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Effects of soil amendments on growth performance, physiological and biochemical properties of Melastoma malabathricum L. grown on tropical acidic soil / Lili Syahani Rusli
No full textSoil acidity, primarily caused by the leaching of basic cation, acid deposition and the decomposition of organic matter led to a decrease in soil pH. Growth under an abiotic stress environment, particularly on low soil pH, typically decreases the growth performance of a plant. Among the plant species, Melastoma malabathricum L., or sendudok has adapted to thrive in tropical acidic soil conditions and it successfully stabilizes the problematic soil, prevents landslides, and enhances the aesthetic values of the landscape. However, its adaptation to low pH and fertility resulted in a lower growth rate and shallow root profile. To ameliorate this downside, soil amendments can be applied. Organic wastes from the food waste and palm oil industries can be turned into compost and biochar and used as soil amendments to enhance the soil quality and growth performance of plants grown on infertile acidic soil. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the effect of soil amendments on growth and nutrient uptake through a six-month study period at the Rimba Ilmu glasshouse, Universiti Malaya. Eight treatments were evaluated in this study; control (Q), palm kernel biochar (B), a combination of liming and palm kernel biochar (BL), a combination of food waste compost and palm kernel biochar (BC), a combination of liming, food waste compost and palm kernel biochar (BCL), food waste compost (C), liming (L) and a combination of liming and compost (CL). The best two treatments, PK biochar (B) and FW compost (C) were further evaluated in terms of plant’s cellular antioxidant, oxidative stress indicators and the distribution of metabolites. Treatment with B showed the best growth in terms of M. malabathricum L. height, stem diameter, leaf area index, root length and root length density. In physiological performance, treatment C recorded a significantly higher rate of photosynthesis and relative chlorophyll content by 16% and 154%, respectively in comparison to the control. For soil analysis, both treatments B and C showed comparable results. Treatment C and B also showed improved H2O2 level in all parts of the plant. The enzymatic antioxidants activities and non-enzymatic antioxidants were also higher in treatment C. In addition, the same treatment exhibited the highest total anthocyanin content (leaves; 36.1 x 10-2 ± 0.034 mg/g DW and root extract; 8.9 x 10-2 ± 0.020 mg/g DW), total phenolic content (stem extract; 4930.956 ± 16.025 mg GAE/g DE) and total flavonoid content (stem extract; 209.984 ± 0.572 mg QE/g DE). The M. malabathricum L. plants that were grown without soil amendment, (Q) recorded the highest number of metabolites (leaves; 57 and root extract; 40) followed by treatment C (leaves; 46 and root extract; 31) and treatment B (leaves; 26 and root extract; 31). The findings of this study indicate that the PK biochar, followed by FW compost substantially enhanced the growth and physiological characteristics of M. malabathricum L., resulting in taller plants, larger stem diameters, increased root length and density, and enhanced chlorophyll content and photosynthesis. The soil analysis revealed that the use of PK biochar and FW compost retained nutrients, enhanced soil pH, and increased water retention, but lime had a higher nutrient absorption rate. Concerning oxidative stress indicators, the treatment with FW compost and PK biochar enhanced the plant's antioxidant defense system against oxidative damage by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and APX, as well as the synthesis of antioxidant metabolites such as chlorophylls, carotenoid, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, phenolic and flavonoid compounds, compared to control plants. These demonstrate the potential of both treatments as soil amendments to not only improve soil properties, but also improve M. malabathricum L. plants’ tolerance towards abiotic stress (soil acidity). In conclusion, this research demonstrates the positive impacts of food waste compost, followed by palm kernel biochar as soil supplements on the growth performance, physiological features, and biochemical properties of M. malabathricum L. when cultivated in acidic soil. The effect of these discoveries include boosting plant growth in environments where abiotic stress is present and improving the soil fertility
Isolation and identification of compounds from Neo-uvaria foetida with the aid of LC-MS/MS based molecular networking and evaluation of their activity against HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV- / S.Yaallini Sukumaran
