Browse publications by year: 2018

Fulltext Solid metal oxide catalysts: synthesis and characterisation

Mardhiahtul Iftiah Ariffin, Norli Abdullah, Noor Azilah Kasim, Siti Hasnawati Jamal, Noor Aisyah Ahmad Shah

ZULFAQAR International Journal of Defence Science, Engineering & Technology, 2018;1(1):28-37.
MyJurnal

Metal oxide particles have been studied by many researchers as potential catalysts for the production of biofuel. However, better understanding of catalysts preparation and characterisation are essential. A series of solid metal oxide catalysts were synthesised by chemical precipitation method using metal salt precursor such as magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, (Mg(NO3)2.6H2O), copper (II) nitrate tryhidrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H2O) and nickel nitrate hexahydrate, (Ni(NO3)2.6H2O ). The synthesised catalysts before and after calcination were further characterised using Thermal Gravity Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis. Higher catalytic activity and higher production of biofuel may benefits from this higher surface area metal oxide catalysts synthesis by precipitation method in this work
Fulltext Utilization of nano-deep evanescent field for particles optophoresis

Khor, Kang Nan, Mohamad Halim Abd Wahid, Nor Azura Malini Ahmad Hambali, Vithyacharan Retnasamy, Mukhzeer Mohamad Shahimin

ZULFAQAR International Journal of Defence Science, Engineering & Technology, 2018;1(1):19-27.
MyJurnal

Separation and sorting of microparticles have set foot in critical diagnostics, advanced chemical and biomedical assessment. By utilizing specific characteristics for sorting, various techniques have been developed and optimized. Evanescent field optical trapping of microparticles is one of the emerging technologies to sort and separate in a non-mechanical and non-destructively several particles simultaneously. This paper describes the studies carried out, both theoretically and experimentally, to optimize the propulsion of polymer particles on copper ion-exchanged channel waveguides, to ultimately allow for the trapping and separation of mammalian adipose tissue derived stem cells (AT-SCs) according to their size and refractive index. The propulsion of polymer particles was observed to increase with the supplied input power and with laser polarization at transverse electric (TE) mode. The propulsion of particles was demonstrated to peak on a 4μm channel width of a 1μm thick copper ion-exchanged waveguide. The work carried out provides the optimal optical and waveguide parameters to be exploited for trapping and sorting AT-SCs on copper ion-exchanged waveguides
Fulltext Swimbladder Evolution of Longfin Herrings (Pristigasteridae, Teleostei)

Lavoué S, Ratmuangkhwang S, Ho HC, Chen WJ, Azizah MNS

Zool Stud, 2018;57:e39.
PMID: 31966279 DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2018.57-39

Sébastien Lavoué, Sahat Ratmuangkhwang, Hsuan-Ching Ho, Wei-Jen Chen, and Mohd Nor Siti Azizah (2018) Longfin herrings form a monophyletic, circumtropically distributed family of mostly marine teleost fishes, the Pristigasteridae (Clupeoidei), that includes 38 species classified into nine genera and three main lineages (the Pelloninae, Pristigasterinae, and the genus Ilisha). The external morphology and osteology of the Pristigasteridae provide only a few, sometimes conflicting, informative characters which makes it difficult to reconstruct their phylogeny, but their swimbladder (a visceral gas-filled chamber that has several important functions in the Teleostei) appears to be highly specialized and variable among species. In particular, the swimbladder of most Indo-West Pacific pristigasterid species exhibits one or paired post-coelomic extensions, whereas New World species do not. The presence of these extensions conflicts with the current systematic classification, as they are only found in subsets of different taxa. To examine this conflict, the most comprehensive molecular phylogenetic tree of the Pristigasteridae to date was built using six molecular markers and 21 species. This tree deeply disagreed with the current classification in that it indicated that the subfamilies Pelloninae and Pristigasterinae are not monophyletic and neither are the genera Ilisha, Pellona, and Opisthopterus. Using this tree to infer the evolution of the post-coelomic extensions, it was found that their absence is the ancestral condition in the Pristigasteridae. Indo-West Pacific species with post-coelomic extensions evolved later and form a monophyletic group, inside which species with only one extension form a monophyletic group. The consequences of our findings on the evolution and classification of Pristigasteridae are discussed. We suggest that only species of Pristigasteridae having one or paired post-coelomic extensions should be included in the genus Ilisha.
Intramolecular Noncovalent Carbon Bonding Interaction Stabilizes the cis Conformation in Acylhydrazones

