For over 2 decades, until the economic crisis in mid-1997, Malaysia's rapid economic growth attracted an influx of foreign labor, mostly from Indonesia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. In 1997 the number of registered workers was estimated at 1.2 million and undocumented ones at approximately 800,000. The influx created various problems, of which housing is one of the most serious, especially in the Kelang Valley. This paper examines the ways and means by which Indonesian workers, the largest group among foreigners, overcame their accommodation problem. Two types of settlements are identified, that is, illegal ones in the squatter areas and legal ones, which are largely in Malay Reservation Areas. The settlements, which signify Indonesians' success in finding a foothold in Malaysia, today have become a base for more in-migration.
MeSH terms: Asia; Asia, Southeastern; Demography; Developing Countries; Economics; Emigration and Immigration*; Employment; Health Manpower; Indonesia; Malaysia; Population; Population Dynamics; Transients and Migrants*
Urgent action is needed to fight the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS that infected 1.3 million people in Southeast Asia last year alone, Malaysia's foreign minister said July 24, 2000. Syed Hamid said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should tackle at regional and national level an epidemic that was taking its most drastic toll among the region's youth. "HIV/AIDS not only represents a major public health and social problem but is a serious challenge to development as well," Syed Hamid told the opening ceremony of ASEAN's 33rd annual foreign ministers' meeting. The crisis requires commitment at the "highest political level," he said, warning that HIV/AIDS could become a transnational problem within the 10-member group. Foreign ministers have recommended their leaders discuss the crisis later this year at an informal summit in Singapore and hold a summit on HIV/AIDS in conjunction with the 7th ASEAN Summit in Brunei next year. "I think people recognized the importance and the adverse impacts on our social development," Syed Hamid told reporters later. "I think it is a real issue that we cannot run away from." Among ASEAN members, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar have some of the highest infection rates in Asia of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome*; Asia; Asia, Southeastern; Developing Countries; Disease; Health; Malaysia; Public Health*; Social Problems*; Virus Diseases; HIV Infections*
While many studies of the prevalence of wheeze have been conducted in schoolchildren, there have been few in pre-school children. Most children with asthma develop symptoms before the age of 5 years and many pre-school wheezers continue to wheeze in the early school years. Among the latter, those children who continue to wheeze at school age have poorer lung function than those who don't. It is thus appropriate to enquire more fully about wheeze in this age-group where its incidence is high and its relation with asthma less well defined. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalences of wheeze, night cough and doctor diagnosed asthma in pre-school children. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five primary health clinics in the district of Kota Bharu from April to October 1998. Nurses from these clinics distributed Bahasa Malaysia questionnaires containing questions on asthma symptoms to preschool children aged 1-5 years during their home visits. The respondents were parent(s) or carer(s) of the child. The response rate was 100% and a total of 2,878 responses were analysed. The prevalence of symptoms and doctor diagnosed asthma were as follows: ever wheezed 9.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.3-10.4%); current wheeze 6.2% (95% CI 5.2 to 7.0%); night cough 10.2% (95% CI 9.1 to 11.4%); and doctor diagnosed asthma 7.1% (95% CI 6.2 to 8.0%). There were no significant differences in prevalence between males and females, or among age groups. The prevalence of night cough in children with no history of wheeze was 6.9%. The cumulative and current prevalences of wheeze were similar to, and those of night cough and doctor-diagnosed asthma significantly lower than, those reported for Kelantan schoolchildren. These findings provide a baseline for assessing future symptoms trends, and perhaps also the validity of diagnosing asthma in this age group.
