bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brusatol Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer PC-9 Cells
Authors: Yang Lu-Ming , Zhou Wen-Min , Guo Qiao-Ru , Fan Xin-Yue , Huang Dong-Yu , Sun Xiao-Fei , Yuan Jie , Yu Hua , Chen Hu-Biao , Zhang Jian-Ye
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of brusatol, a nigakilactone extracted from Brucea javanica, on lung cancer for development of therapeutic drugs. We explored the effects of brusatol on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer PC-9 cells in vitro and analyzed the mechanisms involved.

Materials and Methods:

MTT assay was used to determine the effect of brusatol on the proliferative capacity of PC-9 and H1975 cells in vitro. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were calculated and used as a reference for subsequent experiments. Variations in the number and size of tumor cell clusters were monitored by the colony formation assay as evidence for the effect of brusatol on cell proliferation. The effect of brusatol on the migration and invasion of PC-9 cells was evaluated using wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. Apoptosis in lung cancer cells was detected using the Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide assay. The correlated anticancer mechanism was detected using Western blotting.

Results:

The IC50 values of brusatol acting on PC-9 and H1975 cells were 1.58 ± 0.30 mM and 31.34 ± 2.72 mM, respectively, according to the MTT experiment. In addition, brusatol suppressed PC-9 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as induced apoptosis, which may be related to the downregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), β-catenin, Akt, and STAT3 expression.

Conclusions:

Brusatol showed potent anticancer activity against lung cancer PC-9 cells, inhibiting the proliferative capacity and metastatic potential of PC-9 cells. Its anticancer effect may be related to the downregulation of EGFR, β-catenin, Akt, and STAT3.
microRNA Profiling and the Effect on Metabolic Biomarkers and Weight Loss after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Hany Mohamed , Demerdash Hala M. , Ahmed Asmaa Abd Elhameed , Agayby Ann Samy Shafik , Ghaballa Mohamed , Ibrahim Mohamed , Maged Passent , Torensma Bart
Published: August 2022

Background:

Epigenetic changes after bariatric surgery are of increasing interest; we evaluated the levels of two circulating microRNAs (miRNA-222 and miRNA-146a) before and after the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and the effect of weight loss on the levels of metabolic biomarkers.

Materials and Methods:

We prospectively evaluated patients pre- and 12 months post-LSG for percent excess weight loss (%EWL), miRNAs levels, metabolic biomarkers (leptin, ghrelin, peptide YY, and glucagon peptide-1 [GLP-1]) levels from August 2019 to September 2021.

Results:

Significant differences were observed in the miRNA146a-3p (median: 0.64 (0.012-2.68) vs. 1.07 (0.1-3.6); P = 0.019) and miRNA222-5p (median 1.80 (0.1–3.61) vs. 1.19 (0.1-3.68); P = 0.003) levels before and after (12 months) LSG; fasting leptin, ghrelin, insulin, total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoproteins, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and triglyceride levels also showed significant differences. Significant changes were observed in postprandial values of glucagon-like peptide l (GLP-1) (P = 0.0001) and peptide YY (P = 0.0006) 12 months after LSG. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (IR) was significantly correlated with %EWL, miRNA146a, and miRNA222-5p (P = 0.002). Postoperatively measured miR146a-39 and miRNA222-5p showed significant coefficient of determination R
2 of 0.184 (P = 0.008) and 0.259, P = 0.0007 toward %EWL, respectively. Furthermore, significant correlations of miRNA146a were observed with FBS and IR.

Conclusions:

LSG-mediated weight loss affected the plasma levels of miR146a and miR222-5p. Due to the simultaneous decrease of ghrelin and increase of postprandial hormones (peptide YY and GLP-1), medical problems in patients with obesity were reduced. This study identified miRNAs as the new markers in the treatment, diagnosis, and therapeutic direction of patients with obesity.
Outcome of Percutaneous Cardiac Lead Extraction in Chronically Implanted Leads with Tight Rail Rotating Lead Locking Device
Authors: Sharma Prabhat , Agarwal Naveen , Singh Balwinder
Published: August 2022

Aims:

Despite advances in lead extraction tools, percutaneous lead extraction is a complex procedure associated with morbidity and mortality. No standards or directives exist to guide the choice of extraction tool or approach, and all operators tend to have their preferred method. The data on removing chronically implanted cardiac leads are scarce in India; reporting outcomes with emerging extraction technology is therefore encouraged. This is the first data submitted for the chronic difficult to explant cardiac leads from India.

Materials and Methods:

Thirteen lead extraction procedures using the Spectranetics tight rail rotating dilator sheath at the tertiary care center over two years are described here.

