Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dose response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%

Design and Development of Downdraft Gasifier to Generate Producer Gas

The drive towards renewable energy become intense nowadays due to the increasing price of fossil fuels and depletion of their sources. Among promising resource of renewable energy is the biomass. In Malaysia, oil palm biomass are available in large quantity and suitable for conversion into value added bio-fuels. In this study, an-innovative small-scale downdraft gasifier was designed, development and tested for biomass gasification. The gasifier operates at flowrate less than 0.1 m/s3 with a capacity of 5 KW. During testing and commissioning of the gasifier, the maximum efficiency of the gasifier was found to be about 71% when firing empty fruit bunch pellets. This gasifier has potentials to be up scaled for actual use either for domestic or industrial use.Â

Sinergi wakaf, pendidikan dan teknologi di Malaysia

Kemajuan sains dan teknologi mencetuskan evolusi gaya hidup yang moden serta pantas. Setiap aspek kehidupan menerima impak dari fenomena tersebut termasuk pendidikan. Pendidikan kini berasimilasi dengan teknologi. Pembelajaran dalam talian, penggunaan internet dan media sosial antara senario baharu dalam pendidikan terutama selepas pandemik Covid-19 melanda. Persediaan rapi diperlukan dari segenap sudut sama ada fizikal, mental, spiritual, sosial, material dan sebagainya. Persiapan meliputi faktor manusiawi serta kebendaan seperti infrastruktur, dana, perisian komputer dan sebagainya. Kewangan yang besar dan mapan juga sangat genting. Dana daripada pelbagai sumber wajar diusahakan dan antaranya ialah wakaf. Artikel ini bertujuan mengkaji kebolehlaksanaan wakaf untuk peringkat sekolah di Malaysia sebagai instrumen kewangan sekunder selain peruntukan kerajaan terutama bagi membiayai pendidikan berasaskan teknologi semasa. Wakaf ini bersifat alternatif dan pelengkap, bukan sebagai pencabar atau pesaing status quo. Penulisan ini berbentuk kualitatif. Kutipan data menggunakan analisis dokumen dengan meneliti bahan ilmiah dalam pelbagai bentuk yang relevan. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif dan induktif. Hasil kajian mendapati wujud beberapa kekangan bagi pelaksanaan namun masih ada ruang yang boleh dimanfaatkan untuk memperluaskan wakaf pendidikan sebagai satu momentum baru kewangan sokongan ke arah memajukan lagi bidang pendidikan seiring perubahan zaman. Semua pihak wajar berkolaborasi secara konstruktif bagi merealisasikan misi ini terutama di era Pendidikan Abad Ke-21

Wakaf sebagai dana alternatif untuk pembiayaan pendidikan peringkat sekolah di Malaysia : satu tinjauan

Dana bersaiz mega diperlukan untuk kos operasi pendidikan. Sumber kewangan utama untuk pendidikan adalah peruntukan kerajaan. Namun, berdasarkan ketidaktentuan dan pelbagai cabaran ekonomi, pergantungan penuh secara berterusan kepada pembiayaan kerajaan bukan suatu amalan yang efisien. Maka, dana sekunder amat wajar diperkenalkan supaya bidang pendidikan mempunyai kemampuan kewangan yang tekal dalam apa sahaja keadaan bagi menyediakan pendidikan berkualiti. Instrumen kewangan alternatif yang boleh dicadangkan ialah wakaf. Aplikasi wakaf untuk pendidikan yang sedang dilaksanakan di Negeri Johor dan Selangor boleh dijadikan panduan. Objektif artikel ini ialah meninjau pengenalan wakaf sebagai mekanisme kewangan komplementatif untuk pendanaan pendidikan peringkat sekolah di Malaysia. Reka bentuk kajian yang digunakan ialah analisis kandungan. Metode kutipan data ialah analisis dokumen dan data dianalisis secara deskriptif serta induktif. Hasil tinjauan awal mendapati wujud kekangan-kekangan bagi merealisasikan cadangan berkenaan seperti dari sudut perundangan. Namun, terdapat juga ruang-ruang yang boleh dieksploitasi secara optimum bagi menggagaskan wakaf pendidikan untuk peringkat sekolah seperti peranan yang boleh dimainkan oleh Kementerian Pendidikan. Implikasi kajian ini dapat menambah input dan informasi kepada pihak berkepentingan untuk merealisasikan tabung wakaf pendidikan untuk sekolah. Para pemegang taruh dalam pendidikan mesti menggembleng seluruh sumber dan keupayaan ke arah menjayakan hasrat murni ini agar pendidikan negara sentiasa di tahap terbaik seiring kemajuan dunia

