An expert system for pneumococcal prognosis

Threats and viruses are particularly alarming for children with low immunization levels. Pneumococcal disease is the world's most important cause of child death and has claimed many lives. Since awareness of the dangers of Pneumococcal viruses among parents is low in Malaysia, preventive measures such as vaccine intake cannot be done comprehensively. Hence, in order to communicate information about Pneumococcal disease, a pneumococcal disease diagnosis system for children is developed. This system employs expert system method and apply forward chaining technique for its reasoning. Knowledge base of the system is stored in the database for data management. This alternative system allows access to information as well as early diagnosis of early symptoms can be detected. This system is expected to benefit users in terms of knowledge sharing, and self-checking on their body condition, especially parents, to prevent any possible diseases that may infect children's

Preliminary Ethnoichthyological Assessment: Fish Consumption Patterns among Orang Asli Semelai (Aborigines: Proto-Malay) in Tasek Bera, Pahang

Ethnoichthyology, as a field of study, examines the indigenous knowledge held by ethnic groups concerning different fish species. Despite its significance in understanding traditional fishing practices and cultural connections to aquatic resources, data on fish species consumption among the Orang Asli Semelai community remain limited. Therefore, this ethnoichthyological preliminary study aims to address this research gap by documenting the fish species utilized by the Orang Asli Semelai in the Tasek Bera region of Pahang, Malaysia. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive survey and interview session were conducted with a small sample size of four randomly chosen respondents. The study identified 15 fish species solely consumed as food by the community. The most commonly consumed fish species were the Climbing Perch (Anabas testudineus) and Snakehead Murrel (Channa striata). Additionally, the study revealed the presence of the Critically Endangered Jullien's Golden Carp (Probarbus jullieni) among the consumed species, indicating the urgent need for conservation efforts. The findings underscore the significance of integrating sustainable fishing practices and conservation efforts to protect the unique ecosystem of Tasek Bera and preserve the cultural heritage of the Orang Asli Semelai community. Further comprehensive studies and collaborative approaches are vital to safeguarding the region's aquatic biodiversity and ensuring the community's food security sustainably

A comparative assessment of 16s ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (COI) primers for amphibian DNA barcoding

Amphibians, a diverse and ecologically important group, are facing global declines due to various factors, including habitat loss and climate change. Accurate species identification is crucial for effective conservation efforts, and DNA barcoding has emerged as a powerful tool in this regard. This study compares the efficacy of two DNA barcoding primer sets, targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene, for identifying 20 amphibian species. While both primer sets successfully amplified sequences, the 16S rRNA gene region identified all 20 samples, whereas the COI region identified 14. The amplified sequences, approximately 550 base pairs for 16S rRNA and 658 base pairs for COI facilitated precise taxonomic placement within amphibian families using Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic trees. These findings enhance DNA barcoding methodology and aid in understanding amphibian diversity, crucial for effective conservation strategies amidst global declines drives by habitat loss, diseases, and climate chang

Preliminary Assessment on Primate Diversity and Potential of PrimaTourism Among Local People and Orang Asli Jakun (Aborigines: Proto-Malay) in Tasik Chini Biosphere Reserve, Pahang, Malaysia

PrimaTourism is a well-known aspect of nature tourism that provides valuable benefits for the primate species conservation. Malaysia, with its rich diversity of more than 25 primate species inhabited in the country, holds significant potential for enhancing primate-based tourism. However, the information on primate species in potential tourism spots like Tasik Chini remains limited, with only a few data on their behaviour and ecology. Additionally, the lack of comprehensive information on the primate species poses challenges in identifying potential PrimaTourism product. Thus, this study aimed to assess primate diversity and explore the perception of PrimaTourism among local people in Tasik Chini. A survey and interview session were conducted over five days in two villages around Tasik Chini (Kampung Gumum and Felda Chini), involving a total of 32 respondents. Most respondents reported the presence of two common primate species in their area: the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina). The result suggested a significant majority (81%) of respondents expressed support for the dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) as an ideal primate species for PrimaTourism in Tasik Chini, citing its attractive coloration and favoring the development of primate-based tourism. Overall, these findings can serve as essential baseline data for implementing primate tourism in the area, engaging the local community to attract tourists to Tasik Chini effectively and eventually serve as a conservation tool for the primate species.

