Pertanika Vol. 12 No. 3December1989
PERT-0560-1989
Ultrastructural Changes of HeveabrasiliensisMuell.-Arg. Seeds during Imbibed Storage
M.N. Normah and H.F. Chin
Keywords:
Ultrastructural changes, temperature, storage.
Abstract
Ultrastructural changes were observed in Hevea seeds stored at 1(? C, 22?C and 2TC. Membrane degenerationappeared to be the most common feature of deterioration. At all storage temperatures, the plasmalemmawas observed to be increasingly folded, disintegrated or withdrawn from the cell wall. The dissolution of thetonoplast was also widely observed.
PERT-0561-1989
Potential Productivity of HydroponicaUy-grown Tomatoes in theGenting Highlands, Malaysia
R. M. Raja Harun
Keywords
Potential productivity, hydroponically grown tomatoes.
Abstract
Five trials were carried out to assess the potential productivity of tomatoes in a deep culture hydroponic systemin Genting Highlands (1,200 m a.s.L), Malaysia. The tomatoes were maintained as single-stemmed plantsusing the layering and vertical methods of plant training. Determinate and indeterminate varieties producinglarge, medium and small-sized fruits were investigated in these trials. Under the layering system, the indeterminateplants could last for nine months but if crops were kept for only six months, two crops per year couldbe produced with a potential yield of 252-288 ton/ha/year. The vertical system could produce three crops peryear with a range of 210-248 tonnes/ha/year for the three sizes of fruits. The determinate varieties produceda wide range of yields and, with three crops per year,a yield range of 131-216 ton/ha/ could be expected.The yields obtained in the tested hydroponic system were at least five to ten times higher than those obtainedfrom traditional soil cultivation under highland and lowland conditions in Malaysia.
PERT-0562-1989
Histological Study on Adventitious Root Formation in StemCuttings of Young Durian (DuriozibenthinusMurr.) Seedlings
Hasan B.M. and P.B. Dodd
Keywords
Histological study, stem cutting, durian, adventitious roots.
Abstract
Cuttings obtained from young durian (DuriozibenthinusMurr.) seedlings rooted very readily. A histologicalstudy carried out on the rooting zone of these cuttings showed that cell walls of the derivative cells appearedrelatively thin which probably is desirable for these cells to readily revert back to the undifferentiated state andultimately become root primordia. It also showed that the stem had yet to develop any form of mechanical barrierthat may restrict the development of adventitious roots.
PERT-0563-1989
Determination of Calcium in Foods by the Atomic AbsorptionSpectrophotometric and Titrimetric Methods
Tee E. Siong, Khor Swan Chooand SitiMizuraShahid
Keywords:
Calcium in foods, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, potassium permanganatetitration.
Abstract
This report presents results of a comparative study of the determination of calcium in a wide variety of foodsusing the atomic absorption spectrophotometric (AAS) and potassium permanganate tifration methods. Ashsolution for each food sample (determined in duplicate) was prepared and an aliquot subjected to AAS analysis,while another aliquot was determined by the titrimetric method. A total of 132 foods, belonging to 8 food groupswere studied. Mean values for duplicate analysis of each food determined by the two methods were tabulatedaccording to food groups. Results obtained by the AAS and titrimetric methods showed good general agreement,and a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.998) was obtained. This was confirmed by paired t-test which showedthat for 6 of the food groups studied, there was no statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in calciumconcentrations determined by the two methods. For the remaining 2 groups, legumes and vegetables, a significantdifference in results was obtained. However, in both cases, the t-statistic calculated was small. Both methodswere found to give mean percent recovery values which were not significantly different and close to 100. Therewas also no significant difference in variances given by the two methods. Results of the study therefore haveshown that either method can be used satisfactorily for the analysis of this nutrient. The choice of method,however, also depends on various other factors, including availability of required instrument and expertise.
PERT-0564-1989
Determination of Iron in Foods by the Atomic AbsorptionSpectrophotometric and Colorimetric Methods
Tee E Siong, Khor Swan Choo and SitiMizuraShahid
Keywords
Iron in foods, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, colorimetry.
Abstract
A comparative study of the determination of iron in a wide variety of foods was carried out using the atomicabsorption spectrophotometric (AAS) and phenanthroline colorimetric methods. A total of 156 foods, belongingto 8 food groups were studied. For each food (determined in duplicate), ash solution was prepared and analiquot subjected to AAS analysis, while another aliquot was determined by the phenanthroline method. Meanvalues for duplicate analysis of each food determined by the two methods were tabulated according to foodgroups. Results obtained by the AAS and phenanthroline methods showed good general agreement, with acorrelation coefficient of 0.987. Statistical analysis using paired t-test showed that for 5 food groups, therewas no significant difference (p < 0.05) in results given by the two methods. Although a significant differencewas observed for the remaining 3 groups, the t-statistic calculated was just above the significance level. Recoveryvalues given by the two methods were satisfactory, and were not significantly different. Variance for thephenanthroline method was, however, slightly higher. Results of the study suggest that both methods can beused satisfactorily far the analysis of this mineral.
