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Fulltext Outbreak of pneumonia in an army recruit training centre, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, July-August, 2000

Mohamed Paid, Y., Muhammad Amir, K., Mustafa Bakri, A., Low, S.H.

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2004;4(1):35-0.
MyJurnal

An outbreak of pneumonia occurred among 1,491 recruits undergoing training at the Army Recruit Training Center, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembihxn, between july to August 2000. They had reported for training 2 weeks before and were placed in new modern concrete 4 floors buiMing with well ventilated dorm. A total of 70 recruits were ajjfected and one died. The attack rate was 4.7% and the case fatality rate was 1.4%. The outbreak ajfected recruits from all the jive companies; J (21/299,
30.0%) , G (19/298, 27.1 %), I (14/298, 20.0%), H (13/298, 18.6%) and F (3/298, 4.3%) . The main presenting symptoms were fever (68/70, 97.1%), cough (62/70, 88.6%), and chest pain (35/70, 50 .0%) . This was a common site outbreak with the mode of spread from person to person through infected droplet. The outbreak has three peaks, which was at lst, 4th and 6th week respectively and lasted for eight weeks. The organisms isobted through blood culture were Streptococcal pneumoniae and Klebsiella pneumoniae. All the cases were managed and treated as in-patients at four dijjferent hospitals depending on the severity of the illness. The main control activities carried out were separation of ill recruits from the healthy, reducing the number of recruits in the dormitories and encourage recruits to drink a lot of water while in training.
Fulltext Molecular detection, identification and differentiation of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Rabiu Muhammad, Aliyu, Mohamed Mustapha, Noordin, Zunita Zakaria, Siti Khairani-bejo

The Pertanika Journal of Scholarly Research Reviews, 2016;2(2):69-79.
MyJurnal

Burkholderia pseudomallei are Gram negative highly pathogenic bacteria of humans and
animals causing a multisystemic disease called melioidosis. They have recently gained a lot of interest
from the research community and public health organisations because of their great potential to be
used as an agent of bioterrorism. This has made the search for simple, rapid, accurate and the most
definitive means of their detection, identification and discrimination very critical and necessary. This
article aimed to review the molecular techniques used for detection, identification and differentiation
of B. pseudomallei. Although, culture and isolation techniques maintained their usefulness in
confirming cases of melioidosis, their time limitation (can take up to a week for confirming diagnosis)
leads to the search for rapid and simple techniques. Consequently, serology-based tests have been
developed which are both faster and less sophisticated. However, the presence of high background
titre levels and cross-reaction with other organisms make it less reliable. Thus, efforts have been
directed to explore rapid and accurate molecular techniques and resulting in the development and
validation of various PCR-based identification techniques targeting either single or multiple genes.
Although requiring some level of instrumentation and expertise, PCR-based techniques have been
reported to be very useful in diagnosis of melioidosis. We recommend the 16S rRNA PCR (especially
augmented with other molecular methods such as gene sequencing and analysis) and MLST
techniques for timely detection, identification and differentiation of B. pseudomallei for routine
diagnosis and epidemiological studies respectively.
Fulltext Passive in situ remediation using permeable reactive barrier for groundwater treatment

Zafira Madzin, Faradiella Mohd Kusin, Mohd Shakirin Md Zahar, Siti Nurjaliah Muhammad

The Pertanika Journal of Scholarly Research Reviews, 2016;2(2):1-11.
MyJurnal

The contamination of water bodies from heavy metals, either from natural sources or
anthropogenic sources, has become a major concern to the public. Industrial activities with improper
water treatment, and then leach into the water body, have become contaminated and harmful to
consume. Passive remediation is one of the treatments introduced to counter this problem as it is a low
cost but effective technique. After being widely acknowledged and through research conducted, the
most suitable remediation technique found is the permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). PRB is defined
as an in situ permeable treatment zone filled with reactive materials, designed to intercept and
remediate a contaminant plume under natural hydraulic gradients. There have been many findings
made from PRB which can be used to remove contaminants such as heavy metal, chlorinated solvents,
carbonates and aromatic hydrocarbons. The most crucial criteria in making a successful PRB is the
reactive media used to remove contaminants. The current paper presents an overview of the PRB
selective medias that have been used and also the unresolved issue on the long term performance of
PRB. The overall methodology for the application of PRB at a given site is also discussed in this
paper. This inexpensive but effective technique is crucial as a sustainable technology in order to treat
the drainage before it enters water tables to prevent water pollution and can be used as an alternative
raw water source.
Fulltext Steady state visual evoked potential based BCI as control method for exoskeleton: a review

