tinggi (8), Alor Setar, Kedah (3), Tawau, Sabah (1), and Kuching, Sarawak (1). In contrast, the other nine isolates (3%) contained only the plasmid. Genomic and phylogenetic tree analysis of four V. parahaemolyticus isolates carrying PirA/B toxin genes from this study showed that only one strain (Vp14) harbours the PirA/B complete genes in addition to displaying full sequence homology and coverage to the pVA1 plasmid. In contrast, other strains (AAT22, IKK3, and PK3) displayed partial sequence homology of plasmid harbouring key genes associated with conjugative transfer function but not the plasmid segments containing PirA/B toxin genes. Hence, this study showed that six farms were negative from AHPND. In contrast, four farms were positive with PirA/B toxin genes in juveniles from Pekan, Pahang (26.7%), Kuching and Sarikei, Sarawak (10% respectively), and Alor Setar, Kedah (3.3%).

Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) helps decision makers (DMs) solve highly complex problems. Accordingly, MCDM has been widely used by DMs from various fields as an effective and reliable tool for solving various problems, such as in site and supplier selection, ranking and assessment. This work presents an in-depth survey of past and recent MCDM techniques cited in the literature. These techniques are mainly categorised into pairwise comparison, outranking and distance-based approaches. Some well-known MCDM methods include the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Analytical Network Process (ANP), Elimination et Choix Traduisant la Realité (ELECTRE), Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR). Each of these methods is unique and has been used in a vast field of interest to support DMs in solving complex problems. For a complete survey, discussions related to previous issues and challenges and the current implementation of MCDM are also presented.

Aquilaria is a multipurpose plant with high commercial and medicinal values. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of drying methods and extraction solvents on the phenolic and flavonoids content in A. malaccensis (AMA), A. subintegra (ASU), and A. sinensis (ASI). Leaf samples were either Air-Dried (AD) or Oven-Dried (OD) and extracted using 100% Ethanol (EE100), 70% ethanol (EE70), aqueous (AE), and hexane (HE). There was a significant difference (p

Successfully restoring degraded forest areas depends on seedlings adapting their growth to suit harsh environments. Hence, the requirements for seedlings’ growth need to be addressed before replanting degraded sites. The present study determines the effect of abiotic factors viz. light irradiance (8%, 30%, and 100%), nutrient addition (no fertiliser (NF), NPK, and vermicompost) on the growth performance and photosynthetic capacity of two dipterocarp species seedlings, Shorea leprosula Miq. and Shorea acuminata Dyer. The morphological characteristics assessed for growth performance comprised plant height, stem diameter, leaf count, leaf area, relative chlorophyll concentration, biomass, and root-to-shoot ratio. Li-Cor 6400 and 6800 were used to measure the leaf gas exchange traits, including photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance (gsw), and water-use efficiency (WUE). Our results demonstrated that different levels of light intensity and nutrient amendment significantly impacted plant-growth performance. Plants grown in 30% irradiance showed better growth performance in terms of relative height growth rate (RHGR), mean number of leaves, and leaf areas 41%, 24%, and 32% higher than the control. The A value was also higher in 30% irradiance, but no significant differences were observed between each level of light irradiance. The addition of vermicompost gave better growth for RHGR, relative diameter growth rate (RDGR), mean number of leaves, biomass, and relative chlorophyll concentrations 47%, 40%, 131%, 19%, and 27% higher than the control, respectively. However, the results obtained for photosynthetic parameters were contrary to growth performance. The photosynthesis rate (A) was higher (14.8%) in NPK compared to the control, and the other photosynthetic parameters did not differ significantly despite different nutrient amendments. In terms of species, S. leprosula has better growth performance and photosynthetic characteristics than S. acuminata in different light irradiance and nutrient amendments, thereby rendering S. leprosula the preferred rehabilitation species. Generally, nutrient addition of either NPK or vermicompost and 30% light irradiance gave better morphological and physiological growth for both species. The outcome of this study could provide a better understanding on the forest rehabilitation strategy to reduce the seedling-mortality rate, particularly for climax tree species.

