Browse publications by year: 2019

  1. Nik Osman, N.N.A., Awang, H.
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):27-32.
    MyJurnal
    The age-old wisdom is that “women live longer than men”. Gender difference in life expectancy is becoming a
    worldwide phenomenon both in developed and developing countries. The process of ageing may be viewed
    from the perspectives of physical, psychological, and social-economic wellbeing. We investigated gender
    difference in understanding ageing in relation to life expectancy, fears relating to diseases and deteriorating
    economic status, and perceived old age comfort and their preparedness. Data were obtained from an online
    survey and in-person interview of 518 respondents aged 40 years and older residing in Malaysia, which was
    based on a convenience sample collected from May 2015 to January 2016. Data were analysed using chisquared
    tests and multinomial logistic regression. There were varying views between men and women when
    it came to understanding ageing in relation to life expectancy, fears of ageing, deteriorating economic status
    and their perception of old age comfort. Women were more optimistic about living longer compared to men
    but feared more the consequences of old age diseases. In spite of displaying less concern about financial
    preparedness, women were, however, willing to cut down expenses, while men would prefer longer working
    hours to ensure a comfortable retirement.
    MeSH terms: Aging; Developing Countries; Fear; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Life Expectancy; Malaysia; Male; Surveys and Questionnaires; Retirement; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Logistic Models
  2. Mac Guad, R., Zaharan, N.L., Wan Md Adnan, W.A.H., Gan, S.H., Chik, Z.,
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):20-26.
    MyJurnal
    Aim: A once-daily formulation of tacrolimus, Advagraf®, is increasingly being used in place of twice-daily
    tacrolimus, Prograf®, as a standard immunosuppressive agent for transplant patients. In this study, the
    clinical safety and efficacy of Advagraf® were compared with Prograf®, among multi-ethnic Malaysian renal
    transplanted population.

    Method: This retrospective study identified renal transplant patients who were converted from Prograf® to
    Advagraf® at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) (n=69). Clinical notes and laboratory records,
    including tacrolimus daily dose and trough levels, were obtained for one-year, pre-and post-conversion. Causality
    assessment of suspected adverse events were based on the WHO-Uppsala Monitoring Center criteria. Renal
    biopsy records were re-evaluated based on the updated Banff 2007 classification for biopsy-confirmed acute
    rejection (BPAR).

    Results: Following conversion to Advagraf®, the mean tacrolimus trough level and daily dose decreased
    significantly (p
    MeSH terms: Biopsy; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Kidney; Malaysia; Retrospective Studies; Universities; World Health Organization; Kidney Transplantation; Tacrolimus; Transplants
  3. Md Ismail, N.H., Nik Mohd Alwi N.A.
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):13-19.
    MyJurnal
    Oral ulcer is a lesion with multifactorial causes and occurs worldwide. The lesion usually resolved within 14
    days, but the pain may have an impact on the quality of patient’s life. Therefore, having a natural derived
    remedy that can reduce healing time would be a great advantage. This study aims to investigate histological
    sections of buccal ulcer on rats treated with aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (AEPS). Glacial acetic acid
    was used to induce buccal ulcer on male Sprague Dawley rats. Control group received normal saline while
    the experimental group received AEPS for treatment. On certain days of post-ulcer induction, buccal ulcer
    tissue samples were harvested, sectioned and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). Histological slides
    were examined for inflammation and scored. The inflammation severity reduced from day 2 to day 12. In the
    experimental group there was a statistically significant differences of inflammation score, particularly on day
    2 with a score of (2.8 + 0.2). Neutrophils were less in the experimental group and the tissue debris clearance
    was faster compared to control group. Full reepithelization was observed on both treated tissue sections on
    day 12 with less severe inflammation. Topical application of AEPS is proven to have anti-inflammatory effect
    by reducing the number of neutrophils during inflammation phase of oral ulcer healing.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Eosine Yellowish-(YS); Hematoxylin; Inflammation; Male; Neutrophils; Pain; Ulcer; Wound Healing; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Oral Ulcer; Acetic Acid; Piper; Control Groups; Rats
  4. Yeoh, C.N., Cheah, S.K., Maaya, M., Nadiah, R., Raha, A.R., Wan, Mat W.R.
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):8-12.
    MyJurnal
    Porto-spleno-mesenteric vein thrombosis is a rare, life-threatening condition of extrahepatic portal venous
    system thrombosis. We report a rare case of a 49-year-old lady with late presentation of acute portal vein
    thrombosis in a non-cirrhotic liver with an incidental finding of left adnexal teratoma. She presented with a
    one-week history of severe abdominal pain associated with vomiting and diarrhea. She gave no history of prior
    risk for venous thromboembolism or liver diseases. Physical examination revealed a tender mass extending from
    suprapubic to left iliac fossa. Abdominal computed tomography scans showed a well-defined fat-containing left
    adnexal mass, likely a benign teratoma, with no involvement of surrounding structures or calcification. There
    was evidence of porto-splenic-mesenteric vein thrombosis with liver infarction, bowel and splenic ischemia.
    Management of the extensive thrombosis causing multi-organ failure includes resuscitation, supportive care
    and treatment of thrombosis. Treatment options include early anticoagulation and if feasible, thrombolysis.
    MeSH terms: Dermoid Cyst; Diarrhea; Female; Ilium; Infarction; Liver Diseases; Mesenteric Veins; Physical Examination; Portal Vein; Thrombosis; Tomography; Vomiting; Abdominal Pain; Incidental Findings; Venous Thromboembolism; Mesenteric Ischemia
  5. Choudhury, Shudipta
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):1-7.
    MyJurnal
    Background: The adoption of technologically advanced medical devices assisted healthcare providers to
    examine and treat diseases. However, technological advancements could increase the threats to safety,
    security, and reliability of the devices from complications associated with manufacturing, functionality, and
    the clinical application of the devices.

