Aims: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have promising applications in the biotechnology industry. As their diversity in soil is largely unexplored, a study was undertaken to collect LAB from the soil, and to characterize the isolates. Methodology and results: Soil samples from around various fruit trees in MARDI were collected for LAB isolation by accumulation/incubation method. The isolates were examined for their morphological and biochemical characteristics, and their 16S rDNA sequences. Morphological and biochemical analysis showed that all isolates are gram positive with different characteristic for each isolates. Further identification were performed and soil samples was found to contain diverse genera and species of LAB, including Lactobacillus sp. and Bacillus sp. Selected isolates were tested for resistance against six antibiotics using agar dilution method. Widespread antibiotic resistance among the strains tested was found towards ampicillin, kanamycin, rifampicin and penicillin. Conclusion, significance and impact study: LAB have the ability in producing acid and antimicrobial compound which are useful in various industry. Fastidious characteristics of LAB are among the limitations and challenges in industrial applications. Diversity of lactic acid-producing bacteria was encountered in the soil which may be useful and have different characteristics from LAB isolates elsewhere.
Lactic Acid

Nasal obstruction in neonates is a potentially fatal condition because neonates are obligatory nasal breathers. Bilateral choanal atresia is therefore a neonatal emergency. Several approaches for corrections of choanal atresia are available including the helium laser: YAG. A 5-year-old Chinese girl born with bilateral choanal atresia, had birth asphyxia that required intubation. She underwent multiple surgeries for correction of choanal atresia at other hospitals but failed to improve. She was referred to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (UKMMC) after presenting with intermittent respiratory distress and cyanosis following an upper respiratory tract infection. A repeat computed tomography (CT) scan done preoperatively showed complete bony stenosis over the left choana and finding was confirmed by examination under general anesthesia. She underwent endoscopic transnasal removal of left bony atretic plate. There was no intra or postoperative complications. During follow up 10 years later, the airway on both sides remains patent.

Hospital Information System (HIS) is a comprehensive, integrated information system designed to manage the administrative, financial and clinical aspects of a hospital. This study is to describe those aspects of the implementation of hospital information system in three tertiary hospitals in Klang Valley; Serdang Hospital, Selayang Hospital and University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). A qualitative study was conducted to obtain views on information system development and implementation in the hospitals mentioned above. In-depth interviews with personnel representing both the system providers and the end-users were done guided by a questionnaire. The results of the interviews were categorized into few themes namely the system development, human resource, scope of implementation, support system, user-friendly, training, hardware and security. There were differences in hospital information system development and implementation in the three hospitals. Each system has its own strengths and weaknesses that make it unique. In developing HIS, it’s important to ensure the system can work effectively and efficiently. Quality human resource, good support system, user-friendly and adequate training of the end-user will determine the success of implementation of HIS. Upgrading of hardware and software as needed is the basis to keep up with the pace of technology advancement and increasing number of patients. It is hoped that HIS will be implemented in all other hospitals with effective integration and networking.

Emergency Medicine and Disaster Medicine are two specialties which are similar in the multidisciplinary involvement during the acute phase of the disaster. Recently, there was an increase in the number of disasters in the world but not many physicians are familiar with the principles for dealing with such situations, the unique organizational demands, coordination and the urgent need for medical assistance and relief. This case report delineates our experiences at a tsunami disaster area and the approach to setting up a medical relief team in the affected area. A medical reconnaissance team comprising of an emergency doctor from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (H.U.S.M) and two MERCY Malaysia members was assembled. The team flew to Colombo on day 5 after the tsunami with medical supplies and related materials. The mission started from December 31st 2004 until January 8th 2005. Our surveillance area covered the Southern and Eastern Province with a total distance of 1700 km along the coast. The strategies employed during this medical reconnaissance included risk analysis, devising a resources matrix, developing lines of communication and rapport with other relief teams, Sri Lankan government agencies, and local and international non-government organizations. As a result, our team was able to set up a medical relief camp and distribute the relief items to the tsunami victims. In conclusion, the Disaster Emergency Medical Assistant Team (DEMAT) from H.U.S.M and MERCY Malaysia were able to set up and provide medical relief with our limited resources to a large scale disaster situation.
Disasters ; legal surveillance ; Sri Lanka ; Malaysia ; After values

Tong Nibong is a Bidayuh village located at Sarawak Kalimantan border. Since the year 2004 to 2009, a total of 537 cases of malaria were recorded in Serian District of which 14 cases were reported from Kampung Tong Nibong. Community empowerment programme for malaria infection prevention showed tremendous improvement in implementation. This intervention study aims to gauge the effectiveness of community empowerment approach in malaria elimination programme in Kampung Tong Nibong Serian. An intervention study was conducted with pre and post data collection. Data was collected using validated questionnaire by face to face interview. Universal sampling method was used to select respondents from head of household and post data was collected after intervention activities were carried out within a year of study period. The study showed significant difference on level of knowledge of respondents on vector of malaria between pre and post data with a P < 0.05. There was significant difference between pre and post data on practices on control and prevention of malaria with a P < 0.05. The same goes to level of positive attitude of respondents towards malaria control. In conclusion, the study can be considered successful because there is significant difference in knowledge, attitude and practice among the respondents between pre and post data. This indicates that community empowerment (voluntary participation) measures can be implemented in high risk or endemic areas where malaria is a persistent problem to the community and health institutions faces many limiting factors.​

