Preservation And Conservation Of Archaeological Sites And Artefacts In Malaysia.

Archaeological sites and artefacts are among the most vulnerable of human cultural heritage that have suffered extensive damages. Excavations of archaeological sites and the removal of artefacts from sites have often caused abrupt changes to their ambient preserving conditions

A Study On The Cleaning Methods Of Stone Artifacts.

Stone has been one of the earliest materials used by man since prehistoric times to make tools, implements and art objects. In recent times, these stone artifacts have formed a large part of the collections in museums, temples, churches, and homes of private collectors. Stone artifacts, though strong and durable, disintegrate in time due to various deteriorating factors such as heat, the presence of micro-organisms, salts, algae, water, acids, dust, stains and mishandling

Conservation Of Archaeological Sites For Eco tourism In Malaysia: Issues & Challenges.

Archaeological sites have developed into an essential part of the tourism industry in many countries of the world. In some ~countries, archaeological sites have not only become an important part of the tourism industry but also form a leading sector of the national income, earning millions of dollars every year. These include, amongst others, the terracotta army of China's first emperor in Xian, the ancient pyramids of Egypt and Central America, the stone age cave paintings of Lascaux in France, the ancient temples of Angkor in Cambodia, Borobudur in Indonesia, and Ayutthaya in Thailand

The Obsidian Industry At Bukit Tengkorak, Sabah, Malaysia.

In 1994-95, archaeological research was undertaken by a joint Centre for Archaeological Research Malaysia and Muzium Sabah team at Bukit Tengkorak, a Neolithic site in Semporna, Sabah (Figure l). Geologically, Bukit Tengkorak forms part of the rim of a 2 kilometer-wide volcanic crater, surrounded by numerous isolated hills and mountains, most of them representing sites of extinct volcanoes ranging from Pliocene to Quaternary in age (HD 'Tjia, personal communication, Kirk l962,Lee 1970)

Prehistoric Trade And Culture Contact Between Bukit Tengkorak And Other Sites In Southeast Asia And The Pacific Region.

This paper describes the initial results of my SEASREP research project entitled "Prehistoric trade a d culture contact between Bukit Tengkorak and other sites in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region". It presents the research activities and findings during the first year of the project from 2002-2003 and a brief overview of the background of the research project, the research aims and methodology as well as plans for future research

The Pottery Technology From Bukit Tengkorak,A 3000-5000 Year Old Site In Borneo, Malaysia.

Bukit Tengkorak (Scull Hill) is a Neolithic period rock shelter complex and prehistoric pottery production site in southeastern Sabah, about 5 miles southwest of Semporna in Borneo, Malaysia at GPS N 4 7 20.08 and E 118 37 04.3. It was excavated for a 5-week season in 1995 and another in 1994 by a joint University of Science and Sabah Museum team under the direction of S. Chia

Long-Distance Obsidian Trade In Indonesia.

Long-distance trade in obsidian from sources in the southwest Pacific has been well-documented for the Lapita culture complex, beginning about 1600 BC Analyses of obsidian artifacts from recent excavations at Bukit Tengkorak in southeastern Sabah (Borneo, Malaysia) indicate the use of obsidian from multiple sources in Melanesia as early as the 5th millennium BC The archaeological presence of obsidian, up to more than 3500 Ian from its source, is the surviving evidence of what was almost certainly the longest Neolithic trade route in the world. In addition, these results indicate that long-distance trade networks existed in Indonesia at least 2500 years prior to the Lapita culture, and strengthen hypotheses of its origins in southeast Asia

The Conservation And Preservation Of Perak Man From Gua Gunung Runtuh Site In Lenggong, Perak , Malaysia.

In 1990-91, archaeological excavations were conducted at Gua Gunung Runtuh in Lenggong, Perak by Professor Zuraina Majid and her team from the Centre For Archaeological Research Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. The excavations uncovered a primary burial of a 10,000-11,000 year old human skeleton (Zuraina Majid 1994). This skeleton was named "Perak Man" as it was found in the state of Perak in Malaysia

Abiraterone shows alternate activity in models of endocrine resistant and sensitive disease

BACKGROUND: Resistance to endocrine therapy remains a major clinical problem in the treatment of oestrogen-receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. Studies show androgen-receptor (AR) remains present in 80-90% of metastatic breast cancers providing support for blockade of AR-signalling. However, clinical studies with abiraterone, which blocks cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) showed limited benefit. METHODS: In order to address this, we assessed the impact of abiraterone on cell-viability, cell-death, ER-mediated transactivation and recruitment to target promoters. together with ligand-binding assays in a panel of ER+ breast cancer cell lines that were either oestrogen-dependent, modelling endocrine-sensitive disease, or oestrogen-independent modelling relapse on an aromatase inhibitor. The latter, harboured wild-type (wt) or naturally occurring ESR1 mutations. RESULTS: Similar to oestrogen, abiraterone showed paradoxical impact on proliferation by stimulating cell growth or death, depending on whether the cells are hormone-dependent or have undergone prolonged oestrogen-deprivation, respectively. Abiraterone increased ER-turnover, induced ER-mediated transactivation and ER-degradation via the proteasome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the oestrogenic activity of abiraterone and highlights its differential impact on cells dependent on oestrogen for their proliferation vs. those that are ligand-independent and harbour wt or mutant ESR1. These properties could impact the clinical efficacy of abiraterone in breast cancer

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research