Displaying publications 1361 - 1380 of 3226 in total

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  1. Does a written asthma action plan reduce unscheduled doctor visits in children?
    Wong SS, Nathan AM, de Bruyne J, Zaki R, Mohd Tahir SZ
    Indian J Pediatr, 2013 Jul;80(7):590-5.
    PMID: 22798280 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-012-0839-0
    The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a written asthma action plan (WAAP) on reducing unscheduled doctor visits, asthma control and quality of life in children with all severities of asthma. This was a randomised controlled, single-blinded study whereby 80 children with asthma were randomly assigned to be either provided a WAAP or verbally counseled . The number of asthmatic exacerbations requiring unscheduled doctor visits, asthma control and quality of life were monitored over 9 mo. At the end of the study, there was no significant difference in the number of unscheduled doctor visits between the 2 groups (p = 0.352). There was no significant difference in asthma control or quality of life between both groups. Hence, the WAAP did not reduce unscheduled doctor visits, nor improve asthma control or quality of life in children with all severities of asthma.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asthma/prevention & control*
  2. Targeting N-acyl-homoserine-lactones to mitigate membrane biofouling based on quorum sensing using a biofouling reducer
    Siddiqui MF, Sakinah M, Singh L, Zularisam AW
    J Biotechnol, 2012 Oct 31;161(3):190-7.
    PMID: 22796090 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.06.029
    Exploring novel biological anti-quorum sensing (QS) agents to control membrane biofouling is of great worth in order to allow sustainable performance of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment. In recent studies, QS inhibitors have provided evidence of alternative route to control membrane biofouling. This study investigated the role of Piper betle extract (PBE) as an anti-QS agent to mitigate membrane biofouling. Results demonstrated the occurrence of the N-acyl-homoserine-lactone (AHL) autoinducers (AIs), correlate QS activity and membrane biofouling mitigation. The AIs production in bioreactor was confirmed using an indicator strain Agrobacterium tumefaciens (NTL4) harboring plasmid pZLR4. Moreover, three different AHLs were found in biocake using thin layer chromatographic analysis. An increase in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and transmembrane pressure (TMP) was observed with AHL activity of the biocake during continuous MBR operation, which shows that membrane biofouling was in close relationship with QS activity. PBE was verified to mitigate membrane biofouling via inhibiting AIs production. SEM analysis further confirmed the effect of PBE on EPS and biofilm formation. These results exhibited that PBE could be a novel agent to target AIs for mitigation of membrane biofouling. Further work can be carried out to purify the active compound of Piper betle extract to target the QS to mitigate membrane biofouling.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biofouling/prevention & control*
  3. Adverse drug reactions in a population of hospitalized very elderly patients
    Tangiisuran B, Davies JG, Wright JE, Rajkumar C
    Drugs Aging, 2012 Aug 1;29(8):669-79.
    PMID: 22775477 DOI: 10.2165/11632630-000000000-00000
    The aims of the study were to determine the rates, types, severity and preventability of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in a hospitalized population of very elderly patients (over 80 years of age) and to identify factors that predispose the very elderly to an ADR.
    Matched MeSH terms: Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/prevention & control
  4. Fulltext Oral care practice for the ventilated patients in intensive care units: a pilot survey
    Soh KL, Shariff Ghazali S, Soh KG, Abdul Raman R, Sharif Abdullah SS, Ong SL
    J Infect Dev Ctries, 2012 Apr;6(4):333-9.
    PMID: 22505443
    INTRODUCTION: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection in intensive care units (ICUs). One factor causing VAP is aspiration of oral colonisation, which may result from poor oral care practice. Oral care using tooth brushing can prevent formulation of dental plaque that can be a reservoir for microbes causing VAP.
    METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 124 nurses, using a self-administered questionnaire, to determine methods used, frequency, and attitude of nurses toward oral care provided to mechanically ventilated patients in Malaysian ICUs.
    RESULTS: Methods for oral care and their frequency of use varied between nurses even in the same unit. Cotton with forceps was used by 73.4% of the nurses. Some nurses used forceps and gauze (65%) or spatulas and gauze (36%). Toothbrushes were used by 50.8% of the nurses. Nurses in this hospital reported to have positive attitude toward providing oral care.
    CONCLUSIONS: The survey showed the need to have standardised oral care protocols in ICUs to improve quality of oral care provided to ventilated patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated/prevention & control*
  5. A large exposure to Brucella melitensis in a diagnostic laboratory
    Sam IC, Karunakaran R, Kamarulzaman A, Ponnampalavanar S, Syed Omar SF, Ng KP, et al.