Managing tropical rain forests is difficult because few long-term field data on forest growth and the impact of harvesting disturbance are available. Growth models may provide a valuable tool for managers of tropical forests, particularly if applied to the extended forest areas of up to 100,000 ha that typically constitute the so-called forest management units (FMUs). We used a stand growth model in a geographic information system (GIS) environment to simulate tropical rain forest growth at the FMU level. We applied the process-based rain forest growth model Formix 3-Q to the 55,000 ha Deramakot Forest Reserve (DFR) in Sabah, Malaysia. The FMU was considered to be composed of single and independent small-scale stands differing in site conditions and forest structure. Field data, which were analyzed with a GIS, comprised a terrestrial forest inventory, site and soil analyses (water, nutrients, slope), the interpretation of aerial photographs of the present vegetation and topographic maps. Different stand types were determined based on a classification of site quality (three classes), slopes (four classes), and present forest structure (four strata). The effects of site quality on tree allometry (height-diameter curve, biomass allometry, leaf area) and growth (increment size) are incorporated into Formix 3-Q. We derived allometric relations and growth factors for different site conditions from the field data. Climax forest structure at the stand level was shown to depend strongly on site conditions. Simulated successional pattern and climax structure were compared with field observations. Based on the current management plan for the DFR, harvesting scenarios were simulated for stands on different sites. The effects of harvesting guidelines on forest structure and the implications for sustainable forest management at Deramakot were analyzed. Based on the stand types and GIS analysis, we also simulated undisturbed regeneration of the logged-over forest in the DFR at the FMU level. The simulations predict slow recovery rates, and regeneration times far exceeding 100 years.
The purpose of this research was to study processing variables at the laboratory and pilot scales that can affect hydration rates of xanthan gum matrices containing diclofenac sodium and the rate of drug release. Tablets from the laboratory scale and pilot scale proceedings were made by wet granulation. Swelling indices of xanthan gum formulations prepared with different amounts of water were measured in water under a magnifying lens. Granules were thermally treated in an oven at 60 degrees C, 70 degrees C, and 80 degrees C to study the effects of elevated temperatures on drug release from xanthan gum matrices. Granules from the pilot scale formulations were bulkier compared to their laboratory scale counterparts, resulting in more porous, softer tablets. Drug release was linear from xanthan gum matrices prepared at the laboratory scale and pilot scales; however, release was faster from the pilot scales. Thermal treatment of the granules did not affect the swelling index and rate of drug release from tablets in both the pilot and laboratory scale proceedings. On the other hand, the release from both proceedings was affected by the amount of water used for granulation and the speed of the impeller during granulation. The data suggest that processing variables that affect the degree of wetness during granulation, such as increase in impeller speed and increase in amount of water used for granulation, also may affect the swelling index of xanthan gum matrices and therefore the rate of drug release.
MeSH terms: Chemistry, Pharmaceutical/methods; Diclofenac/metabolism; Diclofenac/chemistry; Drug Carriers/metabolism; Drug Carriers/chemistry; Drug Compounding/methods; Hot Temperature; Laboratories/standards*; Particle Size; Pilot Projects; Polysaccharides, Bacterial/metabolism*; Polysaccharides, Bacterial/chemistry; Solubility; Tablets/metabolism; Tablets/chemistry; Water/metabolism; Water/chemistry; Weights and Measures/standards
This study examined the mechanical (hardness, compressibility, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness) and rheological (zero-rate viscosity and thixotropy) properties of polyethylene glycol (PEG) gels that contain different ratios of Carbopol 934P (CP) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K90 (PVP). Mechanical properties were examined using a texture analyzer (TA-XT2), and rheological properties were examined using a rheometer (Rheomat 115A). In addition, lidocaine release from gels was evaluated using a release apparatus simulating the buccal condition. The results indicated that an increase in CP concentration significantly increased gel compressibility, hardness, and adhesiveness, factors that affect ease of gel removal from container, ease of gel application onto mucosal membrane, and gel bioadhesion. However, CP concentration was negatively correlated with gel cohesiveness, a factor representing structural reformation. In contrast, PVP concentration was negatively correlated with gel hardness and compressibility, but positively correlated with gel cohesiveness. All PEG gels exhibited pseudoplastic flow with thixotropy, indicating a general loss of consistency with increased shearing stress. Drug release T50% was affected by the flow rate of the simulated saliva solution. A reduction in the flow rate caused a slower drug release and hence a higher T50% value. In addition, drug release was significantly reduced as the concentrations of CP and PVP increased because of the increase in zero-rate viscosity of the gels. Response surfaces and contour plots of the dependent variables further substantiated that various combinations of CP and PVP in the PEG gels offered a wide range of mechanical, rheological, and drug-release characteristics. A combination of CP and PVP with complementary physical properties resulted in a prolonged buccal drug delivery.
