A Review of Action Research Component in the Pre-Service Teacher Education for Elementary School in Malaysia

Abstract: This paper attempts to outline the needs for action research component for the elementary pre-service TESL teachers in the institute of teacher education in Malaysia.  The action research component used to be the compulsory final assessment for the pre-service teachers. However, the curriculum revamp in 2015 provided the pre-service teachers with the options of doing action or conventional research. It is a worrying development as the potential for most students to opt for convenional research over action research is great due to the perceived difficulty of the later.  This will reduce the role of the teacher in research as a mere observer rather than an active agent of change. This paper would present a case for action research by providing the background information on the development of action research in Malaysia and also the issue of teacher quality. The case is further supported by a discusssion on the concept of action research and also the significance of action research in the context of teacher professional development.

Chondrosarcoma of the spine: A case report in Sarawak General Hospital

Introduction: Chondrosarcoma represent a heterogenous group of tumors characterized by their ability of cartilage formation. Chondrosarcoma of spine is a rare condition with estimated incidence around 2% to 12% . Most frequently localized in thoracic spine followed by cervical and lumbar region. Discussion: We herein report a case of spinal chondrosarcoma over thoracic spine in 58 years old gentleman. He presented with progressive swelling over the back and incomplete neurological deficit for 3 months. MRI thoracic spine showed T6 to T18 posterior spinal soft tissues, neoplastic mass with lamina arches, spinous process, adjacent posterior ribs bony erosion and spinal cord compression. Core biopsy revealed Chondrosarcoma, Grade 1. Patient underwent excision of thoracic mass, posterior instrumentation and fusion T4 -T10 with removal of pedicle of T6, T7,T8. Intraoperatively, noted tumor measuring 20cm x 20cm extending from T6-T8, involving spinous process, lamina and pedicle. Laminectomy done and tumor was excised in 1 piece together with lamina and spinous process. Postoperatively, muscle power improves to 5 from L3 to S1. Patient was discharge home well with wheelchair ambulation on day 14 post operation. Conclusion: Chondrosarcoma is known to be resistance to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. So, surgery is critically importance in managing spinal chondrosarcoma. En-block resection of chondrosarcoma with disease free margin reduce recurrence as low as 3-8%. Knowing the facts, the stability will be greatly affected due to extensive involvement to spinal column, we decided to proceed with posterior instrumentation. Surgery should aim at preserving or even improving functionality, relieving pain and controlling local tumor recurrence, promising a prolonged survival

Double Trouble Post-Femoral Fracture – A Rare Case Report

been discussed extensively. Nevertheless, the simultaneous manifestation of FES and ACS after a single long bone fracture has never been reported. FES results from the extensive inflammatory response to fat emboli in the systemic microcirculation. The diagnosis is made with a set of specific clinical criteria. Treatment of FES is supportive. ACS ensues when a closed Osseofascial compartmental pressure exceeds the capillary perfusion pressure, leading to microvascular compromise. Fasciotomy is the only proven mode of treatment. We present a case of an 18 year-old-gentleman with closed traumatic femoral fracture, who then developed tense swelling of the ipsilateral thigh, Type I respiratory failure and axillary petechiae. A diagnosis of concurrent fat embolism syndrome and acute compartment syndrome of the thigh was made. High index of suspicion is essential for prompt diagnosis of concurrent FES and compartment syndrome as multiple complications that arise can be overlooked by unsuspecting practitioners who may be sidetracked by the multitude of presentations

In vivo toxicity study of Erythroxylum cuneatum leaves extract and its effects on working memory of rats

Erythroxylum cuneatum has been traditionally proven to possess beneficial properties in treating drug addiction and other illness. Due to less information on this plant, this elusive plant was investigated further to evaluate the in vivo toxicity profile of the plant and to investigate the effect of E. cuneatum on cognitive performance in rats. Two different extracts were produced from the leaves of E. cuneatum which were aqueous and alkaloid extracts. Acute in vivo toxicity test was evaluated in ICR mice to determine their medium lethal dose 50 value. In the in-vivo toxicity study, aqueous extract showed the almost similar toxic effect as alkaloid extract which was 416.86 mg/kg for alkaloid extract and 316.23 mg/kg for aqueous extract. These findings suggesting that aqueous and alkaloid extracts showed toxic effects at the high dose, thus safe at a low dose. Working memory task using novel object discrimination test (NOD) was performed for the determination of neurobehavioral profiles. In the NOD test, alkaloid-treated rats did not show any significant discrimination between the familiar and novel object (P > 0.05); thus it can be interpreted as not induce a memory defi cit. It can also be postulated that the extract has no effect on memory and learning neither improvises nor impairs the cognitive function. In conclusion, since E. cuneatum does not show any impairment on cognitive, its pharmacological properties could be further investigated without significant changes in cognitive performance

