University Kebangsaan Malaysia Research Articles

Assessment of the microbial electrochemical sensor (SENTRY™) as a potential wastewater quality monitoring tool for common pollutants found in Malaysia.

Bioelectrochemical sensors for environment monitoring have the potential to provide facility operators with real-time data, allowing for better and more timely decision-making regarding water and wastewater treatment. To assess the robustness and sensitivity of the Sentry™ biosensor in local conditions, it was tested in Malaysia using domestically available wastewater. The study objectives included (1) enrich the biosensor locally, (2) operate and test the biosensor with local domestic wastewater, and (3) determine the biosensor's responsiveness to model pollutants through pollutant spike and immersion test as well as response to absence of wastewater. Lab-scale operation shows the biosensor was successfully enriched with (1) local University Kebangsaan Malaysia's, microbial community strain collection and (2) local municipal wastewater microflora, operated for more than 50days with a stable yet responsive carbon consumption rate (CCR) signal. Meanwhile, two independent biosensors were also enriched and operated in Indah Water Research Centre's crude sewage holding tank, showing a stable response to the wastewater. Next, a pilot scale setup was constructed to test the enriched biosensors for the spiked-pollutant test. The biosensors showed a proportional CCR response (pollutant presence detected) towards several organic compounds in the sewage, including ethanol, chicken blood, and dilution of tested sewage but less to curry powder, methanol, and isopropanol. Conversely, there was no significant response (pollutant presence not detected) towards hexane, Congo red, engine oil, and paint, which may be due to their non-biodegradability and/or insoluble nature. Additionally, the biosensors were exposed to air for 6h to assess their robustness towards aerobic shock with a positive result. Overall, the study suggested that the biosensor could be a powerful monitoring tool, given its responsiveness towards organic compounds in sewage under normal conditions.

Estimating the Risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Parents of Children with ADHD and the Association with Their Children's Disease Severity and Adherence to Medication.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterised by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Up to half of the affected children have a parent with ADHD. In this study, the risk of ADHD among parents of ADHD children was estimated. The associations between parental ADHD and child ADHD severity and medication adherence were determined. Parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD attending the University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) were recruited between June to August 2022 and the administered Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) self-report short form, Vanderbilt ADHD Parent Rating Scale (performance section), and Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS). Forty-five children with ADHD were recruited and 15 out of 45 (33%) parents were detected to have ADHD. ADHD severity was worse in children with ADHD parents for total severity (mean of 34.67 vs. 29.13, p = 0.047) and difficult behaviours at home (mean of 7.87 vs. 6.27, p = 0.036). The children's academic performance and behavioural challenges at home and school were positively correlated with the parental ADHD scores for 'inattention' and 'problems with self-care' subscales. A total of 33% of ADHD children had parents with ADHD. ADHD children with ADHD parents were more likely to have behavioural problems at home and more severe ADHD. However, no statistical significance was noted with medication adherence.

Alpha-amyrin as an anti-biofilm agent against methicillin-resistant and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus has caused life-threatening infections and developed resistance against conventional antimicrobials, posing a significant threat to human health worldwide. Biofilms that surround the bacteria cells act as a protective layer, allowing cells inside the biofilm to be resistant to external stresses such as antimicrobials. Therefore, biofilms further complicate treatment available for infections caused by multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A previous study on alpha-amyrin (AM), derived from ursane, was reported to significantly reduce the biomass and inhibit the metabolic activity of reference strain methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA, respectively). In this study, the antibiofilm activity of AM was extended to include clinical isolates of MSSA and MRSA, and laboratory-generated vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) collected from University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (PPUKM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI). Pre-formed biofilms of biofilm-forming isolates identified from the Congo Red Agar (CRA) assay were then exposed to AM, vancomycin and oxacillin, and evaluated using the crystal violet and resazurin assays. The results showed that AM reduced the biofilm biomass of three isolates of MSSA, eight isolates of MRSA and four isolates of VISA but increased the metabolic activity in certain MSSA, MRSA and VISA isolates, indicating AM may possess biofilm reduction effects but not bactericidal effects. Based on these findings, AM could be further studied and developed as a potential therapeutic agent for chronic S. aureus infections.

