Doctor shopping increases health economic burden and morbidities. Its prevalence and predisposing factors have to be identified in order to formulate preventive measures. We aimed to determine the prevalence of doctor shopping, its reasons and predisposing factors by conducting a cross sectional study of new patients at the Dermatology Clinic, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). Doctor shopping was defined as having consultation with ≥3 healthcare providers without a referral for the same illness prior to the patients’ visit to UKMMC. Reasons and contributing factors were classified as disease, healthcare provider, logistic and cost related. Data was collected by a face to face interview. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire determined disease impact on the patients. A total of 58 (55.8%) female and 46 (44.2%) male patients participated. Referral was patient-initiated in 51.9% while 40.4% were doctor shopping. Age, gender, ethnicity, income, occupation and type of health finance provider were not associated with this behaviour. About 95% doctor shopped due to disease factors: searching for a cure (95.2%), lack of improvement (88.1%), worsening disease (50.0%), dissatisfaction with treatment (31.0%), seeking other opinions (26.2%) and exploring treatment options (26.2%). Impaired DLQI (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08,1.38), p 0.04, and disease related factors (OR 6.57; 95% CI 1.52, 7.72), p 0.041 were significant independent risk factors. Doctor shopping is very common among our patients. Reasons and predisposing factors are predominantly disease related. Patient education and counselling is important in management of dermatological diseases to prevent doctor shopping.
This study examined the moderating effect of local and foreign coaches in the relationship between coaches leadership styles and athletes satisfaction in a case of high performance athletes in Malaysia (N = 350) under the organization of Majlis Sukan Negara. Five domains of leadership style showed positive correlation with athletes’ satisfaction (p < .05); Training and instruction, r = 0.623, Democratic, r = 0.500, Autocratic, r = 0.126, Social support, r = 0.540 and Positive feedback, r = 0.490.There is a significant different of autocratic leadership style and gender (p < .05) Female perceived coaches’ autocratic leadership style greater than male. However, in athletes satisfaction, there is no significant different between gender (p > .05). In comparing age groups, there is a significant different in training and instruction leadership style and athletes; satisfaction (p < .05). Age group of 24 – 26 years old perceived training and instruction and athletes’ satisfaction greater among all age groups. The lowest athletes’ satisfaction was group 18-20 years old. On coaches’ nationality, training and instruction and athletes’ satisfaction also show significant different (p < .05).Foreign coaches exhibit greater training and instruction style than the locals. On the other hand, the athletes satisfied greater to the local coaches’ compare to the foreign coaches. Significant correlations were observed between all leadership styles domains and athletes’ satisfaction (p < .05) except for autocratic in both local and foreign coaches. This study is expected to extend the body of knowledge of leadership in sport where the cultural differences has never been investigated as the moderating effect in the relationship between coaches’ leadership styles and athletes’ satisfaction and to improve the quality of coaching by suggesting appropriate strategies to be designed in order to control the effects of cultural differences.
Doppler ultrasound is used in obstetrics and gynecology fields to serve as the complement
mode in the standard prenatal scan. It aids in investigating fetus blood flow in expectant
mothers’ wombs, usually those who come with pregnancy complications. In the conventional
ultrasound beam, the heat produced by attenuation is distributed over the area. However, the
Doppler ultrasound beam is focused at only one point. This leads the heat to accumulate at
that particular area and hence there is an increase in the temperature. Heat is considered as
a teratogen in pregnancy, whereby an increase in the fetal temperature can be fatal to the
fetus. Studies have found that Doppler mode is associated with higher acoustic output as
compared to the conventional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound mode. Several studies done
on animals have ruled out the evidence of Doppler ultrasound bioeffects. This narrative
review only discusses the thermally induced effect of ultrasound by using Doppler mode.
This study reviews prior studies with keywords such as Doppler ultrasound, bioeffects,
heating effects, rabbit, and pregnancy. Earlier studies noted that the risk of thermal effects
increased with the increase of exposure time. However, Doppler ultrasound wave inducing
fetal hyperthermia is not the main reason for
causing adverse neonatal outcomes without
taking into account other external factors.
Therefore, it is essential for the practitioners
to adopt and adapt the concept of ‘as low as
reasonably achievable’ (ALARA) to avoid
any subtle adverse effects.
