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Xuan Li,1 Chi-Hin Wong,2 Tsz-Wing Ng,2 Cheng-Fei Zhang,1 Ken Cham-Fai Leung,2 Lijian Jin1 1Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 2Department of Chemistry, Institute of Creativity and Partner State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China Abstract: We reported two forms (sphere and wire) of newly fabricated chlorhexidine (CHX)-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), and investigated their releasing capacities and anti-biofilm efficiencies. The interactions of the blank MSNs with planktonic oral microorganisms were assessed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The anti-biofilm effects of the two forms of nanoparticle-encapsulated CHX were examined by 2,3-bis (2-methoxy- 4-nitro-5-sulfo-phenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide. The profiles of biofilm penetration were analyzed by fluorescent-labeled MSNs using confocal microscopy and ImageJ. The spherical MSNs with an average diameter of 265 nm exhibited a larger surface area and faster CHX-releasing rate than the MSN wires. The field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that both shaped MSNs enabled to attach and further fuse with the surfaces of testing microbes. Meanwhile, the nanoparticle-encapsulated CHX could enhance the anti-biofilm efficiency with reference to its free form. Notably, the spherical nanoparticle-encapsulated CHX presented with a greater anti-biofilm capacity than the wire nanoparticle-encapsulated CHX, partly due to their difference in physical property. Furthermore, the relatively even distribution and homogeneous dispersion of spherical MSNs observed in confocal images may account for the enhanced penetration of spherical nanoparticle-encapsulated CHX into the microbial biofilms and resultant anti-biofilm effects. These findings reveal that the spherical nanoparticle-encapsulated CHX could preferably enhance its anti-biofilm efficiency through an effective releasing mode and close interactions with microbes. Keywords: mesoporous silica nanoparticles, morphology, chlorhexidine, imaging, biofilms

Trask/CDCP1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein widely expressed in epithelial tissues whose functions are just beginning to be understood, but include a role as an anti-adhesive effector of Src kinases. Early studies looking at RNA transcript levels seemed to suggest overexpression in some cancers, but immunostaining studies are now providing more accurate analyses of its expression. In an immuno-histochemical survey of human cancer specimens, we find that Trask expression is retained, reduced or sometimes lost in some tumors compared with their normal epithelial tissue counterparts. A survey of human cancer cell lines also show a similar wide variation in the expression of Trask, including some cell types with the loss of Trask expression, and additional cell types that have lost the physiological detachment-induced phosphorylation of Trask. Three experimental models were established to interrogate the role of Trask in tumor progression, including two gain-of-function models with tet-inducible expression of Trask in tumor cells lacking Trask expression, and one loss-of-function model to suppress Trask expression in tumor cells with abundant Trask expression. The induction of Trask expression and phosphorylation in MCF-7 cells and in 3T3v-src cells was associated with a reduction in tumor metastases while the shRNA-induced knockdown of Trask in L3.6pl cancer cells was associated with increased tumor metastases. The results from these three models are consistent with a tumor-suppressing role for Trask. These data identify Trask as one of several potential candidates for functionally relevant tumor suppressors on the 3p21.3 region of the genome frequently lost in human cancers.

