Cancers of the ovary and corpus uteri afflict 5% and 3.6% Malaysian women respectively. Ovarian cancer (OC) remained the deadliest gynaecological malignancy in perimenopausal women mainly due to the lack of symptoms until the disease had spread. Ultrasonography could provide a preliminary screening allowing the clinician to tailor subsequent management and counselling for these women. To support the basis for selective screening, a study on 517 urban disease free women aged 45 years and above, uterus-intact, non-users of HRT was undertaken. This study presented normograms of ovary, uterus and endometrium derived from entry ultrasound assessment. The sample comprised of 58.0% premenopaused and 42.0% postmenopaused women with an average age of 51.27±5.35 years old. Over two thirds were Chinese followed by Malays and Indians. The findings indicated that the average uterine size and endometrial thickness (ET) was 7.21±1.67x4.36±1.30cm and 6.36±3.73mm respectively. Premenopausal women had larger uterus compared to those postmenopaused (p
Synthesis of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) from natural cellulose is an important industrial process. The effect of process parameters on the synthesis process is important information for the efficiency improvement of production process. Most of the previous studies on the effect of process parameters
on the synthesis of CMC are based on the One-Factor-At-Time (OFAT); therefore, in this work, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used. Here, the cellulose was converted to CMC through
carboxymethylation process using a technique of William etherification in heterogeneous system. The process parameters studied include the solvent ratio, reaction temperature and reactant ratio (molar ratio of NaOH to SMCA). Meanwhile, the analysis and optimization of the responses of the process, degree of substitution (DS) and yield were also performed using the response surface methodology. The validity of the synthesis process was identified by the determination of CMC spectrum using the fast Fourier infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The analysis of the results shows that carboxymethylation is strongly affected by combination of process parameters studied. The results obtained also show that the optimum responses, degree of substitution (DS) is 0.87 and yield is 1.80, whereas the optimum process parameters, solvent ratio is 0.70v/v, reaction temperature at 56.03oC, and molar ratio of NaOH to SMCA at 1.00mol/mol. These findings conclude that the DS and yield of carboxymethylation of cellulose are strongly affected by the combination of the process parameters.
Production of carbon dioxide from degraded woods especially Karas or Aquilariella Malaccensis using integrated pyrolysis-combustion is important for radiocarbon dating application. The effects of pyrolysis temperatures (300-400 0 C), retention times (20-35 minutes) and flow rates of argon (400- 1000 ml/min) on the production of carbon dioxide were studied. The experiments were arranged according to a 2 3 response surface central composite statistical design (CSD). This response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess factor interactions and empirical models regarding carbon dioxide yield. The optimized yield of carbon dioxide was 82.57% for Karas and the optimum reaction conditions are 300 0 C of pyrolysis temperature, 20 minutes retention time and 982ml/min flow rates of argon. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were conducted to assess the morphological characteristics of the woods and to look at the potential crystalline structure produced after the process took place, respectively.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of methanol, acetone and distilled water stem
bark extracts from Canarium odontophyllum against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus ATCC 6633,
Escherichia coli ATCC 25932, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Acinetobacter baumannii strain sensitive, Candida
albicans ATCC 64677, Candida glabrata ATCC 90028, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani M2781. The extracts from
C. odontophyllum stem bark from 3.125 mg/ml to 25 mg/ml were screened against the tested microorganisms using disc
diffusion method. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the
extracts against susceptible organisms were determined using microbroth dilution method and streak-plate technique,
respectively. From the antibacterial screening assay, the growth of S. aureus, B. cereus and A. baumannii were inhibited
by methanol extract whereas the acetone extract was capable of inhibiting all the tested microorganisms except E.coli,
F. solani and A. niger. The lowest MIC value for methanol extract was against A. baumannii (0.195 mg/ml) whereas
its MBC value was twice its MIC value (0.391 mg/ml), indicating that methanol extract was bacteriostatic against A.
baumannii. While for acetone extract, S. aureus showed bactericidal effect with equal MIC and MBC values at 0.195 mg/
ml. In conclusion, stem bark of C. odontophyllum has the potential to be the source of antibacterial agent and can be
exploited as an alternative phytoantimicrobial.
