Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences

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Enhanced adoption model for collaborative knowledge sharing in Malaysia halal food industry
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2019) Melatu Samsi, Siti Zakiah
Collaborative Knowledge Sharing (CKS) is one of the strategies that enable organisations to work together with their internal and external stakeholders. It enables the achievement of common objectives which in turn improves organisational performance. Accordingly, via qualitative phenomenology, this research has explored the ways by which a Halal food organisation adopted CKS. The approach entailed explorations of the CKS practices of respondents’ from one of the main players in the Malaysian Halal food industry which findings contribute to the enhancement of CKS adoption model for the industry. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit the respondents, who consisted of staff from different management levels. Semi-structured face-to-face and over-the-phone interviews have been conducted to collect data. All interview sessions have been recorded using a voice recorder, following which transcription was done so that the text could be analysed using the Atlas.ti software. As per findings, the organisation’s CKS practices were still at pre-adoption stage, meaning that they were still informal and not centralised. However, there were activities that have already been embedded in current policies, examples of which included induction sessions for new staff, trainings, and the audits. Meanwhile, the new requirements set by the external stakeholders (like vendors and customers) provided useful information for product-development. This research has found five factors that helped enhance the CKS adoption model in the Halal food industry: individual, organisational, environmental, technological and non-technological channels, as well as Islamic perspectives. From a practical viewpoint, this study provides the players with valuable information that can assist in strategising for CKS adoption in their organisations.
Estimating primary productivity of oil palm in Peninsular Malaysia using remote sensing and ancillary data
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2014) Tan, Kian Pang
The amount of carbon sequestration by vegetation can be estimated using Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP). GPP estimates the total values of carbon intake by vegetation, while NPP is the value of GPP deducting the respiration by vegetation. Understanding GPP and NPP values at a regional scale is essential to study the roles of an ecosystem in the global carbon cycle. Estimating oil palm GPP and NPP values at a regional scale is feasible using remote sensing techniques. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on board the Terra and Aqua satellites have been providing GPP and NPP values, namely MOD17, for ecosystems across the globe since 2002, but the suitability of the product for oil palm ecosystem has not been evaluated. This study evaluated the MOD17 product and its upstream inputs using oil palm biometric data, local meteorological data, land use data from map, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and fractional Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fPAR). Biometric data such as breast height diameter, age and the height of the trees were collected from field works. This study used several oil palm allometric equations to estimate the total biomass and carbon content of oil palm trees. Annual NPP of oil palm was calculated from the difference between the total carbon at a certain age and the total carbon of the following age. The upscale oil palm LAI and fPAR were derived based on a regression model between the hemispherical photographs derived oil palm LAI, and band 1 (Near Infrared) from the Second Disaster Monitoring Constellation of the United Kingdom (UK-DMC 2) satellite data. The discrepancies between the MOD17 product and its inputs were reported. By replacing all the upstream inputs from the MOD17 product with maximum light use efficiency for oil palm plantations as a constant at 1.68 gCm-2, annual photosynthetically active radiation from local meteorological stations and upscale fPAR, the amount of oil palm GPP and NPP values for Peninsular Malaysia were estimated to be 0.09 PgC per year and 0.03 PgC per year respectively. Since the age of oil palm trees is one of the most important variables that affects oil palm GPP and NPP values, this study investigated the use of optical and radar remote sensing to discriminate the age of oil palm trees. The results show that young (1-3 years old) and matured (more than 3 years old) oil palm trees can be distinguished. However, discriminating the age between matured oil palm trees is difficult due to the low variation in oil palm canopy which stabilizes at about ten years old. The inputs of the MOD17 product will need to be improved if GPP and NPP values are to be used to estimate carbon sequestration from oil palm ecosystem
Food industry site selection using geospatial technology approach
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2016) Hazini, Sharifeh
