IoT based dual axis solar tracker implementation for polycrystalline photovoltaic with energy storage

This project has been identified as IoT Based Dual Axis Solar Tracker Implementation for Polycrystalline Photovoltaic with Energy Storage that has two degrees of freedom that act as axes of rotation, both horizontal and vertical. Polycrystalline panel is great in both diffuse light and specular light and yet known for its minimal cost. This motorized servo-motor system based final year project is a self-orient the solar panel towards the maximum intensity of sunlight using Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) and hence, it will generate supply to the load. The main system that use to control the movement of motor and sense the LDR is Arduino Uno. This portable 10W solar project can be used anywhere at any time as its main concern to educate people of basic solar tracker concept aside to help supplying 5V Direct Current (DC) load. An Internet of Things (IoT) is therefore added as a feature for this project to monitor the performance of photovoltaic voltage through Blynk application in cell phon

A narrative review of natural history, epidemiology and risk factors for hepatitis C infection

Hepatitis C infection is a major public health problem that can be dealt with urgent and timely attention. Recently, WHO Global Hepatitis Report showed that 71 million people, equivalent to approximately 1% of the world population, are infected with hepatitis C. The disease incidence, mortality rate and risk factors vary across geographical regions. The virus is transmitted primarily through drug injection and exposure to infected blood products in healthcare and community settings. The common causes of death related to virus infections are decompensated liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis C infection is mainly prevented by identifying and controlling any possible risk factors for virus transmission because treatment is costly and limited in availability. In this review, articles discussing the natural history, epidemiology and risk factors for hepatitis C infection are reviewed

Colorectal cancer survival among Malaysia population: data from the Malaysian National Cancer Registry

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women in Malaysia and poses a major burden on society.AimsTo determine the overall survival rate of patients diagnosed with CRC and factors contributing to survival.MethodsData were obtained from the Malaysia National Cancer Registry. All patients with CRC were identified, and a total of 15,515 patients were screened. A total of 5,675 CRC patients were included from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. Sex, age groups, ethnic groups, stage at diagnosis, cancer sites, and status of treatment received were analysed. The Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to estimate the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of CRC. The log-rank test was conducted to compare the survival between sex, age groups, ethnic groups, stage at diagnosis, cancer sites, and status of treatment received. Multiple Cox regression was conducted to determine the risk of CRC death.ResultsOf 5,675, a total of 2,055 had died, 3,534 were censored, and another 86 were still alive within 5 years of CRC diagnosis. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 68.5%, 34.7%, and 18.4%, respectively with a median survival time of 24 months. Significant differences in survival rates of CRC were observed between age groups (p < 0.001), ethnic groups (p < 0.001), stages at diagnosis (p < 0.001), treatment status (p = 0.003), and treatment modalities (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in survival rates of CRC between sex (p = 0.235) and cancer sites (p = 0.410). Those who were 80 years old and above were found to be at higher risk of CRC death compared to those below 80 years old (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.24, 95% CI 1.14–1.36). The risk of CRC death was also found four times higher among those with stage IV compared to those with stage 0 (adjusted HR: 4.28, 95% CI 3.26–5.62).ConclusionIn general, Malaysian patients with CRC had low survival rates. National health policies should focus on enhancing awareness of CRC, encouraging early screening, and developing strategies for early detection and management to reduce CRC-associated mortality

A quasi-randomised controlled trial of online distribution of home-based hepatitis C self-testing for key populations in Malaysia: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Malaysia has an estimated hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence of 1.9% among its adult population and a history of providing HCV treatment in the public sector. In 2019, Malaysia launched a 5-year national strategic plan for viral hepatitis control and has been expanding HCV testing and treatment to the primary care and community levels, while actively engaging key populations in services for hepatitis care. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is seeking to specifically understand how to better target HCV services at men who have sex with men (MSM); HCV self-testing could increase the uptake of HCV testing among this group. METHODS: We aim to integrate HCV antibody self-testing into an existing online platform used for HIV self-testing, to evaluate the acceptability and impact of an online HCV self-testing programme in Malaysia. This is a non-blinded parallel group quasi-randomised superiority study comparing HCV self-testing via an online distribution model with the standard care, which involves attending a clinic for facility-based HCV antibody testing (control, 2:1). Participants will be randomised to either the HCV self-testing via online distribution arm, in which either an oral fluid- or blood-based HCV self-test kit will be mailed to them, or the control arm, where they will be provided with information about the nearest centre with HCV testing. The primary outcome is the number and proportion of participants who report completion of testing. Secondary outcomes include the number and proportion of participants who (a) receive a positive result and are made aware of their status, (b) are referred to and complete HCV RNA confirmatory testing, and (c) start treatment. Acceptability, feasibility, attitudes around HCV testing, and cost will also be evaluated. The target sample size is 750 participants. DISCUSSION: This study is one of the first in the world to explore the real-world impact of HCV self-testing on key populations using online platforms and compare this with standard HCV testing services. The outcomes of this study will provide critical evidence about testing uptake, linkage to care, acceptability, and any social harms that may emerge due to HCV self-testing. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04982718

Demographic characteristics and intravenous drug use among hepatitis C patients in the Kota Setar district, Kedah, Malaysia

