1.FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 20130

2. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013Exploring the FundamentalsPUBLISHED BY:Faculty of Science Universiti Putra Malaysia 20131 3. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013 (Copyright)2013 Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra MalaysiaAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passage in a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper.Fundamental Science Congress 2013 Exploring the Fundamentals Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Editors: Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai, Shamarina Shohaimi, Abdul Halim Shaari, Nurul Huda Osman, Issam Ahmed Muhammed, Jaafar Abdullah, Noor Akma Ibrahim and Leong Wah June. Printed by: Syarikat Perniagaan Weng Sing Lot 452-A Jalan 18/2A Taman Seri Serdang, 43400 Seri Kembangan, Selangor D.E. Malaysia2 4. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013CONTENTS PREFACE4FOREWORD BY Deputy Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment5Vice Chancellor of UPM6Dean of Faculty of Science, UPM7Chairman of Organizing Committee of FSC 20138Biology Symposium:9Oral presentations10Poster presentations126Chemistry Symposium:237Oral presentations238Poster presentations332Mathematics Symposium:431Oral presentations432Physic Symposium:533Oral presentations534Poster presentations6373 5. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013PrefaceFundamental science is very important in developing science and technology. By understanding fundamental sciences, scientists can be more creative and innovative on particular subjects or in looking for solutions to human needs or problems. In every field including science, excellence can be achieved when the fundamental basic knowledge is well understood. But today, when science is creating opportunities and competitiveness in business, applied sciences are more emphasised compared to basic sciences. Fundamental science (pure science) is science that describes the most basic objects, forces, relations between them and laws governing them, such that all other phenomena may be in principle derived from it following the logic of scientific reductionism. We have faith that fundamental science will tell us the facts of each branch of science. Practical application only comes from an understanding of the fundamentals. This congress with the theme Exploring the Fundamentals, will explore and share the findings of young researchers. All findings in basic sciences could be merged or may support each other across the fields and disciplines of basic sciences such as biology, chemistry, physic and mathematics. The congress provides the opportunity for members of the faculty to mix around once a year outside of their laboratories to look at for each others findings and search for opportunities to collaborate or integrate the findings. Animal behaviours and contaminated habitats could be explained better when chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics are integrated to suggest better ways of habitat management for conservation. Likewise, chemistry and physics can help to support wildlife management and resolve some of the conflicts between humans and wildlife. Fundamental sciences look at basic processes and mechanisms for better application of knowledge, creation of tools and technology for the convenience of human kind. This congress will provide the platform for 116 papers to be presented in the fields of biology, chemistry, physic and mathematics, discussing on the taxonomy and systematic of plant and animals, their ecology and habitat, synthesis and characterisation of nature product and toxicology, properties and optics, and the modelling processes and systems. Wide ranges of fundamental sciences findings compiled in this book can be subsequently analysed and integrated to produce interesting new knowledge and its application. Innovation and application will be stifled when fundamental research is retarded. Exploring the fundamentals and their integration with applied research are crucial to problem-solving, innovation and product development. It is hoped that next year new findings in basic sciences will emerge as extensions of this years findings. See you again in Fundamental Science Congress 2014. Thank you.PROF. DR. AHMAD ISMAIL Chairman Organizing Committee of Fundamental Science Congress 20134 6. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Foreword from the Deputy Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, MalaysiaMay I take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to all participants of the Fundamental Science Congress 2013 (FSC2013). I am optimistic that you will have productive sessions during your two days of discussions on Exploring the Fundamentals. It is indeed heartening to note that this event is being actively supported by several government agencies and the public, as well as private institutions. Similarly, it also demonstrates how Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics have become an interdisplinary effort in Science and Technology, as well as in agricultural sector where its scope in todays societal progress has become pertinent. Malaysia is known for its vast biodiversity in terms of flora and fauna as well as microorganisms. For studying their diversity, as part of the scientific community of this country, you are shouldering the responsibilities to identify and exploring their fundamental