Displaying publications 1501 - 1520 of 5470 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Chronic illness and sustainable careers: How individuals with multiple sclerosis negotiate work transitions in a middle-income country
    Vijayasingham L, Jogulu U, Allotey P
    Soc Sci Med, 2020 01;245:112699.
    PMID: 31785425 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112699
    Reports of work change and transitions are common amongst individuals with chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there is little research on the lived experience of these work transitions. The scarcity of this research is particularly evident within low-and-middle-income countries, where protection laws and resources such as anti-discrimination laws and reasonable work modifications may not exist or be well enforced. In this paper, we explore how and why individuals with MS seek and achieve work transitions in the structural context of Malaysia. We interviewed ten working individuals with MS (July-december 2015) using a joint hermeneutic phenomenology and constructivist grounded theory approach. Using a broad conceptual lens of 'sustainable careers', we examine their careers as a series of experiences, decisions, and events, paying attention to the influences of context, time, their personal levels of agency and sense of meaning. Participants described work transitions as early as within the first year of diagnosis, that were prompted by voluntary, involuntary and semi-voluntary reasons. Key aspects of the process of seeking new roles included an exploration of alternative roles and paths, and then acquiring, trialing/adapting and remaining engaged in their new roles. Participants identified the perception and experience of 'being unemployable', based on how their diagnosis and short-term symptoms were responded to by employers. Nevertheless, participants used various strategies and career resources to obtain and maintain meaningful work roles. However, success in obtaining or maintaining new roles were not equally achieved. This research draws attention to the cumulative economic disadvantage of a chronic illness diagnosis, even at milder and episodic stages. Furthermore, it reiterates the need for cohesive structural protection in low-and-middle-income countries to facilitate a more equal ability to remain economically resilient and capable of engaging in meaningful long-term careers when living with a chronic illness.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  2. Effects of simple knee sleeves on pain and knee adduction moment in early unilateral knee osteoarthritis
    Mohd Sharif NA, Usman J, Wan Safwani WKZ, Siew Li G, Abdul Karim S, Mohamed NA, et al.
    Proc Inst Mech Eng H, 2019 Nov;233(11):1132-1140.
    PMID: 31597554 DOI: 10.1177/0954411919874614
    Knee sleeves are often prescribed to alleviate pain in people with early knee osteoarthritis. However, the biomechanics underlying their pain-relieving effect are still not well understood. This pre-post study aims at evaluating and comparing the effects of two different types of knee sleeves on knee adduction moment. Patients with clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis were recruited from the University of Malaya Medical Centre and were randomly assigned to two test groups using (1) a simple knee sleeve and (2) a simple sleeve with patella cutout. Knee adduction moment was collected using the Vicon motion capture system with two Kistler force plates. Pain, stiffness and physical functions were recorded using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. All measurements were taken before, immediately after and at the completion of 6 weeks of application (primary time point). In total, 17 participants with early unilateral knee osteoarthritis (47.7 (9.7) years) completed the study. Overall results show significant reduction in pain, early stance and late stance knee adduction moment and increased walking speed after 6 weeks of both knee sleeves application. This study results suggest that knee sleeves can reduce knee adduction moments in early unilateral knee osteoarthritis by 14.0% and 12.1% using the simple sleeve and the sleeve with patella cutout, respectively, and can potentially delay disease progression. In addition, knee sleeve with patella cutout does not provide additional benefits when compared to the simple knee sleeve.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Progression
  3. Fulltext Diabetes Registry Malaysia: report of an audit of diabetes control and management (January-December 2009)
    Ismail M, Haniff J, Wan Bebakar WM
    Citation: Ismail M, Haniff J, Wan Bebakar WM. Diabetes Registry Malaysia: report of an audit of diabetes control and management (January-December 2009). Kuala Lumpur: Clinical Research Centre, 2010
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Management
  4. Fulltext What do primary care doctors do when they fall sick? A qualitative study exploring their help-seeking behavior
    Ng CJ, Haidi NS
    Asia Pac Fam Med, 2005;4(3).
