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Residential satisfaction and living experience in low-cost housing within tropical climates: a case study of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
No full textAmidst escalating housing prices and inflation in Sarawak, the government has implemented four schemes to assist low-income families in securing affordable homes. However, challenges persist in delivering quality housing for this demographic. A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess residential satisfaction, focussing on the principal factors and impact of socio-demographic characteristics on residential contentment. A comprehensive questionnaire survey was administered to 100 residents across three low-cost housing communities in Kuching, Sarawak. The findings reveal that 31.7% of respondents earn below RM2000 per month, while 29.6% have incomes between RM2000 and RM2999, positioning them in the lower income brackets. A substantial 78.3% of respondents reside in low-cost flats. Three-room units, constituting 43.7% of low-cost housing, are the most feasible option for affordability an
In vitro antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and antiproliferative activities of methanol extracts of Crateva religiosa bark
No full textBackground: C. religiosa has traditionally been applied to treat heart disease, chronic weight loss, improved digestion, memory loss, convulsion and epilepsy, psychological problems, and neurologic pains.
Purpose: Prior studies have already elucidated the potential therapeutic effects of C. religiosa. However, in this work, the bark extract of C. religiosa was studied systematically to investigate its antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and antiproliferative activities, focusing on potential applications in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cancer.
Study Design and Methods: The dried coarse powder of C. religiosa bark was cold-extracted in methanol and evaporated to dryness. It was then successively fractionated into petroleum ether (PEF), dichloromethane (DMF), and ethyl acetate (EEF) fractions. The Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and AlCl3 approaches were utilized to evaluate the total phenol and flavonoid contents, respectively, and the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and phosphomolybdenum assays were employed to determine the antioxidant activity of each fraction. The DMF was tested against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) by employing the Ellman method, while all fractions were tested for antiproliferative activity against HepG2 and A549 cell lines by MTT assay.
Results: The DMF displayed the highest phenolic content (124.8 ± 17.5 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry extract) and flavonoid content (211.1 ± 4.8 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract). In the phosphomolybdenum assay, its antioxidant IC50 value was 25 ± 1 µg/mL. Additionally, the DMF fraction exhibited significant inhibition activity against AChE and BChE, with IC50 values of 455 ± 1 and 450 ± 1 μg/mL, respectively. In terms of anti-proliferative activity, the DMF exhibited an IC50 value of 29.2 µM against the HepG2 cell line, while the EAF showed IC50 values of 24.7 µM in the A549 cell line.
Conclusion: The potent activity of C. religiosa as an antioxidant, along with its significant inhibition of AChE and BChE, positions it as a promising candidate for Alzheimer's disease treatment. Furthermore, its robust inhibition of human liver and lung cancer cells suggests its potential as a therapeutic agent against cancer
Evaluating Community Perceptions and the Effectiveness of Social Impact Assessment in Sewage Treatment Plant Development
No full textThis study investigates the awareness, perceptions, and level of public acceptability regarding the proposed upgrading of the Kuala Sawah Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). A structured survey was conducted to assess the community’s knowledge of the project, perceived socio-economic, environmental, and cultural impacts, as well as their general level of support or opposition. The findings reveal a high level of community support, despite low awareness, with the majority perceiving the project as beneficial in terms of employment, infrastructure improvement, and environmental enhancement. The study emphasizes the importance of effective communication strategies and stakeholder engagement in public infrastructure projects and evaluates the effectiveness of the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) process in this context
Drivers of the Smart Green Economy in Rural Settings: An Empirical Study on Local Wisdom, ICT, and the Mediating Role of Entrepreneurship
No full textThis study provides local governments with critical insights into the role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in advancing smart green economies within smart villages, particularly through the lenses of local wisdom, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and entrepreneurship. Drawing on a sample of 142 MSME participants, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the relationships among key variables. Findings reveal that the interplay between local economic practices, ICT adoption, and entrepreneurial capacity significantly influences the development of a smart green economy. Notably, integrating indigenous knowledge with digital technologies emerges as a pivotal driver of economic transformation. Local wisdom and knowledge shape products and services' unique character and cultural value, helping communities stand out and grow their economies. When people in these communities use digital tools, especially the internet, in their businesses, it opens up new opportunities and encourages innovation. Still, having strong entrepreneurial skills is key. They do not directly drive the economy, but they help connect traditional wisdom and modern technology in ways that make growth possible. It demonstrates the importance of blending traditional heritage with innovation to create a thriving, sustainable future for rural areas
