Digitization and sustainability of local collection : an observation of digitization activities among Malaysian universities libraries

Malaysian academic libraries have responded well to the government’s IT agenda. They are among the first group of libraries to embark on digitization projects. This paper attempts to discuss the types of materials digitized, guidelines, policies and provision for access to the digitized materials. It also discusses some of the issues and challenges in this process of enriching the local digital content. An appropriate training module with practical guidelines and policy is recommended to ensure continuity and sustainability of these projects

An investigation of metastatic markers in models of paediatric medulloblastoma

Introduction Medulloblastoma is an aggressive malignant neuro-ectodermal tumour of the cerebellum which accounts for 15-20% of childhood central nervous system tumours and frequently disseminates to the leptomeningeal spaces of the brain and spinal cord. Patients with disseminated disease respond poorly to post-surgical multimodal treatment which is thought to be explained by the intrinsic drug-resistant nature of these tumours. Here, we hypothesized that cells gain migratory and invasive capabilities by undergoing an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)-like process whereby cells alter phenotypically and acquire stem cell-like properties during tumour dissemination. In this study, metastatic genes were identified and tested using 3D in vitro model systems which incorporated important components of the extracellular matrix. Using these markers, evidence for an EMT-like process and the role of the multi-drug transporter, ABCB1, was investigated in metastatic medulloblastomas. Small molecule inhibitors were also used to investigate whether metastatic processes could be targeted and drug resistance mechanisms could be circumvented in both in vitro and/or in vivo settings. Materials and Methods Growth, morphology and biological processes (e.g. cell migration) were assessed in a panel of non-metastatic and metastatic medulloblastoma cell lines, as well as in non-tumourigenic neural stem cells cultured in a 3D basement membrane extract (BME) using the alamar blue assay (measure of metabolic activity) and time-lapse imaging. Putative metastatic markers were identified through literature review analysis of gene expression datasets or immunohistochemistry of tissue micro-arrays (TMA). These markers were then assessed in samples obtained from medulloblastoma cell lines cultured as 2D monolayers and grown in BME (for 3 and 6 days) by QRT-PCR analysis. Protein expression of selected markers were also assessed in mouse orthotopic xenograft samples by immunohistochemistry or in cell lines using immunofluorescence analysis. Finally, small molecule inhibitors (WIP1 and ABCB1 inhibitors) were used in 3D culture systems (3D spheroid and 3D BME assays) and in an orthotopic metastatic mouse model. Results Medulloblastoma cell lines demonstrated different growth patterns in 3D. Metastatic cell lines formed metabolically active aggregates which sustained continual cell migration for at least 6 days; whilst non-metastatic and non-tumourigenic cells showed low metabolic activity and rapidly differentiated. Metastatic cell lines which were sustained longest in BME (D283 Med and MED1) demonstrated upregulation of the EMT transcription factor, TWIST1, along with several other EMT and TWIST1-related factors. Further analysis included overexpressing TWIST1 in a non-metastatic cell line (MED6 TWIST1) which induced a dispersed phenotype in 2D and cell aggregation in the 3D BME model which phenotypically resembled metastatic cell lines. TWIST1 and ABCB1 expression correlated with metastasis in patients and was upregulated in the invasive edge of primary tumours and in spinal metastases in an orthotopic metastatic mouse model. Small molecule inhibitors targeting WIP1 (a published metastatic marker) and ABCB1 inhibited cell migration of metastatic cell lines grown in 3D including the MED6 TWIST1 cell line. ABCB1 inhibition also increased sensitivity to etoposide treatment in 3D spheroid models and an orthotopic metastatic in vivo model. Conclusion The 3D BME model utilised in this study can be used to distinguish metastatic capacity and transcriptional changes of medulloblastoma cell lines. Furthermore, data from this study supports a role for a TWIST1 driven EMT-like process in metastatic medulloblastoma and supports the use of ABCB1 inhibition to overcome chemoresistance

Leadership and Innovation on Performance of Private Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia

The contribution of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Malaysia is important to the higher education industry. Among the roles of PHEIs are providing a pathway to local and international students to the tertiary level of education, contributing towards making Malaysia an international and highly reputable hub for higher education as well as limiting the flow of our intellects to foreign countries. However, there has been a major concern over the performance of PHEIs. Due to the volatility of the higher education landscape, many local PHEIs are facing with serious issues and challenges which affect their organizational self-sustainability. If the issues and challenges are not seriously addressed, it could impede the growth of PHEIs as well as become the barriers to PHEIs to serve their roles in Malaysia higher education sector. This conceptual paper provides some insights into the issues and challenges of PHEIs in Malaysia. It also identified leadership and innovation as the critical success factors for PHEIs organizational self-sustainability and proposed that these two independent variables are tested in future research

Trajectories of Random Quadratic Operators of the Random Mendelian Model of Heredity

It is considered random Mendelian model of heredity, when the random quadratic stochastic operators, which define this model, admit two values and Vii' where 0 :s; a :s; I, 0 :s; f3:S; 1. This paper provides a full description of the behaviour of random trajectories of random quadratic operators

Dioxins and furans in demersal fish and shellfish from regions in west coast Peninsular Malaysia.

