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This research aims to investigate the impact of brand equity on purchase intention among the MBA students of UNITAR International University. The key components of brand equity are brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand association, were included in this study. This population was selected due to the diversity of the students, particularly in terms of age, gender, and race. The required sample size of 169 for these population was successfully collected. Data for this research was gathered through an online survey using the descriptive format for the demographics and five-point Likert scale for the variables. The collected data was tested and analyzed using descriptive analysis, reliability testing, multiple linear regression, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis and one-way ANOVA. Findings have showed positive relationship between all the independent variables to the dependent variable, consistent with the findings of previous studies. Our finding strengthens the findings of past studies on the significant impact of brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand association on purchase intentions. It also enhances previous findings which rejected the impact of brand awareness on purchase intentions. Our conclusion on the significant impact of brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand association on purchase intentions can be used by businesses to focus their sales and marketing strategies into these three components. Our conclusion that brand awareness does not significantly impact purchase intentions can be adopted by businesses to emphasize their efforts more on the three other components of brand equity.

This study aims to develop and test the BioXpedia Board Game (BXBG) prototype for teaching Cell Division in Biology. This research was based on the ADDIE model, a sample of 80 was chosen randomly among the Biology pre-service teachers from a local university. Based on the responses of the preliminary studies and literature reviews, a prototype was designed and developed. The expert agreement of 93.33% for face validity and 98.46% for content validity was obtained. The prototype was tested of its perceived usability and resulted with a mean value of 3.74 (s.d = 0.4459). The four constructs that represent usability; student understanding, user-friendliness, procedure, and creative and critical thinking, were all at a satisfactory level, with mean values of 3.70 (s.d = 0.4565), 3.74 (s.d = 0.4420), 3.76 (s.p = 0.4298), and 3.74 (s.p = 0.4553), respectively. A reliability analysis was also carried out, and a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.945 was computed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27. Based on the findings, the BXPG was deemed an appropriate teaching medium to assist pre-service teachers in teaching Cell Division topics.

The global food system is plagued by legitimacy and stability issues due to climate and ecosystem disruptions, contributing to widespread malnutrition. A significant portion of the global population experiences undernourishment, overweight, and micronutrient deficiencies from unhealthy diets. Addressing these challenges necessitates regular consumption of essential nutrients from plant sources. Among various crops, Moringa oleifera leaves are highly nutritious, offering essential vitamins, minerals, and medicinal properties. Whence research was conducted to inquire the proximate phytochemical composition and extraction efficiency of moringa leaf extracts across four extraction methods: maceration (E1), Soxhlet (E2), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) (E3), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) (E4) using 70 % hydro-ethanolic solvent. The study detected the presence of phytocompounds and phytonutrients at higher levels in UAE and MAE extracts. Recovery yield was highest for UAE (21.81 ± 0.32 %) than conventional extraction methods (6.24 ± 0.08 %). Both advanced extraction methods resulted in higher TPC (148.86 ± 1.92 mg GAE/g and 137.65 ± 4.49 mg GAE/g, respectively) and TFC (23.18 ± 0.44 mgQE/g and 22.12 ± 0.61 mg QE/g, respectively). Protein and ascorbic acid contents followed a similar trend, with UAE achieving 148.66 ± 3.74 mg/ml and 620.25 ± 1.42 mg/100g, respectively. Antioxidant activity measured by DPPH assay was highest in UAE (86.25 ± 1.58 %) along with the lowest IC50 values (11.62 ± 1.58 μg/ml) in UAE. Furthermore, ICP-OES analysis revealed higher concentrations of essential phyto-minerals in moringa leaf extracts. Moreover, SEM analysis revealed significant morphological disruptions in the leaf samples, correlating with higher phytomolecules recovery. The outcome of the research is that novel extraction methods significantly enhanced the extraction efficiency and quality of bioactive compounds from moringa leaves, suggesting their potential in the development of nutraceutical and biofortified food products to expunge malnutrition.

The rising interest in bioactive phyto-compounds, known for their antioxidant, phenolic, and flavonoid properties, has focused attention on Moringa oleifera. With its abundant phyto-molecules, Moringa is a promising source for biomolecule extraction. As a significant vegetable crop, Moringa provides ample nutrients that can be efficiently extracted using novel methodologies. This study aims to optimize ultrasound-assisted extraction from Moringa leaves, considering diverse parameter combinations for improved yield and quality. Ultrasound-assisted extraction, a notable advancement, considers parameters like amplitude, temperature, and extraction time. Employing Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with 20 simulated runs, this investigation assessed extraction yield, Total Phenol Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), and Radical Scavenging Activity (RSA). The optimized technique yielded an extraction yield of 12.78-23.28%, TPC of 100.12-149.22 mg GAE/g, TFC of 14.43-20.19 mg QE/g, and RSA of 58.87-85.08%. Increased amplitude power, higher extraction temperature, and shorter extraction time contributed to enhanced biomolecule extraction. GC-MS profiling identified various bioactive compounds in the Moringa leaf extracts, showcasing potential applications in nutraceutical industries.

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that can affect the effectiveness of the Yield Management training program at a semiconductor company. The research framework for this study was designed based on the Kirkpatrick model and questionnaires were distributed to the technical staff at Silterra. The study found that factors such as participants, trainer, training materials and organization could affect the effectiveness of the training while other factors such as the training program itself, working environment and technology were immaterial. The results also indicated that participants, trainer, training material and the organization had a positive relationship with the effectiveness of training at the different levels of the Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. Keywords: Training effectiveness, technical training, Yield Management training program, Kirkpatrick’s Training Model, Semiconductor industry.

