Background: Despite regularly participating in international and national level multisport events, there is still
limited data on the pattern of injuries and illnesses and factors associated with injuries and illnesses in Malaysia.
Such information is crucial to instil preventive measures because sustaining injuries during competition could
hamper the athlete’s performance.
Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the incidence, patterns and risk factors of injuries and illnesses
among athletes throughout SUKIPT 2018, from the 2nd to the 10th of February 2018. All injuries and illnesses
treated by tournament medical personnel were reported using a standardised online injury reporting form.
This form was adapted from the injury surveillance form used by the International Olympic Committee.
Results: A total of 6071 athletes from 80 contingents took part in SUKIPT 2018. During the nine days of
competition 323 injuries and 48 illnesses were reported, resulting in an incidence of 5.3 injuries and 0.8 illness
per 100 athletes. Approximately 6% of the athletes sustained at least one injury or illness.
Conclusion: In summary, the incidence of injuries and illnesses among athletes during SUKIPT was 5.3 and
0.8 per 100 athletes, respectively. Muscle strain/rupture/tear was the most common pattern of injury while
collision with another athlete was the most frequent mechanism of injury. Meanwhile, the respiratory system
was the most commonly affected by illness and infection was the most prevalent cause of illness.
Introduction: Dengue fever currently remains as one of the major public health issues in Malaysia. Dengue inci-dence in Malaysia has been increasing in the last 20 years. Dengue fever has been causing an economic burden to the country each year. Vector control is one of the preventions and control activities to reduce its incidence. Vector control activities, especially fogging is a resource-intensive activity. It uses most of the allocated budget of a district health office (33%). The major cost components of the prevention and control activities were human resources and pesticides with 60.7% were for human resources and 13.6% of the costs were for pesticides. Therefore, it is important to know, cost of each fogging activity and the factors that contribute to that cost. The objective of this study was to determine the costs of fogging activities carried out by Hulu Langat Health District Office, Selangor, Malaysia. Meth-ods: This study was a retrospective descriptive and analytical study using data from the Hulu Langat District Health Office for the year 2018. Cost analysis of fogging activities was carried out using the activity-based costing method-ology. The factors associated with, and predictors of, the costs of fogging activities were determined using chi-square and multiple linear regression. Results: In 2018, Hulu Langat District Health Office carried out total of 2,063 fogging activities. The average cost of each fogging activity was estimated as RM 1,579. Types of insecticides was statistically significant associated and predictive factor of the cost of fogging activity. Conclusion: The present study showed that the estimated average cost per fogging activity is RM 1,579 and water-based insecticide was found to be the cheaper option compared to oil-based insecticide. However, as this study did not determine the effectiveness of these insec-ticides, recommendations cannot be made as to which insecticide should be used.
This study was conducted to evaluate the differences of physiological and biomechanical variables during 2 km rowing time trials on a stationary versus dynamic ergometer. Ten state-level rowers (male: 6, female: 4) voluntarily participated in the study. Two sessions of 2 km time trial were conducted: one on a static ergometer and another on a dynamic ergometer. Data on oxygen consumption, blood lactate concentration, maximum heart rate, stroke rate, time to completion and lower limb angles at sagittal plane were collected and analysed during the tests. A paired T-test was used to compare the physiological and biomechanical variables across stationary and dynamic ergometer. Stroke rate, maximum heart rate, drive to recovery phase ratio and VO2max showed statistically significant differences during 2 km rowing time trials on stationary versus dynamic ergometer. Moreover, VO2max was inversely related with high correlation to time to completion of 2 km rowing test on both ergometers. Height, body fat and VO2max are the major determinants of 2 km rowing time trials on stationary and dynamic ergometer. The outcomes from this study are important to enhance rowing performance especially for rowers.
Empirical studies pertaining to the effects of fiscal policy instruments on environmental quality have provided mixed evidence. We consider the asymmetric effects of fiscal policy instruments on environmental quality for the top ten Asian carbon emitters over the period 1981-2018. We go beyond the literature and claim that the effects could be asymmetric. More specifically, we found that a positive shock in government expenditure will worsen environmental quality in Malaysia, UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, India, and China, and improve it in Japan. On the other hand, we found that cutting government expenditure will improve environmental quality in these economies and will worsen only in Japan. Moreover, a higher government income tax revenue uniquely increases the government's spending that increases the carbon emissions in Malaysia, UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, India, and China, and decrease in Japan. The negative shock of government revenue has adverse results on carbon emissions in these economies. However, short-run asymmetric effects translate to long-run effects in most Asian economies.
