The unexpected closure of educational institutions as a result of the emergence of COVID-19 prompted the authorities to suggest adopting alternatives to traditional learning methods. E-learning is an innovative approach for delivering electronically mediated, well-designed, learner-centred interactive learning environments by utilizing internet and digital technologies with respect to instructional design principles. This paper presents the implementation and prototyping of an innovative web-based e-learning platform for chemistry course known as Al-Chemy. Al-Chemy was developed for foundation students at Tahmidi Centre, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. The rapid application development (RAD) methods have been used in developing Al-Chemy through website wix.com. Al-Chemy was structured with interactive notes, animation, virtual experiment, quizzes, and games. The combination of these activities helps students in learning basic and advanced concepts of chemistry.

In Islam, the consumption of alcohol is generally considered haram, which means it is forbidden or prohibited. There are rules that have been identified by jurists in measuring the halal or haram status of a product. There are permissible alcohols in food that are allowed to be consumed. The Istihalah concept is generally implemented by Islamic scholars in order to characterize the permissible alcohol present in food. Alcohols are among the most common organic compounds, identified by one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups attached to a carbon atom of an alkyl group. Excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol drinking during adolescence specifically are the risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD), anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric conditions during adulthood. It has been reviewed that neuropsychological testing of selective cognitive, sensory, and motor functions has enabled tracking the consequences of AUD, which involve the corresponding disruption of selective functions with respect to response inhibition, visuospatial, emotional, postural stability, mnemonic, and brain system supporting these functions. The nervous system is one of the structures that is most sensitive to alcohol. Alcohol affects the brain’s communication pathways, hence inducing brain and nervous system problems. Herein, a review with regard to alcohol in food from an Islamic perspective and its neuropsychiatry consequences will be discussed accordingly.

Antimicrobial study of synthesized ferulate esters was successfully carried out against both Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Salmonella typhimurium, Klabsiella Pneumoniae and Escherichia coli) bacteria. Screening by agar diffusion test was employed for preliminary features followed by Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Ferulate esters demonstrated anti-bacterial activity with diameter of inhibition zones ranged from 8 to 16 mm for S. typhimurium, E. coli, S. epidermidis and S. aureus. For MIC assay, the minimum concentration of ferulate esters against E. coli was 50% followed by S. typhimurium (33.3%), S. epidermidis (20%) and S. aureus (20%). While for MBC assay, ferulate esters only showed bacteriostatic effect. Therefore, this research proved that the ferulate esters possess moderate antibacterial inhibition against both types of bacteria.

Tons of plastic produced each year to fulfil human needs. However, the major issue arises on how to dispose of the plastic bags. Plastic bags contain chemicals originating from petroleum distillation products. Upon burning or burying those plastic bags, toxic chemical reactions can pose harms to the living things and the environment. Additionally, plastics need approximately around 500 years to completely decompose. Therefore, we introduce Banastic-lizer as a green plastic as the solution to these problems. This project enables the fabrication of the eco-friendly plastic material from banana peels which is biodegradable in nature and reduce the harmful effects of material decomposition to the Earth. In fact, the banana peels have antioxidant properties, fibrous structures and essential nutrients. As the results, the Banastic-lizer is safe for the application by consumers without giving any harmful side effects. Plus, it can be used as a fertilizer due to the high content of nutrients. This eco-friendly plastic has a chance to be commercialized due to its affordable cost. As a conclusion, the conservation of the environment can be achieved if we continue using the green and environmentally friendly products. With this project, we hope that it could be a kick-start towards the efforts of saving the Earth in the coming future.