Introduction: The epidemiological studies of balance disorder symptoms in Malaysia are still understudied, therefore this research sought to explore this issue among the walk-in patients at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic in Kuantan, Pahang. Methods: The study aimed to 1) observe the association of common balance disorder symptoms with factors like gender, ethnicity and age groups; 2) reveal the patterns of cases with each of the balance disorder symptom according to factors in 1); and 3) determine the pattern of balance disorders in this clinic. This study took place between February and April of 2016. The medical records of these patients were examined after services by ENT doctors. To extract the data, these documents were reviewed using a medical record review checklist. Results: A total of 92 medical records were reviewed. They consisted of 45.6% male and 54.4% female; Malay (60.8%), Chinese (27.2%), Indian (10.9%) and others (1.1%); these patients were from 3 months to 69 years old. Only 13 (14.1%) out of these cases presented with balance disorders. The findings indicated no association (p > 0.05) between each of the balance symptom and the demographic factors. Out of the 13 cases; the most frequent symptoms observed were headache (76.9%), imbalance (53.8%) and vertigo (46.2%). The peripheral vestibular disorder was found as the most common diagnosis of balance disorder; benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) (4) and Meniere’s disease (1). Both of the disorders showed vertigo, vomiting, headache and blur vision. Conclusions: It is crucial to understand the symptoms of balance disorders, particularly for a Malaysian population as it can enhance the clinical services and its quality of treatment or rehabilitation.

Sap flow pattern of Tectona grandis planted at lowland forest assessed. This study aimed to determine the sap movement of two different diameter sizes T. grandis. Two sizes selected were 16 and 38 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh). Sap flow meter (SFM) used to assess the sap velocity rates at the interval of 30 min within 24 h for 15 days. Diurnal sap flow of T. grandis shows that mean velocity is high during day time compared night time. Small diameter has high sap flow compared to that of bigger diameter. A flow rates was high at the inner layer and less at outer layer for smaller tree. The variation was vice versa when the tree was getting bigger. Variations in sap flow of T. grandis characterized by several environmental factors. It was found that size contribute in the differed sap flow of T. grandis.

The Delphi technique was used to explore the domain and indicators that contribute towards the integration program Public Skills Training Institute (PSTI) and Private Training Centre (PTC) for automotive industry trainess. Domain analysis and indicators of the fourth round of the eleven (n=11) expert panel found that only twelve domain PSTI programmes are integrated with PTC namely (1) Governance; (2) The framework of qualifications; (3) Standard of competence; (4) Supplier of skill standards; (5) Delivery; (6); (7) industrial relations; (8) The experience of industrial work; (9) The twinning program; (10) community service program; (11) The curriculum-based industrial visits; and (12) Educational entrepreneurship. The contribution of this reserach is significant to realized by stake holders to strengthen the impelmentation of TVET training syatem in the country. In conclusion, this study is important to support PSTI, PTC and industry is to produce of skilled workers with high incomes and the desires to become a develop nation by 2020.

LRT System is an accessible urban public transportation in Malaysia, especially in Klang Valley. People can commute easily from one place to another. The operations of the LRT System are entirely dependent on the electric power supply, from the movement of trains between stations to the facilities inside the train itself. High consumption of electric grid has contributed to the increase in environmental pollution. In the long-term, the effect can be seen in the decrease in sea level as well as drop-in water supply. Due to that, renewable energy demand is continuously increasing, and current prediction shows that this trend is going to further continues yearly. Usage of electricity from renewable sources such as the solar panel has been proposed in this project paper in order to reduce the negative effect been encountered. The solar PV is a mechanism that can transform the sunlight into direct current electricity by using semiconductors. Hence, with the use of the solar panel, it will reduce energy pollution and climate change impact due to high consumption of electric grid. This research is meant to explore the possibility of using solar panels as an alternative for generating electricity for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) as renewable energy instead of using the power grid. The goal for this project report is to understand the requirements in implementing solar energy on the LRT System in Malaysia.