The Accuracy of Surgeon-Performed Preoperative Parathyroid Ultrasound Localization for Renal Hyperparathyroidism Patient

Introduction: Parathyroid surgery for renal hyperparathyroidism (RHPT) is indicated when patients have a progressive disease despite optimal medical therapy. The success of total parathyroidectomy in RHPT lies in accurate localization and excision of all PTGs. Recently, surgeon-performed ultrasound (SPU) has been increasingly used for the preoperative localization of PTGs in the intent of focused approach and reduce morbidity. Thus, we conducted a prospective observational single-center study to determine the accuracy of SPU for PTG localization in RHPT and the factors affecting its accuracy. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective, observational, single-center study conducted in University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre between March 2018 and March 2019. The patients’ preoperative demography, clinical data, and relevant blood laboratory results, including calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and intact parathyroid hormone, were recorded. Preoperative USG and surgery were performed by the same endocrine surgery consultant. Results: SPU localization had an overall accuracy of 78.1%, sensitivity of 81.0%, and specificity of 30.0% with a positive predictive value of 94.8% and a negative predictive value of 10.5%. The SPU gland localization rate was significantly higher in patients without goiter (median=0.88, IQR=0.63–1.00) than in those with goiter (median=0.50, IQR=0.25–0.75) (p=0.028). Conclusions: SPU localization of the PTG in RHPT had an accuracy comparable with that in previous literature with the additional advantage of identifying concurrent unknown thyroid nodules. Considering the high prevalence of concomitant nodular thyroid disease in our RHPT population, we advocate the routine use of preoperative neck ultrasound for RHPT patients undergoing parathyroid surgery.

Significance of Endocan Expression in Various Types of Epithelial Ovarian Tumors.

Background & Objective:Ovarian cancer is associated with the highest mortality rate among gynecologic malignancies. Despite new therapeutic strategies, ovarian cancer still has a high risk of metastasis and mortality. Endocan is a newly identified endothelial cell activation marker, which is responsible for angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and aggressive behavior of tumors. The aim of this study was to assess Endocan expression in different types of ovarian tumors and to identify its relationship with clinicopathologic characteristics of ovarian tumors. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 183 tissue samples, including benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian tumors collected from the University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center archive of Pathology during 2005-2015. Mouse monoclonal anti-human Endocan/ESM-1 Clone MEP08 was used at a dilution of 1:400 for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. All the information was collected by a checklist, and the association between clinicopathological features and high or low levels of Endocan -MVD was evaluated using Pearson chi-square, Fischer's exact, or Monte Carlo tests.Results:The prevalence of Endocan positivity was significantly higher in malignant compared to borderline and benign ovarian tumors (P<0.001). There was also a significant association between type of tumor and Endocan status in malignant ovarian tumors (P=0.02), indicating that Endocan positivity was more likely in serous malignant ovarian tumors compared to other ovarian tumor types. However, the tumor stage was not significantly associated with Endocan status (P=0.31). Conclusion:This study showed that Endocan positivity may show the highest prevalence among malignant tumors suggesting that high Endocan expression would be negatively associated with ovarian tumor behavior.

Single Dose Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist Luteal Support in Fresh Embryo Transfer: Variation in Timing, Type, and Dosage.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of the addition of single-dose GnRH agonist to the routine progestogens use for luteal phase support on IVF outcome as compared to progestogens only.MethodsThis is a retrospective case-control study on selected patients who underwent IVF treatment with fresh embryo transfer (ET) under Medically Assisted Conception Unit, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center for the period of June 2015–June 2018. A higher dose of 0.2 mg subcutaneous Decapeptyl was administered 2 days before fresh ET concurrent with routine progestogen support. Patients with different luteal phase regimes, frozen embryo transfer and medical records with missing data were excluded. Their medical records were reviewed, and data analyzed. The pregnancy outcomes measured included biochemical pregnancy rates, clinical pregnancy rates, live birth rates and miscarriage rates.ResultsA total of 786 patients were analyzed. Four hundred forty-four patients were given luteal phase support with progestogens and GnRH agonist, whereas 342 patients served as control were given progestogens only. The study group showed higher biochemical pregnancy rate (47.7 vs. 44.4%,), clinical pregnancy rate (25.7 vs. 23.4%) and livebirth rate (24.3 vs. 22.2%), respectively but not statistically significant. The rate of miscarriage among the study group was lower (4.5% vs 9.4%) compared to the progestogen group alone. Nonetheless, the OHSS rate was slightly increased in the study group (4.5 vs. 3.5%) despite using a mild stimulation protocol.ConclusionsNew regime of GnRH agonist luteal support in addition to the standard progestogen support was found to be beneficial in overall IVF outcome.