    Aim: To examine the safety threats, cost implication, and bioethical standards of the manufacturing processes
    and the functionality of advanced medical devices.

    Subject and Methods: The study was a narrative review through a qualitative research methodology. The
    secondary data was gathered from online databases including ProQuest, ResearchGate, CINAHL/EBSCOhost,
    PubMed, and ScienceDirect, from books, journals, conference proceedings, and other web publications
    between 2007 and 2017.

    Results:There were safety hazards from human errors in the interpretation and the use of the advanced medical
    devices. Equipment imperfections and poor processes of maintenance and procurement affected the effective
    functionality of these medical devices. Healthcare expenditure was high, Social and bioethical considerations,
    users’ complaints and post-market surveillance were essential in ensuring the safety of the devices and the
    maintenance of quality life for the users.

    Conclusion: Safety hazards and cost implications of the use of technologically advanced medical devices were
    significantly high Social and bioethical standards in the manufacturing of medical devices contributed towards
    the production of safer devices.
    MeSH terms: Books; Health Expenditures; Health Personnel; Humans; Maintenance; Protective Devices; Reproducibility of Results; Qualitative Research; PubMed
  6. Senawi J, Kingston T
    J Exp Biol, 2019 12 03;222(Pt 23).
    PMID: 31704901 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203950
    Differences in wing morphology are predicted to reflect differences in bat foraging strategies. Experimental tests of this prediction typically assess the relationship between wing morphology and a measures of flight performance on an obstacle course. However, studies have lacked measures of obstacle avoidance ability true scores, which may confound interpretation of ability across the range of presented tasks. Here, we used Rasch analysis of performance in a collision-avoidance experiment to estimate the ability of bat species to fly through vegetative clutter. We refer to this latent trait as 'clutter negotiating ability' and determined the relationships between clutter negotiating ability and wing morphology in 15 forest insectivorous bat species that forage in the densely cluttered rainforests of Malaysia. The clutter negotiating ability scores were quantified based on individual responses of each species to 11 different obstacle arrangements (four banks of vertical strings 10-60 cm apart). The tasks employed for the collision-avoidance experiment were reliable and valid, although Rasch analysis suggested that the experiment was too easy to discriminate completely among the 15 species. We found significant negative correlations between clutter negotiating ability and body mass, wingspan, wing loading and wing area but a positive significant correlation with wingtip area ratio. However, in stepwise multiple regression analyses, only body mass and wing loading were significant predictors of clutter negotiating ability. Species fell into clusters of different clutter negotiating ability, suggesting a potential mechanism for resource partitioning within the forest interior insectivorous ensemble.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Body Weight*; Chiroptera/physiology*; Flight, Animal*; Malaysia; Rainforest*
  7. Chénard C, Wijaya W, Vaulot D, Lopes Dos Santos A, Martin P, Kaur A, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 Nov 08;9(1):16390.
    PMID: 31704973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52648-x
    Singapore, an equatorial island in South East Asia, is influenced by a bi-annual reversal of wind directions which defines two monsoon seasons. We characterized the dynamics of the microbial communities of Singapore coastal waters by collecting monthly samples between February 2017 and July 2018 at four sites located across two straits with different trophic status, and sequencing the V6-V8 region of the small sub-unit ribosomal RNA gene (rRNA gene) of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. Johor Strait, which is subjected to wider environmental fluctuations from anthropogenic activities, presented a higher abundance of copiotrophic microbes, including Cellvibrionales and Rhodobacterales. The mesotrophic Singapore Strait, where the seasonal variability is caused by changes in the oceanographic conditions, harboured a higher proportion of typically marine microbe groups such as Synechococcales, Nitrosupumilales, SAR11, SAR86, Marine Group II Archaea and Radiolaria. In addition, we observed seasonal variability of the microbial communities in the Singapore Strait, which was possibly influenced by the alternating monsoon regime, while no seasonal pattern was detected in the Johor Strait.
