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Objective: The impact of social media on public health has been examined in various studies. However, none have explored user engagement based on the type of Facebook posts related to renal disease. Therefore, the present study sought to determine which type of nephrology-related posts have greater user engagement. Setting: Facebook pages. Methods: The posts on a specific Facebook page curated by a team of nephrologists in Malaysia were examined in this cross-sectional study. The type of post, likes, comments, shares of a post and reach of a post were used for data analysis. Analysis of variance was used to quantify the relative contribution of each independent variable to the odds of the post being highly liked or shared. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare links, photos, shared videos, status and videos for parameters such as reach, the number of times a specific piece of content has been displayed on a screen (impressions), and user engagement. Results: Shared videos and photos received the highest median reach of 5,862 and 5,880, respectively. People who 'liked' the page in 2019, 2020 and 2021 numbered 193, 4,196 and 2,835, respectively. Among the types of content on the Facebook page, photos and shared videos received the highest median lifetime reach of the post compared to links, status and videos in terms of 'people who liked the page'. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that posting a video or photo maximises the chance of engagement and meaningfully impacts public health outcomes.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has created an unprecedented experience for many. The private higher education was not spared and currently faces numerous challenges. This paper aims to provide a brief background on the higher education landscape in Malaysia and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the private higher education sector. Inevitably, these institutions need to reimagine their existing business models in order to face the post-pandemic world.

Augmented reality technology has been widely adopted in various fields, particularly in the realm of education. In the west, this technology has been applied to various foreign languages such as Malay, English, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Ukrainian. However, in the context of learning Arabic in Malaysia, the use of this technology has been less explored, particularly from the perspective of students at the public university level. Hence, this study aims to examine the level of perception among students at University Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) regarding the use of augmented reality as a new technology in Arabic language learning today. A questionnaire was used in this study to collect data from a sample of 30 respondents. Analytical findings on frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were obtained through descriptive statistical analysis. Cronbach's alpha analysis showed that all eight items of the questionnaire had good internal consistency. The overall mean score of the items was 4.48, indicating a high level of data interpretation. Based on the analysis of the findings, the study revealed that the majority of students responded positively and expressed satisfaction with their readiness to use augmented reality in language learning. In conclusion, augmented reality is a valuable learning aid that can greatly benefit students in understanding Arabic vocabulary more easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Children with learning difficulties (LD) have poorer oral health compared to those without LD due to barriers in maintaining oral care. However, the scarcity of data for this population in Malaysia has left a huge gap in understanding their problems and how to overcome those barriers. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the unmet dental needs and barriers to care perceived by the guardians of children with learning difficulties (CWLD) attending the Special Education Integrated Programmes of a mainstream primary school, in comparison to children without learning difficulties. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed the guardians of CWLD (case) and those without LD (control), aged 6-12 years old. A total of 225 questionnaires were distributed to the guardians with a response rate of 40.4% (N=91). Unmet dental needs and barriers in both groups were analysed using the chi-square test. Barriers with significant Chi-square results were further tested with logistic regression to investigate possible confounders. Results: Unmet dental needs of 23.1% of CWLD were found. Most of the guardians agreed that regular dental check-ups were the most needed dental treatment (27.1%) compared to other treatments. The child's behaviour and the unwillingness of the dentists to treat were among the significant barriers to dental care within the CWLD group. Conclusion: Despite regular dental visits, guardians of CWLD perceived that their children had the most unmet dental needs compared to other children without LD, with significant barriers in terms of accessing professional dental services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic that spreaded around the world in March 2020 has changed the nation's education landscape. Standard Operating Procedures that demand presence at respective residences have made online learning one of the best platforms that replace face-to-face learning in educational institutions across the country. Thus, this study aims to propose an effective online language learning strategy to be a reference for educators and students to master language skills using post-Covid19 educational technology. This research employs quantitative methods cross sectional studies supported by qualitative