Vaccine hesitancy from parents and healthcare providers perspectives in Hadhramout Governorate, Yemen: a mixed-method study protocol

IntroductionAlthough immunisation prevents the death of millions of infants and children each year, the vaccination coverage of routine childhood vaccination does not reach its target. The reasons for low vaccination...

Preface

International and National Seminar on Fisheries and Marine Science (ISFM) is an annual event held by The Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science Universitas Riau Pekanbaru, Indonesia. This annual event has been conducted since 2011. In ISFM X 2021, students and researchers with topics on the basics and applications of fisheries and marine are invited to join the conference. This conference cover topics related to the main issues on “Sustainable Development Goals”. In 2021, Indonesia and many other countries still facing the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic caused travel restrictions as well as gathering activities for offline conference activity.The virtual 10th International and National Seminar on Fisheries and Marine Science (ISFM X 2021) was conducted on September 15-16, 2021. The whole event was conducted through zoom meeting application. The conference committee invited 7 speakers from 5 countries, namely Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, and Taiwan.The seminar was attended by 349 participants; whether present in the conference room, via zoom, and watching live via YouTube. These participants were coming from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, and Singapore. There were 130 papers presented and 97 papers were selected to be published in this proceeding. Those researches were findings in the sector of fisheries and marine science, including research on the COVID-19 pandemic related to this sector.The committee is herewith extending the thankfulness to all the involved persons who are actively contributing to the implementation of the program. We are grateful for the attendance of the keynote speakers, Prof. Emmanuel M Vera Cruz from College of Fisheries Central Luzon Stated University, Prof. Liu Kwang-Ming from Department of Marine Affairs and Resources Management National Taiwan Ocean University, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rizal Razman from Research Centre for Sustainability Science and Governance, Institute for Environment and Development University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Prof. Dr. Soottawat Benjakul from Department of Food Technology Prince of Songkla University, Assoc. Prof. Janice Alano Ragaza from Department of Biology Ateneo de Manila University, and Assoc. Prof. Indra Suharman, Ph.D from Department of Aquaculture Universitas Riau. Special thanks were presented to Prof. Dr. Aras Mulyadi, DEA (The Rector of Universitas Riau), Prof. Dr. Almasdi Syahza, SE, MP (The Chairman of The Institute for Research and Community Service Universitas Riau), and also Prof. Dr. Bintal Amin, M.Sc (The Dean of Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science Universitas Riau) for the support provided during the conference.Finally, we would also send gratitude to all participants and committee members who have helped this conference.The Chair of ISFM X 2021Dr. Trisla Warningsih, S.Pi, M.SiList of Organizing Committee, International Scientific Board, The Editors, Conference Photographs are available in this pdf.

Correlation of Physical Activity Level with Physical Fitness and Respiratory Function amongst Undergraduates

Information regarding correlations between physical activity (PA) level with physical fitness (PF) and respiratory function (RF) amongst undergraduates is limited. We aimed to determine the difference in PA level, PF and RF between genders amongst undergraduates. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 62 undergraduates, with mean age of 22.09 ± 1.13 years, from the Kuala Lumpur Campus, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. PA level was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and expressed as metabolic equivalents (METs). PF was evaluated using a hand-grip strength test and a 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) test. RF, which included FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC, was measured using a spirometer. About 45.16 and 40.33 % of undergraduates had high to moderate levels of physical activity, respectively. Males had significantly higher scores of METs compared to females, with p &lt; 0.01. Males had significantly higher hand-grip strength compared to females, with p &lt; 0.001. Higher FEV1 and FVC were found in males in comparison to their counterparts, with p &lt; 0.001. Females had significantly higher FEV1/FVC compared to males, with p &lt; 0.01. There were significant correlations between PA level with left hand-grip strength (r = 0.364, p &lt; 0.01), right hand-grip strength (r = 0.264, p &lt; 0.05), FEV1 (r = 0.423, p &lt; 0.01), and FVC (r = 0.452, p &lt; 0.01). Our findings suggest that an increase in physical activity level may lead to an increase in physical fitness and respiratory function. Higher levels of physical activity should be promoted among healthy young adults for improved physical fitness and respiratory function during their study at universities. HIGHLIGHTS Physical activity level with physical fitness and respiratory function amongst undergraduates There were correlations between physical activity level with hand-grip strength, FEV1 and FVC Increase in physical activity level may lead to an increase in physical fitness and respiratory function Higher levels of physical activity should be promoted to improve physical fitness and respiratory function amongst undergraduates during their study at universities