Door to needle (DTN) time for thrombolysis in the Emergency Department, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (ED, UKMMC) is an indicator that can reduce mortality and morbidity of patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). This study was conducted to determine factors that influence DTN time for acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and whether it has achieved the recommended time of 30 minutes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients diagnosed with acute STEMI and thrombolysed in ED, UKMMC from June 2016 until March 2017. A data collection sheet was used to collect patient’s demographic data and clinical data which included time of arrival to ED, time of initial electrocardiogram (ECG), time of drug preparation and time of thrombolytic delivery to the patient. A total of 98 patients were included in this study. Majority of patients (77.6%) were thrombolysed more than 30 minutes following ED arrival. Mean DTN in ED, UKKMC was 59.28 + 36.01 minutes. The mean door to ECG time was 7.19 + 8.08 minutes and the mean drug preparation time was 9.86 + 7.51 minutes. Out of 76 (77.6%) patients that were thrombolysed after 30 minutes of ED arrival, 59.2% (n=45) were due to multiple disciplinary referral. Other factors were delay in performing initial ECG 19.8% (n=15), incorrect initial ECG interpretation 9.2% (n=7) and unavoidable need for prior resuscitation 9.2% (n=7). As a conclusion this study showed that there was an unacceptable delay in hospital thrombolysis for acute STEMI.
This work is aimed at evaluating the conversion of Pterocarpus indicus twigs into activated carbon via composite chemical activation for methylene blue and congo red dyes adsorption. The activated carbons were prepared by single-step chemical activation using zinc chloride and/or phosphoric acid at different mass impregnation ratios at 600 °C for 90 min. The activated carbons were characterized for textural properties and surface chemistry. The batch adsorption was investigated at different concentrations (5-1,000 mg/L), contact times (2-540 min) and temperatures (30-60 °C). Phosphoric acid-activated twigs carbon showed a high surface area of 1,445 m2/g with maximum methylene blue adsorption capacity of 438 mg/g. On the other hand, a composite-activated carbon yields a 217 mg/g of congo red removal. The adsorption data for both dyes fitted well with Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetics models, indicating the predominance of chemical adsorption through monolayer coverage of dye molecules on the homogenous surface of activated carbon. The thermodynamics properties of dye adsorption onto twigs-derived activated carbons indicated that the process is endothermic, spontaneous and favourable at high temperature. Overall, activated carbons derived from Pterocarpus indicus twigs could be effectively used for dye wastewater treatment.
Sharir Aizat Kamaruddin, Muhammad Huzaifah Jaafar, Muhammad Ariff Zakariya, Muhammad Fayyadh Fadzilan, Aliff Iqbal Ahmad Nadzri, Khairul Naim Abd.Aziz, et al.
This research is conducted to investigate the effects of cubed and crushed ice on the crude fat, ash, and
moisture content of Channa striata and Clarias batrachus. The samples were chilled to four and seven days in the Polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) boxes filled with cubed ice and crushed ice. Before the determination of crude, ash, and moisture content, the samples were frozen for 1 week. Statistical
analyses were carried out to indicate the significant difference in the effects of treatment days and
physical characteristics of ice towards the crude fat, ash, and moisture content. The result concludes that crushed ice is more superior to cubed ice for all experiments. The outcomes of this research benefit many parties specially to cubed ice suppliers to support aquaculture industries and the socio-economic sectors in Malaysia.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging disease caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which leads to severe respiratory infections in humans. COVID-19 was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan city, a populated area of the Hubei province in China. As of now, Wuhan and other cities nearby have become safe places for locals. The rapid control of the spread of COVID-19 infection was made possible due to several interventions and measures that were undertaken in Wuhan. This narrative review study was designed to evaluate the emerging literature on the combined measures taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan city. Science Direct, Springer, Web of Science, and the PubMed data repositories were searched for studies published between December 1, 2019, and June 07, 2020. The referred "preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses" (PRISMA) protocol was used to conduct this narrative review. A total of 330 research studies were found as a result of the initial search based on exclusion and inclusion criteria, and 30 articles were chosen on final evaluation. It was discovered that the combined measures to control the spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan included cordon sanitaire, social distancing, universal symptom surveys, quarantine strategies, and transport restrictions. Based on the recommendations presented in this review study, existing policies with regard to combined measures and public health policies can be enforced by other countries to implement a rapid control procedure to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduction: Investigation on spiritual issue in healthcare practice received less attention. Muslims valued pray activity or known as salat as one of the important daily activity. However, negligible study is available on salat as the end goal of occupational therapy intervention. This study aims to investigate the awareness and the impact of Muslim-culture on occupational therapists in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted via internet-based and manual paper-and-pencil survey throughout occupational therapists in Malaysia. Descriptive and inferential statistics using percentage, Cronbach’s alpha and Chi-square was implemented on the findings. Results: In total, 119 occupational therapists responded. The questionnaire has overall internal consistency ofα = 0.74. Occupational therapists have positive perceptions on spiritual activity but poorly translated into service implementation and faced challenges. Factors such as level of education, years of experience, religion, working location and work setting were significant on the awareness, perception, practice and challenges. Cultural-based practice is challenging for occupational therapy even in the majority-practice context. Occupational therapists should differentiate between belief and activity in spiritual issue to provide a better assistance for the clients. Conclusion: This study showed continuing education is desired to drive the occupational therapy profession for a better cultural-sensitivity service delivery.
