Displaying publications 3021 - 3040 of 6727 in total

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  1. Ho, S.E., Loong, S., Fatin Nur Laily R., Wan Nur Aizzati M., Muhammad Firdaus I.Z., Ho, Christopher C.K., et al.
    MyJurnal
    Neck pain presents as a symptom of dull pain or discomfort mainly along the trapezius muscle. Dry needling is an invasive procedure which uses acupuncture needle directed at myofascial trigger points. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of dry needling in managing patients with neck pain. A pre-test-post-test interventional study design was used. Patient education package was provided to 32 respondents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A 13-item Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) questionnaire was used to assess Rumination, Magnification and Helplessness. Subjective pain intensity was measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). These questionnaires were given before and after the dry needling intervention. The findings reported that respondents scored high in pre-test total PCS score (27.41±13.652). Post-test result revealed a significant improvement in total PCS score (23.06±13.938) (p = 0.000). Post-test VAS score (4.78±1.237) was also significantly better than pre-test (6.47±1.414) (p = 0.000). There was no significant difference in pre-test PCS in terms of marital status (p > 0.05) whereas there was significant difference between marital status and rumination in post-test (Z = -2.303, p = 0.021). There was significant difference between pre-test magnification in terms of respondents’ occupation (p = 0.008) and race (p = 0.035) but no significant difference in post-test. Respondents’ age group showed no significant differences between pre-test and post-test PCS and VAS (p > 0.05). In conclusion, patients who received dry needling showed improvement in pain intensity and catastrophizing towards neck pain.
  2. Muhammad Akmal Asraf Mohamad Sharom, Zainol Abidin Ibrahim, Wan Ahmad Tajuddin Wan Abdullah, Megat Harun Al Rashid Megat Ahmad, Faridah Mohamad Idris, Abdul Aziz Mohamed
    MyJurnal
    Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) is used for probing the microstructure of materials in the range between 1-100 nm in dimension. The scattered neutrons from the target material were detected by a 128 x 128 array area sensitive, Helium gas-filled proportional counter, which is known as Position Sensitive Detector (PSD). The small angle neutron scattering (SANS) facility in Malaysian Nuclear Agency has been developed since 1995. The data acquisition system of this prototype facility consists of the two-dimensional Position Sensitive Detector (2D-PSD) and neutron monitor as a data grabber, TDC Histogram as a memory processing processor, two units of ORTEC 994 as a counter and timer and a computer as a data acquisition controller via GPIB interfacing protocol. This paper will describe on the development of GPIB interface for data acquisition of the SANS instrument on Windows based platform. The GPIB device interface and graphical user interface (GUI) for this data acquisition is developed using WaveMetrics Igor software.
  3. Mohd Hamzah Harun, Elias Saion, Noorhana Yahya, Anuar Kassim, Ekramul Mahmud, Muhammad Yousuf Hussain, et al.
    MyJurnal
    The composite polymer films of polyvinyl alcohol/polypyrrole/chloral hydrate (PVA-PPy-CH) had been prepared. Effects of J-rays on the electrical conductivity of the composite polymer films had
    been investigated by using Inductance Capacitance Resistance meter (LCR) meter at a frequency
    ranging from 20 Hz to 1 MHz. With the incorporation of chloral hydrate in the polymer sample, the conductivity increased indicates that it is capable to be used as dopant for polymerizing conjugated polymer. The electrical conductivity obtained increased as the dose increased, which is in the order of 10-5Scm-1 indicates that J-rays is capable to enhance the electrical conductivity of the composite polymer films. The parameter of s is in the range of 0.31 d s d 0.49 and obeyed simple power law dispersion Zs. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs reveal the formation of polypyrrole globules in polyvinyl alcohol matrix which increased as the irradiation dose was increased.
  4. Maryam Farooqui, Mohamed Azmi Hassali, Aishah Knight Abdul Shatar, Asrul Akmal Shafie, Muhammad Aslam Farooqui, Fahad Saleem, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Objectives: Prayers, spiritual healing, yoga, meditation, t'ai chi, qigong and support groups are classified as mind body complementary therapies (MBCTs). The study aimed to examine the prevalence of MBCTs use and the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in a group of Malaysian cancer patients.
    Methods: This crosssectional study was conducted on 184 cancer patients at the oncology clinic of Penang general hospital, Malaysia. MBCTs was assessed using a self- administered questionnaire while the HRQoL of the participants was assessed by using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).
    Results: Among the complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) users, 75(40.7%) patients self-reported using MBCTs while having cancer. Majority of MBCTs users were female 60(80%, p=0.01), aged between 38 and 57 (58%), and were of Malay ethnicity (61%). Socio-demographic factors including age (r=0.15, p=0.03) and monthly house-hold income (r= -0.25, p<0.001) were significantly correlated with MBCTs use. Prayers for health reasons was the most frequently practised MBCTs modality, followed by spiritual practices 20(10.8%), meditation 7(5.9%), t'ai chi 7(3.8%), music therapy 4(2.1%), qigong 1(0.5%), hypnotherapy 1(0.5%), and reiki 1(0.5%). Recommendations from friends and family members 53(70%) were the most common reasons of MBCTs use followed by patient's own will 22(29.3%). Health related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scores showed significant difference in all functional and symptoms scores among MBCTs users and non-users (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study helps to identify numerous MBCTs commonly practised by a group of Malaysian cancer patients. Prayers specifically for health reasons and spiritual practices were somewhat common among patients. Viewing MBCTs, not as alternative but to complement conventional cancer therapies may help to address cancer patients' emotional and psychological needs.
    Study site: Oncology clinic, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  5. Azraf Azman, Mohd Rizal Mamat@Ibrahim, Anwar Abdul Rahman, Megat Harun Al Rashid Megat Ahmad, Abdul Aziz Mohamed, Muhammad Rawi Mohd Zin, et al.
    MyJurnal
    The temperature profile of a cryogenic system for cooling of beryllium filter of a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) instrument of TRIGA MARK II PUSPATI research reactor was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and simulation. The efficient cooling of beryllium filter is important for obtaining higher cold neutron transmission for the SANS instrument. This paper presents the transient CFD results of temperature distributions via the thermal link to the beryllium and simulation of heat
    flux. The temperature simulation data are also compared with the experimental results for the cooling time and distribution to the beryllium.
  6. Ibrahim M, Mikail MA, Ahmed IA, Hazali N, Abdul Rasad MSB, Abdul Ghani R, et al.
    Eur J Nutr, 2018 Aug;57(5):1817-1828.
    PMID: 28516253 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-017-1466-3
    PURPOSE: Baccaurea angulata (common names: belimbing dayak or belimbing hutan) is a Malaysian underutilized fruit. The preliminary work on B. angulata fruit juice showed that it possesses antioxidant properties. Therefore, further work is needed to confirm the efficacy and proper dosage of B. angulata as a potential natural antioxidant. The present study was thus carried out to compare the effects of three different B. angulata whole fruit (WF) juice doses administered at nutritional doses of 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 ml/kg/day on plasma, aorta and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) as well as total antioxidant capacity in rabbits fed high-cholesterol diet.