Norhafizan Ahmad, Raja Ariffin Raja Ghazilla, Muhammad Zikril Hakim Md Azizi

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2016;16(10):0-0.
MyJurnal

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) provide a vast possibility in enabling the brain to communicate directly with the computer, hence providing an alternative in controlling the machines without much effort. In fields of rehabilitations robotics, the applications of an exoskeletons in assisting a spinal cord injured (SCI) patients were growing. Steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) based BCIs that utilizes the human visual reactions to the constant flickered stimulus quickly showed its potentials among the BCIs used in rehabilitations devices because of its advantages such as a higher immunity to noises and artefacts and also its robustness compared to other BCIs. Rehabilitation exoskeletons demands an approach that are more user friendly and the aspects of control scheme and mechanical parts that are more focused on assisting the patients in rehabilitations and providing a SCI patients an alternatives to explore their surroundings in a more intuitive ways. This paper highlights the current development trends in SSVEP based BCIs for rehabilitation exoskeletons and proposed the potential research scopes in the future that can improve the effectiveness, and its potential applications in rehabilitations.
Fulltext Performance comparison of heuristic algorithms for task scheduling in IaaS cloud computing environment

Madni SHH, Abd Latiff MS, Abdullahi M, Abdulhamid SM, Usman MJ

PLoS One, 2017;12(5):e0176321.
PMID: 28467505 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176321

Cloud computing infrastructure is suitable for meeting computational needs of large task sizes. Optimal scheduling of tasks in cloud computing environment has been proved to be an NP-complete problem, hence the need for the application of heuristic methods. Several heuristic algorithms have been developed and used in addressing this problem, but choosing the appropriate algorithm for solving task assignment problem of a particular nature is difficult since the methods are developed under different assumptions. Therefore, six rule based heuristic algorithms are implemented and used to schedule autonomous tasks in homogeneous and heterogeneous environments with the aim of comparing their performance in terms of cost, degree of imbalance, makespan and throughput. First Come First Serve (FCFS), Minimum Completion Time (MCT), Minimum Execution Time (MET), Max-min, Min-min and Sufferage are the heuristic algorithms considered for the performance comparison and analysis of task scheduling in cloud computing.
Fulltext Preliminary study on the wind flow and pollutant dispersion in an idealized street canyon

Muhammad Yazid, A. W., Mohamed Salim, S., Nor Azwadi, C. S., Mansor, S.

Journal of Advanced Research Design, 2014;1(1):1-17.
MyJurnal

This article describes the approach towards a sensitivity study of wind flow and pollutant
dispersion in an idealized street canyon with tree plantings under thermal atmospheric conditions
using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). First, validation studies were performed to determine the
best turbulence model for the simulation of wind flow under thermal atmospheric conditions against
the previous experimental wind tunnel data. The results of the numerical simulation indicate that
large eddy simulation (LES) can accurately predict the wind flow structure at different thermal
intensities and different locations of heated wall. Finally, detailed descriptions of future research are
presented at the end of this article.
Fulltext Iso-Seq analysis of Nepenthes ampullaria, Nepenthes rafflesiana and Nepenthes × hookeriana for hybridisation study in pitcher plants

Zulkapli MM, Rosli MAF, Salleh FIM, Mohd Noor N, Aizat WM, Goh HH

Genom Data, 2017 Jun;12:130-131.
PMID: 28529881 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2017.05.003

