Tuberculosis or TB is a major issue in Malaysia as the dramatic emerge of infection. In Mac 2016 (Until 15 April 2016)
3049 cases were reported and total cases were reported 7717 cases which increasing 902 (13.0%) cases at same month
2015 (6815 cases). Meanwhile, prevention and diagnosis should be started from children. Educational planning with
the collaboration from Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Health (MOH) should be intensive to ensure the
prevention and mechanism control of this disease can be cure at the beginning. The focus of the study was given on the
(1) transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in Malaysia (2) practice of prevention of TB (3) mechanism control in educational
institutions and (4) promotion health programmes in schools. The conclusion of this study is drawn on the premise of
providing plausible suggestion that will promote good governance for the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of
Health (MOH) to strengthening the current policy for a better future implementation.
Nutrition has been widely recognized to have certain levels of influence on the risk of kidney stone formation. Thus,
this case-control study was conducted to determine the association of dietary intake and lifestyles factors with kidney
stone disease. Sociodemographic data, dietary intake, supplements intake, smoking and alcohol habit, medical history,
physical activity and anthropometric data were obtained using interviewer-administered pre-tested questionnaires
among 81 patients who had been diagnosed with kidney stone disease and 81 patients without kidney stone disease at
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. The results indicated that body mass index and hip circumference
were higher among cases as compared to controls in both men and women (p < 0.05). Energy, macronutrients and
micronutrients intake were higher for case subjects compared to control subjects for all significant parameters (p < 0.05).
Results showed positive association of kidney stone with consumption of nuts (≥1 time/week) for men and women while
consumption of eggs (1-3 times/month) and beans (1-6 times/week) showed positive association for women. Analysis
of multivariate found the risk factor among women was diabetes mellitus [Adjusted OR = 27.6 (95% CI = 1.43-53.3)]
(p < 0.05). Whilst, plain water intake of at least 6 glasses [Adjusted OR = 0.001 (95% CI = 0.000-0.08)] (p < 0.05) and
8 glasses per day [Adjusted OR = 0.001 (95% CI = 0.000-0.02)] (p < 0.05) reduced the risk among women. The risk
factors for men were smoking habits [Adjusted OR = 16.2 (95% CI = 1.29-203)] (p < 0.05), consumption of carbonated
drink 1-3 times per month [Adjusted OR = 6.25 (95% CI = 1.04-40.7)] (p < 0.05) and 1-6 times per week [Adjusted OR =
12.5 (95% CI = 1.41-111)] (p < 0.05). Unhealthy dietary and lifestyles factors increased the risk of kidney stone disease
and various risk factors were found for different sexes.
This paper investigate the effect of parents’ education background and family monthly income on the Intelligence Quotient
(IQ) of students with special needs in Kelantan, Malaysia. This cross-sectional method study was employed multistage
random sampling to obtain information drawn from 130 participants from 10 selected school in Kelantan, Malaysia.
Questionnaire was used to obtain parents’ education background, family monthly income and demographic variables.
Students IQ were assessed using Comprehensive Test for Non-Verbal Intelligence (CTONI 2nd Edition). Data analysis involve
independent sample t-test, one-way between group ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression. From
analysis of IQ score, 63.8% of the special needs students scored very poor IQ, 12.3% scored below average and only
1.5% score average IQ. Significant mean difference were revealed between age group (p = 0.002), parents’ education (p
= 0.018) and family monthly income (p < 0.05) on special needs students IQ. Post-hoc tukey shows significance between
parents who never went to school, went to secondary school (p = 0.037) and university/college (p = 0.021). In term of
family monthly income, significance difference were found between family with low and high monthly income (p < 0.05).
Family monthly income (r = 0.393, p < 0.01) showed positive moderate correlation on special needs students IQ. After
being forwarded by multiple linear regression, it was found that family monthly income (B = 3.605, p < 0.05) and age
group of special needs students (B = 0.879, p = 0.002) were significant predictor for IQ score and explained 22.5% of
the variance (R2
= 0.225, F (5,124) = 83.94, p < 0.05. Overally, majority of special needs students in current study have
very poor IQ score. Further explanation are discussed on the paper.
Biocompatibility and growth of osteoblast on bone scaffolds play an important role towards their therapeutic application.