data. The research instruments is questionnaires. A total of 280 respondents consisting of university students in the Arabic field at Malaysian universities answered the questionnaire. The results showed that the respondents know how to learn through online learning with a mean rate of 4.24 and the respondents agreed that the instructions given during online learning should be clear with a highest mean rate of 4.46. Among the online learning strategies used by students are always sharing opinions during online learning, responding using chat rooms to engage in discussions and making notes to improve understanding. Respondents are also satisfied with online learning platforms such as google meet, Webex and zoom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of soybean and crude oil futures on palm oil indexes by utilising monthly data from three palm oil indexes listed in Bursa Malaysia, i.e., the Asian palm index, Malaysian palm index, and Plantation index, spanning from January 2010 to June 2020. The impacts were analysed using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds test approach and causality test. The statistical findings revealed that the Asian palm index has a long-run relationship with crude oil futures and crude palm oil, and a short-run relationship with soybean futures, crude oil futures, and crude palm oil. On the other hand, the Malaysian palm index has a short-run relationship with soybean futures and crude palm oil, whereas the Plantation index has a short-run relationship with crude oil futures, crude palm oil, and exchange rate. For the long-run strategy, this study recommends close monitoring of crude oil futures. Meanwhile, the short-run strategy requires close monitoring of the crude oil and soybean futures. Eventually, the empirical findings proposed that interested parties such as fund managers, investors, and traders should pay attention to crude oil and soybean futures to mitigate risk and diversify their portfolios with greater emphasis on crude oil futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign workers in Malaysia were vulnerable to COVID-19 due to social environment factors that increased the infection risks. Nevertheless, the perspective of COVID-19-free foreign workers regarding the issues were unknown. Therefore, the research was conducted to identify social environment factors contributing to the impacts of pandemic and perceived social support as a strategy to maintain good health among Nepali workers in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. The qualitative approach with purposive sampling method was applied. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight workers, and two religion leaders as key informants. The result showed that psychosocial impacts experienced were due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) as a legal factor that caused the new norm. Informational and instrumental supports helped them to understand and practice the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Emotional and religious supports were essential in coping with mental health problems. In short, social and community context as the main social determinant of health had brought about other determinants including economic stability and quality health care to ensure good health among them. Social factors have to be emphasized in the work of combating the impact of pandemic to promote sustainable public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the relationship between Malaysia and several countries—China, Singapore, Japan and the United States of America (USA), through FDI relations using the multivariate GARCH model. The annual time series data was used over the period of 1982 to 2017. The study was able to prove statistically, of a significant volatility spillover between Malaysia and China, Singapore, Japan and the USA. The study also found that the relationship between FDI for all these countries varied over time, which was dynamic in nature. Relatively low (weak) correlations occurred between Malaysia and Singapore and Japan, while high (strong) correlations occurred between Malaysia and China and the USA. In addition, the finding also showed that although there was evidence due to significant impacts, both the Asian financial crisis and the global financial crisis did not entirely affect the market trends and the relationship between foreign direct investments across all these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper debates about the direct impact of consumer buying decision in relation to the Malaysian sports shoe market. To create outstanding marketing plans to entice the market, it is utmost important for the marketers to understand the consumer buying decision pattern. Therefore, to address this issue, this research will study the main factors that influences the consumer buying decision on sports shoes available in Malaysia and the extend of impact for each factor. The four buying factors identified in this research are income expectations, cost-effectiveness, innovation and creativity and lastly cultural and personal factor. Asides, this paper also addresses the theories on rational behavior which outline the five-step process of consumers purchase and impulsive behavior which primarily motivated by external stimuli. This paper has concluded that the understanding of consumer buying decision not only helps marketers to create and shape effective marketing strategies but also keep the Malaysian sports shoes market competitive in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical thinking and problem-solving skill is important for university students to increase their chances of securing a work placement. One way to improve this skill is believed through experiences gained from an industrial training. This study aims to investigate the impact of