Results:

All patients had chronically implanted leads (mean duration 10.4 years), and the pre-procedure venogram showed occluded left subclavian and brachiocephalic veins with extensive collateralization. All leads were extracted successfully using the rotating dilator sheath, and this kit also retained vascular access by venous recanalization. There were no other procedure-related complications, and all patients remained well with suitable lead parameters at 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

The tight rail rotating extraction tool is safe and effective in chronically implanted leads. Moreover, it helps preserve vascular access by recanalizing long tortuous occlusions. Its use across various centers and a larger number of patients will be required to confirm our results.
Pattern of electrocardiographic abnormalities in pediatric HIV/AIDS clients at Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta
Authors: Yusuf Musa Kayode , Olowu Adebiyi O , Uzodimma Chinyere C , Dedeke Florence IO
Published: August 2022

Background:

Sub-Saharan Africa presently contributes about 70% of global HIV/AIDS population with little or no emphasis on the contribution of cardiovascular abnormalities to the associated morbidity and mortality in the region.

Objectives:

The objective is to determine the prevalence of electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities and association of such abnormalities with HIV/AIDS severity in terms of clinical manifestations and level of CD4 depletion.

Design:

A hospital-based cross-sectional case-control study.

Methodology:

One hundred and five (105) HIV-infected children attending HIV clinic and equivalent age- and sex-matched HIV un-infected controls attending pediatrics General Outpatient Clinics at FMCA were consecutively recruited over 8 months. They were evaluated clinically and had CD4 count, hematocrit, plasma calcium and potassium, and standard 12-lead ECG done.

Results:

Thirty-five (33.3%) of the subjects had ECG abnormalities compared with four (3.8%) in the controls (χ
2 = 28.34, P < 0.05). The left ventricular hypertrophy was the commonest (13.3%) among other detected abnormalities such as Q-wave abnormalities, right ventricular hypertrophy, and ventricular repolarization abnormalities. The detected abnormalities were not significantly associated with advanced clinical or immunological stage of HIV/AIDS (χ
2 < 4.0, P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

There was a high prevalence of ECG abnormalities in children with HIV/AIDS. These abnormalities occurred irrespective of the extent of the disease advancement. There is therefore a need for at least an ECG to identify from among HIV infected children those who may subsequently require echocardiography since the cost of echocardiography is presently too high and precludes its routine use in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Cardiac troponin T reference interval of healthy Nigerian children aged 5–17 years
Authors: Nlemadim Anthony Chibueze , Okpara Henry Chima , Anah Maxwell Udo , Meremikwu Martin Madu
Published: August 2022

Background:

Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a biomarker for myocardial injury, reference values is unknown in Nigeria. The establishment and use of pediatric cTnT normative values may be better than the use of adult-derived cTnT values.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to determine cTnT reference interval among healthy Nigerian children.

Methods:

One hundred and thirty-two healthy children aged 5–17 years were consecutively recruited over a 9-month period after meeting the inclusion criteria. Blood was taken and the sera analyzed for cTnT by the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method using high-sensitive assay. Data were analyzed using RefVal software and SPSS version 23.0.

Results:

The male: female ratio was 1.03:1 with median (interquartile range) serum cTnT of 5.1 (5.0–5.1) ng/L. The reference interval has a lower reference limit (2.5th percentile) of 5.0 (5.0–5.0) ng/L and upper reference limit (97.5th percentile) of 6.8 (5.7–7.2) ng/L. The 99th percentile of cTnT was 7.2 ng/L. Serum cTnT had weak association with age (rs[130] = 0.19, P = 0.033) but no significant relationship with body mass index-for-age-and-sex, sex and social class.

Conclusion:

This cTnT reference interval can be beneficial in low-middle-income settings who lack indigenous reference intervals. We recommend its use for the identification of myocardial injury among children instead of adult intervals to prevent under-treatment. Stakeholders are encouraged to make cTnT affordable to the less privileged.
Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis: patient characteristics in pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 period
Authors: Cherian L.M. , Varghese L. , Rupa V. , Bright R.R. , Abraham L. , Panicker R. , R. N. , Peter J. , Nayak A. , Shyam A. , Varghese G.M. , Manesh A. , Karuppusami R. , George K. , George T. , Lenin A. , Hansdak S.G. , I. R. , Michael J.S. , Ninan M. , Thomas M. , Kurian R. , Mammen S. , Kurien R.
Published: August 2022

Background: Rhino-orbito-cerebral-mucormycosis (ROCM), a rare and potentially fatal disease was seen in increasing numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study describes and compares the patient characteristics and outcomes in COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) and non-COVID-19 mucormycosis (non-CAM). Methodology: CAM patients (24 cases) were recruited from the COVID-19 period and non-CAM (24 controls) from the pre-COVID-19 period. Clinical data of the CAM group was collected retrospectively with 3 month outcomes prospectively. The non-CAM group data was collected retrospectively. Patient characteristics were compared and risk factors for mortality in ROCM were assessed. Results: Orbital symptoms [altered vision, restricted eye movements, ptosis] and intracranial involvement were higher in CAM patients on presentation. Similarly, the radiological involvement of orbit (orbital apex, superior orbital fissure) and intracranial cavity (intracranial thrombosis, cavernous sinus) was also higher in CAM patients. Newly detected diabetes was found only in CAM patients (29.2%). Although univariate analysis suggested an increased mortality risk in ROCM patients with orbital involvement, the multivariate analysis showed no increased risk with any of the parameters assessed, including COVID-19 positivity. Conclusions: Compared to the non-CAM, the disease presentation was severe in CAM with higher frequency of orbital and intracranial involvement. However, with early detection and treatment, the short term survival was comparable in both groups.
Real-world-effectiveness of biological treatment for severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Authors: Haxel B.R. , Hummel T. , Fruth K. , Lorenz K. , Gunder N. , Nahrath P. , Cuevas M.
Published: August 2022