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the demographic characteristics of hepatitis C patients in the Kota Setar (KS) district, Kedah, Malaysia, the prevalence of intravenous drug use (IVDU) as a risk factor among these patients, and the associations between IVDU and demographic characteristics. METHODS: Retrospective data pertaining to 713 patients from January 2009 to December 2013 were retrieved from hospital and disease notification records for analysis. The risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were grouped into IVDU and non-IVDU risk factors for analysis using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the hepatitis C patients included in this study, the most common age group was 31 to 40 years (30.2%), and male patients (91.2%) made up the overwhelming majority. Ethnic Malays constituted approximately 80.4% of the patients, and IVDU was the main risk factor (77.8%) for HCV infection. Multiple logistic regression showed that male patients were 59 times more likely to have IVDU as a risk factor for HCV infection. Single patients were 2.5 times more likely to have IVDU as a risk factor. Patients aged ≥71 years were much less likely than patients aged ≤30 years to have IVDU as a risk factor for HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS: IVDU was found to be an important risk factor for HCV infection among patients in the KS district. The factors associated with IVDU included age, sex, and marital status. Appropriate preventive measures should be developed to target the groups in which IVDU is most likely to be a risk factor for HCV infection

Quality of life among colorectal cancer screening patients in Malaysia

As Malaysia is experiencing a rapid increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC), the introduction of CRC screening in Malaysia serves to improve the early CRC detection among Malaysian and its treatment outcome. The present study measured Malaysian’s perception on the quality of life (QOL) based on screened individuals in Kedah, Malaysia. The study aims to determine QOL among screened individuals based on the CRC screening modalities available in Malaysia. A cross sectional study was conducted from March 2016 to April 2017 in a public tertiary hospital and a district health clinic in the state of Kedah. Three hundred and thirty respondents aged 40 to 70 years old were asked to fill-up a self-reported health survey questionnaire comprised of 36 itemised questions (SF-36). The mean age of respondents was 58.75 ±7.53 years with 52.7% of respondents being male and 47.3% female. The majority of respondents have underlying medical illness. Mean health utility’s score in CRC screening IFOBT’s only modality was higher compare to other modalities 0.85 (ANOVA F=21.505, p<0.001). For the Physical Composite Score (PCS), IFOBT’s only modality also had a higher mean score compared to other modalities of 56.64 (ANOVA F=19.655, p<0.001) in addition to the Mental Composite Score (MCS) 56.37 (ANOVA F=12.033, p<0.001). The CRC screening via IFOBT’s only modality had better QOL in health utility, physical health and mental health compared to other modalities. Therefore, the CRC screening program is essential in preserving the QOL of Malaysian population

Colorectal cancer in Malaysia: its burden and implications for a multiethnic country

Background This study aims to provide an analytical overview of the changing burden of colorectal cancer and highlight the implementable control measures that can help reduce the future burden of colorectal cancer in Malaysia. Methods We performed a MEDLINE search via OVID with the ​Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms “Colorectal Neoplasms”[Mesh] and “Malaysia”[Mesh], and PubMed with the key words “colorectal cancer” and “Malaysia” from 1990 to 2015 for studies reporting any clinical, societal, and economical findings associated with colorectal cancer in Malaysia. Incidence and mortality data were retrieved from population-based cancer registries/databases. Results In Malaysia, colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in males and the third most common cancer in females. The economic burden of colorectal cancer is substantial and is likely to increase over time in Malaysia owing to the current trend in colorectal cancer incidence. In Malaysia, most patients with colorectal cancer have been diagnosed at a late stage, with the 5-year relative survival by stage being lower than that in developed Asian countries. Public awareness of the rising incidence of colorectal cancer and the participation rates for colorectal cancer screening are low. Conclusion The efficiency of different screening approaches must be assessed, and an organized national screening program should be developed in a phased manner. It is essential to maintain a balanced investment in awareness programs targeting general population and primary care providers, focused on increasing the knowledge on symptoms and risk factors of colorectal cancer, awareness on benefits of screening, and promotion of healthy life styles to prevent this important disease

Intestinal obstruction: predictor of poor prognosis in colorectal carcinoma?

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between intestinal obstruction and the prognosis of colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: Data pertaining to 4,501 colorectal carcinoma patients were extracted from the national colorectal registry and analysed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival rate between patients with intestinal obstruction and those without intestinal obstruction. The p-values<0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Simple Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the crude hazard ratio of mortality from colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Intestinal obstruction was reported in more than 13% of patients. The 3-year survival rate after treatment was 48.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.9 to 52.8) for patients with intestinal obstruction (n=593) and 54.9% (95% CI, 53.1 to 56.6) for patients without intestinal obstruction (n=3,908). The 5-year survival rate for patients with intestinal obstruction was 37.3% (95% CI, 31.9 to 42.8), which was lower than that of patients without intestinal obstruction (45.6%; 95% CI, 43.5 to 47.7). After adjusting the hazard ratio for other prognostic variables, intestinal obstruction had a statistically significant negative correlation with the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.22 (p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of intestinal obstruction is associated with a lower survival rate among colorectal cancer patients

Germline mutation analysis of MLH1 and MSH2 in Malaysian Lynch syndrome patients

AIM: To investigate the protein expression profile of mismatch repair (MMR) genes in suspected cases of Lynch syndrome and to characterize the associated germline mutations