Polarized Muslim audiences in Malaysia

There have been a significant rise of local programs in TV stations in Malaysia. One form of the program that have been gaining interest is known as Islamic televangelism. Online focus groups discussion were conducted to understand audiences’ perception on Islamic televangelism programs. The interaction among these television audiences-turned-online followers revealed aspects of audience taste, audience segmentation and the use of social media. Findings illustrate that Muslim audiences in Malaysia are rather diverged due to a large amount of religious television programs. The diversity of the programs shown in television allows for audience to receive a variety of Islamic knowledge and contemporary religious issues. Muslim audiences now have access to an assortment religious programs with different hosts explaining and simplifying religious principles and practices. Caution, however, must be exercised when audiences display a rather intense preferences when acquiring religious knowledge through television. Unjustified reasons and obsessed emotions can interrupt the unity of Muslim society as whole and some form of vigilance should be observed for Islamic televangelism programs

Interdisciplinary approach involving medical colleagues in managing periodontitis patient with type 2 diabetes: a case report

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus has been recognized as a systemic risk factor for periodontitis. Success in controlling periodontitis requires interdisciplinary solutions involving medical counterparts. Case report: This case report highlights the importance of a bidirectional communication between medical and periodontal specialist in the management of a 63-year-old Malay lady patient diagnosed with Generalized Periodontitis, Stage IV and Grade C. The outcome of the interdisciplinary approach was both the stabilization of her periodontal conditions and medically, the glycated haemoglobin level. Conclusions: The bidirectional communication between medical and periodontal specialist is as important as managing the patients medically for a holistic treatment approach of an uncontrolled diabetic patient

Molecular detection and antibiogram of Staphylococcus aureus in rabbits, rabbit handlers, and Rabbitry in Terengganu, Malaysia

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and antibiogram of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistance S. aureus (MRSA) in rabbits, rabbit handlers, and rabbitry environments in Terengganu. Materials and Methods: Swab samples from 183 rabbits (183 oral and 183 ear swabs), 45 rabbit handlers (45 oral and 45 nasal), and environmental (n = 180) samples from rabbitries were collected from 10 rabbit farms in Terengganu. The associated S. aureus isolates from the swabs were isolated using phenotypic microbiology tests. The bacteria were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction targeting nuc (S. aureus) and mecA (MRSA) genes. The antibiogram of all S. aureus isolates was determined using the Kirby–Bauer test. Results: Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 19% of rabbits, 26.7% of rabbit handlers, and 8.8% of swabs from the rabbitry environment. However, MRSA (0%) could not be detected. Antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that S. aureus from rabbits showed low resistance (<20%) against 15 different antibiotics while fully susceptible to 4 antibiotics. Meanwhile, S. aureus from rabbit handlers showed high resistance against penicillin (86%), oxacillin (64%), and amoxicillin (50%). Conclusions: This study suggests the emergence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus in rabbit farms settings. Therefore, careful selection of antimicrobial agents will be essential to preserve the effectiveness of treatments toward S. aureus infections

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus from Peninsular Malaysian animal handlers: molecular profile, antimicrobial resistance, immune evasion cluster and genotypic categorization

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in humans and animals, have become a significant concern globally. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiogram of S. aureus isolated from animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. Furthermore, the genotypic characteristics of S. aureus isolates were also investigated. Nasal and oral swab samples were collected from 423 animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. The antibiogram profiles of S. aureus against 18 antibiotics were established using a Kirby–Bauer test. The genotypic profile of S. aureus, including the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), virulence genes and spa genotypes, was investigated using molecular techniques. The overall carriage rate of S. aureus, MRSA and MDRSA was 30.5%, 1.2% and 19.4%, respectively. S. aureus was highly resistant against penicillin (72.3%) and amoxicillin (52.3%). Meanwhile, gentamicin and linezolid were fully effective against all the isolated S. aureus from animal handlers. It was observed that animal handlers with close exposure to poultry were more likely to carry S. aureus that is resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin. S. aureus isolates harboured tetracycline resistance (tetK, tetL and tetM), erythromycin resistance (ermA, ermB, ermC and msrA) and immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes (scn, chp, sak, sea and sep). Seventeen different spa types were detected among the 30 isolates of MDRSA, with t189 (16.7%) and t4171 (16.7%) being the predominant spa type, suggesting wide genetic diversity of the MDRSA isolates. The present study demonstrated the prevalence of S. aureus strains, including MRSA and MDRSA with various antimicrobial resistance and genetic profiles from animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia