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The Bidayuh Ethnic’s Fermented Foods : A Review as Potential Sources of Probiotics.
Get PDFThis study reviewsover eight Bidayuh fermented foods (e.g., tipuyak, ,budu,rebung, belacan,tuak, tapai, sawipahit, daun ubi) as probiotic sources. Microbiological analysis
shows that plant-based ferments (e.g., tempoyak) are dominated by Lactobacillus, while animal-based ones (e.g., budu) feature halophilic Tetragenococcus. Most Lactic
acid bacteria(LAB) isolates exhibit strain-specific probiotic traits: acid/bile tolerance, bacteriocin production, cyanide detoxification, immune modulation, and cholesterol reduction. Safety concerns include high histamine in fish products and cyanogens in rebung will be discussed. Mitigation involves histamine-degrading strains, optimized fermentation, starter quality, and salt control. Although some strains meet FAO/WHO criteria, traditional knowledge loss and insufficient probiotic validation require urgent policy for biocultural protection. More clinical validation and strain documentation are critically needed
Labour Dynamics and Informal Cross-Border Trade in Rural Border Communities of Sarawak, Malaysia.
Get PDFThis study examines the complex labour dynamics and informal cross-border trade that influence the livelihoods of rural communities in Sarawak, Malaysia, with a focus on the Pantu District of Sri Aman, Sarawak. Situated close to the border with West Kalimantan, the Bukit Kelingkang mountain range forms a natural boundary between Malaysia (Sarawak) and Indonesia (Kalimantan). For generations, economic exchanges between villages on both sides have been deeply rooted in history. The Iban people, in particular, have maintained strong patterns of migration, reciprocal trade, and familial ties that predate colonial rule. Following independence, the political division of Borneo redefined these connections, with Iban communities on either side becoming residents of Malaysia and Indonesia respectively. The research explores patterns of migration, intermarriage, informal employment, and trade practices that shape the socio-economic fabric of the borderland. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative surveys of 220 rural respondents with qualitative data from 12 in-depth interviews with longhouse leaders and two local community chiefs in Pantu, Sri Aman. Quantitative findings indicate a significant dependence on Indonesian migrant labour, especially for agricultural and plantation work, due to local workforce shortages. Qualitative insights reveal the prevalence of cross-border marriages, the pivotal role of Indonesian labourers, and the informal yet vital trade exchanges that sustain daily life. The study concludes that rural border communities in Sarawak rely heavily on flexible and informal economic arrangements to navigate socio-economic challenges. By examining these interconnected dynamics, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of rural livelihoods in borderland regions, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of communities facing structural limitations and evolving cross-border interactions
Mechanical Characteristics of Polylactic Acid Nanosheet Prepared by Gravure Printing Method
Get PDFThe objective of this study is to investigate the physical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) nanosheets. Due to their extremely large surface area relative to thickness, nanosheets can conform to complex, uneven surfaces without the need for adhesives. Consequently, PLA nanosheets have been proposed as potential substrates for wearable devices and as alternatives to sutures in surgical applications. To support such applications, it is essential to understand the frictional behavior between nanosheets and human skin. In this study, poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA) nanosheets with thicknesses ranging from 25 to 200 nm were fabricated using a roll-to-roll production process incorporating gravure printing. The fundamental properties of the resulting thin films, including crystallinity, elastic modulus were systematically characterized. Furthermore, the coefficient of friction between these PLA nanosheets and human skin was evaluated using a force transducer, to elucidate the underlying contact mechanics
Household Food Security in Sarawak : a Hierarchical Binary Logistic Regression Analysis.
