Simple cultivation of effective microorganisms to reduce number of flies in local chicken coop / Wan Siti Atikah Wan Omar and Muzammil Izzat Arbain

Effective microorganisms (EM) were used in many biological applications, such as the making of organic fertiliser and bioremediation. Some chicken farmers make their effective microorganisms due to simple preparation and to reduce the production cost. However, the effectiveness of the EM in an actual chicken coop was hardly found reported. In this research, the effectiveness of a commercial EM (EM-1) was compared with self-prepared EM made from the fermentation of pineapple (EM-Pineapple) and milk (EM-Milk). This experiment was run at a chicken coop with a capacity of 100 chickens. The number of flies in the coop was collected and counted before, and after the EM was sprayed in the chicken coop. After-treatment, EM-1 reduced flies’ number about 62.27%. EM-Milk decrease flies’ number to 55.00% while EM-Pineapple reduces the flies to 50.34%. Although all the EM showed a reduction of flies’ number after the treatment, EM-1 is the most effective compared to other EMs. However, statistical analysis shows that the effectiveness among the treatments is similar. This finding suggested that simple cultivation of EM can prevent foul odour and economically reduces the number of flies in the small-scale chicken coo

Trends and Attitudes Community towards Sunnah Food

Amalan gaya hidup Rasulullah SAW perlulah diimani, diyakini, dipercayai seterusnya diaplikasikan dalam semua aspek kehidupan. Salah satu gaya hidup Rasulullah SAW yang seharusnya diikuti adalah dalam aspek pemakanan. Dari aspek pemakanan Rasulullah, terdapat beberapa jenis makanan yang menjadi kesukaan dan kegemaran Rasulullah SAW. Oleh itu, kajian ini dijalankan bertujuan menilai sejauhmana tahap kefahaman masyarakat di Kajang, Selangor terhadap makanan sunnah. Seramai 32 orang responden telah menjawab instrumen soal selidik yang diberikan secara langsung (bersua muka). Kajian ini berbentuk kajian kajian kuantitatif. Dapatan kajian dianalisis menggunakan metode analisis diskriptif yang dijelaskan dalam bentuk kekerapan, peratusan dan purata (min). Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa masyarakat mempunyai suatu pandangan yang sama iaitu stereotaip mengenai maksud makanan sunnah iaitu makanan yang telah di makan oleh Rasulullah SAW dan makanan yang disebut dalam al-Quran dan Sunnah. Namun begitu, apa yang boleh dilihat, makanan sunnah yang difahami oleh masyarakat hanya tertumpu kepada sebahagian sahaja makanan yang disebut di dalam al-Quran dan sunnah.The lifestyle of Rasulullah SAW should be believed to be further applied in all aspects of life. One of the lifestyle of Rasulullah SAW that should be followed is in the aspect of nutrition. From the nutrition aspect of Rasulullah, there are several kinds of foods that are the favorite of Rasulullah SAW. Therefore, this study is conducted to evaluate how far the level of understanding of the community in Kajang, Selangor against sunnah food. A total of 32 respondents answered the questionnaire provided directly (face to face). This study is a quantitative study. The findings were analyzed using descriptive analysis method described in the form of frequency, percentage and mean. The findings show that people have a common view of stereotyping about the meaning of sunnah food which is the food that has been eaten by the Prophet and the food mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah. However, what can be seen, the sunnah food understood by the community only focuses on only part of the food mentioned in the Qur'an and sunnah

SURFACE MORPHOLOGY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF NAPIER GRASS FIBERS (Morfologi Permukaan dan Komposisi Kimia Gentian Rumput Napier)

