Malaysian Journal of Applied Sciences (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
Not a member yet
168 research outputs found
Sort by
Antimicrobial Activities of Cucurbita moschata Leaves Water Extracts Against Selected Bacteria and Their Compound Determination
Full text linkIn Malaysia, high-value cash crops such as pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) are cultivated, but their production generates significant agricultural waste. Discarded fruits, stems, and leaves are waste materials with multiple potential uses. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the antibacterial properties and determine the types of phytochemical components available in water extracts from pumpkin (C. moschata) leaves as an agricultural waste extract. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is used to extract the plants' leaves due to its ease of use, quick extraction time, affordability, and increased yield. The leaves are obtained from Kampus Tembila, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Besut, Terengganu. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were run to visualise and determine the minimum concentration of pumpkin leave water extract that inhibits the six selected bacteria strains related to the gastrointestinal system of small ruminants which are Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enterica, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) was used for the phytochemical screening, and reagents such as Vanillin, Anisaldehyde, Dragendorff's, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methanol solution were sprayed to identify the type of compound's presence in the aqueous extracts of both leaves. C. moschata leaves show inhibition activity against all microbes tested except B. subtilis, and the lowest IC50 inhibition was 8 mg/ml against A. baumannii and 20 mg/ml for E. faecalis, respectively. In the meantime, the aqueous extracts of C. moschata leaves contain natural compounds such as triterpenes, alkaloids, tannins and antioxidants, as indicated by coloured spots derived from the TLC visualization method
Dive Into the Vibrant World of Roselle Extraction, Unraveling Its Secrets as a Potent Source of Natural Dye
No full textA perennial plant native to tropical and subtropical areas, roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), also called jamaica in Spanish, can be found in China, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. The roselle plant is as attractive as it is useful and powerful for improving human health and well-being. Furthermore, there are numerous advantages to roselle, and the plant's aerial components are utilized in a variety of cultures' foods, drinks, and medical preparations. The roselle extraction methods are crucial to optimize the yield. Several methods are highlighted in this review such as supercritical fluid, solvent extraction, and mechanical pressing. The market demand for the roselle was briefly explained. Throughout its lengthy history, its applications have mostly been in the beauty, pharmaceutical, and food industries. The information indicates that the roselle's demands are growing throughout time
Analysing Technical Efficiency and Determinants of Watermelon Farms in Tembila, Besut, Terengganu
Full text linkThis paper attempts to determine the level of technical efficiency on watermelon farms and subsequently investigate the factors affecting the technical efficiency scores of watermelon farms in Tembila, Besut. Data was collected from a survey that randomly selects 50 watermelon farmers between June and September 2023. For the first step, this study uses data envelopment analysis to measure the technical efficiency scores on a sample. For the second step, a truncated regression model was used to explain the factors affecting technical efficiency. The results show that Tembila watermelon farmers could save 27% of their input in order to produce the same amount of output. This finding suggests that there is room for improvement in terms of managing inputs among watermelon farmers. The result also shows that farmers' education and experience have a positive relationship with technical efficiency, whereas off-farm income has a negative relationship with technical efficiency. Our results suggest that the Malaysian government should provide training programs in order to improve efficiency
Evaluating Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) Performance Based on Cooling Method
Full text linkA thermoelectric generator (TEG) is an innovative device that converts thermal energy into electrical power using temperature differentials. TEGs utilize both active and passive cooling methods to enhance their efficiency, though practical results often fall short of theoretical models. Despite their limited efficiency, TEGs offer significant potential for generating power from heat, particularly in rural and underserved regions. Therefore, this study aims to understand the complexities of TEG operation identify the key factors influencing their efficiency and investigates the impact of passive and active cooling systems on TEG output and performance
An Investigation Into the Awareness Level of Universıty Undergraduates on Cyber Incident Reporting and Respeonse in Kwara State
Full text linkDespite the increasing use of computers and internet resources for various purposes in different sectors of the economy, threats and attacks in cyberspace are on the increase. This is because internet attackers keep devising new techniques to evade being detected. The attack types include denial of service attacks, financial theft, espionage, subversion and identify theft. Many Nigerian cyber user communities are exposed to online threats. Despite efforts by government and IT security stakeholders to check the menace of cybercrime among Nigerians, cyber safety is still being considered to be very low. This may be as a result of lack of holistic measures for reporting and tackling the menace of crime in the country. Preliminary investigations revealed that some of the technological, administrative and legislative measures put in place in Nigeria to tackle the menace of cyber security have not given adequate attention to cyber incident reporting and response. This study used a structured questionnaire to source for the opinions of some University undergraduates in Kwara State, Nigeria. The questionnaire was used to investigate the level of awareness of the selected students about cyber incident reporting and response. The target population have ages that fall in youthful bracket and they are considered to youths who use internet resources for various purposes. The responses of the respondents were analysed using descriptive statistics. Statistical results revealed that larger number of students investigated is well aware of cyber incident reporting and response. Then, suggestions were made on how to achieve holistic strategy that can be used for promoting incident reporting and response among internet stakeholders in the country. It is argued that such measures will facilitate proactive means for tackling increasing cyber threats in the country
