Digital Commons Network^™

Preparation And Characterisation Of N-Phthaloylchitosan Based Polymer Electrolyte For Application In Dyesensitized Solar Cell / Siti Nor Farhana Yusuf, Yusuf Siti Nor Farhana

Student Works (2010-2019)

In this work, N-Phthaloylchitosan (PhCh) was first synthesized via phthaloylation using chitosan. The structure of PhCh has been confirmed using FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. From FTIR spectroscopy, characteristic peaks of phthalimido and aromatic group from PhCh are observed at 1772, 1708, and 719 cm-1 respectively while 1H NMR spectrum shows two sets of peaks centered at 3.0 and 7.5 ppm verifying that chitosan has been phthaloylated. The presence of the bulky phthalimido groups in PhCh results in the reduction of inter- and intramoleculear hydrogen bonds of the chitosan, resulting in solubility in some organic solvents such as DMF, DMSO, …

Biological Activities Of Penicilliopsis Sp. / Nadia Iryani Binti Najri, Najri Nadia Iryani

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study was carried out to evaluate the biological activities of Penicilliopsis sp. (KUM60280). The methanol and dichloromethane crude extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic and anti-human papillomavirus (HPV) activities. The amounts of total phenolic compound in the extracts were also evaluated. The antibacterial capacity was screened against Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguis) as well as Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas auruginosa and P. vulgaris). Antifungal potentials on the other hand, were evaluated against Candida albicans, C. parasilopsis and Saccharomyces pombe by the disc diffusion method. The …

Physicochemical Studies Of Liquid Pollutants Using Reversed Flow Gas Chromatographic Techniques, Khalid Khalisanni

Student Works (2010-2019)

Evaporation of pollutant liquid is a vital ecological fate when the compounds are introduced into both freshwater and marine environments through industrial effluents, or introduced directly into the air from industrial unit processes such as bioreactors and cooling towers. In such cases, reversed-flow gas chromatography (RF-GC) method is needed to measure the physicochemical properties of the pollutant liquids. RF-GC sampling technique is an effortless, fast and accurate procedure. Since the earliest publication on RF-GC, the method has been used to study physicochemical quantities by measuring the value of one in the presence of another. The application of the method embraces …

Effects Of Postharvest Hot Water Treatment On Physiological And Biochemical Properties Of Eksotika Ii Papaya During Ripening / Arina Mhd Arshad, Mhd Arshad Arina

Student Works (2010-2019)

The effects of postharvest hot water treatment (HWT) on the quality of ‘Eksotika II’ papaya fruit harvested at different harvesting maturities were investigated. HWT is a method for fruit fly disinfestation which is a quarantine requirement for the fresh papaya exportation industries in Malaysia. Fruit at maturity stages Index 1 (H1), Index 2 (H2) and Index 3 (H3) were harvested. From each maturity stage, one group of the papaya fruit batch was treated with hot water at 47±1˚C fruit core temperature held for 10 minutes and another group was untreated. Fruit were left to ripen at ambient temperature (25˚C) and …

Heterologous Expression Of Lipase Gene (Lip) And Pha Synthase Gene (Phac1) From Pseudomonas Spp. In Escherichia Coli For The Biosynthesis Of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (Pha) / Aung Shuh Wen, Shuh Wen Aung

Student Works (2010-2019)

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are natural biodegradable and biocompatible plastic materials which potentially have a wide range of applications. The potential commercial value of these polyesters prompts a demand for intensive studies to maximise their production and applications. Generally, PHAs are produced and accumulated intracellular by numerous bacteria as energy storage. The accumulation of medium-chain-length (mcl) PHA in bacteria is dependent on the type of carbon source available to the bacteria. It has been reported that palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives were suitable carbon source for the production of mcl-PHA. However, there are few bacteria strains that are able …

Hukum Pengambilan Makanan Segera : Kajian Di Kentucky Fried Chicken (Kfc) / Zainal Abidin Bin Yahaya, Zainal Abidin Yahaya

