Knowledge of normal anatomy and physiology of swallowing is fundamental in the identification of individuals with or
at risk for swallowing disorders. Learning anatomy and physiology however, is not an easy task thus, computer-assisted
learning (CAL) approaches have been incorporated into the learning of the topics to enhance understanding. Although
evidence exists on the benefits of using CAL in education, more studies are necessary in the field of swallowing. While
courseware for the learning of anatomy and physiology of swallowing exist, they are not comprehensive. Therefore, this
study aimed to develop a comprehensive CAL courseware for anatomy and physiology of swallowing. The current study
used a designed-based research following the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation)
model to create a multimedia courseware, incorporating the use of text, still images, animations, audio narrations,
and presented on a simple graphical user interface. The courseware was evaluated by 27 undergraduate students in
terms of its usefulness, ease of use, and users’ satisfaction. Results indicate that the participants were satisfied with the
courseware and that they perceived the courseware as useful, easy to learn and easy to use. The study represents an
initiative to investigate the use of CAL in the subject and to establish the basis for further work which includes assessment
on the learning outcomes from the usage of the CAL courseware. It is hoped that the use of this courseware in teaching
and learning of anatomy and physiology of swallowing can enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of the area
efficiently and effectively.
One hundred seventy-one patients suffering from chronic renal diseases at Kuala Lumpur Hospital participated in a crosssectional study with purposive sampling to ascertain prevalence rates of Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), Giardia
intestinalis (G. intestinalis), Blastocystis hominis (B. hominis) and Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis). The patients
were divided into 2 groups: post-transplant group (138 patients) and pre-transplant group (33 patients). In this study, the
parasite infection is linked to the aspects of race, gender, renal patient’s group and the postrenal transplantation period.
Immunofluorescence staining was performed on fecal slides for the detection of C. parvum oocysts and G. intestinalis cysts.
Sand charcoal culture technique was also used to detect the presence of S. strongyloides in fecal samples. The findings
showed that the prevalence of C. parvum, G. intestinalis dan B. hominis among post-transplant patients was 18.1%,
10.9% and 22.5%, respectively but none of the pretransplant patient was infected. Meanwhile, both patient groups were
free of S. stercoralis infection. Furthermore, there was no significant association between post-transplantation period
and pattern in prevalence of the studied parasites, however, it was noted that the prevalence rates of C. parvum and G.
intestinalis had declined after 6 months post transplantati
Inhibition of xanthine oxidase (XO) activity is an effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of diseases such as gout and hyperuricemia. Additionally, the use of XO inhibitors can further be extended to injury treatments such as ischemic reperfusion in various organs such as heart, liver and kidney. In this study, 7 aurone compounds were synthesized and tested on XO and compared with the positive control allopurinol. Compound 5e was identified as the most potent compound and was able to inhibit half of XO activity at 33.23 μM followed by compounds 5f and 5d at 210.22 μM and 302.0 μM, respectively. Finally, molecular docking
The importance of nontechnical skills among healthcare professionals is gaining widespread recognition as critical
elements complementing technical skills that are used to improve patients’ safety. These skills are typically acquired
through simulation training which has emerged as an effective way to complement clinical training. Effective simulation
requires structure and effective debriefing methods to enhance its learning outcome. In previous literature, evidence of the
effectiveness of healthcare simulation was available but studies evaluating debriefing method(s) remain sparse. In this
paper, the effectiveness of debriefing methods in eight studies on the acquisition of nontechnical skills among healthcare
professionals is reviewed. Articles published from 1st January 2016 across three different databases were referred to. The
results of the review show a statistically significant improvement in the performance of nontechnical and technical skills
across different professionals through various methods of debriefing. Nontechnical skills such as teamwork, effective
communication, decision-making, and situational awareness have improved significantly. In addition, integration of
realism in simulation learning has begun to emerge as an effective technique of providing a real world experience.
However, there was lack of detailed information on the length and type of debriefing conducted in the studies. These
methods clearly require further research since the key to successful simulation learning is through debriefing which is
the heart of simulation.
Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are widely used in agriculture to increase crop productivity among farmers. However, exposure to pesticides will give potential risk to human health. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of micronucleus (MN) and binucleus (BNu) formation in buccal cells from farmers who were exposed to pesticides using the MN assay. Buccal swabs were collected from the farmers in Tanjung Karang (n = 32) and Kelantan (n = 43) using wooden tongue depressor. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data of the farmers. Cytogenetic analysis was carried out by Acridin Orange (AO) staining 0.0025% (w/v). The frequency of MN and BNu as the biomarkers for cytogenetic damage was observed by using a fluorescence microscope. Comparison of frequency of MN and BNu is conducted in two areas namely Tanjung Karang, Selangor and Kelantan because of the agricultural activity and the type of pesticides used are different. Results showed that the frequencies of both MN and BNu among farmers in Tanjung Karang were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to farmers in Kelantan. Meanwhile, for the socio-demographic factors (age, smoking status, working period), MN and BNu frequencies among farmers in Tanjung Karang were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to farmers in Kelantan. While in the aspect of pesticide exposure, the frequencies of MN and BNu showed no significant difference between the frequency of pesticide spraying (p > 0.05) and the practices of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) (p > 0.05). This may suggests that cytogenetic changes were not influenced by these factors. In addition, correlation study shows positive correlation between the frequency of MN with the pesticide exposure of farmers in Tanjung Karang (p > 0.05, r = 0.015) and Kelantan (p > 0.05, r = 0.0158). Besides, the frequency of BNu also has a positive correlation with the pesticide exposure among farmers in Tanjung Karang (p > 0.05, r = 0.036) and farmers in Kelantan (p > 0.05, r = 0.013). Hence, this present study demonstrated that exposure to pesticides increased the formation of MN and BNu among farmers and the prolonged use of pesticides may induce genotoxicity and DNA damage to human
Pesticide exposure may cause genotoxic effects by inducing the formation of micronucleus (Mn). Mn are fragments of chromosomes that remains after cells division. The increase in Mn may increase the risk of cancer formation. Our study aimed to determine the effects of lifestyle and pesticide exposure on the formation of Mn in epithelial cells from buccal swabs among paddy farmers in Malaysia. About 40 farmers who were exposed to pesticides were chosen as subjects and 30 personnels whose not directly exposed to pesticides, were chosen as the control group. Demographic and anthropometric data were obtained from questionnaires developed. Analysis of Mn formation was done using Giemsa staining (10% v/v) and the frequency of Mn formation was scored from 1000 cells per sample. Kruskal-Wallis test done between Mn frequency with age group showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in Mn frequency in farmers as compared to the control in the age group of 30-39 , 40-49 years, and 50-59 years. Significant increased (p < 0.05) were observed between Mn frequency groups of normal BMI, pre-obese, and grade 1 obese as compared to control. Significant increase of Mn frequency (p < 0.01) was also seen among smokers and farmer’s group (15.39 ± 3.34) as compared to controls (4.76 ± 1.26). The maximum numbers of Mn found in farmers are 7 Mn per cell whereas for control group is only 3 Mn. However, most farmers had only 1 Mn (81.75 ± 6.42%) and 2 Mn (15.28 ± 5.14%). Mn frequency with the duration of exposure to pesticides in a month and the use of PPE revealed no significant difference (p = 0.27). In conclusion, the increased frequency of Mn was influenced by age, gender, BMI and smoking status of farmers besides commonly repeated duration of exposures and the use of PPE. Further studies are needed to analyze the causes of an increased in Mn among farmers.
