Factors that affect the customer buying behavior towards life insurance among employees at Jabatan Ketua Menteri Melaka / Fahme Rashid and Nur Wahida Ramly

Propose - The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that affect the customer buying behavior towards life insurance among employees at Jabatan Ketua Menteri Melaka (JKMM). Design/methodology /approach – In order to gain the data, questionnaire is constructed and distributed using proportionate stratified sampling method among 553 respondents of the employees of JKMM. Reliability test are applied to examined whether the question that use are reliable or not. Multiple regressions are applied to ascertain the most factors that influence the customer buying behavior. Finding – Individual factor, insurance company, family factors, security factors and investment factors are found to have significant relationship with customer buying behavior towards life insurance. Insurance company has the highest reliability test value, thus it is the best predictor that influence the customer buying behavior towards life insurance. Practical implications – This research provide an in depth understanding on the factors that affects the customer buying behavior towards life insurance among employees at Jabatan Ketua Menteri Melaka

Arrhythmia-related Hospitalization and Comorbid Cannabis Use Disorder: Trend Analysis in US Hospitals (2010-2014)

Objective To study the trends of arrhythmia hospitalizations with cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in terms of demographic characteristics and inpatient outcomes. Methods We used the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) data during the post-legalization period (2010-2014) and included 570,556 arrhythmia inpatients (age, 15-54 years), and 14,426 inpatients had comorbid CUD (2.53%). We used the linear-by-linear association test and independent-sample T-test for assessing the change in hospital outcomes in inpatients with CUD. Results Arrhythmia hospitalizations with CUD increased by 31% (2010-2014). This increasing trend was seen in adults (45-54 years, P < 0.001) and was predominant in males (77.6%). Hypertension (40.6%), hyperlipidemia (17.6%), and obesity (15%) were prevalent medical comorbidities with variable trends over the five years. Among substance use disorders, tobacco (50.9%), and alcohol (31.4%) were major comorbidities with a variable trend (P = 0.003 for each). There was a 71.4% increase in the inpatient mortality rate between 2010 (0.7%) and 2014 (1.2%). The mean length of stay was three days, and the total hospitalization charges have been increasing (P < 0.001), averaging $35,812 per hospital admission. Conclusion Chronic cannabis use or abuse worsens hospitalization outcomes in arrhythmic patients, and more clinical studies are needed to study the causal association between these conditions due to the rising mortality risk

Comorbid Depression and Psychosis in Parkinson's Disease: A Report of 62,783 Hospitalizations in the United States

Background Depression and psychosis are common comorbidities that significantly affects the quality of life and disease outcomes in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze and discern the differences in the hospitalization outcomes, comorbidities, and utilization of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in PD patients with comorbid depression and comorbid psychosis. Methods We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2010-2014) and identified PD as a primary diagnosis (N = 62,783), and depression (N = 11,358) and psychosis (N = 2,475) as co-diagnosis using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes. Pearson's chi-square test and independent-sample t-test were used for categorical data and continuous data, respectively. Results White male, older age, and comorbid psychosis were significantly associated with higher odds of having major severity of illness in PD inpatients. The mean length of stay (LOS) was higher in PD patients with psychosis compared to PD with depression (7.32 days vs. 4.23 days; P < 0.001), though the mean total charges of hospitalization were lower in psychosis ($31,240 vs.$38,581; P < 0.001). Utilization of DBS was lower in PD patients with psychosis versus with depression (3.9% vs. 24.3%; P < 0.001). Conclusion Psychiatric comorbidities are prevalent in PD patients and are associated with more disease severity, impaired quality of life, and increased use of healthcare resources (higher LOS and cost). They should be considered an integral part of the disease, and a multidisciplinary approach to managing this disease is crucial to improve the health-related quality of life of PD patients

Problematic Cannabis Use and Risk of Complications in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

Objectives To evaluate the risk of complication in hospitalized chronic hepatitis C (CHC), patients with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Methods We conducted a retrospective study using the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS), and included 31,623 patients (age 15-54) with a primary international classification of diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9) diagnosis for CHC and grouped by co-diagnosis of CUD (1101, 3.5%). Logistic regression model adjusted for confounders was used to evaluate the odds ratio (OR) of CUD and complications during CHC hospitalization. Results Comorbid CUD was prevalent in males (73.2%), Caucasians (59.9%), and from low-income families (65.7%). The most prevalent complications in patients with CUD were ascites (44.9%), alcoholic cirrhosis (42.8%) and non-alcoholic cirrhosis (41.1%). The odds of association for hepatic encephalopathy was 2.2 times higher (95% CI 1.477-3.350) in 2.8% CHC inpatients with CUD compared to 1.2% non-CUD inpatients. Hepatic encephalopathy had higher odds of association with a male by 1.4 times (95% CI 1.094-1.760), and African American by 1.7 times (95% CI 1.293-2.259). Conclusion CUD is significantly associated with 122% increased likelihood for hepatic encephalopathy that may worsen overall hospitalization outcomes in CHC patients. Hence, we need to consider the complex relationship between CUD and CHC and manage them optimally to improve the health-related quality of life

