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Prevalence and factors associated with negative emotional state of stress among adult population in Kedah, Malaysia during covid-19 pandemic
Get PDFBackground: COVID-19 pandemic triggers significant increase in prevalence of stress worldwide. However, the extent and factors associated with psychological distress during COVID-19 in the local population are not adequately explored.
Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with negative emotional state of stress among adult population in Kedah, Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemic.
Methodology: This is a retrospective record review of adult population aged 18 to 60 years old who were screened for mental health well-being from January 2021 until March 2022 in the state of Kedah. Simple random sampling was applied to obtain the sample size of 562. The participants’ mental health status was assessed using the online platform Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with negative emotional state of stress.
Results: The prevalence of negative emotional state of stress was 45.7% (95% CI 41.6%, 49.8%). The majority of them did not have stress (54.3%), followed by severe stress (12.3%), moderate (11.9%), mild (11.7%) and very severe stress (9.8%). The significant factors associated with negative emotional state of stress among adult population in Kedah, Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemic were sex, occupation and Movement Control Order (MCO) period. Female has 3.04 odds more stress compared to male (Adj OR 3.035 95% CI: 2.007 to 4.591, p-value <0.001), being unemployed has 2.17 more odds to experience stress compared to being employed (Adj OR 2.171 95% CI: 1.480 to 3.185, p-value <0.001) and being under MCO were 61.7% less likely to have stress compared to not being under MCO (Adj OR 0.383 95% CI: 0.264 to 0.555, p-value <0.001).
Conclusion: The overall prevalence of negative emotional state of stress among adult population during COVID-19 pandemic in Kedah was 45.7%, higher than other studies. Being female and unemployed were associated with stress, while the MCO period was a protective factor against stress. By tailoring interventions and strategies based on the identified characteristics and vulnerabilities of these groups such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based interventions, it is possible to implement more targeted and impactful approaches to alleviate negative emotional states of stress
Quantitative study of iterative reconstruction algorithms of spect/ct in bone scan: a clinical and phantom study
Get PDFThe integration of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with computed tomography (CT), along with advancements in iterative image reconstruction algorithms, significantly enhances the feasibility of SPECT quantification in bone scan. Quantitative bone SPECT enables the precise measurement of radiotracer accumulation in bone lesions. This capability allows for the accurate assessments of the presence and extent of bone abnormalities, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy of bone scan. This study evaluates the impact of iterative reconstruction algorithms with various attenuation correction methods on SPECT quantification accuracy and image quality in bone scan across different iteration numbers in both phantom and clinical settings. In the phantom study, spheres in the NEMA 2012/ IEC 2008 phantom were filled with 300 kBq/ml of mixture of K2HPO4 solution and a 99mTc source, while the background region contained only 30 kBq/ml of 99mTc source, establishing a tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) of 10:1. The phantom underwent bone imaging using the standard protocol applied at Hospital Universiti Sains Malysia (HUSM). In the clinical study, a pelvic bone scan image with multiple lesions was retrieved from the XelerisTM workstation. Both phantom and clinical images were reconstructed using MLEM-CHANG, OSEM-CHANG, and OSEM-CT, with varying iteration products (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 iterations for MLEM; 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 iterations for OSEM). Quantitative analysis of activity concentration, recovery coefficient (RC), standardized uptake value (SUV), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and noise were performed using Dosimetry Toolkit and Q.Metrix software. OSEM-CT (-73.3% to 6.7%) demonstrated the smallest percentage difference between measured and actual activity concentration (300 kBq/ml) across all sphere volumes and iteration numbers compared to MLEM-CHANG (-86.7% to -43.3%) and OSEM-CHANG (-83.3% to -33.3%). For all algorithms, increasing the iteration numbers elevated RC, SUV, and noise, while SNR dropped. In the phantom study, there were no significant difference in RC and SNR among the algorithm pairs (MLEM-CHANG