Extending Heritage Tourism beyond Reality with Extended Reality Technologies: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textThis paper is a systematic literature review that outlines the evolution of heritage tourism with the use of extended reality technologies. Through the use of three XR technologies, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality, travelling becomes a more immersive experience. This review explores the types of extended reality technologies in heritage tourism, what tourists prioritize when using them, and what considerations need to be taken by developers when implementing. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was adopted as the methodology. Reports from 2018 to 2025 were gathered from SCOPUS, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest as the source databases. The identification process was according to keywords related to extended reality technologies, heritage, and tourism as a singular domain. 38 reports were deemed eligible after screening for their relevance to the topic, document types, publication status, and written in English. From the conducted analysis, virtual reality was applied more often than augmented reality and mixed, with a steady rise across the years. Tourists prioritized engagement with extended reality technology the most while user collaboration and cognitive-affective factors the least. For the developers, reliability when using extended reality technology was regarded as the biggest concern but information architecture of the system was the least. The findings of this review were limited to English documents for consistency and academic publications according to institutional access. From the analysis, the evolution of heritage tourism relies on humans, the natural environment and technologies as interdependent elements of an ecosystem. The relationship encourages the growth of each involved party socioeconomically and technologically. Future research should investigate applicable methodologies and usability metrics of extended reality technology across diverse forms of heritage
Beyond the Usual Route: A Case of Postpartum Gonococcaemia in the Absence of Genital Symptoms
No full textNeisseria gonorrhoeae is a Gram-negative diplococci associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), that typically infects the urethral, endocervical, rectal and pharyngeal mucosa1 . In women, gonococcal infections are often asymptomatic2 , which predisposes them to a higher risk of developing disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). Here, we report a case of postpartum N.gonorrhoeae bacteraemia, also known as gonococcaemia
Phocaiecola vulgatus Bacteraemia: The Chicken-and-Egg in Colorectal Carcinoma
No full textPhocaeicola vulgatus, formerly known as Bacteroides
vulgatus, is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium,
exclusively inhabiting the human colon
A fatal Chromobacterium violaceum sepsis in infant with suspected chronic granulomatous disease
No full textChromobacterium violaceum is a saprophytic, Gramnegative bacilli that produces a distinctive violet pigment
and is often regarded as a contaminant. Although it is
rarely pathogenic in humans, significant infections have
been reported, disproportionately high in individuals with
chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a genetic condition
characterised by the inability of neutrophils to perform
adequate oxidative metabolism during phagocytosis of
catalase-producing bacteria1.
The Khene: A Lao Mouth Organ of the lsan Region of Thailand
No full textThe khene is a musical instrument from Thailand’s Isan region (the Thai term for Northeastern Thailand and its local Thai inhabitants). The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of khene signal was determined via a Pico oscilloscope. Tubes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the right and left side produced the fundamental frequency (in hertz) as 221(A3 = 220), 255(C4 = 261), 384(G4 = 394), 443(A4 = 440), 499(B4 = 493), 591(D5 = 587), 672(E5 = 659), and 887(A5 = 880) and as 519(C5 = 523), 247(B3 = 247), 293D4(293), 329(E4 = 331), 342(F4 = 349), 395(G4 = 392), 683(F5 = 698), and 781(G5 = 783), respectively. The standard deviations of the fundamental pitch from the equal tempered scale (ETS) for tube 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the right and left side were ± 1, ± 6, ± 10, ± 3, ± 6, ± 4, ± 13, ± 7 and ± 4, ± 0, ± 0, ± 2, ± 7, ± 3, ± 15, ± 2 Hz, respectively. The tunings were remarkably similar with the diatonic scale of ETS. The linear equation for the partial frequency versus harmonic number for tube 1 to 8 from the right and the left side is given by y1 = 220x + 1.31, y2 = 255x + 0.34, y3 = 384x + 0.77, y4 = 443x + 0.19, y5 = 499x – 0.13, y6 = 591x + 1.82, y7 = 672.x + 2.35, and y8 = 887x, and y1 = 519x + 0.14, y2 = 247x – 0.07, y3 = 293x + 0.40, y4 = 331x – 5.49, y5 = 341x + 1.70, y6 = 395x + 0.38, y7 = 683x – 0.4, and y8 = 782x – 0.50, respectively. The harmonic number of tubes 1 to 8 on the right and left side were 16, 14, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 7, and 7, 14, 10, 10, 11, 9, 5, 4, respectively