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- PublicationArchitectural Renewal And Retrofit Design Of Rural Primary School Learning Space In Jiangsu Province, China(2025-07)This study addresses the need to adapt rural primary school learning spaces in China to support the transition from traditional lecture-based teaching to diverse teaching and learning (TnL) activities in line with UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 and China’s Educational Reform. Focusing on rural primary schools in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, the research investigates the relationship between learning space design and TnL activities, focusing on spatial layout, physical attributes, technology, and furniture.
- PublicationDivision Of Housework Among Married Indian Women During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Malaysia(2025-07)The study aims to explore the division of housework among Indian married working women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show that reasons that lead to unequal division of housework include: (i) housework is routine work for women; (ii) obligation; (iii) women uphold higher cleanliness and tidiness standards than men; (iv) traditional gender roles and parents’ socialisation; and (v) time availability. The findings also highlights that informants experienced stressed and dissatisfied with the unequal division of housework during the COVID-19 pandemic because housework is considered as women’s responsibility and not men's.
- PublicationCryptocurrency Quantitative Trading Strategy Based On Machine Learning Approach(2025-06)This thesis adopts the LSTM model to predict the price trends of cryptocurrencies by combining their historical prices with various technical indicators as features for research. We designed six control experiments to compare the impact of different technical indicators as features on the model. The final results indicate that the LSTM model combined with technical indicators can effectively improve prediction accuracy, but not all technical indicators contribute to the improvement of the model.
- PublicationSynthesis, Characterization, And Photocatalytic Degradation Activities Of Tio2/Go And Zno/Go In Aqueous Medium(2025-07)This research covers the preparation of TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts using environmental friendly methods that involved the use of lime peel extract as a reducing and capping agent.
- PublicationNeuroprotective effects of tualang honey supplementation on the prefrontal cortex following chronic stress exposure in rat models(2022)Background: Stress has been a focus of attention among researchers as it is closely related to human psychological and physiological well-being. Chronic stress exposure causes sustained activation of the HPA axis resulting in an accumulation of cortisol hormones and free radicals, affecting many organs including the brain, leading to the development of many stress-related disorders. Tualang Honey is a Malaysian wild polyfloral honey with higher phenolic and flavonoid contents and has stronger antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities compared to other local honey. Tualang Honey has been shown to protect the brain against stress-induced oxidative damage dominantly in neurons. However, the studies that focus on the supporting glial cells are still scarce. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Tualang Honey supplementations on astrocytes and microglial cells in the medial prefrontal cortex of rat models following exposure to chronic stress. Methodology: Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: (i) control, (ii) stress-exposed, (iii) Tualang Honey treated group (1.0 g/kg body weight twice daily), and (iv) stress-exposed treated with Tualang Honey (1.0 g/kg body weight twice daily). The stress-exposed group and stress-exposed treated with the Tualang Honey group underwent two types of physical stress tests consisting of 5 hours of restraint stress test (RST) and 15 minutes of forced swimming test (FST) daily for 21 days. Euthanasia was performed on day 22. The brain was collected, processed, and stained using the immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique. The number of glial cells (astrocytes and microglial cells), the number of primary processes of glial cells, and the maximum branch length of glial cells were counted and measured using Fiji J image and IC Measure software. Data were analysed, using SPSS software version 26. Results: Present study found that the number of GFAP positive astrocytes and their maximum branch length processes were reduced in the stress group compared to the control group, while the number of Iba-1 positive microglial cells and their maximum branch length processes increased in the stress group compared to the control group. Besides, the number of GFAP positive astrocytes in the stress + Tualang Honey treated group increased compared to the stress group whereas the number of Iba-1 positive microglial significantly reduced compared to stress group. Also, the number of primary processes in both glial cells showed no significant differences in all study groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Tualang Honey supplementations has influenced the number of astrocytes and microglial cells in the medial prefrontal cortex possibly via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, Tualang Honey supplementation had no significant effect on the number of primary processes and the maximum branch length in both astrocytes and microglial cells processes after chronic stress exposure