Is Online Training Program Effective for Undergraduates’ Learning During COVID 19? A Quasi-experimental Study Using the Malaysian Sample

Pandemic COVID 19 has changed the world’s communication medium into online communication to prevent the spread of pandemic since the end of 2019; this has also impacted students’ learning either at primary, secondary, college or university level. Since online communication was mandated as a medium to deliver learning, many researchers have started to determine the effectiveness of online learning for formal educational setting. However, research reported the effectiveness of students’ online learning in informal setting, such as online training program was very limited. Hence, this article aims to report the effectiveness of online training program among undergraduates in Malaysia using a quasi-experimental design. Three different training programs were conducted during December 2020 among undergraduates at University Kebangsaan Malaysia based on open registration; there were 52 participants in total. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire before and after the completion of training program using google form to determine the achievement of training objectives. General Training Effectiveness Scale was adapted and modified accordingly to each training program’s objective to measure learning performance as perceived by participants; data were analysed using paired sample t-test and one-way ANOVA in SPSS software. Findings indicated a significant mean difference between scores as measured before and after training completion, and insignificant difference between all the three training programs indicating that online training among undergraduates is effective regardless different training objectives. In conclusion, it is verified that online learning is beneficial to replace traditional classroom for informal education during the pandemic, such as training program among undergraduates. Hence, it should be used for knowledge acquisition, such as organizing online training program to enhance undergraduates’ learning as additional value to increase students’ competencies. Research implications were further discussed.

The Use of Breast Cancer Survivor Patients as Part of Patient-Centred Education in the Training of Breast Cancer Care Nurses

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer face many psychological and social distress that might affect their quality of life and indirectly might affect the disease outcome. Patient-centred education has been found to have a positive influence on the quality of management and anxiety reduction. A one-day workshop involving breast cancer survivor patients was designed as a preliminary step to improve the quality of care provided by oncology nurses in University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). The objectives of the workshop were to train the nurses in providing patient-centred education using breast cancer survivor patients and to implement the breast cancer Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) recommendation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-day workshop was designed to meet specific learning outcomes. The patient education program was introduced with special emphasis on a patientcentred approach through the involvement of breast cancer survivor patients. Twenty-one staff nurses and two breast cancer survivor patients have participated in this workshop. The workshop was conducted by a breast cancer surgeon, oncologist, dietitian, family physician, and medical educators. RESULT: Overall, all participants found the workshop was very useful, particularly with the involvement of breast cancer survivor patients. Sixty – two percent of the participants agreed that the objectives of the workshop were met and 76 % of them found the workshop relevant to their work. CONCLUSION: The involvement of breast cancer survivor patients in this workshop was a valuable learning experience that enhanced the patient-centred approach in medical education.

Mental Health Status among Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Patients at Tertiary Hospital in Malaysia

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can affect and cause damage to several human organs such as the skin, kidneys, muscles, joints, lungs, heart and brain. Uncontrolled relapses in SLE patients can lead to death. SLE patients and their families also face difficulties due to lack of information about the disease. Therefore, studies focused on the psychological aspects such as symptoms of anxiety and depression among SLE patients is still needed in Malaysia. Thus, this study investigated the psychological status of SLE such as the occurrence of anxiety and depression in SLE patients and its associated factors. A cross sectional study using the purposive sampling was carried out at University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires were used to occurrence of anxiety and depression respectively. Out of 150 SLE patients participated, 46.6% had anxiety while another 33.3% experienced severe depression. Anxiety and depression were significantly correlated with socio demographic factors such as gender (p = 0.006, p = 0.003 respectively), level of education (p = 0.028, p = 0.003 respectively), and monthly income (p = 0.008, p = 0.001 respectively). Overall, socio demographic factors have important influence on the occurrence of anxiety and depression in patients with SLE. Mental health issue among SLE patient in Malaysia should be taken into consideration by health care provider especially by medical social worker.

The Management of Waqf Universities in Selangor, Malaysia

In Malaysia, waqf management including those in universities, is under the authority of the State Islamic Religious Council as a sole trustee waqf. This is to protect the waqf assets from any interventions by the heirs. Even so, one Malaysian university is said to manage the waqf scheme without the supervision of the Islamic Council which contradict with the provision of the State of Islamic Religious Council (SIRC) as the sole trustee of waqf. Thus, this study explores the management of waqf by several universities in Selangor and relation to SIRC as the sole trustee of waqf. A qualitative research approach was employed to collect data from focus group discussions and interviews with selected participants from the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Selangor IRC), selected universities and waqf experts in Malaysia. The findings show that University Kebangsaan Malaysia and University Putra Malaysia waqf funds are managed under the Selangor IRC monitoring while University Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia endowment or waqf fund is managed privately by the university. The impact of this is that several waqf management issues arose. Hence, the authors recommend the Model theory of al-wilayah to be applied in the management of waqf in the universities. Through this model, SIRC and the university can play a more significant role in the management of waqf, thereby promoting the development of waqf in Malaysia.

