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Objectives The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rising globally as well as in Malaysia. AMR can lead to difficulty in the treatment of chronic infection if being neglected. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitude about antibiotic usage and AMR. Methods A cross-sectional study design was carried out at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), Malaysia, where participants were recruited by using the non-probability convenience sampling from the six orthopaedic and four surgical wards. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the required data which were then analysed by using SPSS. Key findings A total number of 390 adult Malaysians (286 from orthopaedic wards and 104 from surgical wards) were involved in the study. This study showed that the level of knowledge and attitude about antibiotics among the majority of respondents were moderate. However, their knowledge regarding AMR was very low (i.e. lack of knowledge). In contrast, the majority of them (69.8%) showed a positive attitude towards antibiotics. Statistical analysis of data revealed that the level of knowledge of AMR was significantly associated with gender, age, race, marital status, educational level and knowledge about antibiotic resistance terms (P < 0.05) while respondents' attitude towards antibiotic usage was significantly associated with gender, race, marital status and education level (P < 0.05). Conclusions It was necessary to formulate and develop strategies to improve the knowledge and awareness about antibiotics and AMR among health professionals. These might help them to improve their skills in delivering health information to the patients through a proper counselling technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic brought to the forefront various public health approaches, including the consumption of dietary supplements (DS) as a protective measure. With misinformation regarding the virus and the associated benefits of DS prevalent, this study aimed to understand knowledge, habits, and beliefs related to DS usage as a protective measure during the pandemic in Malaysia and Iraq, two countries with deep‐rooted traditions in herbal and supplement usage. Methods: A cross‐sectional research study was conducted between September 2021 and March 2022 using a validated online survey. The participants included Malaysians and Iraqis aged 18 years and above who currently consume DS. Using the SurveyMonkey® platform, data were collected from 2425 respondents (response rate = 60.6%), with analysis carried out using SPSS version 28. Results: Demographically, the sample had an almost equal distribution of Malaysians (51%) and Iraqis (49%), with a mean age of 30.61. The majority had tertiary education (78.6%), and only a fraction had been infected with COVID‐19 (26.2%). Concerning knowledge, a significant portion exhibited poor understanding (84.2%) of DS's functioning and implications. Regarding habits, many respondents consumed multivitamins (75.2%), with influence largely coming from peers (23.5%) and product leaflets (46.7%). Belief‐wise, about half (49.2%) utilized herbal or supplemental products as a protective measure during the pandemic, with vitamin C with zinc being the most commonly used (45.4%). Conclusion: The study underlines a significant inclination towards DS usage in Malaysia and Iraq, influenced by societal connections and available information. While many believe in the protective capacities of DS against COVID‐19, a substantial knowledge gap persists. It emphasizes the need for evidence‐based awareness campaigns and policies to guide public health decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pharmacy students should be eHealth literate by being skilful in searching, evaluating and applying online health information. Mobile health applications should be utilised when making clinical decisions to achieve optimal patient care with the ever-changing pharmacy practice. This study aims to explore the eHealth literacy and mobile health application utilisation amongst pharmacy undergraduates.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2021. An online survey, consisting of socio-demographic characteristics, Internet use, eHealth Literacy Scale and mobile health application utilisation, was distributed amongst pharmacy undergraduates in public and private universities in Malaysia. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test.Results: A total of 415 participants completed the survey (response rate    =    82.5%). The median eHealth Literacy Scale score (out of 40) was 31.0    ±    3.0 (interquartile range). More than one-third of participants (34.7%) were found to have low eHealth literacy. Many lacked confidence in making health decisions from online information (42.4%) and skills in distinguishing between high-quality and low-quality health resources (35.2%). Only 70.4% of the participants had mobile health applications installed on their smartphones and/or tablets. Some students felt that they were neither knowledgeable nor skilful enough to utilise mobile health applications (24.8%), whereas 23.9% were unaware of the mobile health applications available.Conclusion: In summary, the eHealth literacy of Malaysian pharmacy students can be further enhanced by incorporating eHealth literacy-focused programmes into the curriculum. Moreover, pharmacy students' mobile health application utilisation can be improved through increased awareness and support from universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous qualitative studies exploring the experiences of community pharmacists (CP) in implementing weight management services (WMS) often lack a theoretical underpinning. This study