    J Hosp Infect, 2012 Apr;80(4):321-5.
    PMID: 22237130 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.12.004
    Brucella species are easily transmitted by aerosols and can be acquired in the laboratory.
    Matched MeSH terms: Brucellosis/prevention & control*
  6. Fulltext A Hendra virus G glycoprotein subunit vaccine protects African green monkeys from Nipah virus challenge
    Bossart KN, Rockx B, Feldmann F, Brining D, Scott D, LaCasse R, et al.
    Sci Transl Med, 2012 Aug 08;4(146):146ra107.
    PMID: 22875827 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3004241
    In the 1990s, Hendra virus and Nipah virus (NiV), two closely related and previously unrecognized paramyxoviruses that cause severe disease and death in humans and a variety of animals, were discovered in Australia and Malaysia, respectively. Outbreaks of disease have occurred nearly every year since NiV was first discovered, with case fatality ranging from 10 to 100%. In the African green monkey (AGM), NiV causes a severe lethal respiratory and/or neurological disease that essentially mirrors fatal human disease. Thus, the AGM represents a reliable disease model for vaccine and therapeutic efficacy testing. We show that vaccination of AGMs with a recombinant subunit vaccine based on the henipavirus attachment G glycoprotein affords complete protection against subsequent NiV infection with no evidence of clinical disease, virus replication, or pathology observed in any challenged subjects. Success of the recombinant subunit vaccine in nonhuman primates provides crucial data in supporting its further preclinical development for potential human use.
    Matched MeSH terms: Henipavirus Infections/prevention & control
  7. Fulltext Nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice of teachers in rehabilitation centres in northern Malaysia
    Chen ST, Soo KL, Azriani AR, Van Rostenberghe H, Sakinah H
    Malays J Nutr, 2012 Aug;18(2):185-205.
    PMID: 24575666 MyJurnal
    Persons with disabilities (PWD) are susceptible to malnutrition. Caregivers or teachers in rehabilitation centres may not be adequately trained in nutrition management of PWD. The aims of this study were (i) to assess the nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice among teachers in community-based rehabilitation centres for PWD; and (ii) to evaluate changes in the nutrition knowledge and attitude of the teachers before and after exposure to a training workshop on nutrition management for PWD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Malnutrition/prevention & control
  8. Participating in a virtual reality balance exercise program can reduce risk and fear of falls
    Singh DK, Rajaratnam BS, Palaniswamy V, Pearson H, Raman VP, Bong PS
    Maturitas, 2012 Nov;73(3):239-43.
    PMID: 22884437 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.07.011
    The objective of this study was to quantify the effectiveness of virtual reality balance games (VRBG) to decrease risk and fear of falls among women.
    Matched MeSH terms: Accidental Falls/prevention & control*
  9. Protective effects of Tualang honey on bone structure in experimental postmenopausal rats
    Zaid SS, Sulaiman SA, Othman NH, Soelaiman IN, Shuid AN, Mohamad N, et al.
    Clinics (Sao Paulo), 2012 Jul;67(7):779-84.
    PMID: 22892923
    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Tualang honey on trabecular structure and compare these effects with those of calcium supplementation in ovariectomized rats.

    METHODS: Forty female, Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (n =8): four controls and one test arm. The control arm comprised a baseline control, sham-operated control, ovariectomized control, and ovariectomized calcium-treated rats (receiving 1% calcium in drinking water ad libitum). The test arm was composed of ovariectomized, Tualang honey-treated rats (received 0.2 g/kg body weight of Tualang honey). Both the sham-operated control and ovariectomized control groups received vehicle treatment (deionized water), and the baseline control group was sacrificed without treatment.

    RESULTS: All rats were orally gavaged daily for six weeks after day one post-surgery. The bone structural analysis of rats in the test arm group showed a significant increase in the bone volume per tissue volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and trabecular number (Tb.N) and a significant decrease in inter-trabecular space (Tb.Sp) compared with the ovariectomized control group. The trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) in the test arm group was significantly higher compared with the ovariectomized-calcium treated group, and the inter-trabecular space (Tb.Sp) in the test arm group was significantly narrower compared with the ovariectomized-calcium treated group.

    CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ovariectomized rats that received Tualang honey showed more improvements in trabecular bone structure than the rats that received calcium.

    Matched MeSH terms: Osteoporosis/prevention & control
  10. Human energy expenditure in lowland rice cultivation in Malaysia
    Nawi NM, Yahya A, Chen G, Bockari-Gevao SM, Maraseni TN
    J Agric Saf Health, 2012 Jan;18(1):45-56.