Heavy metals from mining sites can contribute to adverse health and environmental issues. Conventional liming practice depletes natural limestone deposits. Blood cockle shell (BCS) and palm kernel shell (PKS) calcination produced alkaline ash to immobilize heavy metals in soil. This study investigates the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of calcined BCS and PKS composites. BCS and PKS composites were prepared at various weight ratios (i.e. 1:0, 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, and 0:1) and were combusted for 1 hour at 400°C and 900°C, respectively. BCS and PKS composites were determined by its yield, pH, and ANC. The combustion characteristics for composites was conducted using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Elemental analysis was conducted using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) was conducted for functional groups analysis. Ash content of composites increased when the portion of PKS feedstock is decreased. Increasing combustion temperature from 400°C to 900°C reduced the ash contents. The pH of raw and combusted composite (at 400°C) decreased as the portion of PKS feedstock is increased. Calcined composites at 900°C have slightly different pH value except for 0:1 sample. ANC value increased as PKS portion in composites reduced. Higher content of calcium oxide (CaO) in the composites increased the ANC value.
The blended wing body (BWB) aircraft has a unique design. The main body and wing of BWB are
merged to increase the lift force on the aircraft. However, BWB has poor stability arising from the absence of the tail. Hence, a small horizontal stabilizer called as canard has been incorporated in front of the main wing to improve BWB’s stability. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations conductedm to obtain the aerodynamics parameters of the BWB i.e. lift, drag and moment coefficients, showed that overall, the canard is beneficial to the BWB aerodynamics performance.
Dengue fever is an endemic disease in many tropical and subtropical regions. In
Malaysia, it is the leading public health challenge despite the extensive intervention
programs by the related authorities. Distribution of dengue cases in Malaysia varies
according to states and districts where cases are more distinct in urban and suburban
areas. Preparedness strategies of dengue cases could be more successful with some
comprehensive and technical analysis on disease incidences. Hence, the present study
analyses dengue cases using mathematical modelling in the state of Penang, one of the
more urbanised state. In particular, two time series models are fitted to the dengue
data from the region in order to identify the mathematical model that best describe
the data. Results show that both proposed models are able to represent the cases
rather well; however numerical inspection revealed that Double Exponential
Smoothing method is the better choice. Subsequently, the identified model is used to
make forecasting on the number of expected cases. Results show that dengue cases in
Penang are expected to increase gradually.
A study was carried out to compare composition, thermal behavior, and polymorphic forms of
palm stearin-pink guava seed oil blends with those of lard (LD). Four blends were prepared by
mixing pink guava seed oil (PGO) with and palm stearin (PS) in different ratios: PGO-1, 40:60;
PGO-2, 45:55; PGO-3, 50:50; PGO-4; 55:45. The blends and lard were compared in terms of
their basic physicochemical parameters, fatty acid and triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions,
melting, solidification and polymorphic properties. Results showed that PGO-2 and LD were
found to display similarities in terms of slip melting point value and the peak maximum of the
high-melting thermal transition. In the solid fat content (SFC) profile, PGO-2 and LD were
found to display the least difference. In the X-ray diffraction analysis, PGO-2 displayed both β
and β’ polymorphs that were similar to the polymorphic form of LD.
This paper presents a development of an expert system to be used as an advisory in finding the solution to problems which are normally solved by human experts. The E-ACTIVETRANS is developed to help young engineers/planners in designing a new cycle lane in urban areas and also to help in reallocation of an existing roadway space for cycle lanes. This system has three sub-systems: Planning on Strategies to Shift from Passive Transportation to Active Transportation, Design on Bicycle Facilities and Examples of Successful Implementation. This paper focuses on the design of bicycle facilities whereby the prototype was developed based on data acquired from the domain experts who are involved in bicycle facility module design, as well as the initial text analysis obtained during the domain familiarisation stage. The validation of the system was performed through a comparison of knowledge content in E-ACTIVETRANS based on expert opinion. The average level of acceptance is 91 percent which validates the system and knowledge of the experts.
