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Rice is an important staple food for nearly half the world’s population. In Malaysia, rice and paddy cultivation kickstarted in the early 60s with small-scale farming, which later expanded by leaps and bounds before emerging as the country’s utmost important food crop. Over the decades, Malaysian rice production system has been suffering from various challenges which include extreme weather conditions, poor soil fertility and nutrient management, farmers’ lack of awareness and knowledge, hesitancy against genetically-modified planting materials and poor deployment of technology. The national rice production and consumption, simply measured as self-sufficiency status staggers in between 67 and 70%. The Southeast Asia region has been an important rice export trader with Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, among the biggest rice-producing nations. Food security, under the context of sustaining international rice trading ties, succumbs to functional fluctuations of global supply chains. During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the containment period during the outbreak led to significant disruptions to the food production chain. During the early phase of the pandemic, Malaysia experienced a volatile rice import trend, facing difficulty to secure a committed rice trading partner. In this review, we discuss the trajectory of the rice and paddy industry in Malaysia since its inception, lab-to-field translated breeding strategies adopted for rice yield improvement, governmental participation and contribution (approaches, policies and programs) and technologies in use for rice production. Further, relevant cutting-edge technologies, agricultural methods and practices catered for modern Malaysian rice farming, with opportunities to improve and enhance crop health and resilience are included. The review findings inform new rice agricultural practices, suggest research directions toward sustainable rice farming and provide a comprehensive knowledge base to accelerate innovation, technology diffusion and technology adoption for a resilient rice production system in Malaysia.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), among the most simple and efficient means to harvest mechanical energy, have great potential as self-powered gadgets and sensors for multipurpose applications. In this work, Nylon-11/TiO2 nanofiber membranes have been developed as a prospective tribopositive material for wearable TENG devices with superior properties of high mechanical strength, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and antibacterial activity. The addition of TiO2 in the electrospun Nylon-11 nanofiber matrix resulted in high-quality, uniformly spun membranes with reduced fiber diameter and self-cleaning property. Incorporating TiO2 nanocrystals imparted semicrystalline nature, good physicochemical properties, enhanced piezoelectric γ phase, and antibacterial properties in the as-fabricated Nylon-11/TiO2 nanofibers, which are advantageous to wearable TENGs. 5 wt% Nylon-11/TiO2 TENGs of [2 × 2 cm2] area were found to have exceptional triboelectric properties with short circuit current (ISC) of 5.1 μA and open circuit voltage (VOC) of 56 V measured at an applied force of 10 N and frequency 10 Hz. The as-fabricated TENGs also showed extraordinary performance towards simple palm tapping with high outputs of 53 μA and 283 V, powering 80 LEDs by the rectified output.

Prostatic malakoplakia is a rare chronic inflammatory disease with only a few cases reported in the literature. It is believed to be caused by an impaired histiocytic response against bacteria. This is a case report of a 65-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus presenting with complaints of generalized weakness and fever of 4-day duration. Laboratory investigations showed pyuria, and urine culture showed Escherichia coli. An abdominal Computerised Tomography (CT) scan revealed left-sided pyelonephritis and a prostatic abscess. Double-J stenting with Trans-Rectal Ultrasound Scan (TRUS) biopsy was done. The biopsy showed features of malakoplakia of the prostate without any associated malignancy.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are meeting significant advancements in biomedical sectors by replacing conventional healthcare systems. TENGs have a significant productive impact on the future commercialization of self-powered medical devices. Architecting biocompatible TENGs for in vivo and in vitro applications without compromising their overall performance is one amongst the significant challenge in impregnating TENG science into biomedical technologies. This review article is committed to presenting the most recent advancements of TENG materials in therapeutics and healthcare monitoring, tissue repairing, cell proliferation and regenerative medicine, implantable devices, drug delivery, and microbial disinfection. A special emphasis on cutting-edge TENG applications in neural prosthesis and muscle stimulation which are inevitable assets to the near future medical ailment is discussed in detail. Besides, a thrust on the importance of impregnating biomaterials in TENG-based healthcare system is specified. Eventually, the difficulties and challenges in the current methods are examined, along with discussions on workable ideas for future improvements in the conclusive remarks.