Tropical pitcher plants in the species-rich Nepenthaceae family of carnivorous plants possess unique pitcher organs. Hybridisation, natural or artificial, in this family is extensive resulting in pitchers with diverse features. The pitcher functions as a passive insect trap with digestive fluid for nutrient acquisition in nitrogen-poor habitats. This organ shows specialisation according to the dietary habit of different Nepenthes species. In this study, we performed the first single-molecule real-time isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) analysis of full-length cDNA from Nepenthes ampullaria which can feed on leaf litter, compared to carnivorous Nepenthes rafflesiana, and their carnivorous hybrid Nepenthes × hookeriana. This allows the comparison of pitcher transcriptomes from the parents and the hybrid to understand how hybridisation could shape the evolution of dietary habit in Nepenthes. Raw reads have been deposited to SRA database with the accession numbers SRX2692198 (N. ampullaria), SRX2692197 (N. rafflesiana), and SRX2692196 (N. × hookeriana).
Fulltext Knowledge of the Use of Herbal Medicines among Community Pharmacists and Reporting Their Adverse Drug Reactions

Tahir M, Upadhyay DK, Iqbal MZ, Rajan S, Iqbal MS, Albassam AA

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 10 08;12(4):436-443.
PMID: 33679090 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_263_20

Introduction: Community pharmacist's knowledge about the uses of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reactions reporting can contribute in better therapeutic outcomes and patient safety. Objectives: To evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reactions reporting in Kedah state, Malaysia.
Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 103 pharmacists from 74 different community pharmacies to assess their knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting by using a pre-validate knowledge questionnaire consisting of 12 questions related to it. The pharmacists' responses were measured at a 3-point Likert scale (Poor=1, Moderate=2, and Good=3) and data was entered in SPSS version 22. The minimum and maximum possible scores for knowledge questionnaires were 12 and 36 respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed by using One Way ANOVA and Paired t-test whereas Chi-square and Fisher exact test were used for qualitative data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all the analyses.
Results: About 92% of the pharmacist had good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting with a mean knowledge score of 32.88±3.16. One-way ANOVA determined a significant difference of employment setting (p<0.043) and years of experience (<0.008) with mean knowledge scores of Pharmacists. Pharmacists' knowledge was significantly associated with their years of experience with the Chi-square test.
Conclusion: Pharmacists exhibit good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting. However, with an increasing trend of herbal medicine use and its adverse drug reaction reporting it recalls the empowerment of experienced pharmacists with training programs in this area for better clinical outcomes.
Fulltext Assessment of DSM Based on Radiometric Transformation of UAV Data

Chaudhry MH, Ahmad A, Gulzar Q, Farid MS, Shahabi H, Al-Ansari N

Sensors (Basel), 2021 Feb 27;21(5).
PMID: 33673425 DOI: 10.3390/s21051649

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is one of the latest technologies for high spatial resolution 3D modeling of the Earth. The objectives of this study are to assess low-cost UAV data using image radiometric transformation techniques and investigate its effects on global and local accuracy of the Digital Surface Model (DSM). This research uses UAV Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data from 80 meters and UAV Drone data from 300 and 500 meters flying height. RAW UAV images acquired from 500 meters flying height are radiometrically transformed in Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB). UAV images from 300 meters flying height are processed for the generation of 3D point cloud and DSM in Pix4D Mapper. UAV LIDAR data are used for the acquisition of Ground Control Points (GCP) and accuracy assessment of UAV Image data products. Accuracy of enhanced DSM with DSM generated from 300 meters flight height were analyzed for point cloud number, density and distribution. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value of Z is enhanced from ±2.15 meters to 0.11 meters. For local accuracy assessment of DSM, four different types of land covers are statistically compared with UAV LIDAR resulting in compatibility of enhancement technique with UAV LIDAR accuracy.
Occurrence, abundance, and distribution of microplastics pollution: an evidence in surface tropical water of Klang River estuary, Malaysia

Zaki MRM, Ying PX, Zainuddin AH, Razak MR, Aris AZ

Environ Geochem Health, 2021 Sep;43(9):3733-3748.
PMID: 33712970 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-00872-8

