Malaysian

This paper presents the socio-economic profile of households in the Family Dynamics Study (FDS) (1997-2001) and makes comparisons with the earlier Functional Groups Study (FGS) (1992-1996). For the current study, FGS villages with a high prevalence of child malnutrition were purposively selected. In each village selected, all households were included, and interviews with a structured questionnaire were conducted in April-May 1998. Incomes were generally low and incidence of poverty was high; 49.6% of the households were under the poverty line income, of which 37.2% were poor and 12.4% were hard core poor. Overall, only 23.2% of heads of households were in agricultural occupations, others being primarily waged workers and petty traders. Livestock rearing was widespread (57.8%), and most households (90.4%) owned at least one motorised vehicle, the most common being the motorcycle. The majority of households had refrigerators (73.6%), washing machines (58.8%), and televisions (91.1%); ...

This paper presents the socio-economic profile of households in the Family Dynamics Study (FDS) (1997-2001) and makes comparisons with the earlier Functional Groups Study (FGS) (1992-1996). For the current study, FGS villages with a high prevalence of child malnutrition were purposively selected. In each village selected, all households were included, and interviews with a structured questionnaire were conducted in April-May 1998. Incomes were generally low and incidence of poverty was high; 49.6% of the households were under the poverty line income, of which 37.2% were poor and 12.4% were hard core poor. Overall, only 23.2% of heads of households were in agricultural occupations, others being primarily waged workers and petty traders. Livestock rearing was widespread (57.8%), and most households (90.4%) owned at least one motorised vehicle, the most common being the motorcycle. The majority of households had refrigerators (73.6%), washing machines (58.8%), and televisions (91.1%); ...

The antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity of the aqueous crude extract of Tinospora crispa stem was investigated. The proximate composition of its stem and leaves was determined. Proximate analysis revealed that T. crispa contains - protein: leaves = 4.7%, stem = 1.2%; fat: leaves = 1.5%, stem = 0.43%; carbohydrate: leaves = 11.8%, stem = 19.4%; ash: leaves = 2.7%, stem = 1.1%; moisture: leaves = 79.3%, stem = 77.9%; fibre: leaves = 1.59%, stem = 0.65%; and energy: leaves = 1.59%, stem = 0.65%. The antioxidant activity of the extract prepared at various temperatures and incubation time was evaluated to determine the optimum extraction procedure. Based on DPPH and TBA tests, the preparation of the extract at 60oC for 6 hours was established as the best possible method as it demonstrated the highest inhibition percentage. The extract was tested against brine shrimp to evaluate its toxicity and no significant toxicity was recorded since the IC50 value was more than 1000 μg/ml. Th...

Three flavanones, pinostrobin (1), pinocembrin (2) and alpinetin (3) and two chalcones, cardamonin (4) and boesenbergin A (5) were isolated from the hexane and chloroform extracts of rhizomes of Boesenbergia rotunda (L.). The structures of all ...

Objectives: To identify the nature of multiple intelligences among dental students and investigate the relationship between these intelligences and performance in the various skill areas of dentistry. Methods: Sixty-one final year dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya in Malaysia were administered a Multiple Intelligence Inventory (MII), David Larear, 1991) after their final written examinations. MII comprised 80 4-point likert items assessing eight types of multiple intelligences: Verbal/Linguistic, Visual Spatial, Logical Mathematical, Musical Rhythmic, Intra Personal, Body Kinesthetic, Inter Personal and Naturalist. These intelligences were correlated with six academic performance scores: Amalgam Class II, Composite, Crown & Bridge, Endodontic, Problem Based Learning and the Final Written Exam. The data were analysed by Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-test. Results: Significant correlations were found between Intrapersonal intelligence and Composite (r = .32; p < .05) and between Body Kinesthetic and Composite scores (r = .26; p < .05). High Amalgam Class II scorers obtained significantly higher scores on Intrapersonal Intelligence than low scorers (t = 2.49; p < .05). High Composite scorers have significantly higher Body Kinesthetic intelligence than low scorers (t = .29; p < .05). Low endodontic scorers obtained significantly higher scores on Visual Spatial intelligence than high scorers (t = 2.06; p < .05). High PBL scorers obtained significantly higher Interpersonal (t = 2.06; p < .05) and Naturalist Intelligence (t = 3.57; p < .05) than low scorers. Conclusions: There appears to be no significant correlations between the various types of multiple intelligences and achievement in dentistry except for the correlations between Composite scores and Intrapersonal and Body Kinesthetic Intelligence. Generally, there were no significant multiple intelligence differences among high and low performers.