    METHODS: Thirty-five male rabbits of New Zealand strain were randomly assigned to seven groups. For 12 weeks, group CH was fed 1% cholesterol diet only; group C1 was fed 1% cholesterol diet and 0.50 ml/kg/day B. angulata WF juice; group C2 was fed 1% cholesterol diet and 1.00 ml/kg/day B. angulata WF juice; group C3 was fed 1% cholesterol diet and 1.50 ml/kg/day B. angulata WF juice; group N was fed standard pellet only; group N1 was fed standard pellet and 0.50 ml/kg/day B. angulata WF juice; and group N2 was fed standard pellet and 1.00 ml/kg/day B. angulata WF juice.

    RESULTS: The three doses reduced the formation of MDA and enhanced the expression of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. The highest dose used (1.50 ml/kg/day) was, however, seen as the most potent.

    CONCLUSION: Higher doses of B. angulata juice exerted better antioxidant activity.

  7. Taha M, Imran S, Ismail NH, Selvaraj M, Rahim F, Chigurupati S, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2017 10;74:1-9.
    PMID: 28719801 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2017.07.001
    A new library of 2-(2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethyl aryl ether derivatives (1-23) were synthesized and characterized by EI-MS and 1H NMR, and screened for their α-amylase inhibitory activity. Out of twenty-three derivatives, two molecules 19 (IC50=0.38±0.82µM) and 23 (IC50=1.66±0.14µM), showed excellent activity whereas the remaining compounds, except 10 and 17, showed good to moderate inhibition in the range of IC50=1.77-2.98µM when compared with the standard acarbose (IC50=1.66±0.1µM). A plausible structure-activity relationship has also been presented. In addition, in silico studies was carried out in order to rationalize the binding interaction of compounds with the active site of enzyme.
  8. Faizal Mohamed, Irman Abdul Rahman, Ngu, Thieng Kui, Syazwani Mohd Fadzil, Firdaus Pozi, Amran Ab. Majid, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Electricity has become one of the necessities for human daily activities. The presence of electric
    current produces electromagnetic fields (EMF) at extremely low frequency (ELF). The problem arises
    when scientists suggests a possible connection between ELF exposure to human health and safety.
    Concerned about the safety and health of students and staff, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
    took the initiative to identify possible ELF sources and measure their exposure in various locations
    around the UKM main campus in Bangi. This paper reports the results obtained from the monitoring
    of the magnetic flux density at three identified locations in the vicinity of the overhead high-voltage
    transmission line which transverses the university compound and compare the maximum value results
    with the exposure limit suggested by the International Committee on Non Ionising Radiation
    Protection (ICNIRP) for ELF. Measurements were done with an (Extech) Three Axis
    Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Meter (Model 430826) to determine the magnetic flux density. The
    lateral profile method was applied as the standard measurement methodology. Results showed that the
    maximum value of the magnetic flux density was 12.5 mG, which is below the suggested ICNIRP
    public exposure limit of 1000 mG, or in percentage ratio, 1.25% of ICNIRP public exposure limit.
    Results from the statistical Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there is a significant difference in the
    distributions of the magnetic flux densities at the different locations (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the
    measured locations are still safe for people in short-term exposure. However, long-term exposure
    measurements still need to be done to provide concrete data on the ELF-emission levels in UKM.
  9. Rizwan K, Rasool N, Rehman R, Mahmood T, Ayub K, Rasheed T, et al.
    Chem Cent J, 2018 Jul 17;12(1):84.
    PMID: 30019193 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-018-0451-0
    A variety of imine derivatives have been synthesized via Suzuki cross coupling of N-(4-bromophenyl)-1-(3-bromothiophen-2-yl)methanimine with various arylboronic acids in moderate to good yields (58-72%). A wide range of electron donating and withdrawing functional groups were well tolerated in reaction conditions. To explore the structural properties, Density functional theory (DFT) investigations on all synthesized molecules (3a-3i) were performed. Conceptual DFT reactivity descriptors and molecular electrostatic potential analyses were performed by using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) method to explore the reactivity and reacting sites of all derivatives (3a-3i).