Microplastics have been considered as contaminants of emerging concern due to ubiquity in the environment; however, the occurrence of microplastics in river estuaries is scarcely investigated. The Klang River estuary is an important ecosystem that receives various contaminants from urbanised, highly populated areas and the busiest maritime centre in Selangor, Malaysia. This study investigates the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in surface water of the Klang River estuary. The abundance of microplastics ranged from 0.5 to 4.5 particles L-1 with a mean abundance of 2.47 particles L-1. There is no correlation between the abundance of microplastics and physicochemical properties, while there is a strong correlation between salinity and conductivity. The microplastics were characterised with a stereomicroscope and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyse size, shape, colour, and polymer composition. The microplastics in the surface water were predominantly in the 300-1000 μm size class, followed by > 1000 μm and
Fulltext Assessment of diabetic patient waiting time in a primary healthcare clinic

Mohd Shaiful Ehsan Shalihin, Iskandar Firzada Osman, Muhammad Hapizie Bin Din

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2020;19(2):41-48.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Long waiting time is a common issue complained by diabetic patients that came for an
early morning appointment in a health clinic. Therefore, an audit was conducted among diabetic patients in
a primary care clinic with the aim to assess the patients’ waiting time and to formulate strategies for
improvement. Methods: This audit was conducted for four weeks using a universal sampling method in
November 2017. All diabetic patients who attended the clinic during this period were included except those
who required longer period such as critically ill patients or those who came for repeat medication or
procedures. The arrival and departure time for each station was captured using the modified waiting time
slip, which is manually filled at every station. The waiting and consultation time for registration, screening,
laboratory investigation, diabetic educator, doctor and pharmacy were recorded. The data were entered into
the statistical software SPSS version 17 for analysis. Results: Results showed that all patients were registered
within 11.0 minutes (SD=2.52min). Average total waiting time to see a diabetic educator and a doctor was
20.9 minutes (SD=15.53min) and 33.23 minutes (SD=27.85min), respectively. Average waiting time for other
stations was less than 10 minutes. Average total time spend in the clinic for a diabetic patient was 107.58
minutes, which is comparable to a non-diabetic patient. The identified problems were due to the poor
tracing and filing system. Conclusion: Improvement strategies recommended include enforcing early file
tracing prior to appointment and providing a checklist for consultation by doctors and diabetic educators.
Fulltext Fractionation of as, co, cu and zn by sequential extraction in surface sediment of Kuala Terengganu river estuary

Muhammad Nazirul Mubin Abd Halim Shah, Lee, Siang Hing, Mohd Yusoff Nurulnadia, Meng, Chuan Ong

Malaysian Journal of Applied Sciences, 2020;5(2):57-68.
MyJurnal

Development and urbanization processes around Terengganu River estuary are expected to release a significant amount of heavy metals into the existing surface sediment. However, information on how and why these metals are attached into specific fraction of sediments is still lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to explain the heavy metal concentration distribution in each available fraction in Terengganu River estuary. In this study, nine surface sediments originated from various human activities area in Terengganu River estuary were collected during four different sampling sessions in 2017. Heavy metal content from the collected sediments were extracted using 3-steps BCR sequential extraction method followed by detection using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and we discovered that the total concentration of arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) ranged from 2.18 to 17.48 mg/kg dry wt., 2.53 to 20.53 mg/kg dry wt., 1.01 to 13.13 mg/kg dry wt., and 6.10 to 65.71 mg/kg dry wt., respectively. Dominance of metals in each fraction can be arranged as follows: As: residual > reducible > exchangeable > oxidizable; Co: residual > exchangeable > reducible > oxidizable; Cu: residual > oxidizable > reducible > exchangeable; Zn: residual > exchangeable > reducible > oxidizable. Availability of metals in the sediment at Terengganu River estuary is limited since that majority of metals resides in non-mobilisable fraction of the sediment. In essence, the sequential extraction provides information regarding the metals’ fractionation, availability and mobility, which could be used in assessing the environmental contamination in the area.
Fulltext Analytical cryptanalysis upon N = p2q utilizing Jochemsz-May strategy

Adenan NNH, Kamel Ariffin MR, Yunos F, Sapar SH, Asbullah MA

PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0248888.
PMID: 33760865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248888