Use of instruments or questionnaires in different cultural settings without proper validation can result in inaccurate results. Issues like reliability, validity, feasibility and acceptability should be considered in the use of an instrument. The study aims to determine the usefulness of the CIS-R Malay version in detecting common mental health problems specifically to establish the validity. The CIS-R instrument (PROQSY* format) was translated through the back translation process into Malay. Inter rater reliability was established for raters who were medical students. Cases and controls for the study were psychiatric in patients, out patient and relatives or friends accompanying the patients to the clinic or visiting the inpatients. The Malay version of CIS-R was administered to all cases and controls. All cases and controls involved in the study were rated by psychiatrists for psychiatric morbidity using the SCID as a guideline. Specificity and sensitivity of the CIS-R to the assessment by the psychiatrist were determined. The Malay version of CIS-R showed 100% sensitivity and 96.15% specificity at a cut off score of 9. The CIS-R can be a useful instrument for clinical and research use in the Malaysian population for diagnosing common mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

Use of instruments or questionnaires in different cultural settings without proper validation can result in inaccurate results. Issues like reliability, validity, feasibility and acceptability should be considered in the use of an instrument. The study aims to determine the usefulness of the CIS-R Malay version in detecting common mental health problems specifically to establish the validity. The CIS-R instrument (PROQSY* format) was translated through the back translation process into Malay. Inter rater reliability was established for raters who were medical students. Cases and controls for the study were psychiatric in patients, out patient and relatives or friends accompanying the patients to the clinic or visiting the inpatients. The Malay version of CIS-R was administered to all cases and controls. All cases and controls involved in the study were rated by psychiatrists for psychiatric morbidity using the SCID as a guideline. Specificity and sensitivity of the CIS-R to the assessment by the psychiatrist were determined. The Malay version of CIS-R showed 100% sensitivity and 96.15% specificity at a cut off score of 9. The CIS-R can be a useful instrument for clinical and research use in the Malaysian population for diagnosing common mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

This study was conducted to determine changes in nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice of 8-year-old school children after receiving a nutrition education package. A total of 418 school children from urban and rural areas participated in this study. The intervention group consisted of 237 children while 181 children who did not receive the nutrition education package acted as controls. The nutrition education programme that was conducted for 3 weeks comprised of a video viewing session and a comic reading session followed by exercise questions as reinforcement for each session, and also classroom activities. Knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaires were distributed to the children before (pre-intervention) and after (postintervention) receiving the nutrition education programme. A follow-up visit was conducted six months after the programme had elapsed. The results obtained indicated that the nutrition knowledge score increased significantly in the intervention group fro...

In this paper, we study an ecological model with a tritrophic food chain composed of a classical Lotka-Volterra functional response for prey and predator, and a Holling type-II functional response for predator and superpredator. There are two equilibrium points of the system. In the parameter space, there are passages from instability to stability, which are called Hopf bifurcation points. For the first equilibrium point, it is possible to find bifurcation points analytically and to prove that the system has periodic solutions around these points. Furthermore the dynamical behaviors of this model are investigated. The dynamical behavior is found to be very sensitive to parameter values as well as the parameters of the practical life. Computer simulations are carried out to explain the analytical findings