Background: During the last two years, three different monoclonal antibodies have been approved in many countries for the treatment of patients suffering from severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Their efficacy has been demonstrated through large double-blind placebo-controlled clinical studies. Until now, only very limited reports on real-world data regarding this therapy have been published. Methods: This per protocol analysis included patients with an indication for biological treatment because of uncontrolled CRSwNP, despite long-term nasal steroid treatment, systemic steroid use and/ or endonasal sinus surgery. Baseline data on demographics, medical history and comorbidities, polyp score, quality of life and sense of smell (using Sniffin´ Sticks) were assessed and a treatment with either dupilumab or omalizumab was started. The patients were followed up after three and six months. The changes in polyp score, quality-of-life measures and olfaction were noted. Results: 70 consecutive patients were evaluated during the study. Of the patients, 49 were treated with dupilumab and 21 with omalizumab. The polyp score decreased significantly after three and six months, and the quality-of-life parameters and olfaction increased. More than 90% of patients showed a moderate to excellent response to the therapy and there was no difference in the overall response between the two treatments. Olfaction improved in two thirds of the patients, but one third was still anosmic after six months treatment. Conclusions: This real-world study shows the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibodies dupilumab and omalizumab in the treatment of severe CRSwNP. Nasal polyp scores and quality-of-life parameters as well as measured olfactory function were improved after just three months. The response after guideline-based criteria was insufficient only in 5 patients of this cohort.
Integrating Technology with Constructivist Pedagogy
Authors: Mikael L. Chuaungo  , Angie V.L.Nunhlimi  , Lokanath Mishra
Published: August 2022

Technology and constructivism are closely intertwined with the application of one assisting the other.
Constructivism is a school of thought that holds that learning occurs in contexts, whereas technology
refers to the designs and situations that engage learners. Recent initiatives to incorporate technology in
the classroom have used a constructivist approach. This article aims to understand the interaction
between constructivism and technology by reviewing various studies conducted in this regard. Further,
it tries to determine whether technology is a crucial component of constructivist pedagogy and how it
fits in with our contemporary classrooms. Last, the article presents the implications of technology and
constructivism for teachers and teacher educators.
The Story of Writing and Publishing a Research Article: An Autoethnographic Account of an Early Career Researcher (ECR) in India
Authors: Banerjee Abhradip
Published: August 2022

Process of peer-reviewing plays a pivotal role in scientific development, especially in academic writing and publication. The process of peer-reviewing, however, is surrounded by issues like inconsistent, subjective, unprofessional comments from reviewers, abuse of peer-review leading to reviewers stealing original ideas, and most importantly huge gap between the actual time requirement and sheer time wasted for evaluation of manuscripts. This article provides an autoethnographic account of conceptualizing, writing, and publishing a research article of an early career researcher (ECR) in India, through which it aims to show how outcomes of the peer-review process make an impact upon the minds of budding researchers.
Sustainable Partnership Strategy: Case Studies in Vocational High Schools and Partner Industries
Authors: Syauqi Khusni , Munadi Sudji , Bruri Triyono Mochamad
Published: August 2022

A sustainable partnership strategy is essential in supporting the government's link and super match program in Indonesia. The partnership between vocational high schools and industry has a significant impact in producing competent graduates according to the needs of the world of work. However, the fact is that many schools and industries only form partnerships as a formality so that effective and efficient partnerships are not created, which has an impact on the program's discontinuity. Therefore, it is interesting to explore this issue more deeply about how the partnership strategy of vocational high schools and their partner industries can establish sustainable partnerships. The research method used is a single case study. Researchers collected data through in-depth interviews obtained through seven informants from schools and five informants from partner industries and conducted document studies to support sources of evidence. The results show that a sustainable partnership strategy requires (1) intrinsic motivation, (2) accommodation capability, (3) acculturation of industrial values, (4) mutual commitment, and (5) determination of program activities. These five points are the key to establishing a sustainable partnership between vocational high schools and their partner industries.
Multivocality as Practice of Critical Inquiry for Social Justice
Authors: Cisneros Cesar
Published: August 2022