The aim of this study was to determine the relationship among obesity, physical activity level, physical fitness and academic performance among female secondary school students in Shah Alam. Two hundred and fourteen participants (age: 16 years, body height: 156.76 ± 5.65 cm, body mass 59.92 ± 13.35 kg, BMI: 24.41 ± 5.00 kg/m2) participated in this study. Students with a body mass index above 25 kg/m2 were classified as obese. Physical activity level was evaluated by using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), while physical fitness was evaluated by the total score of four fitness components (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility) measured by SEGAK used in Malaysia secondary schools. Academic performance was assessed by the Average School Grade (ASG) from the Form Three Assessment (PT3) results of the previous year. There was a negative significant relationship between obesity and physical activity level (r = -0.20, p < 0.05), obesity and physical fitness (r = -0.42, p < 0.05), obesity and academic performance (r = 0.49, p < 0.05), physical activity level and physical fitness (r = 0.54, p < 0.05), physical activity level and academic performance (r = -0.14, p < 0.05). and physical fitness and academic performance (r = -0.26, p < 0.05). These results suggested that obesity status, physical activity level and physical fitness could not only affect health status but also academic performance in secondary school students.
The global Tuberculosis epidemic (TB) poses a significant public health threat. While the consequences of TB treatment interruption are indisputable, the knowledge about the timing and prognostic factors of TB treatment interruption is fundamental. Despite a considerable amount of evaluation, the timing and prognostic factors of TB treatment interruption have been inconsistently identified from one study to another. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the evidence obtained from published literature on the timing and prognostic factors of TB treatment interruption at different points of the treatment course. In this review, three databases namely Pubmed, Scopus, and Science Direct were used to identify articles published from January 2003 to February 2018. This was based on the inclusion criteria and keywords including ‘default’, ‘survival time’, ‘tuberculosis’, and ‘treatment interruption’. The nine selected studies were prospective and retrospective cohort studies conducted in developing countries. The diversity of the study’s participants and TB treatment interruption definition were allowed, thus delineating a heterogeneous finding. This review suggests that the interruption predominantly occurred during the maintenance phase of treatment course. Despite the finding, a considerable gap in understanding the prognostic factors at different time points of TB treatment interruption was elicited. The heterogeneity across the studies may limit the inferences and warrant further evaluation. In essence, the time-related information should be integrated into framing impactful public health strategy, while a vigorous attempt on the evaluation of the cognitive, behavioural and psychosocial aspects may be beneficial.
Kesan suhu pensinteran terhadap sifat mekanik dan mikrostruktur bahan komposit alumina-zirkonia telah dikaji. Jasad
hijau alumina-zirkonia difabrikasi dengan menggunakan kaedah pengacuan suntikan seramik menggunakan sistem
bahan pengikat pelbagai komponen. Jasad perang yang terhasil selepas proses penyahikatan disinter pada suhu 1400,
1450, 1500, 1550, 1600 dan 1650°C selama 2 jam. Selanjutnya nilai ketumpatan, kekerasan dan keliatan patah bagi
jasad tersinter diukur. Mikrostruktur jasad tersinter ditentukan dengan menggunakan mikroskop imbasan elektron
(SEM). Kajian menunjukkan nilai ketumpatan, kekerasan dan keliatan patah bagi jasad tersinter meningkat sejajar
dengan peningkatan suhu pensinteran. Hasil uji kaji juga mendapati pada suhu pensinteran 1650°C sifat mekanik bahan
mencapai keadaan maksimum. Penumpatan jasad tersinter 98% menghampiri ketumpatan teori dengan nilai kekerasan
16.9 GPa dan keliatan patah mencecah 3.95 MPa.m1/2. Keputusan tersebut dapat dikaitkan dengan mikrostruktur bahan
yang padat didorong oleh tumbesaran ira yang lengkap.
