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QUALITY INDICES OF CHICKEN PATTIES PREPARED WITH BLENDS OF OREGANO (Origanum vulgare) AND LEMON (Citrus limon) ESSENTIAL OILS AS ADDITIVES
No full textThe use of synthetic preservatives and additives in food processing is becoming less popular due to adverse health
effects linked to them. Consequently, there is a rising demand by consumers for clean-label food products. This
study was therefore designed to evaluate how blends of Oregano Essential Oil (OEO) and Lemon Essential Oil
(LEO) as natural preservative additives at 0.05% inclusion impacted the shelf life and quality characteristics of
chicken patties. Breast muscles of healthy 8-week-old broiler chickens were harvested, manually deboned and
ground. One kilogram each of chicken patty emulsion was prepared in six treatment combinations as follows:
(T1) No essential oil, (T2) 100% OEO, (T3) 100% LEO, (T4) 50% OEO:50% LEO, (T5) 75% OEO:25% LEO
and (T6) 25% OEO:75% LEO. Each treatment was done in triplicate and arranged using a completely
randomised pattern. Each emulsion was then portioned into individual patties (100 g) and cooked at 180 ℃ in an
oven until they reached an internal temperature of 72 ℃. Product yield, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
(TBARS), microbial load, and physicochemical properties were measured using standard methods at days 0, 7, 14,
and 21 of storage. Sensory properties of patties were also evaluated by ten trained panellists, using a 9-point
hedonic scale. Data collected were analysed with ANOVA at α-0.05. Significant differences were observed in
product yield, with T4 having a significantly higher (P <0.05) product yield (0.91±0.01), comparable to Control.
Treatment 4 also had significantly lower (P <0.05) TBARS on Day 14 (0.69±0.00) and Day 21 (0.69±0.00).
Treatment 2 had significantly lower (P <0.05) bacteria (6.55±0.07) and fungal (1.15±0.07) count at day 21. Sensory
analysis showed no significant differences at day 21. Based on its positive effects of increasing product yield and
reducing lipid oxidation, 50% OEO:50% LEO (T4) is rated as the best blend of Oregano and Lemon oil in
chicken patty preparation and recommended for further study
Physical activity interventions for adolescent suicide ideation and behavior : A rapid review
No full textPhysical inactivity, sedentary behavior, and mental health issues have become significant public health challenges. This review aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the risk of suicidal ideation and behaviors during adolescence. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were sourced from SPORTDiscus, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, and Google Scholar. The review included English-language peerreviewed articles published between January 2018 and March 2023, focusing on physical activity, sport, and mental health in adolescents aged 10 to 19. Adolescents with low levels of physical activity or high levels of sedentary behavior were at greater risk of suicidal thoughts compared to their more physically active counterparts. Although moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was not directly associated with self-harm or mental health disorders, the overall mental health benefits of physical activity, especially in the context of socially engaging sports, were evident. Some aspects of these associations warrant further investigation. Physical activity and sport offer cost-effective, widely accepted interventions that have significant potential to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation and behaviors among
adolescents. Given the devastating impact of suicide on young people, incorporating physical activity into mental health promotion and intervention strategies is crucial
Preparation and Characterization of Moringa oleifera and Coconut Husk Hybrid Coagulant as Bioadsorbent for Wastewater Treatment Application
No full textMoringa oleifera has gained significant attention from researchers due to its efficacy as a natural adsorbent for removing pollutants from wastewater. However, this particular M.oleifera is incapable of effectively removing turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), and electrical conductivity (EC) from wastewater. This necessitates chemical modifications that use concentrated acid and alum, which is not a favourable combination. Thus, this study reported the potential use of combined M.oleifera with activated coconut husk (CH) for water treatment. The effectiveness of using M.oleifera, CH, and a combination of 0.06 g of M.oleifera and 0.02 g of CH to form MOCH 3:1, were evaluated based on turbidity removal at various pH levels (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) and temperature (25 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C and 100 °C). The TDS, TSS, and EC reduction from synthetic wastewater were also studied using respective coagulants. The surface properties of these materials were examined through the utilization of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-Nitrogen adsorption (BET-N2), and zeta potential. The MOCH 3:1 agreed with the Langmuir, indicating monolayer formation and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, suggesting chemisorption, with R2 value of 0.99. The MOCH 3:1 had a synergistic impact, resulting in the highest removal efficiency of over 90% for turbidity, TDS, TSS, and EC from synthetic wastewater at pH 6 and 25°C. This finding suggests that MOCH 3:1 has superior potential for wastewater contaminant removal than individual coagulants
