Jet quenching in shock waves

We study the propagation of an ultrarelativistic light quark jet inside a shock wave using the holographic principle. The maximum stopping distance and its dependency on the energy of the jet is obtained

Kenaf seed oil from supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction shows cytotoxic effects towards various cancer cell lines

Hibiscus cannabinus (Kenaf) from the family of Malvaceae is a valuable fiber source and medicinal plant. It has long been prescribed as traditional folk medicine in Africa and India to treat various diseases. Nevertheless, little research has been carried out on the potentials of this plant as treatment for cancer. This study was designed to determine the cytotoxicity of kenaf seed oil from two varieties (Quiping 3 and V36) extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction (SFE) with different combinations of pressure (bars) and temperature (°C) towards breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, 4T1), cervical cancer (HeLa), lung cancer (A549) and leukemic (MOLT-4) cell lines. Even though kenaf seed oil from both varieties were cytotoxic to all the cancer cells, kenaf seed oil variety V36 extracted by SFE at 600 bars 40°C (V600/40) was the strongest towards MOLT-4 and MDA-MB-231, with the IC50 values of 153.26 and 483.35 μg/ml, respectively. MOLT-4 and MDA-MB-231 cells treated with V600/40 exhibited typical characteristics of apoptosis such as blebbing, chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation as viewed under an inverted light microscope and a fluorescence microscope. In conclusion, V600/40 was the most cytotoxic towards the MOLT-4 and MDA-MB-231 cells in a dosedependent manner possibly via the induction of apoptosis.Key words: Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction, cytotoxicity, apoptosis

Aspek-aspek tidak patuh syariah dalam amalan jampi di Malaysia / Juriah Mohd Amin, PM Dr Huzaimah Ismail and PM Supani Husain

The arrival of Islam in the Malay world has brought a transformation of the traditional medical aspects as well as other aspects. As revealed religions, Islam emphasizes of halal and haram in all aspects, including medicine. Thus, any practice that is contrary to the principles of faith or morals or contrary to the Quran, Sunnah, ijma and qias is illegal. Today there are those who offer traditional medicine whether by individuals or organizations. But there are many non-Islamic elements when it is done with medication practices approach does not apply. Thus this paper aim to explore the various elements and the results of this study suggest that the authorities should establish specific guidelines for this alternative therapy. It aims to keep the Muslims from the elements that destroy their faith

Kajian impak Universiti Teknologi Mara Kedah / Pm Dr. Zaliha Hj Hussin…[et al.]

Kewujudan Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Kedah pada tahun 1997 mempunyai maksud dan agenda tersendiri. Pada dasarnya, kewujudan dan perkembangannya telah mempengaruhi pembangunan persekitaran serta mendorong perubahan sosio-ekonomi masyarakat setempat. Kajian ini bermatlamat untuk mengenal pasti impak ekonomi yang telah dihasilkan kesan daripada kewujudan UiTM Kedah di Lembah Bujang pada tahun 2007. Tiga bentuk impak ekonomi dilihat iaitu impak primer, sekunder dan semarak. Turut dikaji ialah impak perbelanjaan terhadap peluang-peluang pekerjaan dalam sektor tertentu. Bagi membolehkan impak-impak ini dikenal-pasti, enam kumpulan responden digunakan iaitu staf universiti, pelajar, kontraktor, penduduk berhampiran, pemiagaan dan industri dan kerajaan negeri. Kaedah persampelan berstrata rawak digunakan untuk memilih responden dalam kategori staf, pelajar dan penduduk. Data mengenai responden seperti pendapatan, jenis-jenis perbelanjaan dan biodata diri diperolehi melalui soal selidik. Untuk mendapatkan impak perbelanjaan, pekali dianggarkan melalui kaedah regresi dengan menggunakan fungsi penggunaan mudah untuk staf, pelajar dan kontraktor. Impak perbelanjaan telah dianggarkan melalui proses penggandaan bemilai RM138 juta kesan daripada perbelanjaan universiti, staf, pelajar dan kontraktor. Keduanya, jumlah peluang pekerjaan yang boleh diwujudkan dalam sektor-sektor tertentu ialah sebanyak 423. Dari segi impak semarak, kewujudan UiTM mempengaruhi perkhidmatan pengangkutan awam, pembangunan sekeliling, tempat kediaman, kemudahan awam, pertumbuhan perniagaan, peluang pekerjaan dan peningkatan dalam pendapata