“Not what it seems to be” : A rare case of left ulna brodie’s abscess in children

Introduction: Brodie abscess is a subacute hematogenous osteomyelitis characterized by intraosseous abscess formation. It is typically localized in the metaphysis of tubular bones, particularly in the lower limbs. The diagnosis in upper extremities is challenging and can mimics bone tumor because there is no characteristic finding on an X-ray and no obvious inflammatory response. There's very few study reporting Brodie Abscess in upper extremities especially Ulna Bone. The treatment is drainage and curettage that leaves large cavity requiring bone grafting. This a case of Brodie's abscess in the left ulna healed with spontaneous rupture and antibiotic. Discussion: A 7 year-old girl presented with a month history of left distal forearm painless swelling. There was no history of trauma, constitutional symptom or febrile illness prior to presentation. At first presentation, the examination revealed a well defined swelling 4x3 cm, firm to hard consistency, fixed to the underlying structures but not to the overlying skin. The plain X-ray of left radius ulna showed radiolucent expansile lytic lesion of the diaphysis of ulna bone with nidus formation with distal ulna cortical destruction. Blood tests showed normal white count and inflammatory markers. While waiting for scheduled MRI, she had a painless sinus discharging pus of the left distal forearm and a reduction in the size of the swelling. She was otherwise well. The second left ulna plain radio-graph shows less lucency with improved distal ulnar cortex appearance. Diagnosis of brodie's abscess is obtained following radiographic nidus formation with self-drained abscess. She was treated with cefuroxime for eight weeks. Conclusion: Brodie's abscess of the ulna is rare and never been reported before in the literature. The Xray may mimic bone tumor presentations. MRI and tissue biopsy is required to confirm diagnosis. In our case, she had a spontaneous ruptured swelling while waiting for MRI and treated non operatively

Assessment of hydrological response of Pahang River Basin

Pahang is Peninsular Malaysia's largest province, covering 35960 square kilometers. Pahang River is also the longest river on the Malaysia Peninsula and flows 459 kilometers through Pahang state. The river empties into the South China Sea from the upstream of Tembeling River. Floods that occur in Pahang basin as a result of a mixture of natural and human causes, as well as natural factors such as heavy monsoon rainfall by northeast monsoon. The overflowing of the Pahang River caused most of flooding in the lower areas of Pahang River Basin. Precipitation and runoff records from 1980 to 2020 were analyzed to determine the hydrological pattern and response of Pahang River Basin. The basin has an average rainfall of approximately 2,189 mm (1,596.41mm-2,493.36 mm). Extreme rainfall during the northeast monsoon season. The rainfall data gathered appears to be sufficiently accurate and reliable based on double mass plot which to check the consistency of streamflow station where the (r2>99%). The streamflow pattern showed very good response to the recorded rainfall values. As such, it can be concluded that the hydrological network established in the Pahang River Basin seems to be satisfactory

Bilateral sinonasal inverted papilloma: case report and literature review

Objective: To describe a rare case of bilateral sinonasal inverted papilloma and review the relevant literature. Design: Case report. Materials and Methods: Medical record review and literature search. Results: A 50-year-old gentleman presented with bilateral nasal polyposis involving posterior ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses. With clinical diagnosis of benign inflammatory polyposis, he underwent bilateral functional endoscopic sinus surgery. The histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of bilateral inverted papilloma. He remains disease free after 5 years follow up. A literature review on the subject is presented. Conclusion: This case highlighted the unique presentation of sinonasal inverted papilloma as a bilateral disease and in the posterior group of paranasal sinuses