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- ItemMR volumetric study of cerebellum related to age ang sex(Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2015)Introduction: The advancement of MRI techniques has open up many neuroanatomical studies of normal brain growth and atrophy. Numerous neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, which can cause changes in cerebellum volumes have been identified particularly epilepsy, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s dementia, depression and autism among others. Investigations of aging effects on the cerebellum are important, not only to understand normal aging process, but also for comparative study of the pathophysiology of degenerative brain disorders. Sex differences in gross cerebellar neuroanatomy have been observed in several studies. Currently there is no normative data of MR cerebellum volumetry available for Malaysian population. Objectives: The general objective for this study is to determine the age and sex difference of the volume of cerebellum in healthy volunteers. Methods and materials: This was a cross sectional study involving 164 subjects who underwent MRI. The age of the subjects ranged from 7 to 77 years old. MRI was performed using Signa Horison LX 1.0 Tesla scanner by General Electric. MRI images were obtained in T1 sagittal sections with 5milimeter thickness with 2-millimeter gap. Cerebellum volumes were measured using manually traced slice volumetry method. The mean (SD) of total cerebellum volume was calculated and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Anatomical boundaries for cerebellum volumetry done with manual tracing. Normalization of cerebellum volume with intracranial volume was done by using co-variance methods introduced by Jack et al. (1989). Manual tracing using alternate slice method was utilized in obtaining intracranial volume as described by Eritaia et al. (2000). Image display and manual tracing of the cerebellum and intracranial areas were performed using Osirix software ver.3.7.1 (Pixmeo Sarl). Data was compiled and analyzed using PASW Statistic ver.18 (SPSS Inc.). Results: The overall mean normalized cerebellar volume is 181.1 ± 24.8 cm3. When analyzed separately among gender, normalized cerebellar volume was significantly higher in male (p value= 0.035; 95% +- CI). There is a statistically significant negative correlation between age and total cerebellum volume (r is - 0.492). Cerebellar volume becomes smaller at older age with moderate to good correlation. Conclusion: The study provided a reference data of cerebellar volumes in original and normalized formats for normal Kelantan population for a valuable reference in many physiological and pathological conditions for local population. The mean normalized cerebellar volume was statistically significant in genders with larger volumes in male subjects. They also had larger intracranial volumes than female. There is significant relationship between normalized cerebellum volume with age.
- PublicationDesign, Development And The Effects Of Emotionally Sound Web-Based Instruction On Performance, Satisfaction, Engagement And Retention(2018-11)This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of the emotionally sound web-based instruction on performance, satisfaction, engagement and retention in learning English grammar among students with different levels of emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 183 Form Two students from a secondary school in the Northern region of the Peninsular Malaysia. The data were collected with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form (TEIQue-SF), End-User Computing Satisfaction (EUSC), Post-Test 1, Retention Questionnaire (Post-Test 2) and E-Learning Engagement Instrument (ELEI). The research design for this study is Quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design.
- PublicationComparison of the three forensic DNA Sampling and extraction techniques on various mock crime scene samples for reliable and rapid DNA analysis.(2022-09)The capability to generate reliable DNA profiles rapidly via short tandem repeat (STR) analysis to identify the suspect could greatly assist in crime investigations. This study evaluated the performance of a compilation of sample collection and extraction techniques consisting of the Maxwell RSC 48 FSC DNA IQ Casework Kit, Casework Direct System, and the COPAN MicroFLOQ® Direct Swab. A total of 48 reactions consisting of 16 mock casework samples for each technique ranging from bloodstain, saliva stained and touch DNA samples that were commonly encountered in crime scene were used in this study. The samples extracted using the Maxwell RSC 48 FSC DNA IQ Casework Kit were quantified using the NanoDrop™ 2000 Spectrophotometer. Subsequently, the collected samples for the three techniques were amplified using the GlobalFiler™ Express PCR Amplification Kit. The amplified products were then loaded for capillary electrophoresis via the ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer before analyzed using