We present measurements of trace gases and fine aerosols obtained from a rural site in eastern China during 18 February to 30 April 2001. The field program aimed to characterize the variations in aerosol and gaseous pollutant concentrations and the emission signatures from the inland region of eastern China in the spring season. The data included O3, CO, NO, NOy*, SO2, methane, C2-C8 nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), C 1-C2 halocarbons, and the chemical composition of PM2.5. The average hourly mixing ratios (±standard deviation) of CO, SO2, and NOy* were 677 (±315) ppbv, 15.9 (±14.6) ppbv, and 13.8 (±7.2) ppbv, respectively. The mean daytime ozone mixing ratio was 41 (± 19) ppbv. The most abundant NMHC was ethane (3189 ± 717 pptv), followed by ethyne (2475 ± 1395 pptv), ethene (1679 ± 1455 pptv), and toluene (1529 ± 1608 pptv). Methyl chloride was the most abundant halocarbon (1108 ± 653 pptv). The average concentrations of particulate organic matter (POM, as organic carbon, OC, times 1.4) and elemental carbon (EC) in PM2.5 were 21.5 (±7) μg/m3 and 2.5 (±0.7) μg/m3, respectively, and sulfate and nitrate levels were 17.3 (±6.6) and 6.5 (±4) μg/m3, respectively. CO showed moderate to good correlation with NOy* (r2 = 0.59), OC (r2 = 0.65), CH3Cl (r2 = 0.59), soluble potassium (r2 = 0.53), and many NMHCs, indicating contributions from the burning of biofuel/biomass. CO also correlated with an industrial tracer, C2Cl4, indicative of some influence from industrial sources. SO2, on the other hand, correlated well with EC (r2 = 0.56), reflecting the contribution from the burning of coal. Ammonium was sufficiently abundant to fully neutralize sulfate and nitrate, indicating that there were strong emissions of ammonia from agricultural activities. Silicon and calcium had poor correlations with iron and aluminum, revealing the presence of source(s) for Si and Ca other than from soil. Examination of C2H2/CO, C3H8/C 2H6, nitrate/(nitrate + NOy* , and sulfate/(SO2 + sulfate) suggested that relatively fresh air masses had been sampled at the study site in the spring season. Comparison of the observed ratios/slopes with those derived from emission inventories showed that while the observed SO2/NO y* ratio (1.29 ppbv/ppbv) in March was comparable (within 20%) to the inventory-derived ratio for the study region, the measured CO/NOy* slope (37 ppbv/ppbv) was about 200% larger. The observed slope of CO relative to NMHC (including ethane, propane, butanes, ethene, and ethyne) also indicated the presence of excess CO, compared to the ratios from the inventories. These results strongly suggest that emissions of CO in eastern China have been underrepresented. The findings of this study highlight the importance of characterizing trace gases and aerosols within source regions of the Asian continent. The springtime results were also compared with data previously collected at the site in 1999-2000 and with those obtained on the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) aircraft and from a coastal site in South China for the same study period. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the Theory of Planned Behavior on Malaysian luxury hotel selection. To achieve this objective, the study examined the influence of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and fake reviews on the choice of luxury hotels in Malaysia. The study also investigates whether intention mediates the relationship between these variables and luxury hotel selection. The research method was quantitative in nature and to collect the necessary data, convenience sampling was used on an online questionnaire, resulting in 400 valid responses. The respondents were residents of Malaysia aged over 18 years old who had stayed at luxury hotels before, as they are qualified to answer the research objectives. For this study, four- and five-star hotels are considered as luxury hotels. The collected data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26, using descriptive, regression, and mediation analysis through Hayes process. The results from the regression analysis revealed the predictive power of each variable, while the mediation analysis demonstrated that intention mediates the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in luxury hotel selection. According to this study, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and fake reviews influence luxury hotel choices. Intention significantly mediates the association between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, fake reviews, and luxury hotel choices.

This study investigates the impact of destination awareness, credibility, reputation, and association on visit intention. The study was conducted at Mount Bromo, in Indonesia’s East Java Province, which has become a popular destination for domestic and international tourists. The study involved 227 participants selected through the convenience sampling method, and the collected data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models. The study found that destination awareness and credibility significantly influenced destination reputation and association, which, in turn, had a significant impact on visiting intentions. These research findings are essential in advancing volcano tourism studies and provide a deeper understanding of the factors influencing tourist intention to visit such destinations. The implications of these research findings can guide tourism industry practitioners and decision -makers in developing more effective marketing strategies, and this study contributes significantly to volcano tourism literature.