Food security has been an ongoing concern of governments and international organizations. One of the main issues in food security in Developing and Sanctioned Countries (DSCs) is establishment of food industries and related distributions in appropriate places. In this respect, geospatial technology offers the most up-to-date Land Cover (LC) information to improve site selection for assisting food security in the study area. Currently food security issues are not comprehensively addressed, especially in DSCs. In this research, ASTER L1B and LANDSAT satellite data were used to derive various LC biophysical parameters including build-up area, water body, forest, citrus, and rice fields in Qaemshahr city, Iran using different satellite-derived indices. A Product Level Fusion (PLF) approach was implemented to merge the outputs of the indices to prepare an improved LC map. The suitability of the proposed approach for LC mapping was evaluated in comparison with Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) classification techniques. For implementing site selection, the outcomes of satellite-derived indices, as well as the city, village, road, railway, river, aqueduct, fault, casting, abattoir, cemetery, waste accumulation, wastewater treatment, educational centre, medical centre, military centre, asphalt factory, cement factory, and slope layers were obtained using Global Positioning System (GPS), on-screen digitizing, and image processing were used as input data. The Fuzzy Overlay and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methods were adopted to perform site selection process. The outcomes were then classified and analyzed based on the accessibility to main roads, cities and raw food materials. Finally, the existing industrial zones in the study area were evaluated for establishing food industries based on site selection results of this study. The results indicated higher performance of PLF method to provide up-to-date LC information with an overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient values of 95.95% and 0.95, respectively. The site selection result obtained using WLC method with the accuracy of 90% was superior, thus it was selected for further analyses. Based on the achieved results, the study has proven the applicability of current satellite data and geospatial technology for food industry site selection to resolve food security issues. In conclusion, site selection using geospatial technology provides a great potential for a reliable decision-making in food industry planning, as a significant issue in agro-based food security, especially in sanctioned countries
Geogenic mapping of radon and thoron concentration in Perak State Malaysia
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2021) Nuhu, Habila
Radon and its daughter isotopes exist in the natural environment and can significantly contribute to human exposure to ionizing radiation. Knowing an environment’s radon levels can help the radiological protection agencies in policymaking. This research seeks to quantify the activity of radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn), and their mapping, to identify risk areas in Perak state, Malaysia. The RAD7 detector coupled to soil probe, air sampling, and RAD-H2O accessories was used to determine 222Rn and 220Rn activity in soil gas and outdoor air, and also 222Rn activity in water respectively. The RADON-JOK equipment was used to measure the soil gas permeability. A portable NaI (Tl) survey meter was used to measure the terrestrial gamma dose rate. The 222Rn concentration in soil gas ranged from 0.11 to 434.5 kBq m-3 with a mean of 18.96 ± 6.66 kBq m-3. The soil gas permeability ranged from 5.2×10-14 to 5.2×10-12 m2, with a mean of 5.65×10-13 m2. Geogenic radon potential (GRP) values were computed from the 222Rn activity and soil gas permeability data. The range of GRP values was from 0.04 to 154.08. High GRP values were identified at Perak Tengah (36.95), Kampar (43.42), Kuala Kangsar (44.78), Hillir Perak (54.34), and Manjung (154.08) districts. Statistical correlation analysis indicates that the estimated GRP data is strongly correlated with the measured 222Rn in soil gas. The 222Rn activity in water samples was in the range of 0.04 to 3.98 Bq l-1, with a mean of 0.69 ± 0.27 Bq l-1. The annual effective dose for inhalation and ingestion of 222Rn in water ranged from 0.102 to 9.954 µSv y-1 and 0.102 to 10.112 µSv y-1 respectively. The mean annual effective dose of inhalation and ingestion were 1.73 and 1.76 µSv y-1 respectively and were below the world average of 2 µSv y-1. The 222Rn activity in outdoor air ranged from 5.79 to 5110 Bq m-3, with a mean of 320.03 Bq m-3 which is higher than the EPA level of 14.8 Bq m-3. The 220Rn activity in the soil gas range from 0.0 to 562.58 kBq m-3 with a mean of 37.69 kBq m-3. The highest 220Rn activity was recorded in the granite and Triassic-Jurassic geological formations of the study area. Elevated 220Rn activity was found in peat, riverine, and granite source soils. The 220Rn activity in outdoor air ranged from 0 to 4226.70 Bq m-3, with a mean of 228.12 Bq m-3 which is higher than the UNSCEAR value of 10 Bq m-3. The gamma dose rate results ranged from 98.31 to 3769.10 nGy h-1 with a mean of 446.27 nGy h-1. The mean total effective dose from 222Rn, 220Rn, and outdoor gamma dose exposure of 1825 h (5 h per day) was 3.75 mSv y-1 which is above the world average of 2.4 mSv y-1. Pioneer radon, thoron, and GRP maps were developed to highlight radon-prone points in the area under investigation. The maps assist in human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the source of radon and thoron.