    MeSH terms: Archaea/genetics; Archaea/isolation & purification; Bacteria/classification; Bacteria/genetics; Bacteria/isolation & purification; Seasons; Seawater/microbiology*; Singapore; Wind; Biodiversity; Eukaryota/genetics; Eukaryota/isolation & purification; Spatio-Temporal Analysis
  8. Teo SH, Yap DKY, Mansir N, Islam A, Taufiq-Yap YH
    Sci Rep, 2019 11 08;9(1):16358.
    PMID: 31705011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52857-4
    A γ-NA5 catalyst in the form of pellet was first to be reported and was pioneering in gasification to accelerate the production of syngas through biomass (palm empty fruit brunch) conversion. The synthesised γ-NA5 pellet possesses a high surface area of 212.32 m2 g-1, which renders more active sites for hydrocarbon cracking, subsequently leading to high H2 production (0.0716 m3 kg-1). Additionally, the pellet exhibits remarkable reversibility and reusability with 91% H2 production efficiency being retained after five consecutive gasification cycles. Distinctively, the feature of the synthesised γ-NA5 pellet from the conventional powder-like catalyst is that it eases the separation of the used catalyst from the biomass ash, and subsequently facilitates regeneration solely by calcination process. The loading of 20 wt.% optimised amount of catalyst itself has successfully shorten the completion of gasification process up to 135 min, which is highly feasible for a large scale industrial usage after considering the cost of the catalyst, facile preparation method, and catalyst's effectiveness towards gasification.
    MeSH terms: Catalysis; Fruit; Gases; Hydrocarbons; Industry; Powders; Regeneration; Biomass; Catalytic Domain
  9. Camara M, Jamil NR, Abdullah AFB, Hashim RB
    Environ Monit Assess, 2019 Nov 08;191(12):729.
    PMID: 31705319 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7906-1
    Managers of water quality and water monitoring programs are often faced with constraints in terms of budget, time, and laboratory capacity for sample analysis. In such situation, the ideal solution is to reduce the number of sampling sites and/or monitored variables. In this case, selecting appropriate monitoring sites is a challenge. To overcome this problem, this study was conducted to statistically assess and identify the appropriate sampling stations of monitoring network under the monitored parameters. To achieve this goal, two sets of water quality data acquired from two different monitoring networks were used. The hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA) were used to group stations with similar characteristics in the networks, the time series analysis was then performed to observe the temporal variation of water quality within the station clusters, and the geo-statistical analysis associated Kendall's coefficient of concordance were finally applied to identify the most appropriate and least appropriate sampling stations. Based on the overall result, five stations were identified in the networks that contribute the most to the knowledge of water quality status of the entire river. In addition, five stations deemed less important were identified and could therefore be considered as redundant in the network. This result demonstrated that geo-statistical technique coupled with Kendall's coefficient of concordance can be a reliable method for water resource managers to identify appropriate sampling sites in a river monitoring network.
    MeSH terms: Environmental Monitoring*; Water/analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*; Cluster Analysis; Rivers/chemistry*; Water Quality; Water Resources
  10. Ahmed K, Ozturk I, Ghumro IA, Mukesh P
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Dec;26(35):35935-35944.
    PMID: 31705412 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06520-0
    Sustainable development inculcates the process of preserving the environment for future generations while maintaining existing human needs. This study attempts to empirically investigate the relationship between CO2 emissions, GDP, energy consumption, and imports and exports using yearly data between 1980 and 2014 for the panel of eight developing countries (i.e., Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey). All the tests for cointegration establish the long-run association among the variables and confirm the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for the panel of eight countries. GDP and energy consumption remained significant factors for emission intensity both in the long and short run. However, exports found to be positive factor for emissions in the long run only and imports spur emissions in the short run. The country-specific results validate EKC hypothesis for Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. The findings are policy oriented and suggest that the countries' economic growth along with energy consumption and exports are highly emission intensive which require necessary adjustments at sustainable development policy front.