applied the capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour (COM-B) model to factors associated with WMS implementation among CPs to develop and recommend better intervention strategies.Methods: A qualitative study design was used by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with CPs. All the interviews were audio-recorded and duly transcribed. The thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data, and the themes generated were mapped onto COM-B model components.Results: The themes that emerged were (1) motivation of pharmacists and (2) knowledge and skills, which were identified as both barriers and facilitators, and (3) the barriers to implementation in aspects of social norms and resources. Factors were subsequently categorised into the subcomponents of the model: physical capability (e.g., training), psychological capability (e.g., lack of knowledge), physical opportunity (e.g., product range), social opportunity (e.g., stigma), automatic motivation (e.g., remuneration) and reflective motivation (e.g., CPs extended roles).Conclusions: In conclusion, programs or training For Cps should develop their psychological capability to change their behaviour by being more proactive in promoting and providing weight management services, with a vital educational component. This behavioural change will improve the promotion of this service and will help many customers who were unaware of this service. Learning opportunities will leave CPs to feel more empowered and overcome barriers to implementing and maintaining WMS in primary care. The study findings provided essential insights into the factors that affect this provided service in Malaysia. The results will help to encourage the embedding of nutrition counselling in academic curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The frequent expansion of the energy drinks (EDs) market has caused an extensive increase in the consumption of EDs, especially among younger populations. However, the lack of knowledge on EDs and their perceived beneficial effects could lead to excessive EDs consumption, which is strongly associated with serious side effects. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceived beneficial effects of EDs consumers and determine the consumption patterns and side effects experienced by different EDs consumers among the Malaysian population. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Malaysia from February to April 2021. A structured and validated questionnaire, consisting of 5 sections with 46 items, was distributed online. Only 515 out of 591 invited participants agreed to participate in the study. Descriptive and inferential analysis were done using SPSS. Results. The median age of participants was 23 ± 7.3 years. The majority of participants (65%) were unaware of the active ingredients of EDs, and approximately 40% of them had no idea that EDs contain caffeine. The main reason for consuming EDs was to stay awake (43%), and Red Bull was the most preferred brand (57%). Lack of rest (57%), headache (53%), and nervousness (49%) were the most experienced side effects. A significant difference was observed between consumption patterns and knowledge and perceived beneficial effects (p < 0.05). Our data showed a significant association between respondents' demographic data (e.g., coffee intake, smoking, and alcohol status) and their consumption pattern. Conclusion. ED consumers in Malaysia were found to have limited knowledge on EDs. Therefore, attention should be drawn to the Ministry of Health regarding the significant side effects such as palpitation and nervousness experienced by ED consumers. Hence, awareness ought to be raised by adopting regulations or policies to regulate the sales and warning labels of EDs in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of cosmetics is growing among both male and female consumers due to the availability of different brands. While there is an increase in the usage of cosmetic products, it is concerning whether the consumers are aware of the safety of the products. Aims: This study aimed to widely explore consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward cosmetics within the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was carried out among adults in Selangor, Malaysia. Thirty‐three questions divided into three dimensions (socio‐demographic parameters, assessment of perception, and assessment of attitude) were developed and validated to be answered by cosmetics consumers. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using SPSS. Results: A response rate of 87% was achieved, and the mean age of participants was 33 ± 7.2. The overall perception of consumers indicates low levels of perception and moderate level of attitude toward cosmetic products. There was a positive correlation and high relationship between participants' perception and attitude (p = 0.001, r = 0.72). A significant association was observed between demographic data of respondents and their attitude and perception toward cosmetic products. Participants were unaware that sharing of cosmetic products could lead to bacterial infection and possibly increased the chance of contracting COVID‐19. Conclusion: This study displayed a nonchalant perception and attitude of Malaysian adults toward cosmetic products by focusing on aesthetics rather than health safety. Therefore, it is recommended to raise awareness on the composition and effects of cosmetic products, increase the practice of hygiene and dissuade the sharing of cosmetics to reduce transmissions of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: People's knowledge, awareness, and attitude (KAA) about hypertension are the cornerstone of hypertension control and/or prevention. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the level of KAA of hypertensive populations about their disease and compare the level of KAA between rural and urban areas in Selangor, Malaysia. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and six rural areas in Selangor, Malaysia. A valid questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of KAA of the Malaysian hypertensive population. One thousand subjects were recruited by the non-probability convenience sampling method. Results: The mean age of the participants was 48 years old. Most of them (51.3%) had a moderate knowledge, 31.9% expressed fair awareness, and 48.8% showed moderate attitude regarding hypertension. Statistical analyses of the data revealed that the level of knowledge was found to be significantly associated with gender, age, race, education level, and source of information about hypertension (p < 0.05). The level of awareness was found to be significantly associated with race, marital status, and education level (p < 0.05). In addition, the participants' attitude towards hypertension was significantly associated with age, race, marital status, and education level (p < 0.05). There was no significant variation in the level of knowledge and attitude among rural and urban respondents (p > 0.05), whereas there was a statistically significant difference in the level of awareness between participants from urban and rural areas (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Efforts are needed to increase KAA about hypertension through health campaigns in public places and via the media to decrease hypertensive complications and its global epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Information Modelling is one of the crucial topics in the construction industry. The construction industry has played an important role to assist stakeholders to successfully transfer construction practices to BIM-based technology. Currently, no systematic research that has been carried out to determine the level of BIM implementation in Malaysia. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the diffusion of BIM among Malaysian companies. The results of the 268 responses received revealed that only 13% of the participants from both public and private sectors are using BIM in their organization and this is a negative sign that Malaysia is still far away from the position it supposed to be in BIM implementation. Lack of awareness, costs, slow adaptation, unavailability of a clear guideline to assist organizations and policymakers toward BIM implementation transforming and that BIM was not mandated in sufficient time were observed to be responsible for the slow implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to assess medication use in pregnant women in Malaysia by measuring use, knowledge, awareness, and beliefs about medications. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study involving a total of 447 pregnant women who attended the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), Malaysia. A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect participant data. Results: Most of pregnant women had taken medication during pregnancy and more than half of them (52.8%) showed a poor level of knowledge about the medication use during pregnancy. Eighty-three percent had a poor level of awareness and 56.5% had negative beliefs. Age and education level were significantly associated with the level of knowledge regarding medication use during pregnancy. Multiparous pregnant women, and pregnant women from rural areas were observed to have a higher level of awareness compared with those who lived in urban areas. Use of medication during pregnancy was determined to be significantly associated with education level, and race. Conclusion: Although there was prevalent use of medication among pregnant women, many had negative beliefs, and insufficient knowledge and awareness about the risks of taking medication during pregnancy. Several sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with the use (race and education level), level of knowledge (age and education level), awareness (parity and place of residence), and beliefs (race, education level, and occupation status) towards medication use during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between anaemia severity and risk factors among breast cancer patients. Methods: A prospective study design was conducted in three different oncology centres in Malaysia where 120 anaemic breast cancer patients (haemoglobin < 12 g/dL) were identified through medical chart review. Patients were followed-up for three cycles of chemotherapy and data such as haemoglobin (Hb) levels and demographic or clinical data were also recorded on each follow-up. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results: The average mean of Hb level of all follow-ups was 10.34 ± 0.73 g/dL. A chi-square and multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant strong association between anaemia severity and associated risk factors, i.e., demographic data (age, body mass index [BMI], and marital status), chemotherapy data (dose delay, number of regimens, and type of chemotherapy), and cancer stage. Conclusion: Factors that have a great impact on anaemia severity were identified in which oncologist and healthcare professionals can take them into consideration to reduce the negative effect of anaemia on patients' health care. Besides, results of such studies could significantly help in developing effective treatment guidelines for this crucial medical issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of anaemia on the quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer patients. Methods: A total of 120 anaemic (haemoglobin < 12 g/dL) breast cancer patients were identified through chart review. Patients were