industrial training on the improvement of students' critical thinking and problem-solving skill. Further, it aims to explore the influence of selected factors on this skill improvement. These selected factors are demographic profiles of students, supervisors and organization, students' motivation, job scope, supervisor leadership styles and organizational culture. The study adapted Belbin Team Role Self- Perception Inventory as the research instrument of the research. A total of 1,227 students and 485 students from six public universities in Malaysia, have completed the pre survey and post survey respectively. Using paired t-test analysis, result exhibited that students' shown improvement in their critical thinking and problem solving upon completion of their industrial training. The results also exhibited that this skill improvement is best predicted when students performed independence job scope, being supervised by male supervisor and the supervisor and when the supervisors exercise transformational leadership styles. Some practical and empirical implications were drawn from the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The role of collocation learning strategies is less of a concern as mediator. Although several correlation studies of bivariate factors have provided the relationship between the variables, many cannot answer the question of how the relationship exists. Also, a lot of studies have taken into account the variables of collocation learning strategies as mediator factors and have not illustrated clearly the relationship between independent variables (motivation) and dependent variables (collocation knowledge). As such, the aim of the present study is to identify the knowledge of Arabic collocation by taking several factors, namely; motivation and collocation learning strategies that have the potential to increase the knowledge of Arabic collocation in Malaysia. Methodology: In this study, a cross-sectional design was applied. Simple random sampling was used, where a total of 344 final year Arabic language students from eight public universities in Malaysia took part in the study by completing a set of tests and questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Findings: The findings show there is a direct and indirect relationship between motivation variable, collocation learning strategies and collocation knowledge. In addition, the learning strategies factor also serves as a partial mediator. Contributions: This study suggests that collocation learning strategies play a role in the relationship between motivation and collocation knowledge in the context of Arabic language at higher education level in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A presented paper is reviewed for the Special Care Dentistry (SCD) teaching of dental undergraduates from different continents and compared it to the current SCD education scene in Malaysia. Related literature were reviewed together with the current updates of SCD in Malaysia as an overview to bridge the gap for SCD teaching, planning the learning outcomes, and the curriculum guidelines. It highlights the barriers, similarities, and the different approaches applied in Malaysia. Constructing the SCD curriculum and adhering to it is a challenge. Most countries will be bound to the local expectations and needs to be able to construct their national guidelines. The literature shows the difference in approach of teaching SCD globally. Different factors such as lack of SCD expertise, lack of disabled-friendly facilities, overloaded curriculum, and lack of educational resources were highlighted in the literature as factors that can halt the SCD education. Educators need to incorporate the learning outcomes, the local needs, and/or curriculum guidelines within their institutions to design the content of their own programs. The Malaysian experience can be an example of a southeast Asian approach in SCD education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a tale of two measures, which are market portfolio returns and exchange rate movements. The two measures are important risk factors which affect firm share returns. This study also demonstrates that the orthogonalized exchange rate exposure model is better at capturing the effects of exchange rate movements towards large Malaysian firm share returns. In addition to this, it was found that there were not significant differences in terms of number of exposed firms to exchange rate movements, when the Trade Weighted Index (TWI) and multi bilateral exchange rates were used, both in nominal and real terms. The study results also have shown that large Malaysian firms, including financial firms, were exposed to exchange rate movements regardless their level of foreign involvement. Interestingly, most of the exposed large firms are negatively affected when there is depreciation on home currency especially to the US Dollar (USD) and Japanese Yen (JPY). Even though the exchange rate volatility has failed to solve the exchange rate exposure puzzle among large firms in Malaysia, but the high level of sensitivity for most of the firm share returns to exchange rate volatility should not be ignored. Policymakers and financial managers should closely monitor the foreign exchange markets to mitigate the negative impact of exchange rate movements. Future research should also look into the possibility that the relationship between exchange rate movements and share returns is asymmetric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the influence of trusting electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) sources available online and attitude on intention to follow eWOM among travellers in Malaysia. A total of 280 questionnaires were collected from respondents via an online survey. The findings indicate that trust in the honesty, competence and benevolence of eWOM sources has a significant impact on attitude towards eWOM as well as the intention to follow it. However, the results also indicate that attitude partially mediates the relationship between trust in eWOM source and intention to follow it. The findings of this study can have significant implications for the tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a 1995 study, Moody's Investors Research found that companies and governments in the Pacific Rim would require $363 billion for essential telecom infrastructure by the end of the decade. Examines the state of communications in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. (PEN)