Background Cosmos caudatus is an annual plant known for its medicinal value in treating several health conditions, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and diabetes mellitus. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and total phenolic content of the leaf aqueous ethanolic extracts of the plant at different growth stages (6, 8. 10, 12 and 14 weeks) were determined in an effort to ascertain the best time to harvest the plant for maximum medicinal quality with respect to its glucose-lowering effects. Methods The aqueous ethanolic leaf extracts of C. caudatus were characterized by NMR and LC-MS/MS. The total phenolic content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity were evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and α-glucosidase inhibitory assay, respectively. The statistical significance of the results was evaluated using one-way ANOVA with Duncan’s post hoc test, and correlation among the different activities was performed by Pearson’s correlation test. NMR spectroscopy along with multivariate data analysis was used to identify the metabolites correlated with total phenolic content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the C. caudatus leaf extracts. Results It was found that the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and total phenolic content of the optimized ethanol:water (80:20) leaf extract of the plant increased significantly as the plant matured, reaching a maximum at the 10th week. The IC50 value for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (39.18 μg mL− 1) at the 10th week showed greater potency than the positive standard, quercetin (110.50 μg mL− 1). Through an 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach, the 10-week-old samples were shown to be correlated with a high total phenolic content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. From the partial least squares biplot, rutin and flavonoid glycosides, consisting of quercetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, and quercetin 3-O-xyloside, were identified as the major bioactive metabolites. The metabolites were identified by NMR spectroscopy (J-resolve, HSQC and HMBC experiments) and further supported by dereplication via LC-MS/MS. Conclusion For high phytomedicinal quality, the 10th week is recommended as the best time to harvest C. caudatus leaves with respect to its glucose lowering potential. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2655-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Water use pattern of Tectona grandis planted at lowland forest assessed. The assessmentwas made for a different tree size of Tectona grandis. Two sizes selected were 16cm and 38 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh). Sapflow meter used to assess the sap velocityrates within 24 hours. Diurnal sapflow of Tect ona grandis shows that mean velocity ishigh during day time compared night time. Small diameter has high sapflow comparedto that of bigger diameter. A flow rates was high at the inner layer and less at outer layerfor smaller tree. The variation was vice versa when the tree getting bigger.

Objectives To assess and compare the knowledge of rugby players regarding first-aid measures for dental injuries. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at rugby tournaments in 2009 and 2010 on players aged 16 and over. Convenient sampling was performed. A total of 456 self-administered questionnaires were returned. Data collected were analysed using SPSS 21. Descriptive analysis was undertaken for the demographic data. The subjects were classified according to their experience of sustaining each type of injury. Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were carried out to compare the responses. When the expected cell count was less than five, Fisher's exact test was used. The level of significance was set at P

In general, serious game usability testing aims to assess whether a serious game is usable to the intended users. Failure to design a usable serious game could influence the player’s experience and give negative impact on the overall quality and success of a serious game. A serious game prototype called my-CEN had been developed and this paper aims to report on the findings discovered from the usability testing. User methods approach namely observational analysis and survey-based were applied in this research work. The instruments used in this study were validated through pilot study and total of 35 participants from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) involved in the usability testing. In summary, the analyses from both approaches suggest that my-CEN serious game passed the usability testing requirements thus, the serious game is usable to the intended users.