Student Works (2010-2019)

Amalan pengambilan makanan segera telah menjadi budaya di kalangan masyarakat Malaysia. Kini masyarakat telah mula menyedari kepentingan memilih makanan yang halal lagi baik (halalan tayyiban) dan implikasinya terhadap kehidupan duniawi dan ukhrawi. Antara isu-isu yang sering dibincangkan ialah tentang status halal produk makanan segera dari sudut bahan yang digunakan, sistem penternakan, pembiakan dan pemprosesan. Justeru, kajian ini dilakukan oleh penulis untuk mengkaji hukum pengambilan makanan segera. Ini adalah bertujuan untuk menjawab isu-isu yang dibangkitkan dengan menjadikan Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) sebagai medan kajian lapangan. Metodologi penyelidikan yang digunakan di dalam kajian ini adalah berteraskan kajian perpustakaan, observasi serta temubual bersama …

Pattern Of Hmlh1, Hmsh2 And Hmsh6 Expressions And Clinical Characteristics In Malaysian Colorectal Carcinoma Cases / Khoo Joon Joon, Joon Joon Khoo

Student Works (2010-2019)

Many environmental factors and genetic risk factors have been implicated in the development of colorectal carcinomas. Several genetic mechanisms of tumorigenesis had been suggested i.e. the suppressor and the mutator pathways. The suppressor pathway constitutes inactivation of tumour suppressor genes: p53, APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) and DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) genes or the activation of proto-oncogene: k-ras. The mutator pathway consists of inactivation of mismatch repair (MMR) genes which results in inability to repair mismatched DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) bases during replication. The aims of the study were to determine the incidence and pattern of mismatch repair defect by immunohistochemistry …

Pattern Of Hmlh1, Hmlh2 And Hmsh6 Expressions And Clinical Characteristics In Malaysian Colorectal Carcinoma Cases / Khoo Joon Joon, Joon Joon Khoo

Student Works (2010-2019)

Many environmental factors and genetic risk factors have been implicated in the development of colorectal carcinomas. Several genetic mechanisms of tumorigenesis had been suggested i.e. the suppressor and the mutator pathways. The suppressor pathway constitutes inactivation of tumour suppressor genes: p53, APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) and DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) genes or the activation of proto-oncogene: k-ras. The mutator pathway consists of inactivation of mismatch repair (MMR) genes which results in inability to repair mismatched DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) bases during replication. The aims of the study were to determine the incidence and pattern of mismatch repair defect by immunohistochemistry …

Identification Of Four-Jointed Box 1 As A Potential Oncogene In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma / Muhammad Mamduh Bin Ahmad Zabidi, Muhammad Mamduh Ahmad Zabidi

Student Works (2010-2019)

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly metastatic cancer that is endemic in South East Asia and Southern China. Despite the gravity of the disease, the current knowledge on its molecular pathogenesis is still inadequate to improve the disease management. The present study seeks to understand the molecular mechanism of NPC, with an aim to identify potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers. From a previous expression microarray study, Four – Jointed Box 1 (FJX1) gene was found to be upregulated in NPC compared to non-cancerous controls with negligible expression in 5 vital normal human organs. Human FJX1 is a Drosophila orthologue of …

Information Visualization With Vocabulary Tracking For Word Recognition In Qur’Anic Verses / Raja Jamilah Raja Yusof, Raja Yusof Raja Jamilah

Student Works (2010-2019)

Muslims read or recite the Qur‘an which is a source of guidance in all aspects of life. However, their recitation is sometimes without comprehension especially to those who do not understand Arabic language. To help reduce this comprehension problem, visualization is proposed based on the theory that the learning process involves the perception and the processing stages. In particular, the visualization helps to support the perception stage and is used as a strategy to solve the word recognition with meaning retrieval problem. The occurrences of the Arabic words are visualized since the Qur’anic verses contain many repeated words. This is …

