Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith hexane crude extract caused DNA damage on Leptospira spp.

Numerous attempts have been made to control leptospirosis by using chemoprophylaxis, but with limited success. The present study was done to investigate the antileptospiral potential of hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Zingiber zerumbet rhizomes. The extracts were assayed for antileptospiral activity using broth microdilution method against Leptospira interrogans (serovar Batavie, Canicola, Australis) and Leptospira biflexa serovar Patoc. The Z. zerumbet hexane extract exhibited antileptospiral activity, with IC50 values of 248 μg/mL against L. interrogans serovar Canicola, IC50 of 125 μg/mL against L. interrogans serovar Australis, IC50 of 15.63 μg/mL against L. interrogans serovar Batavie and IC50 of 109 μg/mL against L. biflexa serovar Patoc. However, both ethyl acetate and methanol extracts did not show any distinct antileptospiral activity. Since the hexane extract of Z. zerumbet showed antileptospiral activity, the DNA-damaging properties of this extract were tested according to their IC50 and IC25 values that were specific to each serovars. The DNA-damaging properties were determined by treating the selected Leptospira spp. with the hexane extract and subjecting its DNA to electrophoresis and analysis on agarose gels. The results demonstrated that the hexane extract had DNA-damaging properties towards L. biflexa serovar Patoc and L. interrogans serovar Australis, as proven by the appearance of fragmented DNA on the gels. We conclude that the Z. zerumbet hexane extract could inhibit the growth of Leptospira spp. serovar Patoc and Australis through DNA-damaging activity and thus, could be a potential antileptospiral agent. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential of this hexane extract as an antileptospiral agent using in vivo rat models of leptospirosis

Normalizing library records display using FRBR model for al-Qur'an work-set

The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) model is a conceptual entity-relationship model developed for better arrangement, collocation, and navigation in bibliographic databases. As such, a FRBRized library online catalog (OPAC) can improve the performance of OPAC as a retrieval tool. We explored the utility of FRBR framework for supporting rich indexation, and rich interaction in digital libraries using an open source FRBR tool developed by the Library of Congress. We tested the system on some MARC-based bibliographic records from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) library. Several issues have been found useful to be explored which includes multi-script, complex work, and missing fields. We also experimented on FRBRzing the work-set on al-Quran using the LOC FRBR Display Tool. This paper will elaborate on the process of FRBRizing using this open-source tool. Several problems encountered in the experiment are discussed and future enhancements are proposed. This work may initiate interest among the librarian to adopt FRBR as advancement to the existing digital library system

Relative Importance Index (RII) in Ranking the Factors of Employer Satisfaction Towards Industrial Training Students

This study aims to examine the level of employer satisfaction towards industrial training students of the UiTM Pahang Civil Engineering Diploma Program and identify employer satisfaction factors for industrial training students from aspects of knowledge, personality, generic skills, and soft skills. This study is focused on semester four students undergoing industrial training. This study was conducted on 158 respondents from various organizations. Using the important relative index (RII), the level of important factors was ranked through the value of the index.  Findings show the highest employer satisfaction is towards the student mastering their knowledge, adhering to the working hours, improving their skills and knowledge, and communicating well with co-workers. Besides, it also shows a good correlation between knowledge and personality among industrial training students. This study found that industrial training students of the Civil Engineering Diploma Program had a good level of control over all four domains. Overall findings showed that employers are satisfied with the industrial training students of the UiTM Pahang Civil Engineering Diploma Program. This study is important to measure the effectiveness of the industrial training syllabus in terms of achieving the program outcomes addressed in the syllabu

Influence of processing parameters on the yield and 6-gingerol content of zingiber officinale extract

Ginger {Zingiber officinale) belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. It's rhizomes and the obtained extracts contain polyphenol compound (6-gingerol and its derivatives), which have a high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The aim of this study is to optimize the processing parameters for the extraction of ginger essential oil using hydrodistillation method. Optimization of processing parameters, namely the effect of extraction time, solid to solvent ratio and drying temperature for the extraction of ginger essential oil and 6-gingerol content The essential oil produced through hydrodistillation extraction method were analyzed for 6-gingerol content by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). As a result, the optimum condition were extraction time of 90 minutes, a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:20 and a sample drying temperature of 50 “C. This optimum condition was finalized based on its maximum yield and 6-gingerol content from ginger extraction which were 7.02 % (w/w) and 35.3404 mg/L, respectively. It can be concluded that the hydrodistillation method is an effective method in the essential oil production industry

Optimization of phenol adsorption onto biochar from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB)

Malaysia, as one of the leading palm oil producers in the world faces problems in disposal of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), which can be converted into various value-added products, including adsorbents. This study investigated the adsorption of phenol from its solution using biochar produced from EFB through carbonization. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design was used to investigate the effects of three parameters (temperature, time and heating rate) during carbonization on phenol removal by the biochar produced. This was followed by process optimization based on statistical analysis. The results indicated that the optimized carbonization conditions were; 500 °C for temperature, 10 °C/min of heating rate and 80 min for reaction timwhich led to 7.57% of phenol removal. SEM revealed coarse and uneven surface of the biochar surface, with small degree of pore development. Comparison between FTIR spectrum of EFB and biochar revealed the loss water and hydroxyl compounds from EFB during carbonization. The lack of oxygenated groups (especially carbonyl groups) on the adsorbent surface as well as limited number of pores were the possible reasons leading to low phenol adsorption by biochar, therefore conversion of the biochar to activated carbon was necessary for higher adsorption performance

The effects of social support and social media influencers’ credibility on emotional brand attachment: The mediating roles of trust in multichannel

This study investigates the impacts of various nonbrand-owned digital touchpoints for restaurant brands, which are social support and credible influencer on trust in multichannel. The influence of trust in multichannel towards emotional brand attachment coupled with its mediating influences on domain correlations are explored. This study integrates social support theory and trust transfer theory to evaluate the links among constructs. This study also utilizes a structured survey from a sample of 446 individuals in Klang Valley area of Malaysia. The results indicate that informational support and influencer credibility influence trust in multichannel while trust in multichannel influences emotional brand attachment. Trust in various channels also plays several important mediating roles in predicting emotional brand attachment. Apart from contributing to theoretical advances, this study has important practical implications for practitioners to establish more effective marketing strategies