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Objective: The aim of the study is to determine whether a health service system is an independent influencing factor of having pressure injury problems in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury living in three countries., Design: This is a cross-sectional study., Methods: Data from the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey were analyzed. The pressure injury problems were assessed using the Spinal Cord Injury Secondary Condition Scales (dichotomized to "having problem" and "not having problem"). Health service systems were categorized as an inpatient-oriented spinal cord injury-specialized system and a primary care-oriented system. A directed acyclic graph was applied to create a multivariable logistic regression model to determine the independent influencing factors of pressure injury problems., Results: Of 790 included participants, 277 (35%) had pressure injury problems. Being recruited from countries with inpatient-oriented spinal cord injury-specialized systems (model 1) and visiting rehabilitation medicine/spinal cord injury physicians at least once a year (model 2) is an independent negative correlating factor of pressure injury problems (odds ratio = 0.569 [95% confidence interval = 0.374-0.866] and 0.591 [95% confidence interval = 0.405-0.864], respectively)., Conclusions: Spinal cord injury-specialized health service systems might be a protective factor of pressure injury problems in middle-income country contexts. This result suggests the importance of having spinal cord injury-specialized services in middle-income countries to reduce the prevalence of pressure injury problems., To Claim Cme Credits: Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME., Cme Objectives: Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Identify the best strategy for managing pressure injury problems in people with spinal cord injury. (2) Describe common methods for determining health service utilization and evaluating secondary health conditions in people with spinal cord injury. (3) Discuss the advantage of having a SCI-specialized rehabilitation system in middleincome countries as a protective factor from having pressure injury problems., Level: Advanced., Accreditation: The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity., Competing Interests: Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Climate change is believed to be caused by natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, which release ash into the atmosphere, and anthropogenic activities that increase the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which trap energy and cause intense warming. This article conducts a comprehensive review of existing literature relating to climate change and its impact on oil palm production in Malaysia. To enable analysis, articles were arranged, sorted, and categorized into various themes and associations based on the title of the article, abstract, and later the content. The findings reveal that climate change causes variability in the intensity and duration of rainfall, which ultimately affects the production of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) and the quality of crude palm oil (CPO). The decline in FFB increased the price of crude palm oil. The impacts of climate change on oil palm vary and are felt differently in different regions. Climate change increases the vulnerability and exposure of oil palms to various diseases, exposes them to water stress, and disrupts metabolic activities. The surface temperature in Malaysia is anticipated to rise by 1.5 to 2 °C, worsening the adaptation plans. Oil palm growers explore possible ways to adapt to and withstand the impacts of climate change by adopting the use of an improved variety of oil palm seedlings, soil management and fertility preservation, silt pit, mulching, intercropping, livelihood diversification, buying insurance, and best water conservation practices., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objectives . Exposure to hand-arm vibration (HAV) is associated with hand-arm vascular syndrome (HAVS), which is characterized by musculoskeletal complications. However, evidence on this matter has been inconclusive. Therefore, this study aimed to determine and compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal complications of HAVS between a high-exposure (≥5 m·s -2 ) group and a low-moderate-exposure (<5 m·s -2 ) group and to explore the factors associated with the musculoskeletal complications of HAVS among tyre shop workers in Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods . A cross-sectional study involving 200 tyre shop workers was carried out. HAV was measured by a vibration meter. The workers were divided into two exposure groups - according to their 8-h time-weighted average, A (8), of vibration exposure - and compared. Results . Almost half of the workers reported musculoskeletal complications of the upper limbs and neck. Only the lifetime vibration dose (LVD) was significantly associated with the development of musculoskeletal complications. Conclusion . The high-exposure group had a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal complications. Only the LVD was significantly associated with complications. However, all factors of the work system, such as ergonomics, handgrip force and posture, might contribute to the development of musculoskeletal complications of HAVS and should be included in assessments.

