MyMedR

Fulltext How Much We Think of Ourselves and How Little We Think of Others: An Investigation of the Neuronal Signature of Self-Consciousness between Different Personality Traits through an Event-Related Potential Study

Hassan AB, Begum T, Reza MF, Yusoff N

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Nov;23(6):70-82.

PMID: 28090181 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.6.8

Previous studies have revealed that self-related tasks (items) receive more attention than non-self-related, and that they elicit event-related potential (ERP) components with larger amplitudes. Since personality has been reported as one of the biological correlates influencing these components, as well as our behavioural differences, it is important to examine how it affects our self-consciousness in relation to tasks of varied relevance and the neurological basis.

Fulltext Recent Updates in Neuroprotective and Neuroregenerative Potential of Centella asiatica

Lokanathan Y, Omar N, Ahmad Puzi NN, Saim A, Hj Idrus R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Jan;23(1):4-14.

PMID: 27540320 MyJurnal

Centella asiatica, locally well known in Malaysia as pegaga, is a traditional herb that has been used widely in Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and in the traditional medicine of other Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia. Although consumption of the plant is indicated for various illnesses, its potential neuroprotective properties have been well studied and documented. In addition to past studies, recent studies also discovered and/or reconfirmed that C. asiatica acts as an antioxidant, reducing the effect of oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. At the in vitro level, C. asiatica promotes dendrite arborisation and elongation, and also protects the neurons from apoptosis. In vivo studies have shown that the whole extract and also individual compounds of C. asiatica have a protective effect against various neurological diseases. Most of the in vivo studies on neuroprotective effects have focused on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, learning and memory enhancement, neurotoxicity and other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and epilepsy. Recent studies have embarked on finding the molecular mechanism of neuroprotection by C. asiatica extract. However, the capability of C. asiatica in enhancing neuroregeneration has not been studied much and is limited to the regeneration of crushed sciatic nerves and protection from neuronal injury in hypoxia conditions. More studies are still needed to identify the compounds and the mechanism of action of C. asiatica that are particularly involved in neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Furthermore, the extraction method, biochemical profile and dosage information of the C. asiatica extract need to be standardised to enhance the economic value of this traditional herb and to accelerate the entry of C. asiatica extracts into modern medicine.

Fulltext A Preliminary Insight into an Islamic Mechanism for Neuroethics

Baharuddin A, Musa MN, Salleh SS

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Jan;23(1):1-3.

PMID: 27540319 MyJurnal

Muslim relies on the structure or guideline of shari'ah or the maqasid al-shariah, which consist of five essential values, namely preservation/protection of faith, life, intellect, property, and dignity/lineage - to guide them in discovering guiding principles for new concerns such as posed by neuroscience. Like in the case of brain imaging technology, there is in need for proper explanation within Islamic and among the Muslim scientists/scholars on how Islamic beliefs, values, and practices might cumulatively provide 'different' meanings to the practice and application of this technology, or whether it is in line with the shari'ah - in the context of preservation of health and protection of disease. This paper highlights the Islamic mechanism for neuroethics as basis for a holistic ethical framework of neuroscience to cope with its new, modern, and emerging technologies in the globalised world, and how Muslim should response to such changes.

Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of Right Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery: A Rare Entity and Recent Advancement of Treatment with Minimally Invasive Technique

Ong JL, Jalaludin S

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):78-81.

PMID: 27547119 MyJurnal

The purpose is to describe a case of traumatic right extracranial internal carotid artery (EICA) pseudoaneurysm, which is a rare entity and the evolution of treatment from surgery to minimally invasive intervention by endovascular stenting and coiling. We reported a case of traumatic right EICA pseudoaneurysm who presented with multiple cranial nerve palsies. Multiple radiological examinations [including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with angiogram, computed tomography angiogram (CTA), and digital subtraction angiogram (DSA)] demonstrated right EICA pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated with endovascular stenting and coiling. EICA pseudoaneurysm is a rare entity, and open surgery was the gold standard of treatment. Current technology allows endovascular stenting and coiling of pseudoaneurysm as an alternative treatment. It is minimally invasive, associated with lesser complications, better recovery and a shorter hospital stay.