Naseer MM, Hussain M, Bauzá A, Lo KM, Frontera A

Chempluschem, 2018 Sep;83(9):881-885.
PMID: 31950685 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.201800329

Noncovalent carbon bonding, a recently explored σ-hole interaction, was hitherto supposed to be a weak and structure-guided interaction. Here, its role in the intramolecular stabilization of the cis conformation of the amide moiety in acylhydrazones is described. The calculations reveal an electron donation from the lone pair of the nitrogen atom to the empty antibonding C-N orbital [LP(N)→BD*(C-N)] with a concomitant stabilization energy of E(2) =1.2 kcal mol-1 .
Fulltext Single vs multiple fraction palliative radiotherapy for uncomplicated painful bone metastases treated at University of Malaya Medical Centre: A single institutional Malaysian experience

Duraisamy IS, Saad M, Alip A

Aging Med (Milton), 2018 Sep;1(2):133-140.
PMID: 31942490 DOI: 10.1002/agm2.12023

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to compare pain response between single and multiple fraction palliative radiotherapy and to describe prognostic factors affecting treatment response in University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).
METHODS: The case records of 162 patients with uncomplicated painful bone metastases treated with palliative radiotherapy from 2006 to 2014 were analyzed. Treatment outcomes were pain score response, analgesic score response, response according to International Consensus Endpoints (complete response and overall response) at 4, 12, and 24 weeks, retreatment rate, symptomatic skeletal events (SSEs), and prognostic factors.
RESULTS: At 24 weeks, pain score response for single and multiple fraction group was 82.3% and 88.5%, analgesic score response was 54.8% and 61.5%, and overall response according to International Consensus Endpoint was 61.3% and 67.7%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in treatment response between the 2 treatment groups for all endpoints. ECOG (<2 vs ≥2: aOR 3.405, 95% CI 1.708-6.790, P = .001) and primary breast and prostate (breast vs others: aOR 5.231, 95% CI 1.973-13.869, P = .001; prostate vs others: aOR 5.522, 95% CI 1.493-20.420, P = .01) were significant variables on multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSION: Single fraction radiotherapy is as effective as multiple fraction radiotherapy for the palliation of uncomplicated bone metastases.
Fulltext Vitamin B12 deficiency: unusual cause of jaundice in an adolescent

Katakam PK, Hegde AP, Venkataramaiahyappa M

BMJ Case Rep, 2018 Jan 12;2018.
PMID: 29330271 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2017-222302

Vitamin B12 deficiency in vegans is a known cause of megaloblastic anaemia. We report an adolescent girl who presented with jaundice and weight loss for 6 months secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency, leading to megaloblastic anaemia. Replacement with vitamin B12 reversed her symptoms, resulting in weight gain, and normalised her haemoglobin, red blood cell morphology, bilirubin levels and serum vitamin B12 levels.

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Anemia, Megaloblastic/diet therapy*; Anemia, Megaloblastic/etiology; Anemia, Megaloblastic/physiopathology; Anemia, Megaloblastic/psychology; Female; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Jaundice/diet therapy*; Jaundice/physiopathology; Jaundice/psychology; Patient Compliance/psychology; Patient Education as Topic; Diet, Vegetarian/adverse effects*; Vitamin B 12/therapeutic use*; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/complications; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/diet therapy*; Treatment Outcome; Directive Counseling
Fulltext Multiple shoot bud induction and plant regeneration studies of Pongamia pinnata

Tan SN, Tee CS, Wong HL

Plant Biotechnol (Tokyo), 2018 Dec 25;35(4):325-334.
PMID: 31892819 DOI: 10.5511/plantbiotechnology.18.0711a