vs OSEM-CHANG, MLEM-CHANG vs OSEM-CT, and OSEM-CHANG vs OSEM-CT) across different iteration numbers (p>0.05), as tested using the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Bonferroni’s correction. In the clinical study, significant differences in SUV were displayed between MLEM-CHANG vs OSEM-CT and OSEM-CHANG vs OSEM-CT at all iteration numbers (p< 0.05). Additionally, the SNR of the lesions in clinical study showed significant differences between MLEM-CHANG and OSEM-CT at iterations of 8, 12 and 16 (p< 0.05). In summary, OSEM-CT illustrated higher activity concentration accuracy, RC, SUV, and SNR, along with lower noise level compared to OSEM-CHANG and MLEM-CHANG. Thus, OSEM-CT is recommended for accurate SPECT quantification and optimal image quality in bone scan
Knowledge and attitude of traditional medicine among Staff Nurse In Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM)
Get PDFThis study investigates the levels of knowledge and attitudes towards traditional medicine (TM) among staff nurses at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the research included nurses from various departments to provide a comprehensive overview of their perceptions. The findings revealed that while a majority of the nurses (59.6%) held positive attitudes towards TM, a significant portion (51.1%) exhibited poor knowledge about these practices. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant association between the level of knowledge and attitudes towards TM, as well as with sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, years of experience, and income. These results highlight the need for targeted health education programs to enhance nurses' understanding of TM and address the gaps in their knowledge. The study underscores the importance of incorporating TM education into nursing curricula to foster a more holistic approach to patient care. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to track changes over time and explore the impact of educational interventions on nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards traditional medicine
Knowledge, attitude and practice of firstaid epilepsy among undergraduate Nursing Students in Universiti Sains Malaysia (Health Campus)
Get PDFEpilepsy is a neurological disorder caused by excessive electrical discharges in a
group of brain cells. One will only be diagnosed with epilepsy after the occurrence of
two or more unprovoked seizures. It can be characterized by recurrent episodes of
seizures, involuntary movements, emotions, sensations, and behaviours. It is also
sometimes associated with loss of consciousness and the power to control bowel or
bladder function. The study aims to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice
of first-aid epilepsy among undergraduate nursing students in Universiti Sains Malaysia
(USM), Health Campus. A cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate
nursing students that studying in USM Health Campus. Data was collected using an
adapted self-administered questionnaire. 213 students were included in this study. Data
collected were statistically analysed using the SPSS software version 27. The study used
descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlation. The result from this study shows that
majority of the students (n=105, 62.9%) of participants have a moderate level of
knowledge of first-aid epilepsy, moderate attitude on first-aid epilepsy (n=98, 58.7%)
and 149 (89.2%) of participants have a safe practice when providing first-aid epilepsy
towards people having epileptic seizure. This study has shown that there is a correlation
between knowledge and attitude (p=0.000). However, there are no correlation between
knowledge and practice (p=0.317), and between attitude and practice (n=1.000)
Knowledge and attitude of hypertension among adults who attend the outpatient clinics at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Get PDFHypertension, often known as high blood pressure, is caused by an excessive force
of blood on the walls of your blood vessels. A value of 140/90 mmHg or greater is
indicative of hypertension. The study aims to assess the level of knowledge and attitude
toward hypertension among adults attending outpatient clinics at Hospital USM. A crosssectional
study was conducted on adults aged 18 to 60 years old. Data was collected using
a self-administered questionnaire. 165 adults attending the outpatient clinics at Hospital
USM who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of this study. They were selected through the
convenience sampling method. Data collected were statistically analysed using the SPSS
software version 27. The study used descriptive statistics and Pearson Chi-square.
The results show that 119 (72.1%) of participants have a good level of knowledge
of hypertension and 84 (50.9%) of participants have a good attitude towards hypertension.