PERT-0565-1989
Trials on Induced Ovulation of Fuguniphobles(Jordan and Snyder) with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
S.H. Cheah and H. SATOH
Keywords
Induced ovulation, hormone, Fuguniphobles.
Abstract
The effect of administration of HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) on ovulation o/Fuguniphobleswas studied. The female fish which exhibited distended abdomen were randomly assigned to four groups andthe treatments for groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 0, 100, 200 and 300 I.U. of HCG per fish respectively. Thefish were injected immediately after the groups were established and unovulated females were reinjected after72 hours. The dosage for each fish was calculated based on the body weight and expressed as I. U./g body weight.The ovulatory success in fish administered with 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 I.U. ofHCG/g body weight was 40%, 83%,70%, 90% and 80% respectively. This indicated that fish in the control group could also ovulate in captivityand that administration of HCG would enable a higher degree of ovulatory success.
PERT-0566-1989
Light Availability for Phytoplankton Production inTurbid Tropical Fish Ponds
Fatimah Md. Yusoff
Keywords
Light, phytoplankton production, turbid, tropical fish ponds.
Abstract
Primary productivity of green vmter was determined at different depths using light-dark bottle technique inturbid fish ponds during raining season (May, November and December 1986). The 1 % light zone was lessthan 0.75 m when attenuation coefficients were more than 5. Productivity at various depths was significantlydifferent at intervals of 0.25 m when light attenuation coefficients ranged between 5.09 to 8.39 and at depthintervals of 0.50 m when attenuation coefficients ranged between 3.74 to 4.47. Productivity did not differsignificantly when attenuation coefficient was 1.67.
PERT-0567-1989
Preliminary Study on Mortality of Catfish (Clariasmacrocephalus)Fry Transported in Plastic Bags.
Ahyaudin B. Ali, Tg. MohamadIzhamTg. Kamalden and AdnanAbas
Keywords:
Catfish, Clariasmacrocephalus, mortality, transportation, plastic bag.
Abstract
Catfish (Clariasmacrocephalus) fry were transported in plastic bags using clean water and pure oxygenat a ratio of 1:3. The rise in temperature and total ammonia during transportation was related to transportationtime and packing density. Though dissolved oxygen increased when pure oxygen began to dissolve inthe water during transportation it did not pose a problem. Low mortalities were observed among the less denselypacked fish but post-transporatation mortalities were fairly high. Mortalities, however, could be reduced withthe addition of salt (NaCl) to the water.
PERT-0568-1989
AktivitiBakterisidal in vitro FagositdaripadaPesakit LupusEritematosusSistemik (SLE)
M. Musa, J. Mat Asan Dan Y.M. Pang
Keywords
Neutrofil, monosit, in zritro, pesakit Lupus EritematosusSistemik.
Abstract
Morbidity in dogs was associated mainly with diseases or abnormalities in the pansystemicy digestive andrespiratory systems in that order. In the pansystemic category, poisoning and canine distemper were mostcommon. Ancylostomiasis and bronchopneumonia were the main findings in the digestive and respiratorysystems respectively.
PERT-0569-1989
Petroleum Hydrocarbon along the Coastal Areas of Port Dickson
Law A.T. and RavintharVeellu.
Keywords
Petroleum hydrocarbon, Port Dickson, Malaysia.
Abstract
The petroleum hydrocarbon content in water and sand along the coast of Port Dickson was studied betweenDecember 1984 and November 1985. The mean and range of petroleum hydrocarbon in water were 32.24ppb and 2.52-73.34 ppb respectively, while for the sand, the range was between 2.1 and 70.4 mg/kg dry sand.A pronounced fluctuation of hydrocarbon level in water with sampling date was detected at the samplingstations during the sampling period. The results indicated that the coastal area of Port Dickson carried somedegree of hydrocarbon pollution.
PERT-0570-1989
Nickel (II) Removal from Aqueous Solutionsby Adsorption on Fly-ash
Prem Prakash Vishwakarma, Kailash Prakash Yadava and Vishwanath Singh
Keywords
Nickel removal, adsorption, fly ash, isotherm, pore diffusion, mass transfer, pH.
