Meristic, morphometric and distributional patterns of cyprinid fishes of the genus Neolissochilus found in Peninsular Malaysia are presented. Based on the current concept of Neolissochilus, only two species are present: N. soroides and N. hendersoni. Neolissochilus hendersoni differs from N. soroides by having lower scale and gill raker counts. Neolissochilus soroides has three mouth types (normal with a rounded snout, snout with a truncate edge, and lobe with a comparatively thick lower lip). A PCA of log-transformed measurements did not reveal significant differences between N. hendersoni and N. soroides, or between any of the morphotypes of N. soroides; however, a CVA of log-transformed measurements successfully classified 87.1% of all specimens. Removing body size by running a CVA on all of the principal components except PC1 (which was correlated with length) only slightly decreased the successful classification rate to 86.1%. Differences in morphometrics were as great between the three morphotypes of N. soroides as between any of the morphotypes and N. hendersoni suggesting that the morphotypes should be examined in greater detail with genetic tools. The PCA of morphometrics revealed separate clouds for N. hendersoni and N. soroides, but no differences between the N. soroides morphotypes. This study revealed that N. hendersoni is recorded for the first time in the mainland area of Peninsular Malaysia. Other nominal species of Neolissochilus reported to occur in the river systems of Peninsular Malaysia are discussed. Lissochilus tweediei Herre in Herre & Myers 1937 and Tor soro Bishop 1973 are synonyms of Neolissochilus soroides.
This paper shall first investigate the informatics areas and applications of the four Traditional Medicine systems - Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurveda, Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine and Traditional Malay Medicine. Then, this paper shall examine the national informatics infrastructure initiatives in the four respective countries that support the Traditional Medicine systems. Challenges of implementing informatics in Traditional Medicine Systems shall also be discussed.
INTRODUCTION: Maternal mortality and morbidity from eclampsia continues to be seen around the globe. Local Key Performance Index on recurrence of eclamptic fits did not meet targets, thus this raised the issue whether the care provided adhered to the standard management for eclampsia.
METHODS: This clinical audit was conducted to assess and improve the quality of the service being offered to patient, particularly in managing eclampsia cases. It was conducted according to the audit cycle. It begins with the development of 12 standardized criteria for eclampsia management. First audit was conducted by retrospectively reviewing eclampsia cases from year 2008 till 2012. Strategies for changes were formulated and implemented following the results of the first audit. Second audit was conducted six months after the changes.
RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of eclampsia was 9.17 per 10,000 deliveries. A first seizure occurred during the antepartum period in 52.9% of cases (n=27), intrapartum in 24% (n=11) and postpartum in 21% of cases (n=13). Suboptimal care was mainly on delay of activation of Red Alert system and no treatment for uncontrolled blood pressure. Several strategies were implemented, mainly on improving working knowledge of the staffs and reengineering hospital Red Alert system. Positive achievements observed during the second audit, shown by a reduction in the number of patients with recurrence eclamptic fits and perinatal mortality rate.
CONCLUSION: Conducting an audit is essential to evaluate local performance against the standardized criteria. Improvement can be achieved with inexpensive solutions and attainable within a short period of time.
Study site: Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia
Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is a well known complication of blunt trauma to the abdomen and thorax. In the acute setting, laparotomy is mandatory. In this current era, this condition can be managed with minimally invasive surgery. We hereby report a case of delayed large left diaphragmatic hernia that was repaired with a combination of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic approach.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM; bǔ chōng yǔ tì dài yī xué) is widely practiced among stroke patients globally. We conducted a study to determine the pattern of CAM use and its associated factors in stroke survivors attending a tertiary hospital in Malaysia within 6 months after the stroke. This was a prospective cohort study that included all stroke patients who were admitted to a tertiary center in Malaysia from December 2009 to December 2010. Patients were interviewed and examined within 72 hours of admission. The sociodemographic data and medical history were collected. Clinical examinations were done to assess the stroke severity using the Scandinavian Stroke Scale and functional status based on modified Barthel index (MBI). Patients were reassessed at 6 months after the stroke on the CAM use and functional status (MBI). The response rate was 92%. The study population consisted of 52 men and 41 women with a mean age of 63.7 ± 10.3 years. Sixty-seven percent practiced CAM. Massage was the most frequently used method (63.4%), followed by vitamins (7.5%). In multiple logistic regression analysis, functional status (MBI score) on discharge (p = 0.004, odds ratio 1.034, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.06) and Scandinavian Stroke Scale score (p = 0.045, odds ratio 1.87, 95% confidence interval 1.01-3.43) were significant predictors for use of CAM. In conclusion, the use of CAM among stroke survivors is high. Patients who have better functional status on discharge and less severe stroke are more likely to use CAM.