Introduction: Food insecurity exists whenever people are unable to access sufficient food at all times for an active and healthy life. University students are a potentially vulnerable group of people to face food insecurity. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among a population of university students in Kuantan, in the state of Pahang. Methods: Food security status was identified using the United States Adult Food Security Survey Module (USAFSSM). Factors, which include demographic background, spending expenditure pattern and time constraints, were assessed. A total of 316 students were selected through stratified random sampling throughout six faculties of the International Islamic University Malaysia, of whom 307 successfully completed the survey. Results: The result shows that 54.4% of the students were experiencing food insecurity, from which 32.9% were sub-categorised as low food security and 21.5% as very low food security. Food insecurity was found to be significantly associated with time constraints (p<0.05), spending on books (p<0.05), miscellaneous items (p<0.05), parents’ income (p<0.001) and scholarship type (p<0.001). Conclusion: Apart from the high incidence of food insecurity among the students, time and financial affordability appeared to be critical concerns in this study. Since food insecurity has become a significant issue with university students, it should be addressed and prioritised by the relevant authorities.

Introduction: Milk and dairy products are good sources of high-quality protein. Protein is important during weight loss and subsequent weight maintenance due to the high satiating effect which helps to prevent over-consumption of energy and thereby reduces body fat stores. Furthermore, dairy protein is a good source of essential amino acids for muscle protein synthesis and thus helps to maintain metabolically active muscle mass during weight loss. Regarding milk consumption, it is important to find the association between personal, environmental, and behaviour factors with consuming milk. Objective: The aim of the study is to identify factors influencing milk consumption behaviour among adults. Methods : This study is based on the literature review and on different case studies from different parts of the world to try to fulfill the main scope of factors influencing milk consumption. Results: Based on this review, environmental factors were found to be the main influences on milk consumption behaviour, followed by personal factors and behaviour factors. Conclusion This review is also expected to enrich the documentation on the influencing of milk consumption behaviour among adults

Introduction: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) among young adults in Malaysia has witnessed a notable increase in recent years, giving rise to concerns regarding the potential adverse health effects, including obesity and diabetes. Despite the urgent need for targeted interventions, there is a dearth of research examining the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to SSBs among Malaysian young adults. To address this research gap, the present study aims to assess the level of KAP concerning SSB intake and its associated factors in this specific population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 408 Malaysian young adults aged between 15 and 29 years. Respondents completed an online questionnaire survey, which encompassed the assessment of socio-demographic characteristics and KAP regarding SSB consumption. The collected data were analyzed using IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Spearman correlation tests were performed at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The majority of respondents demonstrated moderate knowledge (60%) and practices (60%), while exhibiting a high positive attitude (100%) towards reducing SSB consumption. Significant correlations were observed between knowledge and attitude (p = 0.003, rs = 0.148) and between knowledge and practice (p = 0.005, rs = 0.138). Moreover, the attitude scores were found to be significantly associated with gender (χ2 (1, N = 408) = 10.421, p = 0.001) and locality (χ2 (1, N = 408) = 4.106, p = 0.043), while the practice scores exhibited a significant association with ethnicity (p = 0.006). Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between KAP related to SSB consumption and socio-demographic factors among Malaysian young adults. The findings underscore the importance of utilizing these insights to develop strategic interventions that aim to curtail SSB consumption and promote a healthy lifestyle, ultimately contributing to the reduction of non-communicable diseases. Health authorities are encouraged to capitalize on these findings to design targeted interventions tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of this population.

Introduction: Food security can be defined as the availability of and accessibility to food, acquired in an acceptable means at any given time and place in a way that could maintain health and wellbeing. One critical dimension of food security is continued access to adequate food. To measure this dimension, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) developed the latest measurement tool, namely the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the first instrument to measure people who experience food insecurity globally. This study aimed to validate the construct validity and reliability of the Malay version of FIES (M-FIES) for Malaysians. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 145 households in Kuantan, Pahang. Rasch analysis was used to analyse the construct validity of FIES. Results: FIES met the Rasch model assumptions with all items having an infit value of between 0.7- 1.3 and an outfit value of <2.0. The item and person reliability were 0.97 and 0.71, respectively; while the item and person separation were 5.59 and 1.58, respectively. The FIES item severity indicated that the items “few food”, “healthy”, “skipped”, “ate less”, and “runout” were disordered. Conclusion: The M-FIES is a valid and reliable measurement tool for the food insecurity situation among households based on its construct validity assessed using the Rasch model. Furthermore, the severity of item in M-FIES was different in terms of order from the original FIES, suggesting that the same items may be interpreted differently due to cultural or societal differences.