No full textA preliminary survey of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) bark extract of the Malaysian Annonaceaous species, Neo-uvaria foetida exhibited significant antiviral inhibitory activity against the HCoV-229E test (coronavirus model) with an IC50 value of 3.82 μg/mL. Due to the limited studies available on the phytochemical composition of N. foetida, an intensive LC-MS/MS-based dereplication technique coupled with molecular networking (MN) was employed to accelerate the research workflow in identifying known and new active compounds from the EtOAc bark extract. From the MN analysis, a total of 26 known compounds under the classification of labdane diterpenoids, abietane diterpenoid, kaurene diterpenoid, sesquiterpenoids, fatty acids, oxoaporphine alkaloids, amino acid derivatives, amides, carboline alkaloid, cyclic tetrapeptide, styryl-lactones and flavonoids. In addition, 11 compounds were isolated in which seven were known compounds; 17-O-acetylacuminolide 1, acuminolide 2, spiroacuminolide 3, pinocembrin 4, stigmasterol 3-stearate 5 and stigmasterol 3-O-ß-D-glucoside 6 and five new compounds; 8-epi-acuminolide 7, foetidalabdane A 8, 16-foetinorlabdoic acid 9, foetidalactone A 10 and foetidalactone B 11. All the compounds afforded were structurally characterize using various spectroscopic techniques; 1D-NMR (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT), 2D-NMR (COSY, HMBC, HSQC, NOESY), FTIR, UV, and LC-MS. HCoV-229E inhibitory evaluation was conducted against all the isolated compounds in which 17-O-acetylacuminolide 1 (2.25 μM), foetidalabdane A 10 (2.16 μM), and foetidalabdane B 11 (2.51 μM) showed the most potent anti-HCoV-229E activity. All the
new compounds along with the considerably active ones (1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral assay, in which 8-epi-acuminolide 7 and foetidalabdane A 8 showed moderate inhibitory activity at IC50 values at 63.28 μM and 93.45 Μm respectively. Targeted isolation was performed via MN dereplication technique, resulting in the identification of taxonomically related new compounds which were non-toxic and exhibited antiviral inhibitory activity against the coronaviruses
Analysis of solar radio bursts type II and III using multiple instruments observations / Ahmad Najwan Zulkiplee
No full textSolar radio activity is one of the elements that can be harvested to obtain knowledge of our solar system in the field of radio astronomy. Using the Compound Astronomical Low-Frequency Low-cost Instrument for Spectroscopy and Transportable Observatory (CALLISTO) as one of the mediums in capturing the radio emission coming from the Sun, the studied of the solar radio bursts dynamics can be extensively analyzed which is the primary object for this work. This work emphasizes the use of multiple solar radio instruments used for capturing the emission of solar radio bursts other than CALLISTO such as Nancay Radioheliograph (NRH) and Half-wave Dipole Antenna (HWDA). The purpose of using these multiple instruments will benefit in the exploration of the unique features such as band splitting and ‘herringbone’ that existed within the solar radio bursts emission which are still lowly studied. The brightness temperature and degree of circular polarization of the solar radio bursts emission has been determined to propose an early finding of the emission mechanism of these unique features. Previous studies have proof that the solar radio bursts phenomena have a strong relation with solar activities such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) but the effect of the latter activities in a large-scale manner is still limited. This work has presented the influence of it toward the formation of solar radio bursts activities with the use of instrument from Space Weather Prediction Centre by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (SWPC/NOAA), Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory mission’s instrument which is the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (SOHO/LASCO). Through these multiple observations, it was found that strong solar flares and CMEs do play a role in generating multiple solar radio bursts. Lastly, with the knowledge of the solar radio bursts unique features and its relationship with strong solar flares and CMEs, determination of suitable candidate of solar radio burst type II with clear appearances of band splitting has been performed across the year of 2017. This candidate will be useful for future detection of the HWDA that is currently undergoing major improvement for its next version of upgraded HWDA (uHWDA). In summary, the result of this work clearly shown that radio emission of ‘herringbone’ features is being generated through the fundamental plasma mechanism, large scale of solar flares and CMEs activities resulted in formation of multiple bursts of different types simultaneously and solar radio burst event on 23rd July 2016 would be the best candidate to be observed using the newly developed uHWDA
Production, characterization and optimization of ganodiesel from the biomass of Ganoderma lucidum produced in air-L-shaped bioreactor / Lim Teik Chee