The adults of Calochromini with male flabellate antennae were studied. Two new Calochromus Guérin-Méneville, 1833 species with flabellate antennae, C. kelantanensis spec. nov. and C. harauensis spec. nov. are described. Dumbrellia Lea, 1909 (Calochromini) is proposed as a new junior synonym of Plateros Bourgeois, 1879 (Lycinae: Platerodini). Flabellochromus Pic, 1925 is transferred to Calochromus from synonymy with Dumbrellia based on the similar shape of the pronotum. Consequently, Calochromus lamellatus Kleine, 1926, comb. nov. from Sarawak and Flabellochromus pallidus Pic, 1925, comb. nov. (=Calochromus (Flabellochromus) pallidus Pic, 1925) from Luzon are returned to Calochromus. New combinations are proposed for three Australian species previously classified in Dumbrellia: Plateros brevicornis (Lea, 1898), comb. nov. (=Calochromus brevicornis Lea, 1898), P. pilosicornis (Lea, 1898), comb. nov. (=C. pilosicornis Lea, 1898) and P. melancholica (Lea, 1921), comb. nov. Plateros barronensis nom. nov. is proposed to replace Plateros pilosicornis (Lea, 1898), a junior secondary homonym of P. pilosicornis (Blanchard, 1853) (=Lycus pilosicornis Blanchard, 1853).
Malaysia, a country of Muslim majority, is suffering from a severe organ shortage due to the lack of donors. Mosques are the main gateways into the Muslim community. Hence, it is imperative to explore their role in facilitating organ donation.
Dickeya chrysanthemi is well known as a plant pathogen that caused major blackleg in the European potato industry in the 1990s. D. chrysanthemi strain L11 was discovered in a recreational lake in Malaysia. Here, we present its draft genome sequence.
The currently known diversity of horsehair worms (Nematomorpha) from India is only 17 species. We report here two female specimens found on two occasions on a terrace paddy field in Tsupo, Viswema, Kohima, Nagaland, India. Although found at the same location, both species differ in their cuticular structures. One is determined as Chordodes moutoni, a species known from China, Malaysia and India. The other specimen shows a new type of cuticular structure, the areoles, which combines characters of both simple areoles and tubercle areoles. This specimen is described as a new species, C. combiareolatus. Both specimens show arrangements on the cuticle, in which a circle of areoles surrounds a region of "naked" cuticle. We interpret these regions as artifacts caused by the breaking off of the central crowned areoles, leaving only the circumcluster areoles behind.
This paper discusses the comparative assessment of eight candidate distributions in providing accurate and reliable maximum rainfall estimates for Malaysia. The models considered were the Gamma, Generalised Normal, Generalised Pareto, Generalised Extreme Value, Gumbel, Log Pearson Type III, Pearson Type III and Wakeby. Annual maximum rainfall series for one-hour resolution from a network of seventeen automatic gauging stations located throughout Peninsular Malaysia were selected for this study. The length of rainfall records varies from twenty-three to twenty-eight years. Model parameters were estimated using the L-moment method. The quantitative assessment of the descriptive ability of each model was based on the Probability Plot Correlation Coefficient test combined with root mean squared error, relative root mean squared error and maximum absolute deviation. Bootstrap resampling was employed to investigate the extrapolative ability of each distribution. On the basis of these comparisons, it can be concluded that the GEV distribution is the most appropriate distribution for describing the annual maximum rainfall series in Malaysia.
Naturally occurring seedlings of Neuwiedia veratrifolia were found in three localities in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. Seedlings consisted of an irregular oblong protocorm and a terminal leafy rooted shoot. Protocorms contained mycotrophic tissue of the kind typical of orchid mycorrhiza (tolypophagy). This finding demonstrates an important synapomorphy between Neuwiedia and other orchids and strongly supports the monophyly of Orchidaceae in the broad sense, including apostasiod orchids.