    PMID: 22458015
    A study was undertaken to evaluate the human energy consumption of various field operations involved in lowland rice cultivation in Malaysia. Based on recorded average heart rates, fertilizing was found to be the most strenuous operation, with an average heart rate of 138 beats min(-1). There were no significant differences in the average heart rates of the subjects among the individual tasks within the first plowing, second plowing, and harvesting operations, with the average heart rates for these three tasks being 116, 106, and 106 beats min(-1), respectively. The corresponding energy expenditures were 3.90, 3.43, and 3.35 kcal min(-1). Loading the seed into the blower tank and broadcasting the seed were the most critical tasks for the seed broadcasting operation, with average heart rates of 124 and 136 beats min(-1), respectively. The highest energy expenditure of 418.38 kcal ha(-1) was observed for seed broadcasting, and the lowest energy expenditure of 127.96 kcal ha(-1) was for second plowing. The total seasonal human energy expenditure for rice cultivation was estimated to be 5810.71 kcal ha(-1), 55.7% of which was spent on pesticide spraying. Although the sample size in this study was relatively small, the results indicated that human energy expenditure per unit area (kcal ha(-1)) was positively linked to the average heart rate of the subjects and negatively linked to the field capacity. Thus, mechanization of certain tasks could decrease worker physical effort and fatigue and increase production.
    Matched MeSH terms: Agricultural Workers' Diseases/prevention & control
  11. Trends in sustainable landfilling in Malaysia, a developing country
    Fauziah SH, Agamuthu P
    Waste Manag Res, 2012 Jul;30(7):656-63.
    PMID: 22455994 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X12437564
    In Malaysia, landfills are being filled up rapidly due to the current daily generation of approximately 30,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste. This situation creates the crucial need for improved landfilling practices, as sustainable landfilling technology is yet to be achieved here. The objective of this paper is to identify and evaluate the development and trends in landfilling practices in Malaysia. In 1970, the disposal sites in Malaysia were small and prevailing waste disposal practices was mere open-dumping. This network of relatively small dumps, typically located close to population centres, was considered acceptable for a relatively low population of 10 million in Malaysia. In the 1980s, a national programme was developed to manage municipal and industrial wastes more systematically and to reduce adverse environmental impacts. The early 1990s saw the privatization of waste management in many parts of Malaysia, and the establishment of the first sanitary landfills for MSW and an engineered landfill (called 'secure landfill' in Malaysia) for hazardous waste. A public uproar in 2007 due to contamination of a drinking water source from improper landfilling practices led to some significant changes in the government's policy regarding the country's waste management strategy. Parliament passed the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management (SWPCM) Act 2007 in August 2007. Even though the Act is yet to be implemented, the government has taken big steps to improve waste management system further. The future of the waste management in Malaysia seems somewhat brighter with a clear waste management policy in place. There is now a foundation upon which to build a sound and sustainble waste management and disposal system in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Water Pollution/prevention & control
  12. Factors associated with success or failure of quit attempts: a clinical approach for lung cancer prevention
    Su TT, Sallehuddin BA, Murniati HH, Swinder J, Al Sadat N, Saimy I
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2012;13(1):175-9.
    PMID: 22502663
    The objective of the study is to investigate the success rate of quit attempts and identify factors associated with success or failure of quit attempts in a quit smoking clinic. A cohort study was conducted with 495 smokers who enrolled in a quit smoking clinic from 2005 to 2008. The factors leading to quit smoking successfully were "being Malay", "having high blood pressure" "type of Nicotine Replacement Therapy" and "duration of follow up". In contrast, clerical staff had negative association to quit smoking. People who started smoking in their teenage years had a high risk of relapse. Integration of active follow up and tailor-made support programmes for quitters appear necessary in order to maintain their non-smoking status and encourage them to be permanent quitters. Integration of quit smoking clinics and primary care clinics could be another potential step for the success of quit smoking programmes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Lung Neoplasms/prevention & control*
  13. A systematic review of silver-containing dressings and topical silver agents (used with dressings) for burn wounds
    Aziz Z, Abu SF, Chong NJ
    Burns, 2012 May;38(3):307-18.