Optimization of multi-holes drilling path using particle swarm optimization

In multi-holes drilling process, the tool movement and tool switching consumed on average 70% of the total machining time. Tool path optimization is able to reduce the time taken in machining process. This paper is focus on the modeling and optimization of multi-holes drilling path. The problem is modeled as traveling salesman problem (TSP) and optimized using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). To test the PSO performance, 15 test problems were created with different range of holes numbers. The optimization results from PSO were compared with other top algorithms such Genetic Algorithm and Ant Colony Optimization algorithm. PSO is also compared with another algorithm like Whale Optimization Algorithm, Ant Lion Optimizer, Dragonfly Algorithm, Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm, Moth-flame Optimization and Sine Cosine Algorithm. The result indicates that PSO algorithm is performed better than comparison algorithms. PSO algorithm gives the minimum value of fitness path and their CPU time compared to other algorithms. Hence, the smaller their value, the algorithm is better and more efficient. In future, researchers should more focus on environmental issues and energy consumption for sustainable manufacturing. Besides, need to explore other potential of new meta-heuristics algorithms to increase the hole drilling operation efficiencies

Management of encrusted ureteral stent: nine years experience in a single center

lntroduction: Ureteral stent insertion is common in urological practice. However, ureteral stent is not without complications or adverse effects. Stent migration, infection, fragementation and encrustation are among the known complicationso f ureterals tents. Objective: To share our experience in the management of stentse ncrustationi n our centre. Material and methods: We retrospectively studied all patients with ureteral stent encrustation which needed intervention either surgically or by ESWL in our centre (HospitalU niversitiS ainsM alaysia).F or a periodo f 9 years (zooz-zoto)a, ll patientsw ith stent encrustationw ho needed surgical or ESWL interventions were included in the study. Demographic data, risk factors and outcome of treatments were studied.T reatmentd ecisionsw ere made basedo n the clinicala nd imagingf indings. Results: 36 patients were included in the study. Mean age at presentation was 48.47 years. There were 2i males and t5 females. The stents were inserted for stone diseases alone(8o.6%)c, ombination of stone diseasesa nd ureteric strictures('n.'t%u),r eteric strictures alone(5.6%a) nd in a case of malignant disease(2.82). The treatment options were ESWL, vesicolitholapaxy, vesicolithotripsy, ureteroscopy, retrograde intra renal surgery (RIRS) and PCNL. All the stents were successfully removed. 583% of the stents were removed in a singles ession.T he rest of the stents needed additional interventions. Conclusion: Eventhough stent insertion is fundamental in urological practice it is not without complications.S tent should only be inserted in patients who are really in need for the stent insertion. However, stent encrustation could still be successfulltyr eated even in the very severec ase

A Review of Multi-holes Drilling Path Optimization Using Soft Computing Approaches

In today’s competitive environment, optimization is considered as an important element for maintaining and improving both aspect of manufacturing such as quality and productivity. In multi-holes drilling process, 70% of the machining time involved the tool movement and tool switching. Various researches had been conducted to reduce the tool movement and switching time. This paper reviews the research publications on the drilling path optimization using soft computing approaches. In particular, this review focuses on four main aspects; drilling application areas, problem modeling, optimization algorithms and objective functions of drilling path optimization. Based on the review, the researchers’ interest in this area is still growing. However, the existing researches were limited to implement, modify and hybridized the well-established optimization algorithms. Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness to consider the environmental and sustainable issues in the existing research. In future, the researcher is suggested to give focus on energy consumption that related with sustainable manufacturing and also to explore the potential of new meta-heuristics algorithms that can lead to significant in reduction machining time

Ganoderma species of basal and upper stem rots in oil palm (elaeis guineensis) in Sarawak, Malaysia

Oil palm is one of the most important plantation crops in Malaysia. The sustainability of oil palm is threatened by Ganoderma species. It is commonly known that Ganoderma boninense is the causal pathogen for basal stem rot (BSR) in oil palm. However, little is known about the threats by other species of Ganoderma or upper stem rot (USR), which is associated with a similar pathogen. A total of 46 isolates of Ganoderma were isolated from BSR and USR infected oil palms. The isolates were identified using a multiplex PCR, and its genetic heterogeneity was determined using a somatic compatibility test. It was found that BSR and USR coexisted in the plantations, and USR emerged as one of the major diseases. The diseases were associated with similar pathogens, namely G. zonatum (71.7%), followed by G. boninense (26.1%), and G. miniatocinctum (2.2%). Somatic compatibility test indicated that all the isolates were genetically heterogeneous. These results show that G. zonatum and the transmission of the diseases through basidiospores play a vital role in the epidemiology of the diseases. Thus, USR should not be overlooked, and more emphasis should be given to G. zonatum and its mode of transmission for more effective disease management