Risk assessment of upper respiratory health problems among workers exposed to biogas residues at palm oil plants in Sabah Malaysia

Objective: A cross-sectional study was carried out on the respiratory effects of biogas plant environment exposure in palm oil mills. The aim of this study was to determine whether respiratory health effects were more common among workers in biogas plant environment. Methods: Workers from 19 palm oil mills in Sabah with biogas plants were compared between the exposed and unexposed of the biogas plant environment. The workers were assessed with a questionnaire, physical examination, spirometry and oximetry tests. Then, the data obtained were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Result: Pearson Chi-square analysis (p =0.019, x2 =5.51) showed there was a significant relationship between the biogas plant environment exposure and lung function test (LFT) with risk estimates (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.12, 3.45). The exposed group showed a higher proportion of abnormal lung function test in comparison with the unexposed group. Conclusion: In conclusion, workers in biogas plants environment have two times higher odds of having abnormal lung function test. Thus, the findings from this study can be used in the future planning by execution the optimal control measures as efforts to reduce the risk of respiratory-related disease in the biogas plant environment

Anomali halaju bunyi ricih dan atenuasi ultrasonik dalam TmBa2 Cu3 O7-δ (δ = 0.06 dan 0.6)

Halaju bunyi, vs dan atenuasi ultrasonik, α gelombang ricih dalam TmBa2 Cu3 O6.94 yang mensuperkonduksi dan TmBa2 Cu3 O6.40 yang tidak mensuperkonduksi telah diukur daripada 80 dan 200 K pada julat frekuensi MHz. Sampel superkonduktor TmBa2 Cu3 O6.94 menunjukkan histeresis terma dan peningkatan halaju ricih,

Stigma and posttraumatic growth among COVID-19 survivors during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: a multicenter cross-sectional study

BackgroundContracting COVID-19 can cause negative and distressing psychological sequelae, but traumatic stressors may also facilitate the development of positive psychological change beyond an individual’s previous level of adaptation, known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). As a result, studies have investigated the negative effects of COVID-19 on mental health, but data on PTG among patients who have recovered from COVID-19 remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the level of PTG and its associations with stigma, psychological complications, and sociodemographic factors among COVID-19 patients 6 months post-hospitalization.MethodA cross-sectional online survey of 152 COVID-19 patients was conducted after 6 months of being discharged from Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, MAEPS Quarantine Center, or Hospital Sungai Buloh, Malaysia. Patients completed a set of questionnaires on sociodemographic and clinical data. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF) was used to assess the level of PTG, the Kessler Psychological Distress (K6) was used to measure the degree of psychological distress, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess the severity of depression symptoms, and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalog Stigma Scale (EMIC-SS) was used to record the degree of perceived stigma toward COVID-19.ResultsThe median PTGI SF score of the respondents was 40.0 (Interquartile range 16.0). Multivariable general linear model with bootstrapping (2,000 replications) revealed factors that significantly predicted PTG, which were at the higher level of the perceived stigma score, at 37 (B = 0.367, 95% CI = 0.041 to 0.691, p = 0.026), among the Malay ethnicity (B = 12.767, 95% CI 38 = 7.541 to 17.993, p < 0.001), retirees (B = −12.060, 95% CI = −21.310 to −2.811, p = 0.011), and those with a history of medical illness (B = 4.971, 95% CI = 0.096 to 9.845, p = 0.046).ConclusionExperiencing stigma contributed to patients’ PTG in addition to psychosocial factors such as ethnicity, history of medical illness, and retirement

Stigma, Sociodemographic Factors, and Clinical Factors Associated with Psychological Distress among COVID-19 Survivors during the Convalescence Period : A Multi-Centre Study in Malaysia