    PMID: 22030441 DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2011.09.020
    Silver preparations are commonly used for burns, but evidence of their effectiveness remains poorly defined. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of silver-containing dressings and topical silver for preventing infection and promoting healing in burns wounds through a meta-analysis of the available evidence. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and relevant databases were searched. Drug companies and experts in this field were also contacted. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of silver dressings or topical silver (used with dressings) compared with non-silver dressings were eligible for inclusion. We identified 14 RCTs involving 877 participants. One small trial of a silver-containing dressing showed significantly better healing time compared to the control [MD -3.6; 95% CI -4.94 to -2.26 for partial thickness burns and MD -3.9; 95% CI -4.54 to -3.26 for superficial burns]. Topical silver showed significantly worse healing time compared to the non-silver group [WMD 3.96; 95% CI 2.41-5.51] and showed no evidence of effectiveness in preventing wounds infection [WMD 2.48; 95% CI 0.39-15.73]. Our review suggests that silver-containing dressings and topical silver were either no better or worse than control dressings in preventing wound infection and promoting healing of burn wounds.
    Matched MeSH terms: Wound Infection/prevention & control*
  14. Phosphorus removal using nanofiltration membranes
    Leo CP, Chai WK, Mohammad AW, Qi Y, Hoedley AF, Chai SP
    Water Sci Technol, 2011;64(1):199-205.
    PMID: 22053475
    A high concentration of phosphorus in wastewater may lead to excessive algae growth and deoxygenation of the water. In this work, nanofiltration (NF) of phosphorus-rich solutions is studied in order to investigate its potential in removing and recycling phosphorus. Wastewater samples from a pulp and paper plant were first analyzed. Commercial membranes (DK5, MPF34, NF90, NF270, NF200) were characterized and tested in permeability and phosphorus removal experiments. NF90 membranes offer the highest rejection of phosphorus; a rejection of more than 70% phosphorus was achieved for a feed containing 2.5 g/L of phosphorus at a pH <2. Additionally, NF90, NF200 and NF270 membranes show higher permeability than DK5 and MPF34 membranes. The separation performance of NF90 is slightly affected by phosphorus concentration and pressure, which may be due to concentration polarization and fouling. By adjusting the pH to 2 or adding sulfuric acid, the separation performance of NF90 was improved in removing phosphorus. However, the presence of acetic acid significantly impairs the rejection of phosphorus.
    Matched MeSH terms: Industrial Waste/prevention & control
  15. Assessing quality of a worksite health promotion programme from participants' views: findings from a qualitative study in Malaysia
    Liau SY, Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Ibrahim MI
    Health Expect, 2014 Feb;17(1):116-28.
    PMID: 22050457 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2011.00742.x
    An assessment of the process and outcomes of a health promotion programme is necessary for the continuous improvement of a programme.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control*
  16. Longitudinal study of dental caries increment in Malaysian school children: a 5-year cohort study
    Masood M, Yusof N, Hassan MI, Jaafar N
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2014 May;26(3):260-7.
    PMID: 22218936 DOI: 10.1177/1010539511420704
    The aim of this 5-year longitudinal cohort study was to assess the prevalence, severity, and trends in caries increment and impact of the School Dental Incremental Care Programme (SDICP). Data were gathered from school dental records as part of the SDICP. A sample of 1830 children were included and checked for caries experience annually using World Health Organization criteria. In total, 95.4% of the children were caries free in 2004, and caries experience declined to 70.5% in 2009 with an average of 4.9% annually. At baseline, the mean DMFT (confidence interval [CI]) was 0.06 (0.05-0.08) and increased to 0.58 (0.53-0.63) in 2009. Children with active caries were 4.4% in 2004, and figures rose to 9.6% in 2009. The FT component increased most rapidly during these 5 years from 0.2% to 25.1%. Overall caries prevalence and increment was low in this study. Proportions of FT component were higher as compared with DT component with low rate of extractions during the latter years of the study.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dental Caries/prevention & control
  17. Lightning safety of animals
    Gomes C
    Int J Biometeorol, 2012 Nov;56(6):1011-23.
    PMID: 22215021 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-011-0515-5
    This paper addresses a concurrent multidisciplinary problem: animal safety against lightning hazards. In regions where lightning is prevalent, either seasonally or throughout the year, a considerable number of wild, captive and tame animals are injured due to lightning generated effects. The paper discusses all possible injury mechanisms, focusing mainly on animals with commercial value. A large number of cases from several countries have been analyzed. Economically and practically viable engineering solutions are proposed to address the issues related to the lightning threats discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Lightning Injuries/prevention & control
  18. Does ethnicity contribute to the control of cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes?
    Lee PY, Cheong AT, Zaiton A, Mastura I, Chew BH, Sazlina SG, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2013 Jul;25(4):316-25.