In the crystal structure of the title compound, C(12)H(10)N(4), the pyridine ring makes a dihedral angle of 1.12 (9) degrees with the mean plane of the complete almost planar and crystallographically centrosymmetric molecule. There are stacks of parallel molecules along the a-axis direction, with alternate stacks having a herring-bone arrangement relative to each other and an interplanar spacing of 3.551 A.
In the crystal of the title complex, [Co(C(9)H(6)NO)(3)].C(2)H(5)OH, the central Co atom has a distorted octahedral coordination comprised of three N atoms and three O atoms from the three 8-quinolinolato ligands. The three Co-O bond distances are in the range 1.887 (2)-1.910 (2) A, while the three Co-N bond distances range from 1.919 (2) to 1.934 (2) A. The solvent ethanol molecule forms an intermolecular O-H.O hydrogen bonding with a quinolinolato ligand.
The title compound, [Sn(CH(3))(2)(C(5)H(10)NO(2)S(2))(2)], has crystallographic mirror symmetry (C-Sn-C on mirror plane) and the coordination polyhedron around the Sn atom is a tetrahedron [C-Sn-C 139.3 (2) degrees and S-Sn-S 82.3 (1) degrees ] distorted towards a skew-trapezoidal bipyramid owing to an intramolecular Sn.S contact [3.0427 (6) A]. The molecules are linked into a linear chain by intermolecular O-H.O hydrogen bonds [O.O 2.646 (3) A].
The Sn atom in catena-poly[triphenyltin(IV)-micro-(3-ureidopropionato-O(1):O(3))], [Sn(C(6)H(5))(3)(C(4)H(7)N(2)O(3))](n), is five-coordinate and has a trans-C(3)SnO(2) trigonal-bipyrmidal geometry arising from bridging through the O atom of the ureido fragment of an adjacent carboxylate group. Infinite chains propagate helically along the c axis and adjacent chains are linked by N-H.O [N.O 2.851 (4) A] hydrogen bonds into layers.
Bis(N,N-dimethylthiocarbamoylthio)acetic acid, [(CH(3))(2)NC(=S)S](2)CHC(=O)OH or C(8)H(14)N(2)O(2)S(4), exists as a centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimer [O.O 2.661 (3) A].
A survey was conducted in several countries in the Far East in an attempt to determine the practice of obstetric analgesia and anaesthesia there. Survey forms were sent to a total of 11 countries but in the end responses from only four countries were able to provide useful information. Responses from Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia covered between 44.9% (Singapore) and 24.6% (Malaysia) of their countries' total deliveries in 1997 and were thought to be adequate to give an impression of the obstetric analgesia and anaesthesia services in their respective countries, although this would not necessarily be completely accurate. From our survey, we found that the availability of regional analgesia for labour paralleled the economic status of the country and that a significant number of caesarean sections are conducted under regional anaesthesia, mainly spinals.
We present a case of headache following epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section. The patient did not exhibit the classical features of post dural puncture headache and the cause was uncertain. The headache was complicated by post partum seizure and a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension. A diagnostic lumbar puncture had to be done to exclude meningitis as she had a raised white blood count. An epidural blood patch performed 12 days post partum resolved the headache immediately.
The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the accommodative accuracy of pre-school children between free-space accommodative stimulus and minus lens-induced accommodative stimulus.