Isolation And Purification Of A Bioactive Protein From Indigenous Basidiomycete Ganoderma Australe (Fr.) Pat / Nurulaina Binti Saidin, Nurulaina Saidin

Student Works (2010-2019)

The present study attempted to purify bioactive protein from mycelia of Ganoderma culture using organic extraction method (dichloromethane and 50% ethanol) and selection of chromatographic techniques. By using crude ethanolic extract, four strains of indigenous Ganoderma australe and one from Ganoderma tsugae were assessed for their antagonistic activity against human pathogenic bacteria and yeast. All Ganoderma strains tested exhibited different levels of antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The ethanolic extract from G. australe strain KUM60813 was selected for further protein purification on the basis of intense antibacterial activity compared to proteins from other strains tested. The protein …

A Transitivity Analysis Of Anthropomorphic Animals In Animal Fantasy Stories / Norzilawati Ishak, Ishak Norzilawati

Student Works (2010-2019)

This dissertation aims to explore the human characteristics of anthropomorphic animals found in animal fantasy stories, a sub-genre of children’s literature. Previous linguistic studies in the area of character show that they centre around real humans and weighty plots. Thus, this study attempts to give value to animal anthropomorphism since anthropomorphic animals and humans share common qualities. To attain the aim of this study, two frog stories and two fox stories of the early 20th century were chosen as data. The two frog characters analyzed were Mr. Jeremy Fisher (JF) and Freckle Frog (FF), and the two fox characters analyzed …

Al-Zira'ah Fi Al-Qur'an Al-Karim : Dirasah Tatbiqiyah Fi 'Ahd Al-Khalifah 'Umar Ibn 'Abd Al-'Aziz = Agriculture According To Al-Quran Al-Karim : A Study On Its Implementation During The Reign Of Caliphs Omar Abdul Aziz / Omar Mohamed A. Nasr, Omar Mohamed A. Nasr

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research entitled The Agriculture According to al-Quran al-karim : A Study on Its Implementation du ring the Reign of Caliphs Umar Abd al-Aziz. The problem statement of this research covers what Allah said for Agriculture as necessary for human life. It is considered as source of food, medicine and garments, which has an important role for the environmental balance and it is the key for developments, which give rise to civilization. The research consists of two chapters and each chapter being divided into three classes and each class contains two subjects. The first chapter covers the importance of agriculture …

The Effects Of Tamarind (Tamarindus Indica) And Avocado (Persea Americana) Seeds On Lipid And Carbohydrate Metabolism In Rats / Uzukwu Emmanuel Uchenna, Uchenna Uzukwu Emmanuel

Student Works (2010-2019)

Tamarind (T) or avocado (A) seed was included in diets offered to rats. Its effects on growth performance, blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and glycogen in liver of rats were studied in three different experiments involving two species of rats (Sprague Dawley (SD) and out bred of Wistar-Kyoto rats-SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rats). Basal diet (BD) and high sucrose diet (HSD) containing ground dried of T or A at the following inclusion 2, 4 or 8% were offered to SD rats in experiments 1 (n=28) and 2 (n=28) respectively, while SHR received BD in experiment 3 (n=28). Feed intake, fecal output …

Asean In The Malaysian English News Print Media : A Critical Discourse Analysis / Nur Evelyn Ghazali, Ghazali Nur Evelyn

Student Works (2010-2019)

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Anti-Malarial Activity Of Some Malaysian Traditional Plants: Community's Awareness And Ethnobotanical Survey / Abdulelah Hussien Ahmed Al-Adhroey, Ahmed Al-Adhroey Abdulelah Hussien

Student Works (2010-2019)

In Malaysia, located in the hot, humid equatorial region, malaria stills an important public health issue among rural and aboriginal people. In parallel with the implementation of Malaysia's malaria elimination programme, this cross-sectional was carried out among 223 households from forest-aboriginal and rural areas, Lipis district, Pahang state, to investigate the awareness of the communities regarding malaria: knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) and to establish a preliminary ethnobotanical database for the plants traditionally used to treat malaria. The in vivo anti-malarial activity of the methanol extracts of Cocos nucifera, Labisia pumila, Languas galanga and Piper betle selected based on the …

Pecan Grove Review Volume 12, St. Mary's University

Pecan Grove Review

Creative writings by students, faculty, and staff of the St. Mary's University community.

