Malaysian Journal of Applied Sciences (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
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Biochemical Pathway of Depressive Disorder Biomarkers in Human Urine Post Consumption of Phoenix dactylifera L. using 1H-NMR
Full text linkOur previous study found potential health-promoting effects in Ajwa dates flesh due to the presence of phytochemicals. In this study, metabolomics study on the consumption of Ajwa dates flesh has been conducted on human urine samples using proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) coupled with Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The identified chemical shifts in 1H-NMR spectra were compared with the reference spectra in the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). The results showed the significant decrease of alanine, hippurate and citrate in urine samples within 24 hours after intake of Ajwa dates. These metabolites are known as the biomarkers of depressive disorder for human
A Simple Three-Parameter Distribution for Modelling Data with Increasing, Decreasing, and Bathtub Failure Rates
Full text linkA three-parameter generalization of the Topp and Leone’s family of J-shaped distribution is defined and studied. The distribution which takes a fairly simple form and has a bathtub hazard rate function is found to be related to the Kumaraswamy’s generalized beta distribution, so often referred to as the Kumaraswamy distribution. Various properties of the distribution are derived and investigated. The moment generating and characteristics functions are also derived and presented. Estimation of parameters of the distribution by the method of maximum likelihood is proposed and discussed. The distribution is compared with two other distributions; The Topp-Leone and the Topp-Leone geometric distributions using a real-life dataset. The results show that the new generalized Topp-Leone distribution performs better than the Topp-Leone distribution and competes favourably with the Topp-Leone geometric distribution, which has a more complex structure
Bioinspired Materials: Polyhydroxyalkanoates-based Graphene Nanocomposites
Full text linkThe biopolymer known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) is a member of a family of naturally occurring thermoplastic polymers that are produced biochemically by microbes. PHAs' elasticity and rigidity are influenced by the type of substrate, the bacteria present, and the conditions of fermentation. By creating composite materials, PHA's mechanical, chemical, and physical qualities can be improved. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxyl valerate) (PHV) are two of these biopolyesters that are more widely used and have mechanical properties that are similar to those of synthetic polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene. The area of contact with the polymer matrix is increased by the addition of graphene nanoparticles in recent trends of fabricating nanocomposites. This chapter examines the PHA bio nanocomposites containing graphene nanofibers and their applications. The unique physicochemical characteristics of these PHAs have made them applicable in nanotechnology, biomedical applications, textiles, and biofilms
Determine Robust Procedure for Testing Variance Equality Using Type l Error Rate and Power
Full text linkComparisons were made between seven of the many procedures used to determine variance homogeneity. The seven tests that have been chosen are the Bartlett's test, the Levene's test (mean), the Levene's test (median), the Levene's test (trimmed mean), the O'brien test, the Cochran test, and the Fligner's test. Data were simulated in order to compare the seven procedures using different distributions (Normal, Beta, and Uniform), sample sizes (5, 10, 50, and 100), equal samples (n_1=n_2=...=n_k), and five (5) levels (i.e., k = 5). The power of the test and type l error rate were used to compare the selected procedures at a significant level of 0.05. The findings demonstrated that the Fligner technique is superior to all other procedures when the dataset is normally distributed, whereas the Bartlett procedure is superior regardless of sample size when the dataset is not normally distributed
Essential Oil Composition and Radical Scavenging Activity of Piper penangense C.DC
Full text linkThe genus Piper is among the most important genera in the Piperaceae family. It is known for several medicinally and economically important species that have been used throughout their native range. Piper species have great diversity in the world’s tropical regions and are represented mainly by aromatic shrubs and trees with significant production of essential oils. The present study reports the chemical composition of the essential oil of Piper penangense and its radical scavenging activity. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and fully characterized by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was determined using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. A total of 12 components (84.5%) were successfully identified, which were characterized by humulene epoxide II (31.9%), caryophyllene oxide (9.9%), muurola-4,10(14)-dien-1β-ol (9.1%) and β-ionone (8.3%). The essential oil showed significant activity towards DPPH radical scavenging (concentration 1,000 μg/mL) with a percentage inhibition of 72.5%. This study may provide valuable information and indications for further exploring the potential nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications of the Piper species
No Association of Upstream Transcription Factor 1 gene (USF1) 306 G>A with Homocysteine level among Bidayuh Ethnic Groups in Sarawak Population
Full text linkThis study was conducted to determine the polymorphic allele and genotype frequencies of USF1 306 G>A with homocysteine level and lipid profiles in Bidayuh ethnic group. It aimed to elucidate the association of the polymorphic allele and genotypes with lipid profiles such as total cholesterol (TC), high- density lipoprotein (HDL), low- density lipoprotein (LDL) and homocysteine level in Bidayuh ethnic group in Sarawak. One hundred and forty (140) individuals of the Bidayuh ethnic group were recruited as the study subjects. The Allele Specific PCR (AS-PCR) was used in the genotyping. Association of genotype frequencies and clinical profile was assessed using One Way ANOVA. As for the association of allele frequencies and clinical profile, Independent Sample T test was used. Genotype frequency and allele frequencies of Upstream Transcription Factor 1 (USF 1) 306 G>A not associated with homocysteine level and other lipid profile among Bidayuh ethnic group. Our results show that the genetic diversity of USF1 gene and allele does not influence the susceptibility of homocysteine level among Bidayuh ethnic group of the Malaysian population
Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Blockchain Research in Medical Domain