Identification and characterisation of quantitative trait loci linked with tolenrance to saline-alkaline stress at germination stage in indica rice (Oryza sativa L.)
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2017) Khan, Samiullah
As the direct seeding of rice is getting popular, the farmers have shifted from traditional transplantation method to direct seeding method. The problem with this method however is the direct exposure of seeds to abiotic stresses that affect crop establishment. Studies have not been conducted so far to improve the germination tolerance in saline-alkaline conditions. Therefore, the present study was conducted to perform the genomic analysis of tolerance to saline-alkaline stress at germination stage in rice. Parental varieties Pokkali and Pak Basmati were selected out of six rice varieties on the basis of their performance in saline-alkaline conditions. A mapping population (F2:3) was constructed using Pokkali as tolerant and Pak Basmati as sensitive parent. Germination parameters such as final germination percentage (FGP), germination value (GV), germination energy (GE), germination velocity (GVe), speed of germination (SG), peak value (PV), germination capacity (GC), germination index (GI) and mean germination time (MGT) while growth parameters like germination vigour index (GVI), shoot length (SL), root length (RL) and total dry biomass (DBM) were recorded. Parental varieties were optimised for salinealkaline stress limits. Phenotyping of F3 progenies was conducted with the salinealkaline limits (pH8/15 dS.m-1) optimised in parental varieties. Correlation studies show that germination and growth parameters are positively correlated. It was also found that growth parameters were affected more than germination parameters. The genotypic data of 129 F2 plants for 84 polymorphic markers was used to construct molecular linkage map, with an average interval size of 7.63cM with four gaps of = 40cM and the total length of 3435.5cM. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Cartographer was used for genomic analysis using three mapping techniques i.e. simple interval mapping (SIM), composite interval mapping (CIM) and multiple interval mapping (MIM). Thirty-three QTLs (17 major and 16 minor) were identified using SIM. Forty QTLs (14 major and 26 minor) were identified by CIM. Sixty QTLs were identified using MIM technique. The parental varieties used in this study are potential candidates for abiotic stress studies. These findings would be beneficial in rice breeding programs to develop tolerant cultivars for the saline-alkaline environment through marker assisted selection
Kesan perbandaran kepada pengekalan kawasan pertanian di MADA
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2015) Wan Ismail, Wan Ibrisam Fikry
The ever reducing land area designated for paddy plantation in the MADA area (Muda Agricultural Development Authority) was feared to reduce the country's rice productivity. Paddy land located on the outskirts of Alor Setar City was seen to be the most vulnerable to be changed in its status of land usage. Existing policies such as the National Urbanisation Policy (DPN), National Physical Plan (PFN) and Kedah State Structural Plan (RSN) are clearly poised to defend paddy land status around the city of Alor Setar from being revoked, except those that have been identified as areas for development by the Alor Setar City Council (MBAS). This quantitative and qualitative research looks into three perspectives; namely the perspective of compliance to policy, perspective of policy implementation and from the perspective of the main target group of the policy, namely the paddy land owners. Investigation on land conversion transactions at Kota Setar Land Office (PTKS) found that most paddy land conversion activities occurred around the early 2000s to 2006. In 2008 only two rice land conversion applications were approved. The study shows that the current Kedah state administration does recognise and observe the PFN, DPN, Kedah’s RSN and Rancangan Tempatan Daerah (RTD). Studies conducted on 32 personnel who are also professionals in charge of implementing the policy found that 34% of respondents were of the view that the paddy land should be developed but a large proportion (53%) still held the opinion that the designated paddy land should be retained as per current status except when they have been gazetted for development by MBAS or identified for public infrastructure development. Study on the main target group of the policy involving 100 rice land owners showed that 94% of the land owners did favour keeping their rice lands citing MADA aid as the main incentive for them to continue to grow rice. Although total MADA paddy land area decreased, rice productivity has increased. MADA Rice Bowl is a major contributor to Malaysia's rice yield in 2009 with a production of 976.192 tons (38.9%). MADA has also acted to replace rice lands whose status has been converted or taken over by the government for other development purposes. Therefore, Alor Setar City is seen competent in tackling the spread of urban sprawl and is seen capable in preserving and conserving the paddy fields if all parties involved in the development could play their roles in accordance with the PFN, DPN, RSN, and RTD