Based on the current plant management systems available on the market, e-platform are not widely nor frequently utilized in sustaining the growth of greenness. Therefore, an e-platform is proposed to cater for the needs of modern gardeners. The e-platform namely BloomGuardian was developed in response to the difficulties typically encountered by gardeners. BloomGuardian features a comprehensive plant database, detailed with species-specific care instructions, pest and disease management guides, and seasonal planting calendars. Additionally, it incorporates a real-time weather forecasting tool tailored to the needs of gardeners, helping users make informed decisions about planting and maintenance activities. A diagnostic tool utilizing image recognition technology will enable users to identify plant health issues and recommend appropriate remedies. Community engagement is a core component of the platform, facilitated through forums, blogs, and social media integration. These features enable gardeners to share experiences, tips, and support each other, fostering a sense of community. The platform also includes a marketplace for gardening supplies, allowing users to purchase tools, seeds, and other essentials from trusted vendors. Furthermore, a booking system for professional gardening services will be available, bridging the gap between amateur gardeners and experienced professionals. The proposed BloomGuardian as the e-platform system is designed to empower users by providing knowledge, tools, and community support. This innovation aims to enhance the gardening experience while promoting sustainable practice.

Food waste, including non-reusable materials like chicken bones, forms a significant portion of solid waste. In Malaysia, approximately 540,000 tons of waste cooking oil (WCO) is discarded annually without proper treatment. Chicken bones, rich in calcium, can be utilized as a heterogeneous catalyst in biodiesel production, addressing waste management issues. However, the use of chicken bone as a catalyst presents challenges such as the unmodified chicken bones often require a pre-treatment step to reduce high free fatty acid (FFA) content in WCO to prevent saponification, limiting their efficiency. Hence, this research endeavors to innovate by converting WCO into biodiesel via a transesterification reaction, leveraging waste chicken bones as a catalyst. The calcined waste chicken bone (CB) was modified to form 5 wt% Fe-CB, and 10 wt% Fe-CB. The catalysts were found to have similar physical characteristics in terms of the structure and surface morphology observed from XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, and SEM analysis. Among the catalysts, 10 wt% Fe-CB, produced the highest yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), reaching 72.52%, under mild reaction conditions (10:1 methanol-to-WCO molar ratio, 1 wt% catalyst loading, 60 oC reaction temperature and 4 h reaction time). The capability of 10 wt% Fe-CB to produce a higher fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) yield than 5 wt% Fe-CB and calcined CB was due to the presence of CaO with binary transition metal oxides providing both acidic and basic sites, allowing for more efficient WCO conversion.

A novel and simple dual lipases system was effectively developed in attaining high performance of ferulate esters by transesterification between ethyl ferulate and olive oil. Enzyme screening revealed 1: 9 w/w of Novozym 435-Lipozyme RMIM to be the most efficient lipases ratio for the reaction synthesis. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on four-factor-five-level central composite design (CCD) was used to study interactive effects of reaction factors: time, lipase dosage, ratio substrates and temperature. A high percent conversion of 94.03 % was achieved under the optimum conditions of 12 h, 87 mg lipases, 1: 2 ratio substrates and 60 áµ’C, which compared well with the maximum predicted value of 94.83 %.

Ferulic acid has widespread industrial potential by virtue of its antioxidant properties. However, it is partially soluble in aqueous media, limiting their usefulness in oil-based processes in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and material industry. Therefore, modification of ferulic acid should be made by producing of more lipophilic derivatives. In this study, a preliminary investigation of lipase-catalyzed trans-esterification reaction of ethyl ferulate and olive oil was investigated. The reaction was catalyzed by immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435), to produce ferulate ester, a sunscreen agent. A statistical approach of Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the interactive effects of reaction temperature (40-80°C), reaction time (4-12 hours), and amount of enzyme (0.1-0.5 g). The optimum conditions derived via RSM were reaction temperature 60°C, reaction time 2.34 hours, and amount of enzyme 0.3 g. The actual experimental yield was 59.6% ferulate ester under optimum condition, which compared well to the maximum predicted value of 58.0%

A novel approach of dual lipases system was successfully carried out in improving the synthesis of ferulate esters between ethyl ferulate and olive oil. Combination of Novozym 435 and Lipozyme RMIM were used as biocatalyst to improve the reaction performance. Different reaction parameters (ratio of lipases, reaction time, lipase dosage, substrate molar ratio and reaction temperature) were analyzed systematically. A high conversion of ferulate esters (85%) was obtained after 12 hrs of reaction time at optimal conditions of 1:9 w/w (Novozym 435/Lipozyme RMIM), 80mg of lipase and 1:4 ethyl ferulate:olive oil at 60 ?C.