This article discusses the interpretation of television in relation to ethnic identity embraced by the female members of Javanese diaspora in Malaysia. The Javanese diaspora in this context refers to the descendants of the colonial Javanese migrants from Indonesia. In contemporary Malaysia, they are considered as Malays, but essentially they retain some cultural identifications of Javanese ethnicity, especially the language. As Malaysia becomes one of the destinations for Indonesian migrant labour and popular culture, the Javanese diaspora are certainly exposed to manifold images of their ethnic origin. Through the audience ethnography in a Javanese community of Selangor, this article reveals that the Malaysian Javanese women negotiate both representative and distant images of Javanese identity on television. Their interpretation of ethnic identity from television represents the notion of ‘interpretive ethnicity’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study explores the uses of Islamic television content in bridging the gap between Javanese and Malay identity among the Malay women of Javanese descent in Malaysia. Malaysian religious television programmes have constantly promoted the Islamic identifications of Malayness, enabling the Malay audience to reconstruct the culturally religious identity. While the reconstruction of Islamic identity through television viewing simply represents a lived experience for the majority of the Malay society, it has some cultural meanings for certain Malay sub-ethnic communities, such as the Javanese. This ethnographic study on a Malaysian Javanese community reveals that the interpretive engagement of this particular community in Islamic television viewing serves the purpose of negotiating Malay identity. The results of this study suggest that religious content can serve as an engaging platform to construct multi-ethnic identities beside popular and ethnic-related contents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Centella asiatica (L.) or known locally as Pegaga has been recognized by Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Malaysia as one of the top 10 the best herbs in Malaysia. Considering its beneficial advantages, the varieties of C. asiatica in Malaysia have been compared and further investigated for its potential to produce essential oil. In this study, the bioactive compounds, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidants activity from different varieties of Centella asiatica (L.) known as Pegaga Kampung, Pegaga Nyonya and Pegaga Salad from Malaysia and Pegaga Thailand have been determined followed by the extraction of essential oil using hydro-distillation (HD) and hydro-distillation with enzyme assisted (HDEA). Findings showed that Pegaga Kampung had the highest asiaticoside content of 0.259 mg/g, TPC of 9.22 mg GAE/g and DPPH radical scavenging activity (DPPH*) of 76.88% in leaf, 67.77% in petiole, and 60.37% in root as compared to other varieties of C. asiatica. Extraction of essential oils from Pegaga Kampung using HDEA with 40 FPU/g substrate of cellulase produced the highest yield of 1.01%. A higher TPC of 107.05 mg GAE/100 g was detected in essential oils extracted using HDEA with 10 FPU/g substrate of cellulase, whereas the highest DPPH* of 19.02% was found in essential oil using HD. [Display omitted] • To examine characteristics of different varieties of C. asiatica including one variety of C. asiatica from Thailand based on the concentration of asiaticoside, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant properties, as well as their morphological analysis. • From the study, it was found that Pegaga Kampung showed a higher asiaticoside and TPC concentration, thus it has been used for the extraction of essential oil using hydrodistillation (HD) and HD with enzyme assisted (HDEA) at different substrate and enzymes loading. • HDEA had increased the yield of essential oil and the TPC concentration, while HD had increased the antioxidant activity. • This study concluded the superior variety of C. asiatica , which is Pegaga Kampung and HDEA is able to extract essential oil from C. asiatica with higher yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aims of this study were to report prevalence of chronic pain and to examine whether chronic pain influence healthcare usage among elderly Malaysian population. Methods This was a sub-population analysis of the elderly sample in the Malaysia's Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) 2006, a nation-wide population based survey. A subset of 4954 elderly aged 60 years and above was used in the analysis. Chronic pain, pain's interference and outcome variables of healthcare utilization (hospital admission and ambulatory care service) were all measured and determined by self-report. Results Prevalence of chronic pain among elderly Malaysian was 15.2% (95% CI: 14.5, 16.8). Prevalence of chronic pain increased with advancing age, and the highest prevalence was seen among the old-old group category (21.5%). Across young-old and old-old groups, chronic pain was more prevalent among females, Indian ethnicity, widows/widowers, rural residency and those with