Modelling aboveground biomass of oil palm using destructive method and remote sensing data
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2016) Sunaryathy, Putri Ida
Biomass serves as an important indicator to assess the role of oil palm in the global carbon cycle, particularly its contribution towards carbon sequestration. Indonesia is a country that has the largest palm oil plantation, and is the second largest country to export CPO (Crude Palm Oil) after Malaysia. As the world market demand for palm oil increases, Indonesia is developing large oil palm plantations. However, information about biomass or carbon stocks contained in oil palm trees is still limited. The study quantified the aboveground biomass (AGB) of oil palm trees in South Sulawesi, Indonesia using harvesting method, allometric equations and remote sensing techniques. Nine oil palm trees ranging from three trees of young (1- 3 years), three trees of intermediate (4-10 years) and three trees of matured (11-20 years) trees were harvested, their wet and dry biomass for different components from the stems, fronds, leaflets, fruit bunches as well as flowers were obtained. In addition, 96 trees were also sampled to get Diameters of Breast Height (DBH), height and age information. All the information were used to develop specific allometric equations to estimate dry aboveground biomass of young, intermediate and matured oil palm trees. The use o f allometric models resulted in high accuracy when AGB estimated from the equations was compared with DBH and height. Since harvesting method and allometric equations can only be used to get AGB at local (plot) scale, remote sensing data o f Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phase Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar/ALOS PALSAR were used to up-scale AGB to the entire study area. Dry AGB obtained from the harvesting method was 0.75 t ha'1, 22.17 t ha'1 and 105.41 t ha'1 for young, intermediate and matured trees respectively. The allometric equations with dbh parameter produced 0.71 t h a '1, 20.15 t ha'1, 107.41 t h a '1, and dbh with height parameters have produced 1.40 t h a'1, 27.20 t ha'1, 248.52 t ha' 1 for young, intermediate and matured trees respectively. Manipulation of HH polarization, (HH + HV)/2 and ^/(HHxHV) produced better correlation with AGB (R2 between 0.53 to 0.61). Empirical models developed with these manipulation polarizations were used to estimate the AGB in South Sulawesi. Total AGBs of the area for intermediate trees ranged between 29.94 t ha'1 to 31.51 t ha'1 whereas it was between 68.32 t ha' 1 to 71.29 t ha' 1 for matured oil palm trees. AGB estimate from ALOS PALSAR showed a 24.5 to 28 percent difference in comparison to AGB obtained via allometric equations for intermediate and matured palms. The results (AGB) obtained in this study have a potential to inform decision makers to impose better land management in oil palm plantation so to alleviate climate change
Muon absolute lifetime evaluation for neutrino nuclear response using ruthenium oxide thin films target
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2022) Mohamed Abdul Ghani, Nik Noor Aien
Muon absolute lifetime is a measured lifetime of the trapped muons particle in a target nucleus by the ordinary muon capture (OMC) process. OMC is the probe for neutrino and astro-antineutrino nuclear response (NNR) that is relevant to double beta decay (DBD). The total OMC rates with relative capture strength can be used to determine the muon matrix element. The OMC rates for several DBD candidates reported in the theoretical and experimental studies show the quenching effect in the experimental OMC rate values which lead to high discrepancies in the DBD nuclear matrix element (NME). Ruthenium (Ru) is one of the DBD nucleus that is important for neutrino studies in nuclear and astroparticle physics using muon capture reactions. The present experimental work is the first measurement on Ru for NNR study by OMC experiment. Muon irradiation will transform the ?? ?? nucleus to ?? ?? nucleus via the exchange of weak bosons. A new synthesis method of Ru thin film target is developed in the present study to fulfil the muon irradiation criteria. A ruthenium oxide (RuO2) thin film target is carefully synthesised using normal evaporation method. Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and RuO2 powder are mixed with H2O separately to form two solutions. The thin film is analysed using several instruments to investigate the target’s characteristics. Field emission scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray (FESEM-EDX) is used to determine the thickness, uniformity, morphology and elemental identification of the thin film. Inductively coupled plasma-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (ICPMS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICPOES) are essential for analyses as they can confirm the concentration of natural contamination (40K, 238U, 232Th) in the thin film. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) are used for extended analyses to confirm the hydration phenomena observed in FESEM-EDX. The target was irradiated using negative muons at MuSIC facility at Osaka University, Japan. The muon to electron decay and radioisotope (RI) gamma-rays are processed and recorded by scintillation detectors and high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. The new synthesis method is suitable for multiple productions of thin film targets. The final thickness for the OMC experiment can be controlled as obtained from some hydration evidence of RuO2 thin film. The muon absolute lifetime of Ru obtained in this experiment is 132.7 ns, equivalent to 7.54 × 106 s -1 total muon capture rate. Present observations confirm slight quenching to the effective axial coupling constant (geff) parameter at about 33% error. The experimental OMC rates of Ru can deduce the absolute neutrino and antineutrino nuclear responses for DBD and neutrino properties of astrophysics origin.
Optimal design and synthesis of rice supply chain
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2013) Lim, Jeng Shiun
Continuous rise in energy cost and increased competitiveness have motivated rice enterprises to find new ways to improve productivity, reduce resource consumption, minimise waste generation, and ultimately, raise profitability. Consequently, there has been extensive research and development works in the conversion of the by-products from rice mills into value-added products. However, most of the works on the improvement of the rice mill and its downstream processes have been carried out in the piece-meal manner. There is a clear need for a systematic framework to optimise and improve the existing rice mill and its value-added processes in an integrated, resource-efficient way. The new framework developed in this thesis includes four key components as described below. Component 1: A new cost-screening framework that is known as the resource-efficient screening (RES) method to screen the rice value chain and select the products and technologies targeted to maximise profit. Component 2: The framework for an integrated, resource-efficient (IRE) rice mill complex to synthesise the processes by evaluating the trade-off between the product revenue, capital investment and utility consumption. The model also considers the seasonality and degradation of rice resources with time. Component 3: A new framework called the integrated, resource-efficient (MSIRE) framework has also been developed for the rice enterprise that operates a cluster of rice mills at different locations. The MSIRE framework is used to determine the product portfolio for each rice mill, the location of the cogeneration system and its optimal scale, whether to expand the current processing facility or to build a new facility and the configuration of the paddy and rice husk logistic network. Component 4: A framework that combines the optimal logistic network of rice husk, with the rice mill’s utility supply network has also been developed. These frameworks were successfully implemented on several case studies involving different scenarios of a national rice enterprise, and produced significant improvement in the enterprise’s profitability
Optimizing pigment production from agricultural waste using metaheuristic-based algorithms
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2022) Suhaimi, Siti Nurulasilah
Due to the uncontrolled industrial applications of synthetic pigments that can cause a serious hazard to human health and the environment, the scientific community skewed towards natural colors. The simplest and efficient method to increase pigment production is by manipulating the medium. Among classical and statistical methods, one factor at a time and response surface methodology (RSM) is the most widely used in medium optimization. However, the main drawback of these methods is tedious wet experiments need to be conducted to predict the output for a new input data and prior to data processing and analytic for decision making. In the past few years, the rapid advances in the field of metaheuristic optimization algorithm have provided a solution in optimization problems. In this study, metaheuristic optimization scheme, together with the mathematical model which is regression analysis have been implemented to minimize time and cost of wet-lab experiments by increasing the pigment productions using the proposed compact experiments. Moreover, the predictive optimization performance and sensitivity analysis of metaheuristic algorithm have been evaluated to validate the results, and the authenticity has been proven by wet laboratory experiments. Analysis of the optimization showed that the percentage improvement for the proposed compact experiment which is particle swarm optimization (PSO) model improved from RSM model by 1.32%, while the percentage improvement for all compact experiments was better than multiple polynomial model (MPR) model with the highest PSO percentage of 2.0507%. Hence, the experimental findings revealed that, the metaheuristic-based approach successfully predicted the optimum fermentation parameters condition and concentration with better achievement on pigment production by using proposed compact experiment.
