Subclinical hypothyroidism among patients with depressive disorders

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) is a biochemical diagnosis, defined as an elevated Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) with normal free thyroxine (FT4). It affects 4-10% of the adult population and is more prevalent in elderly women. Its commonest cause is autoimmune thyroiditis, detected by anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab). About 2-5% of SHT patients progress to overt hypothyroidism annually. The SHT prevalence among depressed patients ranges between 3% and 17%. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SHT and TPO-Ab positivity among patients diagnosed with depressive disorders. It was a cross-sectional study carried out in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre over a 12 months period. Serum TSH, FT4 and TPO-Ab were measured. Results showed that 82% of depressed patients were euthyroid, 4% had SHT, 11% had subclinical hyperthyroidism and 2% had discordant thyroid function. TPO-Ab positivity among the subjects was 7%, one of whom had SHT. In conclusion, the prevalence of SHT and TPO-Ab positivity in the study population, at 4% and 7%, respectively, were comparable to previous findings

Faktor belia tidak bekerja dari perspektif NEET

Belia adalah golongan yang perlu perhatian khusus kerana mereka adalah modal insan yang masih berada pada umur produktif untuk bekerja. Oleh itu, belia NEET- (Not in Employment, Education or Training) atau tidak dalam pekerjaan, pendidikan atau latihan dilihat sebagai trend yang perlu dielakkan kerana ia boleh membawa kepada kesan negatif dalam meningkatkan ekonomi negara. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif di mana data dikumpulkan menggunakan kaedah perbincangan dalam kumpulan dan juga temu ramah bersama agensi yang telah dipilih. Dapatan kajian ini telah mengenal pasti beberapa faktor utama yang menyebabkan belia berada dalam golongan NEET iaitu seperti faktor peribadi, faktor tempat kerja dan faktor keluarga. Kajian juga mendapati bahawa pendidikan juga menyebabkan mereka keciciran daripada segi pekerjaan. Di akhir kajian ini beberapa syor diberikan untuk mengekang trend belia NEET di Malaysia

Banding Eco Sanctuary Enterprise / Muhammad Sahir A. Rahim ... [et al.]

In managing a business we must have a unique and systematic administrative structure. A good business plan will determine the smoothness and perfection of the business. It is important as a process at integrating duty and raw material to achieve company aims, which have been stated at the earlier stage at business establishment. The administrative department function as a protractor that is responsible to expand the operational size at business. It is the pulse of a business especially in determining the capital low

Checklist of herpetofauna in the severely degraded ecosystem of Bidong Island, Peninsular Malaysia, South China Sea

A herpetofaunal inventory was conducted on Bidong Island, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. It incorporates data from a recent herpetological survey conducted from 1 to 3 April 2019 with reptile records from previous publications. Specimens were collected with drift-fenced pitfall traps and taxa were recorded with visual encounter surveys (VES). In total, 18 species of reptiles and amphibians were recorded, including three species of frogs, 12 species of lizards, and three species of snakes. Six species from the present survey are new records for the island

Herpetofauna Diversity of The Disturbed and Isolated Bukit Maras in Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

We present the first checklist of herpetofauna in Bukit Maras based on surveys conducted from 2019 to 2023. Visual Encounter Surveys (VES) and drift-fenced pitfall traps were employed as collection methods. Our study documented a total of 55 herpetofauna species, comprising 23 amphibians and 32 reptiles. Among these, the critically endangered species, Manouria emys (according to the IUCN Red List) is a species of high conservation concern. The non-asymptotic nature of the Species Accumulation Curve (SAC) suggests that further sampling efforts could reveal additional species. Species-habitat network analysis revealed variations in species composition across different habitat types. Notably, secondary forest exhibited higher herpetofauna diversity compared to agricultural areas. Therefore, the conservation of remaining secondary forest in Bukit Maras is crucial for preserving its herpetofauna and mitigating anthropogenic impacts on this disturbed and isolated ecosystem

A decade of amphibian studies (Animalia, Amphibia) at Sekayu lowland forest, Hulu Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

Amphibians of Sekayu lowland forest have been studied more than a decade, with discoveries of new records of species showing no sign of abating between the years 2003 to 2020, indicating the remarkably rich diversity of anurans in this forest. Despite ceaseless anthropogenic activities in this area, this study successfully recorded 52 species of amphibians from 32 genera in the lowland forest of Sekayu. The species composition consisted of a single species from the family Ichthyophiidae and 51 species of anurans of 31 genera and six families. The number of species recorded has steadily increased especially during more recent surveys from 2015 to 2020. This study augments the total number of amphibian species recorded from Hulu Terengganu by ten additional species, increasing the total to 70 species for the district