Pongamia pinnata is a legume plant which has great potential to be used as a biofuel feedstock. Conventional propagation of P. pinnata was found to be inefficient for mass propagation. Employing plant tissue culture techniques for micropropagation and further plant improvement of P. pinnata will be the right path to fulfill future challenges in biofuel production. This study aimed to establish a plant regeneration system for potential micropropagation and genetic manipulation of P. pinnata in future. In vitro nodal explants were used and Woody Plant Medium (WPM) containing 30 µM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1 mM phloroglucinol (PG) was able to induce higher frequency of multiple shoot buds compared to other media investigated in this study. For shoot regeneration study, WPM containing 15 µM of zeatin and 1 mM PG was able to induce longer shoots while rooting of the regenerated shoots was enhanced by WPM supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in combination with silver thiosulphate (STS). A simple and effective acclimatisation protocol was established with very high survival frequency of regenerated plantlets. Root nodulation of the successfully acclimatised plants was also observed. In short, multiple shoot buds were successfully induced, regenerated and rooted in vitro. The rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatised and grown healthily. It was concluded that a successful plant regeneration protocol of P. pinnata was achieved for potential application in micropropagation and genetic manipulation.
Fulltext The Psychological Science Accelerator: Advancing Psychology through a Distributed Collaborative Network

Moshontz H, Campbell L, Ebersole CR, IJzerman H, Urry HL, Forscher PS, et al.

Adv Methods Pract Psychol Sci, 2018 Dec;1(4):501-515.
PMID: 31886452 DOI: 10.1177/2515245918797607

Concerns have been growing about the veracity of psychological research. Many findings in psychological science are based on studies with insufficient statistical power and nonrepresentative samples, or may otherwise be limited to specific, ungeneralizable settings or populations. Crowdsourced research, a type of large-scale collaboration in which one or more research projects are conducted across multiple lab sites, offers a pragmatic solution to these and other current methodological challenges. The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a distributed network of laboratories designed to enable and support crowdsourced research projects. These projects can focus on novel research questions, or attempt to replicate prior research, in large, diverse samples. The PSA's mission is to accelerate the accumulation of reliable and generalizable evidence in psychological science. Here, we describe the background, structure, principles, procedures, benefits, and challenges of the PSA. In contrast to other crowdsourced research networks, the PSA is ongoing (as opposed to time-limited), efficient (in terms of re-using structures and principles for different projects), decentralized, diverse (in terms of participants and researchers), and inclusive (of proposals, contributions, and other relevant input from anyone inside or outside of the network). The PSA and other approaches to crowdsourced psychological science will advance our understanding of mental processes and behaviors by enabling rigorous research and systematically examining its generalizability.
Demographic, clinical and laboratory features of leptospirosis and dengue co-infection in Malaysia

Hishamshah M, Ahmad N, Mohd Ibrahim H, Nur Halim NA, Nawi S, Amran F

J Med Microbiol, 2018 Jun;67(6):806-813.
PMID: 29724267 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000750

Purpose. In this study, we aim to describe and compare the demographical, clinical and laboratory features of leptospirosis and dengue co-infections (LDCI) against single leptospirosis infections in Malaysia.Methodology. Data of patients admitted to various hospitals in Malaysia from 2011 to 2015 diagnosed with leptospirosis in our laboratory were obtained from their admission records. Co-infection with dengue was determined by collecting dengue serology results. Multivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to differentiate features between single leptospirosis infection and confirmed LDCI.Results/Key findings. Only 602 (29.11 %) out of 2068 leptospira-positive patients were concurrently tested for dengue during their admission in which 44 (7.31 %) patients had positive non-structural protein 1 (confirmed LDCI) while 140 (23.26 %) were positive for dengue IgM (probable LDCI) with the highest number of cases recorded in high-density suburban districts. Myalgia and arthralgia were the only significant distinguishing clinical feature of LDCI while significant laboratory features were thrombocytopenia and high levels of alanine and aspartate transaminases. Only thrombocytopenia displayed a predictive value for LDCI from analysis of multiple logistic regression. Death occurred in 19 (3.16 %) patients in this dataset studied but only three (0.50 %) were attributed to LDCI.Conclusion. There is a considerable prevalence of LDCI in this country of which overlapping demographic, clinical and laboratory presentations pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Efforts to raise awareness regarding LDCI, better access to diagnostic services and further prospective studies are warranted.
Fulltext Distribution and Antifungal Susceptibility Pattern of Candida species at a Tertiary Hospital in Malaysia