Relaxation of China's zero-COVID policy in December 2022 led the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to recommend several nonpharmaceutical interventions to curb COVID-19 spread and monitor any emerging [...]

This review investigates the recent advancements aimed at optimizing the mechanical performance of three-dimensional (3D)-printed polymer matrix composites (PMCs), motivated by the need to overcome the inherent limitations of additive manufacturing (AM) in achieving desired mechanical properties. The study focuses on two primary areas: (1) microstructural refinements through strategic control of parameters such as reinforcement type, size, orientation, and interfacial properties and (2) processing enhancements involving the modification of build parameters, material formulations, and posttreatments. The review systematically analyzes the interdependencies between microstructure-property relationships and processing-performance characteristics. Key findings include an improvement of up to 50% in strength and toughness through optimized microstructure and printing techniques, which are compared with results from other studies that reported a maximum of 30%–40% improvement under similar conditions. The review also highlights the successful application of these approaches in various case studies, demonstrating their potential to substantially enhance the dimensional control and functional properties of 3D-printed PMCs, making them suitable for diverse applications ranging from aerospace components to flexible sensors. Despite these advancements, challenges such as performance consistency, part quality, and scalability remain, emphasizing the need for continued research to fully exploit the potential of 3D-printed PMCs.

Plasmodium vivax malaria is much less common in Africa than the rest of the world because the parasite relies primarily on the Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor (DARC) to invade human erythrocytes, and the majority of Africans are Duffy negative. Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the reporting of P. vivax cases in Africa, with a high number of them being in Duffy negative individuals, potentially indicating P. vivax has evolved an alternative invasion mechanism that can overcome Duffy negativity. Here, we analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and copy number variation (CNV) in Whole Genome Sequence (WGS) data from 44 P. vivax samples isolated from symptomatic malaria patients in southwestern Ethiopia, where both Duffy positive and Duffy negative individuals are found. A total of 123,711 SNPs were detected, of which 22.7% were nonsynonymous and 77.3% were synonymous mutations. The largest number of SNPs were detected on chromosomes 9 (24,007 SNPs; 19.4% of total) and 10 (16,852 SNPs, 13.6% of total). There were particularly high levels of polymorphism in erythrocyte binding gene candidates including merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3.5, MSP3.85 and MSP3.9). Two genes, MAEBL and MSP3.8 related to immunogenicity and erythrocyte binding function were detected with significant signals of positive selection. Variation in gene copy number was also concentrated in genes involved in host-parasite interactions, including the expansion of the Duffy binding protein gene (PvDBP) on chromosome 6 and MSP3.11 on chromosome 10. Based on the phylogeny constructed from the whole genome sequences, the expansion of these genes was an independent process among the P. vivax lineages in Ethiopia. We further inferred transmission patterns of P. vivax infections among study sites and showed various levels of gene flow at a small geographical scale. The genomic features of P. vivax provided baseline data for future comparison with those in Duffy-negative individuals and allowed us to develop a panel of informative Single Nucleotide Polymorphic markers diagnostic at a micro-geographical scale.

To analyse and predict the healing time of upper limb fractures in children, machine learning algorithms were used. Paediatric orthopaedic data was obtained from the University Malaya Medical Centre. The data set includes radiographs of upper limb fractures involving the radius, ulna, and humerus in children under the age of twelve, with ages recorded from the date and time of initial injury. Inputs assessment included: age, gender, bone type, the number of bones involved, fracture type, angulation and the distance of the fracture. Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) algorithms were used to predict and identify variables associated with fracture healing time. Self Organizing Maps was then used for visualization and ordination of factors associated with healing time. Algorithms performance was measured using root mean square error (RMSE). A significant determinant in fracture healing includes age, bone part, fracture angulation, and distance. The Wilcoxon signed ranked test reported there is a significant difference between the prediction result of the SVR model (RMSE = 2.56) and the RF model (RMSE = 2.66). Predicting healing time can be used in the treatment process and follow up period for general practitioners and medical officers. The algorithm is deployed online at https://kidsfractureexpert.com/.

Plasmodium vivax invasion of human erythrocytes depends on the Duffy Binding Protein (PvDBP) which interacts with the Duffy antigen. PvDBP copy number has been recently shown to vary between P. vivax isolates in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the extent of PvDBP copy number variation, the type of PvDBP multiplications, as well as its significance across broad samples are still unclear. We determined the prevalence and type of PvDBP duplications, as well as PvDBP copy number variation among 178 Ethiopian P. vivax isolates using a PCR-based diagnostic method, a novel quantitative real-time PCR assay and whole genome sequencing. For the 145 symptomatic samples, PvDBP duplications were detected in 95 isolates, of which 81 had the Cambodian and 14 Malagasy-type PvDBP duplications. PvDBP varied from 1 to >4 copies. Isolates with multiple PvDBP copies were found to be higher in symptomatic than asymptomatic infections. For the 33 asymptomatic samples, PvDBP was detected with two copies in two of the isolates, and both were the Cambodian-type PvDBP duplication. PvDBP copy number in Duffy-negative heterozygotes was not significantly different from that in Duffy-positives, providing no support for the hypothesis that increased copy number is a specific association with Duffy-negativity, although the number of Duffy-negatives was small and further sampling is required to test this association thoroughly.