Multivocality has been clearly and in detail present in social science reflection since the impact of the so-called linguistic turn and nowadays it has also presence in the qualitative inquiry current discussion. To explore how multivocality can be a practice of qualitative inquiry for social justice is the goal of this contribution. It is a global picture of epistemic violence that has subjugated knowledge and practices along with executing genocides and exterminations of otherness to build societies without social, epistemic, and cognitive justice that my goal is to unveil the horizon of modern social sciences to get a better understanding of the new ways of knowledge construction committed to the emancipation of those dominant hegemonic social practices that have made possible the existence of human misery and social, epistemic, and cognitive injustices. So, I will examine the concept of multivocality within social theory to bring it into play with the social justice, epistemic violence, and epistemicide contemporary discussions. Doing so will make its current position within qualitative inquiry practices more transparent. Putting rebellious, creative, poetic, performative, and subversive imaginations into play to discover another social order is what animates me now: building a world in which many worlds exist, building a world with multivoicedness and vari-voicedness inside; many voices without hierarchies or domination or extermination between them. In this paper I will try to delve into the background of our scientific and humanistic knowledge to understand our real political commitment to emancipation, freedom, and social and epistemic justice; however, I will only concentrate on what I assume are the consequences of applying Bakhtin’s concept of multivocality to qualitative research in its pursuit of social and epistemic justice.
LIPASE PRODUCTION FROM SOLID STATE FERMENTATION OF COPRA WASTE ASSOCIATED FUNGUS Aspergillus niger
Authors: ZULKIFLI NURUL NAZIRA , RASIT NAZAITULSHILA
Published: August 2022

Lipases are enzyme with versatile industrial applications can be produced by the solid-state fermentation (SSF) method and is an economical alternative for enzyme production assisted by fungus. In Malaysia, 5 million of copra waste were generated annually. Large amount of copra waste produced will cause an increasing amount of the waste dumped to the landfill. Copra waste is one of the potential substrates to produce lipase enzyme through SSF. Thus, the aim of this study is to optimize the lipase production by SSF associated by Aspergillus niger using the 23 full factorial design approach. In this study the factors affecting parameters that involved in the production of lipase enzyme such as temperature (25˚ and 35˚), substrates concentration (40% and 60%) and inoculum size of Aspergillus niger (1 and 9 petri dish) were determined. The maximum production of lipase was obtained after 120-hour incubation in SSF. The optimum condition for inoculum size of Aspergillus niger was 9 plates, 30°C of incubation temperature and 60 % moisture contents. The range of the concentration of lipase enzyme produced varied from 105 U/ml to 170 U/ml. When applied to the wastewater treatment, the reducing percentage of fat, oil and grease (FOG) in food processing wastewater is reduced from 219.4925mg/l to 169.467mg/l accounted to the amount of 34 % FOG removal. Lipase produced using copra waste as a substrate using SSF has the potential value to be developed in the future for various industry including wastewater treatment industry.
ADAPTIVE TIME-STEPPING FOR RUNGE-KUTTA METHODS FOR ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: WAI CHUA KAH , CHOON LOY KAK , IDRIS RUWAIDIAH
Published: August 2022

Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) are usually used in numerous fields especially in solving the modelling problem. Numerical methods are one of the vital mathematical tools to solve the ODEs that appear in various modelling problems by determining the approximation solution close to the in exact solution if it exists. Runge-Kutta methods (RK) are the numerical methods used to integrate the ODEs by applying multistage methods at the midpoint of an interval which can efficiently produce a more accurate result or small magnitude of error. We proposed Runge-Kutta methods (RK) to solve the 1st_ order nonlinear stiff ODEs. The RK methods used in this research are known as the RK-2, RK-4, and RK-5 methods. We proved the existence and uniqueness of the ODEs before we solved it numerically. We also proved the absolute-stability of the RK methods to determine the overall stability of these methods. We found two suitable test cases which are the standard test problem and manufactured solution. We proved that by combining the adaptive step size with RK methods can result in more efficient computation. We implemented the 2nd_, 4th_ and 5th_ order of RK methods with step size adaptively algorithm to solve the test problem and manufactured solution via Octave programming language. The resulting numerical error and the stability of each method can be studied. We compared our results using several error plots versus the Central Processing Unit (CPU) time required to compute a given nonlinear 1st_ order stiff ODE problem. In a conclusion, RK methods which combine with the adaptive step size can result in more efficient computation and accuracy compare with the fixed step size RK methods.
FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMERS IN USING SHOPEE FOR ONLINE PURCHASE INTENTION IN EAST COAST MALAYSIA
Authors: CHING KIEW CHEE , ABU HASAN ZUHA ROSUFILA , ABU HASAN NADIA
Published: August 2022

Shopee online has become increasingly popular among consumers for purchasing purposes as compared to brick-and-mortar retail due to the benefits and enjoyment that come with it. However, Shopee has facing intense competitive challenges with other competitors in Malaysia. In addition, it is also difficult for Shopee to compete with major leader of online shopping portal although this platform offers the same function and usage as its contender. Hence, it is important to understand consumer perceptions on the benefit and intention of using Shopee. This study examines consumer perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived price, perceived convenience and perceived trust adapted from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). 208 respondents who have experience online purchasing in East Cost of Malaysia were invited to participate in this study using online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses. The findings show that perceived convenience and perceived trust have strong influence towards consumer intention to use Shopee as platform to do online purchase. It is suggested that this study will help practitioners to understand consumer online shopping perception and intention in order to induce visitation and usage of Shopee.
EFFECT OF ENRICHED COPEPODS ON THE GROWTH, SURVIVAL AND COLOURATION OF ANGELFISH (Pterophyllum scalare)
Authors: AZANI NIZALMIE , RASDI NADIAH W
Published: August 2022