This study aims to determine the inorganic and carbonaceous components depending on the seasonal variation and size distribution of urban air particles in Kuala Lumpur. Different fractions of particulate matter (PM) were measured using a Nanosampler from 17 February 2017 until 27 November 2017. The water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) and carbonaceous components in all samples were analysed using ion chromatography and carbon analyser thermal/optical reflectance, respectively. Total PM concentration reached its peak during the southwest (SW) season (70.99 ± 6.04 μg/m 3 ), and the greatest accumulation were observed at PM 0.5-1.0 (22%-30%, 9.55 ± 1.03 μg/m 3 ) and PM 2.5-10 (22%-25%, 10.34 ± 0.81 μg/m 3 ). SO 4 2- , NO 3 - and NH 4 + were major contributors of WSIIs, and their formation was favoured mainly during SW season (80.5% of total ions). PM 0.5-1.0 and PM 2.5-10 exhibited the highest percentage of WSII size distribution, accounted for 28.4% and 13.5% of the total mass, respectively. The average contribution of carbonaceous species (OC + EC) to total carbonaceous concentrations were higher in PM 0.5-1.0 (35.2%) and PM 2.5-10 (26.6%). Ultrafine particles (PM <0.1 ) consistently indicated that the sources were from vehicle emission while the SW season was constantly dominated by biomass burning sources. Using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, secondary inorganic aerosol and biomass burning (30.3%) was known as a significant source of overall PM. As a conclusion, ratio and source apportionment indicate the mixture of biomass burning, secondary inorganic aerosols and motor vehicle contributed to the size-segregated PM and seasonal variation of inorganic and carbonaceous components of urban air particles., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background - Data analytics can support the external auditors' judgements. However, little is known about the external auditors' data analytics competency. Likewise, role of religiosity in enhancing the external auditors' performance is also inadequately investigated. This study examined: 1) the effects of data analytics competency on the external auditors' performance, and 2) the moderating effects of religiosity on data analytics competency and external auditors' performance relationship. Methods - Survey was conducted on 201 external auditors. Data analytics competency dimensions, namely, personal capabilities, professional expertise, technical skills, technologies and tools expertise were examined. Religiosity was measured by level and dimension (faith, virtue and optional). Results - Data analytics competency (personal capabilities) has a positive significant effect on the Muslim external auditors' performance. However, data analytics competency does not affect the performance of non-Muslim external auditors. Level of religiosity has significant moderating effect on the relationship between data analytics competency (technologies and tools expertise) and Muslim external auditors' performance. Nonetheless, level of religiosity does not moderate the relationship between data analytics competency and the performance of non-Muslim external auditors. Religiosity (virtue) has significant moderating effect on the relationship between data analytics competency (personal capabilities) and Muslim external auditors' performance. Meanwhile, religiosity (faith) has significant moderating effect on the relationship between data analytics competency (technologies and tools expertise) and non-Muslim external auditors' performance. Conclusion - This study demonstrates that data analytics competency and religiosity can influence the external auditors' performance., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2021 Jaffar N et al.)

Background - Data analytics can support the external auditors' judgements. However, little is known about the external auditors' data analytics competency. Likewise, role of religiosity in enhancing the external auditors' performance is also inadequately investigated. This study examined: 1) the effects of data analytics competency on the external auditors' performance, and 2) the moderating effects of religiosity on data analytics competency and external auditors' performance relationship. Methods - Survey was conducted on 201 external auditors. Data analytics competency dimensions, namely, personal capabilities, professional expertise, technical skills, technologies and tools expertise were examined. Religiosity was measured by level and dimension (faith, virtue and optional). Results - Data analytics competency (personal capabilities) has a significant positive effect on the Muslim external auditors' performance, whereas data analytics competency (technologies and tools expertise) has a significant positive affect on the non-Muslim external auditors' performance. Level of religiosity has significant moderating effect on the relationship between data analytics competency (technologies and tools expertise) and Muslim external auditors' performance. Nonetheless, level of religiosity does not moderate the relationship between data analytics competency and the performance of non-Muslim external auditors. Religiosity (virtue) has significant moderating effect on the relationship between data analytics competency (personal capabilities) and Muslim external auditors' performance. Meanwhile, religiosity (faith) has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between data analytics competency (technologies and tools expertise) and non-Muslim external auditors' performance. Conclusion - This study demonstrates that data analytics competency and religiosity can influence the external auditors' performance., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2022 Jaffar N et al.)