followed-up for three cycles of chemotherapy filled in a QOL questionnaire Functional Assessment Chronic Therapy –Anaemia at each follow-up session. Data such as haemoglobin Hb levels and chemotherapy regimens were also recorded on each follow-up. Data were analysed using SPSS. Key findings: The Hb level and QOL mean scores of all follow-ups were 10.34 ± 0.73 g/dL and 96.37 ± 16.15 g/dL, respectively. QOL was adversely affected by anaemia severity, and the curves declined significantly from the first follow-up to the third follow-up (P < 0.001). Conclusion: It is crucial to consider developing a guideline for the treatment of anaemia, which is not available currently, and improve the QOL for the wellbeing of cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the mobile service providers have been growing rapidly in Malaysia. In this paper, we propose analytical method to find best telecommunication provider by visualizing their performance among telecommunication service providers in Malaysia, i.e. TM Berhad, Celcom, Maxis, U-Mobile, etc. This paperuses data mining technique to evaluate the performanceof telecommunication service providers using their customers feedback from Twitter Inc. It demonstrates on how the system could process and then interpret the big data into a simple graph or visualization format. In addition, build a computerized tool and recommend data analytic model based on the collected result. From prepping the data for pre-processing until conducting analysis, this project is focusing on the process of data science itself where Cross Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM) methodology will be used as a reference. The analysis was developed by using R language and R Studio packages. From the result, it shows that Telco 4 is the best as it received highest positive scores from the tweet data. In contrast, Telco 3 should improve their performance as having less positive feedback from their customers via tweet data. This project bring insights of how the telecommunication industries can analyze tweet data from their customers. Malaysia telecommunication industry will get the benefit by improving their customer satisfaction and business growth. Besides, it will give the awareness to the telecommunication user of updated review from other users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify factors that have a correlation with hypertensive patients' knowledge in Malaysia. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey and face‐to‐face interview methods were applied, and 1000 Malaysian adults were recruited to be involved in this study. The study was carried out in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, and self‐administered questionnaire was adopted from previous literature study. Key findings: Most respondents were female, and the mean age was 48 years old. Analytical test showed that there is an association between gender, age, race, location, education level, and source of information and their knowledge about hypertension. The odds of knowledge were higher among female, urban, higher level of education, young (≤50 years old), and Chinese and Malay respondents and those who got their information from health professionals. Conclusions: There are several factors have a great impact on hypertension knowledge in Malaysia; hence, understanding them makes it possible for the community to change public policies and educational programmes for the population that need it the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Handheld computers (HHCs) such as smartphones and tablets are providing a variety of drug information (DI) applications to assist pharmacists’ decision making in the clinical and hospital setting. However, little is known about the extent of their use among Malaysian pharmacists. The current study aimed to assess the use of electronic DI resources via HHCs by pharmacists in Malaysia. This study also aimed to investigate the pharmacists’ perception toward the DI content and functions of mobile medical applications. Methods: A convenience sampling method was adopted to invite pharmacists (N = 450) working in various sectors such as hospitals, the drug approval authority, and academia to participate in this online survey. A 36-item questionnaire was administered, and data were summarized and presented using descriptive statistics. Results: The response rate to this survey was 49.8% (n = 224). Overall, 213 respondents (95.1%) were active HHCs users in their daily clinical practice. About 194 respondents (86.6%) disclosed that they often use HHCs for searching DI. Dosage recommendations (n = 198; 88.4%), adverse drug reactions (n = 153; 68.3%), and drug interactions (n = 146; 65.2%) were the most common DI retrieved. Meanwhile, general dosage recommendation, pediatric dosage recommendations and dosage recommendations for renal failure were ranked as the most important DI in mobile medical applications. Gaining access to the latest information on drugs and clinical practice were regarded as the most important functions of the mobile medical app. Conclusions: The use of HHCs for DI among pharmacists in Malaysia was high. The use of locally produced DI sources is still low compared to overseas sources. The most popular applications used for drug-related medical information were Micromedex, followed by Lexicomp and Medscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To identify and assess the characteristics, risk and outcome of neonates treated with empiric antibiotics for suspected early onset sepsis (EOS).Material and Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted at a Malaysian government hospital. Records of neonatal patients admitted within 72 h of life and prescribed with empirical antibiotic therapy for suspected EOS were