Kajian ini merupakan aplikasi pendekatan kalut ke atas peramalan siri masa bahan pencemar udara ozon di stesen asas Malaysia yang terletak di Jerantut, Pahang. Sebelum model peramalan dibina, siri masa diuji terlebih dahulu sama ada bersifat kalut atau tidak. Melalui plot ruang fasa dan kaedah Cao, siri masa bahan pencemar ozon didapati bersifat kalut bermatra rendah. Oleh itu, model peramalan melalui kaedah penghampiran linear setempat dibina. Sebagai inovasi, model ini ditambah baik. Sebagai perbandingan, model peramalan regresi linear turut dibina. Melalui pengiraan purata ralat mutlak, ralat punca purata kuasa dua dan pekali korelasi, keputusan menunjukkan bahawa model baharu penambahbaikan penghampiran linear setempat adalah lebih baik berbanding model-model yang lain. Maka, penambahbaikan yang dilakukan adalah berbaloi. Dengan itu, pendekatan kalut adalah pendekatan alternatif yang sesuai digunakan bagi membangunkan model peramalan siri masa bahan pencemar ozon. Penemuan model baharu dalam kajian ini diharap dapat membantu memudahkan usaha pihak-pihak berkepentingan dalam menguruskan isu pencemaran udara, khususnya ozon.
Tilapia is a popular freshwater fish and among the important cultured fish grown worldwide. In this study, fish protein
hydrolysate was produced from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by-product (TB) and tilapia muscle (TM) through enzymatic
hydrolysis using alcalase. The TB and TM protein hydrolysates were evaluated for its characteristics in terms of angiotensin
I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition activity, peptide size distribution, and functional properties. Hydrolysis for 1 h for
TB and TM successfully produced low molecular weight peptides (<14.2kDa) with the highest ACE inhibitory activities.
The findings also demonstrated that both samples have high nitrogen solubility (>80% at pH2-9) and good emulsifying,
water and oil holding capacities. The study indicated that tilapia protein hydrolysates have the potential to be used as
functional food products.
A pilot study on 250 foreign workers was undertaken during a 7 month period beginning December 1996. The study subjects were mainly males (88.8%). They were selected using non-probability sampling from two sources, that is, from University of Malaya Medical Centre (72.8%) and the PEREMBA group (27.2%). The study was clinic-based. Face-to-face interviews (using a structured questionnaires) were carried out to obtain socio-demographic, environmental, health and morbidity data. Physical examinations were also performed on the same day of the interview. Subjects were also required to give their stools, venous blood and urine specimens for microbiological, parasitological and clinical laboratory investigations. Chest X-Ray was done on all subjects. The other investigators had already reported findings on the various specific areas of their study. In this part of the report attempt was made to relate the infectious diseases to some of the socio-demographic and environmental variables on the 112 Indonesians and 133 Bangladeshi workers. Some aspects of health seeking behaviour of these foreign workers were also presented. Most of the Indonesian workers (84%) were from East Java, Jambi in the Sumatra, while majority of the Bangladeshis were from two neighboring administrative districts of Dhaka and Chittagong. The majority of the Indonesians (50.0%) were working in the service industry, while 53.5% Bangladeshis were in the manufacturing. One-fifth of the workers lived in squatter areas and nearly half of them were working in the service industry. About 70% of the workers had at least one infection. The proportion was slightly higher among the Indonesians (72.3%) compared to the Bangladeshis (67.7%). It is of interest to point out that 40% had multiple infections. Thirteen had five or more infections (details for the two of the thirteen cases are presented as case studies). However, the findings did not indicate any association between sanitation and infections. The Indonesian workers carried a higher risk of transmitting the diseases (33.9%) compared to 19.5% among the Bangladeshi workers. Those working in the construction industry were at a higher risk of transmitting the diseases compared to other industries. Slightly more than half of the workers experienced some form of minor illness or injury during the two week period preceding the interview. Majority sought private care (43.1%), while 42.3% either self-medicate or doing nothing at all. Nearly two-thirds paid out of their own pocket. Among the employers, those in the construction sector made negligible contribution (2.9%) to the payment. It is interesting to find that 41.0% of the workers took some form of health supplements, and the majority (48.4%) got it from the pharmacy or traditional sources. Nearly all (88.5%) paid on their own for their health supplements. The findings from this pilot project need to be interpreted with some caution. However, it appears that the foreign workers do have a considerable amount of health problems. If these are not addressed quickly it may endanger the health of the nation, while we readily acknowledge their contribution towards our national development.