A rare case of sacrococcygeal squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction: Sacrococcygeal neoplastic lesions are extremely rare. Primary benign or malignant lesion are lesser than 7% of all intraspinal lesions. Patients with sacral tumors present with non-specific symptoms, including pain, palpable mass, and neurologic deficits. Despite the advancement of imaging modalities, it is still a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of this area is very rare. A few case reported with acquired condition or underlying congenital or developmental remnants. A chronic sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease with SCC transformation is described by Michalopoulos et al. Demirel AH et al reported the incident of SCC with underlying tailgut cyst in 73 yearold female. CT-scan and MRI is done to define the anatomic origin, extent, and radiologic features of a given lesion. Biopsy is commonly performed to obtain histologic diagnosis. In this paper we report a primary squamous cell carcinoma in this region. Discussion: A 52 year-old lady who presented with five months history of painless right-sided sacral swelling associated with right radicular pain, urinary incontinence and constipation. No constitutional symptoms. The swelling is 8x8 cm in size, firm to hard consistency, non-mobile, smooth surface, illdefined border and not fixed to the overlying skin. Plain X-Ray of Pelvis revealed right sided sacrococcygeal expensile lytic lesion with ill-defined margin. CT-Scan of pelvis showed sacrococcygeal heterogenous mass associated with bony destruction and compression on bladder and rectum. MRI revealed aggressive sacrococcygeal mass with local bony invasion and sacral nerve root S2-S5 involvement. Biopsy was performed and HPE result was consistent with Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Systemic staging showed metastases to bilateral lungs. Palliative Care was planned with multidisciplinary team involvement. Conclusion: Sacrococcygeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma is very rare. Diagnosis remained challenging even with advancement of imaging modalities. Biopsy is required to confirm tissue diagnosis. Treatment requires multi-disciplinary team approach to ensure survival of the patien

Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis: Evidence from a randomized placebo-controlled trial in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of honey in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) is controversial. We studied the complementary effect of ingestion of a high dose of honey, in addition to standard medications, on AR. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Prospective randomized placebo-controlled study. Subjects were recruited from an otolaryngology clinic in 2 tertiary referral centers in the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The study period ranged from April 2010-April 2011. METHODS: Forty AR patients were divided equally into a case group and a control group. All the subjects received a daily dose of 10 mg of loratadine for 4 weeks. The case group ingested 1 g/kg body weight of honey daily in separate doses for the 4-week period. The control group ingested the same dose of honey-flavored corn syrup as placebo. AR symptoms were scored at the start, week 4, and week 8 of the study. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the mean total symptom score of the case and the control groups at the start of the study. At week 4, both groups showed progressive improvement in the symptoms; at week 8, only the case group showed a continuous improvement in the symptom score. Only the group that ingested honey showed a significant improvement in individual AR symptoms. The improvement persisted for a month after the cessation of the treatment. CONCLUSION: Honey ingestion at a high dose improves the overall and individual symptoms of AR, and it could serve as a complementary therapy for AR

One-pot liquefaction of cellulose to ethyl levulinate via 1-sulfonic acid-3-methyl imidazolium trichlorozincate as Brønsted-Lewis catalyst

The direct conversions of cellulose to ethyl levulinate (EL) via Brønsted acidic ionic liquid (BAIL), Lewis acidic ionic liquid (LAIL), and Brønsted-Lewis acidic ionic liquid (BLAIL) conducted in this study is a sustainable approach. Initially, BAIL 1-sulfonic acid-3-methyl imidazolium chloride [SMIM][Cl] was prepared by the mixing of 1-methylimidazole, dry dichloromethane, and chlorosulfonic acid. Then, Lewis acidic site was provided to the BAIL by the addition of zinc chloride (ZnCl2), to synthetize BLAIL 1-sulfonic acid-3-methyl imidazolium trichlorozincate, [SMIM][ZnCl3]. Meanwhile, LAIL 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium trichlorozincate [BMIM][ZnCl3] was prepared by the addition of ZnCl2 to a neutral 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride [BMIM][Cl]. These three catalysts were then characterized and employed in the one-pot liquefaction process that was conducted in a stainless-steel batch reactor at 180 °C for 10 hr, by charging 0.6 g of cellulose, 40 mL of ethanol and 3 g of catalyst. A parameter study, mainly temperature (120-200) °C, time (2-10) hr, and cellulose loading (0.2-1.0) g, were then conducted to determine the selected parameters to obtain high EL yield. Among the employed ionic liquids (ILs), BLAIL [SMIM][ZnCl3] exhibited the highest catalytic activity, which was contributed mainly by its co-existence of Brønsted and Lewis acidic sites as detected in Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, and its high acidic value. The maximum EL yield (20.27 wt%) was obtained under conditions of 180 °C, 6 hr, 0.6 of cellulose, and 3 g of [SMIM][ZnCl3]. The outcome of this study provides an insight on the potential of novel [SMIM][ZnCl3] in facilitating the direct cellulose ethanolysis to EL