Abstract Objective Basal stem rot disease causes severe economic losses to oil palm production in South-east Asia and little is known on the pathogenicity of the pathogen, the basidiomyceteous Ganoderma boninense. Our data presented here aims to identify both the house-keeping and pathogenicity genes of G. boninense using Illumina sequencing reads. Description The hemibiotroph G. boninense establishes via root contact during early stage of colonization and subsequently kills the host tissue as the disease progresses. Information on the pathogenicity factors/genes that causes BSR remain poorly understood. In addition, the molecular expressions corresponding to G. boninense growth and pathogenicity are not reported. Here, six transcriptome datasets of G. boninense from two contrasting conditions (three biological replicates per condition) are presented. The first datasets, collected from a 7-day-old axenic condition provide an insight onto genes responsible for sustenance, growth and development of G. boninense while datasets of the infecting G. boninense collected from oil palm-G. boninense pathosystem (in planta condition) at 1 month post-inoculation offer a comprehensive avenue to understand G. boninense pathogenesis and infection especially in regard to molecular mechanisms and pathways. Raw sequences deposited in Sequence Read Archive (SRA) are available at NCBI SRA portal with PRJNA514399, bioproject ID.

Basal stem rot, caused by the basidiomycete fungus, Ganoderma boninense, is an economically devastating disease in Malaysia. Our study investigated the changes in lignin content and composition along with activity and expression of the phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes and genes in oil palm root tissues during G. boninense infection. We sampled control (non-inoculated) and infected (inoculated) seedlings at seven time points [1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-inoculation (wpi)] in a randomized design. The expression profiles of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and peroxidase (POD) genes were monitored at 1, 2, and 3 wpi using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Seedlings at 4, 8, and 12 wpi were screened for lignin content, lignin composition, enzyme activities (PAL, CAD, and POD), growth (weight and height), and disease severity (DS). Gene expression analysis demonstrated up-regulation of PAL, CAD, and POD genes in the infected seedlings, relative to the control seedlings at 1, 2, and 3 wpi. At 2 and 3 wpi, CAD showed highest transcript levels compared to PAL and POD. DS increased progressively throughout sampling, with 5, 34, and 69% at 4, 8, and 12 wpi, respectively. Fresh weight and height of the infected seedlings were significantly lower compared to the control seedlings at 8 and 12 wpi. Lignin content of the infected seedlings at 4 wpi was significantly higher than the control seedlings, remained elicited with no change at 8 wpi, and then collapsed with a significant reduction at 12 wpi. The nitrobenzene oxidation products of oil palm root lignin yielded both syringyl and guaiacyl monomers. Accumulation of lignin in the infected seedlings was in parallel to increased syringyl monomers, at 4 and 8 wpi. The activities of PAL and CAD enzymes in the infected seedlings at DS = 5–34% were significantly higher than the control seedlings and thereafter collapsed at DS = 69%.

Borophene 2D nanosheets of boron and the evolving group III trans-graphene are a potential material for a plethora of applications; however, they have not been well explored due to the ambiguity in their electronic configuration and consequent polymorphism. Here, we introduced liquid-phase treatments utilizing surfactants exfoliating boron to 2D borophene. Poly-(ethelyene glycol) (PEG) polymeric chains with neutral characteristics simultaneously with surfactants of cationic and anionic characteristics, respectively, as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were utilized to constructively engineer a β rhombohedral crystal structure in borophene layers. These engineered borophene layers, on further analyzing their electrochemical performance by hydrogen evolution reactions, showed a heightened efficacy for borophene sheets synthesized in the presence of PEG, characterized by a Tafel slope of 178 mV/dec in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. This enhanced performance was intricately linked to the elevated quality of the borophene sheets during PEG-assisted liquid-phase treatment and to the increased accessibility of active sites characterized by the β rhombohedral crystal lattices engineered by PEG polymeric chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The procedure known as Emergency Obstetric Hysterectomy (EOH) involves the removal of the uterus in response to life-threatening conditions during the postpartum period. While this intervention is crucial for saving lives, it is also linked to severe complications. Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at Sheth Lallubhai Gordhandas Municipal General Hospital in Maninagar, Ahmedabad, over one year, focusing on Emergency Obstetric Hysterectomy (EOH) cases. The study included cases with complete medical records and excluded those with incomplete documentation. Data variables included demographic details, indications for EOH, maternal outcomes, surgical details, and neonatal outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, along with comparative analysis based on demographics and indications for EOH. Statistical tests, such as chi-square or t-tests, were applied to assess outcomes, including maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Results: Study revealed the majority of cases (37.1%) were women aged 26-30, with multiparity (65.7%) and abnormal placentation (45.7%) as common risk factors. Caesarean hysterectomy had a higher survival rate at 65.7% compared to 11.4% for postpartum hysterectomy. The average operating time was 74.57 minutes, and patients had an average hospital stay of 9.34 days. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for enhanced antenatal care and emergency management strategies to address severe obstetric conditions, as evidenced by the high incidence of complications and variability in outcomes observed.