This paper presents a cryptanalytic approach on the variants of the RSA which utilizes the modulus N = p2q where p and q are balanced large primes. Suppose [Formula: see text] satisfying gcd(e, ϕ(N)) = 1 where ϕ(N) = p(p - 1)(q - 1) and d < Nδ be its multiplicative inverse. From ed - kϕ(N) = 1, by utilizing the extended strategy of Jochemsz and May, our attack works when the primes share a known amount of Least Significant Bits(LSBs). This is achievable since we obtain the small roots of our specially constructed integer polynomial which leads to the factorization of N. More specifically we show that N can be factored when the bound [Formula: see text]. Our attack enhances the bound of some former attacks upon N = p2q.
Fulltext A novel approach for automated operational modal analysis using image clustering

Muhammad Danial Abu Hasan, Zair Asrar Ahmad, Mohd Salman Leong, Lim, Meng Hee

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2020;28(1):49-67.
MyJurnal

The present paper deals with the novel approach for clustering using the image feature of stabilization diagram for automated operational modal analysis in parametric model which is stochastic subspace identification (SSI)-COV. The evolution of automated operational modal analysis (OMA) is not an easy task, since traditional methods of modal analysis require a large amount of intervention by an expert user. The stabilization diagram and clustering tools are introduced to autonomously distinguish physical poles from noise (spurious) poles which can neglect any user interaction. However, the existing clustering algorithms require at least one user-defined parameter, the maximum within-cluster distance between representations of the same physical mode from different system orders and the supplementary adaptive approaches have to be employed to optimize the selection of cluster validation criteria which will lead to high demanding computational effort. The developed image clustering process is based on the input image of the stabilization diagram that has been generated and displayed separately into a certain interval frequency. and standardized image features in MATLAB was applied to extract the image features of each generated image of stabilisation diagrams. Then, the generated image feature extraction of stabilization diagrams was used to plot image clustering diagram and fixed defined threshold was set for the physical modes classification. The application of image clustering has proven to provide a reliable output results which can effectively identify physical modes in stabilization diagrams using image feature extraction even for closely spaced modes without the need of any calibration or user-defined parameter at start up and any supplementary adaptive approach for cluster validation criteria.
Fulltext Gc-ms screening of metabolites and antioxidant properties in four variants of Solanum Lycopersicum (tomato)

Nadzirah Md Yusop, Nadiah Ishak, Nurul Farhana Ramlee, Zuraida Hanim Zaini, Muhammad Zhafir Hishammudin, Nazariyah Yahaya

Journal of Engineering and Health Sciences, 2020;4(1):61-82.
MyJurnal

Consumption of Solanum lycopersicum or known as tomato has been associated
with the decreased risk of some cancer types. Epidemiological findings confirmed
the observed health effects due to the presence of varied antioxidants in tomato.
This is due to variations of antioxidants presence in tomatoes. Therefore, it is
important to know which types of tomatoes species contain the highest number
of antioxidants and antioxidant activity. In this study, antioxidant content and
antioxidant activity of four tomato variants was studied. The objectives of this
research was to screen for metabolites and to compare number of metabolites by
using two different extraction method. A comparison of the antioxidant activity
and total phenolic content between four tomato variants was conducted based on
the results. Tomatoes that are used in this study includes tomato, truss tomato,
yellow cherry tomato and red cherry tomato. These tomatoes were subjected to
metabolite extraction using two different solvents which is methanol and
methanol-chloroform. Following that, screening of metabolites were performed
using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and metabolites were
detected and analysed. The total antioxidant activity of the tomatoes was
measured using 2,2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing
power (FRAP) assays. The Total Phenolic Content (TPC) was determined
spectrophotometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteau procedure. The number
of metabolites detected using GCMS are higher in methanol-chloroform extract
as compared to methanol extract. Methanolic extracts of all four tomatoes were
shown to have free radical scavenging activity. However, red cherry tomato
showed to have the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 1.7 mg/ml,
followed by truss tomato with IC50 2.1 mg/ml, yellow cherry tomato with IC50 4.0
mg/ml and finally tomato with IC50 5.6 mg/ml. The highest value of FRAP in
Gallic Acid Equivalent was 4.3 mg/g in red cherry tomato, followed by 3.8 mg/g
in truss tomato, 2.9 mg/g in yellow cherry tomato and 2.4 mg/g in tomato. The
total phenolic content ranges from 0.44 to 3.73 mg/ml. In conclusion, red cherry
tomato shown to have the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity
compared to the other three variants. The findings of this research provide some
valuable information to consumers when choosing the best type of tomatoes for
good wellbeing and as well to set the basis of future research.
Fulltext Do parenting style and adolescents’ self-esteem contribute to mental health problems among young adolescents in malaysia? an adolescents’ perspective