PhyQA : An Ontology-Based Question Answering System for Formula Identification in Physics Subject
No full textIn today's fast-paced world, it's crucial to access accurate and relevant information, especially in physics, where complex calculations are standard. Finding answers to physics questions can be difficult and time-consuming, particularly for those without a deep understanding of the subject. This paper proposes a novel solution called PhyQA - a question-answering system that utilizes ontology in the physics domain. By leveraging the power of ontologies to provide structured knowledge about physics concepts and their relationships, PhyQA can efficiently and accurately identify calculational questions. The development of this system was motivated by the need for a tool that could help bridge the gap between the complex calculations of physics and first-time learners' understanding. PhyQA provides clear and concise answers to physics questions, making it available to a broad audience, including students, researchers, and anyone interested in the subject. Using ontologies in this system provides a new technique for organizing and structuring knowledge, allowing for a more sophisticated representation of complex concepts. Ultimately, this paper emphasizes the importance of creating a question-answering system with ontology in the physics domain. It demonstrates its potential to revolutionize how we access and understand knowledge in this subject. By providing accurate and accessible answers to calculational questions, PhyQA has the potential to impact education and research in this field significantly
Determinants of Life Expectancy in Malaysia
No full textLife expectancy is regarded as a vital indicator of a
nation's health, social progress, and economic development. This study analyzes the determinants affecting life expectancy in Malaysia, employing annual data on GDP per capita, inflation rate, mortality rate, and unemployment rate from 1990 to 2022. The re search employed the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test, the Johansen and Juselius cointegration test, and the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to analyze the relationship between life expectancy and its determinants. The results demonstrate a long term equilibrium among the variables, revealing that GDP per capita positively influences life expectancy, whereas inflation, unemployment, and mortality exert negative effects. The Granger causality analysis within the VECM framework demonstrates unidirectional short run causal relationships: inflation and mortality rates affect GDP per capita, mortality influences inflation and unemployment, and life expectancy impacts unemployment. These findings underscore the interconnectedness of economic, demographic, and health determinants, providing essential insights for policymakers in developing integrated strategies to sustain improvements in population health and life expectancy in Malaysia
Classifying depression severity in online chats through human-coded psycholinguistic analysis using DSM-5 and Beck Depression Inventory
No full textDespite advances in artificial intelligence, accurately detecting the severity of depression in online
communications remains a challenge, underscoring the need for expert-led psycholinguistic analysis. This
study employs such an approach to examine depression and other mental health issues in online chat data.
Depression severity was classified using DSM-5 and Beck's Depression Inventory by five mental health
professionals, with results tested for inter-rater reliability. Human-coded psycholinguistics adds clinical
nuance to the classification. A random sample of 4,000 chat entries was analysed, with five professionals
independently categorising each entry based on the DSM-5 and Beck Depression Inventory criteria into the
categories of no depression, mild, moderate, severe, or unknown. The analysis showed a high average interrater reliability, indicating substantial agreement among raters. Results revealed that 7% of chats exhibited
some level of depression (2% mild, 2% moderate, 3% severe), 19% indicated other mental health issues such
as anxiety, and 58% were ambiguous. These findings suggest that psycholinguistic analysis of online
communication has strong potential for early detection of mental health issues. Integrating such features into
digital tools could enhance early identification on online platforms, enabling timely intervention and better
mental health support within communities
Maximising Bioethanol Production from Banana Stem Hydrolysate
No full textIn recent years, various initiatives have been made to use low-cost renewable agricultural resources for biofuel production. Amongst these, banana waste has emerged as an
alternative substrate for bioethanol production due to its abundance and rich carbohydrate content. This study explores the fermentable sugars in banana stem hydrolysate (BSH), which were utilised for bioethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The work was divided into
preliminary investigations of BSH as a fermentation medium, optimisation of nitrogen sources used in bioethanol fermentation using BSH-based media, and scale-up of bioethanol fermentation from shake flasks to a 2 L bioreactor. Initially, BSH was prepared based on our novel 4-cycle enzymatic hydrolysis. Our results showed that the ethanol yield obtained using banana hydrolysate was 0.152, which was 1.43 folds higher than the ethanol yield produced using commercial glucose (0.106 g/g). Among the four nitrogen sources investigated (yeast extract, ammonium sulphate, urea, and peptone) 3 g/L yeast extract was found to result in the highest ethanol yield, which was 3.27 folds higher than that of the fermentation without the