reviewed.Results: Three hundred and twenty-three cases met the inclusion criteria and were divided into gestational age (premature < 36 weeks; term ≥ 37 weeks) and birth weight (low birth weight (LBW) < 2.5 kg; normal body weight (NBW) ≥ 2.5 kg) groups. Premature (n = 197) and LBW (n = 194) neonates required significantly longer hospital stay, a higher degree of ventilator support and more surfactant (p = 0.001). More than 90.0% of premature and LBW neonates were diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome, congenital pneumonia and presumed sepsis. Term (n = 123) and NBW (n = 129) neonates had greater maternal risk factors, especially meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) and perinatal asphyxia. The incidence of demonstrated EOS was 3.1%. Crystalline penicillin plus gentamicin was the standard therapy for all groups and was started within 24 h of life, with a mean treatment duration of ∼4 days. The treatment success rate was 89.0%, and only LBW neonates showed a higher risk of overall treatment failure (OR = 3.75; 95% CI: 1.22-11.53). Seventy-four percent of term and NBW neonates discharged well, while 42.0% of premature and LBW neonates required referral.Conclusions: Crystalline penicillin plus gentamicin prescribed within 24 h of life is effective in the prevention of EOS. However, low birth weight neonates have a higher risk of treatment failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of antifouling paints to the boats and ships is one among the threats facing coastal resources including coral reefs in recent decades. This study reports the current contamination status of diuron and its behaviour in the coastal waters of Malaysia. The maximum concentration of diuron was 285ng/L detected at Johor port. All samples from Redang and Bidong coral reef islands were contaminated with diuron. Temporal variation showed relatively high concentrations but no significant difference (P>0.05) during November and January (North-East monsoon) in Klang ports (North, South and West), while higher levels of diuron were detected during April, 2012 (Inter monsoon) in Kemaman, and Johor port. Although no site has shown concentration above maximum permissible concentration (430ng/L) as restricted by the Dutch Authorities, however, long term exposure studies for environmental relevance levels of diuron around coastal areas should be given a priority in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Chicken slaughterhouses generate wastewater rich in organic contaminants and nutrients. Chicken slaughterhouse wastewater (CSWW) is considered high-strength wastewater, hence becoming a potential candidate for treatment processes that can recover energy. This study focused on the performance comparison of two sets of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors inoculated with different seed sludge treating CSWW. The reactor inoculated with seed sludge acclimatised on modified synthetic wastewater successfully produced a significant methane yield and removed chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the effluent, which complied with the discharge parameter set by the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia. At the optimum loading rate of bioreactor operation, energy recovery from laboratory scale (LS) and commercial scale (CS) systems were evaluated and proven to produce significant energy yield for wet market usage. Furthermore, a preliminary design of an on-site CS system was also proposed based on the actual daily volume of CSWW generated, output from process performance study, and existing design of the LS system. Lack of good management practice of chicken slaughterhouse wastewater (CSWW) has caused pollution into water bodies. In this study, the potential of seed sludge acclimatised modified synthetic wastewater (MSWW) on bioreactor performance and energy recovery of CSWW treatment was investigated. Two sets of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors were employed. The seed sludge in UASB 2 was acclimatised with MSWW for 30 days. In UASB 1, no acclimatisation process was undertaken on seed sludge for control purposes. After the acclimatisation process of UASB 2, both reactors were supplied with CSWW under the same condition of organic loading rate (OLR = 0.5 to 6 gCOD/L/d) and mesophilic condition (37 °C). COD removal efficiencies of UASB 2 were >80% all through the steady-state of the OLR applied. Meanwhile, a drastic decrease in overall performance was observed in UASB 1 when the OLR was increased to 3, 4, 5, and 6 gCOD/L/d. Energy recovery from laboratory scale and projected value from commercial-scale bioreactor were 0.056 kWh and 790.49 kWh per day, respectively. Preliminary design of an on-site commercial-scale anaerobic reactor was proposed at a capacity of 60 m3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mental wellness relates to a state of positive mental health that involves a balance between emotional, psychological and social well-being. This study aims to explore the positive mental health (PMH) of academicians, its association with the socio-demographic factors and the usage of digital technology to support mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed method study was conducted among university academicians in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 388 academicians completed the online survey which included the multidimensional 19-item PMH instrument and qualitative questions exploring the academicians’ perspective on the use of mobile mental health apps. Results: The mean total PMH score was 4.65 ± 0.68. The total PMH and domain specific scores showed significant differences with age, ethnicity, marital status, qualification, academician rank and teaching experience (p<0.05). Significant