Medical therapy is effective in patients with mild to moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Selective alpha-1 blockers (e.g. terazosin) and 5 alpha reductase inhibitors (e.g. finasteride) are the main drugs used. Alpha blockers reduce the dynamic component of obstruction while the later reduces the size of the prostate.
Microperforate hymen is a rare vaginal anomaly that is usually reported in childhood due to recurrent urogenital infections. Unlike imperforate hymen where the presenting complaints are classical due to complete vaginal obstruction, the less profound and varied presentation of microperforate hymen may go unnoticed. We report a case of a 39-year-old, with a background history of amenorrhea, who presented with acute abdomen suggestive of tubo-ovarian abscess, and was finally diagnosed to have microperforate hymen. She underwent hymenectomy to correct the anomaly. To our knowledge, this is the oldest age of presentation of a congenital form of microperforate hymen. A high index of suspicion and early detection of microperforate hymen and properly timed intervention is essential to prevent acute symptoms and long term detrimental sequalae to women’s reproductive and psychosexual health.
Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. is a weed that is currently spreading rapidly to many parts of the world particularly tropical countries. The abundance of P. purpureum in Malaysia is presently a serious problem. A study was conducted to investigate and evaluate the potential allelopathic effects of P. purpureum on Eleusine indica L. Gaertn. using the aqueous leaf extract and plant debris incorporated into the soil. Low concentrations of the P. purpureum aqueous extract (2%) and debris incorporated into the soil (25/500 g) inhibited germination and seedling growth of the bioassay species (E. indica) by >80%. The responses of the bioassay species to the aqueous extract and debris-incorporated soil were concentration dependent. The aqueous extract had higher total phenolic content compared to that from the debris incorporated soil, indicating the presence of certain phytotoxic compounds in the leaf debris and leaf extracts.
Cryptococcal meningitis is a central nervous system infection cause by Cryptococcus neoformans. Although Cryptococcus is found in bird droppings, it has never been reported for those ranchers involved in the niche swiftlet ranching industry despite having close proximity with the bird droppings. We present here a case of a 41-year-old healthy swiftlet rancher who presents with a history of prolonged fever, headache and altered behaviour of a month duration. Cerebral spinal fluid analysis revealed the presence of Cryptococcus. He was treated with intravenous amphotericin B and flucytosine and discharged well with fluconazole consolidation therapy for 8 weeks, followed by maintenance therapy for 1 year. We believe this is the first reported case of Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) occurring in an immunocompetent swiftlet rancher. This case should highlight the needs to wear a proper personal protective equipment inside a swiftlet ranch due to the constant exposure to the potential cryptococcal-rich environment. A high index of suspicion, careful history taking and physical examination focusing on neurologic assessment is key to early diagnosis and timely management of CM.
Caring behaviours presented by the nurses while providing care is the essence of nursing. However, operation theatre nurses must also adhere to the nursing value in social sciences and humanities to address the patient's needs. The concern of the nurses should not only be for the basic life sustaining needs but also for physiological, psychological, socio cultural and spiritual dimension ofpatient's human responses. The purposes of this study were to determine the perception regarding caring behaviours and the level of caring among the Operation theatre nurses in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. In addition, there were associations when the determination between demographic variables like genders and years of experience of the nurses in relation to their caring behaviours is necessary. It isa quantitative, descriptive survey design and 95 nurses participated in the study. The revised Wolfs Caring Behaviours Inventory was used to measure the dimensions of caring. "Professional knowledge and skill" was identified to be the highest among the five dimensions of caring that was being measured. Findings show that the nurses demonstrated a high level of caring behaviours during their course of work. However, none of the demographic factors studied were significantly associated to their caring behaviours.
