The influence of internet addiction and time spent on the internet towards social isolation among university students in Malaysia

Recent research has shown that there is a connection between Internet addiction and time spent on the Internet with social isolation of the users. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the influence of Internet addiction and time spent on the Internet towards social isolation among university students in Malaysia. A total of 110 respondents who were undergraduate and postgraduate students from four universities participated in the survey. The collected sample through purposive sampling technique was 110 responses which exceeded the minimum sample size. The research instruments for Internet addiction were adopted from Young Internet Addiction Scale Test which consist of 20 items whereas social isolation was measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale consisting also of 20 items. Time spent on the Internet was measured based on the number of hours the students spent on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram. The questionnaire was distributed via online channels due to the physical constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 and Smart PLS-SEM Version 3.2.8. The measurement assessment showed that the data had fulfilled the composite reliability and convergent and discriminant validities requirements. The findings revealed that the level of Internet addiction, time spent on the Internet and social isolation were moderate. The findings also demonstrated that Internet addiction and time spent on the Internet influenced social isolation among university students

A low-profile dual-polarized UHF antenna based on metasurfaces

This project focuses on using two conventional antenna with logarithmic spacing and height– Log-Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA) and Log-Periodic Monopole Array (LPMA) – which are integrated into one single model. The proposed antenna will be dual-polarized, which uses two direction of polarisation which are the vertical and horizontal polarisation. The LPDA acts as the horizontally polarised component while the LPMA acts as the vertically component. A 180 ° phase shifter by using a meandering microstrip feeding line is used for the adjacent monopoles. All the elements of the antenna are parallel to each other in the same plane, displaying a maximum radiation along the axis of the array. This characteristic is known as end-fire antenna. A low-profile characteristic of the antenna is also used in the design. A prototype will be fabricated and tested at the end of the simulation using ANSYS electronics software.Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Worm control in household cats and dogs among pet owners in university of Cyberjaya

Cats and dogs are commonly treated as family members, however, they can serve as a vector for zoonotic infections to infect humans. Toxocara canis and Dipylidium caninum were a few of the possible zoonotic helminths identified among cats and dogs that can harm both animals and human wellbeing. A cross-sectional survey using adapted questionnaires was conducted among pet owners at University of Cyberjaya to assess whether the deworming frequency done by pet owners aligned with the parasite control guideline and to determine the infection-risk behaviour. The findings showed that the most common risk factors of worm infestation shared among cats and dogs were they allowed to go outdoor and living with children or the elderly in the same household. The average frequency of deworming reported for cats was 2.2, 2.1, 2.7 and 2.2 times yearly for categories cat risk A, B, C and D accordingly, and for dogs was 2.6, 2.2 and 2.3 times a year for dog risk categories A, C and D respectively. This indicates that the pet deworming is inadequate and compliance with the recommended deworming frequency was poor therefore improved treatment compliance is needed

Improvement and shelf life extension of fresh creams chocolate filling for Tolaal Enterprise

Tolaal Enterprise started to supply food & catering services as the founder, Hj Hamidun had 30 years expertise in the food catering industry. When Hj Hamidun passed away in 2010, her daughter Aznida took the lead & added the chocolate section to the catering services as the chocolate industry in Malaysia is rising. They are facing problems associated with fillings softening and short shelf life (less than 2 weeks) with the use of fresh fruit puree. Based on the above mentioned problems, it is necessary to develop suitable formulation of mango and pineapple fresh cream fillings to be inserted into milk chocolate shell. Thus, the approach of our present study is to increase the viscosity of fillings by adding five different hydrocolloids (Xanthan gum, Guar gum, Carboxy Methyl Cellulose, Locust Bean gum and Pectin) from 0 to 1g/100g (w/w) concentration as a thickener to ensure that longer shelf life and better texture is made available to meet the expectations of the consumer. The suitable hydrocolloid at optimum concentration is expected to contribute high quality filled milk chocolate containing mango and pineapple purees after storage at suitable storage conditions. Thus, the making of milk chocolate with fresh fillings can be expanded to help increase the profits of the company

Improvement and shelf life extension of fresh creams chocolate filling for Tolaal Enterprise

Tolaal Enterprise is facing problems associated with softening of chocolate fillings made from fruit purees, leading to a shorter shelf life (less than 2 weeks) of the product. Thus, this work aimed to transfer knowledge on improving the textural properties of mango and pineapple flavoured fresh cream fillings by using hydrocolloid which acts as a thickener in the filling formulations during chilled storage. Based on our findings, addition of xanthan gum at levels of 1.0% and 2.0% for mango and pineapple fresh cream fillings, respectively, was chosen as the best thickener to give a better and stable texture. In addition, no significant difference (p>0.05) in the overall acceptability of the taste of both filled mango and pineapple milk chocolates was detected. Therefore, through improvement of the textural quality of mango and pineapple fresh cream fillings, the company is able to produce milk chocolate of high quality with extended shelf life (i.e. 4 months) to meet the customers’ expectations and hence, to increase the profit of the company

Waste to health: A review of waste derived materials for tissue engineering

This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the utilization of waste-derived materials in tissue engineering applications. Waste-derived materials that have been transformed into various bio-ceramics and natural polymer materials have exhibited outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability in tissue engineering applications. Interestingly, using waste-derived materials could significantly contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing waste disposal. Using waste materials significantly increases source availability while minimizing the cost of manufacturing. The desirable properties and potentials of waste materials have created great opportunities for exploring their implementation in tissue engineering. Thus, this review has summarized the recent research on waste materials in terms of the current progress, limitations, and prospects for tissue engineering applications

Abstracts of the International Halal Science Conference 2023

This book presents the extended abstracts of the selected contributions to the International Halal Science Conference, held on 22-23 August 2023 by the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM, Malaysia in collaboration with Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre, University Islam Sultan Sharif (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam. With the increasing global interest in halal products and services, this conference is timely. Conference Title:  International Halal Science ConferenceConference Acronym: IHASC23Conference Theme: Halal Industry Sustainability Through ScienceConference Date: 22-23 August 2023Conference Venue: International Islamic University (IIUM), MalaysiaConference Organizer: International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University (IIUM), Malaysi