Objective: the number of women-owned SMEs in the Maldives has increased as a result of the recent popularity of e-commerce and the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe the entrepreneurial experiences of female entrepreneurs in the Maldives in order to gain an understanding of the various stages of entrepreneurial process. Theoretical approach: the conceptual framework of this research was based theoretically on values derived from entrepreneurial theories and the components and features derived from the existing entrepreneurial process models. Method: this study employed a qualitative methodology, with semi-structured interviews conducted with five established female entrepreneurs. Purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis method. Results: the study’s findings revealed that the conception of the entrepreneurial idea, the first stage of the entrepreneurial process, was primarily inspired by the entrepreneur’s passion and hobby. In the second stage, it was discovered that no proper business planning had been completed, and the business was initially self-financed. In the third stage, it was discovered that the majority of entrepreneurs launched their businesses through social media and managed day-to-day operations as a small team. When it came to fourth stage, most of female entrepreneurs preferred both image and financial growth, with the majority of them relying on government funds for further business growth. Conclusion: this research will assist policymakers to gain insight into female entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial experiences and, as a result, in developing effective policies and programs to help them expand their business.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the cause of low back pain (LBP), and recent research has suggested that inflammatory cytokines play a significant role in this process. Maslinic acid (MA), a natural compound found in olive plants (Olea europaea), has anti-inflammatory properties, but its potential for treating IDD is unclear. The current study aims to investigate the effects of MA on TNFα-induced IDD in vitro and in other in vivo models. Our findings suggest that MA ameliorates the imbalance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and mitigates senescence by upregulating aggrecan and collagen II levels as well as downregulating MMP and ADAMTS levels in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). It can also impede the progression of IDD in rats. We further find that MA significantly affects the PI3K/AKT and NF-κB pathways in TNFα-induced NPCs determined by RNA-seq and experimental verification, while the AKT agonist Sc-79 eliminates these signaling cascades. Furthermore, molecular docking simulation shows that MA directly binds to PI3K. Dysfunction of the PI3K/AKT pathway and ECM metabolism has also been confirmed in clinical specimens of degenerated nucleus pulposus. This study demonstrates that MA may hold promise as a therapeutic agent for alleviating ECM metabolism disorders and senescence to treat IDD.

Previous studies have demonstrated varying associations between fundamental components of brand equity within diverse sectors. The purpose of the current study is to examine the influence of Aaker’s brand equity model’s dimensions (brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand association) on brand equity in the context of toy brands in Malaysia. The study employs a quantitative-based correlation design within a non-controlled setting, using a cross-sectional approach with individuals as the unit of analysis. The population consists of respondents from the general public aged 18 and above, as they are valid buyers of toys. Data collection was conducted using a non-probability sampling method. The questionnaire was sent to the targeted respondents using online Google Form links. A comprehensive dataset from 384 respondents was gathered for descriptive analysis of the demographic profile. Hypothesis testing was performed using regression analysis. The findings indicate that, except for brand associations, the remaining three factors – perceived quality (Beta = .377, p < .001), brand loyalty (Beta = .338, p < .001), and brand awareness (Beta = .221, p < .01) – exhibit a statistically significant positive correlation with the brand equity of children’s toy brands in Malaysia. AcknowledgmentThe authors thank INTI International University, Malaysia, for providing financial support to publish this paper.

Abstract Background International students encounter a wide range of challenges that can have a significant impact on their mental health. Seeking help is one of the primary means of managing mental health, and more attention is required. This study aimed to investigate the psychological distress(PD), mental health literacy(MHL), and mental help-seeking intentions(MHSI) in international students of National University of Singapore(NUS), to explore the correlation between the three and to verify the mediating role of MHL in PD and MHSI. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2023 using the Mental Help Seeking Intention Scale(MHSIS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7), and Mental Health Literacy Scale(MHLS). 281 international students(177 males, 104 females;) in NUS completed self-report questionnaires. SPSS 25.0 was applied to the data for descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis. Mediation analysis fully for all potential confounding factors were conducted. Results Significant correlations were found between PD, MHL and MHSI. MHLS- knowledge of how to seek professional information(MHLS- H) completely mediated the association of anxiety with MHSI[B=-0.271; 95% confidence interval(CI): (-0.067, 0.0037)]; MHLS- attitude that promote recognition or appropriate help-seeking behavior(stigma)(MHLS- H) partially mediated the association of PD with MHSI[B = 0.104, 95% CI: (0.008, 0.179)]; with mediating effects accounting for 100% and 24.847% of the total effect. In addition, demographic variables such as gender, years in Singapore and residence type mediated both the direct and indirect effect of the mediation model. Conclusions MHL mediated both the direct and indirect effects on the association between PD and MHSI, especially, the mediator of the MHLS- H and MHL-A. It means that MHSI in this population can be improved by increasing MHL and thus the PD. The findings suggest that, such as providing information about how to access to professional services and promoting disorder recognition to the international students, may help them develop their psychological well-being and good mental health care decisions.

