Anti-gout potential of selected Malaysian local fruits

This study aimed to investigate the in vitro xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity and phytochemical content of guava, water rose apple, Malay gooseberry, pineapple and ambarella. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was measured spectrophotometrically at 295 nm. The phytochemical analysis tested were total phenolic, total flavonoid and total anthocyanin contents of each methanolic extract of the fruits. The highest amount of phenolic was found in ambarella (0.245 mg GAE/g) while guava had the highest amount of flavonoid (0.472 mg RE/g). Meanwhile, water rose apple had the highest anthocyanin content (5.001 mg c-3-gE/g). For the XO inhibitory activity, water rose apple displayed the lowest IC50 value (26.86 μg/mL), showing better anti-gout activity as compared to that of other fruit samples. Positive correlation between total phenolic content and XO inhibitory activity was also observed in this study. Further study on the isolation of bioactive compounds from the fruit samples that act as XO inhibitor is greatly needed in the future

BILINGUALISM AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE MOTHER TONGUE IN MULTILINGUAL SINGAPORE

Two issues have been identified that act against the development of a strong bilingual and biliteracy proficiency among pupils in Singapore schools: 1. English is perceived as having a much higher status than the Mother Tongue (MT) and the language in which success is primarily measured given its primacy as the language of instruction in all subjects except the MT. Consequently, children’s use of their MT has been observed to decline in favour of English; 2. English and the MT are taught in effect as a form of double monolingualism, in watertight compartments, with no opportunity for bilingual learning or reflection in class on the relationship between the two languages. This artificially blocks pupils’ access to the other language and prevents the development of a more robust bilingual. In this presentation, I will describe the ways in which the MT is maintained in Singapore, and in particular focus on the research that has recently been completed on the use of dual language books to rejuvenate the interest and ability to read in Malay in bilingual Malay children

Strategi guru dalam pembelajaran di Sanggar Bina Prestasi (SBP) al-Huda kota Palangka Raya

Seorang guru yang professional dalam pembelajaran mempunyai kemampuan menggunakan strategi saat proses pembelajaran di kelas, dalam penelitian ini akan mengkaji strategi guru dalam pembelajaran di Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya, dengan menggunakan rumusan masalah sebagai berikut: (1) Apa materi-materi yang diberikan dalam pembelajaran Sanggar Bina prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya? (2) Apa strategi yang digunakan guru dalam pembelajaran Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya? (3) Bagaimana penerapan strategi yang digunakan dalam pembelajaran Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya? Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian lapangan (field research) dalam waktu dua bulan yang bertempat di Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya beralamat di Jl. Temanggung Tilung III No. 01 Palangka Raya, dengan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif. Subjek penelitian adalah 8 orang kakak Pembina dan informan dua pimpinan sanggar. Objek penelitian ini adalah strategi guru dalam pembelajaran di Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan: observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Pengabsahan data menggunakan triangulasi yang kemudian dianalisis dengan langkah data collection (pengumpulan data), data reduction (pengurangan data), data display (penyajian data), dan data conclusions drawing/verification (menarik kumpulan data yang diperoleh). Hasil penelitian ini yaitu: (1) Materi yang diberikan dalam pembelajaran Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya adalah materi pembelajaran yang diberikan sesuai dengan materi yang diberikan disekolah seperti Matematika, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN, IPS, IPA, Pendidikan Agama Islam. (2) Strategi yang digunakan adalah strategi pembelajaran heuristik yaitu strategi yang menekankan pada aktivitas siswa pada proses pembelajaran dalam mengembangkan proses berpikir intelektual siswa. (3) Penerapan strategi heuristik pada Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya meliputi peran guru sebagai tenaga pengajar mampu membuat suasana menjadi nyaman dan santai sehingga siswa menjadi termotivasi dan antusias dalam belajar, siswa sebagai sebagai peserta didik aktif dalam belajar, materi sebagai bahan belajar sesuai dengan kompetensi dan tujuan belajar di sekolah, serta media dan alat yang memadai dalam proses pembelajaran, sehingga penerapan strategi heuristik dapat diterapkan di Sanggar Bina Prestasi Al-Huda kota Palangka Raya