This study was designed to determine the physicochemical, antioxidant and microbial properties of fresh sugarcane juice
with calamansi juice addition. The sugarcane that was used in the experiments was the black cane variety (Saccharum
officinarum). Sugarcane pressed with and without their peel was juiced and added with calamansi juice before analysis
was carried out. Standard method was used to analyse physicochemical properties such as pH, total soluble solids,
acidity and colour of sugarcane juice. Total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH and FRAP assay were conducted for antioxidant
properties. Total plate count and yeast and mould count were carried out for the microbiological analyses. Two way
analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows significant (p<0.05) difference on colour of sugarcane juiced after extraction with and
without peel. There were no significant (p>0.05) difference shown for pH, acidity and total soluble solids of sugarcane
juice pressed with and without peel. Sugarcane juice pressed with peel produced higher antioxidant value compared
to sugarcane pressed without peel. However, sugarcane juice pressed without peeled showed a lower microbial count
compared to sugarcane juice pressed with peel. The addition of calamansi juice proved to have significant (p<0.05)
effect on colour, antioxidant and microbial count of the sugarcane juices.
Introduction: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in Malaysia. This study aims to explore the treatment experiences of patients with recurrent coronary heart disease during hospital admission and after discharge. This research also attempts to understand patients’ adherence to the prescribed treatment. Method: The main sample for this study includes inpatients and outpatients with recurrent CHD who have undergone second- ary prevention treatment at certain tertiary hospitals which were purposively sampled. The transcripts of one-to-one semi-structured interviews (N=22) were analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three themes emerged in the analysis of treatment adherence among multi-ethnic patients with CHD: (i) doctor-pa- tient relationships; (ii) information-seeking behaviour; and (iii) psychosocial beliefs. Other factors that influence treat- ment adherence include patients’ cultural, religious, or spiritual beliefs-based complementary alternative medicines (CAM), if these factors were inadequately addressed by their respective heath professional. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that for future cardiac rehabilitation program development, health professionals must not only focus on the patient’s care improvement but must also be knowledgeable on the patient’s preferred alternative treatment.
Oral delivery of the sparingly soluble drug methotrexate (MTX) is challenging owing to its poor bioavailability and low solubility. To address this challenge, the present study reports the conversion of MTX into a series of five ionic liquids (ILs) comprising a cationic component-i.e., cholinium (Cho), tetramethylammonium (TMA), tetrabutylphosphonium (TBP), or an amino acid ester-and an anionic component-i.e., MTX. The biocompatibility, pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and antitumor efficacy of each MTX-based IL were investigated to determine its usefulness as a pharmaceutical. Oral administration to mice revealed that proline ethyl ester MTX (IL[ProEt][MTX]) had 4.6-fold higher oral bioavailability than MTX sodium, followed by aspartic diethyl ester MTX, IL[TBP][MTX], IL[Cho][MTX], and IL[TMA][MTX]. The peak plasma concentration, elimination half-life, area under the plasma concentration, mean absorption time, and body clearance of IL[ProEt][MTX] were significantly (p
FascicularVentricular Tachycardia (VT) is a uniqueclinical syndrome, rarelyencountered by physicians.It isalso known as BelhassenSyndrome, named after a physician who reported the case in 1981. The condition,accounts for 10-15% of total idiopathic VTand the rhythm is sensitive tocalcium channel blocker. First described in 1979, the diagnosis of thissyndromeremains challenging,as the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes may be incorrectly diagnosed as Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) with aberrant conductions. We describeda patient whopresented to Emergency Department with palpitation. The difficulty in diagnosis and management is illustrated in the reportas he was initially misdiagnosed as SVT with resistance to initial standard treatment.This case report alsodescribedwide complex tachycardia algorithms to assist physician in daily clinicalpractice. Therapeutic options inmanaging this rare syndrome werealso discussed.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most common form of diabetes, is characterized by insulin resistance in the hepatic and peripheral tissues. Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays a major role in the pathophysiology of T2DM. Its defective expression or translocation to the peripheral cell plasma membrane in T2DM patients hinders the entrance of glucose into the cell for energy production. In addition to suitable drugs, an appropriate diet and/or exercise can be implemented to target the increase in GLUT4 expression, GLUT4 concentrations and GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface when managing the glucose metabolism of T2DM patients. In this review, we discussed successful intervention strategies that were individually administered or coupled with diet and/or exercise and affected the expression and translocation of GLUT4 in T2DM while reducing the excess glucose load from the blood. Additionally, some potentially good synthetic and natural compounds, which can activate the insulin-independent GLUT4 signaling pathways for the efficient management of T2DM, are highlighted as possible targets or emerging alternative sources for future anti-diabetic drug development.