Full text linkAdvancements in blockchain technology represent significant contributions to the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, the applications of such technology in critical industries like medical services have attracted a great degree of interest from many parties. However, little is known about how far the blockchain research in medical domain has progressed. We address this by presenting a bibliometric analysis of 999 journal articles related to blockchain technologies in medical domain from the Web of Science Core Collection database published between 2016 and 2021. Then, we performed the analysis and visualization procedures based on various criteria including institutional affiliations, publication outlets, citations, authorships, and keyword co-occurrences. Last, we discuss the status-quo and future directions of this promising field. In general, the paper advances in both width and depth from existing bibliometric works on this topic. Furthermore, it provides academics, policy makers, and practitioners with a better understanding regarding the current trends of blockchain research in medical applications
Phytochemical Screenings and Proximate Analysis of Different Parts of Senna alata Collected in Besut, Terengganu
No full textThis study is conducted to determine the presence of bioactive compounds in leaves, stems and flowers of Senna alata, to characterize the bioactive compound identified from its different parts and to investigate the proximate composition of different parts of Senna alata collected in Besut, Terengganu. Samples of Senna alata leaves, stems, and flowers were collected in Kampung Paya Rawa, Besut, Terengganu. Phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis were used to determine the chemical composition of different parts of Senna alata. The samples were also subjected to proximate analysis to determine their moisture, ash, crude fibre, crude protein, crude fat, and carbohydrate contents. Standard methods were used: moisture content by oven drying, ash content by muffle furnace incineration, crude fibre by acid and alkali digestion, crude protein by the Kjeldahl method, crude fat by Soxhlet extraction, and carbohydrate content calculated by difference. Data obtained from proximate analysis were analysed with one-way ANOVA. The findings show the presence of bioactive compounds in leaves, stems, and flowers of Senna alata such as alkaloid, phenol, tannin, saponin, quinone, and terpenoid which shows biological and pharmacological activities that proved the medicinal properties in Senna alata. GC-MS analysis reveals the detection of derivatives compound of azetidine, thiophene, thiazole, and triazole that supports the ethnomedicinal claims of Senna alata to treat various diseases. The results also reveal significant variations in the proximate composition among the different plant parts. The flower part exhibited the highest levels of moisture (30.88±0.44%), ash (7.49±0.28%), crude fat (6.98±0.03%), and carbohydrates (39.65±0.76%), while the stem contained the highest crude fibre (38.68±0.22%) and the leaves had the highest crude protein content (15.52±0.17%). In summary, the study proves that Senna alata contains bioactive compounds which exhibit biological and pharmacological properties. These findings suggest that different parts of Senna alata possess varying nutritional values and potential therapeutic benefits, particularly the leaves, which are rich in protein, and the flowers, which are high in energy sources. The results emphasise the possibility of using Senna alata as a biopesticide to treat ectoparasites infestation in animals, due to the presence of acaricidal chemicals in the plant
A GIS-Based Spatial Decision Support System for Facility Location Planning in Nigeria
Full text linkAbstract
Public facilities are to be located optimally in the interest of society. In Nigeria, public facilities' locations are largely influenced by administrative constraints and politics, rather than efficiency and equity. This practice limits access, most especially, in rural communities where the population is dispersed. Studies on efficiency and equity in access to public health facilities focused on urban centres. The aim of this study, therefore, is to advance the understanding of the application of the spatial decision support system (SDSS) to evaluate efficiency and equity in access to public facilities in rural regions. The study used Ogun State, Nigeria as a case. The data used include the population and coordinates of the location of the settlements, coordinates of the location of health facilities and the transport networks. This study showed that 38.5% of settlements do not have access to primary care and the application of the p-median model showed that the efficiency of the existing location of health facilities can be improved by 40.6%. Application of the maximal covering location model showed that the existing maximum travel distance of 26.3km can be reduced. It can be reduced for the sake of equity to 9.9 km. This study demonstrated ways to develop evaluative tools for analyzing the distribution of public facilities in Nigeria. It is suggested that planners in rural regions of other developing countries can adopt these techniques and tools to make their location decisions more logical.
Keywords: Geographic Information System, Public Health Facilities, Spatial Decision Support System, Location Efficiency, Location Equity.
 
The Role of Technology Advancement in Improving the Current Practice of Ambulance Decontamination in Malaysia: A Scoping Review
Full text linkAbstract
In Malaysia, the current methodology for decontaminating ambulances is by manually cleaning surfaces with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved disinfecting solutions as contrast to previous practice using water and soap. The solutions used are registered with National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) Ministry of Health Malaysia (NPRA) to ensure adherence to international standard of practice. The manual decontamination practices are effective if strictly conducted following guidelines. However, the proper cleaning and decontamination of an ambulance is an important task that frequently overlooked. It creates a risk to healthcare providers and their patients for subsequent ambulance trip. To ensure the patient compartment is absent from multitudes of infectious pathogen especially Covid-19, is not only an escalating challenge for healthcare providers as it is an unseen, but also poses a real threat to them and their patient. The healthcare managers should consider technologies that can provide a safer, effective and more efficient cleaning and decontamination of an ambulances. We proposed to adapt a new approach of decontamination by using a vapour based disinfection method coupled with germicidal enhancement using ultra violet. It utilizes an EPA-approved hospital disinfectant to decontaminate surfaces in the patient care compartment after every patient transport. A nozzle, placed inside the patient care compartment, disperses a mist of disinfectant solution that designed to meet standard requirement. The enhancement of germicidal effect using an ultra violet ray will disinfect and ensure a free patient compartment from an infectious organism. This decontamination system directly integrated into a new or existing ambulance. It is convenient, timesaving, hands-off solution for decontaminating of an ambulance and importantly creates a safer practice.
Keywords: Ambulance service, decontamination, Vapour-based, safe practice