National University of Malaysia

About: National University of Malaysia is a education organization based out in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Heat transfer. The organization has 26593 authors who have published 41270 publications receiving 552683 citations. The organization is also known as: NUM & Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Distributive justice, procedural justice, affective commitment, and turnover intention: A mediation–moderation framework.

Abstract: This study addressed the unexamined issue of how and when distributive justice and procedural justice interact to predict turnover intention using a mediation–moderation framework. Survey data from 168 employees showed that affective commitment mediated the relationship between distributive justice and turnover intention, and this mediated effect varied across levels of supervisory procedural justice. Specifically, at high levels of procedural justice, affective commitment partially mediated the distributive justice–turnover intention link; at low levels of procedural justice, affective commitment fully mediated this link. The findings draw attention to the (a) importance of affective commitment in the absence of distributive and procedural fairness and (b) role of supervisory procedural justice in attenuating the adverse effects of low affective commitment on turnover intention.

Giardiasis as a predictor of childhood malnutrition in Orang Asli children in Malaysia.

Abstract: A cross-sectional study to examine the association of giardiasis with protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia was conducted among Orang Asli children in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 281 children aged 2-15 years were studied. The data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis of blood and faecal samples. The results showed that 24.9% of the children were infected with Giardia duodenalis, while 56.5, 61.3 and 15.1% had significant underweight, stunting and wasting, respectively. Giardiasis was statistically identified as a strong predictor of significant wasting in this study population.

Raging the War Against Inflammation With Natural Products.

Abstract: Over the last few decade Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are the drugs of choice for treating numerous inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis The NSAIDs produces anti-inflammatory activity via inhibiting cyclooxygenase enzyme, responsible for the conversation of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins Likewise, cyclooxegenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2) selectively inhibit the COX-2 enzyme and produces significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-pyretic activity without producing COX-1 associated gastrointestinal and renal side effects In last two decades numerous selective COX-2 inhibitors (COXIBs) have been developed and approved for various inflammatory conditions However, data from clinical trials have suggested that the prolong use of COX-2 inhibitors are also associated with life threatening cardiovascular side effects including ischemic heart failure and myocardial infection In these scenario secondary metabolites from natural product offers a great hope for the development of novel anti-inflammatory compounds Although majority of the natural product based compounds exhibit more selectively toward COX-1 However, the data suggest that slight structural modification can be helpful in developing COX-2 selective secondary metabolites with comparative efficacy and limited side effects This review is an effort to highlight the secondary metabolites from terrestrial and marine source with significant COX-2 and COX-2 mediated PGE2 inhibitory activity, since it is anticipated that isolates with ability to inhibit COX-2 mediated PGE2 production would be useful in suppressing the inflammation and its classical sign and symptoms Moreover, this review has highlighted the potential lead compounds including berberine, kaurenoic acid, α-cyperone, curcumin, and zedoarondiol for further development with the help of structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies and their current status

Correlation Between Chemical Composition and Antifungal Activity of the Essential Oils of Eight Cinnamomum Species

Abstract: Fourteen essential oils hydrodistilled from eight Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) species (C. pubescens Kochummen, C. impressicostatum Kosterm, C. microphyllum Ridl., C. scortechinii Gamb., C. rhyncophyllum Miq., C. cordatum Kosterm, C. zeylanicum Blume, and C. mollissimum Hook f.) were examined for their antifungal activity against six dermatophytes (Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, and M. audouini), one filamentous fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus), and five strains of yeasts (Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, and Crytococcus neoformans) by using the broth microdilution method. The antifungal activities of 13 standard compounds that are prevalent constituents in Cinnamomum oils were also investigated in an effort to correlate the effectiveness of the oils with those of the components of the oils. The chemical composition of the oils was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Most of the oils showed moderate to strong activity against the fungi. Among the oils, the leaf and bark oils of C. zeylanicum showed the highest activity against all the fungi with MIC values of 0.04 to 0.63 µg µL −1 . Other oils that gave a strong inhibition on fungal growth were the leaf oil of C. cordatum and bark and twig oils of C. pubescens and C. impressicostatum. Cinnamaldehyde, which was the most abundant component of the bark oil of C. zeylanicum, showed the strongest activity against all the fungi studied. Based on the results of the assay on standard samples, it may be that the high levels of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, geraniol, benzyl benzoate, and methyl cinnamate in the oils and in combination with the minor components is responsible for the high antifungal activity of the oils.

Green leaf volatiles: biosynthesis, biological functions and their applications in biotechnology

Abstract: Summary Plants have evolved numerous constitutive and inducible defence mechanisms to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. These stresses induce the expression of various genes to activate defence-related pathways that result in the release of defence chemicals. One of these defence mechanisms is the oxylipin pathway, which produces jasmonates, divinylethers and green leaf volatiles (GLVs) through the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). GLVs have recently emerged as key players in plant defence, plant–plant interactions and plant–insect interactions. Some GLVs inhibit the growth and propagation of plant pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. In certain cases, GLVs released from plants under herbivore attack can serve as aerial messengers to neighbouring plants and to attract parasitic or parasitoid enemies of the herbivores. The plants that perceive these volatile signals are primed and can then adapt in preparation for the upcoming challenges. Due to their ‘green note’ odour, GLVs impart aromas and flavours to many natural foods, such as vegetables and fruits, and therefore, they can be exploited in industrial biotechnology. The aim of this study was to review the progress and recent developments in research on the oxylipin pathway, with a specific focus on the biosynthesis and biological functions of GLVs and their applications in industrial biotechnology.