COVID-19 has become the focal point since 2019 after the outbreak of coronavirus disease. Many drugs are being tested and used to treat coronavirus infections; different kinds of vaccines are also introduced as preventive measure. Alternative therapeutics are as well incorporated into the health guidelines of some countries. This research aimed to look into the underlying mechanisms of functional foods and how they may improve the long-term post COVID-19 cardiovascular, diabetic, and respiratory complications through their bioactive compounds. The potentiality of nine functional foods for post COVID-19 complications was investigated through computational approaches. A total of 266 bioactive compounds of these foods were searched via extensive literature reviewing. Three highly associated targets namely troponin I interacting kinase (TNNI3K), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) were selected for cardiovascular, diabetes, and respiratory disorders, respectively, after COVID-19 infections. Best docked compounds were further analyzed by network pharmacological tools to explore their interactions with complication-related genes (MAPK1 and HSP90AA1 for cardiovascular, PPARG and TNF-alpha for diabetes, and AKT-1 for respiratory disorders). Seventy-one suggested compounds out of one-hundred and thirty-nine (139) docked compounds in network pharmacology recommended 169 Gene Ontology (GO) items and 99 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathways preferably AKT signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, ACE2 receptor signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, and PPAR signaling pathway. Among the chosen functional foods, black cumin, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, turmeric, bitter melon, and Indian pennywort were found to modulate the actions. Results demonstrate that aforesaid functional foods have attenuating roles to manage post COVID-19 complications. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Functional foods have been approaching a greater interest due to their medicinal uses other than gastronomic pleasure. Nine functional food resources have been used in this research for their traditional and ethnopharmacological uses, but their directive-role in modulating the genes involved in the management of post COVID-19 complications is inadequately studied and reported. Therefore, the foods types used in this research may be prioritized to be used as functional foods for ameliorating the major post COVID-19 complications through appropriate science.
Introduction There is a strong and increased worldwide interest on the aspects of
prevention of oral disease and oral health promotion in dental education.
However, some studies imply that dental students are not knowledgeable
enough in this issue. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of, attitude
towards and practice on preventive dentistry among senior dental students in
Yemen.
Methods Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among senior dental
students in six dental schools in Yemen. The questionnaire obtained personal
information, and questions about knowledge on preventive dental care,
attitudes towards and practice on preventive dentistry.
Results Among 346 students who filled the questionnaire, a total of 91.6% has good
knowledge about fissure sealant effectiveness, only 34.7% knows about the
importance of fluoride toothpaste compared to brushing technique in
preventing caries, with significant gender difference (p=0.005). Odds of good
knowledge among non-Qat chewers was 1.9 (95%CI: 1.26-4.42).
Multivariable regression analysis indicated that female gender was associated
with higher positive attitudes (OR: 2.03, 95%CI:1.21-3.36,p=0.007).
Attitudes were significantly associated with Qat chewing (OR = 1.95,
95%CI: 1.04-3.66, p=0.03), type of university (OR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.36-0.94,
p=0.02), and mothers' level of education (OR = 1.91, 95%CI: 1.05-3.47,
p=0.03). There was a high percentage of competency in practicing preventive
measures among students (80.9%).
Conclusions Dental education should emphasize the overall aspects of preventive dentistry
with early exposure of preventive dental training in order to improve
students' knowledge and attitudes and consequently practice on preventive
care.
Hydrolyzing the amorphous region while keeping the crystalline region unaltered is the key technology for producing nanocellulose. This study investigated if the dissolution properties of the amorphous region of microcrystalline cellulose can be enhanced in the presence of Fe(3+) salt in acidic medium. The process parameters, including temperature, time and the concentration of metal chloride catalyst (FeCl₃), were optimized by using the response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental observation demonstrated that temperature and time play vital roles in hydrolyzing the amorphous sections of cellulose. This would yield hydrocellulose with higher crystallinity. The factors that were varied for the production of hydrocellulose were the temperature (x₁), time (x₂) and FeCl₃ catalyst concentration (x₃). Responses were measured in terms of percentage of crystallinity (y₁) and the yield (y₂) of the prepared hydrocellulose. Relevant mathematical models were developed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out to obtain the most significant factors influencing the responses of the percentage of crystallinity and yield. Under optimum conditions, the percentage of crystallinity and yield were 83.46% and 86.98% respectively, at 90.95 °C, 6 h, with a catalyst concentration of 1 M. The physiochemical characteristics of the prepared hydrocellulose were determined in terms of XRD, SEM, TGA and FTIR analyses. The addition of FeCl₃ salt in acid hydrolyzing medium is a novel technique for substantially increasing crystallinity with a significant morphological change.