  10. Siti Farah Alwani Mohd Nawi, Zaini Mohd Zain, Muhammad Zarif Zahari, Anis Amalina Abdul Hamid, Nur Fakhriah Ahmad Afandi, Siti Nur Fathihah Azmi
    MyJurnal
    Serving raw oysters with lemon juice is a delicacy in many restaurants in
    Malaysia. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) live in the seacoast and they share the same
    environment as Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Consumption of raw oysters contaminated with V.
    parahaemolyticus can lead to severe gastroenteritis. A study was performed to determine
    whether lemon (Citrus limon) juice is able to inhibit the growth of V. parahaemolyticus after
    being inoculated in raw oysters. Methods: Frozen oysters bought from a local supplier
    weighing 6 g each were minced and placed in two bottles using sterile technique.
    Approximately 1 ml of 107 CFU of V. parahaemolyticus (ATCC strain 17802) was added and
    mixed in both bottles. The mixture was treated with 1 ml of lemon juice in only one of the
    bottles and the other bottle served as a control. At every 30 s intervals for 2 min, 1 g of the
    sample was taken for enumeration of viable cells onto thiosulphate citrate bile salt sucrose
    (TCBS). Results: After 30 s of treatment with the lemon juice, it was observed that the
    number of colonies in the treated samples reduced from 7 Log to 3 Log. Subsequently, no
    viable V. parahaemolyticus was seen. It was also observed that there were 3 Log reductions
    of V. parahaemolyticus after 30 s in untreated samples, however the number of colonies
    remained stable until the end of the experiment. Conclusion: This study therefore shows
    that lemon juice has some antimicrobial effect on V. parahaemolyticus in raw oysters.
  11. Nurul Husna Che Hassan, Noor Syuhadah Subki, Ahmad Rasdan Ismail, Noor Adilah Hamzah, Muhammad Azwadi Sulaiman, Nor Kamilah Makhtar, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Recent fire accidents in schools have given rise to the safety
    issues. Training on fire safety is very important to help improve the safety aspect
    in schools while perceptions of fire safety training among school teachers are
    crucial in order to identify methods to prevent accidents from recurring. This
    study was conducted in order to analyze the perceptions of school teachers
    towards fire safety training in schools. Survey questionnaires were distributed
    among 400 school teachers from 111 schools randomly selected from ten District
    Education Offices (DEO) in Kelantan. The results were analyzed using
    Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). They were based on 32% and
    68% male and female respondents respectively. Descriptive analysis shows that
    most of the school teachers agreed with the need for fire safety training to be
    conducted in schools. This study suggests that school teachers require fire safety
    training in order for them to help improve fire safety in schools. Thus, teachers
    will be able to teach their students on the importance of fire safety, how to
    prevent fire and actions to be taken if an emergency happens in schools. It is
    hoped that the number of fire accidents in schools can be reduced with the school
    communities’ commitment towards safety.
  12. Mohd Rafi Mohd Solleh, Abdul Aziz Mohamed, Abd. Aziz Tajuddin, Faridah Idris, Mohamad Hairie Rabir, Muhammad Rawi Md Zin, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Thermal neutron beam from thermal column was selected for a Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
    (BNCT) system utilizing the Malaysian TRIGA MARK II reactor. Determination of shielding
    materials for fast and epithermal neutron was conducted. The materials selected were polyethylene,
    paraffin and water. For gamma-ray shielding, lead was used. The objective of this paper is to present
    the simulation and verification of an optimal design of BNCT collimation at a beam. line viewing the
    thermal column. A collimator was made from polyethylene pipe with 8 cm of diameter filled with
    paraffin.
  13. Razali RA, Nik Ahmad Eid NAH, Jayaraman T, Amir Hassan MA, Azlan NQ, Ismail NF, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2018 Jun 26;18(1):197.
    PMID: 29940929 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2250-5
    BACKGROUND: One of the molecular mechanisms involved in upper airway-related diseases is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Olea europaea (OE) has anti-inflammatory properties and thus, great potential to prevent EMT. This study aimed to investigate the effect of OE on EMT in primary nasal human respiratory epithelial cells (RECs).