In this study, oil palm fruit bunch fiber (OPEFB) was used as a secondary filler in HDPE/clay nanocomposites. The composites were prepared by melt compounding, containing high density polyethylene (HDPE), OPEFB fibers, Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAPE) and four different clay loading (3, 5, 7 and 10 PE nanoclay masterbatch pellets per hundred HDPE pellets). Four OPEFB sizes (180 μm, 250 μm, 300 μm and 355 μm) were added in the composites to investigate its effects on the fracture toughness and impact strength. Fracture toughness of the composites was determined according to ASTM D5045 and single edge notch bending (SENB) was employed during the test while impact tests were performed according to ASTM D256. The effects of alkali treatment were also investigated in this study. The result indicates that the fracture toughness slightly increased as clay loading increased. The highest value of fracture toughness was 0.47 and 1.06 MPa.m1/2 at 5 phr for both types of composites. The presence of OPEFB fiber as a secondary filler in the matrix indicates significant enhancement of fracture toughness up to 133%. However, its impact strength seems to deteriorate with the presence of OPEFB fiber.
Self-similarity network traffic is considered as one of stochastic process studies in telecommunications
engineering. In determining self-similarity traffic, Hurst value is an important parameter to be measured.
This paper presents self-similarity traffic measurement using Rescaled Range, R/S statistical method in
estimating Hurst parameter value. Inbound internet traffics on an IP-based campus network in Malaysia,
which implements a 16.0 Mbps speed to internet and supports 10GE bandwidth at switch level, are
captured and measured. The objectives of this research are to observe and present the existence level of
Hurst parameter value, type of self-similarity and overall percentage of Hurts parameter estimation. The
inbound traffic is measured due to its relevancy to next development on policing and shaping algorithm
traffic model. Solarwinds Net Flow machine is setup on a campus gateway to its Wide Area Network
(WAN). Data of the traffic like in flow, size and speed were taken over 20 days and 14 weeks in different
inter-arrival time. These traffics are analysed, which lead to the impacts of packet loss, throughput and
speed in network performance. Results present the Hurst parameter value, the existence of Long Range
Dependant Self-similarity traffic distribution and percentage level of Hurst parameter value for the three
types of captured traffic
To compare the ability of methods based on skeletal muscle index (SMI) and another one by the European Working Group
on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) based on both muscle mass and physical function in identifying older adults
with sarcopenia. Anthropometric measurements and physical performance (hand grip strength and gait speed) were
performed. In order to determine the value of SMI, body impedance analysis was also carried out. A total of 426 older
adults, mostly women (60.8%) with mean age of 68.4 ± 6.2 years participated in this study. Methods based on SMI and
EWGSOP identified 50.5% and 32.2% older adults as sarcopenic respectively. Method based on SMI showed a significantly
higher percentage of men (70.7%) were sarcopenic as compared to women (37.5%) (p < 0.05). No such difference was
noted for EWGSOP method, with 28.7% of men were sarcopenic as compared to women (34.4%). Binary logistic regression
indicated that aged 75 years and above (adjusted odds ratio: 3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.9 – 5.6) and having arthritis
(adjusted odds ratio: 2.5, confidence interval: 1.3 – 4.7) to be associated with sarcopenia as assessed using method
recommended by EWGSOP. The lower prevalence of sarcopenia by EWGSOP as compared to SMI may be due to the more
comprehensive method by EWGSOP. Further research regarding validation of these two screening methods against a gold
standard of screening for sarcopenia is needed in order to identify the best method..
Hb Malay was first described in 1989 following an investigation of anaemia in a 22-year-old Malay gentleman who was homozygous for this chain variant. This Hb variant is caused by AAC AGC mutation at codon 19 of the globin gene resulting in the substitution of serine for asparagine [1]. The mutation creates cryptic RNA splice site in exon 1 of the -globin gene leading to an abnormal RNA processing. Thus, this mutation not only produces variant haemoglobin but also a mild + thalassemia phenotype [2].