Keywords: Caring attitudes, Caring behaviours, Dimensions of caring
Academic self-efficacy is important for students which will help them to perform better in studies. This study aims to explore the level of academic self-efficacy among UNIMAS undergraduates based on gender, CGPA and trait emotional intelligence. The samples of study involved are 50 male and 50 female participants which consists of final year students from Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development. The academic self-efficacy of the students is measured using the questionnaire adopted from a study by Sachitra and Bandara (2017) and The Short Form (TEIQue-SF) Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire is used to measure the trait emotional intelligence of the undergraduates. The result was analyzed using descriptive analysis and inferential analysis; independent samples t-test, One-Way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation. The results of the study have shown that female students have higher academic self-efficacy compared to male students. In addition, students who obtain a higher CGPA also have higher self-efficacy. There was also a small positive correlation between trait emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy.
Introduction: Adenoviruses are important in public health. They are used as indicators for microbial pollution source tracking (MST), and as vaccine vectors. Knowledge of host specificity and pre-existing immunity are critical for the two applications. Bovine and porcine adenoviruses are expected to be widespread in the environment through agriculture. Here we examined if bovine and porcine adenovirus strains are truly distinctive from other adenovirus strains. Methods: 46 adenovirus strains with complete genome were downloaded from the RefSeq database of Gen-Bank. 450 bp of nucleotides each at positions 1- 450, 18001-18450, and 27001 – 27450 of the respective strains were subjected to the Disparity Index Test using Mega 7 software. Analysis focused on four adenovirus strains: Bo-vine B, Bovine D, Porcine C and Porcine 3. The total number of strains that were significantly different (P
A 27-year old male sustained a 60 per cent TBSA burn with inhalation injury following a road traffic accident. He developed respiratory distress on day 3 postburn, and was intubated and ventilated. He was noted to have greenish aspirate from his trachea on day 17 of ventilation. He succumbed from sepsis and died on day 21 post injury. At post-mortem, a large tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) was found at the level of the cuff of the nasotracheal tube.
The own price, income and price of a substitute are the determinants of demand in the classical theory of consumer behavior. We used the theory to analyze the demand for local rice in Malaysia by using time series variables. We examined whether there is a long run relationship among the variables by using the unit root and cointegration tests. We then conducted the Granger causality, variance decomposition and impulse response function tests to examine their directions of causality as well as short term dynamics. The results show that there is a long run relationship among the variables and a unidirectional causality from price and income to demand. There are also lagged and short term dynamics among the variables.
The aim of this study was to investigate the oxidative stability, antioxidant activity and fatty acid composition of 2 minutes microwave pre-treated kenaf seed oil (MKSO) in comparison with the untreated kenaf seed oil (KSO) under accelerated storage for 24 days. Results obtained on oxidative stability for both KSO and MKSO by the end of storage with PV were 9.83 meq O2 /kg and 8.97 meq O2 /kg, respectively; p-Anv were 17.28 and 13.48, respectively; TOTOX value of 36.94 and 31.42, respectively; IV value were measured 84.50 g of I2 / 100 g and 84.34 g of I2 / 100 g oil, respectively; FFA value of 5.67 mg KOH/100g oil and 5.14 mg KOH/100g oil, respectively. Aside from that, the antioxidant activity in MKSO was better than KSO. For the fatty acid composition, the oleic and linoleic acids were affected significantly throughout storage for both KSO and MKSO. MKSO presented a better overall oxidative stability, antioxidant activity and retained higher content of MUFA and PUFA significantly (p< 0.05) upon accelerated storage.
This study aimed to determine and compare antioxidant components and antioxidant capacity in different parts (skin, pulp, mace and seed) of nutmeg. Freeze dried samples were extracted using 80% methanol, while Folin-Ciocalteu assay was employed to determine total phenolic content, aluminium chloride assay was applied to determine total flavonoid content and ascorbic acid was assessed by titrimetric method. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by ferric reducing antioxidant power and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Results revealed that nutmeg seed contained the highest TPC followed by mace, skin and pulp. Similar observation was also found for TFC. The highest ascorbic acid content was found in nutmeg mace, while the lowest was in its pulp. For antioxidant activity, nutmeg seed possessed the highest FRAP and TEAC values, while nutmeg pulp had the lowest as compared to other parts. Phenolic compounds in nutmeg samples have exhibited strong correlation with antioxidant capacity. Therefore, nutmeg is a potential functional food with high antioxidants, especially nutmeg seed. Phenolic compounds in nutmeg samples have exhibited strong correlation with antioxidant capacity. Therefore, nutmeg is a potential functional food with high antioxidants, especially nutmeg seed.