Intergrated leachate treatment by sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and micro-zeolite (MZ)

Biological treatment has a lot of potential in leachate treatment with the ability of the biodegradable substrates and this method can reduce the cost of treatment residues with respect to ecological and economical requirements.The aims of this study are to investigate the effect of biological treatment by using sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system in different condition consisting anaerobic (An), anoxic (Ax), and oxic (Ox) with different reaction time. An integration in combining phases consisting An/Ax/Ox is used in order to achieve maximum removal. Then, followed by the performance of combination phases consisting An/Ax/Ox in SBR system with addition of adsorption adsorbent micro-zeolite (MZ) (size range 75-150 μm) at different dosages. The raw leachate and sludge were collected from sanitary landfill from Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang. An condition has better performance in an SBR system at optimum reaction time 11 hr promoting the percentage removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (AN), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and suspended solid (SS) and turbidity which were 77%, 74.65%, 75.07%, 76.05%, 63.91%, and 62.67% respectively. The result indicated that the combined condition consisting An/Ax/Ox at the optimum time reaction of each condition gives the removal efficiency COD, AN, TN, TP, SS, and turbidity which were 85.78%, 88.65%, 87.07%, 86.9%, 81.92% and 81.15% respectively. The application addition of adsorption adsorbent gives optimum dosage at 5 g/L. The addition of MZ shows good removal efficiency which were more than 90% at overall parameter

Graphical user interface (GUI) for supervisory control of computer intergtated manufacturing (CIM-70A) using SCADA

Supervisory Control system and the Acquisition Data or SCADA is generalization of effective plant monitoring and conU'ol system in meeting production needs etc. The aim of the study is to prepare a SCADA system for AS/RS, functional Mechatronics Educational Material which simulates to real-life production system. Graphical control buttons to the system will be design to perform single or multiple tasks. The software is form Citect Pty. Limited called Citect SCADA. This project will be discussed as it applied in a CIM-70A at Mechatronic Laboratory of UTHM. Designing a controlling and monitoring system not only for AS/RS but it is also a way providing up-to-date data. It will provide system operators with central or local control using clear, concise, resizable graphics pages (screens). Graphical control buttons to the system will be design to perform single or multiple tasks. In the last chapter, some methodologies for solving the problem as well as to improve the SCADA are proposed

Pembangunan dan penilaian sistem 'template' soal selidik berasaskan web (e-templete questionnaire)

Kajian ini dijaiankan bagi meninjau keboiehgunaan dan tahap mesra pengguna terhadap g-?e?77p/a/g soal selidik. Fokus utama kajian ini adaiah (i) menilai tahap keboiehgunaan <?-/<?/7?/?/<3/<? soal-selidik daiam pembangunan soal selidik secara atas talian sebagai instrumen penyeiidikan, (ii) menilai tahap keboiehgunaan g-Zgnzp/a/g soal selidik yang dibangunkan untuk proses pengumpuian data penyeiidikan, (iii) menilai tahap keselamatan g-fgwzp/a/e soal selidik yang dibangunkan, (iv) menilai tahap mesra pengguna g-Zg/wp/a/g, (v) menilai tahap keberkesanan g-fgnzp/a/g soal selidik dan (vi) menilai sama ada terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan di antara persepsi peiajar dan pensyarah terhadap tahap keberkesanan e-?g77zp/afe soal selidik berkenaan. Rekabentuk kajian yang dijaiankan adaiah berbentuk kajian tinjauan dan melibatkan kedua-dua kaedah kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Responden kajian ini terdiri daripada 10 orang pensyarah, 10 orang kakitangan am dan 30 orang peiajar yang terlibat dengan aktiviti penyeiidikan. Instrumen kajian yang digunakan adaiah borang soal selidik dan temubual. Kajian ini mengambil kira aspek keberkesanan g-re772p/a?g yang merangkumi tahap keboiehgunaan sistem berkenaan daiam pembangunan borang soal selidik secara atas talian, keboiehgunaan sistem daiam aspek pengumpuian data, tahap keselamatan data dan tahap mesra pengguna. Kajian ini menguji sama ada terdapat perbezaan persepsi peiajar dan pensyarah terhadap tahap keberkesanan g-Zgnzp/a/g yang dibangunkan. Hasil daripada kajian mendapati tahap keboiehgunaan daiam pembangunan soal selidik berada pada tahap tinggi iaitu dengan memperoleh skor min = 3.97 . Tahap keboiehgunaan untuk aktiviti pengumpuian data memperoleh skor min = 4.03. Manakala untuk tahap keselamatan skor min yang diperoleh adaiah 3.95. Bagi tahap mesra pengguna skor min yang diterima adaiah 3.85. Akhir sekali, tahap keberkesanan g-/g/Mp/a/rg memperoleh skor min 3.95. Kajian juga mendapati bahawa tidak terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan antara persepsi peiajar dan pensyarah terhadap g-/gHzp/a7g yang dibangunkan. Pembangun mencadangkan supaya laman web g-?gmp/a?g ini dapat dimumikan lagi dengan penambahan fungsi untuk menganalisis data. Ini kerana fungsi berkenaan tidak dapat dibangunkan

