University of Science Malaysia

In clinical radiotherapy (RT), there is always simultaneous exposure of normal and cancer-bearing cells. Radiation oncologist tries to minimize normal tissue exposure and at the same time maximize dose to the tumor-bearing tissue. Despite advances in RT equipment and treatment techniques, inevitably some normal tissues will be irradiated leading to toxicity. Although most of the toxicities are manageable, in some clinical situation, the side-effects could be life-long and irreparable causing prolonged suffering, cosmetic deficiencies, and tremendous psychological trauma [1]. The risk of late effects on normal tissue (LENT) and radiation-induced second malignancy (RISM) ranges from 5% to 10% and 2% to 10% respectively in adults treated with curative RT [2]. Addition of radiosensitizers and chemotherapy drugs during radiation improve survival however increases acute toxicities significantly [3]. Modern cancer immunotherapy incorporated in RT to increase immune-mediated cell kill could also increase end organ toxicities [4]. Modern radiation techniques, namely, altered fractionation and flash RT, too increase toxicities further [5]. Heavy ion and proton beam therapy promise to limit complications in CNS tumors in children, but acute complications are similar like photon beam therapy.

We present a case of huge recurrent spindle cell sarcoma in a 3-year-old boy's right temporoparietal scalp, which was initially misdiagnosed as a hemangioma and was primarily excised after an unsuccessful trial of oral propranolol. The tumor recurred and responded to adjuvant chemotherapy. After wide local excision with a frozen section confirming clear margins, a combination of free latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap, scalp rotational flap, and split-thickness skin graft was used to resurface the extensive postresection defect. However, the patient experienced marginal flap necrosis postoperatively and required multiple operations to achieve adequate soft tissue coverage. His hospitalization was also prolonged because of surgical site infection over the scalp and skin graft donor sites, which required intravenous antibiotics and regular dressing changes. The patient has been disease free after discharge with no remarkable functional deficit. In our opinion, the best tool for reconstruction of extensive scalp defects is free flaps.

This study investigates the treatment of natural zeolite clinoptilolite (NZC) through acid and base pretreatments, aiming to enhance its adsorption efficiency for methylene blue (MB) dye removal. The results indicate that NZC treated with 3.0 M HCl (hydrochloric acid) exhibits superior MB removal efficiency (93.24 %) compared to 1.0 M NaOH (sodium hydroxide)-treated NZC (91.40 %), accompanied by a higher Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area (135.5002 m 2 /g) in contrast to (43.6059 m 2 /g). The optimized 3.0 M HCl-treated NZC is further functionalized with curcumin, resulting in CUR-HCl-NZC, which demonstrates enhanced MB removal efficiencies of 95.09 % at 45 min and 83.81 % at 90 min, surpassing untreated NZC. The adsorption parameters, including contact time (45 min), adsorbent dosage (0.2 g), and initial dye concentration (25 ppm), are systematically varied to optimize the conditions for CUR-HCl-NZC. Characterization through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and BET analysis confirm the successful binding of curcumin to HCl-treated NZC, revealing structural and surface modifications. BET analysis shows that the surface area of CUR-HCl-NZC is 100.0382 m 2 /g, indicating changes in porosity due to curcumin modifications. The isotherm analysis identifies the Langmuir isotherm model as the best fit, with a correlation coefficient (R 2) of 0.9996 and adsorption capacity of 41.203 mg/g, suggesting monolayer adsorption dominance. This study establishes CUR-HCl-NZC as an effective, low-cost adsorbent for the removal of MB, offering a promising solution for water purification applications.

Encapsulation protects essential oils (EOs) from heat, oxygen, and light. It allows controlled release and enhances their use as preservatives and functional additives in food. This research aimed to produce pandan EO microcapsule (P-EOM) and betel EO microcapsule (B-EOM) as functional food additives. In this study, the microcapsules were prepared via emulsification and freeze-drying. The oil phase [2% (v/v) EO, 10% (w/v) wall materials, and 8% (v/v) Tween 80] was mixed with 80% (v/v) distilled water using a high-shear homogenizer, frozen at -20 °C for 24 h, and freeze-dried at -44 °C for 24 h. The microcapsules were analyzed for encapsulation efficiency, morphology, color, chemical structure, and antioxidant activity. They were then added to milk as a model food system to study their effects on its properties. The percentage of encapsulation efficiency for P-EOM and B-EOM was 65.33% and 82.24%, respectively, with a significant difference (p < 0.05). Morphologically, all microcapsules exhibited a predominantly spherical shape with smooth surfaces with particle sizes relatively less than 100 μm. B-EOM exhibited a significantly higher antioxidant activity (93.90%) than P-EOM (76.15%) (p < 0.05). Incorporating both EO microcapsules enhanced the milk’s antioxidant activity and suppressed microbial growth without significantly altering its original pH. In summary, P-EOM and B-EOM show great potential as functional food additives, offering promising applications in food preservation that benefit both the food industry and consumer health.