Breast cancer is one of the commonest cancers among women. Conventional therapies cause adverse side effects in patients. Cytokine immunotherapy such as interleukin-27 (IL-27) has been sought as an alternative cancer treatment in recent years. IL-27 has been shown to improve anticancer immunity and anti-angiogenesis in cancers, however, its effect on apoptotic and anti-apoptotic gene expression especially in breast cancers is yet to be explored. Cytotoxicity of IL-27 in non-cancerous (184b5) and cancerous (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) breast cell lines was first determined for 24-72 h in this study. The results indicated that IL-27 treatment did not retard 184b5 cell growth, however, did inhibit MCF-7 (48 h) and MDA-MB-231 (72 h) cell growth with IC50 at 442 and 457 ng/ml, respectively. Apoptotic (TRAIL, FADD, FAS, caspase-3 and caspase-8) and anti-apoptotic (BCL-2, AKT, and COX-2) genes were then amplified from untreated (control) and treated breast cancer cells and studied. TRAIL, caspase-3, caspase-8 gene expression was significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated in treated MCF-7 (442 ng/ml) and MDA-MB-231 (457 ng/ml) cells. Expression of FADD and FAS genes was not detected in both control and treated MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. COX-2 gene was also not expressed by MCF-7 cells, but reduced significantly (p < 0.05) in treated MDA-MB-231 cells. In MDA-MB-231 cells, IL-27 treatment seemed to slightly enhance the expression of AKT and BCL-2 genes which, on the other hand, was downregulated in treated MCF-7 cells. Conclusively, IL-27 is able to inhibit breast cancer cell growth and regulate apoptotic and anti-apoptotic gene expression in breast cancer cells.
Recently, epidermal mucus of fish has been identified as a rich biological source of various bioactive substances, particularly antibacterial peptides. This study was conducted to identify the potential of epidermal mucosa of Clarias batrachus as a source of antibacterial material. Mucosal samples were collected from C. batrachus epidermis and extracted using an aqueous extraction method. Antibacterial activity of the crude epidermal mucus extract was determined by using spectrophotometric method. As a result there was antibacterial activity by the mucus extract against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). The results of this study supports the role of mucus as a part of body immune system with antibacterial peptide as a component of innate body immune system. Hence, these findings can be used as one of the first steps towards the development of new class antibiotics.
Giardia intestinalis is among the protozoa that is commonly found in the human fecal samples throughout the world. The prevalence of infection is higher among people living in developing countries than developed countries. One hundred and eleven Orang Asli children at Pos Titom, Pahang participated in this study. The prevalence study was conducted in accordance to gender, age groups and the diagnostic techniques employed. Fecal samples were collected and examined for the presence of G. intestinalis using three diagnostic techniques ie; the direct fecal smear, formalin-ether concentration and the trichrome staining technique. The overall prevalence of G. intestinalis infection among Orang Asli children at Pos Titom was 23.42%. The infection was higher among females (25%) as compared to males (21.57%) eventhough it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In terms of age groups, no positive case was observed among preschoolers whose age were below seven-years while the school aged children (7 to 12-years old) showed 24.53% infection. The trichrome staining technique was the most sensitive with a detection rate of 22.52% followed by the formalin-ether concentration technique with a detection of 19.82% whilst the direct smear technique only detected 12.61% of cases. The prevalence of giardiasis amongst the Orang Asli children at Pos Titom, Pahang was still high despite various efforts made and improvements in basic infrastructural facilities undertaken for their community. The health care status and personal hygiene of Orang Asli children remains poor and needs to be further improved.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is widely used as a food additive but its excessive intake leads to oxidative stress of several organs. However, the oxidative effect of MSG on male accessory reproductive organs remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MSG on the status of oxidative stress and morphological alterations in the male accessory reproductive organs such as epididymis, prostate glands and seminal vesicle of Sprague-Dawley rats. A total of 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups with 8 rats per group. Control group received distilled water (1 ml/kg) while MSG60 and MSG120 received 60 mg/kg and 120 mg/kg of MSG, respectively. All the substances were administered via force feed oral for 28 consecutive days. At the end of the study, the rats were sacrificed to obtain the accessory organs for biochemical analysis and histological observations. The SOD activity in the epididymis showed a significant increase in MSG60 and MSG120 compared to control (p < 0.05). The GSH levels in the epididymis of MSG 120 showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. The levels of MDA and PC in the epididymis and prostate gland of MSG60 and MSG120 showed a significant increased (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Histological alterations were found in the epididymis and prostate gland of MSG treated rats. In conclusion, MSG at both doses induced oxidative stress in the epididymis and prostate gland of experimental rats.