Mohamed NA, Pathmanathan SG, Hussin H, Zaini AB

J Infect Dev Ctries, 2018 Feb 28;12(2):102-108.
PMID: 31825911 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.9634

INTRODUCTION: Invasive Candida infections cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Information on recent trends in species distribution and antifungal resistance in local settings is essential.
METHODOLOGY: Yeast isolates identified through standard culture methods throughout 2014 and 2015 from Hospital Ampang, Malaysia were retrospectively studied. The antifungal susceptibility of Candida species was determined using colorimetric broth microdilution method and MIC values interpreted according to CLSI breakpoints.
RESULTS: Out of all the 149 yeast cultures collected, most were from blood (55.7%) and respiratory specimens (33.6%). Candida tropicalis was the most common (28.9%), followed by C. albicans (26.2%), C. parapsilosis (15.4%), C. glabrata (14.1%), Crytococcus neoformans (6.7%), Trichosporon asahi (3.4%), C. krusei (2.0%), C. famata, C. rugose, C. guilliermondii, C. dublinensis and Trichosporon spp. (0.7% each). Occurrence of C. tropicalis in candidaemia cases was significantly associated to presence of an underlying haematological disorder, while C. albicans isolates in blood were significantly found in absence of such disorders. The four most common Candida species isolated showed high susceptibility to amphotericin B (100%), anidulafungin (100%), micafungin (100%), caspofungin (98.4%), flucytosine (98.4%) and voriconazole (84.1%). However, drug susceptibility to itraconazole and fluconazole was comparatively lower (57.9% and 72.2%, respectively). C. glabrata and C. tropicalis were the least susceptible to these azoles.
CONCLUSION: Prevalence of the high number of non-albicans Candida species with slight predominance of C. tropicalis over C. albicans was observed. Low susceptibility to itraconazole among C. glabrata and C. tropicalis isolates and to fluconazole among C. glabrata isolates warrants for continued surveillance to monitor emerging antifungal resistance.
Fulltext Female urinary retention in the young and elderly: a case report and review of literature

Hakim, B., Saw, Ohnmar, Malhi, F.S., Syed Rahim, S.H., Noraziana, A.W., Suhaiza, A., et al.

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):0-0.
MyJurnal

Urinary retention rarely affects women. In obstructive retention the source must be determined and treated to allow the patient to void normally. A common anatomic cause of urinary retention is extrinsic compression due to a pelvic mass. In addition, obstruction can also be seen in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Haematocolpos and uterine fibroids have also been documented as causes of acute urinary retention.

The following cases of female urinary retention highlight the need to consider haematocolpos in the adolescent girl who has not attained menarche and fibroids in the older female.
Fulltext Recurrent focal Myositis of the left thigh– rare but treatable inflammatory Myopathy - a case report

Wahinuddin Sulaiman, Eskandar @ Zulkarnain Hassan

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):0-0.
MyJurnal

Focal myositis presents as an acute and localized inflammation of the muscle without systemic involvement. The etiology is unknown. Several case reports in the literature have described different presentations of the condition, the majority affecting the limbs with a spectrum of clinical progression, laboratory, and radiological findings.

It is often confused with infection, muscle tumor such as sarcoma, paraneoplastic syndrome or even immune-mediated polymyositis. Delay in diagnosis and inappropriate treatment may lead to recurrence of the condition.

We report a case of recurrent focal myositis of the left thigh in a man in whom optimal treatment commenced six months after the onset led to regression of his symptoms and signs.
Fulltext Usefulness of newly acquired commercial dengue NSI antigen test kit for early detection of dengue in a general practice clinic in Batu Gajah, Perak

Chan, S.C., Teoh, L.C.