    Aim: To explore the help-seeking behavior of primary care doctors during illness. Methods: This qualitative study used focus group discussions to explore participants' help-seeking behavior during illness. It involved 22 primary care doctors (5 lecturers, 12 postgraduate trainees, 5 medical officers) working in a hospital-based primary care clinic. Result: Most primary care doctors in this study managed their illnesses without seeking help. Although most preferred to seek professional help for chronic illnesses and antenatal care, they tend to delay the consultations and were less likely to comply with treatment and follow-up. Explanations for their behavior include their ability to assess and treat themselves, difficulty to find suitable doctors, work commitment, easy access to drugs, and reluctance to assume a sick role. Conclusions: This study found that the help-seeking behavior of primary care doctors was similar to those in other studies. Due to their professional ability, heavy workload and expectations from peer and patients, primary care doctors were more likely to delay in seeking treatment especially for chronic and serious diseases. This highlights the need to enhance support services for doctors during illness. Key words: doctors, help-seeking behavior, illness
    Matched MeSH terms: Chronic Disease
  5. Five-year Survival Data on the Role of Endoscopic Endonasal Nasopharyngectomy in Advanced Recurrent rT3 and rT4 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
    Wong EHC, Liew YT, Loong SP, Prepageran N
    Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 2020 Mar;129(3):287-293.
    PMID: 31701754 DOI: 10.1177/0003489419887410
    AIM: Endoscopic endonasal nasopharyngectomy (EEN) for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC) is being increasingly used due to the added high magnification, reduced morbidities associated with open procedures and good survival outcomes. Most studies looked at usage of EEN in patients with lower recurrent staging (rT1 and rT2) although more and more surgeons are studying the outcome of EEN in advanced rNPC (rT3 and rT4). The aims of this study were to report the long-term 5-year survival outcome of EEN performed in patients with advanced rNPC, and to determine any prognostic factors for patients' survival.

    METHODS: All patients who underwent EEN for advanced rNPC between January 2003 and December 2015 inclusive were analyzed. All surgeries were performed in University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sabah. We reported the 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) and any related complications and significant prognostic factors.

    RESULTS: Twelve patients with rNPC (2 rT3 and 10 rT4) were followed-up over a mean duration of 44.8 months (range, 40-440 weeks). The 5-year OS was 50.0% (mean 44.75 months), DFS was 25.0% (mean 35.25 months) and the DSS was 58.3% (mean 43.33 months). No severe operative complications were encountered and no independent prognostic factors for survival outcome were identified.

    CONCLUSION: This is the first report in English that exclusively described the long-term 5-year survival data in patients with both rT3 and rT4 recurrent NPC after EEN. The data suggest that EEN is a feasible treatment to improve survival with minimal morbidities in patients with rT3 and rT4 recurrent NPC. However, more studies with larger patient size is recommended.

    Matched MeSH terms: Disease-Free Survival
  6. Combining Understanding of Immunological Mechanisms and Genetic Variants Toward Development of Personalized Medicine for Psoriasis Patients
    Gunter NV, Yap BJM, Chua CLL, Yap WH
    Front Genet, 2019;10:395.
    PMID: 31130981 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00395
    Psoriasis is multifactorial disease with complex genetic predisposition. Recent advances in genetics and genomics analyses have provided many insights into the relationship between specific genetic predisposition and the immunopathological mechanisms driving psoriasis manifestation. Novel approaches which utilize array-based genotyping technologies such as genome-wide association studies and bioinformatics tools for transcriptomics analysis have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms, genes and pathways that are associated with psoriasis. The discovery of these psoriasis-associated susceptibility loci, autoimmune targets and altered signaling pathways have provided opportunities to bridge the gap of knowledge from sequence to consequence, allowing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of psoriasis to be developed. Here, we discuss recent advances in the field by highlighting how immune functions associated with psoriasis susceptibility loci may contribute to disease pathogenesis in different populations. Understanding the genetic variations in psoriasis and how these may influence the immunological pathways to cause disease will contribute to the efforts in developing novel and targeted personalized therapies for psoriasis patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  7. New lymantriidae record for Peninsular Malaysia: Toxoproctis Hemibathes (Swinhoe)
    Norela Sulaiman, Mohd Faizal Rus Rzerli, Maimon Abdullah
    Sains Malaysiana, 2011;40:1179-1186.
