Association of risk factors with musculoskeletal disorders among male commercial bus drivers in Malaysia

A national study in Malaysia was conducted with the main objective being to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the association between risk factors and MSDs among Malaysian bus drivers. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,181 male commercial bus drivers in Malaysia using questionnaires to determine demographic, working characteristics and a translated Nordic questionnaire to determine MSD complaints. A Human Vibration Meter was used to measure whole body vibration (WBV) exposure, and postural analysis was used to evaluate awkward working posture. To assess psychological factors, the validated Profile of Mood States (POMS) was used. The overall prevalence of MSD was 81.8% and, by body parts, low back pain was reported to be the highest complaint of lifetime MSD (58.5%) compared to other body parts. The levels of WBV acceleration magnitude A(8) exceed the European Union Directive (0.54 m/s2 root-mean-square [r.m.s.] acceleration), and only 1.2% of the bus drivers adopt more than 40% of awkward postures while driving. Logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, income, education level, and work activities, revealed that factors such as lack of seat adjustability, uncomfortable seat, seat's material, seat contour and design, WBV exposure, smoking, frequency of daily trips, duration of daily driving, prolonged sitting, working part time, and psychological factors (namely, feeling stress, feeling worried, feeling fatigued) were important risk factors of MSDs among Malaysian bus drivers. As a conclusion, bus drivers are exposed to a combination of risk factors that may lead to an increased risk of developing MSDs

Nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice among antenatal and postnatal mothers in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan, Pahang 2016

Background: Balanced and sufficient maternal nutritional intake ensures not only the wellbeing of pregnant mother, fetus and newborn (protection of life), but also her future health and her three generations (protection of progeny). Nutritional inadequacies during pregnancy have been reported and several factors were attributed. The objectives were to measure nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) during pregnancy and the relationship with socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 320 antenatal and postnatal mothers in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Pahang, Malaysia from 18th July to 27th August 2016. A pre-tested self-constructed, interview-guided questionnaire was used. Independent variables were age, ethnicity, educational level, marital status, and monthly household income. Outcomes were nutritional KAP level with median used for the categorization. Relationship between independent variables and outcomes obtained by logistic regression with significance at p<0.05. Results: Sixty-five percent aged from 25 to 34, 84% Malays, 37% completed secondary education with SPM/Olevel, 96% married, 48% from middle-income family, 52% had good nutritional knowledge, 67% with positive attitude and 55% with good practice. Age and educational level were significantly related to knowledge. Only educational level was significantly related to practice. Less than 70% of respondents have good nutritional KAP, reflected by educational level with more than half of them received up to secondary education. Hence, the rights of mothers in getting necessary and adequate education should be fulfilled. Conclusion: Results emphasize on the importance of empowering girls and women with adequate educations and to strengthen the nutritional and health education of our educational system. It is for them to be knowledgeable with good attitude and practicing healthy nutritional lifestyle as they entering reproductive life, maintaining and transferring at least optimum healthy life to their progenies

Diuretic properties of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Orthosiphon stamineus has been used in traditional medicine for centuries especially to treat diseases of the urinary system. Aim of the study: To investigate the diuretic activity, to elucidate its possible mechanism and to evaluate the renal effects of Orthosiphon stamineus extract. Materials and methods: Water extracts were administered orally at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg to Sprague-Dawley rats and the control groups were given commercial diuretic drugs either furosemide or hydrochlorthiazide at 10 mg/kg. Urine volume, urine pH, urine density and urine electrolytes were determined every hour for 4 h. Blood was assayed for glucose, albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Results: O. stamineus extract exhibited dose-dependent diuretic activity. However, excretion of Na+ and Cl- was not markedly elevated, but urinary excretion of K+ was significantly increased. O. stamineus extracts slightly increased the serum BUN, creatinine and blood glucose level. Although these levels were statistically significant when compared to control, these levels were still within normal range. Conclusions: O. stamineus exhibited diuretic activity, but was less potent than furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide. Care should be taken when consuming this herb as slight increase of kidney function enzymes was recorded

Diuretic activity of roots from Carica papaya L. and Ananas comosus L.

Water extracts of Carica papaya and Ananas comosus extracts were administered orally at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg to Spraque Dawley rats. Two other groups were given commercial diuretics, furosemide and hydrochlorthiazide at 10 mg/kg. Urine volume, urine pH, urine density and urine electrolytes were determined every hour for 4 hours. Blood was taken to determine the serum level of glucose, albumin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Both, C. papaya and A. comosus extracts exhibited moderate to potent diuretic activity. C. papaya extract increased the 4-hour urine volume when administered at both 5 and 10 mg/kg. A. comosus extracts increased urine volume only at 10 mg/kg dose. Na+ and Cl- elimination was unchanged for the whole period of study. However, the 4-hour urinary excretions of K+ were significantly increased for both plant extracts. Both plant extracts induced increment of serum BUN and creatinine level significantly when compared to controls (p<0.05) but these levels were still within the normal range. Blood glucose level and albumin were not significantly for both plant extract. In conclusion, both plants investigated had diuretic activity and roots of C. papaya activity were statistically similar potency to the activity of furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide. However, care must be taken when using these herbs as increased urinary K+ being excreted and marginal increase of serum BUN and creatinine were detected

