Exploring the Experiences of Women on Muslim Pilgrimage: A Study of Hazaratbal Shrine in Kashmir

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of women at Hazaratbal shrine in Kashmir also known as Madinut-ul-Sani (second Madina). In spite of growing interest of scholars in sacred tourism research, little efforts are made to examine female perception of holy shrine experiences. The authors collected data through interviews and participant observation of female pilgrims/visitors, at the shrine. The theoretical base of the study is the phenomenological work of Schultz. After the completion of analysis, five main categories of perceptions appeared which attract women visitors to Hazaratbal shrine namely prayer and worship, thanksgiving, healing, learning and heritage

Prevalence of complementary alternative medicine use among patients with type II diabetes in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

The uses of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among patients with chronic diseases are becoming increasingly popular. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in 45 government health clinics across Negeri Sembilan. Respondents at diabetes clinics were selected via systematic random sampling and interviewed using structured questionnaire. CAM usage was divided into three groups; CAM use for diabetes (CAM-DM), CAM use for general health (CAM-G) and Non CAM user. The prevalent use of CAM among type II diabetes mellitus patients in Negeri Sembilan was 58.5% (CAM-DM: 40.6% and CAM-G: 17.9%). For CAM-DM group, bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) was the most popular CAM consumed to help control diabetes, while supplement milk was the most popular choice for the CAM-G group. In conclusion, the use of CAM among type II diabetes mellitus patients in Negeri Sembilan was common. Natural products are the main choice of CAM modality used to help with the management of diabetes. Majority of CAM users never informed their healthcare providers about their CAM use

Cholinergic neural activity directs retinal layer-specific angiogenesis and blood retinal barrier formation.

Blood vessels in the central nervous system (CNS) develop unique features, but the contribution of CNS neurons to regulating those features is not fully understood. We report that inhibiting spontaneous cholinergic activity or reducing starburst amacrine cell numbers prevents invasion of endothelial cells into the deep layers of the retina and causes blood-retinal-barrier (BRB) dysfunction in mice. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which drives angiogenesis, and Norrin, a Wnt ligand that induces BRB properties, are decreased after activity blockade. Exogenous VEGF restores vessel growth but not BRB function, whereas stabilizing beta-catenin in endothelial cells rescues BRB dysfunction but not vessel formation. We further identify that inhibiting cholinergic activity reduces angiogenesis during oxygen-induced retinopathy. Our findings demonstrate that neural activity lies upstream of VEGF and Norrin, coordinating angiogenesis and BRB formation. Neural activity originating from specific neural circuits may be a general mechanism for driving regional angiogenesis and barrier formation across CNS development

Multiple Intussusceptions Associated with Polycythemia in an Anabolic Steroid Abuser , A Case Report and Literature Review

Intussusceptions are generally associated with mechanical lead points or localized inflammation that function as foci for intestinal telescoping. We present the case of a patient whose abuse of anabolic steroids resulted in the development of multiple simultaneous intussusceptions. Our patient had no additional identifiable risk factors for intussusception. Consistent with previous reports, corticosteroid induced polycythemia and its consequent hyperviscosity led to intravascular sludging and mesenteric ischemia with associated bowel wall thickening. The localized intestinal induration then served as mechanical foci for intussusception. Due to the illicit nature of anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse, the physiologic effects of supraphysiologic doses are sparsely reported and poorly understood. The scope of AAS abuse and its consequences are likely under‑reported and under‑recognized within the medical community. Our case presented a unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenge with which we aim to increasing awareness and clinical suspicion for AAS among healthcare personnel.Keywords: Anabolic, Steroid, Intussusception, Androgens, Polycythemia, Hormones, Anabolic androgenic steroi

Develop and Implementation of Autonomous Vision Based Mobile Robot Following Human

This project related to develop and implementation of autonomous vision based mobile robot following human. Human tracking algorithm will be developed to allow a mobile robot to follow a human

Relationship between coping mechanisms to psychosocial stress with blood pressure in young adults: a pilot study

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Prehypertension is a precursor of hypertension, with high prevalence in young adults. Psychosocial stress can be one of the modifiable risk factors for hypertension. The objective of the study is to assess the relationship between coping mechanism to psychosocial stress and the blood pressure of young adults. Methods: A comparative crosssectional pilot study was conducted in 36 young adults aged less than 45 years. The pulse rate, blood pressure and body mass index of the respondents were recorded. Psychosocial stress was measured by plasma cortisol following an acute mental stress test; and the level of stress and the coping strategies to stress were assessed using validated Malay Version questionnaires: DASS- 21 and Brief R-COPE questionnaires. Results: Forty four percent of subjects had normotension and fifty six percent had above-normal blood pressure (prehypertension and mild hypertension). Subjects with above-normal blood pressure were associated with high plasma cortisol levels (p = 0.032), and high body mass indexes (BMI) (p = 0.004). Maladaptive coping strategy was found to be associated with high stress scores (p = 0.019). The relationship between stress and cortisol was not significant, though a higher cortisol level was noted in the high blood pressure group. Conclusion: In conclusion, higher cortisol levels and greater BMIs were associated with above-normal blood pressure in young adults. These findings are useful for future research in this area, and the continuation of this study will hopefully yield a more significant relationship

Prehypertensive state, mild hypertension, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors among young adults in rural Malaysia