Ficus deltoidea or ‘mas cotek,’ is a uterotonic herb traditionally consumed by women to improve menstrual circulation, assist labour, remove retained placenta and treat postpartum bleeding. The aim of the study was to elucidate the mechanism of F. deltoidea in uterine contraction. Crude extracts from 2 different variants of F. deltoidea were used in the study; F. deltoidea var. Deltoidea (FDD) and F. deltoidea var. Angustifolia (FDA). This study was conducted ex vivo on the strips of isolated rats uterus treated with either FDD or FDA aqueous extract with increasing concentrations ranging from 10 μg/ml until 1280 μg/ml at time intervals of 5 minutes between doses. The frequency and intensity of the uterine contractions were monitored via Powerlab software. Maximum contractions for both extracts were identified, recorded and the uterine strips samples at maximum contraction were selected and homogenized in order determine the role of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) in the mechanism of uterine contraction. Other than that, phosphorylated 42/44 (p42/44) of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression was also detected via immunoblotting. The results showed that the maximum contraction induced by FDD was at the concentration of 320 μg/ml, whereas for FDA was at 960 μg/ml. Both FDD and FDA increased the intensity of uterine strips contractions and there were notable trend of increased PGF2α expression as well. Further analysis revealed that the uterine contractions involved the MAPK pathway through the phosphorylation of p42/44 protein. In conclusion, Ficus deltoidea of both variants have the ability to stimulate uterine contraction through the mechanism of MAPK pathway.
Mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from the local fermented durian (tempoyak) was determined by Ames test (Salmonella/microsome mutagenicity assay). Our study also involved pre-incubation assay against Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 bacterial strain in the presence and absence of metabolic activator S9 system. It was found that the L. plantarum showed no mutagenic activity on both S. typhimurium strain TA 98 and TA 100 in the presence and absence of metabolic activator. Significant antimutagenic activity (p < 0.05) was observed in both cell-free supernatant and bacterial cell suspension of L. plantarum as compared to the mutagenicity induced by 2-Aminoanthracene in the presence of metabolic activator. Meanwhile, in the absence of metabolic activator, only the bacterial cells of L. plantarum showed antimutagenicity acitivity against Sodium Azide and 2-Nitrofluorene. In conclusion, L. plantarum could play a vital role as chemopreventive agent by binding to mutagens and suppressing mutagenesis. Thus, L. plantarum could be consider as a good candidate for functional food development as a supplement product to prevent development of colon cancer.
Drug Metabolizing Enzyme (DME) has been a target of natural chemopreventive agents to inhibit, retard and reverse the process of carcinogenesis. Pterostilbene, an analog to resveratrol has been reported to possess various pharmacological benefits including chemoprevention. In our study, benzo[a]pyrene-induced HT-29 colorectal cell line was used as the DME model. The activity of phase I enzyme CYP1A as determined by the 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) assay was found to be inhibited significantly by pterostilbene at 50 μM, 75 μM and 100 μM (p ≤ 0.01, p ≤ 0.05, p ≤ 0.01 respectively) compared to the benzo[a]pyrene treated group. Meanwhile, pterostilbene induced glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity significantly (p ≤ 0.01) at 50 μM as compared to the untreated. In addition, However, the protein expression of CYP1A1 and GST in pterostilbene treated group was not significantly affected compared to untreated. On the other hand, pterostilbene at 25 and 75 μM were able to increase the protein expression of transcription factor Nrf2 significantly (p ≤ 0.01). Results indicated that pterostilbene could reduce metabolic activation of procarcinogens and increase the detoxification process which can be potentially developed as chemopreventive agent.