Fish and shellfish are the richest natural dietary sources of EPA and DHA. Dietary intakes of EPA and DHA have been purported to disease prevention, in particular cardiovascular disease (CVD). In Malaysia, the fisheries along the west coast of peninsular Malaysia contribute to approximately 70% of the total marine resources. These resources are exposed to contamination caused by persistent organic pollutant such as dioxins and furans. Since dioxins and furans accumulate in the lipid compartment of animals, therefore fat of fish caught in the polluted waters may be contaminated with these chlorinated hydrocarbons. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the amount and type of dioxins and furans congeners of demersal fish and shellfish from north, middle and south regions of west coast peninsular Malaysia. The samples of fish and shellfish consisted species such as Psettodes erumei (Large-scale toungue sole), Gymnura spp. (Long-tailed butterfly ray), Sepia officinalis (Cuttlefish), Nemipterus japonicus (Japanese threadfin bream), Epinephulus sexfasciatus (Sixbar grouper), Lutianus argentimaculatus (Malabar red snapper), Anadara granosa (Cockles), Macrobrachium rosenbergi (prawn) and Plotosus spp. (Gray eel-catfish). Findings of this study demonstrate that gray eel-catfish and Malabar red snapper have higher level of total dioxins and furans ranging 0.90-1.57 and 0.34-0.37 pg/g w.w, respectively. Meanwhile, low level of total dioxins and furans were found in large-scale tongue sole and long-tailed butterfly ray ranging from 0.12-0.19 and 0.12-0.17 pg/g w.w, respectively. Among the shellfish, cockles were accumulated higher total dioxins and furans (0.21-0.24 pg/g w.w) compared to prawn and cuttlefish. 2,3,7,8-TCDD, the most potent and toxic congeners was found in 6 species of samples ranging from 0.01 to 0.11 pg/g w.w WHO I-TEQ. While 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD congener was found in all samples at a relatively higher level of 0.02 to 1.04 pg/g w.w Overall, Plotosus spp. (Gray eel-catfish) is the species exhibited the highest buildup of dioxins and furans compared to other species without exceeding the permitted level set by World Health Organization (WHO)

PCDDs and PCDFs in pelagic fish along the straits of Malacca

Fish and shellfish are rich sources of long chain fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA. High consumption of fish helps to elevate the level of these compounds in the body. However, fish also are easily exposed to chemical contaminants, such as dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs). Exposure to PCDDs and PCDFs may lead to negative health effects, such as cancer, chloracne, hyperpigmentation and others. Level and type of PCDDs and PCDFs were determined in 20 pelagic fish samples of six different species collected from the Straits of Malacca using HRGC/HRMS. The most toxic congener (2,3,7,8-TCDD) was found in all the samples at a very low level of 0.04-0.05 pg/g sample, except in Spanish mackerel (south-T2) and Indian mackerel (middle-T1). Meanwhile, the level of the total PCDDs and PCDFs ranged from 0.13 pg/g to 0.38 pg/g of the wet weight of the samples. The value of the total PCDDs and PCDFs was in a descending order of Hardtail scad, Spanish mackerel, Indian mackerel, fourfinger threadfin, silver pomfret and dorab wolfherring. Generally, the results of this study indicate that fish and shellfish caught along the Straits of Malacca are safe as in terms of PCDDs and PCDFs levels and the data can serve as baseline information for future monitoring of these organochlorine compounds

Microwave plasma gasification of oil palm biochar

Conventional pressurized gasification operates at higher pressure than atmospheric pressure and requires heat up time during startup. In this study, microwave plasma gasification was used to compensate this problem. The objectives of this paper is to investigate the CO2 microwave gasification of EFB and OPS biochar, and optimizing the char reaction rate through the addition of activated carbon as the microwave absorber. A microwave plasma gasification test rig was designed to produce syngas from oil palm biochar. From the study, it was found that EFB char performed better than OPS char as gasification fuel due to its high porosity and surface area that increased the char reactivity towards CO2. The temperature increment promoted by the addition of MW absorber using activated carbon (AC) has increased the CO composition. The optimum condition for microwave plasma char gasification of EFB was 3 lpm with 25 wt% AC that produced syngas with 1.23 vol% CH4, 20.88 vol% CO2, 43.83 vol% CO, 34.06 vol% H2 and 9.40 MJ/kg gas CV. For OPS is at 2 lpm with 1.12 vol% CH4, 35.11 vol% CO2, 35.42 vol% CO, 28.35 vol% H2 and 7.32 MJ/kg gas CV. As EFB char has larger BET surface areas and larger pores than OPS char, the ability to react with the gasifying gas is better than the OPS. Thus, resulting in higher carbon conversion. The best gasification efficiency was 72.34% at 3 lpm, 10% AC for EFB biochar plasma gasification with 12% unreacted carbon. For OPS biochar plasma gasification, the best gasification efficiency was 69.09% at 2 lpm, 10% AC with 18% unreacted carbon

Investigation on level of furans and diozins in five commonly consumed fish species.

Five commonly consumed marine fish from Straits of Malacca were studied for their level of dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs). The fish fillets were found to contain low to moderate level of fats. Among the moderate fat content species, Plotosus spp. (Sembilang) was found to contain the highest level of total PCDDs/Fs (1.23 + 0.48 pg/g of wet weight) due to the high fat content of the species. Other species however, contain low level of PCDDs/Fs that range between 0.10-0.18 pg/g of wet weight. Generally the levels of total PCDDs/Fs in fish species determined in this preliminary study were well below the European limits and are therefore safe for human consumption

Development of five port reflectometer for reflection based sensing system

Five-Port Reflectometer is a microwave passivedevice where it implements the six-port algorithm to measure the complex reflection coefficient of material under test (MUT) through reflection on interface between MUT and microwave sensor. Initially, the Six-Port Reflectometer (SPR) was introduced by Engen in 1977 and major component used insix-port technique was designed in many types. When Riblet and Hanssonproposed ring junction with 5 ports only on 1981. Six ports ring junction has been reduced to five ports. In this paper, a dual frequency five ports ring junction circuit was designed, simulated and fabricated for reflection based sensing system. The fabricated five port ring junction is operating at frequencies of 0.64 GHz and 2.42 GHz. The measured result had good agreement with the simulated results for dual frequencies in terms of magnitude and phase