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- PublicationDetermination of heavy metals in edible parts of catfish using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (faas)(2019-01)The aim of this study is to determine the concentration level of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb) in edible parts of catfish using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). The level of these metals in farm-raised consume (pellets and animal matters) and wild-caught catfish, purchased from two aquaculture ponds (farm-raised) and one market (wild) at Terengganu and Kelantan were analyzed. The conventional wet acid digestion method was used • for the mineralization of these samples prior to the quantitative determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). The heavy metal concentration in the farm-raised catfish that consume pellets ranged from (2.652 ± 0.1593 to 3.460 ± 0.1652 mg/kg) for Cu and (13.419 ± 0.2614 to 21.486 ± 0.3305 mg/kg) for Zn. Meanwhile, the concentrations of heavy metals in fann-raised catfish which consume animal matters were ranged from (0.367 ± 0.1469 to 0.846 ± 0.291 mg/kg) for Cu and (11.787 ± 0.1967 to 26.204 ± 0.4472 mg/kg) for Zn. The concentrations of heavy metal in wild catfish were ranged from (2.007 ± 0.1150 to 4.821 ± 0.1661) for Cu and (9.392 ± 0.5142 to 12.894 ± 0.2877 mg/kg) for Zn. However, for Cd and Pb concentrations in all catfish in this study found to be below than detection limit. The concentrations of heavy metals in these catfish were compared with pennissible limit stipulated by WHO/FEPA. The copper contents in one of the farm-raised catfish that consume pellets and one of the wild catfish were higher than permissible limit. Therefore, the consumers should aware of the food poisoning arose upon consuming these catfish. The average heavy metal contents in both (fann-raised that consume pellets and animal matters) and wild catfish were arranged in the order; either Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd or Zn >Cu > Cd > Pb. It was concluded that heavy metals concentration level in catfish must be monitored comprehensively and periodically with respect to human health.
- PublicationFactors affecting sport shoes choices in female undergraduate students(2019-06)The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting sport shoes choices in female undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus. One hundred and seventy-three female undergraduate students age 21. 9± 1.5 years participated in this study. Participants answered two set of questionnaires, I) Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ) and 2) Sports Shoes Questionnaire (SSQ) and results were assessed using SPSS software and content analysis through NVIVO, respectively. Throughout the review of literature, four factors were considered: comfort, coJTect fitting, brand awareness and foot health. The participants are forther divided by percentiles of top 90th and bottom 10th according to their scoring of FHSQ. Those in the top 90th percentile scored an average 16.18 compared to the bottom 10th percentile at 42.50. Scoring a lower value may indicate a better quality of foot health compared to a higher score. The findings from this study found that comfort, correct fitting, brand awareness does play a part when selecting sport shoes with the addition of a new factor whereby young female undergraduates also emphasized on aesthetic values. Foot health status was not a prominent influence in relation to sport shoes choices among female undergraduate students.
- PublicationKnowledge, attitude and practice of healthy eating and its associated factors among health sciences undergraduate in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) health campus, Kelantan(2019-07)Eating healthy and balanced food is important to meet the physiological needs of the body for each individuals. The aim of this study is to find out about the knowledge, attitudes and practices and its associated factors regarding healthy eating among health sciences undergraduate in USM Healh Campus, Kelantan. A cross sectional study was carried out from January 2019 until May 2019 in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. A total 162 students aged 19 to 24 years old with female students (n=133, 82.1%) and male students (n=29, 17.9%) were selected using convenience sampling. Anthropometric measurement and questionnaire from the similar previous study were used as the study tools. This study identified the prevalence of good knowledge (76.5%), good attitude (84.6%) and good practice (59.3%) of healthy eating among respondents. The only factor significantly associated with good knowledge was awareness of Malaysia Dietary Guideline (MDG) (p = 0.049). There were none of the factors studied were associated with the attitude related healthy eating habits. Meanwhile, the only factor associated with good practice related healthy eating habits was the availability of healthy food (p - 0.011). In conclusion, there were high knowledge, high attitude and high practice of healthy eating among health sciences undergraduate in USM Health Campus, Kelantan.