Oxidative stress involved in various pathological conditions. Plants have been proven to act as a natural exogenous antioxidant. The aim of this research is to investigate the protective effects of Etlingera coccinea leaves aqueous extract on autoxidation-induced ox brain homogenate. The brain homogenate was divided into 7 groups: control group with PBS solution, positive control group with 100 μg/ml ascorbic acid, test group with 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 μg/ml of E. coccinea. The antioxidant potential of E. coccinea aqueous extract has been evaluated by antioxidant capacity assay such as Total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging assay (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) were also measured at 0 hr and 1 hr after 37°C water bath incubation to determine the antioxidant status and oxidative damage. TPC assay showed (4.85 ± 0.28) mg GAE/g of dry weight of E. coccinea leaves. Based on DPPH and FRAP assay, E. coccinea aqueous extract showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity. MDA level in the 50 μg/ml E. coccinea was significantly lower compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). The SOD activity was significantly increase in 400 μg/ml E. coccinea (p < 0.05) compared to other groups. E. coccinea at the dose of 25 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml showed significant increase in GSH level compared to other groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, 25 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml of E. coccinea leave aqueous extracts exhibited a potential protective effect on autoxidation-induced ox brain homogenate.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of argan oil with the exposure of low frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) on open wound healing in mice. Eighteen male mice (20-40 g) were divided into three groups: phosphate buffer saline (PBS) as negative control, solcoseryl gel as positive control, and argan oil with the exposure of low frequency EMF, 1.2 mT (treatment group). Full thickness wounds (4 mm diameter) were induced on the shaved dorsal of the mouse. All mice were sacrificed on day 12 after the final treatment. Macroscopic observation, wound contraction rate, histopathology analysis and total protein content were examined in this study. Results showed that wounds treated with argan oil and exposed to low frequency EMF has a significant increase in wound contraction rate (p < 0.05) and total protein content (p < 0.05). Moreover, histopathological analysis on the wound tissues displayed complete re-epithelization with thick and dense collagen fibers in the argan oil with low frequency EMF exposure treated group. In conclusion, topical treatment of argan oil with low frequency EMF exposure yield a better healing progress and showed the ability to accelerate wound healing
Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. or also known as roselle which is rich in polyphenols, has been demonstrated to cause lowering of blood pressure in animal and clinical settings. However its exact mechanism of action particularly from polyphenolic compounds is not clearly understood. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of H. sabdariffa polyphenol extract (HPE) towards vascular reactivity and its mechanism of action. The HPE was studied on isolated thoracic aortic rings from normal Sprague-Dawley rats, suspended in a 15-ml organ chambers containing Krebs-Henseleit solution. The changes in tension were recorded by isometric transducer connected to data acquisition. HPE relaxed the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE, 1 μM) in similar pattern for both endothelium-intact and endothelium denuded aortic rings in dose-dependent manner 0.1 ~ 0.9 mg/ml. The pretreatment with atropine (1 μM), a competitive muscarinic antagonist, and propranolol (1 μM), a non-selective beta- blocker did not alter HPE vasorelaxation response. In addition, HPE did not inhibit the contraction induced by extracellular Ca2+ precontracted by PE (1 μM) or KCl (60 mM), in Ca2+ -free solution, suggesting that the relaxation effect of HPE was not via inhibition of calcium channels. In conclusion, HPE demonstrated vasorelaxation effects on rat thoracic aorta although the underlying mechanism is still unknown. The vasorelaxation effect could be via angiotensin type 1 receptor inhibition in the vascular smooth muscle cells or the activation of hyperpolarizing K+ channel.
Hypertension and estrogen deficiency in women have been identified as significant risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases. Hypertension causes excessive vascular stretch and contributes to the initiation of cellular injury in blood vessels while estrogen has been demonstrated to exert beneficial protective effects on the vascular system. Although the specific biological outcomes exerted by either excessive stretch or estrogen exposure are well established, the combined biochemical effects of both stimuli remain unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted for quantitative proteomics study on human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) subjected to 20% “pathological” cyclic stretch for a period of 18 hour in the presence or absence of 17β-estradiol by isobaric Taqs for Relative and Absolute Quantification. The results showed that only some proteins responded to 17β-estradiol (e.g., thioredoxin reductase-1), stretch (e.g., 14-3-3 protein epsilon or acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family member B) and interestingly, some proteins returned to control pre-treatment levels when exposed to both (e.g., d-dopachrome decarboxylase, thrombospondin-1). In addition, HCMECs that exposed only to estrogen had a very similar proteomic profile (i.e., up-regulation of structural, cellular adhesion and proliferation proteins) as to those exposed to estrogen with 20% stretching for 18 hour, suggesting that estrogen ablated the detrimental effects by the stretch alone. These findings sheds light on the molecular mechanisms by which the cerebrovascular protective actions of estrogen on HCMEC exposed to pathological levels of cyclic stretch which could provide a platform for future research in therapeutic approach.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a major cause of disability and significantly reduce quality of life (QOL). There is limited information about knee associated problems and functional mobility among Malaysian adults with KOA. The aim of our study was to examine knee associated problems and functional mobility among this population. Forty-five (45) adults with KOA with mean age of 65.02 ± 8.083 were recruited from Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, UKM. Knee associated problems and functional mobility were measured using Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) and Timed-Up and Go (TUG) test respectively. The mean score and standard deviation for TUG test was 11.44 ± 2.69 seconds. Median scores (with interquartile ranges [IQR]) for the KOOS subscale domains were; Symptoms: 80.56, (69.44 to 91.67); Pain: 71.43 (50 to 78.57); Functional Activities of Daily Living: 82.3 (67.65 to 86.76); Sports and Recreation Function: 30 (20 to 60); and Knee-Related Quality of Life: 50 (25 to 75). Generally, participants’ TUG test performance showed that time taken to complete the test was higher than the reference values (7.14 to 8.43 seconds) identified among Malaysian community dwelling older adults with low to high risk of falls. The KOOS scores in adults with KOA in our study is similar to previous reports with Sport and Recreation Function and QOL domains been the most affected. It is important to improve functional mobility and balance in order to decrease falls risk and optimise sport and recreation function and QOL among adults with KOA.