However, the good level of attitude is nearly the same as the moderate level of attitude
which is 80 (48.5%). There was no association between knowledge and attitude (p =
0.079), the result shows only 66 (40.0 %) of participants have good knowledge and good
attitude. Lastly, there was no association between sociodemographic factors [age (p =
0.197), gender (p = 0.232), education level (p = 0.057), occupational status (p = 0.273),
smoking status (p = 0.201), family history of hypertension (p = 0.996) and exercise status
(p = 0.174)] and the level of attitude toward hypertension. However, only marital status
(p = 0.044) has an association with the level of knowledge toward hypertension. Next,
there is also no association between sociodemographic characteristics [age (p = 0.0.269),
gender (p = 0.441), marital status (p = 0.687), education level (p = 0.356), occupational
status (p = 0.284), smoking status (p = 0.882), family history of hypertension (p = 0.395)
and exercise status (p = 0.104)] with the level of attitude toward hypertension. In
conclusion, the level of knowledge and attitude toward hypertension among adults must
be enhanced and improved so that they are more knowledgeable about preventing
hypertension
Elucidating the genomic and transcriptomic profiles contributing to the overall survival of acute myeloid leukaemia patients with normal karyotype in Malaysia
Get PDFAcute myeloid leukaemia-normal karyotype (AML-NK) comprises almost half of the AML subtypes and exhibits heterogeneity in overall survival (OS). Hitherto, the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of AML-NK that contribute to OS remain veiled. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of AML—NK patients predisposed to their overall survival. Deep transcriptome sequencing using NovaSeq 6000 (200M reads per sample, paired-end) was performed on 51 AML-NK patients at diagnosis (DX), 14 paired first remission (CR1) samples and 12 healthy controls. Targeted DNA sequencing (Archer HGC VariantPlex Myeloid panel) was performed using NovaSeq 6000 on eight paired DX and CR1 with sequencing depths of 3M and 30M, paired-end, respectively. The transcriptome sequencing yielded discoveries of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) profiles and functionally enriched pathways in several subgroup analyses as follows: AML-NK patients with the healthy normal groups (5126 DEGs), paired DX and CR1 (5621 DEGs), FLT3/NPM1 genotypes (750 DEGs), and OS of below and above five years (211 DEGs). There were 27 types of fusion genes (n=68) discovered in this study, of which several novel recurrent fusion genes, including LATS2-SAP18 and HOXA3-HOXA9, exhibited prognostic relevance in patients with OS below five years. A total of 74,604 deleterious variants (88.3% single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 11.7% insertion-deletions (InDels)) were identified in the 51 AML-NK patients. Five SNVs were candidates for targeted therapies, whereas prognostically significant frameshift InDels were detected in the NPM1, DNMT3A and FLT3 genes. The targeted DNA sequencing included eight AML-NK samples and revealed 208 findings (122 in the DX samples and 86 in the CR1 samples), leading to the identification of suitable biomarkers for minimal residual disease monitoring. The highlight of this study was a prognostic scoring model developed based on the findings of the OS below and above five-year comparison. Six significantly upregulated genes in the (FHL1, SOCS2, IL17RC, STAT4, INHBA and TNFSF8) in the JAK-STAT signalling pathway and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction were included in the prognostic scoring model that revealed that the gene scores were an independent prognostic marker in the AML-NK patients in this cohort. Ultimately, the findings were depicted in an oncoprint that reflected how the genomic discoveries in this study improvised the patient’s risk stratification for outcome predictions and potential targeted therapies. Hence, this multifaceted study has provided new insights into the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of AML-NK patients and shed light on their heterogeneous clinical outcome
Computational Design And Synthesis Of Potential Ns2b-Ns3 Dengue Protease Inhibitors
Get PDFDENV2, the type of dengue virus commonly found in Southeast Asia, is a major public health concern. In week 6 of 2024, Malaysia reported with 3,631 dengue cases and 10 deaths due to DENV2, marking a 68.75 % increase from the same period in 2023, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite the high number of cases, there is currently no clinically proven drug available to inhibit the virus replication, primarily due to the limited availability of 3D crystal structures of targetable protein-protein interactions for drug activation, including the NS2B-NS3 protease from DENV2 and West Nile virus (WNV). To address this issue, docking and pharmacophore modelling have been used with the ligands from DENV2 NS2B-NS3 protease and West Nile Virus. The Systematic Literature Review (SLR) analysis identified 9 active compounds from 2 types of in vitro DENV NS2B-NS3 protease assays i.e. 21 compound classes from cell-free-based assays and 9 compound classes from cell-based assays. 2 of the 9 scaffolds' molecules were identified as the best pharmacophore model based on their high Area Under the Curve (AUC) and Enrichment Factor (EF) values, which were close to 1 and 100% respectively, and were further used as a model for pharmacophore validation
