This study assesses the short-term and long-term interactions between firm performance, financial education and political instability in the case of Malaysia Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The simultaneous insertion of financial education and political instability within the study is done intentionally to inspect the effect of these two elements in one equation for the Malaysian economy. Using the bound testing methodology for cointegration and error correction models, advanced within an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) framework, we examine whether a long-run equilibrium connection survives between firm performance and the above mentioned independent variables. Using this method, we uncover evidence of a positive long-term link b
... Show MoreMelanoidins can be diagnosed using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technique. UV/Vis is an effective tool for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical components in melanoidin polymers. The structural and vibrational features of melanoidin synthesized from D-glucose and D-fructose are identical, according to FTIR spectra, with the only difference being the intensity of bands. Using FTIR spectra, the skeleton of melanoidin is divided into seven major regions. The existence of the C=C, C=N, and C=O groups in all melanoidins formed from fructose and glucose with ammonia is confirmed by the areas ranging from 1600 to 1690 cm-1, and the band is largely evident as a broad shoulder. Both melan
... Show MoreThis study aimed to assess the efficiency of Nerium oleander in removing three different metals (Cd, Cu, and Ni) from simulated wastewater using horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSF-CW) system. The HSSF-CW pilot scale was operated at two hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 4 and 7 days, filled with a substrate layer of sand and gravel. The results indicated that the HSSF-CW had high removal efficiency of Cd and Cu. A higher HRT (7 days) resulted in greater removal efficiency reaching up to (99.3% Cd, 99.5% Cu, 86.3% Ni) compared to 4 days. The substrate played a significant role in removal of metals due to adsorption and precipitation. The N. oleander plant also showed a good tolerance to the uptake of Cd, Cu, and Ni ions fr
... Show MoreTo determine the expression of key epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in gingival tissue samples collected from patients with periodontitis.
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition is a process responsible for shifting epithelial‐phenotype to mesenchymal‐phenotype leading to loss of epithelial‐barrier function. Thus, EMT could be involved as a pathogenic mechanism in periodontitis as both conditions share common promoters and signalling pathways.
Gingival tissue samples were collected fro
The production of biodiesel generates soap impurities that hinder biodiesel performance and complicate its purification. This study presents a novel approach for soap removal from biodiesel using NiO–doped ZnO nanoparticle (NP) adsorbent. The NPs are synthesized using a gliding arc discharge (GAD) method as a non-thermal plasma source (NTP). NiO doping reduced the bandgap energy by 74%, reduced the crystallite size, and increased the surface area by 78%, entailing lattice strain and structural modifications. Soap removal efficiency was 99.7% for NiO–doped ZnO within 16 min, compared with 95.5% for ZnO. Soap uptake as high as 2320 mg/g NiO–doped ZnO was reported, which could be equally fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms su
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