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):1-8.
MyJurnal

The non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of the dengue viral genome has been found useful for diagnosis of acute dengue infections, being detected from one day and up to 18 days post onset of symptoms (1). Rapid Dengue NS1 antigen test was made available in commercial test kits for private clinics in Perak in 2014. This study aimed to determine the use usefulness of dengue NS1 test kits in suspected dengue cases in a general practice clinic in Perak and the period in which positive test results were obtained after the onset of symptoms. Clinic records of all suspected dengue cases seen in the ten months from October 2014 to July 2015 were traced. Patients’ demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms and the use of One Step Dengue NS1 Antigen test (Avo Diagnostics) were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Seventy one suspected dengue fever cases were seen in the study period, the highest number in July 2015 (25%). Majority were Chinese (80%), female (63%), and aged 40 years and above (51%). Most patients presented with fever (99%), body-ache (51%), gastrointestinal symptoms (51%) and headache (44%). Dengue NS1 antigen test was done in 94% of the suspected cases with 61% testing positive. The majority of the cases presenting one day to five days after onset of symptoms tested positive i.e. 59% (1 day), 90% (2 days), 54% (3-4 days) and 89% (5 days). Using dengue NS1 antigen test, positive results can be obtained as early as one day after the onset of symptoms. This test is a useful tool to aid primary care physicians detect dengue fever early.

MeSH terms: Adult; Ambulatory Care Facilities; China/ethnology; Dengue*; Female; India/ethnology; Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Viral Nonstructural Proteins; Private Facilities
Fulltext Effect of dependency on self-esteem among people with dementia at the dementia day care centre

Agghelan M., Esther, Ebenezer

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):0-0.
MyJurnal

Background: Dementia is known as a serious disorder that commonly appears in aged individuals. The cognitive impairment of the individuals creates difficulties in performing daily activities and tends them to depend on a caregiver to guide and help them to complete their chores. The level of dependency predicts the self-esteem of the dementia people. Objective: The aim of the study was to find the relationship between dependency and self-esteem of the PWD (People with dementia) in Dementia Day Care Centre.

Methods: The study was done on 40 PWDs aged 50 years and above with mild to moderate dementia in the Dementia Day Care Centre. Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was given to the PWD to assess their level of self-esteem and Care Dependency Scale was given to their respective caregivers to assess the dependency level of the dementia people. The study variables were gender, ethnicity, age and educational level, stage of dementia, total of dependency score and total of self-esteem score.

Results: The total number of PWD participated in this study was 40. More than half (60%) of the PWD were female and 40% were male. Chinese were the majority among the patients. Most of them were aged 70 and above. 85% of the patients were educated. There is a significant positive relationship between dependency and self-esteem with the p-value of .034, where p
Fulltext Teachers’ perspectives of attributes of effective medical teachers

Venkataramani, P., Sadanandan, T., Jamshed, F., Sugathan, S., Sidhu, M.S.

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):38-44.
MyJurnal

A teacher’s perspective about what makes an effective medical teacher is changing. Medical
teachers are not data-banks of facts and experience, imparting knowledge passively. It was
decided to see what our faculty (Malaysian and non-Malaysian) thought were attributes of an
effective medical teacher.

Methodology:
This was a cross-sectional study in a private medical school in Malaysia. We obtained Ethics’
Committee approval. The estimated sample size was 73. Faculty willing to participate after
verbal informed consent were included. Thirty attributes were rated on a 5-point Likert scale.
Attributes were grouped into four categories: “teaching-related”, “personal traits” “interaction
with students”, and “teacher as a doctor”.

Results:
One hundred and four faculty completed the questionnaire (63.5% male, 36.5% female, 20.2%
preclinical, 25% surgical, 25% medical, 10.6% public health-family medicine and 19.2% general
studies lecturers).
Top ranking attributes selected from the percentage of faculty who rated each strongly were
“enabled to understand basic principles and enthusiastic” (77.9%), “made subject meaningful to
practice”, and “encouraged students to participate” (76%), “ethical” (73.1%), “presented
logically” (69.2%), “motivated students” (68.3%), “spoke loudly and clearly” (67.3%),
“passionate” (65.4%), “showed concern for students” (64.4%), “no bias” (63.5%), “punctual”
and “gave feedback”(61.5%).
Overall ranking for grouped attributes in descending order was “personal traits”, “teachingrelated”,
“interaction with students” and “teacher as a doctor”.