This research aims to evaluate the level of scientific research output concerning Siwak or Miswak using Scopus during the period 2014 to 2024 by employing bibliometrics indicators such as articles, types of documents in this field of research, contributions among different countries, institutions wise contribution, preference of journals for communication this research area. A thorough examination was undertaken on 245 English records sourced from Scopus databases to yield insights. The results highlight a notable escalation in the annual publication of scientific research across the globe. Saudi Arabia (179), and Egypt (107) emerged as the leading contributors on the list India (85) occupies the third rank in global countries’ production over time. The most relevant sources by research for siwak or miswak title were the Molecules with a count of 6 (3.31%). In addition to this, the graphical mapping of data is represented by VOS Viewer and Biblioshinybibliometric mapping software for a better understanding.

Kajian ini bertujuan menilai keberkesanan pelaksanaan bengkel akhir semester sebagai strategi ulangkaji berkesan di Pusat Tamhidi Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk kajian tindakan dengan pendekatan kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Seramai 544 orang pelajar terlibat sebagai responden, manakala pensyarah kursus bertindak sebagai fasilitator. Instrumen kajian terdiri daripada soal selidik, ujian pra dan pasca, serta temu bual separa berstruktur. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan dalam pencapaian akademik pelajar berdasarkan perbandingan ujian pra dan pasca. Hasil soal selidik juga mendapati majoriti pelajar berpuas hati dengan bengkel, khususnya dari aspek kefahaman konsep, peningkatan keyakinan, dan interaksi kolaboratif. Temu bual mendalam mengesahkan bengkel menyediakan suasana pembelajaran yang lebih kondusif, santai, dan berfokus. Secara keseluruhannya, bengkel akhir semester terbukti sebagai strategi ulangkaji yang berkesan dan wajar dijadikan amalan berterusan di institusi pengajian tinggi bagi meningkatkan prestasi serta kemahiran pelajar.

Merekabentuk penilaian amali yang konstruktif adalah elemen penting dalam pendidikan sains. Disebabkan penularan wabak COVID-19, pembelajaran berasaskan dalam talian telah diamalkan secara global, memaksa pengajian wajib dijalankan dari rumah. Walaupun terdapat kelemahan, terdapat banyak kebaikan yang perlu dipertimbangkan. Penilaian makmal kimia di Pusat Tamhidi USIM melibatkan gabungan pembelajaran maya dan fizikal. Terdapat tiga fasa termasuk penilaian pra, semasa dan pasca makmal. Video H5P (kandungan video interaktif berasaskan HTML5) ialah penilaian pra-makmal yang perlu pelajar cuba sebelum menjalankan eksperimen. Mereka akan mengakses video H5P melalui platform dalam talian, Global Open Access Learning System (GOALS) di mana mereka perlu menonton video pendek berkenaan dengan eksperimen dan menjawab beberapa soalan sepanjang video yang dirakamkan. Aktiviti atau penilaian pra-makmal ini akan membantu pelajar untuk mendapatkan gambaran keseluruhan berkaitan eksperimen yang akan dijalankan serta pengajar dapat membuat pra-penilaian kepada pelajar. Penilaian makmal psikomotor dijalankan semasa amali makmal. Pelajar dinilai berdasarkan prestasi mereka dalam menjalankan eksperimen dan dinilai oleh pengajar mengikut penilaian rubrik. Penilaian terakhir penilaian makmal ialah aktiviti pasca makmal. Ia melibatkan platform dalam talian GOALS di mana pelajar diberi masa 15 minit untuk menjawab 10 soalan aneka pilihan berkenaan eksperimen yang telah mereka jalankan. Secara keseluruhannya, ini adalah penilaian konstruktif untuk aktiviti makmal yang telah diperkenalkan dan dilaksanakan oleh Unit Kimia di Pusat Tamhidi. Pelaksanaan penilaian ini membawa kepada penilaian yang komprehensif berkenaan dengan amali makmal.