Involvement of mainstream teachers in inclusive education: are we ready?

The implementation of inclusive education is a challenging task because the teachers involved in inclusive education must equip themselves with field knowledge and pedagogical skills and, more importantly, they must have great passion for inclusive education. This research attempts to investigate the readiness of mainstream teachers who engaged in an inclusive education programme. Readiness was measured in three different aspects: (i) field knowledge, (ii) pedagogical skill, and (iii) attitude. A total of 128 mainstream teachers who were actively involved in inclusive education programmes in primary schools were invited to participate in this research. A questionnaire was constructed to measure the level of readiness among the participating teachers. The results revealed that although the readiness level in terms of pedagogical skill was high, the readiness for field knowledge and attitude were at medium level. Our findings suggest that more effort and pragmatic actions are required to facilitate mainstream teachers who teach in inclusive classes to enhance their field knowledge and strengthen their positive attitude towards inclusive education

Splitting tensile and pullout behavior of synthetic wastes as fiber-reinforced concrete

Plastic bottles and waste wires are the most commonly discarded synthetic wastes that contribute to environmental pollution. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles act as one of the contributors to environmental pollution. One solution to environmental pollution includes recycling plastic bottle wastes as synthetic fibers and incorporating them into concrete. Therefore, pullout strengths of synthetic fibers in a concrete matrix should be investigated by conducting splitting tensile and pullout tests. Experiments of the present study used fibers from ring-shaped PET bottles with widths of 5 and 10 mm. Irregularly shaped PET bottles with 10–15 mm size, waste wires measuring 55 mm in length, and manufactured synthetic macro-fibers were also used in comparative analysis. Results indicate that an increase in fiber volume improves tensile strength of concrete. Incorporation of high-volume fiber with concrete results in a substantial amount of fibers bridging and crossing fractured sections, thereby activating failure resistance mechanisms. In comparison with irregularly shaped PET and waste wire fibers, ring-shaped fibers performed better as they are mainly designed to activate fiber yielding instead of fiber pullout. The load energy required to debond fibers and the concrete matrix was high when the surface contact area was large in comparison with that when a small surface contact area was considered. Fibers with small surface contact area easily slip under tensile stress. Thus, the surface contact area of fibers with concrete matrix allows good frictional resistance against pullout or tensile loa

Assessing methodological variability in gut microbiome studies: lessons from Southeast Asian for effective conservation strategies.

Gut microbiome studies have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential in unveiling the role of microbial communities in animals’ health and ecological processes. However, the lack of standardized protocols in sample handling and processing across studies introduces variability, impeding the comparability of findings. This study addresses this issue by examining methodological variations in gut microbiome research on wildlife and domesticated animals in Southeast Asia. A comprehensive search of 91 relevant studies on the SCOPUS database yielded 54 suitable publications for review, encompassing diverse taxa such as invertebrates (20), fishes (7), reptiles (3), birds (5), and mammals (19). Notably, various methodological approaches were employed to characterize microbial communities, including the source of isolation, various culture-based approaches, sequencing methods, and the targeted markers. Based on the information provided in this study, future studies should strive to develop guidelines and best practices specific to gut microbiome studies. This would enhance comparability and facilitate the integration of findings. Such efforts will also advance our understanding of the microbial diversity associated with wildlife, and its potential implications for their health and conservation

Determining the diet of wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) at human–elephant conflict areas in Peninsular Malaysia using DNA metabarcoding