Conclusions and take home message:
Teachers in this study, did not rank knowledge among the top 10 attributes overall. Awareness of
perspectives of teachers will help administrators to organize appropriate staff development
activities.
Fulltext Final year students’ performance in communication skills OSCE in a Malaysian medical school

Chan, S.C., Sandheep, S., Lee, S.L.

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):32-37.
MyJurnal

Introduction: The Royal College of Medicine Perak under Universiti Kuala Lumpur started its own undergraduate medical degree programme in 2007. As part of the review and evaluation of communication skills (CS) training, the performance of the two pioneer batches of final year students in CS Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) stations in the 2012 and 2013 were analysed.
Methods: The CS OSCE stations were analysed based on the percentage of students obtaining a satisfactory performance in each CS component. Overall performance in each CS component was considered satisfactory, if ≥ 50% of students achieved satisfactory performance or unsatisfactory, if < 50% of students achieved satisfactory performance. The two cohorts were compared for any significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) in their performance.
Results: Satisfactory performance was obtained in basic CS (courtesy, appropriate non-verbal and verbal CS), stating intention of session, recognizing patient’s cues, checking and addressing patient’s perceptions and concerns, checking patient’s understanding, breaking bad news and maintaining a professional attitude. The performance was unsatisfactory in assessing prior knowledge, discussing patient management and checking patient’s coping skills. Both the two cohorts’ performance did not differ significantly.
Conclusion: Overall the students’ performance was satisfactory except for assessing prior knowledge, discussing management and checking patients’ coping skills.

MeSH terms: Adult; Clinical Competence; Communication; Education, Medical; Humans; Malaysia; Universities
Fulltext Knowledge and awareness of breast cancer among rural women in Perak

Subramaniam, Ramani, Hussain, R. A. Saadi

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):27-31.
MyJurnal

Breast cancer is a major global health problem and the leading cause of death among women of
all ethnic backgrounds. In Malaysia the incidence of breast cancer among women is 1: 19. Around
5,000 Malaysian women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, most of them aged between
30 and 60 years where, nearly half of those affected are under 50-years of age. In Malaysia,
screening for breast cancer is mainly based on clinical examination, mammogram and ultrasound
studies for most of the population. Based on radiological investigations the patients are then
referred for Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) /or biopsy for final diagnosis. Most women
over 40 years of age undergo mammogram screening so there has been early detection of cancer
of breast in the older age group. Mammogram is not advised in younger age groups as lesions will
be difficult to identify in dense breasts. We did a cross sectional study among 139 rural women in
Perak. The participants were chosen randomly from the rural areas of different villages. We used
a pretested self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of eight questions based
on knowledge of breast cancer and few more questions related to imaging of breast. The
questionnaire was distributed to women between the ages 20- 60 years of all three major ethnic
groups in Malaysia, namely Malays, Chinese and Indians. The mean age of the participants was
47.9. The Indians comprised of (59.7%) of participants. Malays (25.2%) and Chinese (15.1 %).
Just below half of the participants were of secondary educational level (44 .6%) Most of them
were married (63.3%). Almost half of them were employed (48.9%). The percentage of women
who had a family history of breast cancer accounted for 11.5%. Among the three major races the
Chinese had more screening done compared to the Malays and Indians (P value 0.003). 51.1% of
women showed poor knowledge of breast cancer and 19.4 % had no knowledge of cause of breast
cancer. Among the several reasons given for not having a mammogram, 40.8 % of participants
said that it was not advised. The major source of information was (TV, Magazines, papers) 63.4 %
and (Friends / Relatives) 30.6%.
Fulltext Undergraduate medical education through distance learning – is it possible?