Abstract Background World Vision launched the Inclusive Playful Parenting for a Brighter Childhood (IPP4BC) project in identified vulnerable communities in Nepal and Uganda to mitigate risk for children at risk of poor development due to COVD 19. The intervention, based on the nurturing care framework, offered a customized parenting curriculum for young children, emphasizing holistic development through behavior change approaches tailored to local contexts. Objective To evaluate the effect of the IPP4BC project, on early childhood development (ECD) and care outcomes of children under 6 years in vulnerable communities in Nepal and Uganda, particularly those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The intervention was delivered by trained facilitators over a 7-month period in different arms defined by the dosage: high (10 group sessions, 4 home visits) medium (5 group sessions, 2 home visits) or low (delivery of key messages through media) dose. An endline evaluation designed as quasi-experimental non-equivalent control groups post-test only study, assessed the effect of the project utilizing the Malawi Development Assessment Tool (MDAT) for child outcomes and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) for caregiver outcomes. Additionally, an implementation survey was conducted to assess program fidelity and participant engagement. Findings In Nepal, higher intervention doses were associated with significantly better child development outcomes (High dose M = 1.20, SD = 2.22, Medium dose M = 1.01, SD = 1.99; Low dose M = 0.43, SD = 2.32, p

This article explores what “care” looks like in the specific context of Muslim refugees and asylum seekers within the dominant discourse of humanitarianism. India and Australia are chosen for this comparative analysis because our aim is to emphasise multidimensional anti-Muslim alliances that are now in place in both contexts between the governments and official and unofficial media that influence humanitarian policies and practice. We argue that the “information disorder” that dominates current media ecologies about Muslim refugees in both countries is produced at this nexus of official agents—both state and media institutions—as well as social media content produced by local and global actors that perpetuate anti-Muslim bias. More specifically, this article examines how India has responded to emergencies involving the Rohingya refugees, and Australia’s treatment of post-9/11 Muslim refugees and asylum seekers. We demonstrate that these states and the media they sponsor are linked to the use of disinformation, or deliberately inaccurate information to seed and perpetuate Islamophobic sentiments and thereby practice a form of “calculated care”. The examples in this article highlight the need to build on our understanding of what constitutes humanitarian care towards vulnerable and stateless populations. Furthermore, they call for response strategies that take into cognizance the fact that Islamophobia has been institutionalized in the public sphere in order to promote culturally supremacist discourses of traditional values as well as national security.

Cyber threats are one of the main concerns in this growing technology epoch. To tackle this issue, highly skilled and motivated cybersecurity professionals are increasingly in demand to prevent, detect, respond to, or even mitigate the effects of such threats. However, the world faces a workforce shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals and practitioners. To address this dilemma, several cybersecurity educational programs have been introduced, such as specialized cybersecurity courses in computer science graduate programs. With the increasing demand, different cybersecurity courses are introduced at the high school level, undergraduate computer science and information systems programs, and even at the government level. Due to the peculiar nature of cybersecurity, educational institutions face many issues when designing a curriculum or cybersecurity activities. In this paper, we study existing cybersecurity curriculum approaches and activities. We also present case studies on cybersecurity education around the globe.