The development of a curriculum framework for the National Dual Training System (NDTS) in Malaysia

Curriculum is one of the most important elements in the Technical Education and Vocational Training system. Nonetheless, the existing National Occupational Skill Standard (NOSS)-based curriculum was found incapable of playing this role for its approach had created issue of workers being produced not meeting the needs of the industry or mismatch. In addressing the issue, the Malaysian government has decided to implement the National Dual Training System (NDTS) in 2005. The development of the NDTS curriculum was started in 2004, with the help of industry experts and skilled workers and guided by overseas consultants. However, the development of the NDTS curriculums was very time consuming. This has resulted in a serious scarcity in the number of curriculum. Worse still, the completed curriculums have been found inadequate that discouraged industry participation in the training programmes. Study showed that it stemmed from the absence of a good framework for the curriculum development in the country. Thus, it is paramount to make the needed NDTS curriculum framework available. The study adopted the qualitative research approach and the data collection methods were interviews, document reviews and observations. The existing practices of the NDTS curriculum development were investigated and analysed to unveil the actual way of developing the curriculum. The findings were benchmarked against the practices applied by developed countries to evaluate whether the NDTS curriculum development processes were in line with theirs in terms of dual training concept, work process analysis and establishment of working team. Ultimately, the study came up with a curriculum development framework to benefit all parties involved in training especially the curriculum developers to produce good curriculums within a reasonable time frame

The forgotten majority of computing have-nots

People have falsely regarded the computing working environment as dedicated to the confines of a building with availability of electricity, high-speed info-structure, and the latest computer technology. In reality, there are many computing have-nots in the real world living in challenged computing environments. Current computing curricula are designed to prepare graduates for more urban and best-case business scenarios where learning takes place within campus boundaries. To prepare computing graduates better to survive in harsh environments and to contribute meaningfully to society, their learning should also take place out of the classroom and into challenged computing environments where active and experiential learning could take place. Confronted with the harsh realities of life, students learn quickly to adapt themselves for survival and for their future career. Many generic skills can be reinforced here to make computing graduates more versatile, entrepreneurial, effective, and ever ready to face the real world

Effect of flow resistance in open rectangular channel

The determination of flow resistance for open channels remains a challenge in practices. In this research, an experimental study was carried out to investigate the hydraulic roughness characteristics in an open channel. The experimental flume (10 m length, 0.30 m width and 0.46 height) was carried out with two conditions ; contain gravel bed and without gravel bed (as controller). Blocks of concrete foam were fabricated and laid on the bed surface for providing uniformly roughened along the open channel. A velocity flow meter was used to quantify the average velocity, and other parameters such as cross-section, hydraulic radius, wetted perimeter, and channel slopes were also calculated. Finally, the flow resistance, n obtained using the flume with gravel bed surface is higher than the flume without gravel bed surface. The flow conditions were declared as subcritical as the Froude number is less than 1 for both conditions in the flume. As a conclusion, it was identified that the hydraulic roughness n, was influenced by the type bed roughness, flow rate and channel slope