Optimization Of Flame Retardant Composite Parameters Based On Oil Palm Trunk Using Response Surface Methodology And Its Suitability For Other Biomass
Get PDFThe flame retardant composite discussed in the study was developed by treating oil palm trunk (OPT) with a sodium chloride (NaCl) solution and then bonding it with poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVOH) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as a filler. The experimental design utilized central composites design (CCD) within the response surface methodology (RSM) framework to optimize the combination of NaCl, PVOH, and CaCO3 in the OPT composites. The range of combinations for NaCl, PVOH, and CaCO3 varied from 10% to 30%, 10% to 20%, and 4% to 10%, respectively. Optimization criteria were based on their effects on bending strength (MOR), internal bonding (IB), and limited oxygen index (LOI). Through analysis, the optimal ratio for producing flame retardant composite boards from OPT was determined to be NaCl 10%, PVOH 20%, and CaCO3 4%. Predicted values from the empirical model for MOR, IB, and LOI were 12.96 MPa, 4.19 MPa, and 33.73%, respectively. Experimental results closely aligned with these predictions, with MOR at 11.13 MPa, IB at 5.78 MPa, and LOI at 32.3%. The study also investigated the application of this optimal ratio to rubberwood particles, comparing the resulting flame retardant composite board with that of OPT. Various analyses such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), UL 94 Testing, Cone Calorimeter testing, image fracture observation, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were conducted on the OPT flame retardant composite board
Fermentation Effectiveness Of Various Ratios Of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (Pome) And Empty Fruit Bunch (Efb) Mixture By Lysinibacillus Sp. For Solid Biomass Fuel Production
Get PDFBiovalorization of agro-industrial wastes to produce an alternative energy source such as solid biomass fuel is gaining attention worldwide due to its potential to produce sustainable valuable products. In the current study, the potential use of palm oil mill effluent (POME) waste and empty fruit bunches (EFB) was explored for the production of solid biomass fuel. Fermentation of POME and EFB was carried out in a benchtop bioreactor at 37 ± 2 °C, 180 rpm for five-days in the presence of Lysinibacillus sp. bacteria, followed by oven drying. Two main categories of fermentation media consisted of autoclaved and non-autoclaved mixture of POME and EFB are explored to investigate the metabolic activities of Lysinibacillus sp. Additionally, the different composition ratio of POME and EFB mixture of the fermentation media is elucidated to assess the ideal fermentation conditions, particularly their impact on CEV for solid biomass fuel production. Among the tested conditions, Group 4 exhibited the highest calorific energy value (CEV) of 29.54 MJ/kg after fermentation at day 1. Fermentation in the presence of Lysinibacillus sp. showed efficient removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at 27.64 ± 0.53 %, chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 70.42 ± 0.01 %, oil and grease at 87.68 ± 0.14 %, and total suspended solids (TSS) 93.94 ± 2.03 %. The concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) remained unchanged before and after fermentation in all conditions
Meaning In Life And Hope Among Young Adults With Cancer In Malaysia
Get PDFHaving a sense of meaning and hope has been linked to better health, quality
of life, and daily functioning. However, seeking meaning and preserving hope following
a cancer diagnosis can be difficult, particularly for young adults with cancer. The
purpose of this study was to investigate how young adults with cancer sought meaning
and hope and how these two elements influenced their cancer journey. This qualitative
study employed a phenomenological approach, which involved the participation of
fourteen young adults diagnosed with cancer that recruited from a closed Facebook
group. These young adults ranged from 20 to 39 years in age, and their survival years
ranged from 1 to 18 years. Semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis were
performed to identify the major themes that emerged from these interviews. The findings
revealed that the majority of young people with cancer in this population found
positive meaning in their illness, and they perceived cancer from a religious perspective.
Religion served as a source of comfort, and it provided them with inner strength
during times of suffering. Young adults expressed hopes for helping cancer patients,
good physical and mental health, and an ease in afterlife. Their cultural and religious
beliefs determined the various forms of hope and subsequently, how hope affected
their experiences with cancer. This study observed that not all positive communication
with physicians resulted in hope