Abstract
The feasibility of Ni(II) removal from water was investigated by adsorption on fly-ash. The equilibrium dataofNi(II) removal thus obtained is well fitted to Langmuir equation. The monolayer adsorption capacity wascalculated and found to be 0.293 mg g~! at 3(PC The batch adsorption kinetics follows first order reactionand appears to be diffusion controlled. The values of mass transfer and pore diffusion coefficients were 1.14x 10~5 cm s'1 and 6.2 x 10~u cm2 s~l respectively at 3(PC. The influence of initial nickel concentration,residence time, temperature and pH on metal adsorption process was studied. An increase in the solutiontemperature, pH and decrease in concentration favour the removal of nickel by fly-ash. The maximumadsorption of Ni(II) ions was noted at pH 7.0. The various thermodynamic parameters were calculated forthe present system. The empirical model has been tested for the kinetics ofNi(II) removal by adsorption on flyash and the parameters for the continuous operation of the removal process were determined.
PERT-0571-1989
The Use of Suspended Sediment Rating Curves in Malaysia :Some Preliminary Considerations
G. Balamurugan
Keywords
Suspended sediment, rating curves, regression analysis
Abstract
The suspended sediment rating curve technique is the most common method of estimating river suspendedsediment loads in Malaysia. Thus, despite its crudeness, adherence to the correct procedures of this techniqueis very important. Three of the most common incorrect procedures in the suspended sediment rating curvetechnique were studied and compared to the results obtained from using correct procedures. Results of analysisshowed that incorrect practices of this technique underestimate the annual suspended sediment load by morethan 50%. A correction factor to compensate for the use of non-continuous discharge data is also derived inthis study.
PERT-0572-1989
Preservation of Oil Palm Fruits: Nonoxidative Effects of
Ionizing Radiation on Palm Olein and Crude Palm Oil
Keywords
Preservation, oil palm fruits, nonoxidative effects, palm olein, crude palm oil, gammairradiation.
Abstract
The effect of gamma-irradiation on palm olein has been investigated. Irradiation doses (0.1 to 1 MGy) causedsevere destruction of unsaturated but had little effect on saturated fatty acids. Similar effects were observedin irradiated samples stored for I and 2 months at room temperature. Radiation (up to 30 kGy) also causedsevere destruction of carotenes in crude palm oil, but had no significant effect on the free fatty acid content.These findings indicate that gamma-radiation may be used for preservation but not for sterilization of palmfruits.
PERT-0573-1989
Chlorinated Organics in Tropical Hardwood Kraft Pulpand Paper Mill Effluents and their Elimination in anActivated Sludge Treatment System
Murtedza Mohamed, M. Matayun and T.S. Lim
Keywords
Chlorinated organics, pulp mill effluent, activated sludge treatment.
Abstract
The identity and concentration of major chlorinated organics in the combined effluents of the SFI Pulp andPaper Mill in Sabah, Malaysia, were determined. In the biologically treated effluent, chlorinated organics foundto occur in a relatively higher concentration were trichloroacetic acid (838-994 \ig/L), 1, 1-dichlorodimethylsulfone (DDS) (86-232 [ig/L), dichbroacetic acid (14-18 \ig/L), and trichlorosyringol (5-18\lg/L). Comparedto those of a number of softwood kraft mills, the load of chlorinated phenols and acids in the wastewater ofSFI hardwood kraft mill was 3-8 times lower. The effectiveness of oxygen activated sludge treatment systemin eliminating these chlorinated organics was found to be as follows: chlorinated phenols 20-70%, DDS 60%,and chlorinated acetic acids 30-99%.
PERT-0574-1989
The Isolation and Identification of Two AntifungalPterocarpans from UlexEuropaeus L,
Hasnah Mohd. Sirat and Graeme B. Russell
Abstract
The isolation of two antifungal pterocarpans from the roots o/Ulexeuropaeus L (Leguminosae) is described.The compounds were identified as 3-hydroxy-8y9-methylenedioxypterocarpan (maackiain) and 2-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxy-8,9-methylenedioxypterocarpan (2-hydroxy-4-methoxypterocarpin) by spectroscopic methods.
PERT-0575-1989
Delignification Pretreatment of Palm-Press Fibresby Chemical Method
C.C. Tong and N.M. Hamzah
Keywords
Chemical pretreatment, palm-press fibres.
Abstract
The chemical composition of the untreated palm-press fibres was estimated to be 39.9% cellulose, 28.9%hemicellulose, 20.3% lignin and 3.6% ash content. The concentrations of the chemicals used in the treatmentof the fibres were 1.5% each of NaOH, Ca(OH)2, KOH, NafOv 5.0% CO(NH2)2 and aqueousammonia solution. Of the chemicals tested. NaOH was the most efficient, having removed 60% of the ligninfrom the fibres after treatment for 24 hours using the spraying method. Comparative percentages for otherchemicals tested were NafO3(49%), NHftH (40%), Ca(OH)2 (38%), KOH (27%) and CO(NH2)2(21 %). The cellulose and hemicellulose content remained almost unchanged even after a prolonged period oftreatment by these chemicals. The ash content was higher in fibres treated with NaOH and urea. The soakingmethod dissolved higher lignin content compared to the spraying method.