Proteome profiling and molecular dynamics simulation of Malaysian upland rice
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2017) Mohd. Arif, Shahkila
Rice is one of the most consumed cereals all over the world. Unfortunately, its production has been decreasing since the past few decades due to several constraints primarily due to biotic and abiotic stresses. Hence, upland rice would be a good alternative as it is a stress-tolerant plant that possessed many excellent qualities and could survive under harsh condition. To date, there is no proteomics study reported for Malaysian upland rice. Hence, the present study employed three approaches; One-dimensional (1D), Two-Dimensional (2D) proteomics and bioinformatics to analyze the leaf proteome of Malaysian upland rice. A total of 205 proteins has been identified using modified trichloroacetic acid /acetone extraction protocol, tryptic digestion and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. These proteins were further classified according to gene ontology (GO) biological process of GoMapMan database. From the result obtained, over 50% of the leaf proteome identified are stress-responsive proteins. This information strongly underlines their importance in growth, development and survival of the plant. Moreover, the expression level of protein from vegetative to reproductive stage was studied using Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and PDQuest software analysis. Based on the findings, 10 proteins were found to be differentially expressed where seven (Fructose-1,6- bisphosphatase (FBPase), Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (RuBisCO large subunit), Triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), Glyoxalase I, Translational elongation factor Tu-like protein (EF-Tu), GSH-dependent dehydroascorbate reductase 1 (GSH-DHAR 1), Peroxiredoxin 5 (PRX 5) of them are stress-responsive proteins. Additionally, the ability of two stress-responsive proteins; Heat shock cognate 70 (HSC 70) and Superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn] (SOD [Cu-Zn]) to withstand high-temperature condition was determined by employing molecular dynamics (MD) study. The three-dimensional (3D) protein model generated using MODELLER was simulated using GROningen Machine for Chemical Simulations (GROMACS) software at three different temperatures (311 K, 315 K, 319 K). The MD simulation analysis (root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), gyration (Rg), hydrogen bond, protein secondary structure, salt bridge) has revealed that the stress-responsive proteins could withstand temperature as high as 315 K. Taken together, the findings presented provide a snapshot of upland rice leaf proteome, particularly the one in relation to stress response. This information could serve as a preliminary platform in providing better understanding of upland rice function and expression which influence its response towards stress condition. In addition, the information could be utilized for the development of protein biomarker and efficient breeding program
Silica removal from rice straw for animal feed application
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2017) Abd. Talib, Norfahana
The large production of rice straw (731 ton/season) could eventually lead to uncontrolled air pollution due to open burning activity. Although rice straw has been used as animal feed since in the 1980s, it has failed to provide sufficient amount of protein for daily ruminant growth (about 15-20%). Hence, this study explored the use of rice straw waste for animal feed that can provide the amount of protein needed for daily ruminant growth. Moreover, as silica has been discovered as the main hurdle in animal feed processing, the rice straw sample was treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) via batch and continuous systems. Besides reducing the silica content, it is also aimed to maximize the protein content of the treated rice straw. Meanwhile, in the continuous system, a single column packed bed with up-flow system was adapted before carrying out further biological treatment with the fungi, Neurospora sitophila for cell protein production. Other than that, physical and chemical characterizations of rice straw sample (obtained from Seberang Perak, Malaysia) were conducted before and after pretreatment processes to determine the effectiveness after each pretreatment process. From the results obtained, a kinetic study was carried out to investigate the removal behavior for each system. From the characterization analysis, the rice straw sample was found to contain a high level of silica (20%) and lignin (20%), but very low-level protein content (6-7%). Besides, the batch process of pretreatment with AHP, as well as the effects of different parameters (i.e. AHP concentrations, particle sizes of rice straw, and temperature) had been studied. From the