The presence of oxidative stress generated by bone scaffolds highly influences osteoblast growth and its functional
performance. In this study in-vitro interaction of developed Alginate/Cockle Shell powder nanobiocomposite bone scaffold
on osteoblast with regards to cytotoxicity and oxidative stress are evaluated. Cytotoxicity studies using MTT assays
revealed a significant increase in viability of cultured osteoblast in the presences of the scaffold extracts. The growth of
osteoblast on the scaffold were not deterred with the presence of any major oxidative stress factors as determined through
oxidative stress profile studies using SOD, GSH and ROS assays. The nanobiocomposite scaffold evaluated in this study
shows promising use in regards to facilitating osteoblast proliferation, growth and viability.
MeSH terms: Alginates; Animals; Bone and Bones; Bone Development; Hexuronic Acids; Osteoblasts; Reactive Oxygen Species; Oxidative Stress; Glucuronic Acid; Cell Proliferation; Cardiidae
There is a large volume of published studies describing the adverse relationship between treatment non-adherence with tuberculosis treatment outcome. Non-adherence could result in increased risks of prolonged infectiousness, drug resistance, relapse cases and poor survival among tuberculosis patients. Nevertheless, few studies are to be found providing detailed on the reason of defaulting treatment among tuberculosis patients in Malaysia. Hence the goal of this paper is to find out the barriers and motivations factors that affect patients’ treatment compliance among our local tuberculosis patients. This is a qualitative study which included 12 in-depth interviews with tuberculosis non-compliance patients who were treated at Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Kuala Lumpur. All the conversations were recorded, transcribed and analysed by using thematic analysis. It was found that low knowledge, self-negative attitudes, traditional believes, negative perceptions towards health caregiver, drug side effects, stigma, financial problems, less family support and work commitments are the barriers that prevent the patients from religiously taking their anti-tuberculosis treatment. Meanwhile, factors that encourage them to continue their treatment were the believes of bad effects of the disease onto their lives and health, good relationship between patient and health caregiver and social support from people around them. In conclusion, non-adherence involved a dynamic influence of individual, socio-economic and treatment-related factors on the patients. The results presented here may facilitate improvement in the activities in promoting compliance among tuberculosis patients in the future which tailored to the patients’ specific needs.
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that has gained increasing attention in Malaysia. Much effort is
now being taken to include children with autism spectrum disorder in the school system, either in inclusive settings or
in special educational settings. However, this endeavor raises many challenges for the children with autism spectrum
disorder, their families and for service providers. The current study uses a qualitative approach to investigate parents’
perceptions of problems faced by their children with autism spectrum disorder in issues related to academic skills. A faceto-face
interview was performed with parents of children with autism spectrum disorders who were receiving occupational
therapy services for their difficulties in academic related skills. Findings indicate that most of the difficulties faced by these
children are related to skills needed to be accepted at school, such as ability to communicate and socialize and this often
limit their performance at school. These findings not only raise and discuss important implications for service providers
such as teachers, health care professionals and policy makers, but also lead to suggestions for future research.
The Indian ethnic group remains underrepresented despite the continued advancement in the field of speech and language
therapy (SLT) in Malaysia. This study aims to investigate the perception of Malaysian Indian Pre-university students towards
a career in the health sciences and specifically for the SLT profession. This was a cross-sectional study that employed
convinience sampling method to recruit participants. A total of 110 Indian pre-university students from urban cities of
Kuala Lumpur and Johor were recruited. The findings showed majority of the respondents (>90%) placed importance
on a career that provided “high salary,” “job stability,” and “career’s social standing in the community.” Almost all
respondents recognize the medical, pharmacy and nursing profesion compared to only
Aging is associated with increased risk of frailty and malnutrition. However, food insecurity has rarely been highlighted
in the elderly population, especially among the low income group. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted to
determine the association between nutritional status, food insecurity and frailty among elderly in low income residences
in Klang Valley. A total of 72 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above was selected (mean age 66 ± 6 years) through
convenient sampling. Participants were interviewed to obtain information on socio-demographic, health status, food
insecurity and cognitive status. Anthropometrics parameters and frailty assessments was measured using standard
criteria. Results showed that 75.0% of the participants had abdominal obesity. Nearly half of the participants were
overweight (41.7%), followed by normal (43.0%) and underweight (15.3%). With respect to food insecurity, most of them
reported that they had enough food (93.1%). There were significant correlation (p < 0.05) between food insecurity with
height (r = -0.263, p = 0.026). Most of the participants were pre-frail (58.3%), frail (27.8%) and followed by non-frail
(13.9%). Calcium intake is inversely associated with frailty (t = -2.62, p = 0.011). In conclusion, food insecurity was not
a problem, however, half of the subjects were overweight and pre-frail. Three out four subjects had abdominal obesity.