Cyclopoid copepod has a potential as live feed that can provide ornamental fish larvae with energy and essential nutrients, and promote their growth and survival, as well as affect their colouration. However, the nutrition, growth and nutritional requirements of this species are poorly understood. This research focuses on comparing the efficacy of enrichment types on copepods towards the growth rate, survival rate and colouration of Pterophyllum scalare larvae. The enrichment of copepods consists of four enrichment procedures (rice bran, palm kernel cake (PKC), Chlorella and yeast). This study was carried out over 50 days and the growth rate, survival rate and colouration (growth rate, survival rate, SGR and colouration) were used to evaluate the responses of P. scalare larvae towards different enrichment methods. Specific growth rates (8.0161 ± 1.4928 %; P = 0.775) and survival rates (66.667 ± 5.337%; P = 0.815) of fish larvae were found to not be significantly different (P = 0.775, P = 0.815; P >0.05). However, the colouration of the fish larvae was affected by the types of enrichment used (P <0.05). The growth and survival rates of P. scalare larvae were highest when fed with copepod enriched with rice bran and PKC. This enrichment type is the regulating factor for the growth rate, survival rate and colouration of P. scalare. The present study indicates that the organic fertilisers used, such as rice bran and PKC, have the potential for the aquaculture industry as an important enrichment medium for the growth and survival of fish larvae. Our results showed that both enrichment methods are applicable for the substitution of yeast and these findings will therefore provide better enrichment options in the larval rearing of the ornamental fish P. scalare. This study will allow the potential use of other live feed enrichment formulas to ensure that fish larval development is maintained in hatcheries.
STUDY OF AN EFFECTIVE NON-TRACKING CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER SYSTEM AS A VIABLE SOLAR THERMAL BIOMASS CONVERSION PROCESS
Authors: M. ZAHARI M. SHAHRIR , ISMAIL SHAHRUL , SRINIVASAN THIRU MANGAI
Published: August 2022

Sunlight is a natural energy source and abundantly available but restricted to certain timeframe and angles depending on the Earth surface where it could be effectively harvest for energy source. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to evaluate the performance of fixed setting systems in comparison to a custom made non-tracking solar concentrator especially in their potential to reach suitable internal temperature ranges required for pyrolysis purpose within a sealed quartz glass reactor as the heat receiver. For the solar collector, six segmented mirrors were placed at varied angles to enable continuous sun ray directed toward one focal spot, at any time of the day without the need for electrical tracking or manually adjusting it based on the sun angle. The parameters in designing the system setup include: Focal Length, Tilt Angle of lens and Azimuth Angles. It is observed that by fixing the focal length to 35 cm and adjusting the tilt angle of the lens to be fixed at 30°, the reactor was able to achieve the desired temperature range of between 700 to 730. It can be concluded that the combination of Fresnel lens and simple mirror system were capable of concentrating sunlight into a specific area to reach the desired heating range without the need for complicated, costly equipments.
AN ASSESSMENT OF A RIVER HYDROLOGICAL REGIME ALTERATION: A CASE STUDY OF SUNGAI DUNGUN
Authors: MOHD ZAMRI AHMAD NABIL , SULAIMAN MOHD SOFIYAN , MAD JUHARI SAFURA , NIK OMAR NIK NURHAZIRAH
Published: August 2022

Hydro-morphology of a river can be assessed using four main methods namely morphological assessment, physical habitat assessment, riparian habitat assessment and hydrological regime alteration assessment. This study focused on the fourth method where changes in flow rate are the criteria of river regime alteration. The Indicator of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA 7.0) was employed to study the pre- and post-impact of a major flood event in 2014 at Sungai Dungun as well as the other anthropogenic stress such as sand mining activities that occurred at Sungai Dungun. The daily flowrate from the monitoring site at Jerangau bridge (Station Number: 4832441) was obtained from DID (Department of Irrigation and Drainage) to assess the pre-impact flowrate (2002 – 2014) and post-impact flowrate (2015-2019). It was found that the flow duration curve decreased at the post-impact significantly compared to the pre-impact duration. The median flows dropped almost half between pre-impact and post-impact analysis. A few indicators were identified as the high range of variability approach (RVA) that defines the extent of alteration between pre- and post-analysis. The positive RVA of fall rate, high pulse duration, low pulse duration signifies the increase of frequency from pre-impact to the post-impact while negative RVA of 90-1-day minimum flows, 30-7 days maximum flows December, July and May median flow indicate the frequency of values in the category has decreased between pre- and post-analysis.
ADJUSTABLE ANTENNA USING PLASMA MEDIUM
Authors: ROSLAN N. A. N. , DAGANG A. N. , UMAR R.
Published: August 2022