Venkataramani, Padmini

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):22-26.
MyJurnal

Concept: Undergraduate medical students can be taught entirely through distance learning.

Background: Undergraduate medical education (UGME) is currently available predominantly to
an elite minority of students with resources. There are probably many students who might have
become excellent doctors, if only they had had an opportunity to undertake a flexible and less
expensive course.

Proposal: In UGME, there is a tendency to underestimate the capabilities of medical students
and overemphasize the importance of teachers. Educators of late consider medical students as
adult learners capable of managing their learning needs; teachers are facilitators guiding them in
the right direction. If there is one branch of study eminently suited to distance learning, it is
probably UGME. The teaching program should be planned meticulously and executed with care.
With the support of available resources in information technology, it is time to consider UGME
through distance learning.

Why: A course in distance learning will be inexpensive. It will foster lifelong learning because
self-directed learning was started in the beginning. A large number of students will benefit; they
will hopefully serve their communities better than doctors from mainstream medical schools.

Discussion: Harden’s CRISIS criteria for CME, suit the planning of this course. The advantages
and disadvantages, educational strategies for teaching-learning and assessment, selection of
students and faculty, mentoring and feedback for this course will be discussed.

Conclusion: With meticulous planning, IT support and help from medical schools of
international standing, distance learning in UGME is an inexpensive, feasible option benefiting a
large number of students.
Fulltext Rapid assays to screen marine flora and fauna for their inhibitory activity against antimicrobial enzymes

Gopalakrishnan, V., Thyagrajan, S.P.

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):13-21.
MyJurnal

The worlds land and sea represent a limitless reserve of natural, biological and potentially
active useful pharmaceutical products. Renewed interest in drugs from natural reserves,
advances in chemical separation and analysis have identified hundreds of unique exotic
physiologically active substances with antimicrobial, anti-tumor and other potentialities
more rapidly, from terrestrial plants, marine flora and various classes of marine fauna.
Development of practical and rapid methods for detection of plant products with activity
against infectious disease producing organisms is the need of the hour. Rapid assays for
antiviral studies using isotopic reverse transcriptase, E. coli DNA polymerase and HBV
DNA polymerase inhibition assays were standardized. Extracts of marine flora and fauna
collected under the DOD National project were assessed. Of the extracts assessed for virus
specific enzyme inhibitions, 24.35% possessed RT inhibition activity, 15.83% E. coli
DNA polymerase Inhibition activity, 42.72% of 35 extracts tested possessed HBV DNA
polymerase inhibition activity and 11.42% of 35 extracts tested possessed inhibition
activity against all three enzymes tested. The great potential of ocean’s flora and fauna is
there to be used for its antimicrobial activity in general and antiviral activity in particular,
which will suit our ever increasing need, is to be harnessed for the welfare of the human
community at large.
Fulltext Study of nasal parameters and nose types among university students in Malay population

Than, M., Thwin, S.S., Wai, M.M., MPhil, T. Yesmin, F. Zaini, Jaafar, K.A.M., et al.

Asian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2018;1(1):7-12.
MyJurnal

Human nose can be found in many shapes and sizes. Racial, ethnic and environmental influences can result in different appearances of the nose. Nasal parameters such as nasal height, nasal width and nasal index were investigated in the Malay population, using convenient sampling methods. Study sample consisted of 80 young Malay adults (40 males, 40 females) aged 19-30 years. The mean + SD values of nasal height of Malay male and female were 52.2 + 5.3 and 50.4 + 9.7 respectively. The mean + SD values of nasal width of Malay male and female were 39.7 + 3.0 and 36.7 + 3.2 respectively. Mean nasal indices in male and female were 76.66 and 74.55 respectively. The predominant nose type in Malay was found to be of mesorrhine type (medium nose) in both male (67.5%) and female (70%). These findings were comparable with studies done in other Asian races such as Malaysian Indian, Chinese and other Indians. The findings of this study may contribute to satisfactory outcomes in cosmetic and reconstructive rhinoplastic surgery, anthropology, and forensic medicine in the Malay population.

MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology; Male; Nose

External Links