associations were also found for faculty and organization with spirituality, working hours with global affect and spirituality, citizenship with general coping and spirituality domains, respectively. Older academicians, long years of service and senior academic ranking had higher PMH scores. Academicians with longer working hours showed significantly lower scores for spirituality and global affect domains. Majority of academicians (83.7%) demonstrated poor awareness towards the use of mobile apps for supporting mental health but a small group (18.3%) specified it was crucial for emotional need or support. The most common perceived benefit of mobile mental health apps was convenience (22.7%), whereas the major disadvantage was lack of human interaction (46.9%). Most academicians suggested that mobile apps should have extra features such as updated information and human support. Conclusion: Academicians in Malaysia have relatively higher PMH scores. Higher learning institutes may need to consider fostering the psychosocial aspects of PMH and increase the awareness of mobile apps’ usage especially among younger academicians to ensure both mental wellness and work efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irgarol 1051 and diuron are photosystem II inhibitors in agricultural activities and antifouling paints in the shipping sector. This study focused on three major ports (western, southern, and eastern) surrounding Peninsular Malaysia to construct the distribution of both biocides on the basis of the seasonal and geographical changes. Surface seawater samples were collected from November 2011 to April 2012 and pretreated using the solid-phase extraction technique followed by quantification with GC-MS and LC-MS-MS for Irgarol 1051 and diuron, respectively. Generally, the distribution of Irgarol 1051 was lowest during November 2011 and highest during April 2012, and similar patterns were observed at all ports, whereas the distribution of diuron was rather vague. The increasing pattern of Irgarol 1051 from time to time is probably related to its accumulation in the seawater as a result of its half-life and consistent utilization. On the basis of the discriminant analysis, the temporal distribution of Irgarol 1051 varied at Klang North Port, Klang South Port, and Pasir Gudang Port, whereas diuron was temporally varied only at Kemaman Port. Furthermore, Irgarol 1051 was spatially varied during November 2011, whereas diuron did not show any significant changes throughout all sampling periods. Ecological risk assessment exhibited a high risk for diuron and Irgarol 1051, but Irgarol 1051 should be of greater concern because of its higher risk compared to that of diuron. Thus, it is recommended that the current Malaysian guidelines and regulations of biocide application should be reevaluated and improved to protect the ecosystem, as well as to prevent ecological risks to the aquatic environment., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

COVID-19 is a major health threat across the globe, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and it is highly contagious with significant mortality. In this study, we conduct a scenario analysis for COVID-19 in Malaysia using a simple universality class of the SIR system and extensions thereof (i.e., the inclusion of temporary immunity through the reinfection problems and limited medical resources scenarios leads to the SIRS-type model). This system has been employed in order to provide further insights on the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 pandemic. As a case study, the COVID-19 transmission dynamics are investigated using daily confirmed cases in Malaysia, where some of the epidemiological parameters of this system are estimated based on the fitting of the model to real COVID-19 data released by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH). We observe that this model is able to mimic the trend of infection trajectories of COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia and it is possible for transmission dynamics to be influenced by the reinfection force and limited medical resources problems. A rebound effect in transmission could occur after several years and this situation depends on the intensity of reinfection force. Our analysis also depicts the existence of a critical value in reinfection threshold beyond which the infection dynamics persist and the COVID-19 outbreaks are rather hard to eradicate. Therefore, understanding the interplay between distinct epidemiological factors using mathematical modelling approaches could help to support authorities in making informed decisions so as to control the spread of this pandemic effectively., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Emerging booster biocides contamination raises particular attention in the marine ecosystem health. This study provides the baseline data on the occurrence of Irgarol-1051 (2-methylthio-4-tert-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamiono-s-triazine) in the selected coastal water around Malaysia. The maximum detected concentration of Irgarol was 2021 ng/L at Klang West, commercial and cargo port. Coral reef Islands (Redang and Bidong) were relatively less contaminated compared to other coastal areas. The temporal variation revealed that only 1% of 28 stations sampled on November, 2011 was above the environmental risk limit of 24 ng/L as suggested by Dutch Authorities, while in January and April, 2012; 46% and 92% of the stations were above the limit respectively. The present findings demonstrate the wide detection of novel antifouling materials Irgarol-1051 which advocates the need for proper monitoring and conservation strategies for the coastal resources., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)