Plasma antenna is a type of radio antenna in which plasma is used instead of the metal elements of a traditional antenna. One of the advantages of using plasma antenna is it can improve conventional devices in terms of switching (on/off) the antenna using plasma generator, which could make it invisible to the radar. In addition, when antenna conductivity can be controlled through manipulation of plasma parameters, an adjustable antenna can be designed. The aims of this research are to design and simulate plasma antenna using CST software, and subsequently determine the characteristics of plasma antenna with different neon pressure applied (10, 15, 20 Torr). The custom-made cylindrical discharge tube shape with the length and diameter of 160 mm and 10 mm was used. The research focuses on simulation in obtaining antenna parameters while conducting an experimental work to obtain electrical parameters which are needed in calculating the plasma parameters. The discharge tube shape was designed and simulated using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) that can generate antenna parameters such as return loss, gain, directivity and radiation pattern. The simulation result shows the radiation pattern of discharge tube as omni-directional and it gives neon discharge at 20 Torr that has the best performance in return loss at -24.490250 dB, compared to neon at 15 and 10 Torr which have lower values at -21.578 dB and -13.901 dB respectively. In terms of gain and directivity, neon at 10 Torr has the highest value, which is 2.688 dB and 5.437 dBi, respectively. From the results, it can be concluded that when gas pressure is increased, the antenna gains decreases. Neon discharge at a middle pressure of 15 Torr is considered to provide a good antenna gain and give effective signal transmission compared to lower pressure of 15 and higher pressure of 20 Torr.
CHARACTERISATION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM KEFIR MILK MADE FROM DAIRY AND NON-DAIRY SOURCES AND THEIR SENSORY ACCEPTANCE
Authors: ZHI CHAN KHER , LANI MOHD NIZAM , HAMZAH YUSNITA , AHMAD FAUZIAH TUFAIL , NIK UBAIDILLAH NIK HAFIZAH
Published: August 2022

Kefir is fermented milk obtained by fermenting milk with kefir grains. Chemical composition from dairy and non-dairy sources may affect the growth and characterisation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). In this study, different sources of milk (cow milk) and non-dairy milk (soymilk and coconut milk) were used as fermentation media for kefir products. The objectives of the study were to isolate and characterise LAB from Kefir drink using dairy and non-dairy milk. LAB were isolated using different cultural methods such as MRS Agar, MRS with 0.8% CaCO3 and M17 Agar. The characteristics of LAB isolates were determined using morphological, biochemical tests and API 50 CHL Kit. Sensory evaluation of the sample of kefir drinks was also determined. Results confirmed that the isolates identified were Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus brevis 1, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus 3 and Lactobacillus plantarum 1. The L. buchneri, L. brevis, Leu. mesenteroides and L. acidophilus are heterofermentative bacteria, whereas, L. plantarum is homofermentative bacteria. Four LAB isolates have the potential to be used as probiotic strains due to their high resistant to pH and bile salt. The sensory score of these products in the range of 5.00 to 8.00 in nine point hedonic scale. Most of the sensory panelists preferred cow milk (p < 0.05) than coconut milk kefir and soy milk kefir in the sensory evaluation in all attributes. Meanwhile, the preference between coconut milk kefir and soy milk kefir was similar (p>0.05) in all attributes. Therefore, this study will provide benefits to probiotic manufacturers to produce alternative probiotic drink using dairy and non-dairy milk.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOBASED EPOXIDIZED EDIBLE OILS
Authors: SAYUTI NUR SHAFIQA , ALI RADIAH , TUAN ANUAR SABIQAH
Published: August 2022

Nowadays, major pollutions present in the environment are produced by non-degradable substances. Eventually, the use of non-degradable products will increase carbon footprint in the atmosphere. In this study, modifications of five vegetable oils into biobased epoxides are reported. The oils used in this study were commercial palm oil, rice bran oil, canola oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil. The vegetable oils were refluxed using formic acid and hydrogen peroxide at temperature ranges of 45 to 50˚C and 60 to 65˚C for seven hours in order to change the chemical structure of carbon-carbon double bonds into oxirane rings. The mixture was then processed by liquid-liquid extraction to separate epoxide oil from liquid that was present during the reflux process. The obtained oils were then analyzed using ATR-FTIR and the presence of oxirane rings were observed at the wavelength ν=1080.79 cm-1 and 836.10 cm-1 for epoxidized palm oil, ν =1107.14 cm-1 and 841.11 cm-1 for epoxidized rice bran oil, ν =1050.13 cm-1 and 850.35 cm-1 for epoxidized canola oil, ν =1083.99 cm-1 and 825.03 cm-1 for epoxidized soybean oil and ν =1095.57 cm-1 and 820.16 cm-1 for epoxidized sunflower oil, respectively. Additionally, an absorption band at ν=1462 cm-1 was observed in all oil samples, indicating the presence of C-C oxirane. In future, these epoxidized oils can serve as a great potential as new starting materials for the synthesis of lipid biopolymers.
BOAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR TERENGGANU ISLANDS
Authors: MAZLAN FAIQ HAKIMI , CHE ALHADI ARIFAH
Published: August 2022