batch process, the optimum condition obtained was at 60°C with application of 10% of AHP solution for sample with < 0.5mm particle size. At this condition, more than 83.8% of silica removal, 80% of delignification, and 7.88% of reduced sugar production were achieved. On the other hand, as for the continuous AHP pretreatment process, and followed by biotreatment of Neurospora sitophila (edible fungus) in the single column, it was found that 84% of silica was removed with 80% of delignification and 8% of reduced sugar production with 10% AHP solution in a 7cm treated and compacted rice straw bed at room temperature. Furthermore, the protein content in the pretreated rice straw increased by a whopping 80%. Meanwhile, the kinetic study revealed that both the batch and the continuous silica removal processes were highly influenced by mass transfer, in comparison to the other steps. Hence, it can be concluded that this study has depicted that the selected processes for silica removal and protein enhancement of local rice straw are indeed suitable for animal feed production. Additionally, the kinetic study has been proven beneficial in understanding the attributes of the removal process
Single nucleotide polymorphisms of leptin and its receptor gene in type 2 diabetes patients among three major Malaysia ethnics
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2022) Al-Fahham, Layth Ahmed Ali
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic syndrome that is rapidly increasing across the world, especially in Malaysia. Leptin and its receptor play vital role in the regulation of glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Variations in the LEP and LEPR genes have been associated with insulin resistance, leptin level, and T2DM across different populations, but have not been extensively reported within the Malaysian population. This study aimed to investigate the genetic impacts of LEP and LEPR gene polymorphisms (A19G, G2548A, K109R, and Q223R, respectively) on serum leptin levels and insulin resistance among T2DM patients. This case-control study involved 150 T2DM patients and 150 non-diabetic volunteers from ethnic Malays, Chinese and Indians. The genotyping analysis of LEP and LEPR gene polymorphisms was carried out using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) followed by genotyping of a few samples for each SNP by Sanger sequencing method for validation. Serum leptin and insulin levels were determined via Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). A homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Chi-square test was used to determine the distribution of genotypes and allelic frequencies and ANOVA was used to determine the association of clinical and biochemical parameters with each SNP. The study shows that the frequency of the AG genotype of the LEPR Q223R variant was significantly higher in T2DM patients compared to the control group (58.66% vs. 42%, p = 0.013). The A allele frequency was significantly higher in patients with T2DM than in non-diabetic individuals (36.66% and 29%, respectively, P = 0.046). Besides, T2DM patients with GG genotype had significantly higher serum leptin, insulin, BMI, and HOMA-IR index (P < 0.05). The frequency of the AA genotype and the A allele of the LEP G2548A variant were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in T2DM patients compared to the control groups. Furthermore, elevated serum leptin, insulin levels, and BMI in diabetic patients were found to be associated with the AA genotype of the LEP G2548A variant, compared to GG and GA genotypes (P < 0.05). However, no statistical significant differences were found in the genotype and allele frequencies of LEPR K109R and LEP A19G variants between T2DM patients and non-diabetic volunteers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, no significant differences in anthropometrical and biochemical parameters were observed between the genotypes of the LEPR K109R and LEP A19G polymorphisms. The AGAG haplotype combination of four SNPs was significantly different (OR = 0.633, 95% CI: 0.423 – 0.947, p = 0.025). Generally, fasting serum leptin levels were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in T2DM patients compared to non-diabetic subjects (166.78 pg/ml and 101.94 pg/ml, respectively). This study suggests a significant association between LEPR Q223R polymorphism and T2DM patients among Malay and Chinese ethnic groups, and it is significantly correlated with higher serum leptin, insulin, BMI, and HOMA-IR index. LEP G2548A polymorphism was significantly associated with T2DM among Malay and Indian ethnics and it is markedly associated with elevated serum leptin, insulin levels, and BMI in diabetic patients. Whereas, the other two SNPs of LEPR K109R and LEP A19G may not be useful markers for diabetes among Malaysian population but may have synergistic effects on diabetes.