Modulation of Sn concentration in ZnO nanorod array: intensification on the conductivity and humidity sensing properties

Tin (Sn)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays (TZO) were synthesized onto aluminum-doped ZnO-coated glass substrate via a facile sonicated sol–gel immersion method for humidity sensor applications. These nanorod arrays were grown at different Sn concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 3 at.%. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the deposited TZO arrays exhibited a wurtzite structure. The stress/strain condition of the ZnO film metamorphosed from tensile strain/compressive stress to compressive strain/tensile stress when the Sn concentrations increased. Results indicated that 1 at.% Sn doping of TZO, which has the lowest tensile stress of 0.14 GPa, generated the highest conductivity of 1.31 S cm− 1. In addition, 1 at.% Sn doping of TZO possessed superior sensitivity to a humidity of 3.36. These results revealed that the optimum performance of a humidity-sensing device can be obtained mainly by controlling the amount of extrinsic element in a ZnO film

Intake of dietary soy isoflavones in relation to perimenstrual symptoms of Korean women living in the USA

This study was conducted to identify the potential relationship between the dietary intake level of soy isoflavones and perimenstrual symptomatology. The research design was a cross-sectional study. The sample was made up of 84 Korean women living in the USA, aged 28–40 years. The Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Food Frequency Questionnaire were used as measurement tools. The soy isoflavone intake was significantly correlated with MDQ scores in the menstrual phase. In conclusion, the beneficial effect of dietary soy isoflavones on certain menstrual symptoms was established, suggesting that soy isoflavones could be one of the dietary factors related to the complexity of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The positive effect of soy isoflavones on PMS warrants further study.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72547/1/j.1442-2018.2006.00270.x.pd

Menopausal symptoms assessment among middle age women in Kushtia, Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are few menopausal study data available in South East Asia especially in Bangladesh. This study was conducted in a well populated town named Kushtia, which is located in the western part of Bangladesh.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>This study was aimed to document the menopausal-related symptoms among middle age women of Kushtia region of Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>By using modified MRS (Menopause Rating Scale) questionnaire, 509 women aged 40-70 years were interviewed to document symptoms commonly associated with menopause.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The mean age of menopause was 51.14 years. The most prevalent symptoms reported include, feeling tired (92.90%); headache (88.80%); joint and muscular discomfort (76.20%); physical and mental exhaustion (60.90%) and sleeplessness (54.40%) which are followed by depressive mood (37.30%); irritability (36%); dryness of vagina (36%); hot flushes and sweating (35.80%); anxiety (34.20%). However, noted less frequent symptoms were sexual problem (31.20%); cardiac discomfort (19.10%) and bladder problem (12.80%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prevalence of menopausal symptoms found in this study correspond to other studies on Asian women however the prevalence of classical menopausal symptoms of hot flushes and sweating were lower compared to studies on Caucasian women.</p

A meta-analysis of long-term effects of conservation agriculture on maize grain yield under rain-fed conditions

Conservation agriculture involves reduced tillage, permanent soil cover and crop rotations to enhance soil fertility and to supply food from a dwindling land resource. Recently, conservation agriculture has been promoted in Southern Africa, mainly for maize-based farming systems. However, maize yields under rain-fed conditions are often variable. There is therefore a need to identify factors that influence crop yield under conservation agriculture and rain-fed conditions. Here, we studied maize grain yield data from experiments lasting 5 years and more under rain-fed conditions. We assessed the effect of long-term tillage and residue retention on maize grain yield under contrasting soil textures, nitrogen input and climate. Yield variability was measured by stability analysis. Our results show an increase in maize yield over time with conservation agriculture practices that include rotation and high input use in low rainfall areas. But we observed no difference in system stability under those conditions. We observed a strong relationship between maize grain yield and annual rainfall. Our meta-analysis gave the following findings: (1) 92% of the data show that mulch cover in high rainfall areas leads to lower yields due to waterlogging; (2) 85% of data show that soil texture is important in the temporal development of conservation agriculture effects, improved yields are likely on well-drained soils; (3) 73% of the data show that conservation agriculture practices require high inputs especially N for improved yield; (4) 63% of data show that increased yields are obtained with rotation but calculations often do not include the variations in rainfall within and between seasons; (5) 56% of the data show that reduced tillage with no mulch cover leads to lower yields in semi-arid areas; and (6) when adequate fertiliser is available, rainfall is the most important determinant of yield in southern Africa. It is clear from our results that conservation agriculture needs to be targeted and adapted to specific biophysical conditions for improved impact