Plant oil as second generation biofuel especially waste cooking oil has been found to simplify the shortcomings experienced by its predecessors. However, high free fatty acid content represents the major limitation which requires the waste cooking oil to undergo a two-step process to produce biodiesel. As an alternative, in this study, Fe3O4-ZrO2 catalysts were developed for simultaneous esterification–transesterification of waste cooking oil to biodiesel. The magnetic function of Fe3O4 has the advantage in the separation process, avoid the loss of catalyst and increase its reusability. First, Fe3O4 was synthesized using co-precipitation method where FeSO4.7H2O and FeCl3.6H2O were combined in deionized water to form black precipitate. Then, the precipitate was dried at 40°C for 24 hours. The Fe3O4-ZrO2 catalysts were further synthesized using various Fe3O4 loadings (10- 30 wt.%) via incipient wetness impregnation method, dried at 120 °C followed by calcination at 700 °C for 5 hours. All catalysts were characterized using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) for degradation behaviour and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to detect the functional groups presence. It was found that the highest biodiesel yield was achieved by 20Fe-Zr catalyst using 12:1 methanol to oil ratio and 10wt% catalyst loading at 60°C for 7 hours.

Biodiesel is an efficient, clean, and renewable alternative to petroleum-based fuels. Biodiesel production typically requires heterogeneous catalysts. However, the usage of traditional heterogeneous catalysts faces challenges like difficult recovery and catalyst loss. To address these challenges, this study aims to synthesize and characterize magnetized Fe3O4-ZrO2 catalysts for direct transesterification of waste cooking oil into biodiesel. Fe3O4 was first synthesized via co-precipitation of FeSO4·7H2O and FeCl3·6H2O, resulting in black precipitate. ZrO2 was then impregnated with 10-30 wt.% Fe3O4 using the incipient wetness impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET) to assess thermal stability, functional groups, morphology, surface area, and porosity. The catalysts were tested for methyl ester production using 12:1 methanol to waste cooking oil ratio and 5 wt.% catalyst loading at 60°C for 5 hours. The 20Fe-Zr catalyst showed superior performance (13.13%) compared to 10Fe-Zr and 30Fe-Zr catalysts. The enhanced catalytic activity of the 20Fe-Zr catalyst is attributed to its mesopore connectivity, high pore volume, and large surface area. Additionally, its magnetic properties enable easy catalyst separation and demonstrate potential for reuse, making the process more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

A novel and simple dual lipases system was developed in attaining high performance of ferulate esters by transesterification reaction between ethyl ferulate and olive oil. Detection and identification of reaction products were facilitated by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Enzyme screening revealed 1: 9 w/w of Novozym 435-Lipozyme RM IM to be the most efficient lipases ratio for the reaction synthesis. By varying one-parameter-at-a-time, 60 degree celcius of reaction temperature, 12 hrs of incubation time, 80 mg of lipase dosage and 1: 2 of ethyl ferulate: olive oil ratio were shown to be the optimal and suitable reaction conditions. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on four-factor-five-level central composite design (CCD) was further used to study the interactive effects among the parameters. The best fitting model was quadratic polynomial where incubation time exhibited most significant effect over the other three parameters. A high percent conversion of 94.03 % was achieved under the optimum conditions, which compared well with the maximum predicted value of 94.83 %. Biological study of ferulate esters was measured based on their antimicrobial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Screening by agar diffusion test was employed as preliminary features followed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. The results proved that the ferulate esters posses moderate antibacterial inhibition against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Their physicochemical properties were also well examined through sun protection factor (SPF) value, peroxidase value, saponification value and iodine value.