No full textIntroduction: Food security exists when people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient security and nutritive food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Objective: We examined the relationship between household food security with three constructs, viz., food waste behaviour, food planning routines, and social cohesion. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A multistage random sampling method was used to select households across Sarawak. Data from a total of 2,065 respondents were collected via face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27.0. A p-value of < .05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Of the respondents, 37.2% were food insecure. Hierarchical binary logistic regression revealed that food planning routine increased the odds of household food insecurity by 27% (AOR= 1.27, 95% CI: 1.13-1.44), while social cohesion reduced the odds of food insecurity by 11% (AOR= 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.97). However, no significant finding was found between food waste behaviour and food security. Conclusion: Findings from the current study can strengthen the understanding of household food security among Sarawak population. Long-term programmes focusing on reducing food insecurity would be effective by promoting social cohesion among the public
Role of Educational Attainment in Driving Productivity and Economic Growth in Malaysia
No full textThis research studies the influence of employed workers' educational attainment on sectoral labor productivity within the main sectors of the Malaysian economy, comprising agriculture, industry, and services—aiming to shed light on the role of educational quality in driving productivity and economic growth while addressing challenges posed by low-skilled labor and foreign worker employment. The study employs annual data from the World Bank and the Department of Statistics Malaysia, utilizing Vector Autoregressive (VAR), Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), and Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) models for an in-depth analysis of these relationships. The first objective is addressed via Model 1, which examines the impact of the educational quality of the employed workforce on Malaysian labor productivity from 1982 to 2023. The second objective involves Model 2—investigating the combined influence of educational quality and fixed capital on value-added agriculture during the same period—and Model 3, which investigates the impacts of both educational quality and the total foreign labor force on agricultural GDP spanning 1987–2023. The third objective, addressed by Model 4, explores the effect of workers' educational quality on the value-added industry during the period 1982–2023. The fourth objective digs deeper into sectoral labor productivity, with Models 5, 6, and 7 examining the influence of educational attainment across the agriculture, industry, and services sectors from 1991 to 2022 via ARDL estimations. Lastly, the fifth objective, utilizing Models 8, 9, and 10, studies the asymmetric effects of foreign worker employment and the impacts of low educational attainment on sectoral productivity for the same study period, using NARDL estimations. The findings reveal significant sectoral variations. Workers with secondary education consistently boost overall labor productivity, with significant positive impacts on the value-added industry for the period 1982–2023. Tertiary education positively influences industrial productivity in the long run but shows no causal relationship with overall labor productivity. Conversely, workers lacking formal education negatively impact value-added agriculture and long-term service productivity. Primary education exhibits a mixed effect, being negative for the first nine years but followed by a sustained positive impact over 41 years. The analysis underscores that fixed capital positively affects service productivity in the long run. The NARDL estimations reveal that positive changes in foreign worker employment adversely affect industrial productivity in the short term and service productivity in the long term. Asymmetric effects are evident, with foreign workers significantly diminishing industrial productivity in the short run and workers with low educational attainment negatively impacting long-term agricultural productivity. Moving forward, Malaysia should prioritize transitioning its labor market toward higher-skilled employment to boost sectoral productivity. Policymakers ought to emphasize enhancing the access and quality of secondary and tertiary education, aligning educational outcomes with industry demands. The findings stress the urgency of reducing reliance on low-skilled foreign labor by fostering workforce upskilling, accelerating the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, and promoting innovation. These strategies are critical for Malaysia to achieve its aspirations of becoming a high-income nation while ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth
Multifunctional PVDF membranes incorporating graphene, TiO2, and nanocellulose: synergistic effects on filtration and antifouling performance
Get PDFMethylene blue (MB) remains one of the most resilient contaminants in industrial wastewater which presents serious threats to both environmental integrity and human health. Its high chemical stability and resistance to natural degradation render most conventional treatment methods ineffective. As such, this study aimed to develop a multifunctional nanocomposite membrane that mitigates membrane fouling, enhances dye separation, and improves water permeability. Correspondingly, a modified phase inversion method was employed to fabricate polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes reinforced with bambooderived nanocellulose (NC), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and varying graphene (GR) contents (0–1 wt%).