    METHODS: Respiratory epithelial cells were isolated and divided into four groups: control (untreated), treated with 0.05% OE (OE group), EMT induced with 5 ng/ml of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1 group) and treated with 5 ng/ml TGFβ1 + 0.05% OE (TGFβ1 + OE group). The effects of OE treatment on growth kinetics, morphology and protein expression in RECs were evaluated. Immunocytochemistry analysis was performed to quantitate the total percentage of E-cadherin and vimentin expression from day 1 to day 3.

    RESULTS: There were no significant differences between untreated RECs and OE-treated RECs in terms of their morphology, growth kinetics and protein expression. Induction with TGFβ1 caused RECs to have an elongated spindle shape, a slower proliferation rate, a higher expression of vimentin and a lower expression of E-cadherin compared with the control. Cells in the TGFβ1 + OE group had similar epithelial shape to untreated group however it had no significant differences in their proliferation rate when compared to TGFβ1-induced RECs. Cells treated with TGFβ1 + OE showed significantly reduced expression of vimentin and increased expression of E-cadherin compared with the TGFβ1 group (P 

  14. Ahmad G, Rasool N, Ikram HM, Gul Khan S, Mahmood T, Ayub K, et al.
    Molecules, 2017 Jan 27;22(2).
    PMID: 28134790 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22020190
    The present study describes palladium-catalyzed one pot Suzuki cross-coupling reaction to synthesize a series of novel pyridine derivatives 2a-2i, 4a-4i. In brief, Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of 5-bromo-2-methylpyridin-3-amine (1) directly or via N-[5-bromo-2-methylpyridine-3-yl]acetamide (3) with several arylboronic acids produced these novel pyridine derivatives in moderate to good yield. Density functional theory (DFT) studies were carried out for the pyridine derivatives 2a-2i and 4a-4i by using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) basis with the help of GAUSSIAN 09 suite programme. The frontier molecular orbitals analysis, reactivity indices, molecular electrostatic potential and dipole measurements with the help of DFT methods, described the possible reaction pathways and potential candidates as chiral dopants for liquid crystals. The anti-thrombolytic, biofilm inhibition and haemolytic activities of pyridine derivatives were also investigated. In particular, the compound 4b exhibited the highest percentage lysis value (41.32%) against clot formation in human blood among all newly synthesized compounds. In addition, the compound 4f was found to be the most potent against Escherichia coli with an inhibition value of 91.95%. The rest of the pyridine derivatives displayed moderate biological activities.
  15. Shamsiah Abdul Rahman, Md Suhaimi Elias, Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim, Zalina Laili, Azian Hashim, Shakirah Abd Shukor, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Samples of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10-2.5) fraction of airborne particulate were collected on weekly basis during the period from May 2012 to July 2014 at Bangi, Selangor. The samples were collected using a Gent Stacked Filter Sampler in two fractions of < 2.5 µm and 2.5 - 10 µm sizes. This research paper aims at establishing the concentration level of PM2.5, PM10-2.5 and PM10 at Bangi area and investigates their possible sources and contribution to the ambient aerosol of the area. The samples were analyzed for their elemental composition and black carbon content by Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Smoke Stain Reflectometer, respectively. The average for PM2.5, PM10-2.5 and PM10 ranged from1.8 µg/m3 to 78.0 µg/m3, 9.6 µg/m3 to 76.8 µg/m3 and 12 µg/m3 to 134 µg/m3, respectively. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) technique was also applied to fine and coarse data set in order to identify the possible sources of particulate matter (PM) and their contribution to the ambient particulate matter concentrations in the area. The best solution was found to be five factors for both elemental compositions of fine and coarse PM, respectively. The PMF results show that motor vehicles and secondary sulphate contribute about 40.3% and 33.0% of the fine mass respectively followed by soil, sea salt and smoke/biomass burning with the average contribution of 10.5%, 10.3% and 6.4%, respectively. In case of coarse particles the PMF results show that a large fraction of about more than 50% of the coarse mass comes from motor vehicle. Soil dust including road dust and soil construction contribute about 32.5% of the coarse mass whilst the smoke/biomass burning factor contributes about 6.7% of the coarse mass.
  16. Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim, Nur AfiqahHarun, Zainon Othman, Salmah Moosa, Siti Aminah Omar, Muhammad Azfar Azman, et al.
    MyJurnal