This study reports the food consumption patterns of adults aged 18 to 59 years in the Malaysian Adults Nutrition Survey (MANS) carried out between October 2002 and December 2003. A total of 6,742 subjects comprising 3,274 men and 3,468 women representing the northern, central , southern and east coast of Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak were interviewed. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) which consisted of 126 food items was used to evaluate the food consumption pattern (habitual food intake) of the respondents during the previous one- year period. The results demonstrate that nasi putih (cooked rice) was consumed by 97% of the population twice daily (average 2½ plates per day). Other food items consumed daily were marine fish, (one medium fish per day), green leafy vegetables (one cup per day) and sweetened condensed milk (three teaspoons per day. The mean frequencies for daily intake of rice, leafy vegetables, marine fish, local kuih, anchovy (i...

Objectives: To identify the nature of multiple intelligences among dental students and investigate the relationship between these intelligences and performance in the various skill areas of dentistry. Methods: Sixty-one final year dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya in Malaysia were administered a Multiple Intelligence Inventory [(MII), David Larear, 1991)] after their final written examinations. MII comprised 80 4-point likert items assessing eight types of multiple intelligences: Verbal/Linguistic, Visual Spatial, Logical Mathematical, Musical Rhythmic, Intra Personal, Body Kinesthetic, Inter Personal and Naturalist. These intelligences were correlated with six academic performance scores: Amalgam Class II, Composite, Crown & Bridge, Endodontic, Problem Based Learning and the Final Written Exam. The data were analysed by Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-test. Results: Significant correlations were found between Intrapersonal intelligence and Composite (r = .32; p < .05) and between Body Kinesthetic and Composite scores (r = .26; p < .05). High Amalgam Class II scorers obtained significantly higher scores on Intrapersonal Intelligence than low scorers (t = 2.49; p < .05). High Composite scorers have significantly higher Body Kinesthetic intelligence than low scorers (t = .29; p < .05). Low endodontic scorers obtained significantly higher scores on Visual Spatial intelligence than high scorers (t = 2.06; p < .05). High PBL scorers obtained significantly higher Interpersonal (t = 2.06; p < .05) and Naturalist Intelligence (t = 3.57; p < .05) than low scorers. Conclusions: There appears to be no significant correlations between the various types of multiple intelligences and achievement in dentistry except for the correlations between Composite scores and Intrapersonal and Body Kinesthetic Intelligence. Generally, there were no significant multiple intelligence differences among high and low performers.

Theophylline toxicity is a life-threatening toxidrome that can present to an emergency department. To ascertain an immediate provisional diagnosis in toxicology at the emergency department is very challenging, especially when the patient presents with altered mental status, because the clinical features of several toxidromes overlap. We report a case of survival of undiagnosed theophylline toxicity that required intubation for two days in the intensive care unit. This was the first case to have been reported from our department. Accurate diagnosis of a toxidrome by gaining adequate history and conducting a thorough physical examination and early serum toxicology screening, coupled with good knowledge of toxicology, will lead to better patient outcomes.

Delays in transporting blood samples may cause inaccurate results. Samples may be exposed to light or heat during delays, resulting in the degradation of analytes, for example, bilirubin. This study was done to determine the effect of delays in the transportation of blood samples on serum bilirubin test results. Samples taken from neonates admitted to a tertiary hospital with jaundice were included in the study. The samples were collected through venipuncture in 3 labelled containers. The first container was sent immediately to the laboratory, while the second and third containers were sent after being kept in the ward for 1 and 3 hours, respectively. Bilirubin values were measured colourimetrically at a wavelength of 578 nm using a Roche Hitachi 912 Chemistry Analyser upon arrival in the laboratory. A total of 36 serum samples were studied. The mean of the indirect bilirubin measurements for 0-, 1-, and 3-hour samples were 174 (SD 68.65), 186.97 (SD 60.47), and 184.56 (SD 66.93), r...