The sun plays a crucial role in Earth's climate, where even minor fluctuations in solar radiation can significantly impacts regional climate conditions. Understanding the relationship between solar radiation and regional climate patterns is essential for improving climate modelling and forecasting accuracy. However, despite its importance, the interaction of solar radiation with tropical systems remains inadequately investigated. This study explores the relationship between solar radiation and climate variability in northern Peninsular Malaysia, a key agricultural zone. The Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model was employed to analyze the relationship between solar radiation and the De Martonne Aridity (DM) Index, which serves as a proxy for climate variability. The findings show that the region experiences dry conditions from December to January, potentially extending from March to May, while the wettest season occurs between September and November. The Modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) analysis reveals a significant increasing trend in both DM and solar radiation across most assessed stations, indicating a warming and more humid climate in this region. Additionally, the Impulsive Response Function (IRF) analysis suggests a pronounced response of DM to solar radiation shocks, with long-term effects persisting for over two decades. Furthermore, variations in solar radiation account for approximately 5% of surface temperature variability. These findings highlight the direct and long-term influence of solar radiation on the climate system in northern Peninsular Malaysia. They underscore the role of solar radiation in shaping regional climate variability, with implications for solar radiation management as a potential climate mitigation strategy.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are promising alternatives to conventional petrochemical-based plastics due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and versatility. However, their widespread adoption is limited by high production costs, primarily attributed to the cost of carbon substrate. This chapter introduces the characteristics of PHAs and their production processes, and highlights the challenges at each production stage. The potential of food industrial waste streams as cost-effective and sustainable sources for PHA production is explored. The discussion includes conventional management practices for food waste streams and their associated limitations and pretreatment approaches to enhance the bioavailability of these waste streams for PHA-producing microorganisms. Additionally, this chapter presents the potential of various food waste streams as carbon sources for PHA synthesis. Integrating food waste management with PHA production aligns with the approach of circular economy, promoting sustainable development through resource recovery and utilization, while mitigating environmental impacts.

English medium instruction (EMI) as a language policy in higher education is based on monolingual conceptions and limits the use of the full linguistic repertoire of bilinguals/multilinguals in the university classroom. Informed by the constructs of language ideology (Spolsky, Bernard. 2009. Language management. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), translanguaging (Li, Wei. 2018. Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics 39(1). 9–30) and pedagogical translanguaging (Creese, Angela & Adrian Blackledge. 2010. Translanguaging in the bilingual classroom: A pedagogy for learning and teaching? The Modern Language Journal 94(1). 103–115), this case study aimed to examine the ideologies held by micro-level stakeholders (i.e., teachers and students) towards institutional English-only EMI policy, translanguaging, and the significance and scope of pedagogical translanguaging in EMI classrooms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six teachers and 10 students at a public research university in Malaysia. Also collected were a variety of publicly accessible institutional documents, including the focal university’s programme brochures, promotional materials and policy statements on its website. Analyses of the interviews and documents revealed that although EMI was officially adopted in the programmes, both teachers and students advocated for translanguaging and underscored its important role in the transmission of new information, effective communication, and scientific meaning-making. In light of these findings, the study concludes that an inclusive language policy is required that allows teachers and students to access all their linguistic resources.

Purpose Diverse novel therapeutic options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have surfaced in recent years. However, it is increasingly difficult to select the optimal medication. This research aims to assess overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), adverse events (AEs), and severe adverse events (SAEs) in HCC patients receiving adjuvant therapies compared to those receiving sorafenib. Methods Four databases were used to search articles. Only randomized controlled trials were included. Indicators such as OS, PFS, DCR, ORR, AEs and SAEs were used as outcomes. The protocol for this meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD42024544394). Results Forty trials were included in this meta-analysis. The Oxaliplatin, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin (OFL) + sorafenib group and the sintilimab + bevacizumab biosimilar group decreased the risk of death and increased PFS, ORR, and DCR. Yet, they also yielded remarkable adverse effects and severe adverse effects. To sum up, the atezolizumab + bevacizumab combination and tepotinib were recommended due to their favorable performance on all indexes. Conclusion This study further substantiates the efficacy of combination therapies in HCC, while they cause more toxicity in general. It is pressingly urgent to develop new drugs for liver cancer and find rational strategies to alleviate AEs. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO, identifier CRD42024544394.