The study was undertaken to determine and compare the sodium and potassium contents in
selected salts (table salt, coarse salt, French sea salt, Himalayan pink salt and bamboo salt)
and sauces (light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato sauce and mayonnaise).
Findings of the present study showed that the sodium content of salts was highest in table salt
(35870.0 mg/100 g) and lowest in French sea salt (31235.0 mg/100 g), whereas the potassium
content was highest in bamboo salt (399.4 mg/100 g) and lowest in table salt (43.7 mg/100
g). There was no significant difference between sodium amounts of the salts. Bamboo salt
was significantly higher in potassium than other salts. The ranking of sodium and potassium
in sauces was similar, where light soy sauce contained the highest amount (4402.0 and 395.4
mg/100 g) and mayonnaise contained the least (231.3 and 63.6 mg/100 g). Both sodium and
potassium contents of light soy sauce were significantly higher than other sauces. Bamboo salt
is a better choice instead of other salts in terms of the potassium level. Among sauces, although
light soy sauce is high in potassium; however, its high sodium has offset the beneficial effect
of potassium.
Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the nutritional status of primary
school children aged 6 to 11 years in Sepang District and to compare the results with a
similar study carried out in 1999. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in
Sepang District using stratified random cluster sampling technique. A pre-tested, structured
questionnaire was used to collect the data. Weight was recorded using a digital bathroom
scale TANITA model HD-309 and height was measured by using a SECA Body meter
Model 208. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the
square of height in meters. Classifications of the nutritional status of respondents was
based on WHO classification 1983 and 1995. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results:
The overall mean BMI for the 1,910 respondents was 16.8 (95% CI= 16.67 - 16.99;
SE=0.08). The median BMI was 15 .7 ranging from 9.51 to 36.75 kg/m2. The majority
(84.4%) had normal weight-for-age status, 7.6% respondents had weight-for-age status
below -2 SD of the NCHS-WHO median and 8.0% had weight-for-age status above +2 SD
of the NCHS-WHO median. The prevalence of underweight and overweight was significantly
higher in the males compared to the females (p< 0.05). There was a significant association
between underweight and ethnicity (p< 0.05). The majority (90.3%) had normal heightfor-
age status, 8.8% had height-for-age below - 2 SD of the NCHS-WHO standard median
and 0.9% had height-for-age above 2 SD from the NCHS median. The prevalence of
stunting was significantly higher in the male (10.3%) as compared to 7.4% in the females
(X2 = 5.11, P = 0.02). The majority (81.4%) of the respondents were within the normal
weight-for-height, 3.4% were wasted (weight-for-height was below - 2 SD of the NCHSWHO
median) and 15.2% of the respondents were obese (weight-for-height that is more
than +2 SD of the NCHS-WHO median). The prevalence of wasting was higher in the
females (4.1 %) compared to males (2.8%). The prevalence of obesity was slightly higher
in the males (15.4%) compared to females (14.9%). Conclusion: The overall nutritional
status of primary schools children is good. However, there still exists pockets of population
in Sepang where chronic and acute forms of undernutrition persist in these children.