Milk Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) Goat Milk
Full text linkIn Malaysia, the popularity of goat milk has increased due to its health benefits, therapeutic properties, and religious significance. The extract of butterfly pea is rich in antioxidants, which can neutralize free radicals. Combining butterfly pea flowers with goat milk enhances the nutritional profile of the dairy product. The objective of the study was to develop butterfly pea goat milk with varying amounts of butterfly pea powder. The varied concentrations used were as follows: G1 (0%) as a control, G2 (1%), G3 (2%), G4 (3%), G5 (4%), and G6 (5%). The study has two main objectives: to determine the composition of butterfly pea goat milk and to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the milk at various doses. The milk output from Saanen goats at Pasir Akar Farm, UniSZA was recorded to be approximately 1.28 litres per goat (n=7). The milk production will be subjected to vat pasteurization at a temperature of 60°C for a duration of 30 minutes. The butterfly pea concentration will be prepared using various formulations, including a control with 0% concentration, as well as concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%. The milk samples were gathered and treated at UniSZA, Besut, Terengganu, and then subjected to pasteurization at Pasir Akar Farm. The assessment of antioxidant activity was conducted by the utilization of Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The study revealed that the optimal composition including 5% butterfly pea (BP) milk had elevated levels of protein, solid-non-fat (SNF), and lactose content. The antioxidant activities showed that 5% had the highest antioxidant compared to other concentrations of butterfly pea goat milk. Flavoured milk exhibited a superior nutritional profile and demonstrated the highest level of antioxidant activity, hence providing a multitude of health advantages for human consumption
Awareness, Attitude and Practice Towards Blood Donation Among Undergraduate Students
Full text linkNational Blood Center (PDN) has faced shortage crisis when COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, which led the Ministry of Health (MOH) urgently call for public to donate their blood in order to help increasing the amount of blood at PDN. Kedah specifically faced the worst situation which the blood supply can only last for less than four days. According to KKMNOW statistics, only 12.0% of all the blood donors in Malaysia are students in the past year. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the awareness, attitude and knowledge of blood donation among undergraduate students. A questionnaire survey was conducted which involved 268 undergraduate students. Descriptive statistics, frequency distribution table and Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient were adopted to analysis the collected data. Based on their responses, majority of the respondents have adequate knowledge and positive attitude towards blood donating. 60.4% of the respondents have donating history. The main reasons the respondents do not participate in donating blood are ‘Due to fear or pain’ and ‘Never thought about donating blood’. This study also found that both attitude and practice have a positive relationship with the awareness of blood donating
Raman Spectroscopy for Edible Oil Authentication: A Review
Full text linkThere have been many prior studies on oil authentication, especially edible oils owing to the need for genuine edible oils on the market and consumers. Therefore, analytical approaches have been one of the detection and identification methods for adulteration of edible oils. The authentication of edible oils using Raman spectroscopy is a common vibrational spectroscopies analysis technique. Raman spectroscopy has shown some advantages such as rapid, non-invasive analysis and no sample pre-treatment providing ease to research. Hence, the purpose of this paper was to discuss the previous studies on edible oil authentication using an analytical approach, particularly Raman spectroscopy and its applications that have been used for oil authentication analysis. Edible oil authentication and adulteration are important to differentiate genuine edible oil from fake ones and to prevent fraud. This paper also discussed on analysis of qualitative and quantitative edible oils authentication, along with the cases of adulteration analysis in edible oils such as the determination of foreign contents in edible oils, quality analysis of genuine edible oils, identification of various types of vegetable oils, adulterated oils in food products and characterization of waste cooking oils
On the Laplace Adomian Decomposition Method Numerical Analysis of the Vaccine's Effect on Measles.
Full text linkPublic healthcare providers globally have expressed great alarm over the measles's prevalence as an infectious disease. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of vaccination as a preventative measure against its means. It was possible to determine the disease's fundamental reproductive number, global and local stabilities at equilibrium, and sensitivity analysis. The Laplace adomian decomposition method was used to perform the numerical simulation. The outcome clearly demonstrates that appropriate vaccination procurement and administration constitute an effective control strategy to slow the disease's rapid spread
Simple and Low-Cost Visual Inspection of Engineering Control in Science Laboratories
Full text linkTo control chemical hazard, engineering control is one of the Hierarchy of Controls that protects workers from chemical hazard. Engineering control is accomplished by removing hazardous conditions by placing a barrier between the worker and the hazard. Local ventilation system is widely used in laboratories to remove any chemical agents that are released from any chemical reactions. The importance of these ventilation systems is to prevent any health complications to persons in the laboratory due to chemical exposure. İn this paper, the effects and effectiveness of sash height to vapor source position to effectiveness of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system were studied and identified using vapor flow from the stimulated carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor. Eight LEVs were inspected. The stimulated vapor as a tracer was produced by mixing dry ice into hot-boiled water (100oC). The dispersion stimulated CO2 and water vapor inside and outside the LEV system, and this can predict the efficiency of LEV systems based on visual inspection. The results revealed that each LEV showed a different time taken to draw out the vapor from the inside of the fume hood