    This paper reports on a new record of the itch moth from the family Lymantriidae, Toxoproctis hemibathes (Swinhoe), for Peninsular Malaysia. The islands of Sumatera and Borneo are known to be within the geographical range of Lymantriidae, their habitat preference being the wetland and coastal forests. Our study showed that this species can also erupt in large numbers in specific locations in the southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia and thus, our finding is considered a new record for T. hemibathes (Swinhoe). This specimens were collected using portable ultra violet (UV) light trap during a population outbreak of this species in the Labis District of Johore.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
  8. Scopolamine, a Toxin-Induced Experimental Model, Used for Research in Alzheimer's Disease
    Chen WN, Yeong KY
    CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2020;19(2):85-93.
    PMID: 32056532 DOI: 10.2174/1871527319666200214104331
    Scopolamine as a drug is often used to treat motion sickness. Derivatives of scopolamine have also found applications as antispasmodic drugs among others. In neuroscience-related research, it is often used to induce cognitive disorders in experimental models as it readily permeates the bloodbrain barrier. In the context of Alzheimer's disease, its effects include causing cholinergic dysfunction and increasing amyloid-β deposition, both of which are hallmarks of the disease. Hence, the application of scopolamine in Alzheimer's disease research is proven pivotal but seldom discussed. In this review, the relationship between scopolamine and Alzheimer's disease will be delineated through an overall effect of scopolamine administration and its specific mechanisms of action, discussing mainly its influences on cholinergic function and amyloid cascade. The validity of scopolamine as a model of cognitive impairment or neurotoxin model will also be discussed in terms of advantages and limitations with future insights.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alzheimer Disease
  9. The electronic song "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" reduces host attack and mating success in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti
    Dieng H, The CC, Satho T, Miake F, Wydiamala E, Kassim NFA, et al.
    Acta Trop, 2019 Jun;194:93-99.
    PMID: 30922800 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.03.027
    Sound and its reception are crucial for reproduction, survival, and population maintenance of many animals. In insects, low-frequency vibrations facilitate sexual interactions, whereas noise disrupts the perception of signals from conspecifics and hosts. Despite evidence that mosquitoes respond to sound frequencies beyond fundamental ranges, including songs, and that males and females need to struggle to harmonize their flight tones, the behavioral impacts of music as control targets remain unexplored. In this study, we examined the effects of electronic music (Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Skrillex) on foraging, host attack, and sexual activities of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. Adults were presented with two sound environments (music-off or music-on). Discrepancies in visitation, blood feeding, and copulation patterns were compared between environments with and without music. Ae. aegypti females maintained in the music-off environment initiated host visits earlier than those in the music-on environment. They visited the host significantly less often in the music-on than the music-off condition. Females exposed to music attacked hosts much later than their non-exposed peers. The occurrence of blood feeding activity was lower when music was being played. Adults exposed to music copulated far less often than their counterparts kept in an environment where there was no music. In addition to providing insight into the auditory sensitivity of Ae. aegypti to sound, our results indicated the vulnerability of its key vectorial capacity traits to electronic music. The observation that such music can delay host attack, reduce blood feeding, and disrupt mating provides new avenues for the development of music-based personal protective and control measures against Aedes-borne diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
  10. Notes on smallpox
    Blakemore WL
    Malayan Medical Journal, 1932;7:94-5.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
  11. Fulltext Hemolyzed Specimens: Major Challenge for Identifying and Rejecting Specimens in Clinical Laboratories
    Wan Azman WN, Omar J, Koon TS, Tuan Ismail TS
    Oman Med J, 2019 Mar;34(2):94-98.
