Cultural exploration of Shanxi local opera costumes and Malaysian Chinese opera costumes

This paper uses diversified qualitative research methods such as literature, case studies, and comparative research to focus on Shanxi local and Malaysian Chinese opera costumes. The article found that the development of Shanxi local opera and Malaysian Chinese opera costumes is the result of cultural identity and inheritance. The changes in opera costumes are a new visual form formed after transcendence, integration, and identification. This paper can also boost the exchange of costumes between Shanxi local and Malaysian Chinese opera and further enrich the current global cultural civilization

Cetakan visual sejarah pada era pemerintahan British di Sarawak berdasarkan koleksi Balai Seni visual Negara

The visual record of Borneo between the 18th and 19th century appears to be the most important visual collections of our homeland. Whilst it is a collection of visuals both picturesque and romantic, there is significant historical information that can be derived as these visual details were obtained through merchants, travelers and professionals in this region during that period.These travelers and artisans hardly missed the point of recording visuals of their journey to Borneo as one of their stopover before proceeding to other popular destinations. These visual records are still available, carefully preserved and cataloged especially in Netherland, Portugal, England and our very own National Visual Art Gallery. In these papers, we will be able to focus on the visual collection at the National Visual Art Gallery of historical events during the time of British Colonial rule in Sarawak.In addition, this paper will also highlight the repertoire of visual record prints in various techniques produced through experience and sketches by travelers, tourists, government officials and their families who had been in Sarawak.During the same period, the British has also started documenting historical events taking place in Sarawak in sketches and thereafter by printing and reproducing the artworks in prints by publishing in booklets as well as portfolios.Besides that, the visuals will be analysed by examining local and foreign records for comparison.These documentations will assist the completion of historical research not only through records but also through exploration of historical events, travels/journeys made by colonials in visual form

Model ekologi seniman visual dalam industri seni visual kontemporari Malaysia : satu proposal kerangka kerja / Dr Syed Alwi Syed Abu Bakar, Azian Tahir dan Ishak Ramli

Persekitaran penghasilan karya seni yang kini semakin mencabar dan berdaya saing telah mendorong supaya para seniman visual untuk mempunyai satu susunan amalan-amalan penghasilan karya yang terkini. Pada masakini, sistem penghasilan dan pemasaran karya tidak mempunyai satu garis panduan yang jelas dalam industri yang dapat membantu dalam kelangsungan hidup para seniman visual profesional di Malaysia. Oleh itu kajian ini dirancang bagi mendapatkan satu maklumbalas yang jelas dari mereka yang sedia ada aktif dalam industiri ini berkaitan cabaran yg dihadapi serta keboleh pasaran hasil karya para seniman visual untuk terus bersaing di persada penghasilan seni tempatan dan antarabangsa. Kertas kerja ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti amalan bukan teknikal yang diperlukan bagi kejayaan pelaksanaan dan pemasaran hasil karya seni di Malaysia. Hasil daripada kajian ini akan menyediakan kajian secara terperinci amalan-amalan para seniman visual dalam pelaksanaan dan pemasaran yang perlu dipertimbangkan oleh mereka yang bakal menceburkan diri di arena penghasilan karya secara professional. Melalui kertas kerja ini, satu kerangka kerja telah dibangunkan melalui sorotan menyeluruh dari sudut literatur serta amalan secara praktikal

Prediction of body fat loss in relation to change in nutrient intake among housewives participating in the MyBFF@ home study

Background: Diet compositions are likely to be one of the influential factors for body fat deposition. The aim of this paper was to determine the nutrient changes and its association to body fat loss among the overweight and obese housewives in the MyBFF@home study. Methods: Data of participants in the MyBFF@home study (intervention and control groups) were analysed. Participants in the intervention group received personalised dietary counselling consisted of reduced calorie diet 1200–1500 kcal/day, while the control group was assigned to receive women’s health seminars. The dietary assessment was done during the intervention phase at baseline, 1 month (m), 2 m, 3 m and 6 m using a 3-day food diary. Body fat was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyser (In-body 720) at baseline and at the end of the intervention phase. The mean differences of nutrient intake and body compositions during the intervention phase were measured with paired t-test. The changes in body fat and nutrients intake were calculated by subtracting baseline measurements from those taken at 6 months. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which the changes in each gram of nutrients per 1000 kcal were predictive of changes in body fat mass. Results: There were significant reductions in energy, all macronutrients, dietary fibre, calcium and iron intake in both study groups after the intervention phase (p <  0.05). In the intervention group, body fat loss increased with the reduction of each gram of carbohydrate, protein and fat per 1000 kcal, (p <  0.05), and decreased with the reduction of each gram of calcium and fibre intake per 1000 kcal (p <  0.05). In the control group, body fat loss increased with the reduction of each gram fat per 1000 kcal (p <  0.05) and decreased with the reduction of each gram iron per 1000 kcal. Conclusion: Changes in the intake of various nutrients have different effects on body fat loss between the intervention and control group