    For addressing the issue of adulteration and counterfeiting of the sources of origin for the edible bird’s nests (EBNs), a preliminary study of elemental characterization for their geochemical markers was performed. This study aims to characterize the elemental profiles as geochemical markers and evaluate the relationships between these markers which could be used for the verification of the geographical origin of EBN in Malaysia. EBN samples from house and cave nests that represent a range of geographical and environmental characteristics were analysed using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) technique. The method was validated by analysing the Standard Reference Material SRM-1515 (Apple Leaves) and SRM-1573a (Tomato Leaves) of NIST. A total of 18 elements were determined. The results showed a statistical analysis of one way ANOVA has proven that there have a significant different elemental profiles in both EBN, clearly V, As, Ba, Sc, Sm and Th were not detectable in the house EBNs. Therefore, initial finding could be concluded that those elements can be identified as the key elements for geochemical marker to differentiate the type of EBN. Furthermore the differnces probably due to natural presence of those elements as well as regional or location and seasonal variation factors affecting the dietry habits of the swiftlets.
  17. Nurul Husna Che Hassan, Noor Syuhadah Subki, Ahmad Rasdan Ismail, Noor Adilah Hamzah, Nor Kamilah Makhtar, Muhammad Azwadi Sulaiman, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Road Safety remainsone the most important issuesaffecting educational institutions especiallythe school. The
    prevalence of road accidentsin recent news reportsunderlines the importance of this issue. Such accidents involving
    school pupils have further escalated this concern. As such,safety awareness among school teachersis crucial in order
    for them to identify the suitable methods to prevent more road accidents in future. This study was conducted to
    analyse teachers’ awareness of road safety in school to gauge the training requirementson road safety. Road safety
    education and training in school is just as important as improving safety for road users outside schools. For this
    study, a set of survey questionnaire wasdistributedto 400 school teachers from 111 schools randomly selected from
    the 10 District Education Offices in Kelantan. Results were then analysed using Statistical Package for the Social
    Sciences (SPSS). From the results, 40% of respondentswere male and 60% of them were female. Descriptive analysis
    showed that school teachers understood road safety as 90% of them possessed basic safety knowledge, while 10% of
    them lacked basicknowledge on road safety. However, they did not implement safety practice that may have
    contributed to unfortunate eventshappening outside of school including road accidents as reported in the news. This
    study suggests that school teachers must undergo road safety training to promote and improve road safety in
    school.With higher awareness and more information about the road safety, the teacherscould create a safer
    environment in their school. Undoubtedly, teachers have a vital roleto ensure safety of their pupils and their
    commitment will likely reduce the number of road accidents.
  18. Muhammad Adil Khattak, Nurul Syahrizzat Mohd Yasin, Hannah Natasha Andjani, Puteri Nurailah Husna Mohd Tajuddin, Sakeshraj Narajah, See, Zhi Fei, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Geopolitical risks will less affect the oil supply in the United States due to its stability
    and widespread oil sectors since 1970s. Nevertheless, energy prosperity in the United
    States appears differently in relation to a fuller period for conventional energy export
    states where geopolitical challenges have been intensified by monetary pressure and
    escalating energy demand in residential areas. The relationship between the United
    States and other energy export states will continue to change as the United States
    becomes more independent and non-OPEC resources become worthwhile especially
    in Western Hemisphere. With expansion of global economic growth, maintained
    multilateral relationship among countries and technological development are two
    prominent concerns to secure long-term energy supplies and to enable further
    exploration of new energy sources.
  19. Venkatason P, Zubairi YZ, Zaharan NL, Wan Ahmad WA, Hafidz MI, Ismail MD, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2019 11 19;9(11):e030159.
    PMID: 31748289 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030159
    OBJECTIVE: Young women form a minority but an important group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) as it can potentially cause devastating physical and socioeconomic impact. This study was aimed to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of young women with MI in Malaysia.

    DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of women with ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) from 18 hospitals across Malaysia using the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database registry-acute coronary syndrome (NCVD-ACS).

    PARTICIPANTS: Women patients diagnosed with acute MI from year 2006 to 2013 were identified and divided into young (age ≤ 45, n=292) and older women (age >45, n=5580).

    PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Comparison of demographics, clinical characteristics and in-hospital management was performed between young and older women. In-hospital and 30-day all-cause mortality were examined.

    RESULTS: Young women (mean age 39±4.68) made up 5% of women with MI and were predominantly of Malay ethnicities (53.8%). They have a higher tendency to present as STEMI compared with older women. Young women have significantly higher rates of family history of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) (20.5% vs 7.8% p<0.0001). The prevalence of risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia was high in both groups. The primary reperfusion strategy was thrombolysis with no significant differences observed in the choice of intervention for both groups. Other than aspirin, rates of prescriptions for evidence-based medications were similar with >80% prescribed statins and aspirin. The all-cause mortality rates of young women were lower for both in-hospital and 30 days, especially in those with STEMI with adjusted mortality ratio to the older group, was 1:9.84.

    CONCLUSION: Young women with MI were over-represented by Malays and those with a family history of premature CAD. Preventive measures are needed to reduce cardiovascular risks in young women. Although in-hospital management was similar, short-term mortality outcomes favoured young compared with older women.

  20. Rafiq MK, Bai Y, Aziz R, Rafiq MT, Mašek O, Bachmann RT, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2020 May 15;717:135296.
    PMID: 31839318 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135296
    Previous biochar research has primarily focused on agricultural annual cropping systems with very little attention given to highly fragile, complex and diverse natural alpine grassland ecosystems. The present study investigated the effect of biochar on the growth of alpine meadows and soil health. This study was conducted in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau over a three year period to investigate the effect of three rice husk biochar application rates alone and combination with high and low NPK fertilizer dosages on alpine meadow productivity, soil microbial diversity as well as pH, carbon and nitrogen content at 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm depth. At the end of the 3rd year soil samples were analysed and assessed by combined analysis of variance. The results showed that biochar application in combination with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer had a significant increase in fresh and dry biomass during the second and third year of the study as compared to control and alone biochar application (p ≤ 0.05). Biochar alone and in combination with NPK fertilizer resulted in a significant increase in the soil pH and carbon contents of the soil. XPS results, the SEM imaging and EDS analysis of aged biochar demonstrated that the biochar has undergone complex changes over the 3 years as compared to fresh biochar. This research suggests that biochar has positive effect on alpine meadow growth and soil health and may be an effective tool for alpine meadow restoration.
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