    PMID: 30918601 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2019.19
    Pre-analytical quality in clinical chemistry testing is as important as analytical and post-analytical quality. The most prevalent pre-analytical interference and a major source of error producing unreliable laboratory test results is hemolysis of blood samples. In vitro hemolysis may be due to the blood withdrawal technique or sample handling whereas in vivo hemolysis can originate from acquired, hereditary, or iatrogenic conditions and is not technique dependent. Interpreting in vivo or in vitro hemolysis requires clinicians to supply reliable clinical history and findings. Even then, to reject or release the result with interpretation is still under debate. Thus, hemolyzed specimens are a serious pre-analytical problem calling for well-designed and strictly implemented laboratory guidelines. The aim of this non-systematic review (addressed to healthcare professionals) was to highlight the challenges in identifying and rejecting hemolysis specimens.
    Matched MeSH terms: Iatrogenic Disease
  12. An unusual tumour of the breast
    Tan KC
    Journal of the Malaya Branch of the British Medical Association, 1938;2:101-2.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fibrocystic Breast Disease
  13. Fulltext Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis in Association with Herpes Simplex Virus and Viral and Bacterial Zoonoses
    Yan Hung SK, Hiew FL, Viswanathan S
    Ann Indian Acad Neurol, 2019 1 30;22(1):102-103.
    PMID: 30692769 DOI: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_232_18
    Multiple co-infections can predispose a patient to autoimmune encephalitis. Out of thirty cases of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis seen at a single tertiary referral center, only two cases of co-infection with NMDAR encephalitis were identified. One of these cases was highly interesting due to the presence of more than one co-infections along with the presence of cortical dysfunction, seizures, and orofacial dyskinesias at the onset in a male in the absence of tumors, which was refractory to initial treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Hashimoto Disease
  14. How should front-line general practitioners use personal protective equipment (PPE)?
    Ambigapathy S, Rajahram GS, Shamsudin UK, Khoo EM, Cheah WK, Peariasamy KM, et al.
    Malays Fam Physician, 2020;15(1):2-5.
    PMID: 32284798
    The COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve with the number of cases increasing in Malaysia, placing a significant burden on general practitioners (GPs) to assess and manage suspected cases. GPs must be well equipped with knowledge to set up their clinics, use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriately, adopt standard protocols on triaging and referrals, as well as educate patients about PPE. The correct use of PPE will help GPs balance between personal safety and appropriate levels of public concern.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
  15. Feature selection algorithms for Malaysian dengue outbreak detection model
    Husam IS, Abuhamad, Azuraliza Abu Bakar, Suhaila Zainudin, Mazrura Sahani, Zainudin Mohd Ali
    Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:255-265.
    Dengue fever is considered as one of the most common mosquito borne diseases worldwide. Dengue outbreak detection can be very useful in terms of practical efforts to overcome the rapid spread of the disease by providing the knowledge to predict the next outbreak occurrence. Many studies have been conducted to model and predict dengue outbreak using different data mining techniques. This research aimed to identify the best features that lead to better predictive accuracy of dengue outbreaks using three different feature selection algorithms; particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA) and rank search (RS). Based on the selected features, three predictive modeling techniques (J48, DTNB and Naive Bayes) were applied for dengue outbreak detection. The dataset used in this research was obtained from the Public Health Department, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The experimental results showed that the predictive accuracy was improved by applying feature selection process before the predictive modeling process. The study also showed the set of features to represent dengue outbreak detection for Malaysian health agencies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
  16. Dengue vector control in malaysia: a review for current and alternative strategies
    Ong SQ
    Sains Malaysiana, 2016;45:777-785.
    Dengue is a major issue in Malaysia as the dramatic emerge of infection. Yet an effective vaccine or medicine is not
    yet available, although many attempts are undergoing. Dengue vector control is still considered the most effective way
    for controlling and preventing the transmission of dengue virus. Nonetheless, as the conventional approaches are less
    successful in managing the dengue transmission, it is time to review the current applied and other available approaches.