no educational background. Our study showed that chronic pain alone increased hospitalization but not visits to ambulatory facilities. Presence of chronic pain was significantly associated with the frequency of hospitalization (aIRR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02, 1.38) but not ambulatory care service. Conclusions Chronic pain is a prevalent health problem among the elderly in Malaysia and is associated with higher hospitalization rate among the elderly population. This study provides insight into the distribution of chronic pain among the elderly and its relationship with the patterns of healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of postnatal urinary incontinence (PNUI), the risk factors associated with it and postnatal women's (PN) level of engagement in practicing traditional Malay confinement care (TMCC) in Kelantan, Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 362 postnatal women aged between 18 - 45 years and who were between three to five months post-delivery. Participants were selected through convenience sampling at six Maternal and Child Health Clinics located in comparatively similar districts. Descriptive and inferential analyses including, factor analysis, Pearson chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regressions analysis were used for data analysis. Overall, PNUI was reported by 80 women (22.1%). Vaginal delivery was associated with PNUI. All PN women within the study context practiced TMCC. The findings revealed that women who had PNUI were more likely to engage in a higher level of the 'Body care' component of TMCC. UI is prevalent among PN women in Kelantan, Malaysia. Further research into the impact of the 'body care' component of TMCC on PNUI is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study attempts to provide empirical evidence on the Uncovered Interest Rate Parity (UIRP) theory with Malaysia taken as a case study. Though theoretically sound, the UIRP does not seem to hold well empirically. Using quarterly data spanned from the first quarter of 1998 to the third quarter of 2010, the empirical results revealed the violation of the UIRP theory. This indicates that there is a possibility of arbitrage opportunity between Malaysia and the studied markets (Japan, Singapore and United Kingdom) due to the violation of Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). The study also found the absence of the forward premium puzzle in any cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study attempts to investigate the effects of the exchange rates on economic growth in Malaysia using time series data spanning from 1971 to 2009. Both exchange rates, nominal and real, are considered to have similar effects on economic growth. The results of ARDL bounds test suggest that long-run cointegration exists between both nominal and real exchange rates and economic growth with a significant positive coefficient recorded for real exchange rate. In addition, the results of ECM-based ARDL also reveal that both exchange rates have a similar causal effect towards economic growth. Considering the importance of exchange rate variables, especially the real term, these findings eventually suggest that a systematic exchange rate via monetary policy should be properly developed to promote the stability and sustainability of economic growth in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The incidence of aplastic anemia is reported to be higher in Asia than elsewhere. We studied the frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DRB1 alleles in aplastic anemia patients from 2 genetically similar aboriginal groups, the Kadazan and the Dusun, and compared them with genetically matched community and hospital controls. HLA-DRB1*15 was significantly higher in the patients compared with controls (p = 0.005), confirming similar findings in Japanese and Caucasian studies. Further testing indicated a significantly higher frequency of HLA-DRB1*1501 in patients compared with controls (p = 0.0004) but no significant difference in the frequency of HLA-DRB1*1502. The high frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 in the Kadazan and Dusun population combined with the wide variety of environmental factors associated with aplastic anemia could be the reason for the elevated incidence of aplastic anemia in the Kadazan and Dusun in Sabah. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As the production of local vehicles increases, the impact of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) wastes to the environment will also increase. ELVs recovery including reuse, remanufacture, and recycle apparently become a strategy in solving this environmental problem. This study identifies the existing conditions of automotive reuse in Malaysia by conducting some interviews in selected local automotive and automotive component manufacturers. Results from the interviews indicated that reuse of automotive components in newly manufactured vehicles has never been practiced by the selected companies. However, there is interest among respondents in developing automotive components for after-market reuse. Some strategies were proposed in this study to initiate automotive components reuse in the local automotive manufacturers including the establishment of the end-of-life directive, enhance research and development on design for reuse and increase reusability and economic benefits of reuse. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines Singapore-Malaysia relations from the worldview of Singapore's Peoples Action Party (PAP) leadership. Diplomatic furor between the two countries; Pattern and direction of Singapore's domestic and foreign policy; Lee Kwan Yew's broaching of a possible re-emerger of Singapore with Malaysia; Geo-political ramifications of the Singapore Malay marginality.