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 outbreak, most Chinese college students were home-quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19-associated impact has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic symptoms disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about the psychological processes that mediate this association. This study investigated the association between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD and examined whether past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support have mediating effects on this association. Methods The 12,397 valid responses from 31cities in China via an online survey assessed PTSD symptoms, past stressful events, psychological resilience, social support and social-demographic variables. AMOS was used to test the hypotheses of mediating effects. Results On the 39th day of the declared COVID-19 epidemic in China, 6.75% of the surveyed sample showed PTSD symptoms. A positive mediating effect of past stressful events was found between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD, whereas psychological resilience and social support had negative mediating effects. The fit indices for the path model were found to be significant (β = 0.28, p

Background: Trigger finger is a common hand condition in which a finger is unable to fully extend owing to a thickening of the tendon and its sheath, causing the finger to lock in a bent position. Aim: To assess the viability of carrying out trigger finger surgeries in NHS primary care in terms of clinician and patient acceptance, experience, and outcomes; and operational requirements of this service for wider application. Design & setting: A pilot study for a new service in primary care in Leicestershire, UK. Method: A total of 214 trigger finger release surgery procedures were carried out between 22 August 2019 and 25 October 2022 by a single hand surgeon in a single primary care surgery. Data were analysed using information from SystmOne, which is a patient database linked with the NHS. Results: Thirty-two cases out of 214 (15.0%) experienced a wait time of

Silicon photonics has gained great success mainly due to the promise of realizing compact devices in high volume through the low-cost foundry model. It is burgeoning from laboratory research into commercial production endeavors such as datacom and telecom. However, it is unsuitable for some emerging applications which require coverage across the visible or mid infrared (mid-IR) wavelength bands. It is desirable to introduce other wideband materials through heterogeneous integration, while keeping the integration compatible with wafer-scale fabrication processes on silicon substrates. We discuss the properties of silicon-family materials including silicon, silicon nitride, and silica, and other non-group IV materials such as metal oxide, tantalum pentoxide, lithium niobate, aluminum nitride, gallium nitride, barium titanate, piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate, and 2D materials. Typical examples of devices using these materials on silicon platform are provided. We then introduce a general fabrication method and low-loss process treatment for photonic devices on the silicon platform. From an applications viewpoint, we focus on three new areas requiring integration: sensing, optical comb generation, and quantum information processing. Finally, we conclude with perspectives on how new materials and integration methods can address previously unattainable wavelength bands while maintaining the advantages of silicon, thus showing great potential for future widespread applications.

Conventional control charts have traditionally been reliable tools for monitoring processes under the assumption of normally distributed data. However, real-world data often deviate from this idealized normality, leading to reduced charting performance and potentially causing process anomalies to go unnoticed. In this study, by integrating robust statistical estimators and innovative charting techniques, robust control charts demonstrate their capability to effectively detect process shifts and abnormalities in a variety of challenging settings. Through Monte Carlo simulation studies and a real dataset application, this research provides insights into the benefits and limitations of robust control charts. Our findings indicate that the proposed robust control charts show a notable performance in detecting data anomalies, specifically for the shift in mean, outperforming conventional charts in this regard. Comparison among the three robust location estimators via simulations, namely Huber (H) and Biweight (B) estimators as well as the proposed Biweight estimator integrating the M-Scale (BM) estimator also demonstrate its superiority in handling shifting in mean process situations.

The equation of state of the quark gluon plasma is a key ingredient of heavy ion phenomenology. In addition to the traditional Taylor method, several novel approximation schemes have been proposed with the aim of calculating it at finite baryon density. In order to gain a pragmatic understanding of the limits of these schemes, we compare them to direct results at μB > 0, using reweighting techniques free from an overlap problem. We use 2stout improved staggered fermions with 8 time-slices and cover the entire RHIC BES range in the baryochemical potential, up to μB/T = 3. This work is based on Ref. [1].