Factors associated with prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients presenting to the emergency department

BackgroundThere is high variability among clinicians’ decision of appropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration before deciding for termination of resuscitation. This study attempted to investigate factors associated with the decision to prolong resuscitation attempts in cardiac arrest patients treated in an emergencydepartment (ED). MethodsA retrospective study that evaluated two years of mortality registry starting in 2015 was conducted in the ED of University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Adult out-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated in the ED were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized for the exploration of factors associated with prolonged CPR attempts (> 30min). ResultsThe median CPR duration was 24min (range 2–68min). Four variables were independently associated with prolonged CPR attempts: younger age (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95–0.99; p<0.001), pre-existing heart disease (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.07–3.65; p=0.031), occurrence of transient return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.05–5.36; p=0.037), and access to the ED by nonemergency medical services (EMS) transport (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.09–3.37; p=0.024). ConclusionPatient-related and access-related factors were associated with prolonged CPR attempts among OHCA patients resuscitated in the ED.

Relationship of metabolic syndrome defined by IDF or revised NCEP ATP III with glycemic control among Malaysians with Type 2 Diabetes

BackgroundThe chronic complications of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) such as macrovascular disease is amplified with the increase in the number of metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. This research aims to study the relationship of MetS, diagnosed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) or revised National Cholesterol Education Programs Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria, with glycemic control, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-peptide, and insulin resistance in T2D patients.MethodsThe study is a cross-sectional observational study which, involved 485 T2D patients who are receiving treatment at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (UKMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The MetS among the T2D patients was diagnosed based on IDF and revised NCEP ATP III criteria. C-peptide and HbA1c levels were determined by an automated quantitative immunoassay analyzer and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The MetS factors; FBG, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured by spectrophotometer.ResultsApplication of the IDF and revised NCEP ATP III criteria respectively resulted in 73% and 85% of the T2D subjects being diagnosed with MetS. The concordance of these criteria in diagnosing MetS among T2D patients was low (κ = 0.33, P < 0.001). Both IDF and revised NCEP ATP III criteria indicated that T2D patients with 5 MetS factors had higher insulin resistance (P = 2.1 × 10−13; 1.4 × 10−11), C-peptide (P = 1.21 × 10−13; 4.1 × 10−11), FBG (P = 0.01; 0.021), and HbA1c (P = 0.039; 0.018) than those T2D patients without MetS, respectively.ConclusionAlthough there is a low concordance between IDF and revised NCEP ATP III criteria in the diagnosis of MetS among T2D patients, both criteria showed that T2D patients with 5 MetS factors had higher insulin resistance, C-peptide, FBG, and HbA1c.

Gifted Students’ Knowledge and Motivation Towards Learning Chemistry: A Case Study at Pusat GENIUS@pintar Negara, Malaysia

Nowadays, there are increasing calls for teaching and learning of STEM related field. However, learning of STEM subject, focusing on chemistry at younger age is found to be a challenge among the students. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate gifted and talented students’ knowledge and motivation towards learning chemistry subject. A total of 71 gifted and talented students, taking chemistry at the age of 12 to 13 years old at Pusat GENIUS@pintar Negara, University Kebangsaan Malaysia were involved in this study. A survey questionnaire was utilized in this study and the instrument employed was Attitude toward Chemistry Lesson Scale and Glynn’s motivation model. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21 involving descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that the students perceived chemistry playing a vital role in many aspects of everyday life. There was no significant difference in the mean of student’s knowledge and motivation towards chemistry learning scores for male and female students. The result of the study also indicates that students’ knowledge and career motivation has a moderately positive correlation with the highest correlation value. This paper is instrumental in assisting educators to enhance students’ knowledge and motivation towards chemistry learning. Therefore, the role of educators is important to bring about changes in terms of knowledge and motivation towards chemistry teaching and learning processes.

Cost Centric Data Mining for Radiology Procedures at Teaching Hospital in Malaysia

This study explored radiology procedure cost across available units in the Radiology’s Department UKMMC (University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre). In 2011, the total number of radiology procedures carried out in this department was 121,221. Nevertheless, the estimating expenses of offering these procedures are not known. An economic evaluation study was employed and cost centric data mining based on costing activity method was used to determine the charge of the procedure in every centre. Information on seven cost parameters was collected for each procedure: human resources, consumables, equipment, reagents, administration, maintenance and utilities. The results of the study show that the highest percentage of cost parameter for the human resource was Radiology (Mobile) 57.5%, the highest percentage of cost parameter for consumables and reagent was EIR (Endovascular International Radiology) Unit 75.8% and Medical Nuclear Unit 68.1% was the highest percentage of cost parameter for reagent. The MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Unit 81.4% was the highest cost parameter for equipment. The most top mean cost procedures were EIR MYR4330 and it was revealed that procedures with the highest difference ratio were procedures in EIR (18.50). Finding of this study is very useful to UKMMC management since it helps to enhance the efficiency of services and reduce unnecessary radiology procedures in patient’s management.

Cognitive, Emotional Intelligence and Social Development of Adolescents of Asasipintar in Accordance to the Internet Advancement

Internet as a common technology in the current life of humans enhances the quality of human lifestyles including adolescents who are teenagers from 12 to 18 years old. Cognitive development of the adolescents is said to be their brain processing method which is also indirectly related to their neurological and intellectual development whereas emotional intelligence of adolescents is the maturation in the behaviour of an adolescent and social development of the adolescents described as the interaction skills of the adolescents. Therefore, the major aim of this research is to determine the relationships between the cognitive, emotional intelligence and social development of the adolescents in. accordance to the rapid development of technology known as the Internet. In this research, the Working Memory Test (WMT) together with Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Short Form (TEIQueSF) as well as the Social Self-Efficacy Scale (SSE) and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to determine the correlation between the cognitive, emotional intelligence and social development of adolescents of ASASIpintar in accordance to the Internet advancement. The sample was 130 students of ASASIpintar, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. Research finding showed that there is a significant relationship between the cognitive, emotional intelligence and social development of the adolescents in accordance to the Internet advancement.

Economic burden of hypoglycemia for type II diabetes mellitus patients in Malaysia.

This study mainly aims to identify the direct cost and economic burden of hypoglycemia for patients with type II diabetes mellitus in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study explored the cost incurred for hypoglycemia among patients admitted to University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). The study covered patients aged 20–79 years hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ICD-10 hypoglycemia and discharged between January 2010 and September 2015 according to the casemix database. A costing analysis was done through a step-down approach from the perspective of health providers. Cost data were collected for three levels of cost centers with the help of a hospital-costing template. The costing data from UKMMC were used to estimate the national burden of hypoglycemia among type II diabetics for the whole country. Of 244 diabetes patients admitted primarily for hypoglycemia to UKMMC, 52% were female and 88% were over 50 years old. The cost increased with severity. Managing a hypoglycemic case requires five days (median) of inpatient stay on average, with a range of 2–26 days, and costs RM 8,949 (USD 2,289). Of the total cost, 30% related to ward (final cost center), 16% to ICU, and 15% to pharmacy (secondary-level cost center) services. Considering that 3.2% of all admissions were hypoglycemia related, the total annual cost of hypoglycemia care for adult diabetics in Malaysia is estimated at RM 117.4 (USD 30.0) million, which translates to 0.5% of the Ministry of Health budget. Hypoglycemia imposes a substantial economic impact even without the direct and indirect cost incurred by patients and other cost of complications. Diabetic management needs to include proper diabetic care and health education to reduce episodes of hypoglycemia.

DEVELOPMENT OF GIS DATABASE AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: ASSET AND SPACE IN UKM

Abstract. Facility Management (FM) has becoming a crucial aspect in providing better service to the client/tenant or public as well as to minimize the maintenance cost. Group of buildings bounded by a defined boundary/spatial space such as a college, university, city or even a country have to manage their assets and space systematically with maximum potential/usage and minimum maintenance cost. Incorporating GIS plays innovative and effective role in asset and space FM especially. There are a lot of research and suggestions for it, but implementation is still average and quite new in Malaysia. University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM Bangi) has taken initiative to perform such idea with a full scale implementation. Currently, UKM utilizes GIS in nine modules, where one of the main module called SEPADU, an internal use module system for asset and space information system. This paper describes the implementation of integrated GIS solution in information system. Spatial data acquisition, database development and system for FM will be discussed in this paper.