Visual sejarah dalam seni cetak bertemakan negeri-negeri Melayu 1786-1890

Budaya merakam peristiwa dan suasana sejarah melalui visual bermula sejak sekian lama, iaitu ketika manusia mula mengenali bagaimana untuk meninggalkan kesan pada sebarang permukaan. Hal ini berterusan hingga kepada beberapa ketamadunan yang besar yang menggunakan tinggalan visual sebagai medium untuk menyampaikan maklumat berhubung dengan kekuasaan mereka serta aktiviti harian masyarakat pada zaman tersebut. Fokus utama kajian ini adalah untuk melihat visual sejarah melalui seni cetak sebagai satu pendokumentasian sejarah terutama sekali di Negeri-negeri Melayu. Sesungguhnya dengan menghayati sesuatu karya seni sama ada dalam konteks sosial, politik, ekonomi dan penggayaan membolehkan kita memahami bukan sahaja seni malahan latarbelakang disebalik setiap visual yang terhasil. Negeri-negeri Melayu yang tidak ketinggalan dari menjadi tema utama dalam penghasilan visual seni cetak semenjak abad ke-15 lagi telah banyak menyimpan himpunan sejarah melalui visual cetakan secara tidak langsung. Hal ini jelas sekali menunjukan Negeri-negeri Melayu juga tidak ketinggalan mempunyai koleksi visual cetakan yang boleh dikaji untuk mendapatkan maklumat sejarah di sebalik setiap visual yang dihasilkan. Malahan seni cetak adalah salah satu daripada disiplin media masa yang paling berkesan, dalam menyimpan maklumat dan imej dalam jumlah yang banyak. Secara tidak langsung hal ini dapat memperlihatkan bagaimana perkembangan seni cetak di Negeri-negeri Melayu ini selari dengan proses pendokumentasian maklumat yang akhirnya menjadi rekod bercetak kepada sejarah negara. Dalam kontek kajian ini jangka masa himpunan visual cetakan yang dikaji adalah berlandaskan ketika era pemerintahan British di Negeri-negeri Melayu

Visual Peristiwa Tawanan Kapal S.S. Nisero British di Aceh Menerusi Akhbar ‘The Illustrated London News’

Abstrak Kertas kerja ini akan meneliti mengenai laporan visual mengenai peristiwa kapal S.S. Nisero yang tersadai dan ditawan di Aceh. Dalam meneliti hal tersebut, akhbar terkenal ketika itu iaitu ‘The Illustrated London News’ akan digunakan. Fokus perbincangan adalah terhadap Kapal S.S. Nisero yang belayar di bawah bendera British dari Surabaya telah mengalami kerosakan dan tersadai di perairan Sumatera pada 8 November 1885. Hal ini menyebabkan kapal ini telah ditahan di Teunom dan pihak Aceh telah menuntut wang tebusan kerana peristiwa tersebut dikatakan telah mencabuli kedaulatan mereka. Selain itu, kertas ini juga akan membincangkan tentang komplikasi politik yang serius berlaku akibat peristiwa ini terutama hubungan di antara British dengan Belanda sehingga pembebasan tawanan berakhir selepas 10 bulan berikutnya dengan bayaran oleh pihak British. Dengan pembebasan tersebut akhbar ‘The Illustrated London News’ telah memuatkan laporan visual khas mengenai peristiwa tersebut. Sebanyak dua halaman akhbar telah disediakan bagi memberi maklumat kepada masyarakat umum di England. Berita visual ini merangkumi laporan kejadian dari awal sehingga anak kapal tersebut berjaya dibawa pulang ke Pulau Pinan

Food label reading and understanding among obese adults: a population study in Malaysia.