Bivalves are known for their ability to accumulate contaminants such as heavy metals. This allows them to be widely used as bioindicator in monitoring of heavy metals in the marine environment. This study was conducted to determine the levels of heavy metals, namely Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Zinc (Zn) and Manganese (Mn) in marsh clams (Polymesoda expansa) and green mussels (Perna viridis) along the northwest coast of Sabah (Marudu Bay, Ambong Bay, and Mengkabong). The results showed that As (5.1 to 12.8 μg/g) and Mn (33.5 to 116.0 μg/g) concentrations in both marsh clams and green mussels collected from all the sampling stations along the northwest coast of Sabah were much higher than the permissible limit set by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and FAO/ WHO. Similarly, concentration of Zn (265.8 to 535.9 μg/g) in marsh clams from all the sampling areas and that of Cr (53.9 μg/g) in green mussel collected from Marudu Bay were also much higher than the permissible limits. The data also suggested that marsh clams accumulated higher Pb and Zn, whereas green mussels tend to contain higher concentrations of Cr, Cu and Ni. Since bivalves are an important protein source for the local population, a regular monitoring of all edible bivalve species should be conducted so that consumers can be advised about the toxicological and health risks due to consumption of bivalves.
Microorganisms are the major cause of spoilage of most seafood products. Fishes are more perishable than other protein foods and thus more prone to bacterial contamination. Based on above perspectives, a bacterial invasion in commercially important fresh and spoiled marine (Lates calcarifer, Lutjanus sanguineus) and freshwater fish (Pangasius pangasius) were analyzed using API 20E kit. Out of 25 isolates obtained from fresh water fish, only 6 isolates were characterized as Gram-positive bacteria and the rest were Gram negative strains (19 isolates). The most dominant genera were Vibrio, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Aeromonas. All these bacteria were found in both fresh fish and spoiled fish sample while Erwinia spp. and Kluyvera spp. were identified only in fresh fish samples. Out of four (4) strains of Staphylococcus spp., S. xylosus was detected exclusively from spoiled fish. The higher number of bacterial micro flora in the spoiled fish gut indirectly indicated increased microbial degradation in the fish gut during spoilage process. Notably, almost all the isolates were lactose degraders, positive oxidizers and carbohydrate fermenters. Vibrio fluvialis, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Brucella sp. and Ochrabactrum anthropi were the human pathogenic bacteria found in marine fish Lates calcarifer (Sea perch). While Vibrio fluvialis, Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris were detected in Lutjanus sanguineus (Red snapper). The study portrays that the existing postharvest handling techniques could be a vital factor for degrading hygienic conditions of fish in local fish markets. Nevertheless, a long term monitoring is an urgently needed for sustaining the quality flesh of fish towards the betterment of the consumer’s health.
Complete blood count (CBC) is used broadly to screen individual's general health status. Some inherited red blood cell (RBC) disorders influence the RBC parameters. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) are amongst the important RBC parameters used in thalassaemia-haemoglobinopathy screening [1-2]. Globin chain disorders and Southeast Asian Ovalocytosis (SAO) are common RBC disorders in Southeast Asian countries [3]. We evaluated the RBC parameters in patients with Hb E and those with SAO co-inheritance.
A total of 33 from 1500 Malay patient’s samples that were sent for thalassaemia-haemoglobinopathies screening in Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) were identified and consented (30 cases with Hb E and 3 cases with co-inheritance of Hb E and SAO). The inclusion criteria were Malay patients with MCV and MCH levels less than 78 fL and 27 pg respectively with presence of oval and stomatocytic RBCs in the peripheral blood film. DNA extraction was performed in samples suspected of having co-inheritance of SAO and Hb E. Primers 198 and 199 (AIT biotech Pte Ltd. Singapore) were designed for SAO detection [4], [5]. Hb E mutation was detected using ARMS PCR [6].
SAO was characterised by presence of an in frame 27bp deletion in exon 11 of the band 3 gene. A band of 175bp was observed in normal subjects and two bands, 175bp and 148bp were observed in heterozygous SAO subjects (Fig. 1).