Points out that it is hardly surprising that Malaysia's ruling National Front was returned to power in the 1995 elections, but that their winning margin proved to be a greater endorsement than expected. Strengthening of the position of Prime Minister Mohammad Mahathir and quelling of rumors of a leadership change.

Singapore and Malaysia are recognisably Southeast Asia's most impressive economic performers. Their economic achievements have been accompanied by the maintainance of relative political stability within a challenging multi-ethnic social milieu. Not surprisingly, both nations have been widely promoted as models worthy of emulation for developing economies. Since the late 1980s, leading political elites in Singapore and Malaysia have been assiduously promoting the 'Asian way' model of political development. Offered as an alternative to the liberal democratic ideal, the 'Asian way' discourse has provided authoritarian governments with a theoretical basis for resisting domestic pressures for greater political democratisation. Whilst acknowledging the role of the 'Asian way' discourse in affirming and validating the cultural identity of East Asians in a global community that is largely dominated by Western cultural and institutional forms, the paper seeks primarily to examine the contradictions, paradoxes and political agenda underpinning the discourse. A particular focus is the usage of the 'Asian way' discourse as a potent ideological refuge for the continuation of authoritarian rule, its reinforcement of patriarchal values and institutional impact on women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Alcohol is a major factor that can affect many aspects of life. The prevalence of current drinker in Malaysia aged 13 years old and above was 7.7% as reported by NHMS 2015. Sabah was ranked the third in highest consumption of alcohol in Malaysia, at 18.4% after Kuala Lumpur 20.3% and Sarawak 19.7%. The aim of the study is to investigate prevalence of different types of drinkers and identify demographic characteristic of drinkers in Kota Kinabalu (KK). This study also aims to investigate the effectiveness of screening and brief intervention in reduction of alcohol consumption and risky drinking in KK. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done where the data were collected from seven different areas in KK, selected by stratified and simple randomized sampling. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire translated and validated in Malay version by Unit Terjemahan Universiti Malaya was used. AUDIT score was calculated and brief intervention was given accordingly and scoring was then repeated after three months. The intervention applied was based on Guideline on Risk Assessment and Primary Intervention in Alcohol Harm, published by Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2010. Results: The age range of population studied is from 13 to 85 years old with 243 males and 230 females. Out of the 473 participants, 13.1% adolescent, 37.6% young adulthood, 36.4% middle adulthood and 12.9% in late adulthood. We observed that the male mean weight was 68.27±12.72kg versus 58.86±12.45kg mean weight in female. The prevalence of drinkers - 3.6% dependent drinkers, 22.2% high risk drinkers, 36.2% low risk drinker while the remaining 38.1% are abstainers. Majority of consumers were practicing low-risk drinking pattern which highlighted the need for prevention and harm minimization programme. Paired sample t-test shows that the decrease in AUDIT three months after intervention is statistically significant. Conclusion: This study conducted in KK suggests that screening coupled with brief intervention can help reduce alcohol misuse and risky drinking and should be practiced in all primary healthcare facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor oral health among Malaysian indigenous Orang Asli (OA) children may impact on their daily performances. Aim: To assess the oral health status, related behaviours, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among OA children in Cameron Highlands (CH), Malaysia, and to identify the predictor(s) for poor OHRQoL. Design: This was a cross-sectional study involving 249, 11–12 year old OA children from 4 OA primary schools in CH. The children completed a self-administered questionnaire comprising information on socio-demographics, oral health-related behaviours, and the Malay Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (Malay Child-OIDP) index followed by an oral examination. Data were entered into the SPSS version 23.0 software. Non-parametric tests and multiple logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: The response rate was 91.2% (n = 227/249). The prevalence of caries was 61.6% (mean