Osteomyelitis of the mandible, a serious complication of untreated odontogenic infection has been reported. This case report describes an interesting presentation of chronic suppurative osteomyelitis (CSO) of the mandible in a 13 years old anaemic male patient. Investigations revealed inversion of his permanent teeth leading to trans-cutaneous extra-oral eruption along with marked destruction of mandible on the affected side. The treatment included a pre surgical course of antibiotics followed by the removal of the retained second premolar tooth, surgical debridement of the affected bone, and resection of the cutaneous sinus tract. The post-operative healing was uneventful. A combination of antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement were effective in the treatment of chronic suppurative osteomyelitis.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to examine medical students’ views on the usefulness of a community project as a venue to train professionalism. Methods:Medical students at Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS) were surveyed following psychiatry community projects organized during year 4 undergraduate attachments in psychiatry. Results: A total of 176 students returned the survey forms. A majority of medical students thought that the psychiatry community project promotes teamwork and leadership skills. About a quarter thought that it helped foster their communication ability and encouraged them to be more reflective in their daily lives. These findings were translated into the potential of the community project to train “collaborative” and “managerial” affective domain learning outcomes of the university. Conclusions: The findings indicate that psychiatry community project or similar programmes may be useful tools to train several elements of medical professionalism. Future research however should utilise specific measurements to confirm this finding.
Familial Paroxysmal Rhabdomyolysis of the non-exertional variety is a rare but treatable disorder previously not described in Malaysia. We report 3 Malay siblings of a consanguinous marriage who developed myoglobulinuria during a febrile illness. The first 2 died without being investigated, but the last had creatinine kinase levels of 24,800 UIL suggesting acute rhabdomyolysis. Fasting appears to be a major precipitating factor, and glucose infusions combined with alkaline diuresis may be life-saving.
Introduction: Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja) is rich in phytochemicals and can be utilised in diet diversification strategies to improve the health of individuals. lbis study was designed to incorporate dry and aqueous extracts of C. caudatus for the preparation of herbal noodles. Methods: For this purpose, different proportions of dry extract (2, 4 and 6% dry extract) and aqueous extract (5, 10 and 15% aqueous extract) of C. caudatus were used. The physicochemical properties of noodles evaluated were pH, cooking time, cooking loss, texture and colour. Total polyphenol contents (TPq and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay were carried out to assess the antioxidant potential. Lastly, sensory appraisal of functional noodles was carried out to assess consumer acceptance and marketability. Results: The results on physicochemical properties indicated that the pH value of noodles varied from 8.66 to 10.47. In terms of textural analysis and colour properties, firmness and greenness (a*) were higher in dry extract noodles. TPC varied between 115to149 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE/lOOg) whilst the highest DPPH free radical inhibition was exhibited in herbal noodles prepared using 4% dry extract (92.8%). In contrast, in terms of sensory appraisal, herbal noodles prepared with aqueous extract were more acceptable than dry extract noodles. Conclusion: C. caudatus can be utilised to prepare herbal noodles thus enhancing the dietary intake of phytochemicals especially antioxidants. Such functional foods can improve the health of consumers and offer the potential of protection against various ailments.
The therapy of various diseases by the drugs entrapped in calixarene derivatives is gaining attraction of researchers nowadays. Calixarenes are macrocyclic nano-baskets which belong to cavitands class of host-guest chemistry. They are the marvelous hosts with distinct hydrophobic three dimensional cavities to entrap and encapsulate biologically active guest drugs. Calixarene and its derivatives develop inclusion complexes with various types of drugs and vitamins for their sustained/targeted release. Calixarene and its derivatives are used as carriers for anti-cancer, anti-convulsant, anti-hypertensive, anthelmentic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antipsychotic drugs. They are the important biocompatible receptors to improve solubility, chemical reactivity and decrease cytotoxicity of poorly soluble drugs in supramolecular chemistry. This review focuses on the calixarene and its derivatives as the state-of-the-art in host-guest interactions for important drugs. We have also critically evaluated calixarenes for the development of prodrugs.
Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) is a cosmopolitan scuttle fly of medical and forensic importance. This
species is generally small, humpbacked and is a prominent decomposer of corpses indoors. Taxonomically, adult sexes
can be distinguished based on the characteristics of the terminal segments of the abdomen. In this report, the terminalia
of adult male and female M. scalaris were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The terminal segment
of an adult female is less complex compared to male, consisting of an ovipositor and cerci. In male, the hypopygium
consists of epandrium, hypandrium, anal tube and penis complex. A pair of long and feathered setae was attached to the
tip of the anal tube and tapered. The application of SEM to identify this species isuseful and can be expanded to other
species in this fly group.
This study was conducted to optimize the production of spray-dried white dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) powder using resistant maltodextrin as wall material. The inlet air temperature (140 °C, 150 °C and 160 °C), outlet temperature (75 °C, 80 °C and 85 °C) and resistant maltodextrin concentrations (20%, 25% and 30%) were tested as independent variables. Process yield, moisture content, water activity, solubility, hygroscopicity and bulk density of the powders were analysed as responses. Process yield significantly (p
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a novel pandemic that affects every other country in the world. Various countries have adopted control measures involving restriction of movement. Several studies have used mathematical modelling to predict the dynamic of this pandemic. Forecasting techniques can be used to predict the incidence cases for the short term. The study aims to forecast the COVID-19 incidence using the Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) method. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Using publicly available data, we performed a forecast of Malaysia COVID-19 new cases using Expert Modeler Method in SPSS and ARIMA model in R to predict COVID-19 cases in Malaysia. We compare 3 different time frames based on different Movement Control Order (MCO) period. We compare the model fit and prediction across models.RESULTS:All models show static cases for each MCO 7-day prediction. For prediction until 12 May, the third MCO time frame shows the best model fit for both techniques. Both software shows a stationary trend of cases of below 100. CONCLUSION:These MCO models have shown to stabilize the rate of new cases. Further sub analysis and quality of data is needed to improve the accuracy of the model.
Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi amalan pengambilan makanan lestari dalam kalangan isi rumah di Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Sebanyak 200 orang responden telah dipilih secara pensampelan rawak mudah dan maklumat dikumpul dengan menggunakan borang soal selidik. Hasil analisis regresi linear pelbagai menunjukkan pengaruh faktor-faktor peramal bagi amalan pengambilan makanan lestari ialah sebanyak 33.8%. Kesimpulannya, faktor-faktor peramal yang mempengaruhi amalan pengambilan makanan lestari ialah kesedaran dan sikap. Oleh itu, kajian ini berpotensi sebagai sumber maklumat kepada pengeluar, pasaraya, media dan pengusaha makanan domestik berhubung kepentingan makanan lestari dalam pembangunan produk dan pengedaran bahan pengiklanan, justeru dapat menyediakan menu yang berkhasiat, sihat dan seimbang kepada masyarakat.
This case study aims to discuss a proposal for identifying anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) risk by observing the variability of side cutting kinematics with respect to the development of fatigue. One participant (n=1) sustained an ACL injury while performing a side-cutting task during the latter stages of a soccer match a few months after a recorded laboratory session. Data from his laboratory session were then compared to matched samples of seventeen healthy, uninjured participants (n=17). The injured participant was found to have performed his side-cutting task with a lower deviation than mean variability before the later stages of the second half of simulated soccer match-play. Over time, the participant performed sidecutting tasks with increasing variability in sagittal plane kinematics, suggesting that compensatory actions may have been implemented to facilitate the task execution. This elevated variability may be indicative of an increased risk of ACL injury. Further prospective investigation is warranted to gain a deeper understanding of how variabilities may play a role in task execution performance with respect to injury mechanisms.
Malaysia has previously experienced various incidents and issues involving race and religion and it has caused problems in terms of relations between races and religions. Issues involving religion and race often involve Islam, which is also the official religion of Malaysia. Islam is often a sensitive subject because it is often used as a tool to maintain the hegemony and status quo by the government in the context of Malaysia. In 2013, a non-governmental organization known as " COMANGO" submitted several demands involving human rights in Malaysia to the United Nations (UN) at the Universal Periodic Assessment (UPR). COMANGO was said to have made several demands that challenged the position of Islam and Malays in Malaysia and also promoting free sex. This issue has received widespread coverage in the Malaysian press; especially the mainstream press and it is seen as an issue that can benefit the government to strengthen their power by playing this issue to the general public. Therefore, this article aims to examine the messages delivered by the mainstream press on this issue, specifically Utusan Malaysia and The Star. The findings of the study show that the two newspapers provide almost the same coverage with little differences. Utusan Malaysia is seen as strongly opposing to COMANGO demands and elevates the UMNO party as a party that really fight for Islam while The Star, although seen as giving COMANGO more opportunities to express their stance, is seen to be cautious in their reporting on the issue