Not Of Woman Born: A Scientific Fantasy, Jennifer S. Hendricks

Publications

This Article explores the legal implications of a scientific fantasy: building artificial wombs that could gestate a human child from conception to birth. Because claims about the technological possibility of artificial wombs in the foreseeable future are likely overstated, the focus of the Article is the effect that the fantasy of artificial gestation has on the legal discourse about pregnancy and reproduction today.

The Article first places the fantasy of artificial gestation in the context of theories about reproduction that western science has propounded. The history of scientific theorizing about reproduction is a history of scientists emphasizing the male contribution …

Credit Derivatives, Leverage, And Financial Regulation's Missing Macroeconomic Dimension, Erik F. Gerding

Publications

Of all OTC derivatives, credit derivatives pose particular concerns because of their ability to generate leverage that can increase liquidity - or the effective money supply - throughout the financial system. Credit derivatives and the leverage they create thus do much more than increase the fragility of financial institutions and increase counterparty risk. By increasing leverage and liquidity, credit derivatives can fuel rises in asset prices and even asset price bubbles. Rising asset prices can then mask mistakes in the pricing of credit derivatives and in assessments of overall leverage in the financial system. Furthermore, the use of credit derivatives …

The Variable Determinacy Thesis, Harry Surden

Publications

This Article proposes a novel technique for characterizing the relative determinacy of legal decision-making. I begin with the observation that the determinacy of legal outcomes varies from context to context within the law. To augment this intuition, I develop a theoretical model of determinate legal decision-making. This model aims to capture the essential features that are typically associated with the concept of legal determinacy. I then argue that we can use such an idealized model as a standard for expressing the relative determinacy or indeterminacy of decision-making in actual, observed legal contexts. From a legal theory standpoint, this approach - …

Using Education Assistants To Help Pave The Road To Literacy: Supporting Oral Language, Letter-Sound Knowledge And Phonemic Awareness In The Pre-Primary Year, Wendy Moore, Lorraine Hammond

Research outputs pre 2011

Children with weak oral language skills are at risk of experiencing difficulty with early literacy acquisition. Intensive small group intervention during the preprimary year has the potential to improve children’s success in developing emergent literacy skills. Education assistants are a potentially powerful resource for supporting students at educational risk. In this study, education assistants at four schools were trained to provide a daily half-hour emergent literacy program to pre-primary students with low oral language skills. The program focused on developing phonological awareness, letter-sound knowledge and vocabulary using both explicit and in-context (embedded) learning activities. The students undertaking the program made …

A Study Of Graphical Alternatives For User Authentication, Mohd Zalisham Jali

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Authenticating users by means of passwords is still the dominant form of authentication despite its recognised weaknesses. To solve this, authenticating users with images or pictures (i.e. graphical passwords) is proposed as one possible alternative as it is claimed that pictures are easy to remember, easy to use and has considerable security. Reviewing literature from the last twenty years found that few graphical password schemes have successfully been applied as the primary user authentication mechanism, with many studies reporting that their proposed scheme was better than their predecessors and they normally compared their scheme with the traditional password-based. In addition, …

Review Of Indigenous Male Health, Neil Thomson, Richard Midford, Olivier Debuyst, Andrea Macrae

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

New Lexicon And Criteria For The Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Hamid Sohrabi, Michael Weinborn, Johanna Badcock, Kristyn A. Bates, Roger Clarnette, Darshan Trivedi, Giuseppe Verdile, Tom Sutton, Nat P. Lenzo, Samuel Gandy, Ralph Martins