This clinical audit is aimed to provide an insight into the performance of dental technicians in rendering
fixed prosthodontics services at Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. A retrospective audit was
carried out between 1st of November 2014 and 31st January 2015 using data derived from records and
monthly returns of the technicians, which are kept at the ceramic laboratory. Retrospective data on
cases of diagnostic wax-ups, full metal crowns, metal ceramic crowns, all ceramic crowns and bridges
that were sent to ceramic laboratory for fabrication from 1st of September 2013 to 31st of August 2014
was systematically extracted from the record and tabulated categorically in SPSS version 22.0. The
turnaround time in workings day for diagnostic wax-ups and the prostheses was calculated by deducting
exit date from entry date. Subsequently, the turnaround time and the complexity of cases were categorized
accordingly. The association of turnaround time and the complexity of the cases was analysed using
Fisher Exact test with p value < 0.05. Within this time frame, a total of 102 cases of diagnostic waxups,
36 cases of crown and 18 cases of bridges were fabricated. 57.8% of diagnostic wax-ups were
completed within 3 days. 100% of 1 unit crown were completed within 7 days and 94.4% of bridges were
completed within 14 days. There was a significant association of turnaround time and the complexity of
the cases for diagnostic wax-ups and crowns with p value
Background of Study: Patients with thyroid disorders were found to have
continued to experience symptoms of depression despite the great of treatment has
been given to the patient to balance the thyroid hormones. Objective: The aim of
this study is to determine the level of depression symptoms among various types
of thyroid disorders patients.
Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out at
one of the government hospital at central region of Peninsular Malaysia from
August to October 2016. Patients were diagnosed as thyroid disorders, Malaysian
citizen, above 18 years old and did not have any psychiatric disorders were
included in this study.Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42) was
selected to determine the severity of depression symptoms and interpreted as
follow: less than 9-no depression, between 10 and 13-mild depression, between
14-20-moderate depression, between 21 and 27- severe depression and more than
28-extreme severe depression. Descriptive statistic was analysed by IBM
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0.
Results: About
15% (23) out of 153 thyroid patients had varies degree of depression symptoms
from mild to severe extremely depression. Patients who had hyperthyroid were
found to have more depressed, followed by hypothyroid and thyroid cancer group.
Conclusion: These findings would suggest that the depression score was higher in
the patients who have hyperthyroid. A more detail and thorough study is
recommended to be done, in order to confirm these findings.
Pineapple plantation workers are exposed to strenuous physical activities. This study aims to determine the prevalence
of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS), analyse the body postural risks related to work tasks and identify relevant MSS risk factors
among pineapple plantation workers. This was a cross-sectional study performed at a pineapple plantation in Johor in 2016. MSS,
information on socio-demographic background and occupational history were collected via structured questionnaires. Identification
and risk assessment of ergonomic hazard and postural risk analysis were performed for a subset of workers. Data were entered into
statistical software and analyse according to relevant objectives. A total of 108 workers participated in this study. The prevalence
of MSS was 87.0% and was highest for the lower back (64.8%). In terms of ergonomic hazards, Harvesting were categorised as a
task with the highest risk. Harvesting was also the task with the highest postural risk. From the multivariate analysis, lower back
pain is mainly contributed by a working tenure of 10 to 25 years (Odds Ratio, OR: 3.90; 95% Confidence Interval, CI 1.05-14.4) and
more than 25 years (OR: 7.45 (95% CI 1.26 to 44.0). Workers who worked more than 7-hour daily have a higher risk for reporting
lower back pain. Pineapple plantation workers are exposed to excessive bending, twisting and carrying of heavy loads that may be
linked to MSS. Effective preventive strategies are required to address MSS in this population in order to minimize risk for subsequent
musculoskeletal disorders.
Herbicides are inevitable inputs to control excessive weed in crop land, particularly where modern agricultural practices such as conservation tillage, are opted. Intensive farming has increased the market value of herbicides among the other pesticides. Although herbicides are effective in controlling weed population, administration of this synthetic chemicals may alter the soil microbial community causing potential increase of plant pathogens. Moreover, herbicides may also have nontarget effects on the cultivated crops making them more susceptible to diseases. Actions of herbicides in soil that either stimulate microbial growth or wipe out some microbial population may create space for the thrivial of opportunistic fungi. Previous studies showed that white rot fungi are more tolerant to herbicides as they produce lignin degrading enzymes that are highly oxidative, non-specific and are able to transform a wide range of herbicides. Besides that, this group of fungi can grow on agricultural waste substrates. Influence of these herbicides on soil microbial ecosystem and interactions of plants and pathogenic white rot fungi modulate disease development in plant hosts.