The interaction and the interplay of climate change with oil palm production in the Southeast Asia region are of serious concern. This particularly applies in Malaysia due to its rank as the second largest palm oil producer in the world. The anthropogenic activities and the agroecological practices in oil palm plantation, including excessive use of fertilisers, bush fire due to land clearing, and cultivation on peatland, have exacerbated the effects of climate change featuring extreme events, drought, flooding, heatwave, as well as infestation of pest and diseases. These adverse impacts on oil palm production highlight the significance of deploying effective adaptation strategies. The study aims to examine the impact of climate change on oil palm production and identify the farmers' adaptation strategies to the impacts of climate change in Malaysia. This study was conducted a comprehensive review of the articles published from 2000 to 2021 in the contexts of climate change and oil palm production in Malaysia. The review shows that climate change has a range of impacts on the oil palm production in Malaysia. As a result, several adaptation options were identified, such as breeding of hybrid varieties that are tolerant and resistant to heat; sustainable management of soil; pit and tranches to enhance water management in plantation areas; minimal use of fertilisers, herbicides, and pesticides; zero burning; and minimum tillage. The reviewed studies recommended the following to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change: sustainable national policy on climate change, conservation of the existing carbon stock, effective management of tropical rainforest biodiversity, afforestation for carbon sequestration, and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Tooth extraction post radiotherapy is one of the most important risk factors of osteoradionecrosis of the jawbones. The objective of this study was to determine the predictors of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) which were associated with a dental extraction post radiotherapy., Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records and dental panoramic tomogram (DPT) of patients with a history of head and neck radiotherapy who underwent dental extraction between August 2005 to October 2019 was conducted., Results: Seventy-three patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 16 (21.9%) had ORN post dental extraction and 389 teeth were extracted. 33 sockets (8.5%) developed ORN. Univariate analyses showed significant associations with ORN for the following factors: tooth type, tooth pathology, surgical procedure, primary closure, target volume, total dose, timing of extraction post radiotherapy, bony changes at extraction site and visibility of lower and upper cortical line of mandibular canal. Using multivariate analysis, the odds of developing an ORN from a surgical procedure was 6.50 (CI 1.37-30.91, p = 0.02). Dental extraction of more than 5 years after radiotherapy and invisible upper cortical line of mandibular canal on the DPT have the odds of 0.06 (CI 0.01-0.25, p < 0.001) and 9.47 (CI 1.61-55.88, p = 0.01), respectively., Conclusion: Extraction more than 5 years after radiotherapy, surgical removal procedure and invisible upper cortical line of mandibular canal on the DPT were the predictors of ORN., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction . Cumulative lifetime exposure to vibration is believed to contribute to more severe complications of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Objectives . To determine prevalence of the neurological component of HAVS and the correlation between lifetime vibration dose (LVD) and neurological severity of HAVS among tyre shop workers in Kelantan. Methods . The cross-sectional study involved 200 tyre shop workers from two districts in Kelantan. Part one data were collected in the field using a questionnaire and hand-arm vibration was measured. Part two involved a set of hand clinical examinations (Purdue pegboard, Semmes-Weinstein monofilament and two-point discrimination tests) carried out for neurological component severity staging. LVD for each worker was calculated from data gathered in part one. For workers who had neurological symptoms, staging according to Stockholm workshop scales was done according to part two data. The strength of correlation between LVD and neurological stages was then determined using Spearman correlation. Results . Prevalence of neurological component was 37%. Spearman correlation between LVD and the neurological stages showed a moderate positive correlation. Conclusion . Cumulative lifetime exposure to hand-transmitted vibration is likely to be related to neurological severity of HAVS and therefore must be considered when assessing workers' exposure to hand-arm vibration.