Research outputs pre 2011

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Use Of Audio-Visual Feedback Within 3d Virtual Environments To Provide Complex Sensory Cues For Scenario-Based Learning, Michael Garrett, Mark Mcmahon

Research outputs 2011

The continuous quest for ever increasing fidelity in 3D virtual worlds is running parallel to the emergence and adoption of low-cost technologies to implement such environments. In education and training, complex simulations can now be implemented on standard desktop technologies. However, such tools lack the means to represent multisensory data beyond audio-visual feedback. This paper reports on a study that involved the design, development and implementation of a 3D learning environment for underground mine evacuation. The requirements of the environment are discussed in terms of the sensory information that needs to be conveyed and techniques are described to achieve this …

The Natives Are Restless: Meeting The Diversity And Needs Of Millennial Students In A Large Undergraduate Unit, Mark Mcmahon, Joo Jung

Research outputs 2011

Today’s students are referred to as ‘digital natives’. But what does it mean to be digitally native? How does the digital nativeness affect the way student learn and we teach? This paper examines the key characteristics of Millennial students, and outlines teaching and learning strategies. A modular structure was implemented in first year undergraduate unit to trial the new strategies. Challenges and successes of the trial are described.

Enhancing Nutritional Learning Outcomes Within A Simulation And Pervasive Game-Based Strategy [Conference Paper], Mark Mcmahon, Shane Henderson

Research outputs 2011

Games are often seen as a means of enhancing motivation in learning. Despite the rhetoric, however, games that provide quality experiences for learners are hard to find. One reasoning is the focus on the game medium without a clear understanding of the strategy behind it. This paper outlines a game designed to raise primary school-aged children’s awareness of nutritional issues using simulation and pervasive gaming strategies. Nute implements ubiquitous mobile technology and QR Code scanning to allow players to engage in virtual shopping. The effects of their dietary choices are manifest in a simulated character, Nute, who has similar dietary …

Exploring The Nature Of Immersion In Games To Enhance Educational Engagement, Mark Mcmahon, Shane Henderson

Research outputs 2011

Student engagement is often considered one of the most important determinants of successful learning. An often cited argument for games in learning is their value to be ‘immersive’. Beyond the rhetoric however, a model needs to be developed of immersion to identify the cognitive and affective factors involved and to tie it into existing theories relating to flow and narratology. This paper presents a model of immersion and details findings based upon the development and implementation of a range of levels in a 3D ‘first person shooter’ game which were evaluated according to criteria for immersion. A range of potential …

Long-Term Effects Of A Protein-Enriched Diet On Blood Pressure In Older Women, Jonathon Hodgson, Kun Zhu, Joshua Lewis, Deborah Kerr, Xingqiong Meng, Vicky Solah, Amanda Devine, Colin Binns, Richard Woodman, Richard Prince

Research outputs 2011

Short-term randomised, controlled trials have found that dietary protein relative to carbohydrate can reduce blood pressure. Our objective was to investigate the effects on blood pressure of an increase in protein intake from whey over 2 years in women aged over 70 years. From the general population, 219 women aged between 70 and 80 years were recruited to a 2-year randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-design trial: 181 women completed the trial to the end of year 2. Participants were randomly assigned to consume a daily whey protein-based beverage (protein) or an energy-matched low-protein high-carbohydrate beverage (control). Blood pressure measurements were performed …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Sound Moderators On Firearms For Game And Feral Management In New South Wales, Martin Maccarthy, Martin O'Neill, Helen Cripps

Research outputs 2011

This report has been prepared as a summary of the key findings of a study investigating the feasibility of using sounds moderators on firearms in New South Wales (NSW) for the purposes of hunting game and feral animals. The study was commissioned by the Game Council for NSW (hereafter referred to as the ‘Council’) with the intent of identifying any known impediments to the use of sound moderators for hunting purposes. While based largely on secondary data, the investigative panel found no link between sound moderators and their use in petty or organised criminal activity. Further, and based upon a …