Fulltext Effectiveness of Team-Based Learning in teaching Medical Genetics to Medical Undergraduates

Ismail NA

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):73-7.

PMID: 27547118 MyJurnal

This study explores the experience of both learners and a teacher during a team-based learning (TBL) session. TBL involves active learning that allows medical students to utilise their visual, auditory, writing and kinetic learning styles in order to strengthen their knowledge and retain it for longer, which is important with regard to applying basic sciences in clinical settings. This pilot study explored the effectiveness of TBL in learning medical genetics, and its potential to replace conventional lectures. First-year medical students (n = 194) studying at Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia, during 2014/2015 were selected to participate in this study. The topic of 'Mutation and Mutation Analysis' was selected, and the principles of TBL were adhered to during the study. It was found that the students' performance in a group readiness test was better than in individual readiness tests. The effectiveness of TBL was further shown in the examination, during which the marks obtained were tremendously improved. Collective commentaries from both the learners and the teacher recommended TBL as another useful tool in learning medical genetics. Implementation strategies should be advanced for the benefit of future learners and teachers.

Fulltext Zika - A Pandemic in Progress?

Mohamad Idris F

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):70-2.

PMID: 27547117

The emerging threat of Zika virus outbreak with associated neurological abnormalities needs to be assessed in perspective in terms of its ability to cause a pandemic. This article attempts to throw some light on the issue.

Fulltext Passive Warming using a Heat-Band versus a Resistive Heating Blanket for the Prevention of Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia during Laparotomy for Gynaecological Surgery

Wan Fadzlina WM, Wan Mohd Nazaruddin WH, Rhendra Hardy MZ

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):28-37.

PMID: 27547112 MyJurnal

Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) is a common problem, despite advancements in a variety of warming systems. The use of a resistive heating blanket (RHB) is a common but costly approach to patient warming. We have introduced the use of a heat-band in our centre as a cost-effective alternative to the RHB for patient warming. The efficacy of the heat-band in preventing IPH during laparotomy for gynaecological surgeries was compared with that of the RHB.

Fulltext Intra-Rater Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of Vertical Ground Reaction Force Measurement during Gait and Half-Squat Tasks on Healthy Male Adults

Fairus FZ, Joseph LH, Omar B, Ahmad J, Sulaiman R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):21-7.

PMID: 27547111 MyJurnal

The understanding of vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) during walking and half-squatting is necessary and commonly utilised during the rehabilitation period. The purpose of this study was to establish measurement reproducibility of VGRF that reports the minimal detectable changes (MDC) during walking and half-squatting activity among healthy male adults.

Fulltext Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli with Extended-Spectrum β-lactamase associated Genes in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Pahang

Mahdi Yahya Mohsen S, Hamzah HA, Muhammad Imad Al-Deen M, Baharudin R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):14-20.

PMID: 27547110 MyJurnal

To assess antimicrobial susceptibility of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL-) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates from Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), as well as to identify ESBL genes.

Fulltext Performance of Malaysian medical journals

Abrizah A

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Mar;23(2):1-5.

PMID: 27547108

Indexation status matters for scholarly journal prestige and trust. The performance of Malaysian medical journals at the international level is gauged through the global citation databases, and at the national level through MyCite, a national citation indexing system. The performance indicators include journals publication productivity, the citations they garner, and their scores on other bibliometric indices such as journal impact factor (IF), and h-index. There is a growing consciousness amongst journal editorials to improve quality and increase chances of getting indexed in MyCite. Although it is now possible to gauge journal performance within Malaysia, through MyCite, the government and public are concerned about journal performance in international databases. Knowing the performance of journals in MyCite will help the editors and publishers to improve the quality and visibility of Malaysian journals and strategise to bring their journal to the international level of indexation.