I.D. Noordin, I.B.Idris, N.A. Muhammad, H. Mohd Yusoff, N.A.Anuar, Q. Mohd Ghazali, et al.

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2020;19(2):89-97.
MyJurnal

Adolescenceisacrucialphaseinlife,asthisisthetimewhentheyaredevelopingtheir identity,whileat thesametimeformingrelationshipswithothers,includingtheirfamilymembers.This studyinvestigatedadolescents’mentalhealthstatus inMalaysiaanditsassociatedfactorsincluding self-esteemandparentingstylethatareexperiencedbythem.MaterialsandMethods:Across-sectionalstudy wasconductedamong248school-goingadolescentsaged13and14years inSelangor,Malaysia.ThevalidatedMalay versionoftheStrengthsandDifficultiesQuestionnaire(SDQ)was utilizedtoassessadolescents’mentalhealth status.In addition, theadolescents’self-esteemwasalso assessedusing theRosenbergSelf-EsteemScaleQuestionnairewhile theParentalBondingInstrumentwasused toassess theirparent’sparentingstyle. Results:Almost20%of the adolescentswerefoundtohavementalhealthproblemssuchasemotionalandconduct problems,hyperactivity disorder andpeerproblems.Usingmultivariate analysis,factorsthatwereassociatedwithmentalhealthproblems werefamilyincome(AOR=2.788,95%CI=1.397,5.563),adolescents’self-esteem(AOR=0.799,95%CI=0.668, 0.955)andtheirperceptiononparentalcontrol(AOR=1.175,95%CI=1.020,1.353).Conclusion:Thisstudy showsthatonefifthoftheseadolescentshadmentalhealthproblems.Lowsocio-economicfactors,over controllingparentsandpoorself-esteemwereassociatedwiththeseproblems.Inconclusion, itisimportant toeducateparentsoneffectiveparentingstyle,asimproperparentingmaycausepsychological distress amongadolescents.Improvingfamilies’socio-economicstatus andadolescents’self-esteemcanalsoenhance theirmentalhealthand well-being.
Fulltext Predicting sexual intention to engage in premarital sex among late adolescent in kuantan government secondary schools: an application of theory of planned behaviour.

Abdullah F, Draman S, Zainuddin NA, Abd. Aziz KH, Muhammad NA

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2020;19(1):109-116.
MyJurnal

Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), sexual intention is determined by three main socio-cognitive factors which are permissive attitudes, social-norms and self-efficacy in performing premarital sexual activity. Premarital sex associated with increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and detrimental social implications. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of the socio-cognitive factors in predicting intention to engage in premarital sex amongst late adolescents in Kuantan government secondary schools. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 466 pre-university students aged 18-19 years from nine government secondary schools in Kuantan district. A self-administered validated Youth Sexual Intention Questionnaire (YSI-Q) was used. Statistical analyses were done using IBM SPSS version 22.0. Results: Permissive attitude (r=0.579, p
Fulltext Assessment of diabetic patient waiting time in a primary healthcare clinic.