This study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of PM 2.5 and PM 10 collected in four regions (North, Central, South and East Coast) of Peninsular Malaysia during the southwest monsoon. Concurrent measurements of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were performed using a high volume sampler (HVS) for 24 h (August to September 2018) collecting a total of 104 samples. All samples were then analysed for water soluble inorganic ions (WSII) using ion chromatography, trace metals using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The results showed that the highest average PM 2.5 concentration during the sampling campaign was in the North region (33.2 ± 5.3 μg m -3 ) while for PM 10 the highest was in the Central region (38.6 ± 7.70 μg m -3 ). WSII recorded contributions of 22% for PM 2.5 and 20% for PM 10 mass, with SO 4 2- the most abundant species with average concentrations of 1.83 ± 0.42 μg m -3 (PM 2.5 ) and 2.19 ± 0.27 μg m -3 (PM 10 ). Using a Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model, soil fertilizer (23%) was identified as the major source of PM 2.5 while industrial activity (25%) was identified as the major source of PM 10 . Overall, the studied metals had hazard quotients (HQ) value of <1 indicating a very low risk of non-carcinogenic elements while the highest excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was recorded for Cr VI in the South region with values of 8.4E-06 (PM 2.5 ) and 6.6E-05 (PM 10 ). The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) calculated from the PAH concentrations was within the acceptable range for all regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to various dietary regimens that cycle between a period of non-fasting and a period of total fasting. This study aimed to determine the effects of IF on cognitive function among elderly individuals who practice IF who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 99 elderly subjects with MCI of Malay ethnicity without any terminal illness were recruited from a larger cohort study, LRGS TUA. The subjects were divided into three groups, comprising those who were regularly practicing IF (r-IF), irregularly practicing IF (i-IF), and non-fasters (n-IF). Upon 36 months of follow-up, more MCI subjects in the r-IF group reverted to successful aging with no cognitive impairment and diseases (24.3%) compared to those in i-IF (14.2%) and n-IF groups (3.7%). The r-IF group's subjects exhibited significant increment in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduction in body weight, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and DNA damage. Moreover, metabolomics analysis showed that IF may modulate cognitive function via various metabolite pathways, including the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways. Overall, the MCI-afflicted older adults who practiced IF regularly had better cognitive scores and reverted to better cognitive function at 36 months follow-up.

Background: Prolonged exposure to hand-arm vibration is associated with a disorder of the vascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems of the upper limb known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Currently, the evidence of HAVS in tropical environments is limited., Objectives: To determine the prevalence and severity of HAVS among tyre shop workers in Kelantan, Malaysia., Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 200 tyre shop workers from two districts in Kelantan was performed. Part one data were collected at the field using questionnaire, and hand-arm vibration was measured. Part two involved a set of hand clinical examinations. The workers were divided into high (≥5 m s -2 ) and low/moderate (<5 m s -2 ) exposure group according to their 8-hr time weighted average [A(8)] of vibration exposure. The differences between the two exposure group were then compared., Results: The prevalence of the vascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal symptoms was 12.5% (95% CI 10.16 to 14.84), 37.0% (95% CI 30.31 to 43.69), and 44.5% (95% CI 37.61 to 51.38) respectively. When divided according to their exposure statuses, there was a significant difference in the prevalence of HAVS for all three components of vascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal (22.68% vs 2.91%, 62.89% vs 12.62% and 50.52% and 38.83%) respectively. All the clinical examinations findings also significantly differed between the two groups with the high exposure group having a higher abnormal result., Conclusion: Exposure to high A(8) of vibration exposure was associated with a higher prevalence of all three component of HAVS. There is a need for better control of vibration exposure in Malaysia., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Background: Globally, dengue infections constitute a significant public health burden. In recent decades, Malaysia has become a dengue hyper-endemic country with the co-circulation of the four dengue virus serotypes. The cyclical dominance of sub-types contributes to a pattern of major outbreaks. The consequences can be observed in the rising incidence of reported dengue cases and dengue related deaths. Understanding the complex interaction of the dengue virus, its human hosts and the mosquito vectors at the community level may help develop strategies for addressing the problem., Methods: A prospective cohort study will be conducted in Segamat district of Johor State in Peninsular Malaysia. Researchers received approval from the Malaysian Medical Research Ethics Committee and Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee. The study will be conducted at a Malaysian based health and demographic surveillance site over a 1 year period in three different settings (urban, semi-urban and rural). The study will recruit healthy adults (male and female) aged 18 years and over, from three ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese and Indian). The sample size calculated using the Fleiss method with continuity correction is 333. Sero-surveillance of participants will be undertaken to identify asymptomatic, otherwise healthy cases; cases with dengue fever who are managed as out-patients; and cases with dengue fever admitted to a hospital. A genetic analysis of the participants will be undertaken to determine whether there is a relationship between genetic predisposition and disease severity. A detailed medical history, past history of dengue infection, vaccination history against other flaviviruses such as Japanese encephalitis and Yellow fever, and the family history of dengue infection will also be collected. In addition, a mosquito surveillance will be carried out simultaneously in recruitment areas to determine the molecular taxonomy of circulating vectors., Discussion: The research findings will estimate the burden of asymptomatic and symptomatic dengue at the community level. It will also examine the relationship between virus serotypes and host genotypes, and the association of the clinical manifestation of the early phase with the entire course of illness.

