The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbance with work characteristics among nurses in the Melaka Hospital, Malacca, Malaysia. This was a cross sectional study conducted in Melaka Hospital. Universal sampling was conducted and a Malay version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was used in data collection. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, marital status, number of children and work characteristics such as type of work schedule and duration were also enquired. Factors associated with poor sleep quality were compared between those nurses with good sleep quality by using logistic regression. There were 607 nurses who completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 73.1%. There was a moderate prevalence (57.8%) of poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) in all study subjects. The prevalence of sleep disturbance was more widespread among nurses who worked shifts (62.0%) compared to non-shift working nurses (41.5%) p<0.001. A logistic regression analysis showed that age, marital status and unit group were the major associating factors of poor sleep quality. Sleep disturbance decreased with increasing age (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.25, 0.73) while married nurses (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.42, 3.82) and those in the category of intensive group (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.1, 4.1) were more prone to have sleep disturbances. In conclusion, this study revealed moderate prevalence of sleep disturbance among nurses working in Melaka Hospital but it was not associated with the work shifts. Age, marital status and work environment especially in the intensive group unit seemed to be factors associated with reduced global sleep quality among nurses in this study.

Objective: To identify the possible functional molecules for therapeutic uses by screening the crude aqueous and methanolic extracts derived from sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) in vitro. Methods: High performance liquid chromatography was used to scan the functional molecules present in the extracts.Results:or its derivatives like molecules. On the other hand, the crude methanolic extract may contain Loratadine or its derivatives like molecules. Both type of extracts showed hemagglutination inhibition activities in all types of human blood samples tested. However, they showed stronger binding with AB+ blood group than those of A+ and B+ blood. The crude aqueous extracts showed the possibilities to present caffeine and cetirizine Conclusions: Sesame seeds may be considered as a functional food.

The implementation of the Chronic Disease Management Program or PROLANIS has been adopted in Indonesia by National Social Security Implementation on Health Agency (BPJS-K) since 2015. The program focuses on hypertension (HT) and diabetes mellitus (DM). However, since the first time the program was implemented, there was no comprehensive evaluation of it. The aim of this study was to analyze health service quality among HT and DM patients based on five dimensions of quality in 25 community health services (CHSs) in the Sleman district, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This is a cross-sectional study with a simple random sampling technique that included 230 respondents from 25 CHSs. The instrument was SERVQUAL that consisted of 35 items of a questionnaire. The data were analyzed by a gap analysis, Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA); meanwhile, a Man–Whitney test was proposed to determine differences in health services quality in the PROLANIS program. Based on the gap analysis, it was found that whole dimensions were below 0-point; the CSI analysis obtained 74.45 for HT and 75.15 for DM; and the IPA analysis found that the distribution of respondents’ answers in the questionnaire were in quadrants 1 and 2. The Man–Whitney analysis was used to get the assurance aspect correlated with health service quality in DM and HT patients (p = 0.001). Health service quality in the PROLANIS program was based on five dimensions of quality was low, unless assurance dimension. The government should improve health services quality in aspects of tangibility, responsiveness, empathy, and reliability to get satisfaction among HT and DM patients in the PROLANIS program.

INTRODUCTIONBody mass index (BMI) has limited diagnostic performance due to its inability to discriminate between fat and lean mass. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of body fat percentage (BFP) against BMI in defining body composition.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted on students aged 17-30 years in Melaka, Malaysia. Basic anthropometric measurements were acquired using a manual weighing scale, measuring tape and a fixed stadiometer. BFP was calculated using the United States Navy formula. Data was tabulated and analysed using Epi Info and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Pearson's correlation coefficient and Kappa values were used. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTSOut of the 490 subjects recruited, 43% of males and 24.6% of females were found to be overweight, while 14.3% of males and 7.8% of females were obese, when calculated using BMI. However, 8.9% of males and 22.8% of females were considered obese based on the BFP.

CONCLUSIONBFP plays a more important role in distinguishing between healthy and obese individuals, as it has a greater ability to differentiate between lean mass and fat mass compared to BMI.

Adipose Tissue ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Anthropometry ; methods ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Obesity ; complications ; diagnosis ; Overweight ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

· AIM: To present the outcome of anterior single flap external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) in Sudanese patients. · METHODS: The data of 200 consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed, who had anterior single flap external DCR with a minimum of one year follow-up. The surgeries were performed by the same surgeon (the first author) and patients were followed up for one year postoperatively. Presence of epiphora at the end of one year and no response to syringing and probing was considered failure. · RESULTS: The mean age of the study sample was 29.7 years (ranged 4-65 years), The ratio of male to female was 1: 2. The success rate was 98%. Failure was reported in 4 patients, two of them were traumatic cases with preexisting orbital disfigurement. · CONCLUSION: This study adds on to the evidence of the usefulness of anterior single flap DCR. Although it is simpler and easier to master the technique, this procedure showed a success rate comparable to that of the conventional method in literature.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects a patient’s quality of life. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the socio-demographic and disease profile factors associated with poor quality of life among patients with diabetes. The study was conducted at a primary health care clinic in Kuching between August to November 2010. Short Form - 36 (SF - 36) questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life of diabetic patients aged ≥ 18. A total of 142 respondents participated in the survey. After adjusting for age, those with no education scored lower at vitality (p=0.043) and emotional health (p=0.033) compared with those who have tertiary education. Those working in the private sector scored better for physical functioning (p=0.042) compared with pensioners and the unemployed. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes scored lower in the role-emotional domain (p=0.003). Participants who were on <3 (p=0.014) and ≥3 (p=0.024) oral medications had better score for role-physical than those on insulin. Those on insulin had worse score for bodily pain than those on oral medication only (vs <3 oral drugs, p=0.026; vs ≥3 oral drugs, p=0.001). Various socio-demographic factors, uncontrolled diabetes and insulin usage were found to have negative impact on a diabetic patient’s quality of life. Programmes addressing the physical and emotional needs of diabetic patients at the primary health care setting are essential to help improve their quality of life.

