Application of electrical resistivity imaging technique in slope stability study in Banding Island, Perak

A landslide investigation using 2D electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) has been undertaken in the Banding Island, Perak. Banding Island is underlain by Baling Formation which consist of two main facies; namely Argillaceous Facie (eastern part) and Arenaceous Facie (western part). The eastern part of the island is relatively prone to landslide and slope failure. Detailed field resistivity imaging was carried on four lines along the eastern and western parts of the Banding Island. The inferred lithological depth sections based on electrical properties clearly differentiates between the different types of rocks

Reformulation of Le’Natura® Biscuit: Effects on Textural, Sensorial, Nutritional and Glycemic Index Values

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to reformulate Le’Natura® biscuit for textural, sensorial, nutritional and glycemic index properties improvement. The original biscuit had a brittle and coarse texture with a bitter after-taste. It also contained high carbohydrate which made the biscuit unsuitable for diabetic patients and less desirable to the health-conscious consumers. Methods and Results: Several ingredients from the original formulation were either eliminated, reduced or substituted in order to modify the texture and taste, to obtain a low glycemic index (GI) value and to increase acceptability. The ingredients involved in reformulation were wheat flour, milk powder, maltodextrin, atta flour, green bean flour, polydextrose, palm oil, and leavening agents. The final reformulated biscuit showed improvements in thickness, spread ratio, fracturability and firmness properties. The improved biscuit also scored higher acceptability for appearance, texture, sweetness, after-taste and overall acceptability attributes. The in vivo GI measured indicates that the improved biscuit was in the low GI range of 44.7±4.7 compared to the original biscuit (63.5±7.7, moderate GI). The nutrients composition of total energy, fat, protein, dietary fiber, iron, and calcium content were increased while total carbohydrate and sodium levels were decreased. Conclusions: With the improvements, Le’Natura® biscuit is expected to capture the functional food market segment more competitively. Keywords: functional food; biscuit; glycemic index; high fibe

Physicochemical properties, sensory evaluation and storage stability of vitamin E fortified pink guava juice / Aishah Bujang … [et al.]

Pink guavas (Psidium guajava L.) are tropical, climateric fruits that are commonly grown in Malaysia for juice and puree production. These fruit are highly aromatic and rich in potassium, vitamin A and C. It is well known that guava fruit contains significantly more vitamin C than most citruses. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Pink guavas also have a high level of lycopene, a carotenoid which is considered good for fighting free radicals. Currently, Sime Darby Golden Hope Foods and Beverages company is the single largest pink guava plantation in the world with over 500 hectares of the fruit grown in Sitiawan, Perak. It is the only pink guava plantation in Malaysia and the largest integrated facility in Asia. The fruit are hand-picked and processed into puree and hygienically packed into aseptic bags and sealed in steel drums for overseas export market or process into ready-to-drink juice in tetrapak packaging for local market. Normally, fruit juices are cloudy in appearance, have a lot of colloidal suspensions that are either preferred by some consumers or considered as unattractive to the others. The juice cloudiness is contributed by the presence of different components (cell wall fragments, cellular organelles, oil droplets, hesperidin crystals, pectin etc.) together with polydisperse distribution of particles sizes (Sentandrau et al., 2011). The colloidal particles in the juices also carry flavour substances and natural antioxidants such as carotenoids, lycopene etc. Sedimentation of juice due to the presence of pulp particles caused the separation problem in most fruit juices. Addition of stabilising agent and homogenisation process are conducted to reduce the particle size of the sediments hence preventing separation from occurring. The choice of stabilisers used is also important depending on the properties of the juices. Starch, pectin, arabic gum, carrageenan gum, guar gum and xanthan gum are commonly used as stabilising agents in beverages. Homogenisation technique using ultrasonic vibrations and high-pressure homogenisers are nowadays used to disintegrate large fat globules into a more stable, small and uniform fat globules size. Sonication process is more preferred in food industries because of reduced processing time, higher throughput and lower energy consumption (Cheng et al., 2007)

Changes on amino acids content in soybean, garbanzo bean and groundnut during pre-treatments and tempe making

Fermentation of legumes is a well-recognised preserving method that not only diversifies the sensory attributes of the legume-based foods but also enhances its nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in amino acids content of soybean, garbanzo bean and groundnut upon pre-treatments (soaking and steaming) and fermentation times (18, 24 and 30 h). The amino acids analysis was performed with a HPLC system using AccQTag method. The results obtained showed that raw soybean contain the highest amount of essential and non-essential amino acids followed by raw garbanzo bean and groundnut. After the soaking process, the amount of amino acids obtained was significantly increased in all three legumes. However, the steaming process was found to cause significant decrease in the amino acids content. After the steaming process, the legumes were inoculated with Rhizopus oligosporus and incubated at 30oC and 65% RH. At 18 h of fermentation time, the amount of total amino acids were found to increase by 26% in fermented groundnut and 16% in both soybean and garbanzo bean compared to after steaming. Further fermentation time of 24 h shows further enhancement in the amino acids content in all three legumes. Groundnut shows the highest increased of 71% in total amino acids content followed by 63% increased in garbanzo bean and 53% increase in soybean. However, prolong fermentation time of 30 h shows a decrease in total amino acids content in all three legumes which indicates the slow process of mould degradation have occurred. Therefore, fermented legumes must be consumed at the appropriate time of fermentation in order to get the benefit from the highest accumulation of amino acids content

Analisis faktor motivasi pelancong ke Homestay Kampung Tebakang Melayu, Serian

This study aims to review the Motivation Factor Analysis on the Tourist Homestay Kampung Tebakang Melayu Serian, Sarawak. The analytical review includes a motivational factor not considered in terms of economic, social, cultural and environmental. This research approach is through face to face surveys. A total of 370 respondents consisting of businessmen, tourists and local residents in Kampung Tebakang Melayu homestay, Serian, Sarawak who participated in this study. Through this study, analysis of motivation factors using qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to examine factors tourist attraction and repulsion are seen to be the cause of underdevelopment Kampung Tebakang Melayu homestay, Serian. The results of the study will find there are various factors that influence the success of a homestay including leadership, promotion of entrepreneurial skills and an agreement among the population. Thus, this study helps a homestay identify advantages, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as a spur to continue to develop and benefit the local population

Conceptualizing critical thinking learning transfer model: A qualitative approach

Purpose: Although there is a growing interest in Critical Thinking Learning Transfer (CTLT), previous studies have presented less detailed information regarding the transfer. Besides, a few pieces of literature have been focusing on medical contexts. In Malaysia, there are small number of reviews regarding the concept compared to other countries. This issue raises the question: How do the medical undergraduates in Malaysia transfer their critical thinking learning? Thus, the authors sought to explore CTLT process among medical undergraduates in Malaysia. Then, the authors synthesized the CTLT model which presented the types of CTLT. Methodology: This study adopted a qualitative case study approach. Eight medical undergraduates in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia were selected using two sampling strategies under the purposive sampling. Data obtained using in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings showed three types of CTLT, namely near transfer, far transfer, and integrated transfer. Each types of the transfer were specified into components. In summary, the medical undergraduates’ conceptions on the CTLT process led to the development of a model. The model presented the types of CTLT that provide a better understanding about the extension of occurrence of CTLT among the medical undergraduates. Significance: The CTLT model presented extra value to the description of the CTLT process. This model led to a better understanding of the extension of critical thinking learning transfer occurrence among students especially in the context of early clinical year medical programme. Besides, the model may influence the future development of critical thinking pedagogies

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