Background: The Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project (MyHVP) is one of the eighteen official Human Variome Project (HVP) country-specific nodes. Since its inception in 9(th) October 2010, MyHVP has attracted the significant number of Malaysian clinicians and researchers to participate and contribute their data to this project. MyHVP also act as the center of coordination for genotypic and phenotypic variation studies of the Malaysian population. A specialized database was developed to store and manage the data based on genetic variations which also associated with health and disease of Malaysian ethnic groups. This ethnic-specific database is called the Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project database (MyHVPDb)., Findings: Currently, MyHVPDb provides only information about the genetic variations and mutations found in the Malays. In the near future, it will expand for the other Malaysian ethnics as well. The data sets are specified based on diseases or genetic mutation types which have three main subcategories: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), Copy Number Variation (CNV) followed by the mutations which code for the common diseases among Malaysians. MyHVPDb has been open to the local researchers, academicians and students through the registration at the portal of MyHVP ( http://hvpmalaysia.kk.usm.my/mhgvc/index.php?id=register )., Conclusions: This database would be useful for clinicians and researchers who are interested in doing a study on genomics population and genetic diseases in order to obtain up-to-date and accurate information regarding the population-specific variations and also useful for those in countries with similar ethnic background.

Background: Growth references are useful for the screening, assessment and monitoring of individual children as well as for evaluating various growth promoting interventions that could possibly affect a child in early life., Aim: To determine the growth centiles of Malaysian children and to establish contemporary cross-sectional growth reference charts for height and weight from birth to 6 years of age based on a representative sample of children from Malaysia., Methods: Gender- and age-specific centile curves for height and weight were derived using the Cole's LMS method. Data for this study were retrieved from Malaysian government health clinics using a two-stage stratified random sampling technique. Assessment of nutritional status was done with the SD scores (Z-scores) of WHO 2006 standards., Results: Boys were found to be taller and heavier than girls in this study. The median length of Malaysian children was higher than the WHO 2006 standards and CDC 2000 reference. The overall prevalence of stunting and underweight were 8.3% and 9.3%, respectively., Conclusions: This study presents the first large-scale initiative for local reference charts. The growth reference would enable the growth assessment of a Malaysian child compared to the average growth of children in the country. It is suggested that the use of WHO 2006 Child Growth Standards should be complemented with local reference charts for a more wholesome growth assessment.

In this article, the authors propose reference curves for height and weight for school children in the Kuching area, Sarawak. The school children were from primary to secondary schools (aged 6.5 to 17 years old) and comprised both genders. Anthropometric measurements and demographic information for 3081 school-aged children were collected (1440 boys and 1641 girls). Fitted line plots and percentiles for height and weight (3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles) were obtained. The height of school boys and school girls were almost similar at the start of their school-going age. For school girls, height and weight values stabilized when they reached 16 or 17 years old but kept increasing for school boys. School boys were taller than school girls as they entered adolescence. Height differences between school boys and school girls became significantly wider as they grew older. Chinese school children were taller and heavier than those of other ethnic groups., (© 2012 APJPH.)