Fulltext To err is human, but failing to attempt is negligence: The hidden perspectives that limit intravenous antibiotic administration during third molar surgery in general practice

Chidambaram R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Jul;23(4):90-1.

PMID: 27660551 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.4.13

Fulltext Thymectomy for Myasthenia Gravis: A 10-year Review of Cases at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia

Muhammed J, Chen CY, Wan Hitam WH, Ghazali MZ

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Jul;23(4):71-8.

PMID: 27660548 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.4.10

A thymectomy is considered effective for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). Although a few studies have described the role of a thymectomy in the treatment of MG in Asians countries, there are no published data on the application of this surgical approach for MG in Malaysia. We aimed to describe the clinical outcomes of MG patients who underwent a thymectomy and the factors affecting these outcomes.

Fulltext A Ten-Year Kuala Lumpur Review on Laser Posterior Cordectomy for Bilateral Vocal Fold Immobility

Mawaddah A, Marina MB, Halimuddin S, Mohd Razif MY, Abdullah S

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 Jul;23(4):65-70.

PMID: 27660547 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2016.23.4.9

Bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) is commonly caused by injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and leads to stridor and dyspnea of varying onsets. A retrospective study was done at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre on laser microsurgical posterior cordectomy for BVFI. The objectives were to identify the average duration of onset of stridor from the time of insult and to evaluate the outcome of laser posterior cordectomy as a surgical option. From 1997 to 2007, a total of 31 patients with BVFI were referred for surgery. Twelve patients had tracheostomy done prior to the procedure, whereas 19 patients were without tracheostomy. Ten patients were successfully decannulated, and only 4 patients had complications related to the procedure. The minimum onset of stridor was 7 months, maximum onset of stridor was 28 years, and the mean onset of stridor was 8.7 years. The commonest complication observed was posterior glottic adhesion following bilateral posterior cordectomy. Laser endolaryngeal posterior cordectomy is an excellent surgical option as it enables successful decannulation or avoidance of tracheostomy in patients with BVFI. The onset of stridor took years after the insult to the recurrent laryngeal nerves.

Fulltext Identifying the Core Content of a Dermatology Module for Malaysian Medical Undergraduate Curriculum Using a Modified Delphi Method

Jamil A, Muthupalaniappen L, Md Nor N, Siraj HH, Salam A

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):78-85.

PMID: 27418873 MyJurnal

Dermatology is a minor module in internal medicine undergraduate curriculum. Limited time is allocated for its teaching. Most graduates are inadequately prepared to diagnose and manage skin diseases. We aimed to identify the core content of a more effective dermatology module.

Fulltext Comparison of dry eye parameters between diabetics and non-diabetics in district of Kuantan, Pahang

Aljarousha M, Badarudin NE, Che Azemin MZ

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):72-7.

PMID: 27418872 MyJurnal

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes may affect the human body's systems and organs, including the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is the 5th leading cause of blindness globally. Diabetic subjects demonstrated dry eye symptoms that were also supported by the low values of the clinical tests.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the dry eye symptoms and signs between diabetics and non-diabetics and tear functions between diabetic subjects with and without dry eye.
METHODS: This retrospective study was based on the observation of 643 medical files. Using a convenience sampling method, 88 subjects were found to report diabetes mellitus. The information extracted from the files included: date of first examination, age at first visit, gender, past ocular history, systemic disease, symptoms of dry eye disease and details of clinical diagnostic signs. Non-contact lens wearers were excluded. A group of 88, age and gender matched, control subjects were included for this comparison study.
RESULTS: The percentage of dry eye symptoms was higher in diabetic subjects (15.9%) compared with non-diabetic subjects (13.6%; p<0.001). The percentage of dry eye symptoms was also higher in diabetics with dry eye (63%) than in diabetics without dry eye (36.9%; p<0.001). Tear break up time was significantly different between diabetics and non-diabetics (p<0.001) and between diabetics with and without dry eye (p=0.046). The corneal staining was significantly different between diabetic subjects with and without dry eye (p=0.028).
CONCLUSION: Dry eye symptoms were significantly associated with diabetics. Tear break up time was significantly shorter in diabetics with dry eye compared to diabetics without dry eye.
KEYWORDS: Diabetes mellitus; cornea; dry eye syndromes; signs and symptoms; tears
Study site: Klinik Kesihatan Jalan Hospital, Kuantan, Malaysia

Differential Gene Expression of Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) of Candida albicans obtained from Malaysian and Iranian Patients

Khalili V, Shokri H, Md Akim A, Khosravi AR

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):64-71.