We calculate the grand canonical fluctuations of the net baryon number and net strangeness in the region of chiral crossover from lattice QCD. We continuum extrapolate the results in a finite volume using the new 4HEX discretization scheme up to χ6B and also for χ8B at a single temperature. Our results contradict recent estimates at a finite lattice spacing. See Ref. [1] for the full version of this work.

Particle correlations are a powerful tool to study the properties of the bulk nuclear matter produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The momentum correlations between identical particles originating from the same particleemitting source, referred to as the Bose-Einstein correlations, measure scales that are related to the geometrical size of the source. The two-particle azimuthal angular correlations measure the spatial anisotropy of produced particles, providing information on collective phenomena arising in the dense nuclear medium. This contribution will discuss new LHCb measurements of Bose- Einstein correlations and, for the first time, the collective flow coefficients in the far forward rapidity region.

Horseshoe crabs have survived until Holocene but, their persistence beyond the Anthropocene is challenged by drastic environment modifications that entail impoverishments and the resultant unusual growth sizes. Previously, allometry via morphometric ratio was introduced to classify horseshoe crabs into normal-abnormal growth. But the descriptive size and weight analysis indicated a considerable portion of Tachypleus gigas with normal allometry. This error was caused by the median sorting of values. Therefore, the same data was treated with correlation before generating a linear equation. By being sexual dimorph, these arthropods actually have gender-specific morphology indicators which could generate a functional allometry. Since the assessed arthropods were mature, the 19 % yield of smaller female T. gigas was possibly due to degradation effects from poor diets or stress. But for this population, an added risk was female-only harvest. Perhaps, close sizing to male counterparts could be perceived a survival strategy by the female T. gigas. More evidence is needed to strengthen this opinion but for now, this assessment method is novel for accurate allometry assessments in species with sexual dimorphism. Overall, capture fisheries could have negative impacts and when made severe by sex-specific harvest, the unaccounted practices could collapse sustaining populations.

Social considerations and potential for innovation in resource and technological exploitation processes have dominated traditional ideas of regional development. Similar to how regional economic progress is sometimes expressed in terms of job creation and rising property prices. An alternate viewpoint contends that the business community must be included into construction and planning strategies to counterbalance the conventional economic perspective since this approach often overlooks the social and community components of tourist development. This study makes the case that encouraging creativity in regional development (ASEAN) entails much more than just consulting the local tourist operators, but consideration should be given to regional open innovation concept. Although tourism development may be carried out in a fashion that enhances innovation, but it also requires a certain degree of external country partner (open innovation) so that it can serve its intended purpose as a tool for regional development and even contribute to the economy. The main ideas of human capital, structural capital, relational capital is discussed in this study. It does so in the framework of local tourist development, as well as the ideas of innovative development systems and sustainable development. The interplay of various kinds of social capital and various innovations in the growth of tourism that is both bridging and bonding is examined in this study. Increasing social capital shouldn't be seen as a quick fix to increase tourism. Thus, it may be claimed that regional policies focused at supporting non-traditional kinds of innovation should reflect the need of building and sustaining specific types of connectivity, namely social capital bridges.

Previous studies have demonstrated how Europeans perceive service robots, but there is a lack of empirical evidence for the same in Asians, particularly from cross-national studies with a substantial sample size. In this study, we adopt a transdiagnostic approach and analyse the disorder caused by hotel service robots (HSR) in the hotel industry using a sample of 1311 respondents from an Asian context. This approach has traditionally been used in psychiatry, and we provide a significant discovery from a Southeast Asian perspective by employing the same methodology.Through the adoption of the methodology used in this study, we recognise that prior research on hotel services has produced uncertain findings, likely due to the presence of multiple service situations. Furthermore, this study is notable because it introduces a methodology that has traditionally been utilized in psychiatry to the field of human-robot management for the first time. Two situational experiments have shown that customers have a preference for highly human-like hotel service robots (HSR), and they believe that these robots perform better in situations where they perceive a high level of control. The effects are only significant in social situations and are reversed when there is a lower perceived level of control. The study's high level of novelty arises from the fact that the effect is absent in luxury hotels within the geographic boundaries of the investigation. These results provide a new outlook on how humans and robots perceive the acceptance of HSR in the hotel industry. Professionals, academics, and hoteliers who are evaluating the decision to implement robots that could either enhance or diminish their service standards may find this study to be valuable.