    MeSH terms: Bangladesh; Carbon Dioxide/analysis; Developing Countries*; Ecology*; Egypt; Environmental Pollution*; Humans; Indonesia; Iran; Malaysia; Nigeria; Pakistan; Turkey; Economic Development*; Policy
  11. Yew YP, Shameli K, Mohamad SEB, Nagao Y, Teow SY, Lee KX, et al.
    Int J Pharm, 2019 Dec 15;572:118743.
    PMID: 31705969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118743
    Superparamagnetic magnetite nanocomposites (Fe3O4-NCs) were successfully synthesized, which comprised of montmorillonite (MMT) as matrix support, Kappaphycus alvarezii (SW) as bio-stabilizer and Fe3O4 as filler in the composites to form MMT/SW/Fe3O4-NCs. Nanocomposite with 0.5 g Fe3O4 (MMT/SW/0.5Fe3O4) was selected for anticancer activity study because it revealed high crystallinity, particle size of 7.2 ± 1.7 nm with majority of spherical shape, and Ms = 5.85 emu/g with negligible coercivity. Drug loading and release studies were carried out using protocatechuic acid (PCA) as the model for anticancer drug, which showed 19% and 87% of PCA release in pH 7.4 and 4.8, respectively. Monolayer anticancer assay showed that PCA-loaded MMT/SW/Fe3O4 (MMT/SW/Fe3O4-PCA) had selectivity towards HCT116 (colorectal cancer cell line). Although MMT/SW/Fe3O4-PCA (0.64 mg/mL) showed higher IC50 than PCA (0.148 mg/mL) and MMT/SW/Fe3O4 (0.306 mg/mL, MMT/SW/Fe3O4-PCA showed more effective killing towards tumour spheroid model generated from HCT116. The IC50 for MMT/SW/Fe3O4-PCA, MMT/SW/Fe3O4 and PCA were 0.132, 0.23 and 0.55 mg/mL, respectively. This suggests the improved penetration efficiency and drug release of MMT/SW/Fe3O4-PCA towards HCT116 spheroids. Moreover, concentration that lower than 2 mg/mL MMT/SW/Fe3O4-PCA did not result any hemolysis in human blood, which suggests them to be ideal for intravenous injection. This study highlights the potential of MMT/SW/Fe3O4-NCs as drug delivery agent.
    MeSH terms: Rhodophyta/chemistry*; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Bentonite/chemistry*; Cell Line; Drug Carriers/chemistry; Ferrous Compounds/chemistry*; Humans; Particle Size; Seaweed/chemistry*; Drug Delivery Systems/methods; HCT116 Cells; Cell Line, Tumor; Nanocomposites/chemistry*; Hydroxybenzoates/pharmacology*; Hydroxybenzoates/chemistry; Drug Liberation
  12. Angelopoulou E, Paudel YN, Piperi C
    Pharmacol Res, 2019 12;150:104515.
    PMID: 31707035 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104515
    Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial disorder, attributed to a complex interplay between genetic and epigenetic factors. Although the exact etiology of the disease remains elusive, dysregulation of signaling pathways implicated in cell survival, apoptosis, protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagy, oxidative damage and neuroinflammation, contributes to its pathogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRs) are endogenous short non-coding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. MiR-124 is one of the most abundantly expressed miRs in the brain that participates in neurogenesis, synapse morphology, neurotransmission, inflammation, autophagy and mitochondrial function. Accumulating pre-clinical evidence shows that miR-124 may act through calpain 1/p25/cyclin-dependent kinases 5 (CDK5), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim), 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mediated pathways to regulate cell survival, apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage and neuroinflammation in PD. Moreover, clinical evidence indicates that reduced plasma miR-124 levels may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker in PD. This review provides an update of the pathogenic implication of miR-124 activity in PD and discusses its targeting potential for the development of future therapeutic strategies.
    MeSH terms: Neuroprotection; Animals; Humans; Parkinson Disease/blood; Parkinson Disease/drug therapy; Parkinson Disease/genetics*; Biomarkers/blood
  13. Nelwati, Abdullah KL, Chong MC
    Nurse Educ Pract, 2019 Nov;41:102648.
    PMID: 31707147 DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102648
    BACKGROUND: Undergraduate nursing students are required to acquire professional values during professional nurse education to provide safe and high quality patient care. However, there was no documentation in professional values among Indonesian undergraduate nursing students and the factors influencing its development.

    PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine professional values among Indonesian undergraduate nursing students and examine the relationship between students' demographic factors and professional values.

    DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was applied to recruit 391 Indonesian undergraduate nursing students. The 26 items of Nurses Professional Values Scale Revision (NPVS-R) with five dimensions was employed to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics, independent samples t-test were applied to analyse and interpret data.

    RESULTS: The result showed that the total score of nurse professional values was high (95.80 ± 12.93). The most important professional value dimension was caring, while activism was the least important values. The NPVS-R total score had a significant association with length of professional clinical practice of the students (p 

    MeSH terms: Professionalism*; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curriculum; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; Empathy*; Female; Humans; Indonesia; Male; Surveys and Questionnaires; Students, Nursing*
  14. Ng WH, Yong YK, Ramasamy R, Ngalim SH, Lim V, Shaharuddin B, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Nov 06;20(22).
    PMID: 31698679 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225519
    Cardiac c-kit cells show promise in regenerating an injured heart. While heart disease commonly affects elderly patients, it is unclear if autologous cardiac c-kit cells are functionally competent and applicable to these patients. This study characterised cardiac c-kit cells (CCs) from aged mice and studied the effects of human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the growth kinetics and cardiac differentiation of aged CCs in vitro. CCs were isolated from 4-week- and 18-month-old C57/BL6N mice and were directly co-cultured with MSCs or separated by transwell insert. Clonogenically expanded aged CCs showed comparable telomere length to young CCs. However, these cells showed lower Gata4, Nkx2.5, and Sox2 gene expressions, with changes of 2.4, 3767.0, and 4.9 folds, respectively. Direct co-culture of both cells increased aged CC migration, which repopulated 54.6 ± 4.4% of the gap area as compared to aged CCs with MSCs in transwell (42.9 ± 2.6%) and CCs without MSCs (44.7 ± 2.5%). Both direct and transwell co-culture improved proliferation in aged CCs by 15.0% and 16.4%, respectively, as traced using carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) for three days. These data suggest that MSCs can improve the growth kinetics of aged CCs. CCs retaining intact telomere are present in old hearts and could be obtained based on their self-renewing capability. Although these aged CCs with reduced growth kinetics are improved by MSCs via cell-cell contact, the effect is minimal.
    MeSH terms: Aging/physiology; Animals; Cell Differentiation*; Clone Cells; Humans; Kinetics; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Myocardium/cytology*; Cell Aging*; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/metabolism*; Telomerase/metabolism; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology*; Cell Proliferation; Telomere Homeostasis; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/cytology*; Wharton Jelly/cytology*
  15. Tan LT, Chan CK, Chan KG, Pusparajah P, Khan TM, Ser HL, et al.
    Cancers (Basel), 2019 Nov 06;11(11).
    PMID: 31698795 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111742
    New and effective anticancer compounds are much needed as the incidence of cancer continues to rise. Microorganisms from a variety of environments are promising sources of new drugs; Streptomyces sp. MUM256, which was isolated from mangrove soil in Malaysia as part of our ongoing efforts to study mangrove resources, was shown to produce bioactive metabolites with chemopreventive potential. This present study is a continuation of our previous efforts and aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the ethyl acetate fraction of MUM256 crude extract (MUM256 EA) in inhibiting the proliferation of HCT116 cells. Our data showed that MUM256 EA reduced proliferation of HCT116 cells via induction of cell-cycle arrest. Molecular studies revealed that MUM256 EA regulated the expression level of several important cell-cycle regulatory proteins. The results also demonstrated that MUM256 EA induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells mediated through the intrinsic pathway. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis detected several chemical compounds present in MUM256 EA, including cyclic dipeptides which previous literature has reported to demonstrate various pharmacological properties. The cyclic dipeptides were further shown to inhibit HCT116 cells while exerting little to no toxicity on normal colon cells in this study. Taken together, the findings of this project highlight the important role of exploring the mangrove microorganisms as a bioresource which hold tremendous promise for the development of chemopreventive drugs against colorectal cancer.
  16. Sa'don SNH, Jamaluddin MH, Kamarudin MR, Ahmad F, Yamada Y, Kamardin K, et al.
    Sensors (Basel), 2019 Nov 06;19(22).
    PMID: 31698830 DOI: 10.3390/s19224835
    The incoming 5G technology requires antennas with a greater capacity, wider wireless spectrum utilisation, high gain, and steer-ability. This is due to the cramped spectrum utilisation in the previous generation. As a matter of fact, conventional antennas are unable to serve the new frequency due to the limitations in fabrication and installation mainly for smaller sizes. The use of graphene material promises antennas with smaller sizes and thinner dimensions, yet capable of emitting higher frequencies. Hence, graphene antennas were studied at a frequency of 15 GHz in both single and array elements. The high-frequency antenna contributed to a large bandwidth and was excited by coplanar waveguide for easy fabrication on one surface via screen printing. The defected ground structure was applied in an array element to improve the radiation and increase the gain. The results showed that the printed, single element graphene antenna produced an impedance bandwidth, gain, and efficiency of 48.64%, 2.87 dBi, and 67.44%, respectively. Meanwhile, the array element produced slightly better efficiency (72.98%), approximately the same impedance bandwidth as the single element (48.98%), but higher gain (8.41 dBi). Moreover, it provided a beam width of 21.2° with scanning beam capability from 0° up to 39.05°. Thus, it was proved that graphene materials can be applied in 5G.
  17. Mohd Faizal A, Sharifah Raihan SK, Yulianty A, Mahdy Zaleha A
    Minerva Ginecol, 2019 Oct;71(5):387-390.
    PMID: 31698893 DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4784.19.04416-2
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Cesarean Section/classification; Cesarean Section/statistics & numerical data*; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Pregnancy; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult; Tertiary Care Centers
  18. Lip HTC, Idris MAM, Imran FH, Azmah TN, Huei TJ, Thomas M
    BMC Emerg Med, 2019 11 07;19(1):66.
    PMID: 31699024 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-019-0284-8
    BACKGROUND: Majority burn mortality prognostic scores were developed and validated in western populations. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate and identify possible risk factors which may be used to predict burns mortality in a local Malaysian burns intensive care unit. The secondary objective was to validate the five well known burn prognostic scores (Baux score, Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) score, Ryan score, Belgium Outcome Burn Injury (BOBI) score and revised Baux score) to predict burn mortality prediction.

    METHODS: Patients that were treated at the Hospital Sultan Ismail's Burns Intensive Care (BICU) unit for acute burn injuries between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2017 were included. Risk factors to predict in-patient burn mortality were gender, age, mechanism of injury, total body surface area burn (TBSA), inhalational injury, mechanical ventilation, presence of tracheotomy, time from of burn injury to BICU admission and initial centre of first emergency treatment was administered. These variables were analysed using univariate and multivariate analysis for the outcomes of death. All patients were scored retrospectively using the five-burn mortality prognostic scores. Predictive ability for burn mortality was analysed using the area under receiver operating curve (AUROC).