Food labeling regulation has been implemented to enable consumers,including those with chronic diseases to make healthy informed choices before purchasing pre-packaged foods. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of obese adults in Malaysia who practice reading food labels. It explored types of labels read and understanding of the information.Findings presented in this study were captured from the secondary analysis of National Health and Morbidity Survey’s (NHMS, 2006) food label study which focused only on obese adults (BMI > 30 kg/m2) aged 18 and above. This nation-wide cross sectional study was conducted from April to August 2006 using an interview-based questionnaire. Complex data analysis was done using Stata version 12.0.There were 4565 obese respondents with the mean age of 33 ± 9.7 (18 – 60 years old). About 54.7% completed high-school and 9.9% were higher degree holders. Prevalence of obese adults who claimed to read label was 80.5% (95%CI: 79.3, 81.6). Findings showed significant results in reading and understanding labels among all age group categories, Malay, Indian and other Bumiputras, all education categories and married respondents. Expiry date was the highest percentage being read (74.5%), followed by fat content (15.3%), vitamin (11.8%) and carbohydrate (10.9%).The obese population in Malaysia claimed to read and understand the food label but did not focus on specific macronutrients related to their health condition. Findings can be used to implement effective education programmes targeting the relevant groups to instill an awareness to read,understand and use the label information as one of the means in combating obesity

The visual report of the perak war based on selected newspaper Visuals from Britain and America, 1875-1876

This study aims to investigate the representation of ideas through the visuals of The Perak War in Malaya, as produced by selected illustrated newspapers from Britain and America such as The Graphic, The Illustrated London News, and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper from 1875 to 1876. Discussing the content and the objective behind the visual publication of The Perak War, which involved the hunt of J.W.W. Birch murderers and the Malay resistance against the British colonial authority in Pasir Salak, Perak, is the major objective of this research. In fact, the theme of this study is history, which is conducted by applying the qualitative method. Based on previous studies, research which was centred on the Perak War visuals did not get a lot of attention from researchers even though it was able to offer new interpretations of historical events involving Malaya. Most articles written on the Perak War were derived from written sources such as British records, individual records, letters, books, oral input, and others. Consequently, the dynamics of national history are lacking due to the limitations caused by these resources. Findings indicate that the objective in producing the Perak War visuals by the resources mentioned differs from the publication goal. Nevertheless, overall, there are similarities in the objective behind visual productions listed in this study which was to represent the British’s interest in Malaya and also to consolidate the imperial image of its colonies

Combined ginger extract & Gelam honey modulate Ras/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathway genes in colon cancer HT29 cells

Background: The interconnected Ras/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways play a central role in colorectal tumorigenesis, and they are targets for elucidating mechanisms involved in attempts to induce colon cancer cell death. Both ginger (Zingiber officinale) and honey have been shown to exhibit anti-tumor and anti-inflammation properties against many types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. However, there are currently no reports showing the combined effect of these two dietary compounds in cancer growth inhibition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effect of crude ginger extract and Gelam honey in combination as potential cancer chemopreventive agents against the colorectal cancer cell line HT29. Methods: The cells were divided into 4 groups: the first group represents HT29 cells without treatment, the second and third groups were cells treated singly with either ginger or Gelam honey, respectively, and the last group represents cells treated with ginger and Gelam honey combined. Results: The results of MTS assay showed that the IC50 of ginger and Gelam honey alone were 5.2 mg/ml and 80 mg/ml, respectively, whereas the IC50 of the combination treatment was 3 mg/ml of ginger plus 27 mg/ml of Gelam honey with a combination index of < 1, suggesting synergism. Cell death in response to the combined ginger and Gelam honey treatment was associated with the stimulation of early apoptosis (upregulation of caspase 9 and IκB genes) accompanied by downregulation of the KRAS, ERK, AKT, Bcl-xL, NFkB (p65) genes in a synergistic manner. Conclusions: In conclusion, the combination of ginger and Gelam honey may be an effective chemopreventive and therapeutic strategy for inducing the death of colon cancer cells