Abstract A cellulosic component of Napier grass has high potential for the ethanol production. The presence of hemicelluloses, lignin and cellulose in Napier grass fiber can affect the ethanol production. The aim of this study is analyzed the effect of different pretreatment condition (2% of acetic acid and 2% of sodium hydroxide) on the chemical composition and observe the fiber surface morphology of the Napier grass fibers. The fiber surface morphology was observed using Scanning Electrone Microscope (SEM). The result of different pretreatment condition showed that 2% of acetic acid treatment have the highest percentage of cellulose followed by 2% of sodium hydroxide treatment and untreated sample. The hemicellulose content is reduced when treated with acid and alkali. Based on the fiber morphology characterization, acid and alkali pretreatment condition showed that the surface impurities on the fiber were removed. This study suggested that the acid and alkali treatment of Napier grass fibers has a potential to enhance the ethanol production because it can reduce the hemicellulose content. Keywords: Cellulose, Napier grass fiber composition, Pretreatment Abstrak Komponen selulosa dalam rumput Napier mempunyai potensi yang tinggi untuk menghasilkan etanol. Kehadiran hemiselulosa, lignin dan selulosa dalam gentian rumput Napier boleh memberi kesan kepada penghasilan etanol. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menganalisa komposisi kimia rumput Napier dalam keadaan pra-rawatan yang berbeza (2% asid asetik dan 2% natrium hidroksida) dan untuk melihat pencirian gentian serat rumput Napier berdasarkan pra-rawatan yang berbeza. Morfologi permukaan gentian dilihat menggunakan Mikroskop Elektron Pengimbas. Keputusan analisa menunjukkan bahawa peratusan selulosa berdasarkan 2% rawatan asid asetik adalah paling tinggi, diikuti gentian yang dirawat dengan 2% natrium hidroksida dan sampel gentian yang tidak dirawat. Kandungan hemiselulosa berkurangan apabila dirawat dengan asid dan alkali. Berdasarkan pencirian morfologi, gentian rumput Napier yang dirawat dengan asid dan alkali mempunyai morfologi permukaan yang lebih licin dan mempunyai banyak ruang di antara gentian. Kajian ini mencadangkan bahawa rawatan asid dan alkali mempunyai potensi untuk menambahkan penghasilan etanol disebabkan berlakunya pengurangan kandungan hemiselulosa

A review on the potential of photocatalysis in combatting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

Photocatalytic technology offers powerful virus disinfection in wastewater via oxidative capability with minimum harmful by-products generation. This review paper aims to provide state-of-the-art photocatalytic technology in battling transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater. Prior to that, the advantages and limitations of the existing conventional and advanced oxidation processes for virus disinfection in water systems were thoroughly examined. A wide spectrum of virus degradation by various photocatalysts was then considered to understand the potential mechanism for deactivating this deadly virus. The challenges and future perspectives were comprehensively discussed at the end of this review describing the limitations of current photocatalytic technology and suggesting a realistic outlook on advanced photocatalytic technology as a potential solution in dealing with similar upcoming pandemics. The major finding of this review including discovery of a vision on the possible photocatalytic approaches that have been proven to be outstanding against other viruses and subsequently combatting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. This review intends to deliver insightful information and discussion on the potential of photocatalysis in battling COVID-19 transmission through wastewater

In silico studies, X-ray diffraction analysis and biological investigation of fluorinated pyrrolylated-chalcones in zebrafish epilepsy models

Epilepsy is the third most common known brain disease worldwide. Several antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are available to improve seizure control. However, the associated side effects limit their practical use and highlight the ongoing search for safer and effective AEDs. Eighteen newly designed fluorine-containing pyrrolylated chalcones were extensively studied in silico, synthesized, structurally analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and biologically and toxicologically tested as potential new AEDs in zebrafish epilepsy in vivo models. The results predicted that 3-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (compound 8) had a good drug-like profile with binding affinity to γ-aminobutyric acid receptor type-A (GABAA, − 8.0 kcal/mol). This predicted active compound 8 was effective in reducing convulsive behaviour in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced larvae and hyperactive movements in zc4h2 knockout (KO) zebrafish, experimentally. Moreover, no cardiotoxic effect of compound 8 was observed in zebrafish. Overall, pyrrolylated chalcones could serve as alternative AEDs and warrant further in-depth pharmacological studies to uncover their mechanism of action

Anatomy education environment measurement inventory (AEEMI): a cross-validation study in Malaysian medical schools