PERT-0576-1989
Preliminary Studies on the Chemical Composition of Sound andDecayed Wood of Acacia mangium
Halimahton Mansor
Keywords:
A. mangium; heart rot, simple wood sugars, proximate chemical composition.
Abstract
A comparison of the simple wood sugars and proximate chemical components in sound wood and wood withadvanced decay of A. mangium was made. There were significant differences in the amounts of mannitoland alkali solubles between the sound and decayed wood. A slight difference was observed in the amount ofalcohol-benzene and hot water solubles.
PERT-0577-1989
Performance of Microencapsulated Fungicide in Exterior LatexPaint on Wood Substrate
Wan Asma Ibrahim, Ahmad Shakri Mat Seman, Nurulhuda Mohd. Nasir and RahimSudin
Keywords :
Microencapsulation,urea formaldehyde resin, control release and exterior latex paint.
Abstract
3-iodo-2^?ropynyl butyl carbamate (IPBC) was encapsulated by in situ polymerization of urea formaldehyderesin of crosslink (formaldehyde : urea) ratios 1 and 2. The kaching rate of the microcapsuks was reducedcompared to the free fungicide. Microcapsuks prepared at the higher urea formaldehyde crosslink ratio gavea lower kaching rate. Two concentrations based on the weight of the active ingredient per volume of paint(a.i./v) of 0.3 % and 1 % of microcapsuks or free IPBC were incorporated into exterior latex paint andapplied onto rubberwood panels. The panels were then exposed to the environment A longer protection fromdiscoloration was provided by the encapsulated IPBC of 1% concentration.
PERT-0578-1989
An Iterative Explicit Method for Parabolic Problems withCylindrical Symmetry-Increased Accuracy on Non-Uniform Grid
Mohd.SallehSahimi and ZaitonMuda
Keywords
AGE method, cylindrical problem, non-uniform grid.
Abstract
In this paper, the alternating group explicit (AGE) iterative method is applied to cylindrical problems involvingregular domains on a non-uniform grid. The procedure uses the fractional splitting strategy which is appliedalternately at each half (intermediate) time step on a tridiagonal system of difference equations. The methodis shown to be more accurate than the corresponding AGE scheme solved earlier by the authors using an uniformgrid system but with a reduced stability range.
PERT-0579-1989
COMMUNICATION I
Chemotaxonomy of the Lauraceae: A^Methyl-2,3,6-trimethoxymorphinandien-
7-one, the Major Alkaloid from Alseodaphneperakensis
Abstract
The leaves of Alseodaphneperakensis contain one major and a complex mixture of minor alkaloids. Themajor component was identified as N-methyl-2,3,6-trimethoxymorphinandien-7-one by spectroscopic analysesof the parent compound, its methiodide salt and sodium borohydride reduction products.
PERT-0580-1989
AnalisisPermintaanPelancongandi Malaysia
Ahmad Shuib Dan Noor Aziz Mohd Nor
Keywords:
Pelancongan, permintaan, keanjalanharga, pendapatan, PATA.
Abstract
For growth, the tourism industry requires comprehensive planning. Demand analysis could provide a usefultool in planning and in providing guidelines for the development of the industry. The result of the demandanalysis shows that per capita income, the relative cost of touristic activities, exchange rate and special eventsin the tourist destination area are significant in influencing the arrival of international tourists.
PERT-0579-1989
PenyeliaanLatihanMengajar: ImplikasidariKajianKesPenilaianLatihanMengajar.
Hj. Abd.Main Hj. Salimon.
Keywords:
Penyeliaanlatihanmengajar, dimensipenyeliaan, pengelompokankriteriapenyeliaan.
Abstract
A study was conducted on a sample of 243 trainee teachers from the Faculty of Education, University ofAgriculture, Malaysia. They represented about 20% of the population of students taking the course, "TeachingPractice and Practicum Counselling' offered by the Faculty of Education, University of Agriculture, Malaysiafor the 1986/1987 session. One hundred and twenty six trainees were females and 117 trainees male. Accordingto their respective programmes of study, 35 trainees were from Bachelor of Science with Education, 78 trainees
were from Diploma in Science with Education, 65 from Bachelor of Education (Teaching of Bahasa Malaysiaas First Language) and 65 trainees were from Bacelor of Education (Teaching of English as Second Language).The views perceived by teacher trainees as to what were the important criteria for the conduct of beneficialteaching supervision is reported. The analyses revealed three broad dimensions for the conduct of supervisionviz knowledge of teaching-learning methods, skills in supervision, interests in professional development ofteacher trainees. The McQuity s Similarity Analysis Technique was used to extract 3 clusters of supervisioncriteria from the relationships expressed by correlation coefficients. A specifically designed questionnaire wasused to collect the data.