No full textThe escalating demand for alternative and sustainable energy sources, induced by the exploitation of fossil fuels and the surge in greenhouse gas emissions, has generated attention towards exploring rapidly-growing filamentous fungi as a potential bioenergy source. The objective of this study is to optimize Ganoderma lucidum production for enhanced biomass and lipid yields in submerged liquid fermentation. The optimization involved varying initial pH, glucose concentration, and agitation rate using response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD). The results showed that glucose concentration and initial pH significantly influenced biomass production, while agitation rate had an insignificant effect. For total lipid production, all three factors (glucose concentration, initial medium pH, and agitation rate) were identified as significant factors. The optimized conditions for both responses (initial pH 6, 50 g/L glucose concentration, and 113 rpm) were validated in 500 mL shake flasks and a 3 L Air-L-Shaped Bioreactor (ALSB). In shake flasks, the biomass yield was 8.33 g/L and a lipid content of 2.17%, whereas the ALSB system yielded 5.32 g/L of biomass and 2.35% lipid. The G. lucidum mycelium lipid was extracted using solvent extraction, and the lipid profile was analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. The main fatty acids identified included palmitic acid (C16:0) at 18.60%, stearic acid (C18:0) at 6.44%, oleic acid (C18:1) at 16.21%, and linoleic acid (C18:2) at 48.11%, which are recognized as major components of biodiesel. The G. lucidum mycelium lipid was converted into biodiesel (Ganodiesel) through acid-catalyzed transesterification, and subsequently evaluated in compliance with international biodiesel standards (ASTM D6751-08 and EN 14214). In addition, the findings suggested that the morphology of mycelial pellets varied across different fermentation conditions, resulting in distinct morphological characteristics for each condition. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of G. lucidum as an alternative biodiesel source by demonstrating optimized fermentation parameters and biodiesel production that comply with international standards
Career related decision-making process among young adults in the Maldive / Fathimath Shougee
No full textThis phenomenological study was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of how young adults in the Maldives make career-related decisions, understand the challenges they face, recognise the support they receive, and gather their views on ways of promoting support and creating opportunities to facilitate the process. The ultimate aim of the study was to make recommendations for social policy initiatives to facilitate the career decision-making process of young adults. The study employed the qualitative approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and a critical realist philosophy. Using inclusion criteria, quota sampling, and purposive sampling, 14 young adults who had successfully transitioned to higher education and were studying at a local college/university were recruited. The primary data collection method was in-depth interviews. The core findings of the study highlighted that the career decision-making process was multi-staged and ongoing, academic and career interests were developed through multiple learning experiences in the context, the significant challenges were information deficit and financial challenges, the significant sources of support were family social support and government free-degree programme, and personal values, adaptive strategies, and focusing on life-career goals were major forces that facilitated the overall journey. The findings highlighted how learning experiences, educational opportunities, challenges, and support in lower secondary schools shape opportunities for higher education. Based on these findings, the need for career education and guidance policy, a holistic career development curriculum (available to all students), and training of schoolteachers and career leaders were identified as social policy initiatives for lower secondary schools. Provision of equivalent financial support for all school-to-higher education pathways, subsidised students’ accommodation per demand, and exploring ways of incorporating work experiences into local undergraduate programmes were recommended as social policy initiatives for higher education
Pembinaan prototaip VAGAT dalam peningkatan kemahiran bertutur murid Sekolah Tamil / Durga Devi Kupusamy
No full textKajian ini bertujuan untuk membina prototaip VAGAT kemahiran bertutur bagi murid sekolah Tamil dalam pembelajaran kemahiran bertutur bahasa Melayu. Prototaip VAGAT kemahiran bertutur ini dibina berpandukan Model ADDIE. Prototaip yang dibina mengandungi tiga kandungan, iaitu bahan pembelajaran, video pembelajaran dan latihan/kuiz interaktif. Aspek kemahiran bertutur yang diberi fokus dalam kajian ialah sebutan (vokal, konsonan) dan kosa kata. Elemen multimedia seperti teks, audio, video, grafik dan animasi digunakan dalam pembinaan prototaip VAGAT ini. Keberkesanan prototaip dinilai dari segi penilaian pakar bidang, pencapaian skor subjek kajian dalam ujian lisan pra - pasca dan data temu bual informan. Kajian ini berbentuk kajian kes yang melibatkan dua belas orang subjek kajian yang belajar di tahun empat. Instrumen yang digunakan ialah ujian lisan, protokol temu bual dan senarai semak pemerhatian. Kaedah triangulasi digunakan bagi mendapatkan kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan dapatan kajian antara ujian lisan, temu bual dan pemerhatian. Analisis data kuantitatif yang minimum digunakan untuk mencari tahap penguasaan subjek kajian sebelum dan selepas penggunaan prototaip VAGAT ini. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tiga orang subjek kajian mendapat tahap penguasaan tertinggi (baik), iaitu 66 peratus dan 62 peratus, diikuti oleh lapan orang subjek kajian yang lain mendapat tahap penguasaan kedua tertinggi (memuaskan), iaitu 52 peratus hingga 42 peratus, manakala seorang subjek kajian mendapat tahap penguasaan (kurang memuaskan) yang paling rendah, iaitu 34 peratus. Dapatan senarai semak pemerhatian dan temu bual informan menunjukkan prototaip VAGAT sesuai untuk meningkatkan minat, motivasi dan kefahaman subjek kajian dalam kemahiran bertutur