High rates of psychological distress among COVID-19 survivors and stigmatisation have been reported in both early and late convalescence. This study aimed to compare the severity of psychological distress and to determine the associations among sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, stigma, and psychological distress among COVID-19 survivors across two different cohorts at two different time points. Data were collected cross-sectionally in two groups at one month and six months post-hospitalisation among COVID-19 patient from three hospitals in Malaysia. This study assessed psychological distress and the level of stigma using the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6) and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) stigma scale, respectively. At one month after discharge, significantly lower psychological distress was found among retirees (B = −2.207, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = −4.139 to −0.068, p = 0.034), those who received up to primary education (B = −2.474, 95% CI = −4.500 to −0.521, p = 0.014), and those who had an income of more than RM 10,000 per month (B = −1.576, 95% CI = −2.714 to −0.505, p = 0.006). Moreover, those with a history of psychiatric illness [one month: (B = 6.363, 95% CI = 2.599 to 9.676, p = 0.002), six months: (B = 2.887, CI = 0.469–6.437, p = 0.038)] and sought counselling services [one month: (B = 1.737, 95% CI = 0.385 to 3.117, p = 0.016), six months: (B = 1.480, CI = 0.173–2.618, p = 0.032)] had a significantly higher severity of psychological distress at one month and six months after discharge from the hospital. The perceived stigma of being infected with COVID-19 contributed to greater severity of psychological distress. (B = 0.197, CI = 0.089–0.300, p = 0.002). Different factors may affect psychological distress at different periods of convalescence after a COVID-19 infection. A persistent stigma contributed to psychological distress later in the convalescence period

الٌُّلغَةُ العَرَبِيَّةُ لَلسَنَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ = al-Lughatul al-Arabiyyah li al-sanat al-thalithah

ألف هذا الكتاب لتدريس اللغة العربية لغير الناطقين بالعربية في السنة الثالثة الثانوية حسب المنهج المعياري للمدارس الثانوية بوزارة التربية الماليزية. يحتوي هذا الكتاب على خمس وحدات تشمل المجالات الثلاث من المجال التعليمي والاجتماعي والمهني

C.A.V.E shoes and bracing v.1 : the design of clubfoot FAO (Foot Abduction Orthosis) and the improvement of its locking mechanism

The current imported FAO is expensive and unaffordable for Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (CTEV) children. Moreover, the design were aesthetically bulky and practically heavy with inelastic rubber. The treatment of footwear products made from local materials innovations is cost effective compared to the imported orthosis. The local products more lightweight and ergonomics in foot support and easy on

Stigma and posttraumatic growth among COVID-19 survivors during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia : a multicenter cross-sectional study

Background: Contracting COVID-19 can cause negative and distressing psychological sequelae, but traumatic stressors may also facilitate the development of positive psychological change beyond an individual’s previous level of adaptation, known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). As a result, studies have investigated the negative effects of COVID-19 on mental health, but data on PTG among patients who have recovered from COVID-19 remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the level of PTG and its associations with stigma, psychological complications, and sociodemographic factors among COVID-19 patients 6 months post-hospitalization. Method: A cross-sectional online survey of 152 COVID-19 patients was conducted after 6 months of being discharged from Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, MAEPS Quarantine Center, or Hospital Sungai Buloh, Malaysia. Patients completed a set of questionnaires on sociodemographic and clinical data. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF) was used to assess the level of PTG, the Kessler Psychological Distress (K6) was used to measure the degree of psychological distress, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess the severity of depression symptoms, and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalog Stigma Scale (EMIC-SS) was used to record the degree of perceived stigma toward COVID-19. Results: The median PTGI SF score of the respondents was 40.0 (Interquartile range 16.0). Multivariable general linear model with bootstrapping (2,000 replications) revealed factors that significantly predicted PTG, which were at the higher level of the perceived stigma score, at 37 (B = 0.367, 95% CI = 0.041 to 0.691, p = 0.026), among the Malay ethnicity (B = 12.767, 95% CI 38 = 7.541 to 17.993, p < 0.001), retirees (B = −12.060, 95% CI = −21.310 to −2.811, p = 0.011), and those with a history of medical illness (B = 4.971, 95% CI = 0.096 to 9.845, p = 0.046). Conclusion: Experiencing stigma contributed to patients’ PTG in addition to psychosocial factors such as ethnicity, history of medical illness, and retirement