The heating performance of empty fruit bunch pellets (EFBPs) has been limited by its low energy density, high moisture, and ash content. Hence, microwave co-torrefaction (MCT) was performed with microwave heating unto waste oil mixed EFBP to produce high-energy biofuel. However, the non-homogeneous electromagnetic fields distribution in the microwave cavity results in an uneven heating behavior, producing the hot and cold spots. Hence, MCT coupled with helical lift was examined for its potential to improve heat distribution. The effect of temperature and types of waste oil on the proximate analysis and surface properties were studied. In comparison to the conventional torrefaction using a furnace (>30 min), MCT provided rapid heating (50–80°C·min−1) and a shorter process time (10 min). The use of helical lift with 2-dimensional movement – rotational (24 rpm·min−1) and vertical motion (5 cm·min−1) simultaneously, distributed microwave radiation uniformly for rapid heating. The proximate analysis demonstrated that the ash content was reduced from 8 to 3 wt%, and the highest fuel ratio of 2.0 was achieved. Additionally, the highly porous structure of EFBP biochar can act as an activated carbon precursor. MCT coupled with helical lift represents a promising approach to prevent hot spots during microwave heating.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has been affecting the Malaysian psychological well-being, particularly among emerging adults. They have been found to have higher vulnerability during the transitional life change. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the mediating effects of resilience and coping strategies (i.e., task-oriented coping, emotion-oriented coping, avoidance-oriented coping) on perceived threat of COVID-19 and subjective well-being (SWB) among Malaysian emerging adults. A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted for recruiting 162 participants. They were emerging adults aged between 18 to 25 years old (M = 22.51). The finding revealed that only task-oriented coping mediates the association between perceived threat of COVID-19 and SWB. However, the other hypotheses were not supported. This significant finding has widened the literature perspective of COVID-19 in the local context. Task-oriented coping is crucial to be cultivated among emerging adults for reducing the impact of the stressful situation, contributing to better psychological health.

ABSTRACT: The impulsive live streaming consumption intentions of the Southeast Asian market are examined in this study. Online live streaming transactions, a new form of social media, are becoming popular due to their real-time communication and innovative business concept. Though little attention has been dedicated to it, a theoretical knowledge of Live Streaming Transaction (LST) is crucial given its broad application and unique features. The analysis of 8613 respondents from Southeast Asia in this study, based on flow, temperament, and personality theories, offers fresh perspectives on the mediating role of flow and the moderating effect of temperament in a cross-national setting. Cluster sampling was used to construct a mixed-method conditional indirect effects model. Since introverted temperament types look for voices that echo within them, our findings revealed that LSTs are more intriguing to this market segment. Theoretical and practical elements, as well as implications for future directions, are presented.

This study primarily intends to determine visitors’ perception of leptospirosis health hazard warning signage and its effectiveness within natural recreational parks in the district of Hulu Langat. This cross-sectional study was conducted in four out of seven natural recreational parks, installed with leptospirosis health hazard warning signage. A total of 209 respondents were recruited purposively in this study and completed the questionnaires. Majority of the respondents were male (57.4%), 40 years old and below (89.5%), received tertiary education (68.5%), staying outside Hulu Langat district (83.2%), visited for the first time (63.6%), and noticed the presence of leptospirosis health hazard warning signage at the park entrance (69.4%) and within the recreational park (64.2%). A significant relationship was discovered between respondents’ education level and perception of the health hazard warning signage (p-value 0.034). The rate of visits and noticeability of the health hazard warning signage were significantly associated with the effectiveness of the content on the health hazard warning signage (p-value 0.002 and 0.004, respectively). The construction of health hazard warning signage at the recreational areas should suit the social and educational background of the population. Visitors’ discernment of the effectiveness of erecting leptospirosis health hazard warning signage within natural recreational parks in the district of Hulu Langat is good if the signage is perceptible even with subsequent repeated visits to the parks.