Characterization through FTIR confirmed the successful integration of GR through the attenuation of semi-ionic C–F bonds and the emergence of C]C stretching bands while XRD results revealed that all membranes retained their b-phase crystallinity with slight enhancements in peak intensity attributed to structural modification by GR. Besides, FESEM and EDX analyses revealed that GR-loaded membranes
exhibited improved pore morphology, greater surface porosity, and increased carbon content, with average pore size rising from 4.89 × 10−3 mm to 13.56 × 10−3 mm and porosity from 79.68% to 84.86%, indicating enhanced structural openness, interconnectivity, and effective GR dispersion within the membrane matrix. Experimental results revealed that the membrane with 0.6 wt% GR (PVDF-NC/TiO2/
GR3) achieved a balanced performance with superior pore interconnectivity contributing to water permeation flux of 270.74 L m−2 h−1 . This pore architecture favoured water transport without significant loss in selectivity. In terms of separation performance, the 0.4 wt% GR membrane achieved the highest dye rejection of 97% and a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 98%, which confirmed its strong antifouling
properties under UV irradiation. The adsorption behaviour was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model with high correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.85 to 0.99), indicating monolayer dye uptake on uniform active sites. The PVDF-NC/TiO2/GR3 showed the highest adsorption capacity (Qmax = 1.866 mg g−1 ), supported by R2 = 0.96. In contrast, the control membrane (PVDF-NC/TiO2) exhibited the strongest
dye-binding affinity (KL = 478 L mg−1 , R2 = 0.97). Overall, this study introduces a practical nanocomposite membrane that effectively mitigates the conventional trade-off between permeability and selectivity by delivering high dye removal, strong antifouling performance, and promising
applicability for industrial wastewater treatment. Comparative analysis with previously reported PVDFbased membranes further highlighted the superior performance of the developed formulation
Exploring the Acceptance and Challenge of Integrating Psychotherapy and Pastoral Counseling among the Church Clergy in Sarawak
Get PDFThis research article attempts to explore the acceptance and challenge of integrating Psychotherapy and Pastoral Counseling among the church clergy in Sarawak and also aimed to contribute to the limited body of related literature in
Sarawak setting. This research adopts qualitative research design and six senior church leaders from six different denominations were interviewed. Observed barriers and relevant models of integration of the two counseling approaches in the literature were studied and identified as background knowledge and as interviewing resources to conduct the research. The generated results reflected the
transparency and cooperation of the clergy in addressing and navigating towards fostering a greater degree of integration of Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy in the local church setting, though not without caution and resolution to ascertain theological clarity so as not to fall into ambiguity and compromise Biblical values.
Psychotherapy techniques were generally not only deemed useful to explore deeper the emotional and mental issues of church clients but also deemed necessary to prevent the temptation to resort to quick spiritual fix-up. The clergy
was also resolute in stating that critically disturbed cases which had spiritual origin could only be tackled by spiritual intervention of fasting, praying and delivering
ministry, e.g. demonic oppression and possession. Such, and other challenges, were identified as distinctively separating and uniting factors to be recognized in
order to ensure effective and selective integration
Effect of E’ Food Grade Preservatives and Preservation Methods on Physiochemical Characteristics, Microbial Population and Antioxidant Activity of Nipa Palm (Nypa fruticans Wurmb) Sap and Its Docking Study
Get PDFNipa palm (Nypa fruticans) trees is one of the mangrove plants that grows wildly in coastal areas. Many products could be obtained from the tree, including nipa -sap (air nira), -syrup and -sugar (Gula Apong). Hence, it has a vast economic potential for Sarawak. However, its sap has a short shelf-life, which could contribute to low yield and bad quality of Gula Apong. This study aims to enhance the shelf-life of the sap in terms of controlling the pH, sugar
content, organic acids content and its microbial growth using E’ food grade preservatives − potassium sorbate and sodium metabisulfite. Different preservation methods were tested, applying preservatives before (pre-tapping) and after sap collection (post-tapping), and in solid (effervescent granules) or liquid (aqueous neutralizing solution) forms. The study was conducted at two locations: Kampung Pinggan Jaya (Site I, using plastic bottle) and Pusa