The term 'violence' is difficult to define. Aggressive behaviour with actual use of physical force may result in some form of physical and emotional trauma to an individual and this could be considered as violence against the person. The trauma may range from minimal physical injury to death. It is also relevant to note that in some jurisdictions if members of the law enforcement agencies with appropriate authority resort to certain acts of 'violence' for lawful purposes, then such acts of violence may be excluded from this category. However, if the law enforcement personnel exceed their limits of authority, or resort to various unacceptable and unauthorized methods of violence, then certainly such acts will become violence against the person. In today's context the word violence has expanded to encompass many issues, besides the usual physical violence such as assault. Rape, child sexual abuse, other forms of sexual abuse, non-accidental injury to children, battered wife, assault in custody, torture, victims of war, civil unrest and ethnic violence are all considered under 'violence'. While general violence is almost endemic in many countries, assault in custody, torture, political and ethnic violence are serious problems in some of the developing world. In these countries, particularly, the law enforcement agencies and other unlawful groups who are backed by politicians may inflict politically motivated violence against its citizens. In such cases attempts are often made to cover up such crimes. Forensic physicians and forensic pathologists who examine these cases may be placed in difficult positions at times owing to various 'pressures' being brought upon them to issue 'favourable' reports. On the other hand there is also a general dearth of suitably trained forensic physicians and forensic pathologists in many of these countries. Medical officers without any training in forensic medicine often undertake the examination of victims of violence, both living and fatal cases. Lack of training makes them more vulnerable to political and other forms of 'pressure'. The objective of this article is to highlight some of the common problems that are encountered, particularly in developing countries.
MeSH terms: Commerce; Developing Countries*; Drug and Narcotic Control; Health Services Accessibility/economics*; Humans; India; Patents as Topic; HIV Infections/drug therapy*; Anti-HIV Agents/economics*; Anti-HIV Agents/supply & distribution; Anti-HIV Agents/therapeutic use
Rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene has been used as a marker of lineage and clonality in the diagnosis of B lymphoproliferative disorders. A number of PCR-based techniques have been developed to overcome the disadvantages of Southern blotting, the standard technique in detecting IgH gene rearrangement. Using an established seminested PCR technique with consensus primers to the V and J regions of the IgH gene, we analysed DNA prepared from peripheral blood and/or bone marrow specimens from 30 cases of known B cell malignancies (16 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 11 acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma), 3 cases of T lymphoproliferative disease and 3 cases of reactive lymphocytosis diagnosed in Hospital UKM to detect rearranged IgH gene. We found that monoclonality as represented by the presence of rearranged IgH gene were demonstrated in all the 30 cases. The PCR findings showed 100% concordance with the Southern blot analysis results which also showed rearranged IgH bands in all the 30 cases. We also found that none of the cases of T lymphoproliferative diseases and reactive lymphocytosis showed presence of rearranged IgH band, suggesting that the amplification using the IgH primers is lineage-specific. In conclusion, we find the PCR a useful method to detect IgH gene rearrangement in peripheral blood and bone marrow specimen. Since the PCR results are comparable to that of the Southern blotting in demonstrating B cell monoclonality and owing to its many advantages we feel that it can replace the Southern blot technique for the diagnosis of B cell malignancies.
Lymphoma is a relatively common group of neoplasms diagnosed in hospital practice. This study aims to elucidate the pattern of this disease encountered in a public service hospital of the Ministry of Health, Malaysia.
A 26-year-old Indian lady was admitted for lower abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and cough. The initial diagnosis was that of peritonitis secondary to ruptured or perforated viscus with lobar pneumonia. On laparotomy, she was found to have necrotizing or Kikuchi's lymphadenitis of the abdominal lymph nodes. The initial two antinuclear antibody (ANA) results came back negative. She was diagnosed to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) when the third sample for ANA came back positive and the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody test was homogenously positive. This case illustrates a need to be aware that necrotizing lymphadenitis can precede the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus.