Northern Peninsular Malaysia Research Articles

Effects of Chronic Comorbidity on Psychological Well-being Among Older Persons in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

Comorbidity is found to be more prevalent among older people and increases the need for health care. This study examined the effects of chronic comorbidity on psychological well-being of elderly people. A cross-sectional, descriptive study among Northern Malaysians was conducted, involving 385 older people aged 60 years and above randomly selected through multistage random sampling. All respondents completed a questionnaire booklet containing sociodemographic characteristics, self reported chronic morbidity, and WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Findings of this study demonstrated the prevalence and the mean morbidity were 77.7% and 1.62 (SD = 1.48), respectively. The mean score for the psychological well-being was 57.96 (SD = 22.97). Results of multiple regression analysis indicated psychological well-being is negatively affected by the number of concurrent chronic conditions. The results also showed that chronic comorbidity has the most negative effect on psychological well-being. Therefore, it is important to identify mediating factors and coping strategies that might improve psychological well-being of elderly people with coexisting morbid conditions.

マレーシア・ランカウィ諸島における下部‐中部オルドビス系生層序の確立

Eighteen species of Early and Middle Ordovician conodonts belonging to sixteen genera were discovered in the Kaki Bukit Formation in the Langkawi Islands, northern peninsular Malaysia. These conodonts are classified into faunas A and B, and are contained in the lower and uppermost parts of the study section, respectively. Fauna A including Cooperignathus nyinti, Reutterodus sp. cf. R. andius, and Acodus deltatus indicates the late Floian age, the latest Early Ordovician. Jumodontus gananda and Tropodus laevis in fauna B show that the upper part of the section is of the earliest Middle Ordovician age. Thus, the Lower and Middle Ordovician boundary exists in the middle of the section. It is inferred from lithological analyses that limestones of the Kaki Bukit Formation were deposited on a carbonate platform on a shelf during the Early and Middle Ordovician age. Biogeographical evidence suggests Early Ordovician conodonts from Southeast Asia belong to the Australian province, which was characterized by a tropical climate and a shallow-water environment. Further research on Lower and lower Middle Ordovician limestones in the Langkawi Islands would clarify the conodont biostratigraphy and transitions of paleobiogeography and depositional environments in detail.

A new, diminutive, upland Sphenomorphus Fitzinger 1843 (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Peninsular Malaysia

A new species of diminutive, upland, forest floor skink, Sphenomorphus temengorensis sp. nov. is described from the Belum-Temengor forest complex in northern Peninsular Malaysia. This species is differentiated from all other 36 Sundaland species of Sphenomorphus on the basis of a unique suite of morphological and color pattern characteristics. This is the first reptile known to be endemic to the Belum-Temengor forest complex and underscores the need for additional field research in this area that is actively being logged.

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance Relations of Malaysian Bumiputera SMEs: The Impact of Some Perceived Environmental Factors

This study aims to verify direct relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance and the interaction of the perceived environment as third variable on EO-performance relation. The study was conducted on 210 firms among Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (BSMEs) in three states of northern Peninsular Malaysia, namely Penang, Kedah and Perlis. Using factor analysis and varimax rotation, each component was loaded with three items that has value of factor loadings more than .40. Factor analysis identified four factors of EO as independent variable namely, autonomy, innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking dimensions. Perceived environmental factors consisted of five dimensions of munificence, turbulence, competition, market dynamism, and restrictiveness identified as moderators. Three dependent variables identified as return on sales (ROS) return on assets (ROA) and return on capital (ROC) used in the study. Four control variables of sole proprietorship; partnership, private limited company and small-sized firm were dummy-coded to ascertain their influence in performance. EO dimensions are multidimensional where each of the four dimensions is a separate component. Each of the components consists of three items. Hypothesis testing utilized four steps hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Four steps model shown in F-value and positive beta coefficient shows the statistical significance of direct relation and interaction effect. In the first step of the analysis, two control variables directly affected ROS. The second step of the analysis found direct relation of three EO dimensions related to higher performance. In the third step, all perceived environmental factors found directly related with performance. The fourth step detected interaction effect where significant model and beta coefficients further tested with post-hoc probing by curve analysis on 2x2 graphs. Perceived environmental factors moderated the relationship between EO and performance.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among asymptomatic healthy blood donors in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

Helicobacter pylori infection is recognized as being strongly associated with chronic gastritis, duodenal ulceration and, probably, gastric carcinoma. Seroepidemiological studies have shown that a large proportion of healthy people have antibodies against H. pylori. A serological study was conducted in asymptomatic healthy blood donors in Northern Peninsular Malaysia to assess the seropositivity for H. pylori and to investigate the relationship with ethnic group, gender, ABO blood group and age. A total of 5370 serum samples collected from 3677 male and 1693 female donors in different age groups, and who had no gastrointestinal complaints, were studied with an in-house ELISA for the presence of H. pylori IgG and IgA antibodies. Seven hundred and sixty subjects (14.2%) were seropositive. The overall seropositivity did not differ with ethnicity, gender, ABO blood group and age among asymptomatic healthy blood donors in Northern Peninsular Malaysia.

Tourism among Families in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

Tourism among Families in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

The distribution, taxonomy, and redescription of the geckos Cnemaspis affinis (Stoliczka 1887) and C. flavolineata (Nicholls 1949) with descriptions of a new montane species and two new lowland, karst- dwelling species from Peninsular Malaysia

We provide data supporting the continued recognition of Cnemaspis affinis (Stoliczka) and Cnemaspis flavolineata (Nicholls) as separate species and restrict their distribution to Pulau Pinang, Penang for the former and the Titi Wangsa Range and Gunung Benom, Peninsular Malaysia for the latter. For the montane population of Cnemaspis from Bukit Larut, Perak, which has been referred to as both C. affinis and C. kendallii, we demonstrate that it is discretely diagnosable from all other Southeast Asian Cnemaspis on the basis of size and numerous color pattern and scale characteristics and for it we provide the new name Cnemaspis mcguirei sp. nov. Two new lowland, karst-dwelling species from isolated locations along the foothills of the Titi Wangsa and Timur ranges in northern Peninsular Malaysia are demonstrably differentiable from all other Southeast Asia Cnemaspis on the basis of color pattern and scale morphology and are described herein as Cnemaspis karsticola sp. nov. from Gunung Reng, Kelantan and Cnemaspis bayuensis sp. nov. from Kampung Bayu, Kelantan.

A new species of karst dwelling gecko (genus Cnemaspis Strauch 1887) from the border region of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia

A new species of karst dwelling gecko, Cnemaspis biocellata sp. nov. is described from the border region in the Satun Province of southern Thailand and the state of Perlis in northern Peninsular Malaysia. Cnemaspis biocellata sp. nov. is differentiated from all other species of Southeast Asian Cnemaspis by having a maximum SVL of 40.1 mm; 6–10 supralabials; 5–7 infralabials; weakly keeled scales on anterior portion of forearm; smooth ventral scales; no femoral pores; 8–12 precloacal pores; smooth subcaudals with an enlarged median row; one or two cloacal tubercles; 29–37 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; no dark bands encircling tail; two distinct, white, well defined, occipital ocelli; a black occipital band bordering a series of closely spaced, large, white to yellow spots which form a nuchal band and a small, black shoulder patch enclosing a single white to yellow ocellus. This species is restricted to the karst formations of the Nakawan Range spanning the Thai-Malaysian border and has been misidentified as C. siamensis by previous authors.

The Malaysian Economy: Developments and Challenges

Like many economies in Southeast Asia, Malaysia currently faces a number of challenges that could have a significant impact on its economic growth and development.Despite the fact that 2007 was generally seen as a good year economically, events in the second half of the year, particularly the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis, and poor U.S. economic data could trigger a recession in the world's largest economy, which in turn could lead to a global slowdown in 2008. Added to these concerns are the high oil prices and rising food and commodity prices, which could stoke fears of global inflation. All these downside risks would clearly affect macroeconomic stability in the region. Against this backdrop, Malaysia's relatively good economic performance in 2007 may be insufficient to guarantee that the country will be immune from the downside risks faced by the rest of the world. At the same time, Malaysia is currently going through a challenging period in its economic development as it attempts to maintain its economic competitiveness vis-?-vis the emerging economies of China, India and, closer to home, Vietnam. Like a number of middle-income developing countries in the region, Malaysia has economically been punching below its weight in the sense that it is not maximizing its full economic potential. To address these challenges, Malaysia has been trying to develop two ambitious economic corridor projects that could revitalize its economy. These two economic corridors are the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in South Johor (which borders Singapore) and the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) in the northern Peninsular Malaysia. Besides reviewing Malaysia's economic performance in 2007, this chapter will examine the development of these two economic corridors.

Resource distribution and social structure in harem-forming Old World fruit bats: variations on a polygynous theme

The prediction that the spatial dispersion of resources that are important to females should dictate female dispersion and male mating tactics has not been previously tested in harem-forming bats. We investigated the relation between the estimated spatial distribution of available roosts, female group size, male roost fidelity and the strength of social associations in two species of harem-forming fruit bats in the genus Cynopterus. We evaluated the daily movements of individuals and groups among roosts using radiotelemetry and roost censuses at two sites in northern peninsular Malaysia. We found a high correspondence between the distribution of roost sites, female group size and male behaviour, supporting the prediction that clumped resources would promote female aggregation and high roost fidelity in males. However, there were significant interspecific differences in the strength of male–female associations, which suggested that, where roosts are abundant and similar in quality, regardless of their spatial distribution, the potential for males to monopolize mates depends on whether females move among roosts with, or independently of, males. We propose that interspecific differences in female behaviour may be related to the costs of moving between clumped versus randomly dispersed males.

1186: Relationship between Social Demographic Characteristics and Females Having Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (FLUTS): Results from a Community Based Survey in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

You have accessJournal of UrologyModerated Poster, Tuesday, May 23, 2006, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm1 Apr 20061186: Relationship between Social Demographic Characteristics and Females Having Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (FLUTS): Results from a Community Based Survey in Northern Peninsular Malaysia Bee Yean Low, Men Long Liong, Pulau Pinang, Kah Hay Yuen, Wooi Loon Chong, Christopher Chee, Wing Seng Leong, Murali Mohan, Sivakumar Krishnan, Chu Leong Teh, Nurzalina Karim, Hin Wai Yap, Timothy Khor, and Chit Sin Loh Bee Yean LowBee Yean Low More articles by this author , Men Long LiongMen Long Liong More articles by this author , Pulau PinangPulau Pinang More articles by this author , Kah Hay YuenKah Hay Yuen More articles by this author , Wooi Loon ChongWooi Loon Chong More articles by this author , Christopher CheeChristopher Chee More articles by this author , Wing Seng LeongWing Seng Leong More articles by this author , Murali MohanMurali Mohan More articles by this author , Sivakumar KrishnanSivakumar Krishnan More articles by this author , Chu Leong TehChu Leong Teh More articles by this author , Nurzalina KarimNurzalina Karim More articles by this author , Hin Wai YapHin Wai Yap More articles by this author , Timothy KhorTimothy Khor More articles by this author , and Chit Sin LohChit Sin Loh More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(18)33411-6AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "1186: Relationship between Social Demographic Characteristics and Females Having Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (FLUTS): Results from a Community Based Survey in Northern Peninsular Malaysia." The Journal of Urology, 175(4S), p. 381 © 2016 by American Urological AssociationFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 175Issue 4SApril 2006Page: 381 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2016 by American Urological AssociationMetricsAuthor Information Bee Yean Low More articles by this author Men Long Liong More articles by this author Pulau Pinang More articles by this author Kah Hay Yuen More articles by this author Wooi Loon Chong More articles by this author Christopher Chee More articles by this author Wing Seng Leong More articles by this author Murali Mohan More articles by this author Sivakumar Krishnan More articles by this author Chu Leong Teh More articles by this author Nurzalina Karim More articles by this author Hin Wai Yap More articles by this author Timothy Khor More articles by this author Chit Sin Loh More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

REVISION OF GREWIA (MALVACEAE–GREWIOIDEAE) IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA AND BORNEO

Two keys to distinguish the genera Grewia and Microcos are presented, one based on macromorphological characters and the other on micromorphological characters. Grewia is revised for Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Despite the 33 names published under Grewia for the region only four species are recognized here. Grewia multiflora is newly recorded from Borneo and attention is drawn to its curious distribution; G. huluperakensis is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia; G. polygama is found in limestone forest in northern Peninsular Malaysia, and G. laevigata is common in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. A key, descriptions and illustrations are provided for all four species. A list of excluded species names is included: all are referable to Microcos.

A New Species Of Dibamus (Squamata: Dibamidae) From Peninsular Malaysia

A new species of Dibamus is described from Batu Gua Madu, Kelantan State, northern Peninsular Malaysia. The new species, Dibamus booliati, differs from its congeners in the following combination of characters: SVL to 102.7 mm; TL to 9.7 mm; TL/SVL% 9.4-13.0; postocular single; rostral suture absent; interparietal posteriorly bordered by four slightly smaller nuchal scales; supralabial one, bordering ocular ventrally; scales bordering posterior edge of infralabial after postmental three; ventrals 180-209; subcaudals 24-39; presacral vertebrae 113-120; postsacral vertebrae 11-25; and dorsum and venter brown with a pale neck band.

Migrant Subjectivities and Narratives of the Kampung in Malaysia

Kampung figures prominently in a structure of feeling that contrasts rural and urban in Malaysia. While rural to urban migration and urbanization have proceeded apace in Malaysia, the kampung continues to play an important role in the lives of the country's Malay community and in Malaysia's national cultural geography. This article examines the place of the kampung in that cultural geography as it is related in the narratives of return migrants to the kampung of Sungai Siputeh in northern peninsular Malaysia. The article argues that return migrants are existentially engaged in fashioning their own lives in relationship to this discourse as they move between rural and urban spaces. Moreover, within rural Malaysia, their narratives shape the cultural geography of rural subjects. Anthropologists are abandoning villages in Southeast Asia and around the world. Although village-level fieldwork continues to be the archetype (or at least stereotype) of socio-cultural anthropological investiga

Colony relatedness in aggregations of Apis dorsata Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Apis dorsata colonies often form dense aggregations, with over 100 colonies sometimes seen in the same tree. Reasons for these aggregations are unknown, but one reasonable hypothesis is that colonies form a related family group. Here we show that 7 adjacent colonies sampled from a single branch of a tree (near Alor Setar in northern peninsular Malaysia) containing over 120 colonies were not related as mother/daughter. Thus the notion that aggregations arise through splitting of the first-arriving colonies can be rejected.

REREGULATION OF THE PERGAU HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION.

Keywords KNIGHT PIESOLD, TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD BALFOUR BEATTY CEMENTATION POWER STATIONS, HYDROELECTRIC, REREGULATION, WATER, POWER, HYDROELECTRICITY, COUNTRIES, DEVELOPING, PROJECTS, DISCHARGES, STORAGE, PONDS, CONTROL, FLOW, RIVERS, KARSTIC, CONDITIONS, SITE INVESTIGATION, DRILLING, MICROGRAVITY, SURVEYS, RISKS, MANAGEMENT, STUDIES, LININGS, DESIGN, GEOTECHNICS, MITIGATION, SITES, AIR, REGULATION, SIPHONS, PROTECTION, EMBANKMENTS, OVERTOPPING, OUTFLOW, OUTLETS, STRUCTURES, GATES, RADIAL, ALGORITHMS, DAMS, BARRAGES, RESERVOIRS, PEAK, TAILRACE, LAYOUT, FOUNDATIONS, GRANULAR, FILL, ALLUVIUM, HDPE, HIGH, DENSITY PERGAU, SUNGAI PERGAU, KUALA YONG, BATU MELINTANG MALAYSIA, ASIA... Show All