Background: The Anatomy Education Environment Measurement Inventory (AEEMI) evaluates the perception of medical students of educational climates with regard to teaching and learning anatomy. The study aimed to cross-validate the AEEMI, which was previously studied in a public medical school, and proposed a valid universal model of AEEMI across public and private medical schools in Malaysia. Methods: The initial 11-factor and 132-item AEEMI was distributed to 1930 pre-clinical and clinical year medical students from 11 medical schools in Malaysia. The study examined the construct validity of the AEEMI using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: The best-fit model of AEEMI was achieved using 5 factors and 26 items (χ 2 = 3300.71 (df = 1680), P < 0.001, χ 2/df = 1.965, Root Mean Square of Error Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.018, Goodness-of-fit Index (GFI) = 0.929, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.962, Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.927, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.956) with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.621 to 0.927. Findings of the cross-validation across institutions and phases of medical training indicated that the AEEMI measures nearly the same constructs as the previously validated version with several modifications to the item placement within each factor. Conclusions: These results confirmed that variability exists within factors of the anatomy education environment among institutions. Hence, with modifications to the internal structure, the proposed model of the AEEMI can be considered universally applicable in the Malaysian context and thus can be used as one of the tools for auditing and benchmarking the anatomy curriculum

Development Of Fed-Batch Cultivation Process For Esherichia Coli Harboring Superoxide Dismutase

The fed-batch cultivation process for the production of the recombinant protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD) by E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS was carried out. The cultivation process for recombinant SOD (ESOD) production was optimized through several approaches and strategies. The first approach was to optimize medium and culture conditions of the ESOD culture in shake flask via conventional and the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) methods. Laboratory scale batch cultivation of ESOD was then performed using a 2 L stirred tank bioreactor (STB) in order to further optimize the medium and culture conditions. The effects of glucose concentrations (15 and 20 g/L), agitation speeds (300 – 1000 rpm) and controlled dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) via agitation speeds (20%, 50% and 80%) on the growth performance of the recombinant E. coli strain were investigated. In the final stage, fed-batch techniques were applied to the process for the development of high cell density cultivation. The performance and kinetics of the ESOD fed-batch and batch cultivations were then evaluated and compared

Bioprocesses characterization of 2-L sonobioreactor

Bioprocess characterizations are commonly evaluated to justify the use, setting alteration and future scaling-up. This paper discussed on some bioprocess characterization of 2-L sonobioreactor against the standard bioreactor (control). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the additional and adjustment of a standard bioreactor into a sonobioreactor had a differentbioprocesses characters. The bioreactor was set at four settings, 1) control, 2) control with flow rate, 3) flow rate with 10% duty cycle and 4) flow rate with 40% duty cycle. Accordingly, four simple characterizations were measured, power number, mixing time, response time, and volumetric mass coefficient. The results showed most of the characterizations were similar except for the mixing time. The control was found significantly faster than other settings at 10 s by a conductivity method. As a conclusion,findings explained the sonobioreactor settings affected the mixing time due to the use of flow rate and sonication

Transformation of pTrcHis and pUC8.2-14 into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)

Recombinant microorganism is a genetically modified microorganism which specifically designed for the expression of target protein production or bioreaction process. As different expression host may contribute to superior results, the transformation of a plasmid carrying the gene of interest into the same strain of competent cells would assist in research assessment. This study focused on the transformation of recombinant lipase from two different sources into Escherichia coli competent cells, BL21 (DE3). The recombinant cells, pUC8.2-14 (American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)®68046™) was harbouring Rhizopus (delemar) oryzae lipase and E. coli Top 10 pTrcHis was harbouring Staphylococcus hyicus lipase, respectively. The transformation is involved preparation of competent cells, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. The DNA sequences obtained was inserted into Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), under the databases of National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), USA. The findings show the respective plasmids were successfully carried by the E. coli BL21 (DE3) for further investigation

Carboxymethyl-cellulase and filter-paperase activities of napier grass fermentation by new bacterial isolates

Cellulosic biomass is a renewable and most abundant resource with high potential for bioconversion to biofuels. It can be degraded by cellulase produced by cellulolytic producing bacteria. Proximately, three different types of cellulase needed for effective enzymatic hydrolysis; endoglucanase (CMCase), exocellobiohydrolase and β -glucosidase. Total cellulase activity can be determined by measuring reducing sugar derived from filter paper (FPase) while endoglucanase (CMCase) can be determined by measure reducing sugar release from carboxymethyl- cellulose (CMC). In this study, the CMCase and FPase activities of new six isolates from different environments (compost: C5/1 and C5/2; ponds: L5/1, L6/2, and L6/5; and decayed wood: D6/1) were examined according methods recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).The fermentation has been conducted for 4 days incubation period at 37°C and agitated at 150 rpm. Napier grass has been used as a substrate. As a result, the C5/2 exhibited the highest enzymes activities of CMCase and FPase, which were 2.205U/mL and 0.39U/mL, respectively