(Site II, using bamboo vessel). Samples treated with effervescent granules (Sample X, Y, M and N) were collected at both sites, while samples treated with neutralizing aqueous solution (Sample A and B) were collected at Site I. The preservation methods tested were introducing the preservative during pre-tapping (Sample X, M and A); the preservative was added into the empty bottle before the tapping begins and post-tapping (Sample Y, N and B); the preservative was added after the sap has been collected. Changes in physical appearance has been evaluated using sensory evaluation method, meanwhile pH and sucrose content were measured on-site at every one-hour interval. Due to the remote location of Site II, further analysis could not be conducted. Only on-site experiments, such as pH, sensory evaluation, and sucrose content, were performed at Site II. The results showed that pre-tapping treatments preserved more sucrose (Sample X: 112.0 ± 0.4 g/L, Sample M: 110.0 ± 0.5 g/L, Sample A: 150.0 ± 0.1 g/L) than post-tapping treatments (Sample Y: 116.0 ± 0.4 g/L, Sample N: 105.0 ± 0.3 g/L, Sample B: 145.0 ± 0.4 g/L) after 24 hours of storage. Further analysis showed that treated samples (both pre- and post-tapping) exhibited lower glucose and fructose concentrations compared to their controls. Sample A showed the lowest reducing sugar concentration (51.8 ± 2.4 g/L), followed by Sample B (51.3 ± 2.0 g/L), Sample X (67.6
± 2.8 g/L) and Sample Y (63.6 ± 2.5 g/L). Sample A (0.95 g/L) and Sample B (0.97 g/L) had lower concentration of lactic acid compared to Sample X (1.15 g/L) and Sample Y (1.08 g/L). Sample A (0.08 g/L) and Sample B (0.07 g/L) also had lower acetic acid levels compared to Sample X (0.12 g/L) and Sample Y (0.09 g/L). The control sample experienced
a rapid decline in RSA, dropping from 32.39 ± 0.31% at 8 hours to just 9.33 ± 0.36% at 24 hours. Pre-tapping samples (X and A) maintained higher antioxidant activity, with Sample X showing 37.32 ± 1.27% at 8 hours and 29.39 ± 2.57% at 24 hours, and Sample A showing 48.91 ± 0.99% at 8 hours and 45.38 ± 1.30% at 24 hours. In contrast, post-tapping samples (Y and B) showed lower antioxidant retention, with Sample Y at 32.55 ± 7.93% at 8 hours and 22.52 ± 6.34% at 24 hours, and Sample B at 39.95 ± 1.07% at 8 hours and 30.46 ± 0.81% at 24 hours. The study on antimicrobial activity showed that the pre-tapping treatments were more effective at reducing bacterial counts than post-tapping treatments. Sample A had the lowest bacterial counts, ranging from 1.47×103 CFU/mL at 10⁻¹ to TFTC at 10⁻⁶, showing
the highest antimicrobial activity. This antimicrobial effect was comparable to the activity of VCO or its active compound, lauric acid, which was used as a reference for evaluating antimicrobial efficacy in the treated sap. Overall, the results suggested that the aqueous preservative reacts faster as it is already dissolved, which leads to a faster reaction rate compared to effervescent granules preservatives. Docking simulations showed that
potassium sorbate binding strongly with glucose oxidase through hydrophobic interactions, with the most stable conformation showing a binding affinity of -4.9 kcal/mol
Low-velocity impact response of lightweight green and cellulosic composite sandwich
No full textMan-made vitreous fibres are typically carcinogenic and may impair health by promoting the risk of cancer with extended exposure. Green growth has recently been widely featured from an environmental angle to create green markets and promote low carbon mobility whilst managing waste holistically. One of the solutions to reducing waste in the environment and helping climate change is by preventing waste at the source during manufacturing. The study of green material can help cope with the depletion of non-eco-friendly resources and reduce the usage of synthetic materials. Many researchers have aimed to characterise the performance of fibre-reinforced polymer composites based on natural fibre, and the low-velocity impact response has been investigated. Many different types of plant fibres with very complex structures may enable fine-tuning of the final composite structure geometry. The characteristics of the composite may also be changed by adding green elements from various plant parts
Fire Safety Awareness and Practices in a Longhouse : A Study in Sarawak, Malaysia
No full textLonghouses in Sarawak were deeply rooted in Indigenous culture but faced significant fire risks due to their wooden structures, open-flame cooking, and poor electrical installations. This study aimed to explore fire safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among a longhouse community in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 46 respondents using a 25-item questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.76), and data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed that 61% (M = 21.39, SD = ±5.43) of respondents had good fire safety knowledge, 87% (M = 27.74, SD = ±4.77) demonstrated a positive attitude, and 63% (M = 14.72, SD = ±2.56) engaged in good fire safety practices. However, correlation analysis showed no significant relationships (p > 0.05) between knowledge and attitude (r = -0.05), knowledge and practice (r = 0.27), or attitude and practice (r = 0.11), suggesting that knowledge alone did not
ensure behavioral change. Factors such as lack of training and risk perception might have influenced fire safety practices. These findings highlighted the need for targeted fire safety interventions, including hands-on training, community engagement, and improved access to fire prevention tools, and emphasized that strengthening fire safety education and policy enforcement was essential to reduce fire incidents in longhouse communities