The Nipah virus was first discovered in 1999, following a severe outbreak of viral encephalitis among pig farm workers in Malaysia. The virus was thought to have spread from Pteropus bats to pigs, then from infected pigs to humans by close contact. Mortality of the disease was high at about 40%. The main necropsy finding was disseminated microinfarction associated with vasculitis and direct neuronal involvement. Relapsed encephalitis was seen in approximately 10% of those who survived the initial illness. Since its first recorded emergence in peninsular Malaysia, 10 outbreaks of Nipah virus encephalitis have been reported in Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. The outbreaks occurred from January to May, with Pteropus giganteus as the reservoir of the virus. In Bangladesh, evidence indicated that the virus transmitted directly from bats to human, with human to human transmission as an important mode of spread. The mortality of the illness was higher in Bangladesh which stood at around 70%. This was likely to be due to genetic variation of the virus.
Tendon is a dense connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. Tendon can adapt to mechanical forces passing across it, through a reciprocal relationship between its cellular components (tenocytes and tenoblasts) and the extracellular matrix (ECM). In early development, the formation of scleraxis-expressing tendon progenitor population in the sclerotome is induced by a fibroblast growth factor signal secreted by the myotome. Tendon injury has been defined as a loss of cells or ECM caused by trauma. It represents a failure of cells and matrix adaptation to mechanical loading. Injury initiates attempts of tendon to repair itself, which has been defined as replacement of damaged or lost cells and ECM by new cells or new matrices. Tendon healing generally consists of four different phases: the inflammatory, proliferation, differentiation and remodelling phases. Clinically, tendons are repaired with a variety of surgical techniques, which show various degrees of success. In order to improve the conventional tendon repair methods, current tendon tissue engineering aims to investigate a repair method which can restore tissue defects with living cells, or cell based therapy. Advances in tissue engineering techniques would potentially yield to a cell-based product that could regenerate functional tendon tissue.
The Malaysian fish production is about 1.5 million metric tonnes and 86.9% of this comes from the marine sector and 13.1% from the inland sector. This included fish production by capture and culture. (DOF, 2002). Fisheries genetic resources need to have a value in terms of economic, ecological and social uses and they need to characterized. This is the mandate to FAO and it is also necessary for fisheries management and aquaculture development. The vast aquatic diversity that exists in Malaysia consist of numerous taxa of marine and freshwater fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, plants and animals. These figures could be an underestimate to the actual figure. The levels of genetic diversity includes ecosystems, communities, population, genotypes and individual genes. A knowledge of the genetic background of a species and its population structure is essential for its management, breeding and conservation programmes in fisheries. Problems like how to choose the right candidates for breeding, identifiying and monitoring lines, families and individuals, monitoring and control of inbreeding, inheritance of simple traits and genetic improvement through selection for favourable gene and gene combinations can potentially be answered through the use of molecular markers in the management of fisheries genetic resources.
The concentrations of cadmium, copper, zinc and lead, in the total soft tissues of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis of a wide range of sizes (2-11 cm), were determined from a population at Pasir Panjang. The metal contents (μg per individual) and concentrations (μg per g) of cadmium, lead, copper and zinc were studied in P. viridis to find the relationships with body sizes. Smaller and younger mussels showed higher concentrations (μg per g) of Cd, Pb and Zn than the larger and older ones. The results of the present study showed that the plotting of the metal content, against dry body flesh weight on a double logarithmic basis, gave good positive straight lines; this observation is in agreement with Boyden’s formula (1977). This indicated that P. viridis showed a different physiological strategy for each metal being studied, which is related to age.
Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) analysis introduces an approach to develop a better basis for the control of the environment of lowland greenhouses in Malaysia. The study of vapour pressure deficit (VPD) is to show air moisture conditions for plant production while taking into account different temperature levels. The purpose of this project is to develop a real-time automatic temperature and relative humidity control system in the lowland tropical greenhouse using a PIC16f876A microcontroller. The controller will then be used to monitor the temperature, relative humidity and VPD in the planting of Chili Kulai (Titisan 15). The fertigation system was introduced to the greenhouse to fertilize and irrigate the plant as well as to provide moisture to the environment. A swamp cooler was used to bring down the temperature and increase moisture content in the greenhouse. Ventilators were installed to remove the heat in the greenhouse. The study was carried out in an experimental greenhouse located at the Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).