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are strongly advised as an alternative to cement to reduce its adverse environmental effects. One such SCMs is palm oil fuel ash (POFA), a waste material generated in large quantities in Southeast Asian countries, and there is insufficient data on its use in engineered cementitious composite (ECC). This study aims to optimize the properties of ECC using POFA as a cement replacement, by using 13 mixes developed by response surface methodology (RSM) with the POFA (at 20, 30, and 40% cement replacement levels) and PVA fiber (at 1, 1.5, and 2% volume fractions) as the input factors. The compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths, and tensile capacity (CS, TS, FS, and TC) were assessed. The microstructural properties were determined using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP). Results indicated that while the ductility and strain capacity increased with POFA, the strengths decreased by up to 51.5%. However, a structural POFA-ECC could be made with up to 30% POFA and 1–5% PVA fiber. The RSM optimization revealed 27.68% POFA and 2% PVA fiber as the optimal levels of the input factors, with the experimental validation correlating with the predicted values at less than 10% error.

Metasurface is a recently developed nanophotonics concept to manipulate the properties of light by replacing conventional bulky optical components with ultrathin (more than 104 times thinner) flat optical components. Since the first demonstration of metasurfaces in 2011, they have attracted tremendous interest in the consumer optics and electronics industries. Recently, metasurface-empowered novel bioimaging and biosensing tools have emerged and been reported. Given the recent advances in metasurfaces in biomedical engineering, this review article covers the state of the art for this technology and provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary perspective on this field. The topics that we have covered include metasurfaces for chiral imaging, endoscopic optical coherence tomography, fluorescent imaging, super-resolution imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, quantitative phase imaging, sensing of antibodies, proteins, DNAs, cells, and cancer biomarkers. Future directions are discussed in twofold: application-specific biomedical metasurfaces and bioinspired metasurface devices. Perspectives on challenges and opportunities of metasurfaces, biophotonics, and translational biomedical devices are also provided. The objective of this review article is to inform and stimulate interdisciplinary research: firstly, by introducing the metasurface concept to the biomedical community; and secondly by assisting the metasurface community to understand the needs and realize the opportunities in the medical fields. In addition, this article provides two knowledge boxes describing the design process of a metasurface lens and the performance matrix of a biosensor, which serve as a “crash-course” introduction to those new to both fields.

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of regulatory efficiency and market openness, two dimensions of competition freedom, on the efficiency of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in both its social and financial aspects. In addition, this study also examines the specific determinants of MFIs and macroeconomic conditions, two other potential variables that may influence MFIs efficiency. Within this study, two stages of analysis were conducted. In the first stage, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach was applied to measure the MFIs’ efficiency level, while in the second phase, a panel multiple regression analysis was employed to examine the effect of competition freedom and other determinants on MFIs efficiency. The results suggest that during the study period the main reason for MFIs inefficiency is both social and financial managerial inefficiency. The management of the MFIs failed to utilize their resources fully, leading to waste of resources. Nevertheless, the MFIs had been operating on a relatively optimal scale. In addition, the level of financial efficiency in MFIs was found to be significantly higher than social efficiency. In examining the impact of competition freedom, the freedom of business and monetary factors was found to be significantly negative for MFIs’ social efficiency only. Furthermore, this research stresses that investment freedom and financial freedom are statistically positive for financial efficiency, but negative for the social efficiency of MFIs. This study should prove useful for various institutions and have several implications for MFIs, policymakers, investors and researchers to improve the efficiency level of MFIs.

Schwinger’s boson solution for massless fermions in QED in 1+1D has been applied and generalized to quarks interacting in QED and QCD interactions, leading to stable and confined open-string QED and QCD boson excitations of the quark-QCD-QED system in 1+1D. Just as the open-string QCD excitations in 1+1D can be the idealization of QCD mesons with a flux tube in 3+1D, so the open-string QED excitations in 1+1D may likewise be the idealization of QED mesons with masses in the tens of MeV region, corresponding possibly to the anomalous X17 and E38 particles observed recently. A further search for bound states of quarks interacting in the QED interaction alone leads to the examination on the stability of the QED neutron, consisting of two d quarks and one u quark. Theoretically, the QED neutron has been found to be stable and estimated to have a mass of 44.5 MeV, whereas the analogous QED proton is unstable, leading to a long-lived QED neutron that may be a good candidate for the dark matter.