DMFT = 1.36, mean dft = 1.01) and for gingivitis was 96.0%. Despite the majority reported brushing their teeth ≥ 2x/day (83.7%) with fluoride toothpaste (80.2%), more than two-thirds chewed betel nut ≥ 1/day (67.4%). Majority of the children (97.8%) had a dental check-up once a year. Nearly three-fifths (58.6%) reported experiencing oral impacts on their daily performances in the past 3 months (mean score = 5.45, SD = 8.5). Most of the impacts were of "very little" to "moderate" levels of impact intensity with 90.2% had up to 4 daily performances affected. Most of the impacts were on eating (35.2%), cleaning teeth (22.0%) and relaxing activities (15.9%). Caries in primary teeth is associated with oral impacts among the OA children. Conclusions: The 11–12 year old OA children in Cameron Highland had high prevalence of caries and gingivitis with the majority chewed betel nut regularly. Caries in primary teeth is associated with poor OHRQoL. Future programmes should target younger age group children to promote positive oral hygiene practices, reduce caries, and improve quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evolution of molecular studies in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) has enlightened us the understanding of this complex disease consisting of polycythaemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). The epidemiology is well described in the western world but not in Asian countries like Malaysia. Materials and methods: This retrospective national registry of MPN was conducted from year 2009 to 2015 in Malaysia. Results: A total of 1010 patients were registered over a period of 5 years. The mean age was 54 years with male predominance. The ethnic distribution revealed that Chinese had a relatively high weighted incidence proportion (43.2%), followed by Indian (23.8%), Malay (15.8%) and other ethnic groups (17.2%). The types of MPN reported were 40.4% of ET (n = 408), 38.1% of PV (n = 385), 9.2% of PMF (n = 93), 3.1% of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) (n = 31) and 7.9% of unclassifiable MPN (MPN-U) (n = 80). Splenomegaly was only palpable clinically in 32.2% of patients. The positive JAK2 V617F mutation was present in 644 patients with 46.6% in PV, 36.0% in ET, 9.0% in PMF, and 7.4% in MPN-U, and had significantly lower haemoglobin (p < 0.001), haematocrit (p < 0.001) and white blood cells (WBC) (p < 0.001) than those with negative mutation. Significant differences in platelet and WBC count were detected in ethnic groups and MPN sub-types. There were more arterial thrombosis events seen in those with JAK2 V617F mutation as compared to venous thrombosis events (23.1% vs 4.4%). The bleeding rate was only 6.6%. Among the risk factors, previous thrombosis, old age (≥ 60 years) and hypertension were significantly correlated to positive JAK2 V617F mutation. The arterial thrombosis event is associated with higher presenting HB, HCT and PLT while the bleeding event is associated with lower presenting HB, HCT but higher PLT. The presence of JAK2 V617F mutation is associated with higher risk of arterial thrombosis. Conclusion: Chinese ethnicity is associated with higher rates of MPN. The history of thrombosis, age ≥ 60 years and hypertension are risk factors that can be correlated to JAK2 V617F mutation. This study is instrumental for policy makers to ensure preventive strategies can be implemented in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia inhibits virus replication and is being harnessed around the world to fight mosquito-borne diseases through releases of mosquitoes carrying the symbiont. Wolbachia strains vary in their ability to invade mosquito populations and suppress viruses in part due to differences in their density within the insect and associated fitness costs. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate the existence of two variants in wAlbB, a Wolbachia strain being released in natural populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The two variants display striking differences in genome architecture and gene content. Differences in the presence/absence of 52 genes between variants include genes located in prophage regions and others potentially involved in controlling the symbiont’s density. Importantly, we show that these genetic differences correlate with variation in wAlbB density and its tolerance to heat stress, suggesting that different wAlbB variants may be better suited for field deployment depending on local environmental conditions. Finally, we found that the wAlbB genome remained stable following its introduction in a Malaysian mosquito population. Our results highlight the need for further genomic and phenotypic characterization of Wolbachia strains in order to inform