aspects to determine their further uses for the advancement of science and economy of our country. The continual support for the initiatives that promote the fundamental study in our country is very essential in order to discover their contribution. In this regard, the fundamental study also provides a good opportunity as a platform to discuss many of your research findings, exchange ideas and develop further, so as to attain a global niche by way of publications in high impact factor and other major scientific forums. Once again, I would like to express my appreciation to FSC2013 committee members for their untiring, excellent contribution and support in numerous ways to make this event a success. Take away with you as participants not only knowledge, skills and innovative methods for research and practice in your field but also happy and unforgettable memories of a good congress and stimulating networking activities. Wishing all of you the very best in your endeavours. Y.B. DATO DR. JAMES DAWOS MAMIT Deputy Minister Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Malaysia5 7. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Foreword from the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Putra MalaysiaFirst of all, I would like to welcome all participants of the Annual Fundamental Science Congress. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Faculty of Science for its effort in organizing this meaningful event. It is an annual scientific congress that brings about the achievements for the past year for the students and lecturers of Faculty of Science. This congress is organized in the hope of promoting and sharing innovative ideas, discovering new knowledge and showcase latest discoveries in research and development in the Faculty of Science. The 5th of its series, the Congress aims to promote knowledge sharing in diverse areas of fundamental science, and will serve as a means of networking and collaboration in Research and Development. UPM management greatly supports and encourages all kinds of academic activities, particularly those that are related to Research and Development (R&D), which are in line with our vision to be the leading centre for learning and research that contributes to the creation of the nations wealth and the development of mankind. Exploring the Fundamentals is this years theme. Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics are the fundamental of science and by exploring fundamental research, which are the basis of other types of research, we will be able to apply the knowledge directly into other natural sciences fields such as Agriculture, Biotechnology, Engineering, and even Medicine. It is by exploring these sciences, will bring about benefits for the scientific communities, industries and later, the global communities. This is also in accordance to the national agenda and valuable outcomes will be created towards wealth creation, nation building and universal human advancement. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the organizing committee, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science for making the event a success. With an open heart and mind, I would like to welcome you to this annual event. Finally, I sincerely hope that all participants would have a fruitful and wonderful time throughout the conference. Thank you. WITH KNOWLEDGE WE SERVE PROF. DATUK DR. MOHD FAUZI HAJI RAMLAN D.M.S.M., J.S.M Vice Chancellor Universiti Putra Malaysia6 8. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Foreword from the Dean, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra MalaysiaOn behalf of the faculty and the organizers, I would like to extend my warm welcome to all participants of Fundamental Science Congress (FSC) 2013. Fundamental Science Congress was first initiated in 2009 and has been in the Faculty of Science Academic Calendar since then. FSC has given the chance for scientists in the Faculty to share their knowledge and latest updates in research. Exploring the Fundamentals is the theme for this years Congress. Department of Biology has been given the honour to host this years congress. The two day conference will bring about the recent research discoveries of faculty of science, in various fields of fundamental science. Exploring the fundamentals is this years theme, and by exploring the essential fundamental of science, we are able to go further in developing other fields of science such as engineering, forestry, agriculture and medicine. Therefore it is crucial that this fundamental aspect of science is being put in the limelight of research. I hope that all participants will have great benefits from FSC2013, in terms of research collaboration, knowledge enhancement and networking. Welcome and hope that all will benefit from this conference. Thank you. PROF. DR. ZAINAL ABIDIN TALIB Dean Faculty of Science Universiti Putra Malaysia7 9. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Foreword from the Chairman of the Organizing Committee FSC 2013It is with great pleasure, that we would like to welcome you to the Fundamental Science Congress (FSC) 2013, Universiti Putra Malaysia. This year, Department of Biology has been given the trust to host this years conference. Fundamental Science Conference 2013 will be held for two days and aimed at engaging researchers, fellow scientists on the progress of their research in fundamental science; Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. We are expecting to have about 300 participants, up to the time book was printed, we had registration and payment for about 200 participants, majority are postgraduates from the Faculty. Sessions will consists of distinguished keynote speakers, oral and poster sessions. In this FSC 2013 we will also bring you, an additional Forum on Wildlife Conservation in Malaysia. We hoped that FSC 2013 will be a platform of communication for participants, to further work together and collaborate in fundamental research. I would like to express my sincere and deep gratitude to all the committee members for their effort and hard work in ensuring the success of this event. Thanks to UPM for full support and for Faculty of Veterinary Medicine for allowing us to use their facilities. Thank you also to all participants, speakers and sponsors for making this event successful. Thank you. PROF. DR. AHMAD ISMAIL Chairman Organizing Committee of Fundamental Science Congress 20138 10. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM9 11. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013ORAL PRESENTATIONS Prof. Dr. Mohamad Osman Induced mutation-assisted plant breeding: examples from rice, roselle and stevia Prof. Dr. Rosli Hashim Social integration strategies among myrmecophiles in ant societies Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ismail The importance of public support in wildlife conservation Prof. Dr. Djoko T. Iskandar The Sumatran herpetofauna and its relationships with Peninsular Malaysia Prof. Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah Animal taxonomy - Old issue and exploring new ways Mr. Usman Sadiq Abubakar Geochemical speciation of selected heavy metals in the downstream of Puloh River, Selangor Mr. Cheng Wan Hee Concentrations of Cu and Pb in Nerita lineata collected from Johor Mr. Chew Wei Yun A comparison of heavy metals concentrations (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in Asystasia gangetica between polluted and clean sites Ms. Siti Aishah Ramsie Phosphorus fractionation in sediments of Sepang Besar River Mangrove Forest, Selangor, Malaysia Mr. Wong Koe Wei Variations of selected in-situ surface water parameters in Langat River Ms. Sow Ai Yin Accumulation of lithogenic and non-lithogenic heavy metals in paddy soils of Kelantan during plowing season Ms. Syazana Mohamad Isa Effects of selected personal care products (PCPs) to the early development stage of Java Medaka (Oryzias javanicus) Ms. Hiap Wei Wei Transport of sex pheromone component in male Carambola fruit fly, Bactocera carambolae, following pharmacophagy of methyl eugenol, a plant-derived potent attractant Mr. Ndatsu Yakubu Effect of curcumin analogue 2, 6-bis (2, 5-dimethoxybenzylidene) cyclohexanone on embryonic development in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Ms. Ooi Yue Shin Antennal protein profile following exposure to methyl eugenol in male Bactrocera dorsalis cryptic species (Diptera: Tephritidae) of economic importance Ms. Sujithra Devi a/p Arunagiri Theva Enhancement of lumbrokinase and collagen in Eudrilus euginiae through manipulation of diet as source of replacement for animal source gelatin10 12. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Ms. Tansra Kaur a/p Ranjit Singh Transport of a plant-derived sex pheromone component, raspberry ketone, in male melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae Mrs. Nazziwa Aisha Boosted augmented Nave Bayes classifier for predicting the need for urgent blood resuscitation after gastrointestinal bleeding Ms. Tg. Azia Farahin Ku Hasan Morphology studies of mother plant and plantlet of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cv. MTi2 Dr. Laila Naher Biocontrol performance of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai against Ganoderma boninense Pat. related to infection on oil palm seedlings (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Dr. Nur Ain Izzati Mohd Zainudin Vegetative compatibility groups of Fusarium species isolated from Fusarium ear rot disease in corn Mrs. Noormasshela Ulul Azmi Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis biopesticide produced in shrimp pond sludge as alternative culture medium against Bactrocera dorsalis Mrs. Cheong Jee Yin Recovery of astaxanthin from shrimp shells by Aeromonas hydrophilia and mechanical cell disruption Mrs. Nurul Shaziera Abd. Ghafar Assessment of Ganoderma boninense PER 71 as saccharification agent according to lignocellulolytic enzymes activities on pretreated paddy straw hydrolysate Ms. Siti Norhidayah Othman Isolation of partial MADS- Box gene from the calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Ms. Nurul Syazlin Sulaiman Isolation of partial sequence of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene in non-woody tissue (calyx) of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. variety UMKL Mr. Behnam Shafiei Astani Allelic diversity and microsatellite DNA marker analysis for Southeast Asian crocodile Tomistoma schlegelii Mr. Yoh Kok Hon Phylogenetic studies of Orchid genus Coelogyne in Peninsular Malaysia as reveal through rbcL sequences11 13. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013KEYNOTE SPEAKER Induced mutation-assisted plant breeding: Examples from rice, roselle and steviaO. Mohamad1,*,2345K. Hadzim , M. Zainal , M. Muhsin , R. Abdullateef , 5O. Halimaton Saadiah and A. Lyena Watty Zuraine61Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia2Formerly with MARDI Rice Research Centre, Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia 3Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia4UKM-MTDC Symbiosis Programme, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia 5Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia 6Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia * Corresponding author: mbopar2004@yahoo.comAbstract Spontaneous mutations are rare and random events which arise naturally and not as a result of exposure to anthropogenic mutagens. These changes in DNA sequences occur at generally very low frequencies of 10-6 to 10-9, are heritable and therefore can be passed from parent to offspring. There are several natural units of mutation rate such as mutations per base pair per cell division, per gene per generation, or per genome per generation. They arise from a variety of ways in the organisms such as due to errors in DNA replication, unrepaired damage to DNA or RNA genomes, effects of the insertion or deletion of segments of DNA by transposable genetic elements, and influence of mutagens found in our environment. Such naturally occurring mutations have played the underlying and pivotal role in evolution and natural selection since time immemorial. Since the end of the 19 th century, many applications of X-rays and other forms of ionizing radiation have generated enormous research interest. Through human intervention, mutations can be induced by the use of radiation (e.g. X-rays, fast neutrons, ion beam sources, -rays, and UV light) and chemicals (e.g. nitrous oxides, nitric acid, ethidium bromide, ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS), methylnitrosourea (MNU), 12 14. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013sodium azide and colchicine).Consequently, the mutation rates could be increasedconsiderably by 100- to 1,000-fold compared to that of the rate of spontaneous mutations. Nonetheless, many of these induced mutations are lethal and deleterious. With such demonstration of the ability of these physical and chemical mutagens to alter genetic materials, scientists have routinely induced mutations to create or increase genetic variants in various organisms. Unlike recombinant DNA techniques, induced mutation-assisted plant breeding does not add any foreign genetic material into the plants genome. During the 1970s and 1980s, plant breeders attempted mutation breeding techniques in their work and made significant contributions to crop improvement. They induced mutations to randomly alter genetic traits and then selected for improved genotypes among the progeny. To date, more than 3,500 crop varieties have been released worldwide from the results of mutation breeding directly or indirectly. Based on FAO/IAEA data, there have been more than 2,700 officially released mutant varieties from 170 different plant species in more than 60 countries throughout the world. Approximately 90% of these officially released mutant varieties were produced by irradiation using specific equipment and facilities such as gammacell, gamma greenhouse and gamma field. Recently, methods have been developed to allow scientists to efficiently identify and select for mutations in specific genes. This can enhance the utilization of induced mutations in plant breeding and reduce the usually long breeding time, as changes in genes known to produce specific results can be identified rather than having to screen very large populations of plants to find the rare individuals in their efforts to produce crops with desirable traits. Currently, the techniques of molecular biology have increasingly gained adoption by conventional plant breeders to increase breeding efficiency. Notwithstanding such developments, induced mutations have and will still continue to augment and play important and specific roles in breeding and selection of selected crop species. In rice (Oryza sativa), a trait controlling the elongation trait of cooked rice was inadvertently found in a breeding line called Mahsuri Mutant through a research project on mutation breeding using chemical and physical mutagens, which was jointly undertaken by UKM and MARDI in 1970s. This invaluable quality trait is akin to that of unique and exceptionally high elongation characteristic which makes Basmati rice highly good-tasting and popular. Through backcross breeding, the grain elongation trait has now been successfully transferred to many locallybred high quality rice varieties such as MRQ50 and MRQ74. More recently in 2010, two locally-bred imidazolinone tolerant varieties (IMI-TR varieties) namely MR 220CL1 and MR 220CL2 were officially released to overcome the serious threats posed by weedy rices to direct-seeded rice production culture. Prior to this, several variant AHAS genes conferring imidazolinone tolerance had been discovered in plants through mutagenesis and selection, and were used to create IMI-TR varieties in crops such as maize, wheat, rice, oilseed rape and sunflower. Imidazolinone herbicides, which control a broad spectrum of grass and broadleaf weeds, work by inhibiting the enzyme acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), a critical enzyme for the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids in plants. In 1999, a research project on mutation breeding using -irradiation in roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) was initiated in UKM, culminating in the launch of three new roselle varieties named UKMR-1, UKMR-2 and 13 15. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013UKMR-3 by UKM in 2009.More recently with stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), inducedmutations through -irradiation, polyploidization through colchicine treatment and hybridization through Trigona-assisted pollination have been successfully employed and integrated in efforts to generate genetic variants necessary to overcome some intrinsic problems that impede its productivity in terms of leaf yield and rebaudioside A content. This presentation will provide an overview of the induced mutation techniques which have been experimentally employed by plant breeders in the country and their practical aspects and significant contributions to plant breeding by citing examples from rice, roselle and stevia. Keywords: Induced mutation-assisted plant breeding, rice, roselle and stevia.14 16. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013INVITED SPEAKER 1 Social integration strategies among myrmecophiles in ant societies Rosli Hashim1,*, Christoph von Beeren2, Volker Witte2 and Munetoshi Maruyama3 1Instituteof Biological Science,University of Malaya.2Ludwigs-Maximilians3KyushuUniversity Munich.Museum, Kyushu University.*Corresponding author: roslihashim@um.edu.my Abstract Numerous animals have evolved effective mechanisms to integrate into and exploit ant societies. Chemical integration strategies are particularly widespread among ant symbionts (myrmecophiles), probably because social insect nestmate recognition is predominantly mediated by cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). The importance of chemical mimicry of host CHCs for social acceptance recently is demonstrated in these studies where we investigated the role of chemical mimicry in the myrmecophilous spider Gamasomorpha maschwitzi and the silverfish Malayatelura ponerophila that co-occurs in the same host, Leptogenys distinguenda. Keywords: Social integration strategies, myrmecophiles, ant societies15 17. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013INVITED SPEAKER 2 The importance of public support in wildlife conservation Ahmad Ismail Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. *Corresponding author: aismail@science.upm.edu.my Abstract Malaysia is one of the top megabiodiversity countries in the world, yet continuous development for industry, residential and agriculture activities have caused fragmentations of many of its forest area. As a consequence, conflicts between human and animals are bound to happen through killing, poaching, pest and other forms of disturbances known to mankind. Moreover, information gathered on wildlife through various researches would be meaningless if the animals cannot survive or become endangered and ultimately extinct in the wild. This is where public involvement can make a difference. Unfortunately, the importance of public support often not being addressed properly or given the right attention. This presentation tries to highlights two study cases involving the Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea) and Southern Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris convexus) and the importance of public involvement that contributes to their conservation successes. The Milky Stork reintroduction programme that started in 2007 aims to repopulate our countrys Milky Stork population that can be safely regarded as being extinct in the wild. Yet, until late 2008, the programme suffers its first major obstacle as after several releases of Milky Stork groups, almost 90% of the individuals have loss either due to human or environmental factors. The public was then mobilized to aid in the research and conservation processes through continuous surveys and talks conducted since early 2009. With local support and protection, the first successful breeding of the Milky Stork was recorded in April 2010. To date, at least 10 individuals have survived and two individuals have laid new eggs (total of nine eggs) starting mid June 2013. In another case, the Southern Pied hornbills in Sungai Panjang, Sabak Bernam were adapting to ground nesting using abandoned clay jar. However, before 2006 the breeding process was heavily disturbed. The unique characteristic of the species casque have made them an item of trade or precious amulet by some locals. In addition, the birds beauty and charm have equally attracted the others to capture the species. To alleviate the problems, public awareness programme was conducted among the locals involving several villages viewed as having the potential to support the birds breeding activity. Ongoing public awareness campaign starting 2009 to promote the hornbills establishment and survival have shown some results. To this date, more than five couples have successfully bred and produced strong juveniles under the local protection and the hornbills still continue to nest in the same area every year. In both cases, public involvement plays an important role in conservation especially when rapid developments continue to reduce foraging and nesting areas for these birds. Keywords: Public support, awareness, milky stork, hornbills, wildlife conservation.16 18. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013INVITED SPEAKER 3 The Sumatran herpetofauna and its relationships with Peninsular Malaysia Djoko T. Iskandar School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, 10, Jalan Ganesa, Bandung 40132 Indonesia. *Corresponding author: iskandar@sith.itb.ac.id Abstract Despite being a part of the Sundaland, data on the herpetofauna of Sumatra showed that this island should be considered as a separate entity. Even a considerable number of species are shared with Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo or Java. The shared species reduced enormously as many are now known as complex of species even most of them are not yet formalized. A high number of species are recently described from Peninsular Malaysia and changed considerably the count. Our study showed that Sumatra has eventually also a high number of undescribed species and need to be formalized in the near future. Although the Sumatran herpetofauna could be separated into three biogeographic entity, only two of them showed the presence of unique fauna but shared either with Peninsular Malaysia or with Java. Keywords: Sumatran herpetofauna, relationships, Peninsular Malaysia.17 19. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013INVITED SPEAKER 4Animal taxonomy - Old issue and exploring new waysMohd Tajuddin Abdulah and Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan Department of Zoology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak. *Corresponding author: tabdulla@frst.unimas.my Abstract Biological classification is a science of systematic grouping of biological organisms into similar group based on shared characters. Identification of species boundary has been the center of interest among biologists since the time of Carolus Linnaeus, Charles R. Darwin, Alfred R. Wallace, Ernst W. Mayr and Theodosius G. Dobzhansky. One of the foremost goals in species delimitation is to attain taxonomy that reflects the evolutionary history, which is critical in conservation prioritization, thus illuminating the evolutionary and ecological forces that shaped the population, community and ecosystem. This becomes particularly important in regions with high biodiversity such as Malaysia where the discoveries of new species are prospective, but subjected to habitat disturbances due to very rapid socio-economic development. Therefore, rapid and accurate methods are urgently needed to assess biodiversity and to understand the underlying mechanisms that promote speciation. Our presentation deals with using descriptive method to describe a species, using morphometrics to describe morphological species, DNA for genetic species and the most recent is to use DNA codes to identify cryptic species.Keywords: Animal taxonomy, old issue, exploring new ways.18 20. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Geochemical speciation of some selected heavy metals in the downstream of Puloh River, Selangor Usman Sadiq Abubakar, Ahmad Ismail* and Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. *Corresponding author: aismail@science.upm.edu.my Abstracts Heavy metals contamination was investigated in Puloh River, Selangor. This river has been receiving both industrial and domestic wastes. The sequential extraction technique (SET) was employed to determine the geochemical speciation of selected metals. Results showed elevated level of heavy metals from anthropogenic activities. Cd showed a very high concentration which can pose a serious threat to the aquatic life in the river. Continuous monitoring of heavy metals are urgently needed. Keywords: Geochemical speciation, sediment, heavy metals, anthropogenic, Puloh River. Introduction Heavy metals contamination has been, for long, known to have majorly contributed to environmental pollution, and impacts negatively on health which raises serious concern globally. Sediment is considered as sinks for bio-available metals which show a great tendency to bind to suspended matters and thus, through sedimentation, they become accumulated in the river sediment providing temporal advantage to the quality of the water, but the interaction between water and sediment enhances remobilization of these metals with alarming pollution manifestation in the aquatic systems(Kelderman & Osman, 2007). River sediments, as the main sink of heavy metals not only play an important role in influencing water pollution but can also account for the history of the river pollution(Taylor, Ismail, Badri, & Ramlan, n.d.). The geochemical circle of these metals is influenced by both physical and chemical factors: the total organic carbon (TOC), grain size, temperature, salinity and pH among other things. Industrialization and intense agricultural activities contribute enormously to the loading of these contaminants in the aquatic systems(Naji, Ismail, & Ismail, 2010). In more general terms, anthropogenic activities, which constitutes the discharge of industrial and domestic effluents and from agriculture and mining activities, are the broad sources of heavy metals contamination(Bai et al., 2011). The potentiality for these heavy metals to bioaccumulate and biomagnify resulting to a heavier exposure of some organisms is too obvious to ignore(Gao, Chen, & Bay, 2012). The 19 21. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013identification and quantification of species of chemicals in a material is referred to as chemical speciation(Naji et al., 2010). Sequential extraction technique (SET) was used to determine the speciation of these metals and to evaluate the concentration of metals in the Sungai Puloh River. Sequential extraction can provide information about the identification of the main binding sites, the strength of metal binding to a particulates and the phase association of trace element in sediment(Naji et al., 2010). SET is divided into four phases: the easily and freely leachable or exchangeable (EFLE), the Acid reducible, the oxidisable organic and The Resistant. The aim of this study is therefore, to investigate the chemical speciation of some selected heavy metals in the river. Materials and methods Study site: Sampling: Five sites were selected for this study. Using a plastic hand scoop, sediment samples were collected from the surface of the river and put in a polyethylene bags. The samples were put in an ice bag and then transported to the ecology laboratory of the department of biology at UPM. Upon arrival, the samples were stored for 24hours at -100C after which they were oven-dried at temperature of 60oC for 3days and subsequently kept until analysis. The dried sediment samples were ground with an agate mortar and sieved through 63m sieve(Yap, Ismail, Tan, & Omar, 2002). Chemical analysis (Direct Aqua Regia): In obtaining total concentration of heavy metals, a direct aqua regia method is employed. About 1.0g of dried, ground and sieved sediment was weighed into a digestion tube. The digestion was carried out in 10ml combined solution of concentrated HNO3 (AnalaR grade, BDH 69%) and HClO4 (AnalaR grade BDH 60%) in the ratio of 4:1. The tube was placed in a hot-block digester and digested, first at 40oC for 1 hour and then gradually increasing the temperature until it reaches 140oC for another 3 hours. The sample was allowed to cool and then double distilled water was used to dilute it to a certain volume before filtering into a polyethylene bottle using Whatman No.1 filter paper. About 10g of the sample was weighed into a conical flask for the first phase of the sequential extraction as described above: Phase 1.Easily and freely leachable or exchangeable EFLE. 50ml of 1.0M ammonium acetate (NH4CH3COO), pH 7.0 at room temperature, was mixed with the 10g sediment and shaken continuously for 3 hours and filtered through Whatman No.1 filter paper. Phase2.Acid-reducible:Theresiduefromphase1wasshakenwith0.25Mhydroxylammonium chloride (NH2OH.HCl) acidified to pH 2.0 using HCl at room temperature.20 22. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Phase 3.Oxidisable-organic: Residue from phase 2 was first oxidized with 15ml 30% H 2O2 in a water bath at 95oC. After cooling, the metal released from the organic complexes was continuously shaken for 3 hours with 50ml 1.0M ammonium acetate (NH 4CH3COO), as in phase 1, but this time acidified to pH 2.0 at room temperature Phase 4.Resistant fraction. This was done by direct aqua regia method where the residue from phase 3 was digested in a combination of concentrated HNO 3 (AnalaR grade, BDH 69%) and HClO4 (AnalaR grade BDH 60%) (Yap et al., 2002). Clarifications: 20ml of DDW was used throughout to wash residue from each fraction and the residues were measured before the next extraction. Whatman No.1 filter paper was used for filtration throughout the extraction and the filtrates from the four phases were used to determine the concentration of the metals. Results The ranges of the concentrations of the metals analyzed in the three fraction; EFLE, Acidreducible and oxidisable organic, to stations; S-1,2,3,4 and 5 as follows: Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni showed concentrations between21 23. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Table 1: Mean concentration of metals from the SET at various stations (g/g)SD STATIONS (S) S1CdCuPbZnNiFraction 10.133(0.009)0.0740.0150.6440.385222.963.781.2820.602Fraction 20.1600.0800.0740.0810.3960.138577.6196.83.6261.819Fraction 30.3750.09619.497.61629.252.319726.8221.832.9011.21Fraction 10.995(0.018)0.0960.0070.5090.294275.017.891.4250.064Fraction 20.1380.0290.3410.0200.2480.061656.084.154.5420.013Fraction 30.5140.01220.860.76429.701.237911.47.35437.680.460Fraction 10.082(0.003)0.1260.0450.3600.099215.126.591.1080.269Fraction 20.1090.0110.3410.0020.5370.062725.920.793.5740.553Fraction 30.6020.02022.351.32236.922.46110255.79836.762.680Fraction 10.093(0.018)0.1580.0640.3120.104215.03.0410.7540.092Fraction 20.2420.0130.4360.0630.5260.183553.421.642.3430.085Fraction 30.2900.05914.603.90331.776.625585.0128.325.623.528Fraction 10.0540.0030.1580.0150.2540.111242.90.4950.7540.175Fraction 20.1680.0350.4190.0170.4930.044583.134.792.6920.195Fraction 30.3920.05919.403.96036.260.870723.646.2428.570.827S2S3S4S522 24. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Table2. Concentration in all the five stations selected (fractions 1-3) StationsCdCuPbZnNi10.66719.6330.29150737.8520.75021.3030.46184243.6530.82122.8237.82196641.4440.62515.1932.61135428.7150.61419.9837.01155032.02CdCuPbZn23 25. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013NiAcknowledgement Participation in FSC2013 was funded by Vot no. FRGS 5524152. References Bai, J., Cui, B., Chen, B., Zhang, K., Deng, W., Gao, H., & Xiao, R. (2011). Spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments from a typical plateau lakewetland,China.EcologicalModelling,222(2),301306.doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.12.002 Gao, X., Chen, C. A., & Bay, B. (2012). Heavy metal pollution status in surface sediments of the coastal Bohai Bay. Water Research, 46(6), 19011911. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2012.01.007 Kelderman, P. ., & Osman, A. A. (2007). Effect of redox potential on heavy metal binding forms in polluted canal sediments in Delft ( The Netherlands ), 41, 42514261. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2007.05.058 Naji, A., Ismail, A., & Ismail, A. R. (2010). Chemical speciation and contamination assessment of Zn and Cd by sequential extraction in surface sediment of Klang River, Malaysia. Microchemical Journal, 95(2), 285292. doi:10.1016/j.microc.2009.12.015 Qian, Y., Zheng, M. H., Gao, L., Zhang, B., Liu, W., Jiao, W., Zhao, X., et al. (2005). Heavy metal contamination and its environmental risk assessment in surface sediments from Lake Dongting, Peoples Republic of China. Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology, 75(1), 20410. doi:10.1007/s00128-005-0739-3 Taylor, P., Ismail, A., Badri, M. A., & Ramlan, M. N. (n.d.). Heavy metal contamination in fiddler crabs ( Uca annulipes ) and hermit crabs ( Clibanarius sp .) in a coastal area of24 26. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013northern peninsular Malaysia Heavy Metal Contamination In Fiddler Crabs ( Uca annulipes ) And Hermit Crabs ( Clibanarius sp .) In A Coastal Area Of Northern, (June 2013), 3741. Yap, C. K., Ismail, a, Tan, S. G., & Omar, H. (2002). Correlations between speciation of Cd, Cu, Pb And Zn in sediment and their concentrations in total soft tissue of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Environment international, 28(1-2), 11726. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1204694825 27. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Concentrations of Cu and Pb in Nerita lineata collected from Johor Cheng Wan Hee1,*, Yap Chee Kong1, Mohamad Pauzi Zakaria2, Ahmad Zaharin2 and Tan Soon Guan3 1Departmentof Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.2EnvironmentalForensics Laboratory, Faculty of Environmental Studies,Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. 3Departmentof Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. *Corresponding author: wheec@hotmail.com AbstractSamples of the Nerita lineata and sediments were collected from six locations in Johor between April 2011 and May 2012. These sampling sites are well known for their industrial, shipping and aquacultural activities. The objective of this study is to determine the ability of the N. lineata as a good biomonitor for Cu and Pb. Collected samples were digested with nitric acid for metal extraction and analysed using the air-acetylene Perkin-Elmer flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer model Analyst 800 for Cu and Pb. The concentrations (g/g dry weight) of Cu ranged from 3.87-6.23, 3.91-7.85 and 11.69-25.82 for shells, opercula and soft tissues, respectively. The concentrations (g/g dry weight) of Pb ranged from 38.99-68.70, 45.56-65.92 and 1.03-50.47 for shells, opercula and soft tissues, respectively. The concentrations (g/g dry weight) of Cu and Pb in the surface sediments ranged from 7.30-24.72 and 25.36-172.57, respectively. The heavy metal accumulations were recorded in a decreasing pattern of soft tissues>opercula>shells for the essential metals (Cu) while for the non-essential metal (Pb), they were in the decreasing order of shells>opercula> soft tissues. The Pb levels of the snail samples were found to correlate well with the Pb levels in the sediments while Cu does not show any correlation between snail samples and sediments. Therefore, this study reconfirmed that N. lineata is a good biomonitor of Pb pollution in tropical intertidal areas. Keywords: Heavy metals, sediments, Nerita lineata, biomonitor and Johor.26 28. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE CONGRESS 2013 20th 21st August 2013Introduction Biomonitoring studies have been globally used to assess heavy metal pollutions and to remedy environmental degradation (Hellou, 2011). Efforts have been made to utilize different species species of gastropods as biomonitors for heavy metal pollution assessments in different environmental conditions (Kang et al., 2000; Yap et al. 2008; Yap et al. 2009; Rizo et al. 2010). In this study, the potential of the N. lineata snail as a good biomonitor for heavy metals (Cu and Pb) is investigated. The samples of snails and sediments were collected from Johor at some of the most polluted sites in the area. The results of this study will be compared with previous studies done by Yap et al. (2009) to determine the concentrations heavy metals of N. lineata to support and confirm the utility of the snail as a good biomonitor of Cu and Pb pollution. Materials and Methods Samples were collected from 6 sites at Johor. Dissected tissue parts (shells, opercula and soft tissues) and sediments were dried separately at 60 C until constant dry weights are achieved. The samples were then digested in concentrated nitric acid (AnalaR grade, BDH 69%) for the snails and a mixture of nitric acid (69%) and perchloric acid (60%) at 1:4 ratio for sediments in a microwave digester. Analysis was done by using the air-acetylene Perkin-Elmer flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer model Analyst 800 for Cu and Pb. Results and Discussion The concentrations of Pb and Cu is shown in Table 1. The level of concentrations of Pb in the opercula was the highest followed by shells and soft tissues. The highest concentrations of Cu were recorded in the soft tissues followed by opercula and shells. Copper is an essential metal for the snails (Yap et al., 2009), resulting in higher levels of them being accumulated there in the soft tissues compared to shells and opercula. Positive correlations (P1, Leaf to Root). Whereas, the plant sampled from Cheneh translocate more heavy metals (in exceptions to Cd) to the roots (TF