Anatomi rizom dan stip genus Pleocnemia Presl (Tectariaceae) di Semenanjung Malaysia

Kajian anatomi rizom dan stip telah dijalankan ke atas empat spesies Pleocnemia yang terdapat di Semenanjung Malaysia iaitu P. irregularis, P. conjugata, P. hemiteliiformis dan P. olivacea untuk mengkaji variasi ciri yang terdapat pada rizom dan stip ini. Kajian ini melibatkan keratan rentas stip dan rizom dengan menggunakan mikrotom gelongsor. Ciri anatomi stip seperti bentuk luaran, corak kehadiran sel sklerenkima di bawah epidermis, jenis dan bentuk stel dan ciri anatomi rizom seperti kehadiran sel rembes tanin dan kehadiran serta jenis trikom pada sesetengah spesies boleh digunakan untuk pengecaman spesies. Ciri sepunya bagi spesies Pleocnemia yang dikaji ialah kehadiran sel sklerenkima mengelilingi stel dan di bawah lapisan sel epidermis, stel jenis kompleks serta stel bagi kesemua spesies kajian berbentuk protostel primitif (bulat). Antara ciri diagnosis yang ditemui dalam kajian ini ialah bentuk luaran stip, bilangan lapisan skelerenkima di bawah epidermis, kehadiran sel rembes tanin bagi spesies P. irregularis dan P. hemiteliiformis serta kehadiran jenis trikom yang berbeza dalam keempat-empat spesies. Ciri diagnosis ini adalah ciri yang baik untuk pengecaman spesies kajian. Keputusan kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa ciri anatomi stip dan rizom mempunyai nilai taksonomi dalam genus Pleocnemia dan boleh digunakan sebagai data sokongan untuk pengecaman dan pembezaan spesies

Prevalence, associated factors and predictors of anxiety: a community survey in Selangor, Malaysia

Background: Anxiety is the most common mental health disorders in the general population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety, its associated factors and the predictors of anxiety among adults in the community of Selangor, Malaysia. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in three districts in Selangor, Malaysia. The inclusion criteria of this study were Malaysian citizens, adults aged 18 years and above, and living in the selected living quarters based on the list provided by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOS). Participants completed a set of questionnaires, including the validated Malay version of Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD 7) to detect anxiety. Results: Of the 2512 participants who were approached, 1556 of them participated in the study (61.90 %). Based on the cut-off point of 8 and above in the GAD-7, the prevalence of anxiety was 8.2 %. Based on the initial multiple logistic regression analysis, the predictors of anxiety were depression, serious problems at work, domestic violence and high perceived stress. When reanalyzed again after removing depression, low self-esteem and high perceived stress, six predictors that were identified are cancer, serious problems at work, domestic violence, unhappy relationship with family, non-organizational religious activity and intrinsic religiosity. Conclusion: This study reports the prevalence of anxiety among adults in the community of Selangor, Malaysia and also the magnitude of the associations between various factors and anxiety

Ciri anatomi stip bagi beberapa spesies Davallia (Davalliaceae) di Malaysia (Stipe anatomical characteristics in some Davallia (Davalliaceae) Species in Malaysia)

Kajian anatomi stip telah dijalankan ke atas tujuh spesies Davallia, iaitu D. denticulata, D. divaricata, D. trichomanioides var. trichomanioides, D. trichomanioides var. lorrainii, D. corniculata, D. repens dan D. solida var. solida di Malaysia. Kajian ini melibatkan keratan rentas bahagian stip menggunakan mikrotom gelongsor. Hasil kajian menunjukkan ciri anatomi stip seperti bentuk luaran stip, corak kehadiran sel sklerenkima di bawah epidermis, jenis dan bentuk stel, bilangan berkas vaskular, bilangan lapisan sel parenkima dan juga kehadiran cuping pada keratan rentas stip boleh digunakan untuk pengecaman dan pembezaan spesies. Ciri sepunya bagi genus Davallia ialah kehadiran sel sklerenkima mengelilingi stel dan di bawah lapisan sel epidermis, serta kehadiran sel parenkima berdinding tebal. Banyak ciri diagnostik ditemui dalam kajian ini dan antaranya ialah kehadiran satu cuping pada keratan stip tengah ditemui hanya pada D. trichomanioides var. lorrainii, corak 4 kehadiran sel sklerenkima di bawah epidermis ditemui hanya pada D. repens, corak 3 hanya ditemui pada D. solida var. solida, corak 5 dan 7 hanya ditemui pada D. corniculata, stel jenis dorsiventral protostel bagi D. divaricata dan bagi D. trichomanioides var. trichomanioides pula, kehadiran stel bentuk arka pada stip atas, stip tengah dan juga bawah merupakan ciri diagnostik yang baik untuk pengecaman spesies ini. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa ciri anatomi stip mempunyai nilai taksonomi dalam genus Davallia dan boleh digunakan sebagai data sokongan untuk tujuan pengecaman dan pembezaan spesies

Mosses of Gunung Senyum Recreational Forest, a tropical limestone forest in Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia

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A first record of gregarious moth pest, Herpetogramma platycapna (Meyrick) of fern species, Angiopteris evecta (G. Forst.) Hoffm from Malaysia

In this study, a first record on interaction of insect with fern species has been presented from Malaysia. Molecular identification of cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) has revealed the Herpetogramma platycapna (Meyrick) is the gregarious pest of Angiopteris evecta (G. Forst.) Hoffm. The pest species also has been reconfirmed based on morphological characters

Systematic significance of stipe anatomy in Peninsular Malaysian Blechnum L. (Blechnaceae) species

A study on the stipe anatomy was conducted on six taxa of Blechnum in Peninsular Malaysia namely B. finlaysonianum, B. fraseri, B. indicum, B. melanocaulon subsp. pallen, B. orientale and B. vestitum. The objective of this study is to investigate the variations in the stipe anatomical characteristics that can be used for species identification and classification. There are five stipe anatomical characteristics found in this study that can be used to distinguish the Blechnum species. The characters are stipe outlines, patterns of sclerenchyma cell layers present under epidermal cells, presence and absence of sclerenchyma cell layer encircled the vascular bundles, number of vascular bundles, and presence of auricles on the adaxial side of stipe. Similarities found in stipe anatomical characteristics in all Blechnum species studied are the Aspidium stele type and presence of sclerenchyma cell layers underneath the epidermal layer. The diagnostic anatomical characteristics found in this study is the absence of sclerenchyma cells layer ensheathing each vascular bundles in the steles of B. finlaysonianum. Therefore, the stipe anatomical characteristics can be used in the identification of species in the genus Blechnum

The long-term predictive validity of early motor development in "apparently normal" ELBW survivors

Background: Within the able majority of ELBW survivors, there is a lack of identified predictors of which children will require extra support despite having escaped significant disability