Many tourism companies provide boat services to the Terengganu Islands, but most of them only advertise their boat services on social media or the company’s website. Therefore, the Boat Management System to Terengganu Islands (BoatMSTI) was developed, and the main objective of this system is to create a one-stop center platform. Tourists can compare boat services provided by different tourism companies and find the best and most affordable services on one website. Tourists can check ticket availability and book ticket directly based on the selection of the boat service. BoatMSTI also enables the tourist to view other customer’s feedback and rating. At the same time, this system can help the tourism company manage boat services and customer booking tickets. This system is developed using an Agile method which makes the system development more flexible. The general concept is to divide the development of the system into sequences of repeated cycles known as iteration. The system can be improved for every iteration to meet user satisfaction based on user feedback. This system is web-based and can be accessed anytime and anywhere with an internet connection. The web-based system also can ease users like tourism companies and customers to store important information such as booking tickets and payment receipts in the database. In conclusion, with this system, the tourist can save more time in finding the best boat service, and the management of customers by tourism companies will be more efficient.
LIGHTHOUSE MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT MOBILE APPS SYSTEM
Authors: SELVAKUMARAN PUTHENESWARAN , BASIR MOHAMMAD AIZAT , AHMAD FUAD AHMAD FAIZAL
Published: August 2022

Lighthouse is a tower with a strong light which gives navigators a continuous signal. There are about six lighthouses under the responsibility of the Central Region Marine Department of Malaysia. These lighthouses experienced severe construction defects and internal defects. Predictive maintenance, therefore, is performed manually to preserve the lighthouses. Lighthouse Maintenance Management Mobile Apps System (LMMS) is an Android mobile application developed for the Assistant Engineer, Technician, Marine Officer and Division Head of the Central Region Marine Department of Malaysia, responsible for the maintenance of lighthouses. Currently, the Central Region’s Marine Department of Malaysia lacks a computerised maintenance management system for the lighthouses, especially to manage maintenance schedules, work orders and maintenance-related records. In addition, the technician still uses a manual guide for troubleshooting tools and spare parts. Thus, LMMS was developed to solve these problems as a fully functioning mobile application by designing and developing a system for lighthouse maintenance management according to user needs. The methodology used to develop this mobile application is agile. The LMMS provides complete features for scheduling maintenance, orders for maintenance work, records related to maintenance, a list of tools and spare parts, and management of lighthouse information. The result shows that LMMS contributes to ease of use by using the mobile platform, quick and simple modules, systematic storage of historical records, efficient workload distribution, rapid reporting, updated list of tools and spare parts, and providing the latest information on the lighthouses. Deploying LMMS helps the Central Region Marine Department of Malaysia manage and maintain the lighthouses more effectively.
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF FRUIT EXTRACTS OF Momordica charantia (var. charantia and var muricata)
Authors: NAZRI NOR AMALIA , ANDRIANI YOSIE , HJ. ZAIN MOHAMAD HUSSIN , MOHD RAZALI RAZIFAH , ABDUL WAHAB NURUL HUDA , ASARI ASNUZILAWATI
Published: August 2022

Momordica charantia, commonly known as bitter gourd or bitter melon, is native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. It is mainly used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various illnesses. This study was carried out to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of two variations of fruits of M. charantia (var charantia and var muricata). Both samples were extracted with methanol and the crude extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, steroid, tannins and terpenoid in var charantia crude extract, whereas var muricata contained alkaloid, flavonoid, tannins and terpenoid. The susceptibility bacteria tests were performed by the disc diffusion method using six bacteria targets, with three strains of gram positive (Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus aureus) and three strains of gram negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Crude extract of var muricata showed medium antibacterial potential against S. Aureus and P. Aeruginosa, while var charantia showed medium antibacterial potential against E. coli with an inhibition zone between (10-15 mm). Both extracts of M. charantia showed the lowest total antioxidant activity by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity.
TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY CHARACTERISTICS IN THE SOUTHERN SOUTH CHINA SEA AND STRAIT OF MALACCA
Authors: ROSELI NUR HIDAYAH , MAISARAH NURUL , SHAKILA NOOR , WAHID AQILAH , IRWAN MOHAMAD SYAMRI
Published: August 2022

Temperature and salinity characteristics in the southern South China Sea and Strait of Malacca are investigated using CTD data and the global ocean model HYCOM. CTD data were obtained from cruises taken in March 2015, March 2019, and July-August 2019. The results showed that the average reading of temperature and salinity in the Strait of Malacca during March 2015 was 28.60±0.708 °C and 32.61±1.01 psu, respectively. The average readings during March 2019 were 29.31±1.593 °C and 32.38±0.884 psu, respectively. The average temperature and salinity in the Strait of Malacca during the August 2019 cruise were 29.63±0.701 °C and 32.52±0.553 psu, respectively. Meanwhile, in the southern South China Sea, the average readings in July 2019 were 28.98±0.310 °C and 33.07±0.126 psu and in August 2019 were 27.94±1.01 °C and 33.36±0.363 psu. Seasonal variations presented by the 15-years (1997-2012) HYCOM climatological model show that the sea surface temperature is warmer by approximately 1 - 2 °C during the southwest monsoon months (June-July-August) than during the northeast monsoon (December-January-February) in the southern South China Sea. The seasonal temperature variations in the Strait of Malacca are not significant except for the southern part. The sea surface salinity exhibits no clear seasonal cycle except for the coastal areas.
Regression Prediction of Coupling Reaction Yield Based on Attention-Driven Convolutional Neural Network
Authors:   School of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University, China, Hou Hexun , Wang Hengzhe , Guo Yanhui , Zhang Puyu , Peng Lichao , Yang Xiaohui
Published: August 2022