Background: Dyspepsia and headache frequently co-exist, but the clinical implication of this association is uncertain. We planned to examine the prevalence and impact of dyspepsia in adults with headache., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a secondary care setting. Clinical, psychological and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data were compared between subjects with headache and controls (non-headache subjects). The impact of dyspepsia was analysed further in subjects with headache alone., Results: 280 subjects (93 cases with headache and 187 matched controls) were recruited. The following baseline characteristics of subjects were as follows: mean age 45.0 ± 17.3 years, 57.0% females and ethnic distribution-Malaysian = 45 (48.4%), Chinese n = 24 (25.8%) and Indians n = 24 (25.8%). Headache sub-types among cases with headache were as follows: tension-type headache (TTH) n = 53 (57.0%) and migraine n = 40 (43.0%). Dyspepsia was more prevalent in cases with headache compared to controls (25.8% vs 12.8%, p = 0.011), and headache was independently associated with dyspepsia (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.39-5.43). Among cases with headache, there was a trend towards a higher prevalence of dyspepsia in those with migraine (27.5%) compared to TTH (24.5%). Subjects with headache and dyspepsia, compared to those with headache alone, had a greater severity of headache symptoms (63.67 ± 22.85 mm vs 51.20 ± 24.0 mm VAS, p = 0.029). Overall HRQOL scores were lower in headache subjects with dyspepsia (EQ-5D summary score 0.82 ± 0.18 vs 0.90 ± 0.16, p = 0.037 and EQ-5D VAS 62.08 ± 17.50 mm vs 72.62 ± 18.85 mm, p = 0.018), compared to those without dyspepsia., Conclusion: Dyspepsia is associated with more severe headache symptoms and results in a lower HRQOL in patients with headache.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common but often underdiagnosed in children. The Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire developed by University of Michigan, USA (English UM PSQ) has high sensitivity and specificity in identifying children with sleep-disordered breathing. This study aimed to translate and adapt the English UM PSQ into Malay language as a screening tool to assess SDB among the Malay speaking population. The second objective was to determine the psychometric measurements of the translated UM PSQ (Malay UM PSQ)., Methods: The Malay UM PSQ was translated through forward-backward translation techniques by two independent accredited bodies and reviewed by a panel of experts. The questionnaire was tested in two phases. The respondents were from hospital staffs with children and parents of primary school children aged 6-10 years. The reliability of questionnaires was measured by Cronbach's α and Kappa (κ) statistics., Results: The overall scale of internal consistency of the Malay UM PSQ was good, i.e., Cronbach's α = 0.760 (α = 0.457, 0.608 and 0.688 for snoring, sleepiness and behavioral domains respectively). The English UM PSQ also had good internal consistency at α = 0.753 (α = 0.589, 0.524, to 0.793 for snoring, sleepiness and behavioral domains respectively). Test-retest reliability for most items was good with correctness of >85.0% in all items. Only one item was seen in the Malay UM PSQ with κ=0.348, while the remaining ranged from κ=0.489 to 0.811. For the English UM PSQ, κ ranged from 0.660 to 0.945., Conclusion: Both English and Malay UM PSQ have acceptable psychometric measurement properties as screening tools to assess SDB in the Malay speaking population.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) results from the interaction between environmental exposures and genetic predisposition factors., Aims: A case control study was designed and to investigate the genotype frequencies of P53Arg72Pro polymorphism in Malaysian CRC patients and healthy controls and to determine the associated risk of this polymorphism with CRC predisposition., Methods: In this case-control study, peripheral blood samples of 202 sporadic CRC patients and 201 normal controls were collected, DNA extracted and genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique., Results: Genotype analysis showed the frequency of homozygous variant (Pro/Pro) genotype (21%) to be significantly higher in cases compared to controls (13%), (p=0.013). On examining the association between variant genotypes and CRC risk, the Pro/Pro homozygous variant genotype showed significantly higher risk association with CRC susceptibility (OR: 2.047, CI: 1.063-4.044, p=0.033). When stratified according to age, we observed that, individuals aged above 50 years and carriers of pro/pro genotype had significantly higher risk with OR: 3.642, CI: 1.166-11.378, p=0.026., Conclusions: Our results suggest that the codon 72 SNP which results in amino acid substitution of Arginine to Proline in cell cycle regulatory gene P53, is associated with sporadic CRC risk and carriers of Pro/Pro genotype and more than 50 years old may have high susceptibility.