The metaverse has created a huge buzz of interest because such a phenomenon is emerging. The behavioral aspect of the metaverse includes user engagement and deviant behaviors in the meta-verse. Such technology has brought various dangers to individuals and society. There are growing cases reported of sexual abuse, racism, harassment, hate speech, and bullying because of online disinhibition make us feel more relaxed. This study responded to the literature call by investigating the effect of technical and social features through mediating roles of security and privacy on deviant behaviors in the metaverse. The data collected from virtual network users reached 1121 respondents. Partial Least Squares based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) were used. PLS-SEM results revealed that social features such as user-to-user interaction, homophily, social ties, and social identity, and technical design such as immersive experience and invisibility significantly affect users' deviant behavior in the metaverse. The fsQCA results provided insights into the multiple causal solutions and configurations. This study is exceptional because it provided decisive results by understanding the deviant behavior of users based on the symmetrical and asymmetrical approach to virtual networks.

Integrating virtual laboratories (VLs) with science education promotes inquiry-based learning by providing an interactive, dynamic environment in which students actively engage with scientific concepts. While previous research highlights the effectiveness of VLs as tools in the IBL process, few studies have embedded the entire inquiry process within VLs or explored their application in flipped classrooms. This study addresses these gaps by proposing a Structured Inquiry-Based Virtual Lab (SIVL) approach to improve students' physics learning achievement, motivation, and inquiry skills in a flipped physics classroom. A quasi-experimental design was used with 120 ninth grade students from three intact classes in a lower-secondary school located in central China. The three classes were randomly assigned to one of these groups to implement flipped physics learning by using SIVL, General Virtual Lab (GVL), or a traditional flipped classroom (TFC) by using the physics laboratory method, respectively. The results revealed the SIVL approach improved students' physics learning achievement, inquiry skills, and intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivation, which indicates its effectiveness as an innovative model for physics education. Keywords: Inquiry-based learning, structured virtual laboratory, physical learning, learning motivation, inquiry skills

Protected areas (PA) have been considered as biodiversity conservation hub across the globe. The conventional “top-down” management approach has been failed to ensure resource sustainability in many PA. Therefore, co-management was introduced to secure the PA of Bangladesh and started with legal framework in 2008 (IPAC Project) until 2018 (CREL Project). Thus, land-use and biodiversity change analysis from a decade before and after 2008 has generated comparison of previous and after scenario of co-management. Hence for evaluating effects of co-management on temporal biodiversity and land-use change in Bangladesh, two PA, Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) under IUCN Protected Area Category IV and Lawachara National Park (LNP) under IUCN Protected Area Category II, were selected. Community structure of both vascular plants and avifauna species was used to determine current biodiversity variations with habitat influence. Land-use change analysis revealed deforestation and settlements expansion in CWS but decrease in LNP. Trend analysis forecasted good future of LNP in terms of forest cover till 2038. Biodiversity analysis revealed that CWS is slightly more diverse and even than LNP. Comparative analysis recognized prominent loss of biodiversity before co-management period. Therefore, co-management system can be employed in the rest of reserve-forest areas of Bangladesh for conservation betterment.

Despite a growing interest in zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8), notably for their potential as a host for various bio‐ and molecules, including peptides, the critical factors affecting their physicochemical properties and encapsulation efficiency are relatively unknown, limiting their widespread use. Herein, mini protein 20 (mp20), biomolecule mimicking uricase was used as a model to be hosted within ZIF‐8 (mp20@ZIF‐8) biocomposites. ZIF‐8 were synthesized over a range of molar ratio of Zn to 2‐methylimidazole(2‐HmIm). By systematically exploring the impacts of various linker ratios, we found that a Zn to 2‐HmIm ratio of 1 : 4 offers the highest encapsulation efficiency and thermal stability, making it particularly suitable for applications where these properties are critical. The 1 : 8 ratio, on the other hand, makes biocomposites with the most crystallized and a well‐balanced combination of particle size and surface area, which are advantageous for applications requiring high structural integrity and surface interaction. This approach not only advances our understanding of protein encapsulation in MOFs but also provides new insights into how the linker‐to‐metal ratio can be optimized for different applications. Subsequent studies could expand upon these findings by implementing the enhanced biocomposites in practical applications, examining the encapsulation of biomolecules, or assessing the durability the long‐term stability and functionality of these materials in various conditions.