The traditional method to improve the yield of Buchwald-Hartwig cross coupling reaction is to change the reactants or reaction conditions, but the reaction has many problems, such as harsh reaction conditions, complex synthetic route. In 2018, Doyle reported a yield prediction method based on random forest in Science. However, the predicted value of the regression tree in the random forest is the average value of the target variable of the leaf node, which treats the feature as equally important. We focused on the important characteristic information in order to obtain a more accurate yield prediction value. Therefore, it is of interest to apply some advanced deep learning methods to the performance prediction of chemical reactions, during which less training data may be required.
Does corruption have an impact on industrial growth? Evidence from Russia
Authors: Chakravorty N N Tarun , Rutskiy Vladislav , Sevastyanova Elena
Published: August 2022

We test the hypothesis that corruption has an impact on the growth of the manufacturing industry of Russia. An attempt was made to carry out an investigation on the impact of corruption collecting primary data from firm owners but we ended up with only a few firms— not enough for running regressions. Reluctance to reveal information about bribe payments indicates the culture of fear inherited through ages in Russia. Then we used the World Bank's Enterprise Survey data. An econometric exercise on the impact of the corrupt behavior of government officials on firm growth has been done. OLS, IV and GMM techniques have been applied to a panel dataset. To supplement the quantitative analysis and to have a better understanding of the issues, we also collected qualitative information through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) involving firm owners, bureaucrats and experts. The analysis of the World Bank data shows a positive impact of corruption on firm growth with a highly significant coefficient of the key variable of interest, which is bribe. The findings support the so-called speed money theory and the argument for this is that when bureaucracy is stuck in corruption, some extra informal payment would help to expedite the process. Most respondents in the primary survey and FGDs have not mentioned bribery as a barrier to growth, which means bribery helps them to speed up the firm growth.
Caracterización de los efectos que genera la crisis del COVID 19 en los condóminos del cantón Cuenca
Authors: Gomez Nieto Adriana , Guerrero Luzuriaga Aura del Cisne
Published: August 2022

El presente estudio demuestra y evidencia las características que concluyeron en una disminución económicamente, teniendo como resultado un perjuicio en los ingresos mensuales de cada condómino, por ende el promedio de incumplimiento en el pago de alícuotas en los edificios de viviendas se incrementó, esto ha consecuencia desde que se dispuso el confinamiento obligatorio para evitar la propagación de la pandemia COVID 19 que afectó a nivel mundial, en marzo de 2020; este análisis para un mejor entendimiento y ejemplificación tomó como referencia la realidad, circunstancias y hechos dados en el Edificio Paseo del Puente ubicado en la ciudad de Cuenca provincia del Azuay en la Parroquia Huayna Capac en la Av. 12 de Abril y José Peralta, dentro del periodo de tiempo antes mencionado, a su vez hace referencia al conocimiento general de las consecuencias del confinamiento, en la que la mayoría de las personas tuvieron que  suspender sus actividades laborales dejando de percibir sus ingresos completos, esto fue el factor principal en la que la investigación desarrollará su objetivo principal.
Microplastics found in the World Heritage Site Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica
Authors: Astorga Angelica , Montero-Cordero Andrea , Golfin-Duarte Geiner , García-Rojas Andrea , Vega-Bolaños Hannia , Arias-Zumbado Fausto , Solís-Adolio Daniela , Ulate Karol
Published: August 2022

Microplastics (MPs) defined as ‘small’ pieces of plastic < 5 mm have been found in almost every marine habitat around the world, and studies have shown that we can find them in the ocean surface, the water column, the seafloor, the shoreline, in biota and in the atmosphere-ocean interface. This study aimed to assess both marine and freshwater environments of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, in the Pacific Ocean, by sampling sediments and biota to determine the presence and abundance of this pollutant. Sediment samples were superficial and weighed one kilogram each. For the sampling of freshwater fish and shrimps, nonselective capture with small nets was made in rivers with access by land, while fishing rods were used for the marine fish sampling, and cage and scuba diving for lobsters. Plastics were found in all types of samples: 93% of marine sediments, 32% of freshwater sediments, 20% of freshwater fish, 15% of freshwater shrimps, 27% of marine fish, and 51% of marine lobsters. Like many reports around the world, it was expected to find MPs at marine samples, and it was concluded that ocean currents, tourism activities, and discarded fishing gear from illegal fishing activities could be the sources of marine pollutants. In contrast, the amount of MPs found in freshwater environments was not expected. Their possible sources are unclear at this moment.
Editorial, Camino a la Excelencia
Authors: Giraldo Castro Ferney Alonso
Published: August 2022

Este año la Universidad Católica de Oriente ha recibido la acreditación institucional en alta calidad por parte del Ministerio de Educación Nacional (Resolución 9522 del 6 de septiembre de 2019), corroborando de modo formal el crecimiento y consolidación de esta institución que sirve y transforma la región.