- PublicationSeroprevalence and contributing factors of strongyloides spp. infestation among cattle farm workers in Kelantan.(2019-12)Strongyloidiasis is a disease caused by Strongyloides. Though there are over 40 species within this genus that can infect birds, reptiles, amphibians, livestock and other primates, Strongyloides stercoralis is the primary species that accounts for human disease. Strongyloidiasis is endemic worldwide especially in the tropical and temperate zones as well as in resource poor countries with poor sanitation and hygiene practices. Despite its high prevalence, the 'true’ epidemiological data on the geographic distribution and global burden are largely lacking and scarce. In Malaysia, data on the epidemiological studies of S. stercoralis in human are scarce. In this study, ELISA method has been used to detect the infestation of Strongyloides spp. among cattle farm workers in Kelantan. Based on the result, out of 90 individuals studied, 20 (22%) were detected to be positive for S. stercoralis infection. prone to the infection. The district of Gua Musang has the highest seroprevalence (30.8%) while Tanah Merah has the lowest seroprevalence (0%). Strongyloidiasis remains a major health challenge for which novel diagnostic methods would be expected to improve disease management and control. xii Male farmers (24.5%) and adolescent (age below 18 years old) (25%) tend to be more a nematode or a roundworm in the genus
- PublicationDevelopment and validation of the malay version of the perception and awareness of cyberbullying questionnaire among the Malaysian parents and caregivers(2023)Background: Cyberbullying is becoming a common and alarming issue among children and adolescents. This situation must be given attention as the victims are repeatedly threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed, or likewise targeted by the perpetrator. This can be done on the basis includes developing awareness among the parents and caregivers. However, so far, there is no validated questionnaire available in the Malay language to assess the perception and awareness of cyberbullying among parents and caregivers in Malaysia. Therefore, there is a need to develop and validate a questionnaire in the Malay language to measure their Perceptions and Awareness of Cyberbullying. Objective: This study is to develop a questionnaire in the Malay language to assess the Perceptions and Awareness of Cyberbullying among parents in Malaysia and to determine its validity and reliability. Method: A cross-sectional study involving 270 participants from 20 to 60 years old was conducted from December 2020 to November 2022 via an online questionnaire form. A Malay Version of The Perceptions and Awareness of Cyberbullying Questionnaire among parents was developed through three phases namely item development, scale development and scale evaluation. It was named as soal selidik Kesedaran dan Persepsi buli siber dalam kalangan ibu bapa (KEPS - I). The Content and Face Validation Index were done to ensure KEPS - I has good face and content validity. The finalized version of KEPS - I was harmonized and pre-tested on 30 participants. Study participants then completed the socio-demographic questionnaire and KEPS-I questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 for construct validity by performing exploratory factor analysis (EFA), construct reliability, and test-retest reliability. Result: In this study, the initial scale was developed with six factors and 48 items. While the final model of KEPS-I comprises five factors with 34 items after undergoing the EFA. A final question (Question 34) is an open-answer question that was incorporated as the last question. The findings revealed acceptable factor loading, which is more than 0.4, overall Cronbach's alpha is good (0.894 - 0.939), yet poor test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.293). Conclusion: The study revealed that KEPS - I with five factors and 34 items has good psychometric properties. The scale is valid and reliable to measure the Perceptions and Awareness of Cyberbully among parents in Malaysia, although it showed poor stability.
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- PublicationEffects of graphene oxide coating on the properties of polyurethane nanofiller nanocomposite foams(2022-08-22)In this study, carbon black (CB) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were used as fillers for the preparation of the polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite foams. The CB and MWCNT loadings were in the range of (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5 phr). Further, graphene oxide (GO) coating was applied on the surface of the PU/CB and PU/MWCNT nanocomposite foams to increase the electrical conductivity which is determined by the surface resistance. The properties of the PU nanocomposite foams were characterised using foam density measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface resistance tests. The foam density of the PU was increased as a result of the increasing loading of CB or MWCNT. Furthermore, the PU/MWCNT nanocomposite foam has a higher density than the PU/CB nanocomposite foam at the same nanofiller loading. The microstructure analysis of the PU nanocomposite foams found that the average cell size is reduced as the filler loading increases. This indicates that the CB and MWCNT can act as cell nucleation sites to promote cell growth. The surface resistance of PU/MWCNT nanocomposite foam is lower than that of PU/CB nanocomposite foams at the same filler loading. Interestingly, the surface resistance of PU nanocomposite foams (formulation PU-MWCNT-5wt%) decreases from 5.8 x 1010 Ω to 1.7 x 108 Ω by the GO coating. This indicates that the GO coating is capable of increasing the electrical conductivity of the PU nanocomposite foam. Overall, the PU nanocomposite foam with dissipative behaviour was successfully produced using a combination of filler (dispersed in the PU matrix) and GO coating method.