Swamp-riverine tropical fish population: a comparative study of two spatially isolated freshwater ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia

Twenty-four fish species were collected during a study from October 1996 of the swamp-riverine fish populations of two spatially isolated Malaysian freshwater swamp ecosystems. Twenty one species were collected from the Beriah Kanan River, which is located in northern Peninsular Malaysia, compared to only 10 species obtained from the Ulu Sedili River in the south. At both sites, the species Rasbora einthovenii and Hemirhamphodon pogognathu appeared to be the most dominant species, whereas Rasbora pauciperforata and Nemacheilus selangoricus were very rarely caught and Beriah Kanan and Ulu Sedili River, respectively. An analysis of the physico-chemical data showed that although pH, conductivity and ammonium levels were fairly similar at both sites, orthophosphate, hardness and total suspended solids were relatively higher for Ulu Sedili River.

The role of engineering geology in the hazard zonation of a Malaysian highway

Abstract The University of Strathclyde and the Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia (Public Works Institute) have undertaken a joint research project into the investigation, description, classification and geotechnical analysis of tropically weathered in situ materials (TWIMs) in Malaysia in general and on a major highway in particular. The research project has developed a general approach to TWIM profile characterization and classification which allows specific systems to be developed to deal with particular project requirements. A key part of the research is to provide practical engineering geological and geotechnical advice to a hazard identification and risk assessment project on the 113 km long East-West Highway in Kelantan, northern Peninsular Malaysia. This highway has an ongoing history of persistant slope failure and contains a large number of significant earthworks in generlly mountainous terrain underlain by a ange of tropically weathered bedrocks including sedimentary, meta-sedimentary and igneous materials. The 3-year long-term project produced hazard maps for the earthworks along the highway. These maps provided a more scientific basis for cost-effective planning and design of maintenance and preventative remedial works along the highway. This paper outlines the main elements of the project and indicates the key influence that the engineering geological character of the tropically weahered soil-rock profiles has had on the assessment of slope hazard.

THE PERGAU HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT. PART 2: CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION.

The Pergau Hydroelectric Project was built as a design and construct contract in Northern Peninsular Malaysia by an Anglo-Malaysian joint venture with funding assistance provided by the British Government. The project is located approximately 100 km west of the Kelantan State capital of Kota Bharu. This paper describes the contractor's mobilization for the 600 MW hydroelectric project and the general construction requirements for the project. Although each section of the works had its own particular problems of construction, this paper concentrates on the following three areas that were critical in meeting the key dates for completion: the powerhouse and power tunnels; the power shaft; the Kuala Yong dam. It also includes a brief description of the tunnelling methods used.

THE PERGAU HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT PART 3: CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN

The Pergau Hydroelectric Project was built as a design and construct contract in Northern Peninsular Malaysia by an Anglo-Malaysian joint venture with funding assistance provided by the British Government. This paper discusses the principles of design development during the pre-contract stage and concentrates on the design options and philosophy leading to the final design solution for the following key aspects of the project works: (a) the Kuala Yong dam and diversion tunnel, (b) the underground powerhouse complex and (c) the pressure tunnels. It also describes briefly the reregulating pond and the aqueduct and pumping station. The paper demonstrates the requirement for the designer and contractor to work more closely together than usual, thereby resulting in significant benefits to the project in that designs can be prepared to suit construction methods and quickly varied to suit variable site conditions or other requirements. A number of particular issues are discussed which illustrate this relationship.