Sistem pengurusan pengairan untuk kemampanan tanaman padi di Sumatera Barat
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2022) Afrizal
The irrigation water management system is critical in achieving efficient water resource consumption. Service-oriented water management system for irrigation has been implemented in Indonesia. However, the system has not yet reached paddy farming sustainability. Thus, this study aimed to address three objectives, firstly, to identify and determine the important factors that influence success in crop water management system; secondly, to identify and determine the important factors that influence success in paddy farming sustainability; and thirdly to develop a structural model of agriculture water management with key indicators for paddy farming sustainability. The study employed quantitative data collection and analysis methods via structural equation modelling. Relating to the factors influencing the success of the water management system, 35 manifest variables and five latent variables, namely technology, engineering, management, environment, and economy, were studied. Meanwhile, five latent variables, agricultural economic, social, ecological, institutional, and agricultural technology, as well as 34 manifest variables, were considered to determine the sustainability of paddy farming paddy. The study was conducted in the West Sumatra Province of Indonesia with the Institute of Irrigation Managers as the study population. The study discovered 18 manifest variables based on significant factors affecting the success of the paddy water management system and 19 manifest variables based on significant factors affecting the sustainability of paddy farming. According to the path coefficient results, twelve hypotheses were accepted. This study has successfully demonstrated a relationship between the success factors of agricultural water management and the sustainability of paddy farming. Agriculture water management factors and paddy farming sustainability factors showed significant positive and negative relationships, as demonstrated by the structural equation model developed. The developed model has the potential to be used for water management in agriculture to ensure the sustainability of paddy farming.
The fate and transport of nutrients using deterministic model in tropical watershed
(Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2019) Mohamed, Khairul Anuar
Optimum fertilisation and nutrient losses in agriculture watershed systems are strongly affected by land use characteristics, oil palm nutrient processes and climate change. Nutrient losses from oil palm fertiliser accumulate in Johor Straits, leading to algal bloom and eutrophication. The main objective of this study is to identify the main contributor of nutrient loading at upper Johor River watershed based on oil palm fertilisation, land use and climate data. This study proposes optimum fertilisation months and rate for oil palm systems in order to reduce the nutrient losses into Johor River for better water quality, tackling current and future conditions. Four land-use scenarios from the year 2000 to 2014 and one projected climate change scenario obtained from the United States Centre for Atmospheric Research were used. These land use and climate model were incorporated into Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) to determine the impact of long-term land-use, climate, and contaminants control via oil palm uptake and nitrate leaching in a tropical watershed. The model was calibrated and validated against observed data from two stations, Johor River at Rantau Panjang and Sayong River at Jambatan Johor Tenggara. Good correlations were obtained between the observed and simulated streamflows, total sediment concentration, water temperature, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and orthophosphate (PO4). The simulated model indicates that the hydrological water balance and yield of the watershed vary under different land-use scenarios and evapotranspiration is the primary contributor of water deficit. Proper soil management practices and improved water infiltration reduce sediment yield and suspended solids concentration by almost 70% and 30%, respectively. Considerable depletion of dissolved oxygen occurs primarily from August to October due to low flow and high water temperatures. For oil palm nutrient components, organic mineralisation is the most sensitive since the mineralisation rate is related to soil temperature via air temperature and microbial activity. As agriculture development expanded from 68% to 90% within 14 years, total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads increased by 2.9% and 2.1% respectively. Analyses using extreme future climate scenario (until year 2100) stipulated that only 5% of nitrate leached if fertilisation rate is reduced by 30% and more frequent fertilisation (from three times to five times per year) is introduced. The phosphorus yield from oil palm plantation is higher from June to August due to surface runoff and sediment attachments. This study suggests optimum fertilisation schemes that optimise nutrient uptake and reduce nutrient leaching in tropical oil palm dominated watershed, therefore improving water quality status in Johor River.

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