Systematic Review: Challenges in Teaching Writing Skills for Upper Secondary in ESL Classrooms and Suggestions to overcome them

This paper presents a systematic review of relevant published studies on challenges in teaching writing skills for upper secondary in ESL classrooms and solutions to overcome them from year 2012-2020. This systematic review attempts to address two research questions ; i.e. what are the writing challenges of the students and what are the solutions to overcome writing challenges faced by ESL students. 12 single studies and 2 systematic reviews were systematically reviewed and revealed that the most challenges encountered by students in writing are word choice, vocabulary, grammar and poor organisation of ideas. The findings also shed some lights on solutions to overcome the challenges from teachers’ and students’ perspective. Teachers should act as a guidance by providing sample essays, giving feedbacks and choose suitable approach by identifying students’ needs. Meanwhile the students should read more to generate ideas and improve their vocabulary and grammar knowledge

Development of Islamic Pawn-Broking services : differentiating profile of their respectice patrons

This paper seek to develop a comparative demographic and lifestyle profiles of the small independent islamicised conventional pawnshops vis-a-vis their larger institutionalised counterparts

A Conceptual Model for Electronic Document and Records Management System Adoption in Malaysian Public Sector

The government has spent a large amount of fortune in ascertaining that their information management practice meets the widely accepted standards of practice for enhancing the systematic, speedy, effective and efficient information service delivery. The rapid development of ICT has urged the public sector to shift their operations from manual to electronic system-based in handling the information-related works. Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) is one of the systems to be considered. However, the adoption rate of such a system is exceptionally below satisfaction due to users are not keen on using it. In this paper, the factors which influence the decision on whether EDRMS should be adopted or otherwise are identified. A qualitative study involving a critical review of the related literature in the area and interviews were employed. The interviews involve EDRMS experts from the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) and the National Archive of Malaysia (NAM). There are 14 factors identified as impacting the decision to adopt EDRMS offered by the Technology Adoption Theories and the literature review. However, only ten factors were given the consideration upon being validated and ranked by the selected experts. A new conceptual model for EDRMS adoption in Malaysian public sector was then constructed as the ultimate outcome of the study

Factors associated with HbA1c levels in poorly controlled type 2 diabetic patients in North-East Malaysia

Objective: A study was conducted at all the health centres in Kelantan in North-East Malaysia to determine the common factors associated with poor controlled of type 2 diabetic patients. Design: A cross-sectional study Materials and Methods: A total of 208 patients with poor diabetic control (HbA1c levels of more than 6.5%) were selected by stratified random sampling from all health centres in Kelantan. Socio-demographic data, physical examination, and fasting blood were taken from the patients to determine the related associated factors using multiple linear regression. Results: The levels of HbA1c in the poorly controlled diabetic patients were significantly associated with fasting blood glucose (b=0.236, 95%CI=0.189,0.283), educational level (primary education: b=-0.965, 95%CI=-1.550,-0.380; secondary and tertiary education: b=-0.625, 95%CI=-1.228,-0.021), marital status (b=0.933, 95%CI=0.426,1.440) and patients receiving their care in health centres with Family Medicine Specialist (b=-0.495, 95%CI=-0.913,-0.076). Conclusion: Fasting blood glucose and being married were associated with higher levels of HbA1c, while having had formal education and receiving diabetic care in health centres with Family Medicine Specialist were associated with lower levels of HbA1c in poorly controlled type 2 diabetic patients in Kelantan

Tamarindus indica Extract Alters Release of Alpha Enolase, Apolipoprotein A-I, Transthyretin and Rab GDP Dissociation Inhibitor Beta from HepG2 Cells

Background: The plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol lowering effects of Tamarindus indica extract have been previously described. We have also shown that the methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp altered the expression of lipid-associated genes including ABCG5 and APOAI in HepG2 cells. In the present study, effects of the same extract on the release of proteins from the cells were investigated using the proteomics approach. Methodology/Principal Findings: When culture media of HepG2 cells grown in the absence and presence of the methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp were subjected to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the expression of seven proteins was found to be significantly different (p<0.03125). Five of the spots were subsequently identified as alpha enolase (ENO1), transthyretin (TTR), apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I; two isoforms), and rab GDP dissociation inhibitor beta (GDI-2). A functional network of lipid metabolism, molecular transport and small molecule biochemistry that interconnects the three latter proteins with the interactomes was identified using the Ingenuity Pathways Analysis software. Conclusion/Significance: The methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp altered the release of ENO1, ApoA-I, TTR and GDI-2 from HepG2 cells. Our results provide support on the effect of T. indica extract on cellular lipid metabolism, particularly that of cholesterol