Introduction: Prehypertension precedes overt hypertension and has been acknowledged by many guidelines. Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Malaysia. Hypertension prevalence is at 42.6% and population-based control is poor at 26.8%. The objective of the study is to ascertain the cardiovascular risk profile of prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive young adults against age-matched controls in rural Malaysia. Methods: 484(four hundred and eighty four) subjects attending primary care clinic were screened. 91 (Ninety one) young adults with pre/mild hypertension and normotensive, age-matched controls were enrolled. The blood pressure and biochemical profiles for both groups were assessed and compared. Results: Fifty-four subjects and 37 controls were enrolled. Amongst subjects, 46.3% had prehypertension and 53.7% had mild hypertension. Mean values compared to age- matched controls for MAP were 102.68 ± 7.48 vs 83.25 ± 6.08 mmHg (p< 0.001), LDL 3.75 ± 0.95 vs 3.32 ± 0.93 mmol/L (p=0.03), FBG 4.65 ± 0.54 vs 4.33 ± 0.42 mmol/L (p=0.03), BMI 28.81 ± 5.16 vs 24.12 ± 4.91 (p< 0.001). The mean BP was significantly associated with BMI, FBG, triglycerides, HDL and the TC/HDL ratio. Conclusions: Greater BMI, FBG, HDL, triglyceride levels and TC/HDL ratio characterised the young adults with pre/mild hypertension. The data suggests that hypertension in young adults is secondary to metabolic syndrome

Influence of Intermedia in Development of Malaysian Art Scene

Media art has evolved over time. Artists are developing intermedia in their art. It begins in 1950s NYC. The idea of Intermedia has since extended globally. Malaysia's media development is influenced by western Intermedia. Malaysian artists are intermedia experts. This research aims to determine why Malaysian artists use Intermedia and to classify its disciplines. This research was place in studio or online, depending on current conditions. Pandemic, artist demand. This research used library, catalogue, and web sources for data. The data will be analyzed to classify the artists' Intermedia use. Intermedia has diversified into numerous disciplines, and it's still growing. Keywords: Intermedia, Malaysian Art, New media eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC  BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behavior Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioral Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behavior Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI9.394

Dilema hak suami pasca penceraian: Suatu penelitian awal di Malaysia / Mohd Ab Malek Md Shah … [et al.]

Apabila kita berbicara tentang isu penceraian, tergambar kepada kita akan segala tuntutan yang berhak untuk dipohon oleh si isteri; secara langsung mahupun tidak langsung menurut syara'. Ini termasuklah hak untuk mendapatkan muta‘ah (pampasan atau ganti rugi akibat diceraikan), tuntutan nafkah ‘iddah, hadhanah (hak penjagaan anak), tuntutan nafkah anak, hak untuk menuntut harta sepencarian (jointly acquired property) serta tuntutan hutang (sekiranya masih belum dilangsaikan oleh si suami selama tempoh perkahwinan berlangsung). Hakikatnya, apabila sesuatu bahtera rumahtangga yang telah terbina sejak sekian lama karam dipukul gelombang kehidupan yang penuh cabaran mendatang, tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa terdapat segelintir pihak akan mengambil jalan singkat dengan menuding jari ke atas kaum Adam; lantas bingkas mempersoalkan akan segala tuntutan hak yang boleh (wajib) dinikmati oleh bekas isteri menurut lunas – lunas perundangan secara hakiki. Ironinya, terdapat ramai di antara kita yang jarang untuk menyentuh akan segala hak yang wajar dipohon oleh pihak bekas suami akibat daripada kegagalannya untuk mempertahankan keutuhan “masjid” tersebut daripada runtuh begitu sahaja. Ini kerana; tiada terdapat sebarang kajian atau analisis khusus yang menjurus ke arah perbincangan berhubung segala hak bekas suami pasca penceraian. Selain itu, penulis turut membuat perbandingan secara umum terhadap peruntukan dari segi lunas – lunas perundangan terhadap segala tuntutan yang boleh dibuat oleh kedua – dua belah pihak daripada kedua – dua sistem yang terpakai di Malaysia. Justeru; adalah menjadi harapan penulis bahawa; menerusi penulisan yang berbentuk kualitatif ini; terdapat kefahaman yang lebih jelas terhadap segala tuntutan yang boleh dipohon oleh setiap pasangan dalam memastikan kebajikan dan keadilan antara kedua – dua belah pihak; termasuklah anak – anak supaya dapat dilestarikan secara situasi menang – menang (win – win situation)

Leucocytic DNA methylation of Interleukin-6 promoter reduction in pre-hypertensive young adults

Background: Pre-hypertension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension, with epigenetic dysregulation involvement. Nevertheless, the role of DNA methylation in prehypertensive state is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between DNA methylation level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter in pre-hypertensive (PreHT) and normotensive (NT) young adults. Methods: A total of 80 NT and 80 PreHT healthy subjects aged between 18–45 years were recruited in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia using an observational cross-sectional study approach. DNA methylation level of IL-6 promoter in peripheral leukocytes were measured using bisulphite conversion and MethyLight assay. Results: There was no significant difference in age between NT and PreHT (P = 0.655). The mean blood pressure was 110(8)/73(5) mmHg in NT and 125(7)/82(5) mmHg in PreHT subjects. The IL-6 promoter methylation level was significantly lower in PreHT compared to NT subjects (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that hypomethylation of IL-6 promoter was associated with pre-hypertension in young adults. Thus, IL-6 methylation could be used as an early indicator for predicting hypertension and related risk of cardiovascular diseases in prehypertensive subjects. Gene expression and longitudinal studies are warranted to examine the methylation effect on IL-6 expression over time