Dumbbells and ankle-wrist weight training leads to changes in body composition and anthropometric parameters with potential cardiovascular disease risk reduction

AbstractObjectivesPromoting physical activity is a global strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to determine and compare the effect of light resistance training using either dumbbells or ankle-wrist weights on the anthropometric parameters and body composition of adults in Kelantan, Malaysia.MethodsThis randomized community trial was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia, from March through August 2012. Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 23 kg/m2 were randomized into dumbbell (N = 69) and ankle-wrist (N = 69) weight groups. Participants in the dumbbell group performed structured group exercises three times per week using a pair of one-kilogram dumbbells. Participants in the ankle-wrist weight group were given one pair of 500 gm ankle weights and one pair of 500 gm wrist weights to be worn during the activities of daily living three days per week for at least 20 min. BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (BF%) and skeletal muscle percentage (SM%) were measured at baseline, week 6, month 3 and month 6.ResultsEighty-nine participants completed this study. There were significant reductions in BMI only at week six for the dumbbell group. No significant BMI changes were observed for the ankle-wrist weight group. Significant improvements of WC, WHR, BF%, and SM% were observed in both intervention groups from baseline at week 6, month 3, and month 6.ConclusionResistance exercise using either dumbbells or ankle-wrist weights produced significant improvements in certain components of body composition and anthropometric parameters

Effect of serving time on microbiological quality of food served (chicken dish and rice) during wedding banquet

Ayam masak merah (chicken in tomato sauce) and nasi minyak (flavoured ghee rice) are among the common dish served in Malay wedding banquet. The microbiological quality of these dishes becomes a concern when there was a food poisoning that caused four deaths after attending the wedding banquet. Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate the microbiological quality of ayam masak merah and nasi minyak during the serving time (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours) at the wedding banquet. The microbiological analysis were; total plate count (TPC), total coliform, Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella spp., and Listeria spp. The results showed that ayam masak merah has the highest count for TPC, total coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, but low count in Listeria spp. and Salmonella spp. was not detected. Highest TPC was observed at the first hour of serving time, 7.33 log CFU/g, while for total coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus was at the 4 hours of serving time, 7.44 log CFU/g and 7.27 log CFU/g respectively

A multimedia courseware for human heart anatomical and functional illustration

Advances in computer science have provided unique opportunities to apply Interactive Multimedia (IMM) courseware to a wide variety of medical and health care functions. Courseware can be called an easy to learn, teachable and course materials which is an important in Information Communication Technology world today. It helps the learners/students to improve their knowledge, skills and creativity. One area which holds the high ability for using computer systems is medical and health science education. This paper describes the design of an IMM courseware for learning about Human Heart. It proposes a Human Heart Anatomical and Functional Illustration (HHAFI) courseware for students, health officials and everyone interested in having a healthy heart. The HHAFI courseware is implemented by Toolbook Instructor and presented on Windows platform. The courseware includes an introduction that describes the heart and recall such as mechanisms of the heart, heart diseases, healthy tips and living a healthy lifestyle. The HHAFI courseware is tested with the student to identify the improvement in their knowledge and measure the level of interest in the topic. The HHAFI courseware provides learning and interactive training functions for interested individuals

Academic Performance of University Students: A Case in a Higher Learning Institution

This research is to identify the relationships and main factors of academic performance degree students in a Higher Learning Institution. The researcher can see the increasing number of students did not graduate on time based on the data provided and it means the students did not perform well in their studies. This research was done by conducting a survey using the questionnaires were distributed to the students in the campus based on list name given by head of faculty. The degree students involved were from semester 4 and 5. The total of sample size is according to Krejcie & Morgan, (1970). The data from questionnaires were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 23. The result analyzed using reliability analysis, frequency analysis, descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and multiple regressions. The results from the analysis show that this variable will lead to the academic performance towards degree students. The highest beta value is teaching and learning process. In a conclusion, this research gives some valuable information to the researcher, organization and the reader which is useful for basic knowledge. Moreover, the researcher also has recommended few strategies or ideas such as teachers need to create more on the ideas of teaching process, the institution need to take care of the students needs related to their learning process, and more concern on poor students in order to help them in academic performance among degree students semester 4 and 5 in the university.     Keywords: Academic Performance, Teaching and Learning Process, Family and Peers influence, Students’ Financial