Microarray analysis revealed different gene expression patterns in HepG2 cells treated with low and high concentrations of the extracts of Anacardium occidentale shoots

In this study, the effects of low and high concentrations of the Anacardium occidentale shoot extracts on gene expression in liver HepG2 cells were investigated. From MTT assays, the concentration of the shoot extracts that maintained 50% cell viability (IC50) was 1.7 mg/ml. Cell viability was kept above 90% at both 0.4 mg/ml and 0.6 mg/ml of the extracts. The three concentrations were subsequently used for the gene expression analysis using Affymetrix Human Genome 1.0 S.T arrays. The microarray data were validated using real-time qRT–PCR. A total of 246, 696 and 4503 genes were significantly regulated (P < 0.01) by at least 1.5-fold in response to 0.4, 0.6 and 1.7 mg/ml of the extracts, respectively. Mutually regulated genes in response to the three concentrations included CDKN3, LOC100289612, DHFR, VRK1, CDC6, AURKB and GABRE. Genes like CYP24A1, BRCA1, AURKA, CDC2, CDK2, CDK4 and INSR were significantly regulated at 0.6 mg/ml and 1.7 mg but not at 0.4 mg/ml. However, the expression of genes including LGR5, IGFBP3, RB1, IDE, LDLR, MTTP, APOB, MTIX, SOD2 and SOD3 were exclusively regulated at the IC50 concentration. In conclusion, low concentrations of the extracts were able to significantly regulate a sizable number of genes. The type of genes that were expressed was highly dependent on the concentration of the extracts used

The Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Diaminopimelic Acid Derivatives as Potential dapF Inhibitors Preventing Lysine Biosynthesis for Antibacterial Activity

We created thiazole and oxazole analogues of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) by replacing its carboxyl groups and substituting sulphur for the central carbon atom. Toxicity, ADME, molecular docking, and in vitro antimicrobial studies of the synthesized compounds were carried out. These compounds displayed significant antibacterial efficacy, with MICs of 70–80 µg/mL against all tested bacteria. Comparative values of the MIC, MBC, and ZOI of the synthesized compound were noticed when compared with ciprofloxacin. At 200 µg/mL, thio-DAP (1) had a ZOI of 22.67 ± 0.58, while ciprofloxacin had a ZOI of 23.67 ± 0.58. To synthesize thio-DAP (1) and oxa-DAP (2), l-cysteine was used as a precursor for the L-stereocenter (l-cysteine), which is recognized by the dapF enzyme’s active site and selectively binds to the ligand’s L-stereocenter. Docking studies of these compounds were carried out using the programme version 11.5 Schrodinger to reveal the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of these complexes. The docking scores of compounds one and two were −9.823 and −10.098 kcal/mol, respectively, as compared with LL-DAP (−9.426 kcal/mol.). This suggests that compounds one and two interact more precisely with dapF than LL-DAP. Chemicals one and two were synthesized via the SBDD (structure-based drug design) approach and these act as inhibitors of the dapF in the lysine pathway of bacterial cell wall synthesis

Gene expression profiles in human HepG2 cells treated with extracts of the Tamarindus indica fruit pulp

Tamarindus indicaL. (T. indica) or locally known as asam jawa belongs to the family of Leguminosae. The fruit pulp had been reported to have antioxidant activities and possess hypolipidaemic effects. In this study, we attempted to investigate the gene expression patterns in human hepatoma HepG2 cell line in response to treatment with low concentration of the fruit pulp extracts. Microarray analysis using Affymetrix Human Genome 1.0 S.T arrays was used in the study. Microarray data were validated using semi-quantitative RT–PCR and real-time RT–PCR. Amongst the significantly up-regulated genes were those that code for the metallothioneins (MT1M, MT1F, MT1X) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTA1, GSTA2, GST02) that are involved in stress response. APOA4, APOA5, ABCG5 and MTTP genes were also significantly regulated that could be linked to hypolipidaemic activities of the T. indica fruit pulp