Mohd Shaiful Ehsan Bin Shalih, Iskandar Firzada Bin Osman,, Muhammad Hapizie Bin Din

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2020;19(2):41-48.
MyJurnal

Long waiting time is a common issue complained by diabetic patients that came for an early morning appointment in a health clinic. Therefore, an audit was conducted among diabetic patients in a primary care clinic with the aim to assess the patients’ waiting time and to formulate strategies for improvement. Methods:This audit was conducted for four weeks using a universal sampling method in November 2017. All diabetic patients who attended the clinic during this period were included except those who required longer period such as critically ill patients or those who came for repeat medication or procedures. The arrival and departure time for each station was captured using the modified waiting time slip, which is manually filled at every station. The waiting and consultation time for registration, screening, laboratory investigation, diabetic educator, doctor and pharmacy were recorded. The data were entered into the statistical software SPSS version 17 for analysis. Results:Results showed that all patients were registered within 11.0 minutes (SD=2.52min). Average total waiting time to see a diabetic educator and a doctor was 20.9 minutes (SD=15.53min) and 33.23 minutes (SD=27.85min), respectively. Average waiting time for other stations was less than 10 minutes. Average total time spend in the clinic for a diabetic patient was 107.58 minutes, which is comparable to a non-diabetic patient. The identified problems were due to the poor tracing and filing system. Conclusion:Improvement strategies recommended include enforcing early file tracing prior to appointment and providing a checklist for consultation by doctors and diabetic educators.
Fulltext Periodontal Health Awareness among IIUM Medical Students

Suhaila Muhammad Al, Nurdayana Khairul Anuar, Nurul Najah Abu Bakar, Munirah Yaacob, Juzaily Husain

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2019;18(102):63-0.
MyJurnal

Proper knowledge of oral diseases is crucial in medical practice because periodontal disease is associated with multiple systemic conditions. A large number of systemic diseases and drugs have oral manifestations as well as adverse reactions. The aim of this study is to assess periodontal awareness, knowledge and attitude among medical students of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Materials and method: This cross-sectional study utilized questionnaires which were distributed to fourth and final year medical students of IIUM Kuantan. Each participant’s consent was obtained before being recruited into the survey. Questions pertaining to oral health, periodontal disease and its relation with systemic conditions were given. Based on the answers, respondents’ awareness, knowledge and attitude were assessed.The data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: A total of 93 students completed the survey questionnaires. 3% of them have awareness that periodontal disease is related to gingiva. 10% respondents agreed that the dental plaque is the primary cause of periodontal disease.80% respondents have knowledge of associations between periodontal disease and systemic conditions. 4% of them were able to identify drugs causing gingival enlargement. 97% of respondents showed positive attitude for referral to dentist in the future. Conclusions: The participants have superficial awareness and knowledge about periodontal disease and its relation to systemic conditions. However, they have positive attitude for future practice towards their patients. Hopefully, this research may provide direct suggestion to incorporate basic periodontal knowledge in their medical syllabus.
Fulltext The effects of ficus caricafruit on bone markers and oestrogen level of post-menopausal osteoporotic rats.

Norfarah Izzaty R, Nur Adlina M,, Mohd Dzulkhairi MR, Muhammad Shamsir MA,, Nadia ME

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 2019;18(1):97-104.
MyJurnal

Post-menopausal osteoporosis is the most common type of osteoporosis, which occurs due to a deficiency of oestrogen following menopause. Considering the adverse effects of oestrogen replacement therapy, natural products may serve to replace the current conventional treatment. Ficus carica (FC) which is commonly known as fig may have a potential in treating post-menopausal osteoporosis due to their abundance of important minerals and bioactive compounds such as phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanins. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of FC on bone metabolism of ovariectomized rats. Materials and Methods:Fifty-six female Spraque-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups; SHAM operated (SHAM), ovariectomized control (OVX), ovariectomized + 64.5 μg/kg oestrogen (ERT), ovariectomized + 50 mg/kg aqueous extract of FC(AQ50), ovariectomized + 100 mg/kg aqueous extract of FC (AQ100), ovariectomized + 50 mg/kg raw FC (RW50), and ovariectomized + 100 mg/kg raw FC (RW100). After eight weeks of treatments, rats were euthanized and femurs were dissected out to measure bone osteocalcin, C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen and bone estrogen level. Results:RW50 and RW100 showed an increasing trend in osteocalcin levels and also oestrogen level, but no significant difference between all groups. RW50 and RW100 also showed significantly reduced C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen levels compared to OVX group. Conclusion:These findings suggested that raw FC at the doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg have potential to improve bone in treating post-menopausal osteoporosis. However, this need to be confirmed with higher doses.

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