Many couples experience postpartum period of decreasing sexual satisfaction. Postpartum sexual dysfunction is a very common and relevant clinical problem, with significant adverse effects on women's health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of sexual nursing care for the postpartum period on sexual dysfunction and life satisfaction among Egyptian women. A quasi-experimental design was used to study 219 women selected using a purposive sample. The study was conducted in out-patients maternity clinic at Zagazig university hospitals, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, between the periods from February 2019 to February 2020. Data was collected using three tools. The first: Structured interview questionnaire that consist from three parts, part one: socio demographic characteristics , part two obstetric history and part three sexual history, the second: Female Sexual dysfunction index (FSDI), and the third: Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).Four session about sexual education was done. The Results showed an improvement in sexuality and life satisfaction after application of sexual nursing care for the postpartum period including kegel’s exercise, positioning and distractions techniques post intervention compared to pre intervention. The study concluded that sexual nursing intervention for postpartum period improve sexual functioning and create enjoyable intercourse and there was high positive correlation between sexuality and life satisfaction after implementation of the sexual nursing care intervention. The study recommended to provide counselling /training program about sexual nursing care intervention during postpartum period for nurses working in different health care settings.

INTRODUCTION: Fungal balls are commonly associated with the Aspergillus species. The hyaline hyphae is not diagnostic of a fungus ball's causative organism hence the need for fungal culture. Systemic fungal infections are rarely seen in immunocompetent persons. CASE: A 45-year-old male presented with a nine month history of nonproductive cough progressing to hemoptysis. His chest tomography with contrast revealed a mass measuring 6.5cm x 5.5cm x 6.9cm located in the left upper lobe, with a smooth lining and air crescent sign consistent with aspergilloma. Serum galactomannan assay was positive. Patient was treated medically for Aspergillus sp infection with voriconazole and itraconazole for six months with no response. A left upper lobectomy was done. Lung tissue biopsy and histopathologic examination showed hyphal elements with branching short lateral necks. Culture studies revealed a rare microorganism namely Coniochaetta hoffmannii. Post-operatively, our patient improved and was eventually discharged. DISCUSSION: Coniochaetta hoffmannii is a rare human pathogen and is only implicated in those immunocompromised. Thorough clinical investigation led to the identification of this organism. Literature review reveals scant inconclusive treatment approaches. Surgical intervention proved therapeutic for our patient. CONCLUSION Not all fungal balls are caused by Aspergillus sp. Culture studies remains the gold standard in identifying specific organism causing fungus balls. Rare micro-organisms such as Coniochaeta hoffmanii. can be isolated. Invasive fungal infection can occur in an immunocompetent host. The outcome of this study will contribute to the limited pool of information on the diagnosis and management of similar cases.

Staphylococcus aureus is usually considered a colonizer but can result in infections under favourable conditions, especially in the healthcare setting. Healthcare workers can be colonized by S. aureus, and may transmit them to patients under their care. We conducted a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriers among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) (from January to June 2011). Our study involved 209 medical students comprising of 111 and 97 preclinical and clinical students respectively. A selfadministered questionnaire was distributed and nasal swabs were collected. Upon identification, the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was examined followed by categorical analysis (Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests) with factors associated with S. aureus nasal carriage. Twenty one (10%) S. aureus strains were isolated from 209 nasal swab samples. 14 isolates were from pre-clinical students while the remaining seven were from clinical students. There was no significant association between gender, ethnicity, health status, skin infection and students’ exposure to hospital environment with S. aureus nasal carriage (p>0.05). Nineteen (90.5%) isolates were resistant to penicillin and there was also no significant association between penicillin resistant and the students’ groups. One (5.3%) isolate was resistant to erythromycin. There was no methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolated in this study.

Aims: The purpose of this experiment was to determine the artificial symbiosis interaction of Herbaspirillum seropedicae (Z78) on oil palm embryogenic calli. Methodology and results: For this purpose, symbiotic associations were established between Z78 and embryogenic calli of oil palm tissue cultured. A total of five treatments involved, in particular: i) + 3.0 mg/L 2,4-D + 100% N MS medium (control), ii) + Z78 pellet cells (1 mL) + 25% N MS medium, iii) + Z78 supernatant (1 mL) + 25% N MS medium, iv) + Z78 broth culture (1 mL) + 25% N MS medium, and v) + Z78 sonicated cells (1 mL) + 25% N MS medium. All treatments were supplied with minimal N sources (25% N), ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate, while the control was treated with 100% N sources. Treated samples were harvested on D80 and observed for biomass and diameter increment (%), formation of embryoids, and Z78 colonization. The results showed embryogenic calli in the inoculated treatments that contained depleted N produced similar result to the control treatment which contained 100% N nutrients. Positive interactions occurred between the diazotroph and host plant tissues as viewed under FESEM and EFTEM. Among the treatments, Z78 sonicated cell showed better growth of embryogenic calli compared to others. Conclusion, significance and impact study: The in vitro nitrogen-depleted artificial symbiosis environment allowed the diazotroph (Z78) to be expressed and provide the nitrogen sources and indole-3-acetic acid for cell growth. This study represents beneficial co-culture interaction effects of different inocula of diazotrophic bacterial cells with in vitro embryogenic calli of oil palm.