- PublicationMapping temperature distribution during 3d printing process of post consumer high density polyethylene(2025-08-11)This study explores the use of 100 % post-consumer HDPE (PC-HDPE) compounded with 30 phr kaolin clay as filament for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The aim of this project is to map real-time thermal distributions during FDM of PC-HDPE with 30 phr Kaolin filler (PC-HDPE/30) and identify nozzle size (0.4 and 0.6 mm), nozzle temperature (200, 220, 240, 260 °C) and bed temperature (60, 70, 80, 90 °C) that minimize shrinkage and warpage. Post-consumer HDPE flakes obtained from shredding of detergent bottles were cleaned, compounded with kaolin clay via a heated two-roll mill, and extruded into 1.75 mm filament. A Creality Ender-3 printer was equipped with an InfiRay T2S Plus thermal camera to map temperatures at the nozzle exit, bead, and build plate. A 4×4×2 full factorial design with three replicates was used to vary nozzle temperature, bed temperature, and nozzle size, shrinkage was calculated from CAD-to-printed volume differences, warpage was measured from average corner heights and all data were analyzed by ANOVA (α = 0.05) in Minitab 18. Based on data obtained and ANOVA analysis, the deposited temperature was highly sensitive to all main effects (P < 0.05). Shrinkage showed a significant interaction between nozzle and bed temperatures (P = 0.009), though neither factor alone was significant. Warpage was significantly influenced by nozzle temperature, bed temperature, and nozzle size (all P < 0.05), with a notable nozzle‑size × nozzle‑temperature interaction. A nozzle temperature of 220–240 °C, a bed temperature of 70–80 °C, and a 0.6 mm nozzle were recommended to minimize shrinkage and warpage.
- ItemPeperiksaan Perkhidmatan Pembantu Setiausaha Pejabat N19 Kertas II : 2 Mei 2019(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2019-05-02)Tarikh : 2 Mei 2019 (Khamis) Masa : 9.00 Pagi – 11.00 Pagi (2 Jam) Tempat : Kampus Induk & Kampus Kesihatan
- ItemThe Performance Management Of An Externally Imposed Programme: The Case Of A Governmental Organisation(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2017-08)The main aim of this study is to understand and explain how the AZAM Tani programme was implemented in the case organization, as well as how it was being considered into its performance management system (PMS) given that the organization had been entrusted by the Malaysian government to achieve two different main objectives (i.e. advancing the marketing of agri-food products and improving the living standard of the low income households). Furthermore, the study explains how the externally derived objective vertically coupled among the three hierarchical levels (top, middle, operational level) within the organization, as well as the coupling between the intention and action in relation to the programme. The study employed an interpretative case study method, whereby data were collected through semi-structured interviews with various officers from top, middle and operational levels. Documents were also reviewed to support the generated data from the interviews. The finding of the study is informed by Neo-Institutional Sociology perspective as the theory indicates that an organisation adopts new practices not only due to economic or functional factors, but also because of institutional factors. From the finding, it is revealed that the organisation accepted the programme as a result of coercive pressure from the government. Consequently, the programme was found to be loosely coupled with the organisation’s activities as compromise strategy was employed in the implementation of the programme. The consideration of the programme into the organization’s PMS system was loosely coupled, reflected by its integration in terms of its performance measurement and reporting activities. A further investigation on the implementation of the programme revealed that there are some interdependency between the three hierarchical levels in terms of its performance measures and targets, responsibilities and reporting. However, there were no significant changes to the organisation’s practices thus providing evidence of vertical loose coupling. Horizontal loose coupling was also found as there are poor linkages between the programme’s result orientation, the development of its performance indicators and the usage of its performance information assessment. Since the action of the organisation is limited to the activities of performance measurement and reporting, the implementation of the programme was considered as ceremonial implementation. On overall, the study reveals that the implementation of the programme in the case organization is mainly designed to report on success as the directives, key performance indicators and targets were predetermined and were enforced top down.
- ItemDetermination Of Fracture Toughness In PBGA Packages Using Finite Element And Experimental Methods(Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2006-11)Electronic packages especially the plastic ball grid array (PBGA) has its unique crack failure arising from the soldering process. The existence of moisture absorbed in package from ambient condition causes vapor pressure. During reflow soldering processes (215°C), the moisture absorbed vaporizes and eventually causes popcorn cracking. So, numerical method is used to characterize the fracture resistance in terms of geometric stress intensity factor (SIF). Then, the investigation of fracture toughness on epoxy molding compound (EMC) material provided boundary conditions of package cracking. In this research, Ansys software was used to simulate moisture diffusion and thermal transfer to determine the vapor pressure at the crack region. The vapor pressure loading was applied on PBGA to obtain geometric SIF using modified crack closure integral (MCCI) method. It was found that the increased in vapor pressure and higher delamination size created high geometric SIF. Load-crack edge extension relation obtained from holographic interferometry (HI) method and critical load for D.E.R. 331 as EMC material were used to evaluate fracture toughness. The fracture toughness for D.E.R 331 was found to be 0.488MPa m 1/2. Eventually, the fracture toughness for D.E.R. 331 was compared with PBGA's geometric SIF. A graph with package safety conditions was obtained. From the graph, it can be concluded that the PBGA is typically to be saved during soldering process, where vapor pressure is 1.21 MPa and delarnmatron ratio is less than 0.6. This EP's failure can be controlled through minimizing the effect of vapor pressure and reducin_g die/EMC interface delamination