This study enhanced the production of thermostable organic solvent-tolerant (TS-OST) lipase by locally isolated thermotolerant Rhizopus sp. strain using solid-state fermentation (SSF) of palm kernel cake (PKC). The optimum conditions were achieved using a series of statistical approaches. The cultivation parameters, which include fermentation time, moisture content, temperature, pH, inoculum size, various carbon and nitrogen sources, as well as other supplements, were initially screened by the definitive screening design, and one-factor-at-a-time using PKC as the basal medium. Three significant factors (olive oil concentration, pH, and inoculum size) were further optimized using face-centred central composite design. The results indicated a successful and significant improvement of lipase activity by almost two-fold compared to the initial screening production. The findings showed that the optimal conditions were 2% (v/w) inoculum size, 2% (v/w) olive oil, 0.6% (w/w) peptone, 2% (v/w) ethanol, 70% moisture content at initial pH 10.0 and 45 °C within 72 h of fermentation. Process optimization resulted in maximum lipase activity of 58.63 U/gram dry solids (gds). The analysis of variance showed that the statistical model was significant (p value <0.0001) and reliable with a high value of R2 (0.98) and adjusted R2 (0.96). This indicates a better correlation between the actual and predicted responses of lipase production. By considering this study, the low-cost PKC through SSF appears to be promising in the utilization of agro-industrial waste for TS-OST lipase production. This is because satisfactory enzyme activity could be attained that promises industrial applications.
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of secondary school students in Sana'a Yemen related to exposure to second-hand smoking.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sana'a city. The total sample size was 336 students in which 63 were males and 273 were females. These students were stratified random sampling . Data were collected by using Questionnaire comprising of 3 parts: Part 1- consists of socio-demographic data. Part 2- consists of the knowledge regarding smoking and second-hand smoking and Part 3-consists of adolescents' attitude in relation to second-hand smoking.
RESULTS: Out of 336 students, majority were between 14-18 years old (75.9%), males (81.2%) , (55.7%)of them was fathers' occupation private employee and low educated mother was (86.3%).The students who do not have smoking habit were (94.3%),and those who do not have friends with the habit of smoking was (57.4%). (57.10) having some one else at home who smokes beside them .The reaction of non printed mass media for SHS warning was (83.3%) . The exposed to smoke out door was (60.1%) . In this study, the majority of students had inadequate knowledge about the second-hand smoke was (52.7%). A higher percentage of students who had unfavorable attitudes toward secondhand smoke was(86.6%).
CONCLUSION: We concluded that The level of knowledge and attitude about the second-hand smoke is relatively low among the secondary school student in Sana'a Yemen .The finding of this study emphasized the need of effective awareness programs to increase level of consciousness and knowledge regarding SHS. Keywords: Second-hand Smoking, Secondary School, Adolescent, Sana'a .
Electroencephalographic signal is a representative signal that contains information about brain activity, which is used for the detection of epilepsy since epileptic seizures are caused by a disturbance in the electrophysiological activity of the brain. The prediction of epileptic seizure usually requires a detailed and experienced analysis of EEG. In this paper, we have introduced a statistical analysis of EEG signal that is capable of recognizing epileptic seizure with a high degree of accuracy and helps to provide automatic detection of epileptic seizure for different ages of epilepsy. To accomplish the target research, we extract various epileptic features namely approximate entropy (ApEn), standard deviation (SD), standard error (SE), modified mean absolute value (MMAV), roll-off (R), and zero crossing (ZC) from the epileptic signal. The k-nearest neighbours (k-NN) algorithm is used for the classification of epilepsy then regression analysis is used for the prediction of the epilepsy level at different ages of the patients. Using the statistical parameters and regression analysis, a prototype mathematical model is proposed which helps to find the epileptic randomness with respect to the age of different subjects. The accuracy of this prototype equation depends on proper analysis of the dynamic information from the epileptic EEG.