Objective: This study explored the extent to which Malaysian and Thai smokers believe "light" and menthol cigarettes are less harmful than "regular" cigarettes and the correlates of these beliefs., Methods: The study used data from wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey. 2006 adult smokers (95.3% male) from Malaysia and 2000 adult smokers (94.5% male) from Thailand were interviewed face to face in 2005., Results: 29% of Malaysian respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 14% menthols, with 19% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 16% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. 38% of Thai respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 19% menthols, with 46% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 35% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. Malaysian smokers reporting current use of light or menthol cigarettes were more likely to believe that they are less harmful. Reported use of lights did not relate to beliefs for Thai respondents. The belief that light and/or menthol cigarettes are less harmful was strongly related to the belief that they have smoother smoke., Conclusions: The experience of smoother smoke is likely to produce some level of belief in reduced harm, regardless of how brands are labelled and whether or not Federal Trade Commission FTC/International Organisation for Standardisation tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield figures are used.

In this work, activated carbon was prepared from bamboo waste by chemical activation method using phosphoric acid as activating agent. The activated carbon was evaluated for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color reduction of a real textile mill effluent. A maximum reduction in color and COD of 91.84% and 75.21%, respectively was achieved. As a result, the standard B discharge limit of color and COD under the Malaysian Environmental Quality act 1974 was met. The Freundlich isotherm model was found best to describe the obtained equilibrium adsorption data at 30 degrees C. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, total pore volume and the average pore diameter were 988.23 m(2)/g, 0.69 cm(3)/g and 2.82 nm, respectively. Various functional groups on the prepared bamboo activated carbon (BAC) were determined from the FTIR results.

This cross-sectional study was designed to determine the socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of overweight/obesity and self-reported diabetes mellitus, hypertension and heart disease among the population in Pulau Kundur, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. This study was conducted in September 2005. We randomly selected 120 of 240 households in Pulau Kundur, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Fifteen interviewers were trained to use a structured questionnaire to interview 348 adult respondents age 18 years and older in the selected houses. The mean age was 40.7 years; 52.7% were females and 99.4% were Malay. Sixty-two point seven percent were married and 50.9% of them had Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) or less education. The mean head of family income was RM 532.4. The mean body mass index was 25.3. The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity, known hypertension, diabetes mellitus and heart disease were 49.1, 12.6, 7.8 and 2.0% respectively. Adults in this village had a high prevalence of overweight and obesity and self-reported chronic diseases. Health education and lifestyle modification are needed for those adults.

The aims of the study were to determine the attack rate of influenza-like illness among inhabitants of five old folk homes nationwide using influenza vaccine as a probe and the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in prevention of influenza-like illness. We conducted a nonrandomized, single-blind placebo control study from June 2003 to February 2004. VAXIGRIP(R) 2003 Southern hemisphere formulation was used. Among 527 subjects, the attack rates of influenza-like illness in the influenza vaccine group were 6.4, 4.6 and 2.4% during the first, second and third 2-month periods, respectively. The attack rates of influenza-like illness in the placebo group were 17.7, 13.8 and 10.1%. Influenza vaccination reduced the risk of contracting influenza-like illness by between 14, and 45%. The vaccine effectiveness in reducing the occurrence of influenza-like illness ranged from 55 to 76%, during the 6-month study followup. The presence of cerebrovascular diseases significantly increased the risk of influenza-like illness (p < 0.005). Vaccine recipients had fewer episodes of fever, cough, muscle aches, runny nose (p < 0.001) and experience fewer sick days due to respiratory illness. Subjects who received influenza vaccination had clinically and statistically significant reductions in the attack rate of influenza-like illness. Our data support influenza vaccination of persons with chronic diseases and >50 year olds living in institutions.