This study investigates the relationships between non-Muslims’ perceptions and acceptance towards Islamic banking in Malaysia. Specifically this research is to determine the significant contributing factors of perception and its measured indicators; and relationships between the factors which influence non-Muslims to accept Islamic banking. A total 250 respondents participated in the survey at selected areas in Kedah, Malaysia. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach is employed for the study to provide a robustness to the perception and acceptance model which passes all validity and reliability tests to be a good fit model for causal hypotheses testing. Confirmatory factor analysis is utilised to test for model validity, reliability and goodness-of-fit of the model. The result of hypotheses has revealed that there is a significant relationship between perception among non-Muslims which is indicated by confidence and bank selection criteria, towards acceptance of Islamic banking system in Malaysia. Latent variable for perception also passes mediating test to be a significant mediator between the exogenous indicators and the endogenous acceptance towards Islamic banking. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1p139

The studies on the effects of religion on economic development and growth had intrigued the economists to further develop quantitative plausible hypotheses for empirical testing. In Malaysia, albeit implementation of Islamic based policy in economic development had been started since 1969 with the inception of the Pilgrimage Management and Fund Board (Tabung Haji), and recently with the development of Islamic banking and takaful sector; there was very little evidence on the effectiveness of such policy that had been reported by the researchers over the last 40 years. This study was to fill the gap and to review the previous research findings on relationship between Islam and economic development. The objective was to investigate the empirical effects of Islam on economic development in Malaysia. The subject of Islam and economic development had raised a hypothesis whether there was a level relationship in short and long-run equilibria. The Islamization index was employed as a proxy of Islam. Real per capita GDP is used as the indicator of economic development. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach was utilized for empirical analyses based on 42-year dataset from 1969 to 2011. Basically, the results from the cointegration analyses using ARDL approach suggested that Islam, as a religion of the population, had a significant effect on economic development in Malaysia.

Aims: To assess rugby players' preferences for using a mouth- guard and to determine the factors contributing to the use and discontinu- ation of a mouthguard. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two rugby tournaments from 2009 to 2010. Samples were selected by convenience sampling. Participants were required to complete a self-admin- istered questionnaire, which inquired about awareness and pattern of mouthguard use, as well as reasons if discontinued. Results: Completed questionnaires were returned by 456 participants, with an estimated response rate of 77.8%. All participants were male (mean age = 22.73, SD = 3.98). Median duration of playing was 6 years, and median fre- quency was 6 h per week. Overall mouthguard use was low (31.1%, n = 142), especially for custom-fitted mouthguard (1.8%, n = 8), followed by stock mouthguard (7.7%, n = 35). Boil-and-bite type was most com- monly used (21.1%, n = 96). Of those who wore a mouthguard before, only 28% continued using it. The discontinuation rate for each type was as follows: stock, 57.1% (P = 0.032); boil-and-bite, 80.2% (P = 0.002); and custom, 37.5% (P = 0.04). Age was a significant factor for mouthguard use (P = 0.007, OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.03-1.17). Breathing disturbance (OR = 3.36, 95% CI = 1.17-9.72) and general discomfort (OR = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.68-8.20) were significant factors in discontinuing mouthguard use. Conclusions: The use of mouthguard was low among rugby players. Custom-made was the least worn type, possibly due to limited availability. The use of mouthguard increased slightly with age but was discouraged by breathing interference and general discomfort. Therefore, preventive effort should focus on early education and reinforcement, as well as on the improvement of wearability and accessibility.

In the future, utilization of dual display tends to be more popular. Optimizing the use of this feature, and designing a specific control panel user interface (UI), provide a possibility to develop an application that is able to unify the behavior of PC based multimedia player and presentation system. Since the view of the control panel and its output display occupied a different monitor, it is possible to create a single-compact control panel UI. Each multimedia element (video, image, slide, animation) have a particular controller and to be integrated in one window. This paper presents the Integrated Multimedia Player (IM-Player) an application that has been developed based on channel controller model and exploits the dual-display feature. We examined that the IM-Player has inherent double functions i.e. as a multimedia player and a presentation system simultaneously. Lastly, the IM-Player enable to unify the behavior of multimedia player and presentation system in single application