    Current dengue vector relied greatly on the chemical approach as space treatment either thermal or ULV fogging, however,
    the approach seem like under the expectation. Beside space treatment, new control methods for example biological
    control (bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, predatory mosquito Toxorhynchites) and attractive trap were carried out
    at certain location of Malaysia. Moreover, new emerged approaches such as mass release of genetic modification or
    artificially Wolbachia infected male dengue vector for the objective of generating sterile offspring when mate with
    wild population is urge to be tested in Malaysia, although concerns have to be taken before the actual mass release. In
    conclusion, control of dengue vector shall not consist exclusively for a single approach, neither genetic modification
    of artificially Wolbachia infected technique, nor the conventional insecticidal treatment. It should, however, comprise
    of the environment management as the fundamental approach, a well-planned integrated control program and a good
    cooperation among the organization.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
  17. Risk stratification in acute myocardial ischaemia: potential use of a rapid bedside tropinin T assay
    Goh EML, Chow SK, Lang CC
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:132-134.
    This study is to examine the use of a Rapid Troponin T test in patients attending the Emergency Room with complaints of chest pain. The results show a strong correlation between time to positive developmentaf the Rapid Trapanin T lest to ELISA Trapanin T. These results indicate the use of a simple to perform bedside assay of Rapid Trapanin T may be used in early risk stratification of patients presenting wilh acute coronary syndromes. KEYWORDS: Rapid Trapanin T, acule coronary syndromes, risk stratification.
    Matched MeSH terms: Coronary Disease
  18. Risk stratification in acute myocardial ischaemia: potential use of a rapid bedside troponin T assay
    Goh EML, Chow SK, Lang CC
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:132-134.
    Matched MeSH terms: Coronary Disease
  19. Parallel based support vector regression for empirical modeling of nonlinear chemical process systems
    Haslinda Zabiri, Ramasamy Marappagounder, Nasser M. Ramli
    Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:635-643.
    In this paper, a support vector regression (SVR) using radial basis function (RBF) kernel is proposed using an integrated
    parallel linear-and-nonlinear model framework for empirical modeling of nonlinear chemical process systems. Utilizing
    linear orthonormal basis filters (OBF) model to represent the linear structure, the developed empirical parallel model
    is tested for its performance under open-loop conditions in a nonlinear continuous stirred-tank reactor simulation case
    study as well as a highly nonlinear cascaded tank benchmark system. A comparative study between SVR and the parallel
    OBF-SVR models is then investigated. The results showed that the proposed parallel OBF-SVR model retained the same
    modelling efficiency as that of the SVR, whilst enhancing the generalization properties to out-of-sample data.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Vectors
  20. Fulltext A molecular barcode to inform the geographical origin and transmission dynamics of Plasmodium vivax malaria
    Diez Benavente E, Campos M, Phelan J, Nolder D, Dombrowski JG, Marinho CRF, et al.
    PLoS Genet, 2020 02;16(2):e1008576.
    PMID: 32053607 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008576
    Although Plasmodium vivax parasites are the predominant cause of malaria outside of sub-Saharan Africa, they not always prioritised by elimination programmes. P. vivax is resilient and poses challenges through its ability to re-emerge from dormancy in the human liver. With observed growing drug-resistance and the increasing reports of life-threatening infections, new tools to inform elimination efforts are needed. In order to halt transmission, we need to better understand the dynamics of transmission, the movement of parasites, and the reservoirs of infection in order to design targeted interventions. The use of molecular genetics and epidemiology for tracking and studying malaria parasite populations has been applied successfully in P. falciparum species and here we sought to develop a molecular genetic tool for P. vivax. By assembling the largest set of P. vivax whole genome sequences (n = 433) spanning 17 countries, and applying a machine learning approach, we created a 71 SNP barcode with high predictive ability to identify geographic origin (91.4%). Further, due to the inclusion of markers for within population variability, the barcode may also distinguish local transmission networks. By using P. vivax data from a low-transmission setting in Malaysia, we demonstrate the potential ability to infer outbreak events. By characterising the barcoding SNP genotypes in P. vivax DNA sourced from UK travellers (n = 132) to ten malaria endemic countries predominantly not used in the barcode construction, we correctly predicted the geographic region of infection origin. Overall, the 71 SNP barcode outperforms previously published genotyping methods and when rolled-out within new portable platforms, is likely to be an invaluable tool for informing targeted interventions towards elimination of this resilient human malaria.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control*; Disease Eradication/methods
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links