Water scarcity in China poses a significant challenge for sustainable greenhouse tomato production, necessitating strategies that optimize water use without compromising yield. While previous studies have explored irrigation and fertilization separately, comprehensive research on their combined effects using soluble organic fertilizers in arid regions is lacking. This study evaluates the interactive effects of different irrigation levels and fertilizer application patterns on the growth, physiological characteristics, water use efficiency (WUE), nutrient uptake, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and yield of greenhouse tomatoes. A pot experiment was conducted with three irrigation levels: I1 (90–100% field capacity), I2 (72–80% field capacity), and I3 (54–60% field capacity), and four fertilizer treatments: C1 (combined soluble organic and chemical fertilizer), C2 (soluble chemical fertilizer only), C3 (sheep manure and chemical fertilizer), and C4 (soluble organic fertilizer only). Results showed that increased irrigation significantly enhanced plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, leaf SPAD value, dry matter accumulation, nitrogen uptake, and fruit yield. Among all treatments, I1C1 achieved the highest fruit yield under sufficient irrigation, whereas the I2C1 treatment maintained a relatively high yield while notably improving root-to-shoot ratio, WUE, and nitrogen uptake, indicating an optimal balance for water-limited conditions. These findings demonstrate that integrating appropriate irrigation levels with combined fertilizer application can effectively mitigate water scarcity impacts, optimizing water savings and resource use efficiency while sustaining greenhouse tomato production in arid regions.

Epigenetic dysfunction which has implicated disease conditions such as diabetes highlights the urgency for the discovery of novel therapeutic alternatives. The rising global incidences of diabetes and the limitations of existing treatments further exacerbate the quest for novel antidiabetic agents’ discovery. This study leverages computational approaches to screen selected bioactive natural product phytoconstituents for their potential anti-diabetic properties. Utilizing pharmaceutical profiling, ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) predictions, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the drug-likeness and binding affinity of these natural compounds against human pancreatic amylase was investigated. Out of the total 24,316 ZINC compounds screened for their binding scores with amylase, ZINC85593620, ZINC85593668, and ZINC85490447 came top. The compounds had higher binding scores than the standards (acarbose and ranirestat) with ZINC85593620 having the highest docking score of − 12.162 kcal/mol and interacted with key amino acid residues such as TRP 59, ILE 148, and ASP 197. Further validation through MD simulations reveals that all the compounds showed minimal fluctuations relative to the standards indicating strong and stable binding interactions suggesting potential effective inhibition of the enzyme. ZINC85593620 and ZINC85593668 showed promising distribution and availability characteristics for amylase inhibition. Overall, the compounds displayed potential amylase inhibition which underscores their use as promising natural products in developing new antidiabetic drugs. Further experimental validations are recommended to offer a potential solution to the pressing need for safer and more effective antidiabetic therapies.

Statement of problem. Evidence regarding stress evaluations of removable obturators with Aramany class I defects is lacking. Whether the stress distribution on Aramany class I prostheses can be improved by modifying the currently used designs is also unclear. Purpose. The purpose of part II of this study was to evaluate the stress distribution in different designs of Aramany class I obturators using finite element analysis (FEA) and photoelastic stress analysis. Material and methods. Four finite element and 8 photoelastic models, including 2 acrylic resin base obturators retained with 2 Adams clasps, 2 linear, 2 tripodal, and 2 fully tripodal design obturators, were used in this study. The frameworks were fabricated on the casts obtained from a modified printed model. Vertical and oblique loads were applied on 2 points (anterior and posterior) of the models. The quantitative measurement was done by measuring the fringe orders and von Mises values to compare the influences of occlusal forces on the obturator components and their supporting structures. The qualitative evaluation was done by visual color mapping to identify the stress concentration. Results. In the photoelastic analysis, the anterior abutments of the tripodal showed the highest stress, followed by the fully tripodal obturators, while, in FEA, the anterior abutments of the linear design received the most in both vertical and oblique load. The central incisor received the most stress in photoelastic (3 or more fringe orders) and FEA (687.3 and 150.1 MPa for vertical and oblique loads, respectively), followed by the lateral incisors. Upon posterior loading, the base of the defect of the linear design demonstrated the most stress in photoelastic (3 or more fringes) and FEA (94.3 and 130.5 MPa for vertical and oblique loads, respectively). The acrylic resin base obturator retained with Adams clasps demonstrated the lowest stress distribution in abutments and their supporting bone upon anterior and posterior loads. Conclusions. Upon vertical and oblique load application, the fully tripodal design was comparable with the tripodal in terms of stress distribution. Both designs were better than the linear in response to the same loading. The stress was concentrated at the anterior palatal part of the obturator, the base of the defect, and the junction of the metal and acrylic resin part of the prostheses upon anterior and posterior loading, respectively.