Local contractors' awareness on competitiveness towards liberalisation and globalisation in the Malaysian construction industry

Globalisation gives the opportunity to contractors from a particular country to venture into various countries around the globe as the construction market is unlimitedly open. Due to this globalisation, the government has signed free trade agreements (FTA) as the result of the liberalisation process. Globalisation and liberalisation do not only provide opportunities and benefits to the local construction market, but also give challenges to local contractors in terms of competition with other local and foreign contractors. Yet, a question arises whether the local contractors in particular are aware with the competitive challenges they are facing against the foreign contractors or even amongst the local contractors themselves. This is because there are limited studies conducted which seek to identify the current levels of awareness on competitiveness among local contractors within the Malaysian construction industry. Hence, this paper emerges with the objectives of (1) identifying the current level of awareness of local contractors on competitiveness and (2) investigating the most important attributes of awareness of local contractors in the Malaysian construction industry. Questionnaire surveys were conducted on local Malaysian contractors involving 61 organisations from 112 venturing into overseas market. Data were analysed via Rasch analysis consisting of five method analysis which are the reliability and validity analysis, organisation misfit analysis, unidimensionality analysis, item misfit analysis and item measure order analysis. Findings from this paper reveal that most of the contractors have a moderate level of awareness on the competitiveness in the Malaysian construction industry. The findings of this study have been concluded as the local contractors acknowledge their competitors' strength and weaknesses when bidding for new projects and also aim to improve their competitiveness in competing with other local contractors locally. Recognition of this paper on the awareness of the importance of competitiveness by various local contractors in the Malaysian construction industry is in line with the Construction Industry Transformation Plan (CITP) 2016-2020 in addressing the Internationalisation Thrust with the aim to increase competitiveness of the domestic market, especially with the presence of foreign player

Development of high-performance anode/electrolyte/cathode micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell via phase inversion-based co-extrusion/ co-sintering technique

A complete set of triple-layer (anode/electrolyte/cathode) hollow fiber for high temperature micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC) consisting of nickel oxide (NiO) – yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/YSZ/lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) – YSZ has been successfully fabricated in this study. A simplified fabrication technique of phase inversion-based co-extrusion/co-sintering has yielded a perfectly bounded sandwich structure with free-delamination and defect layers. The effect of co-sintering temperatures (1300 °C–1450 °C) on the morphologies, elemental distributions, electrolyte gas-tightness, mechanical strength, electrochemical performance and the impedance spectra test are well-inspected. The increase of co-sintering temperature has significant effects on the anode finger-like micro-channels shrinkage where the voids become very sharp-thin structure; and developing a thin gas-tight electrolyte layer. Whereas, rapid co-sintering rate (10 °C min -­¹) and large particle size of 3–5 μm (micron) of YSZ has hindered the formation of fully dense cathode layer resulting from higher co-sintering temperature. Correspondingly, with only 0.1116 Ωcm2 value of area-specific resistance (ASR), a maximum power density has increased from 0.34 W cm ­² to 0.75 W cm ­² with 1.05 V OCV at 700 °C when the co-sintering temperature ranging from 1400 °C to 1450 °C; which comparable with single-layer counterpart

Burden of visceral leishmaniasis in villages of eastern gedaref state, Sudan: an exhaustive cross-sectional survey.

Since December 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières has diagnosed and treated patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Tabarak Allah Hospital, eastern Gedaref State, one of the main endemic foci of VL in Sudan. A survey was conducted to estimate the VL incidence in villages around Tabarak Allah

Influence of the initial chemical conditions on the rational design of silica particles

The influence of the water content in the initial composition on the size of silica particles produced using the Stöber process is well known. We have shown that there are three morphological regimes defined by compositional boundaries. At low water levels (below stoichiometric ratio of water:tetraethoxysilane), very high surface area and aggregated structures are formed; at high water content (>40 wt%) similar structures are also seen. Between these two boundary conditions, discrete particles are formed whose size are dictated by the water content. Within the compositional regime that enables the classical Stöber silica, the structural evolution shows a more rapid attainment of final particle size than the rate of formation of silica supporting the monomer addition hypothesis. The clearer understanding of the role of the initial composition on the output of this synthesis method will be of considerable use for the establishment of reliable reproducible silica production for future industrial adoption