CAATTs adoption in Malaysian big 4 audit firms / Ravinder Kaur Harminder Singh
No full textTechnology has significantly revolutionised and altered countless businesses and facets of life, and the auditing field is no exception. The advent of various tools and innovations has transformed operational aspects and overall effectiveness within this crucial sector. The audit industry is evolving, incorporating tools like Computer Assisted Audit Tools and Techniques (CAATTs). However, the implementation of CAATTs in Malaysia is not as widespread and methodical as it could be, despite their potential to improve audit processes and outcomes. This study explores the adoption of CAATTs in Malaysian Big 4 audit firms using the Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) framework. It utilises a qualitative approach, featuring semi-structured in-depth interviews with diverse auditors from Malaysian Big 4 firms. This study reveals the use of both in-house and commercially available CAATTs and various factors influencing their adoption. Key findings include the existence of technological divide, with younger auditors being savvier with newer tools. This research underscores the necessity for firms to adopt specific technological strategies and highlights the importance of managerial support in managing the psychological demands related to CAATTs implementation. Focusing on Malaysia, this research enriches existing knowledge by understanding the changing landscape of auditing in the age of digital transformation. It provides deeper insights through interview-based data collection, highlighting both the factors that motivate or hamper the adoption of innovative audit technologies through the TOE framework, from the perspectives of Big 4 audit firms
The impact of human resource practices on job performance and turnover intentions in Palestinian nonprofit organizations / Anas M S Abukhalifa
No full textLeaning on the social exchange theory and job demand resource theory, this study strived to examine the cross-level longitudinal effect of ability, motivation, and opportunity strategic HRM bundles on job performance and turnover intention via the mediating mechanism of work engagement and the moderating role of psychological capital. Longitudinal data were gathered from 270 paid employees employed by 30 non-profit organizations in Palestine and were analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modelling. The findings disclosed that all strategic HRM bundles had a significant positive cross-level longitudinal effect on work engagement and job performance as well as a significant longitudinal negative effect on turnover intention. In addition, the results revealed that work engagement mediated partially the longitudinal effect of strategic HRM bundles on job performance and turnover intention. More importantly, the study uncovered that the opportunity-enhancing bundle was the strongest predictor of work engagement and job performance whereas the motivation-enhancing bundle was the best predictor of turnover intention. The findings disclosed that psychological capital strengthened the positive longitudinal relationship between work engagement and job performance but however did not moderate the relationship between work engagement and turnover intention. This study plugs multiple theoretical, methodological, and empirical gaps within the literature on strategic HRM, the non-profit sector and positive psychology. One of the most significant gaps which were filled is the novelty of the study as this study is the first to investigate the longitudinal effect of strategic HRM bundles on job performance and turnover intention in the non-profit sector worldwide. A further discussion of theoretical contributions, practical implications, and future directions is provided in detail
Deep eutectic solvents as a soil washing agent for the removal of heavy metal contaminants in mangrove soil / Shahidah Nusailah Rashid
No full textMangroves are coastal ecosystems that provide vital support for the survival of
aquatic organisms and people. However, the size of mangroves declines every year due
to environmental threats that come from natural and anthropogenic activities. Thus, it is
important to conserve and remediate mangrove forests. It was reported that mangrove soil
in many countries was contaminated with high heavy metal concentrations. Soil washing
is one of the common remediation techniques adopted to remove contamination from soil.
