The Rise of Rooftop Urban Farming at George Town, Penang

Urban farming is growing in popularity for taking advantage of unused spaces on the rooftop in cities. This issue is becoming fundamentals due to the scarcity of land issue, urbanisation and urban poverty. This paper presents a brief method used in exploring the potential of implementing urban farming on the rooftop areas. The research aims to measure the potential of the rooftop as urban farming at George Town, Penang. This study adopted quantitative method using the questionnaire to conduct a survey. The result shows significant findings of reliability test of Cronbach's Alpha

Organophosphate insecticide exposure and general intelligence of primary school children in Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia

Organophosphate insecticide (OPs), that is used extensively in agriculture throughout the world has been linked to neurodevelopmental deficit specifically the cognitive effect.The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between organophosphates insecticide exposure with the general intelligence of the study group.A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 227 of primary school children, selected as study group as their school and homes were located less than 100 m from the paddy fields and 162 of primary school children located further away at more than 1 km from agriculture site served as the comparative group. Their parents completed the questionnaire used to collect their background information. The children’s capillary blood were collected using the finger prick technique. The blood cholinesterase levels were determined using the cholinesterase test kit LOVIBOND 412870 AF287. The McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MSCA) general cognitive scale was used to determine the general intelligence of these children. Results showed that there were significant difference (p<0.05) in blood cholinesterase and general intelligence between the 2 groups. There were significant relationships between blood cholinesterase levels with the general intelligence scales (p<0.001). The distance from the house to paddy field (p<0.001) as well as gender (male) (p=0.004) significantly influenced with blood cholinesterase levels of the study group. The general intelligence of the study group was lower than the comparative group. The boys were frequent exposure to pesticides due to their home proximity and more frequent outdoor activities near the paddy fields which contributed to the low blood cholinesterase. These then resulted in impaired general intelligence

A review on ray capture according to fishing gear worldwide

A coral reef is one of the important ecosystems. However coral Gillnets are usually used as a fishing gear by an artisanal fishery in Malaysia. This gear is commonly used by most countries. This paper discussed the rays capture worldwide by using a variety of fishing gear and also bycatch issues that commonly happen. The efficiency of the fishing gear used in capture ray species is compared and discussed among the countries. This paper distinguishes the maturation size for the female and male ray according to the species presence. The bycatch scenario is also discussed as the majority of this elasmobranch (shark and ray) which is caught as bycatch in both small-scale fisheries (gill nets, long lines and hooks) and large-scale fisheries (bottom trawl and purse seine). This paper explains the suitable type of fishing gear to use to capture ray species in a particular country

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Assessing impact of stingray gill net fishery to bycatch population around Bidong Island, Malaysia

This study assessed the bycatch composition around Bidong Island, Malaysia, and factors affecting its assemblages. Bycatch samples were collected monthly from January to December 2018 with supplementary samplings in February and October 2019. A total of 648 individuals of bycatch from 15 fish species were collected, which accounted for 84.2% of the total catch. The most dominant species were Alectis indica, Rachycentron canadum and Epinephelus areolatus. The abundance of bycatch varied significantly between seasons (P0.05). The most abundant bycatch was found at a depth of 20 m in moderate rainy and rainy seasons. The non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination clearly separated the three major groups of the community structure of bycatch based on depth, but not season. It is therefore concluded that season affected bycatch abundance, and conversely, depth influenced the community structure of the bycatch from stingray gillnet

Association of household food insecurity with academic performance and nutritional status of fisherman’s school-aged children in Terengganu, Malaysia

This study was conducted to establish the relationship between household food insecurity (via Household Food Insecurity Access Scale), academic performance (overall class position through School Exam Analysis System), and the nutritional status (BMI-for-age and height-for-age determination) of fishermen’s children in Terengganu. This was a cross-sectional study involving 101 fishermen’s children aged 7 to 11 years old. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. The result shows that the prevalence of children with food insecurity was 43.2%. It was found that 24.2% of fishermen’s children were good at the academic level while 51.3% were moderate and 24.2% were poor. BMI prevalence for children who were normal 69.3% and remaining was 6.9% obese, 2.0% overweight, 12.9% thinness, and 8.9% severe thinness. For height-for-age, 8.9% were stunting, normal 88.1%, tallness 2.0%, followed by severely stunted 1.0%. There is no association found between household food insecurity and academic performance χ2(1, n=101) = 1.891, p=0.169. There is also no association found between household food insecurity with BMI-for-age χ2(1, n=101) = 1.105, p=0.293 and height-for-age, p>0.05 (with Fischer exact value = 0.093). Further studies must be carried out to produce further evidence of household food insecurity for fishermen in other Malaysian states, to prevent this group from being ignored

Abstracts of the International Halal Science Conference 2023

This book presents the extended abstracts of the selected contributions to the International Halal Science Conference, held on 22-23 August 2023 by the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM, Malaysia in collaboration with Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre, University Islam Sultan Sharif (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam. With the increasing global interest in halal products and services, this conference is timely. Conference Title:  International Halal Science ConferenceConference Acronym: IHASC23Conference Theme: Halal Industry Sustainability Through ScienceConference Date: 22-23 August 2023Conference Venue: International Islamic University (IIUM), MalaysiaConference Organizer: International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University (IIUM), Malaysi

Pancreatic surgery outcomes: multicentre prospective snapshot study in 67 countries

Background: Pancreatic surgery remains associated with high morbidity rates. Although postoperative mortality appears to have improved with specialization, the outcomes reported in the literature reflect the activity of highly specialized centres. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes following pancreatic surgery worldwide.Methods: This was an international, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional snapshot study of consecutive patients undergoing pancreatic operations worldwide in a 3-month interval in 2021. The primary outcome was postoperative mortality within 90 days of surgery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore relationships with Human Development Index (HDI) and other parameters.Results: A total of 4223 patients from 67 countries were analysed. A complication of any severity was detected in 68.7 percent of patients (2901 of 4223). Major complication rates (Clavien-Dindo grade at least IIIa) were 24, 18, and 27 percent, and mortality rates were 10, 5, and 5 per cent in low-to-middle-, high-, and very high-HDI countries respectively. The 90-day postoperative mortality rate was 5.4 per cent (229 of 4223) overall, but was significantly higher in the low-to-middle-HDI group (adjusted OR 2.88, 95 per cent c.i. 1.80 to 4.48). The overall failure-to-rescue rate was 21 percent; however, it was 41 per cent in low-to-middle-compared with 19 per cent in very high-HDI countries.Conclusion: Excess mortality in low-to-middle-HDI countries could be attributable to failure to rescue of patients from severe complications. The authors call for a collaborative response from international and regional associations of pancreatic surgeons to address management related to death from postoperative complications to tackle the global disparities in the outcomes of pancreatic surgery (NCT04652271; ISRCTN95140761)