STUDENTS’ ACCEPTANCE IN USING IPAD FOR MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Nowadays learning has become more essential towards human beings. The ways of learning changes across the years as the technology grows. Tablet has become one of the most important items that every student should have. Students prefer to bring their tablet to classroom rather than bringing their laptop. This is due to the light weight of the tablet itself. One of the most famous tablets is the iPad. The aim of this paper is to conduct a study based preliminary analysis for the students’ acceptance in meaningful learning using iPad. In this preliminary study, a set of online questionnaire as distributed to 106 diploma students and 84 degree students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FTMK) of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM). This paper shares the preliminary findings on the perceptions of the students on the use of iPad in the learning and teaching process. All the collected data has been analysed using the pie chart. The results show that most of the students have agree that use of iPad enhance their learning experience.Keywords: engaging, using iPad, iBook, acceptance, meaningful learning, flipped learnin

Implementing Flipped Learning Method In Programming Course: A Case Study At UTeM

This paper describes the enhancement of engagement model where the new model is adapted and reconstructed from a ‘Model of engaging online students organized around SDT and instructional design elements’. The new suggested model is designed by adding educational theory elements. In addition, we also added two more channel of communication inside the ‘Interaction’ menu which are ‘students-lecturer’ and ‘lecture students’. Those interactions are suggested by previous research who originally created this engagement model. The enhancement model is based on a case study conducted at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Malaysia for Programming Technique (using C++ language) subject. The study was conducted for two groups of students, which are ICT and Engineering courses students. For the interaction between students-lecturer and lecturer-students, aside from the forum and activities inside MOOC, the interaction is conducted through social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook

Cardamonin, inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators in activated RAW 264.7 cells and whole blood

Some chalcones, such as hydroxychalcones have been reported previously to inhibit major pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and reactive oxygen species production by suppressing inducible enzyme expression via inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and nuclear translocation of critical transcription factors. In this report, the effects of cardamonin (2′,4′-dihydroxy-6′-methoxychalcone), a chalcone that we have previously isolated from Alpinia rafflesiana, was evaluated upon two cellular systems that are repeatedly used in the analysis of anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds namely RAW 264.7 cells and whole blood. Cardamonin inhibited NO and PGE2 production from lipopolysaccharide- and interferon-γ-induced RAW cells and whole blood with IC50 values of 11.4 μM and 26.8 μM, respectively. Analysis of thromboxane B2 (TxB2) secretion from whole blood either stimulated via the COX-1 or COX-2 pathway revealed that cardamonin inhibits the generation of TxB2 via both pathways with IC50 values of 2.9 and 1.1 μM, respectively. Analysis of IC50 ratios determined that cardamonin was more COX-2 selective in its inhibition of TxB2 with a ratio of 0.39. Cardamonin also inhibited the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and secretion of TNF-α from RAW 264.7 cells in a dose responsive manner with IC50 values of 12.8 μM and 4.6 μM, respectively. However, cardamonin was a moderate inhibitor of lipoxygenase activity when tested in an enzymatic assay system, in which not a single concentration tested was able to cause an inhibition of more than 50%. Our results suggest that cardamonin acts upon major pro-inflammatory mediators in a similar fashion as described by previous work on other closely related synthetic hydroxychalcones and strengthens the conclusion of the importance of the methoxyl moiety substitution on the 4′ or 6′ locations of the A benzene ring

Nutritional and non-communicable disease (NCD) status association with fall among older persons in Malaysia : findings from National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) Malaysia 2018

Fall is a health problem for older persons. This study investigates the potential factors of concern: the nutritional status of older persons and non-communicable disease association with incidence of falls. This study used data from NHMS 2018, and conducted a cross-sectional design by applying two-stage stratified cluster sampling. Descriptive statistics such as the percentage of each variable were done. Factors associated with falls were determined at both univariate and multivariable levels using simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression. The data were presented as standard values for each analysis and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI with p values (<0.05). A total of 3,867 from 3,977 elderly (mean age 68.2+ 6.85) were recruited with the response rate of 97.2%. Factors associated with fall were 70 years old and above (AOR= 1.34, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.64), obesity (AOR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.98), undernutrition (AOR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.30, 1.94), persons with 2 NCDs (AOR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.92) and persons with 3 NCDs (AOR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.16). Advanced age, malnutrition, obesity, and having two or more NCDs are associated with falls in the NHMS 2018 study. In conclusion, falls are prevalent among older persons. There is an urgent need for public health strategies and programmes to decrease the incidence of modifiable risk factors and early identification of those at risk. Implementation of fall preventive programs which includes multifactorial interventions at hospitals and homes can also significantly reduce incidence of falls among older persons