Deep eutectic solvents or DES could be the next promising solution to remediate nature
and polluted areas from pollutant and toxic materials. Owing to their superior properties
and economical, simplicity in production and biocompatibility make DES the successive
green solvent. Thus, this study proposed using DES to remove heavy metals, such as Pb,
As, and Ni ions, from mangrove soil. Different DESs were screened and selected using
computational software, such as COnductor, like Screening MOdel for Realistic Solvents
(COSMO-RS). This software was used to investigate the thermodynamic behavior of
different DES towards heavy metals. Mangrove soil spiked with Pb, As, and Ni ions were
washed and removed using DES selected by COSMO-RS with the highest capacity.
Based on the result generated by COSMO-RS for the highest capacity, it was found that
ChCl: Lactic Acid [1:2] (ChCl-LacA) and ChCl: Levulinic Acid [1:2] (ChCl-LevA) are
the most potential DESs for lead removal from mangrove soil. The parametric study
identified key processing parameters such as DES concentration, soil-to-liquid ratio, and
contact time. The result showed that 40% of natural-based DES ( ChCl-LacA), a
solid/liquid ratio of 1:15, and a contact time of 3 hours were the optimum parameters to
remove lead from mangrove soil with 97% removal efficiency, while the optimum
removal parameters for lead were found to be at 60% concentration of natural-based DES
( ChCl-LevA), 1:15 solid/liquid ratio and 3 hours contact time with a removal efficiency of 99%. Tetrabutylammonium chloride: Triethylene glycol [1:2] (TBAC-TEG) as
chemical-based DES was able to remove arsenic with a removal efficiency of 85.42%
under the following optimum operating conditions (DES concentration of 2% and 1:5
solid/liquid ratio and 3 hours contact time). ChCl: Acetic Acid [1:2] (ChCl-AceA) and
ChCl: Levulinic Acid [1:2] (ChCl-LevA) could extract Ni ions from contaminated
mangrove soil with optimal conditions of 30% and 15% concentration, 1:5 soil-liquid
ratio, and pH 2. The removal efficiency of Ni ions was 70.8% and 70.0% for ChCl-LevA
and ChCl-AceA, respectively. XRD of different mangrove soil samples and FTIR of
DESs solution were investigated to provide in-depth knowledge for the mechanism and
kinetics studies. Soil minerals did not undertake significant mineralogical deviations or
corrosion when washed with DES. The interaction of DESs with metal ions was
confirmed by the dominant peak in washed DES solution only and not in fresh DESs,
verifying the binding of metal ions after washing with DES. This study investigated and
reported the reaction kinetics and mechanism between DES and heavy metals (lead,
arsenic and nickel). The experimental and modeling results were discovered to be in good
agreement. It is deduced that the washing process fitted with the Lagergren pseudosecond-
order kinetic model concerning both DES for all metal ions studied. The model’s
maximum Pb2+ dissolution capacity, Qe, is 0.03331 mg g-1 and 0.25298 mg g-1 of ChCl-
LevA and ChCl-LacA, respectively. The model’s maximum AsO₄³⁻, + dissolution
capacity, Qe are 0.00545 mg g-1 1 of TBAC: TEG. The model’s maximum Ni dissolution
capacity, Qe, is 51.56 mg g-1 and 52.00 mg g-1 of ChCl-LevA and ChCl-AceA,
respectively. Overall, green and natural DESs offer an environmentally sustainable
alternative as a washing solution. Soil washing to remove heavy metals is a simple, quick,
and low-cost remediation process that could potentially be utilized to reduce soil
contamination
Perceptions of the use of French in product branding among Malaysian female consumers / Alia Athirah Zainudin
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the level of awareness, perceptions and understanding among female consumers regarding the use of the French language in beauty product branding. The data was gathered from 102 respondents ranging in age from 18 to 65 years old, who are members of the Facebook group “Kosmetik dan Makeup Malaysia” as well as friends and family. The data was collected through an online survey. The findings showed that 85% of the respondents were aware of the language used in product branding, while only 15% of respondents were unaware of the language used. Additionally, a total of 77.5% of respondents stated that the use of a foreign language such as French in a brand name contributes to the perception of the product as being more expensive and luxurious. The study also revealed that 54.9% of respondents understood the language used in product branding, while 45.1% of respondents did not understand the language used. The study solely focused on female consumers and was limited to beauty products