ongoing Wolbachia-based programs and improve the selection of optimal strains in future field interventions. IMPORTANCE Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes that threatens around half of the world population. Recent advances in dengue control involve the introduction of Wolbachia bacterial symbionts with antiviral properties into mosquito populations, which can lead to dramatic decreases in the incidence of the disease. In light of these promising results, there is a crucial need to better understand the factors affecting the success of such strategies, in particular the choice of Wolbachia strain for field releases and the potential for evolutionary changes. Here, we characterized two variants of a Wolbachia strain used for dengue control that differ at the genomic level and in their ability to replicate within the mosquito. We also found no evidence for the evolution of the symbiont within the 2 years following its deployment in Malaysia. Our results have implications for current and future Wolbachia-based health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Filipino β°-deletion has been reported as a unique mutation in East Malaysia with a severe phenotype due to the complete absence of β-globin chain synthesis. In this study, the haplotype patterns of the β-globin gene cluster were used to relate the human genetic variation to this specific β-thalassaemia mutation. Methods: The 376 study subjects included 219 β-thalassaemia major (β-TM) patients with homozygous Filipino β°-deletion and 157 carriers with heterozygous Filipino β°-deletion from 10 government hospitals in different regions of Sabah. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood using silica membrane based DNA purification protocol. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) was conducted on five markers within the β-globin gene cluster to construct the haplotype patterns. Results: Four haplotypes (Haplotype I--IV) were identified with Haplotype I as the predominant haplotype with the highest frequency of 0.98, followed by Haplotype II, III and Haplotype IV with 0.02. Haplotype I was strongly linked with the Filipino β°-deletion among the indigenous population. Conclusion: Haplotype I as the predominant haplotype suggests the patients with the Filipino β°-deletion in Sabah have a similar origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rate of cardiac rehabilitation attendance at the Sarawak Heart Centre was identified as very low, and the reason has not been investigated. A scale is needed to identify barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation among patients with heart disease in Sarawak, Malaysia. Purpose: The purposes of this study were to translate, adapt, and evaluate the Malay-language version of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale (CRBS) and to measure the psychometric properties of the Malay-version CRBS to justify its use in Sarawak. Methods: A forward and back-translation method was used. Content validity was assessed by three experts. Psychometric testing was conducted on a sample of 283 patients who were eligible to participate in cardiac rehabilitation. A construct validity test was performed using factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha was used to examine the internal consistency. The test–retest reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient on 22 participants. Independent-samples t test and analysis of variance were conducted to assess the criterion validity. Mean scores for total barriers of the scale and each individual factor were compared among the different patient characteristics. Results: The Malay-version CRBS showed an item level of content validity index of 1.00 for all of the items after improvements were made based on the experts' suggestions. The factor analysis, using principal component analysis with direct oblimin rotation, extracted four factors that differed from the original study. These four factors explained 52.50% of the cumulative percentage of variance. The Cronbach's alphas ranged from.74 to.81 for the obtained factors. Test–retest reliability was established using the intraclass correlation coefficient value of.78. Criterion validity was supported using the significant differences in the mean score for total barriers among educational level, driving distance, travel time to the hospital, and cardiac rehabilitation attendance. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: This study found the Malay-version CRBS to be a valid and reliable instrument. It may be used with inpatients to identify barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation to promote rehabilitation attendance and improve patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]