PMID: 27418871

Candida albicans (C. albicans) has several virulence factors, in particular heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), which is expressed by Hsp90 gene. The purposes of this study were to assess the expression of Hsp90 gene in clinical and control isolates of C. albicans obtained from different geographical regions (Malaysia and Iran), different temperatures (25°C, 37°C and 42°C) and mice with candidiasis.

Translation and Validation of Bahasa Malaysia Version of Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Quality of Life Questionnaires (IIQ-7), a Cross Sectional Study

Nusee Z, Rusly A, Jamalludin AR, Abdulwahab DF, Ismail R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):57-63.

PMID: 27418870

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) demonstrates major prevalence in women of different population groups. Reduced quality of life (QOL) is observed due to incontinence problems. Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Quality of Life (IIQ-7) are useful disease-specific questionnaires evaluating the impact of urinary incontinence on the QOL of women which is accepted internationally.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to translate and validate UDI-6 and IIQ-7 in Malay language.

METHODS: A cross sectional study, which recruited 100 participants from two urogynecology clinics. Both questionnaires were initially translated from English to Bahasa Malaysia followed by back translation and final correction done by the professional translators. The participants were requested to maintain a urinary record of the upcoming week for three days that assisted in quantifying the severity of symptoms. None of the subjects were assigned any treatment during the study period. Validity and reliability of the translated questionnaires were determined by checking the internal consistency and also by doing test-retest.

RESULTS: The internal consistency levels of the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 Bahasa Malaysia questionnaires were 0.73 and 0.90 respectively with good test-retest (0.86 and 0.95). Incontinence episodes were strongly associated with obstructive, irritative, and stress symptoms. The factor of day time voiding had strong correlation with obstructive and irritative symptoms.

CONCLUSION: UDI-6 and IIQ-7 did not measure similar outcomes; however, both questionnaires have their strengths in clinical settings. Analysis has also revealed that the Malaysian versions of both questionnaires had appropriate test-retest validity and reliability. Thus, it can be said that both of the questionnaires had great importance for screening patients with urinary incontinence in Malaysia.

Dental Students' Educational Environment and Perceived Stress: The University of Malaya Experience

Myint K, See-Ziau H, Husain R, Ismail R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):49-56.

PMID: 27418869

An equitable and positive learning environment fosters deep self-directed learning in students and, consequently, good practice in their profession. Although demotivating weaknesses may lead to repeated day-to-day stress with a cascade of deleterious consequences at both personal and professional levels, a possible relationship between these parameters has not been reported. This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between students' perceptions of their educational environment and their stress levels.

Spermatogonial Stem Cells Protein Identification in In Vitro Culture from Non-Obstructive Azoospermia Patient

Abdul Wahab AY, Md Isa ML, Ramli R

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):40-8.

PMID: 27418868

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are classifiedas a unique adult stem cells that have capability to propagate, differentiate, and transmit genetic information to the next generation. Studies on human SSCs may help resolve male infertility problems, especially in azoospermia patients. Therefore, this study aims to propagate SSCs in-vitro with a presence of growth factor and detect SSC-specific protein cell surface markers.

Fulltext In Vitro Antifungal Activities against Moulds Isolated from Dermatological Specimens

Mohd Nizam T, Binting RA, Mohd Saari S, Kumar TV, Muhammad M, Satim H, et al.

Malays J Med Sci, 2016 May;23(3):32-9.

PMID: 27418867 MyJurnal

This study aimed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of various antifungal agents against moulds isolated from dermatological specimens.

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