supplementation of nitrogen source. Scaling up the fermentation process from a shake flask to a 2 L bioreactor resulted in a higher specific growth rate, while maintaining a comparable bioethanol yield. In summary, this study proposes a novel approach to valorise bioethanol production from banana stems, implying the potential of banana stem hydrolysate as a feedstock for other bioproduction
Research Trends of Extended Reality (XR) in the Medical Field: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textIn recent years, Extended Reality (XR) technology has experienced significant growth and is now being applied in various fields, including medicine. Therefore, this paper seeks to provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis of current research trends related to implementing XR technology within medical fields. A systematic search was conducted on three databases; Scopus, Web of Sci-ence and ProQuest, to identify relevant articles that were published between 2018 and 2023. The search was carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, which involved evaluating articles based on pre-defined inclusion criteria, extracting per-tinent information, and conducting a meta-analysis. The search yielded 1,843,669 results, which were later filtered down to 12 eligible articles based on the pre-defined criteria. To illustrate the research focus trends, the articles were grouped into three themes: types of XR technology and the development platforms used, benefits of XR in the medical field, the challenges or limitations faced when using XR technology in the medical field. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the growing adoption of XR technology in the medical field. Addi-tionally, trends and gaps in the literature were identified and addressed, providing researchers with potential directions for future research in the application of XR in the medical field
Biogeochemistry of an Iron- and Manganese-Rich Stratified Lake: Tasik Biru, Malaysia, as a Modern Model Habitat for the Ancient Ocean
No full textTasik Biru is a ~70 m-deep tropical lake in Malaysia, originating from a water-filled open pit mine. We investigated the biogeo-chemistry and microbial community of the lake as a modern model habitat to the stratified ancient ocean. We found that a sharpredoxcline exists at around 50 m depth, related to the decrease of O 2 and pH (7.2–6.8) going down into the monimolimnion.Despite being relatively sulfate-rich (~320 μM), only a slight decrease of sulfate (to ~240 μM) was observed coupled with an in-crease of dissolved sulfide to 4 μM, attributed to microbial sulfate reduction in the monimolimnion. Comparatively, dissolvedFe and total Mn rose to ~50 μM in the anoxic layer with an unusual 1:1 concentration ratio. Other nutrients (PO 43−, Si) and tracemetal(loid)s (As, Mo, Sb, Co, U, and V) depth profiles increased or decreased across the chemocline, indicating controls via cy-cling of redox-sensitive elements. Microbial community analysis based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing reflects various metab-olisms, from aerobic metabolisms in the mixolimnion to putative nitrite-dependent methane oxidation (e.g., by Methylomirabilis)at the chemocline, to sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and fermentation in the monimolimnion. Tasik Biru is not in steady-state, and its anoxic water is predicted to shift from being Fe/Mn-rich to sulfide-rich, perhaps lending it as a model habitat toinvestigate biogeochemical changes from the metal-rich Archean to the Proterozoic oceans with expanding zones of sulfide-richmargins. An overview of the current biogeochemical cycles in the lake is presented, and open questions regarding partial sulfateconsumption, methane, and Mn cycling and mineralogical distribution are highlighted to guide future studies
The impact of female directors' individual characteristics on corporate financial performance : Evidence from China’s a-share listed companies
No full textThis study investigates how the individual traits of female directors influence corporate financial performance in the context of Chinese listed firms. While prior research has
largely emphasized the general impact of gender diversity, this paper focuses on specific attributes such as age, education, overseas experience, financial expertise, and
professional background to assess their effects on board decisions and market outcomes. Drawing on a large sample of firms, the study adopts a quantitative approach to examine
the variability in these traits and their correlation with financial performance indicators. The findings reveal that not all female directors contribute equally; instead, their unique backgrounds play a significant role in shaping strategic decisions and enhancing firm outcomes. Notably, educational diversity, international exposure, and financial skills emerge as key traits linked to stronger financial results. This study shifts the focus from gender representation to the diversity of qualifications and experiences among women directors, providing a more nuanced understanding of board dynamics. The implications are relevant for policymakers and corporate leaders aiming to improve board effectiveness through targeted appointments. The research contributes to the literature on corporate governance by highlighting the strategic value of trait-based diversity and offers insights for optimizing board composition in a competitive global business environment