    PMID: 22186400 DOI: 10.1177/1010539511430521
    This study aimed to examine the control of cardiovascular risk factors among the ethnic groups with type 2 diabetes in Malaysia. The authors analyzed the data of 70 092 adults from the Malaysian diabetes registry database. Malays had the worst achievement of target for most of the risk factors. Indians had poor achievement of control for waist circumference (odds ratio [OR] = 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.6-0.7) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4-0.5). As compared with the Malays, the Chinese had a better achievement of target control for the risk factors, including the following: body mass index (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2-1.4), blood pressure (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.3-1.4), total cholesterol (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.6-1.8), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.6-1.8), glycated hemoglobin A1c (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.3-1.4) and fasting blood glucose (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.3-1.5). Ethnicity, sociocultural factors, and psychobehavioral factors should be addressed in designing and management strategies for the control of cardiovascular risk factors among type 2 diabetes patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control
  19. Fulltext Prevalence, distribution and correlates of tobacco smoking and chewing in Nepal: a secondary data analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey-2006
    Sreeramareddy CT, Ramakrishnareddy N, Harsha Kumar H, Sathian B, Arokiasamy JT
    Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy, 2011;6:33.
    PMID: 22185233 DOI: 10.1186/1747-597X-6-33
    BACKGROUND: Nearly four-fifths of estimated 1.1 million smokers live in low or middle-income countries. We aimed to provide national estimates for Nepal on tobacco use prevalence, its distribution across demographic, socio-economic and spatial variables and correlates of tobacco use.
    METHODS: A secondary data analysis of 2006 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) was done. A representative sample of 9,036 households was selected by two-stage stratified, probability proportional to size (PPS) technique. We constructed three outcome variables 'tobacco smoke', 'tobacco chewer' and 'any tobacco use' based on four questions about tobacco use that were asked in DHS questionnaires. Socio-economic, demographic and spatial predictor variables were used. We computed overall prevalence for 'tobacco smoking', 'tobacco chewing' and 'any tobacco use' i.e. point estimates of prevalence rates, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjustment for strata and clustering at primary sampling unit (PSU) level. For correlates of tobacco use, we used multivariate analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and their 95% CIs. A p-value < 0.05 was considered as significant.
    RESULTS: Total number of households, eligible women and men interviewed was 8707, 10793 and 4397 respectively. The overall prevalence for 'any tobacco use', 'tobacco smoking' and 'tobacco chewing' were 30.3% (95% CI 28.9, 31.7), 20.7% (95% CI 19.5, 22.0) and 14.6% (95% CI 13.5, 15.7) respectively. Prevalence among men was significantly higher than women for 'any tobacco use' (56.5% versus 19.6%), 'tobacco smoking' (32.8% versus 15.8%) and 'tobacco chewing' (38.0% versus 5.0%). By multivariate analysis, older adults, men, lesser educated and those with lower wealth quintiles were more likely to be using all forms of tobacco. Divorced, separated, and widowed were more likely to smoke (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.14, 1.94) and chew tobacco (OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.97, 1.93) as compared to those who were currently married. Prevalence of 'tobacco chewing' was higher in eastern region (19.7%) and terai/plains (16.2%). 'Tobacco smoking' and 'any tobacco use' were higher in rural areas, mid-western and far western and mountainous areas.
    CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of tobacco use is considerably high among Nepalese people. Demographic and socioeconomic determinants and spatial distribution should be considered while planning tobacco control interventions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  20. Infectious diseases following natural disasters: prevention and control measures
    Kouadio IK, Aljunid S, Kamigaki T, Hammad K, Oshitani H
    Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther, 2012 Jan;10(1):95-104.
    PMID: 22149618 DOI: 10.1586/eri.11.155
    Natural disasters may lead to infectious disease outbreaks when they result in substantial population displacement and exacerbate synergic risk factors (change in the environment, in human conditions and in the vulnerability to existing pathogens) for disease transmission. We reviewed risk factors and potential infectious diseases resulting from prolonged secondary effects of major natural disasters that occurred from 2000 to 2011. Natural disasters including floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, tropical cyclones (e.g., hurricanes and typhoons) and tornadoes have been secondarily described with the following infectious diseases including diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria, leptospirosis, measles, dengue fever, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, meningitis, as well as tetanus and cutaneous mucormycosis. Risk assessment is essential in post-disaster situations and the rapid implementation of control measures through re-establishment and improvement of primary healthcare delivery should be given high priority, especially in the absence of pre-disaster surveillance data.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control*
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