    RESULTS: A total of 525 patients (372 males and 153 females) with mean age of 34.5 ± 14.6 years were included. There were 463 survivors and 62 deaths (11.8% mortality rate). The outcome of the primary objective showed that amongst the burn mortality risk factors that remained after multivariate analysis were older age (p = 0.004), wider TBSA burn (p 

    MeSH terms: Age Factors; Body Surface Area; Burns/mortality*; Female; Humans; Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data*; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Prognosis; Respiration, Artificial/statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Tracheotomy/statistics & numerical data; Trauma Severity Indices*; Hospital Mortality*; Time-to-Treatment
  19. Abdul Manaf R, Dickson N, Lovell S, Ibrahim F
    BMC Public Health, 2019 Nov 07;19(1):1473.
    PMID: 31699061 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7855-1
    BACKGROUND: Men who inject drugs (MWIDs) comprise the highest percentage of diagnosed HIV cases in Malaysia. Their female partners risk being infected through unprotected sexual contact. This paper reports the prevalence of consistent condom use and its predictors among the wives and regular sexual partners of MWIDs in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among the wives and regular sexual partners of MWIDs in the study location; 221 women were recruited through respondent-driven sampling. Data were analysed descriptively for the prevalence of consistent condom use, HIV status and HIV risk-related behaviour. Subsequently, simple and multiple logistic regressions were undertaken to identify the predictors of consistent condom use.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of consistent condom use among respondents was 19.5%. Slightly more than half (52.5%) of respondents had never used condoms with their partner. Fourteen women (6.3%) reported being HIV positive. While 7.7% had HIV-positive partners, 45.7% were unaware of their partner's HIV status. Consistent condom use was significantly higher among single women (AOR = 4.95; 95% CI: 2.45, 9.99), women who lived in urban areas (AOR = 2.97; 95% CI: 1.30, 6.78), HIV-positive women (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI: 1.13, 10.5) and women involved in sex work (AOR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.45, 8.67).

    CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent condom use among the majority of female sexual partners of MWIDs underscores the heightened risk faced by these women and calls for alternative prevention methods that women are able to control.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Contraception Behavior/statistics & numerical data*; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; HIV Seropositivity/epidemiology; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Prostitution/statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sexual Partners/psychology*; HIV Infections/epidemiology; HIV Infections/prevention & control; Prevalence; Logistic Models; Condoms/statistics & numerical data*; Drug Users/statistics & numerical data*; Young Adult
  20. Yeo DYT, Suhaimi F, Parker DA
    Arthroscopy, 2019 11;35(11):3146-3164.e2.
    PMID: 31699269 DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2019.06.016
    PURPOSE: To identify factors that affect patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and failure rates after arthroscopic meniscal repair.

    METHODS: Embase, Embase Classic, and MEDLINE were searched on August 7, 2015, December 23, 2016, and March 11, 2018, for factors associated with PROMs and failure rates after arthroscopic meniscal repair. We excluded studies that (1) were non-English language, (2) did not use human patients, (3) were nonclinical, (4) did not analyze for factors that predicted PROMs or failure rates, and (5) were below Level IV evidence. Studies were graded into higher and lower quality using the Downs and Black scale.

    RESULTS: A total of 34 articles met our criteria, and 32 were graded. We identified 16 articles as higher quality. Among higher-quality studies, factors that significantly predicted reduced failure rates were concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) (n = 6) and reduced tear complexity (n = 4). Factors that did not significantly impact failure rates were side of repair (n = 8), sex (n = 7), time from injury to surgery (n = 7), age (n = 7), rim width (n = 6), and tear length (n = 5). Factors predicting better PROMs were time from injury to surgery of less than 3 months (n = 1), Outerbridge scores below grade 3 or 4 (n = 2), and reduced varus alignment (n = 2). Factors that did not significantly impact PROMs were equipment used (n = 3) and concurrent ACLR (n = 1).

    CONCLUSIONS: Factors affecting failure rates and PROMs after arthroscopic meniscal repair were identified. However, more and higher-quality studies supported concurrent ACLR and less complex tears as predictors of lower failure rates. PROMs were negatively affected by a longer time from injury to surgery, higher Outerbridge scores, and greater varus alignment before surgery.

    LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level II to IV studies.

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