There is a need to investigate further the pathogenesis of fat frail in this low income elderly population and formulate
effective intervention strategies.
There were critical limitations to dysphagia services in Malaysia with speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) reported
lacking skills and confidence in managing the disorder. This study examined the impact of providing professional
development training in dysphagia management. Aims were to determine if: (1) delivery of a training series enhances
SLPs knowledge in dysphagia management, (2) knowledge translated into improved clinical skills and (3) clinicians’
perception of their knowledge, skills and confidence improved post-training. The study used a single cohort pre- and
post-test research design and involved nine Malaysian SLPs. Participants underwent assessment at pre- and immediately
post-training and again at one month post-training. At each assessment level, knowledge and skills were assessed via a
written examination and observational assessment of clinical performance respectively. Visual analogue scales were used
to measure clinician’s perceptions of knowledge, skills and confidence. The training model involved four consecutive;
4-hour week-end workshops with opportunity to apply new knowledge and develop networking in clinical practice in
the weekdays between each session. Significant (p < 0.05) improvements in knowledge and clinical skills were observed
immediately post- and at one month after training. Clinician’s perceptions of knowledge, skills and confidence were
also significantly higher immediately post- and at one month post-training. The current 4-week structured professional
development model was found to be effective in enhancing SLPs’ knowledge and skills in dysphagia management and
improving their perceptions and confidence. The findings highlight the benefits that can be achieved through well designed
professional development programs.
Quassia borneensis has been traditionally used as antihypertensive agent without any scientific literature on its mechanism
of action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferation properties of
Q. borneensis extracts. The hexane, chloroform and aqueous extracts of root and bark of Q. borneensis were subjected to
nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein
level was analyzed by Western blot. The antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of the extracts on HL-60 cells were
determined using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and MTT assays, respectively. The chloroform extract of
Q. borneensis root obtained by soxhlet method (CSR) significantly inhibited 97.64 ± 0.96% of NO production (p < 0.001)
and suppressed iNOS expression (p < 0.05) at the highest concentration of 1.0 µg/ml. The chloroform extract of bark
obtained by maceration (CMB) exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity in the absence and presence of HL-60 cells,
where the FRAP value were 125.45 ± 9.10 µM FeSO4
.7H2
O and 181.55 ± 3.45 µM FeSO4
.7H2
O, respectively. The greatest
inhibition of HL-60 cell proliferation was exhibited by the chloroform extract of bark obtained by soxhlet method (CSB)
with the IC50 of 5.0 µg/ml. The findings suggested that the chloroform extracts of Q. borneensis possess antiinflammatory,
antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.
The purpose of this study was to characterize, differentiate and correlate visual field and brain activation in visual cortex
for normal, glaucoma suspect (GS) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) participants using Standard Automated
Perimetry (SAP) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) respectively. The fMRI scans and SAP test were both
carried out in Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM). Two types of black-and-white checkerboard
pattern were displayed to the participants during the fMRI scans. The fMRI data were analyzed using WFU pickatlas
toolbox targeting visual cortex area. The results showed that there was no significant difference in number of activated
voxel between the three groups in visual cortex (BA 17, 18 and 19) while viewing all the given stimuli (p > 0.05). The
pattern standard deviation (PSD) of SAP for visual field also revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in all groups of
participants. However, negative correlation between PSD and fMRI activation was observed. The PSD values increased with
a decrease in fMRI activation. With reference to visual field analysis, the results suggest that glaucomatous neuropathy of
POAG patients has led to a gradual decrease in visual cortex activation and a gradual increase in PSD.