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) contributes to the increasing death of Asian elephants due to road accidents, retaliatory killings and fatal infections from being trapped in snares. Understanding the diet of elephants throughout Peninsular Malaysia remains crucial to improve their habitat quality and reduce scenarios of HEC. DNA metabarcoding allows investigating the diet of animals without direct observation, especially in risky conflict areas. The aim of this study was to determine: i) the diet of wild Asian elephants from HEC areas in Peninsular Malaysia using DNA metabarcoding and ii) the influence of distinct environmental parameters at HEC locations on their feeding patterns. DNA was extracted from 39 faecal samples and pooled into 12 groups representing the different sample locations: Kuala Koh, Kenyir, Ulu Muda, Sira Batu, Kupang-Grik, Bumbun Tahan, Belum-Temengor, Grik, Kampung Pagi, Kampung Kuala Balah, Aring 10 and the National Elephant Conservation Centre, which served as a positive control for this study. DNA amplification and sequencing targeted the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene using the next-generation sequencing Illumina iSeq100 platform. Overall, we identified 35 orders, 88 families, 196 genera and 237 species of plants in the diet of the Asian elephants at HEC hotspots. Ficus (Moraceae), Curcuma (Zingiberaceae), Phoenix (Arecaceae), Maackia (Fabaceae), Garcinia (Clusiaceae) and Dichapetalum (Dichapetalaceae) were the highly abundant dietary plants. The plants successfully identified in this study could be used by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) to create buffer zones by planting the recommended dietary plants around HEC locations and trails of elephants within Central Forest Spine (CFS) landscape

Investigate how construction waste generation rate is, different for every types of project in peninsular Malaysia, using site visit method

Malaysia is a rapid development of its urban centre, and where construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation is increasing proportionally with the new construction industry development. In Malaysia, the most crucial issue highlighted by local researchers is excessive of C&D waste generation. The transfer of construction and demolition waste at landfills has brought about major ecological concerns and government sources demonstrate that there is an intense lack of landfill space in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to investigate the construction waste generation rate in Malaysia due to different project types. To obtain the waste generation rate, construction sites visit is required. In construction site, direct and indirect approaches were utilized to collect C&D waste generation data based on data available. For the construction waste generation rate, nonresidential projects obtained smallest value such as 0.008 t/m2 while residential projects obtained highest value such as 0.016 t/m2. Social amenities obtained 0.010 t/m2 of waste generation rate. Waste generation rate is different compare to waste generation due to projects sizes. Waste generation rate shows the actual waste generation for every projects type based on gross floor area. The gross floor area is important parts need to be considered during waste generation which provide actual waste generation data. Waste generation rate plays an important role to measure waste generation for every type of projects. This study, will be very much beneficial for contractors and clients to control the construction waste in construction site and to identify efficiencies of projects using waste generation rate. Besides that, provide a generation rate on construction waste to the Government for control the waste and reduce illegal dumping in future

Sequestering of pollutants from public market wastewater using Moringa oleifera and Cicer arietinum flocculants

The present study aimed to investigate potential of Moringa oleifera and Cicer arietinum seeds for the treatment of public market wastewater in comparison to Alum and FeSO4. The flocculation process was assessed as a function of adsorbent dose (60–360 mg/L), pH (4 to 9) and mixing rate (50 to 300 rpm). The adsorption study was performed to find out the removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), oil and grease (O&G), colour, and turbidity in a lab-scale plant system (6 L). The results revealed that the use of M. oleifera resulted in the highest removal for BOD5, COD and O&G (68.08%, 79.1% and 83.3% respectively) at 180 mg/L, pH 7 to 8, and a mixing rate of 150 rpm. The use of Alum resulted in the highest removal percentage for TSS, colour and turbidity (87.17, 90.83 and 81.06% respectively) at 120 mg/L, pH 7 to 8, and a mixing rate of 150 rpm. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was the best model for the removal of turbidity by M. oleifera and C. arietinum (R2 = 0.91 and 0.93) compared to the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.81 and 0.82). Moreover, the adsorption of COD (R2 = 0.91) by M. oleifera was fitted to both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. In contrast, the Freundlich isotherm was the best for studying the removal of COD (R2 = 0.96) and O& G (R2 = 0.99) by C. arietinum. The findings obtained indicated that natural coagulants are applicable for improving the quality of public market wastewater