Task-based learning (TBL) has been accepted as an effective tool in teaching and learning activities in most medical schools. Many studies have looked at competencies and learning outcomes essential for undergraduates. Among the essential competencies are interpersonal skills and the ability to engage in a group discussion which this study has focused on. The evidence supporting higher interpersonal skills is however limited because many relevant competencies are hard to measure and require long observational periods. Objective To determine students’ self-perceived value of TBL in enhancing their interpersonal skills during the clinical phase. Material and Methods All students’ (semesters 6-10) in the clinical school of International Medical University (IMU) were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study done in December 2007 utilising a self-administered questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. It assessed the students’ perception on TBL sessions conducted during their clinical attachments in the various disciplines. Mean-scores, standard deviations, and confidence interval were used. Results Response rate was 62%. The results indicated that students were favorable in their opinion on TBL as a suitable forum for active communication and participation in group discussion. The results also show that both male and female students’ have similar perception. As for the comparison according to semesters, this showed that students’ maturity does not influence their perception as well. Conclusion In conclusion, the study has shown positive students’ perception on the effect of TBL on acquired skills such as interpersonal communication. Our findings are consistent with many earlier studies which show students’ perception of the method of learning as important factor in the enhancement of their interpersonal skills which is fundamental to clinical practice. Further research is necessary; long-term and larger scale observational studies would undoubtedly be optimal to minimise response bias.

The human genome contains many submicroscopic copy number variations which includes deletions, duplications and insertions. Although conventional karyotyping remains an important diagnostic tool in evaluating a dysmorphic patient with mental retardation, molecular diagnostic technology such as array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) has proven to be sensitive and reliable in detecting these submicroscopic anomalies. A 3 month-old infant with dysmorphic facies, microcephaly and global developmental delay was referred for genetic evaluation. Preliminary karyotyping which was confounded by the quality of metaphase spread was normal; however, aCGH detected a 30.6Mb deletion from 5p15.33-p13.3. This case illustrates the usefulness of aCGH as an adjunctive investigative tool for detecting chromosomal imbalances.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women. This study aimed to determine the reproductive for premenopausal breast cancer risk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A case-control study was conducted in 216 histopathologically confirmed cases of premenopausal breast cancer and 216 community-based controls that were matched by age within a 5-year period and ethnicity. The results of this study showed that premenopausal breast cancer risks were strongly related to parity, number of live births and family history of breast cancer. Premenopausal women with these known reproductive and family history risk factors should take extra measures to undergo appropriate screening method for early detection of breast cancer

Introduction: Fair skin complexion is much preferred by the Asian population. Four percent hydroquinone has been known to be effective as a whitening agent albeit unwanted effects such as worsening pigmentation, onchronosis and irritation have been well documented. This study aims to compare the lightening effects and the safety profile of a novel topical formulation derived from Vitamin C in combination with plant’s extract ,known as AEBritening Complex- 01 with a standard formulation containing four percent Hydroquinone. Material & Method: A case control study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of AEBritening Complex-01 versus 4% Hydroquinone cream in lightening normal skin colour. AEBritening Complex-01* contains refined stabilized vitamin C Complex and plant’s extract as active ingredient . All 20 subjects were applied with AEBritening Complex-01 on their right arm , 4% hydroquinone on their left arm twice a day for 28 days. Their left forearm were left untreated. Visual and colorimeter assessment of the right arm, left arm and left forearm were done on day 0, Day7, Day 14, Day 21 and Day 28. Results: Skin areas treated with AEBritening Complex-01 showed significant degree of lightening effect (+1.69) after 21 days of treatment compared to areas treated with 4% hydroquinone (+0.47) and untreated area (+0.13). This was tested using using Skin Colorimeter Konica Minolta CR 10. There was further improvement at day 28 of the treated area with AEBritening Complex-01 (+1.96), 4% hydroquinone (+0.66) and untreated area (-0.09). The AEBritening Complex-01 formulation showed significant skin lightening effect compared to standard 4 % Hydroxyquinone with p< 0.05. Conclusion: The AEBrightening Complex-01 formulation is significantly effective to lighten normal skin colour compared to 4% Hydroquinone.

Thyroid nodules are common but thyroid malignancies are not. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a diagnostic tool used to screen patients with thyroid nodules who require surgery. We study the diagnostic accuracy of FNA as the initial diagnostic modality in the clinical assessment of thyroid nodules. Between January 1995 until December 2000, 2131 FNA of thyroid nodules were performed. Four hundred and forty-one (20.7%) of these were unsatisfactory and 1690 (79.3%) cases were satisfactory for cytological evaluation. Histopathological diagnosis were available for 361 cases. Cyto-histopathological correlation was carried out for these cases. Our results showed a diagnostic accuracy of 96.2% with sensitivity and specificity rates of 87.7% and 98.4% respectively. Our positive predictive value is 93.4% and our negative predictive value is 96.8%. From this study, we conclude that fine needle aspiration is an important initial screening diagnostic tool for the investigation of thyroid nodules.