Study site: Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Body weight can be estimated using equations developed from the anthropometric measurements when body weight is difficult to measure for example among bedridden older adults. This study has developed the equation to estimate body weight among older adults resided in Klang Valley from several anthropometric measurements. A cross sectional study was carried out among community dwelling older adults aged 60 years old and above in Klang Valley area. Subjects were recruited through convenience sampling method. Weight, height, knee height (KH), demi span (DS), subscapular skinfold (SSF), calf circumference (CC), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) and wrist circumference (WrC) were measured according to the standard protocol. Cross validation was performed. 61% from total subjects were selected randomly for the development of equation meanwhile, 39% subjects as control subjects. Equation was generated using stepwise multiple regression analysis. A total of 164 older adults involved in this study which consist of 39.0% men and 61.0% women. Mean age of the subjects was 68.32 ± 5.79 years meanwhile mean of measured body weight was 66.46 ± 11.98 kg. Predictive equation obtained was: estimated body weight = 5.149 (Sex) – 0.082 (Age) + 0.889 (Hip circumference) + 1.112 (Knee Height) – 72.778 (R2 = 0.848, p < 0.001). Correlation coefficient for 61% subjects were higher (r = 0.921) compared to the correlation coefficient for 39% subjects (r = 0.883) (p < 0.001). However, the differences between measured and estimated body weight was not significant (p = 0.798). This showed that the equation developed was able to estimate body weight among older adults, because the value of estimated body weight was closed to the value of measured body weight. The equation developed can be used to estimate body weight among Malaysian older adults. However, further study is warranted to explore this equation into the different settings such as clinical setting.
Relatively less comprehensive web based programme has been developed for detecting risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and further impart preventive strategies and lifestyle education. Thus, this study has developed a comprehensive web based programme for early screening of risk of MCI together with education package for preventing MCI known as WESIHAT 2.0. WESIHAT 2.0 is a senior friendly website which has appropriate design interface facilitating access of older people especially with the use of touch-screen technology. WESIHAT 2.0 has incorporated four major components namely TUA WELLNESS screening tool, which is a comprehensive, online based, 10-item screening tool for detecting risk of MCI, 10-guides for preventing MCI, health diary and healthy food. Evaluation of acceptance of WESIHAT 2.0 was done among 71 people which comprised of 30 older people and 30 caregivers, chosen equally based on ethnic composition and 11 health care professionals who has experience working in the field of geriatric and 2 freelance website developer. All older people and caregivers stated that the content of website was very useful for preventing MCI, however, about 36.4% of health professionals stated several improvements needed to be done before releasing the end-product to the users. Comments given were smaller font size (27.3), addition of more pictures (27.3%), using simpler terms (36.4%) and changing certain design for better view of older people (18.2%). Amendments were made based on each comment given and the finalized website were used for a 6-month intervention programme for neuroprotection among older people who failed to achieve successful aging. It is timely for an online based approach for prevention of MCI. WESIHAT 2.0 is the first website in Malaysia which has been accepted by all older people and caregiver and more than half of healthcare professionals to prevent memory decline.