the GeneMapper ID-X v1.4 software. Results demonstrated that the three techniques generated relatively high percentage of autosomal STR allele call in total (100%, 100% and 96% respectively). Particularly, the COPAN MicroFLOQ™ with 96% was possible to analyze wide range of DNA samples where seven out of 16 samples were typed successfully. Meanwhile, the same number of sample types (n=6) with 100% autosomal STR allele call percentage and full consistent profiles were generated via the extraction using the two extraction kits. Notably, the average peak height across the samples using the former extraction kit was the highest which attributed to the automated extraction and purification employed that corresponded to the high DNA concentration yielded. This were followed by Casework Direct System and COPAN MicroFLOQ . In terms of turnaround time and cost associated, the MicroFLOQ® Direct Swab outperformed the other two techniques followed by the Casework Direct System extraction which took one hour for complete extraction. Meanwhile, the Maxwell FSC DNA IQ Casework Kit which took a longer time and higher cost for the entire extraction (1 hour 30 minutes and average RM 76.15 per reaction respectively). Not to mention, the use of the kit coupled with the automated Maxwell RSC 48 instrument ( RM 450, 000 per instrument) were on the more expensive end as compared to the other two techniques. Overall, the three different techniques had their respective merits and pitfalls but the COPAN MicroFLOQ® Direct Swab had an edge over the other two methods in terms of time, cost-effectiveness and ease to use. It also offered numerous advantages due to its direct PCR amplification properties, relatively high detection ability and quality DNA profiles produced. This resulted in the COPAN MicroFLOQ® Direct Swab capable to generate DNA profiles reliably in a short time thus potentially become a novel preferable collection technique employed by law enforcement officers.
- PublicationFem analysis of solar water heater(2002-03-01)The direct use of solar energy has never before been accepted on a worldwide basis. The costs of constructing devices or systems to use the sun’s energy have always been greater than the costs of using the alternate energy sources available. In the immediate future, however, the price of energy will rise even more rapidly than in the recent past. Alternate sources of energy are dwindling, and their costs are increasing at rates of 10% or more every year. We must explore putting the sun’s energy to practical use in supplying a percentage of our ever-increasing energy needs. The “first” most appropriate large-scale application of solar energy use concerns the heating of water for domestic use. The sun is everyone’s life. Without its energy, the past, present, and the future of human beings would not be. The sun has provided us with stored chemical energy in the form of fossil fuels which is now rapidly being depleted, and this depletion is thus responsible for escalated social and economics costs. To curtail these adversities, the direct application of the sun’s radiant energy to alternative conversion processes such as photovoltaic, photochemical, thermionic, thermoelectric, and heat must be continuously developed and utilized. An economic “first” application for existing solar energy alternatives involves using solar collectors to convert the sun’s radiant energy into heat energy for domestic water heating.
- ItemSynthesis Of Ethyl Oleate Catalyzed By Immobilized Lipase Process Optimization(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2022-06-01)Esterification synthesis by chemical synthesis, using strong acid as the catalyst causes drawbacks to the environment, formation of undesirable side products and the presence of high acidic conditions. Hence, esterification using lipase as biocatalysts is considered a promising alternative to produce ester through enzymatic esterification, because this method is more eco-friendly, as it proceeds at mild reaction conditions, thus reducing energy consumption and adverse environmental effects. In this study, ethyl oleate, a commercially valuable oleate ester, was synthesised by direct esterification reaction catalysed by immobilized lipase from Candida rugosa in batch system using n-hexane as organic solvent. The free C. rugosa lipase was successfully immobilised on functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes support. The influence of optimizing parameters including reaction time, enzyme loading, temperature, acid:ethanol molar ratio were studied using one-factor-at-a time (OFAT) method. Optimal conversion yield for ethyl oleate of 87% was obtained at 40 minutes incubation time with 30 U/ml of enzyme loading at 40℃ with a substrate molar ratio of 1:3 (oleic acid to ethanol). The comparison between bisubstrate kinetic models of enzyme catalysed esterification by correlating experimental findings from reported research study was also investigated using non-linear regression analysis. A model of Ping Pong Bi Bi with inhibition by both substrates was found to exhibit the best fit with the experimental value of where the model parameters were obtained as Vmax=11.93 mmol mg−1min−1 , Km,A=3.02×10−3 mmol L−1,Km,B=3.04×10−3 mmol L−1,Ki,A=6.94mmol L−1, Ki,B=1.14mmol L−1 which shows good agreement to the reported findings.