MeSH terms: Glaucoma; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Malaysia; Ocular Hypertension; Visual Cortex; Visual Fields; Tetrahymenina; Visual Field Tests
Visual conditions such as anisometropia, monovision and monocular undercorrection affect the combination of visual
input from both eyes. This study investigated the effects of monocular blur, in binocularly normal participants, on
stereoacuity and binocular contrast sensitivity. Fifteen young adults (age range between 19 and 23 years old) with normal
visual acuity and binocular vision participated in this study. Stereopsis was measured using the TNO test with a series
of positive spherical lenses placed before the dominant eye. The procedure was repeated using the Titmus Stereotest on
five participants as a control experiment. Monocular and binocular contrast sensitivities were also measured using the
Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Chart. Blur was induced monocularly with a series of positive spherical lenses placed
before the dominant eye and binocular contrast sensitivity was re-measured. Stereopsis scores decreased significantly
when monocular blur was imposed. Across blur levels, absolute stereopsis scores measured with TNO test were worse
than those measured with Titmus stereotest (all p < 0.05). However, the ratio of scores obtained without blur and under
monocular blur appeared to be similar for both tests. Stereopsis without blur was between 6.82× to 8× better than that
obtained with the highest level of imposed monocular blur. Binocular contrast sensitivity score decreased significantly
with increasing level of monocular blur (p < 0.01). Binocular contrast sensitivity score without blur was 1.62× better
than that obtained under binocular viewing with highest level of imposed blur. Stereopsis tests are more sensitive than
measurements of binocular contrast sensitivity as an indicator of interocular acuity discrepancies which could occur
in anisometropic or monovision patients. However, the choice of stereopsis test is crucial, as the TNO test appears to be
more sensitive to monocular blur than the Titmus stereostest.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of methanol, acetone and distilled water stem
bark extracts from Canarium odontophyllum against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus ATCC 6633,
Escherichia coli ATCC 25932, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Acinetobacter baumannii strain sensitive, Candida
albicans ATCC 64677, Candida glabrata ATCC 90028, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani M2781. The extracts from
C. odontophyllum stem bark from 3.125 mg/ml to 25 mg/ml were screened against the tested microorganisms using disc
diffusion method. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the
extracts against susceptible organisms were determined using microbroth dilution method and streak-plate technique,
respectively. From the antibacterial screening assay, the growth of S. aureus, B. cereus and A. baumannii were inhibited
by methanol extract whereas the acetone extract was capable of inhibiting all the tested microorganisms except E.coli,
F. solani and A. niger. The lowest MIC value for methanol extract was against A. baumannii (0.195 mg/ml) whereas
its MBC value was twice its MIC value (0.391 mg/ml), indicating that methanol extract was bacteriostatic against A.
baumannii. While for acetone extract, S. aureus showed bactericidal effect with equal MIC and MBC values at 0.195 mg/
ml. In conclusion, stem bark of C. odontophyllum has the potential to be the source of antibacterial agent and can be
exploited as an alternative phytoantimicrobial.
There are numerous studies over
the past few decades that reiterate
the positive points of Obesity and
Metabolic Surgery. It’s ability to
provide a relatively more sustainable
weight loss over a longer period of
time, improvement in quality of life
and weight-related comorbidities
namely Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus are
among a few to boast. However, as
with any invasive procedure, Obesity
and Metabolic Surgery is not free of
possible complication risks, the main
reason for which there has been a major
push for improvements in efficacy and
innovation for better and safer surgical
weight loss options. In the era of
“healthcare at your fingertips”, a simple
Google search will be able to enlighten
just anyone on the available options
making it possible for an individual
to “negotiate” or “bargain” with their
surgeon before making a final decision.
The four most well researched and
documented weight loss procedures
are Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
(LSG), Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y gastric
Bypass (LRYGB), Biliopancreatic
Diversion (BPD) and Laparoscopic
Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB)
(Buchwald et al. 2004). Look a little
closer and you will not be able to turn
away from being a tad bit curious about
a few “new kids on the block” such
as Laparoscopic Mini Gastric Bypass,
Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy with
Proximal Jejunal Bypass, Laparoscopic
Banded Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass and
some of the less invasive endoluminal
procedures including a recent FDA
approved percutaneous aspiration
device called Aspire Assist that has
garnered much interest as well as
criticism at the same time (Lee et
al. 2014; Kumar 2016; Forssell &
Norén 2015). Surgeons from all over
the world, their institutions, and the
supporting industry laud the excitement
surrounding innovation in Obesity and
Metabolic Surgery. A sentiment shared
by consumers who perceive “new” as
synonymous with improved.