The study aimed to explain the role of the Central Bank of Jordan in contributing to achieving the economic empowerment of women in the Jordanian banking system, through a statement of the legislation and laws regulating and issued by the Central Bank of Jordan to enhance the economic empowerment of women. The study addressed the concept of women’s economic empowerment and its origins and the role of the Central Bank in adopting Strategies for economic empowerment of women in the Jordanian banking system. The study concluded that the percentage of women’s participation in economic activity is one of the lowest percentages based on data from the Central Bank of Jordan, and that there are great efforts made by the Central Bank of Jordan to remove obstacles to women’s participation in economic activity. The study recommended the need for the Central Bank of Jordan to network with the private sector. And the Association of Jordanian Banks in the field of adopting programs and initiatives concerned with empowering women and following up on the work of all these institutions in this field and coordination.

This paper utilizes the Hargreaves–Samani model to estimate solar radiation on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, encompassing Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and the southern state of Johor. The model estimates solar radiation based on daily maximum and minimum temperatures and provides a practical approach for regions with limited solar radiation data. This study aims to assess the solar energy potential in these areas for Photovoltaic (PV) power generation. The methodology involves applying the Hargreaves–Samani model to calculate the monthly solar radiation from maximum and minimum temperatures. Results reveal that Kelantan and Terengganu recorded (estimated) the highest solar radiation, reaching 6.47 kWh/m2 and 6.22 kWh/m2 in May, respectively. Meanwhile, Pahang and Johor followed closely with 5.62 kWh/m2 values in September and October, respectively. In comparison, the highest solar radiation (measured) values were observed in Kelantan (7.43 kWh/m2), Terengganu (7.37 kWh/m2), Pahang (7.46 kWh/m2), and Johor (7.29 kWh/m2), which are much higher than the estimated values from the Hargreaves–Samani model. Notably, Kelantan has the highest average yearly plant output among the three types of solar cells, which are solar power plants. The study concludes that the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, especially during peak months, holds significant potential for PV power generation, with solar radiation values comparable to global solar-rich regions. The total measured output of solar energy from these states is 1,057.78 GWh, which meets 0.71% of Malaysia’s total electricity demand of 148.6 billion kWh in 2023, while the estimated output covers 0.73%.

The utilization of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is critical in the preoperative planning phase of brain tumor surgery because it allows for a delicate balance between maximizing tumor resection and maintaining brain function. A decade of fMRI development was examined in this study, with a particular emphasis on its use in diagnosing and assessing the efficacy of brain cancer treatments. We examined the foundational principles, practical implementations, and verification of fMRI via direct brain stimulation, with particular emphasis on its capacity to detect cerebral regions affected by tumors that are eloquent in nature. Recently, fMRI has undergone significant progress, allowing for its integration into clinical workflows to facilitate precise mapping of brain functions. This extensive analysis encompasses the scrutiny of resting-state fMRI (Rs-fMRI) as a method of capturing functional connectivity, thereby providing significant insights into the management of patients with brain tumors. Methodological advancements, clinical applicability, and future orientations of fMRI are highlighted in this review, which emphasizes the substantial influence of the technique on neurosurgical planning and patient outcomes.

This paper reports on the fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO)/germanium nanoparticles (Ge NPs)/porous silicon (PSi) photodetector for near-infrared (NIR) detection. Ge NPs are synthesized via pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) followed by spray coating onto the porous Si substrate and subsequent deposition of a ZnO layer. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) confirms the presence of Ge NPs, along with the formation of Ge microwires and a mesh-like Ge pattern on the porous Si surface, attributed to Ge NP supersaturation during spray coating. Ge NPs act as a source of photogenerated electrons, transferring them to the ZnO layer. Additionally, the Ge microwire network facilitates barrier-dominated conduction, further contributing to the generation and transfer of photogenerated electrons. The device achieves its best performance at a bias voltage of 6 V under illumination with 805 nm light, a light intensity of 1.44 mW cm², and a switching frequency of 6.5 Hz and responsivity of 0.16 A W⁻¹.