Rainfall is one of the microclimatic variables that vary with space. The changes in vegetation characteristics may influence the microclimate elements. To demonstrate rainfall variation due to vegetation, the relationship between rainfall and vegetation should be spatially investigated over a local scale. This paper aims to explore the impact of vegetation on local variations of rainfall based on Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) approach. The global and local relationship between rainfall and the extracted Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of Landsat 7 ETM+ are quantitatively estimated in 2000 and 2011 within the northern and east coast regions of the Peninsular Malaysia. Based on 277 rainfall stations, the Moran’s Index (Moran’s I) spatial autocorrelation and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) - GWR methods were applied to analyse the rainfall spatial patterns and to determine rainfall spatial variation, respectively. It was found that, the rainfall spatial patterns exhibit small clustering patterns which leads to non-stationarity. This indicator supports the use of local regression approach in exploring the variation of rainfall due to vegetation. The R-Squared (R2) from GWR (0.51 and 0.75) significantly improved the R2 from OLS (0.01 and 0.04) for both years. The approach of GWR in the relationship between rainfall and vegetation provides findings on rainfall spatial variation on a local scale.
Electrocoagulation has proven to be an effective method in the treatment of wastewater. This study evaluated the decolourisation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) using electrocoagulation (EC) batch reactor by utilising aluminium as sacrificial electrode. POME sample source from a final discharged pond at a palm oil mill was characterised for its colour, chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, conductivity and turbidity; were found to be 2707 PtCo, 3909 mg/L, 7.63, 12.82 mS/cm and 755 NTU respectively. The respective effects of operating parameters such as pH (3 to 11), applied voltage (5 V to 20 V), plate gap (7.5 to 11.5 cm) and operating time (1 to 8 hours) were investigated. The decolourisation of POME was observed to increase with increasing voltage and operating time. Highest removal efficiency was observed at pH 5, 20 V applied voltage, 9.5 cm plate gap and at 8-hour operating time with colour removal efficiency of 89, 79, 78 and 64% respectively. From the findings, it can be concluded that electrocoagulation process using aluminium electrodes is a reliable technique for the removal of colour from POME.
In this study, the new compound of thiourea derivatives were successfully synthesized, namely N-((3chlorophenyl) carbamothioyl) benzamide (T1) and N-((4-chlorophenyl) carbamothioyl) benzamide (T2). These series of thiourea compounds were prepared from the reaction of benzoyl chloride with ammonium thiocyanate to produce benzoyl isothiocyanate, then direct reaction with amines by using condensation method. Their structures were characterized on the basis elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques namely infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance. The Infrared spectra showed the significant results of stretching vibrations of the compounds are ν(C=O), ν(C=S) and ν(C-N) at 1533.39-1671.00 cm-1, 1256.64-1261.73 cm-1 and 1144.22-1144.81 cm-1, respectively. These compounds were investigated as corrosion inhibitors on mild steel in 1M H2SO4 using linear polarization techniques. Results show the highest inhibition efficiency of T1 is 55% while for T2 is 73%. The percentage inhibition efficiency of T2 is higher than T1 due to the difference position of substituent at meta and para.
Fuzzy Logic is a popular method to tune a PID controller. By using Fuzzy Logic, the PID is tuned automatically based on information of output error, which is better than other tuning rule methods. Fuzzy Logic Control will tune gains of PID controller by using a set of fuzzy rules designed specifically for that. However, specific transient requirements of the process output cannot be assigned to the controller. This research proposes a new method to overcome this problem by using a reference model. Step input from the reference model that contains the desired response information will be compared against the actual output. The reference model can be pre-selected by the user as desired. This study was simulated on a steam temperature process model while few sets of first-order model were used as reference. The results showed that the proposed Fuzzy PID controller with reference model provides better performance with perfect tracking during transient and steady-state.