Giving meaning to quality of healthcare in Malaysia.

Ensuring quality in healthcare calls for a coordinated, systematic, congruous, and sustained approach. Nevertheless, it demands defining what the quality of healthcare means in the local context. Presently, the Malaysian healthcare system utilizes various definitions of quality of healthcare across the different initiatives and levels of healthcare, which can lead to fragmented or ineffective quality improvement.

Tension Stiffening and Cracking Behavior of Axially Loaded Alkali-Activated Concrete.

Alkali-activated concrete is an eco-friendly construction material that is used to preserve natural resources and promote sustainability in the construction industry. This emerging concrete consists of fine and coarse aggregates and fly ash that constitute the binder when mixed with alkaline activators, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (NaSiO). However, understanding its tension stiffening and crack spacing and width is of critical importance in fulfilling serviceability requirements.

Microplastics pollution in mud crab (Scylla sp.) aquaculture system: First investigation and evidence.

Microplastics (MPs) occurrence in farmed aquatic organisms has already been the prime priority of researchers due to the food security concerns for human consumption. A number of commercially important aquaculture systems have already been investigated for MPs pollution but the mud crab (Scylla sp.) aquaculture system has not been investigated yet even though it is a highly demanded commercial species globally.

Radiological and Dosimetric Evaluation of Biomaterial Composite Phantoms with High Energy Photons and Electrons.

The current study was undertaken to investigate the radiological and dosimetric parameters of natural product-based composite (SPI/NaOH/IA-PAE/ Rhizophora spp .) phantoms. The radiological properties of the phantoms were measured at different gamma energies from Compton scatter of photons through angles of 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 degrees.

Performance of natural product-based materials as adhesives in the fabrication of mangrove wood composites.

Biodegradable adhesives prepared using three different forms of soy protein-based products (defatted soy flour/soy protein concentrate/soy protein isolate), sodium hydroxide, and itaconic acid polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (IA-PAE) with 0 wt%-20 wt% substitution rates were utilized to enhance the production of mangrove wood composites. H nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, and ultra-high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize the composite samples. Other measurements involved the determination of viscosity, pH, physical, mechanical, dimensional stability, CT numbers, and relative electron density parameters.

Dosimetric Characterization of DSF/NaOH/IA-PAE/ spp. Phantom Material for Radiation Therapy.

Different compositions of DSF/NaOH/IA-PAE/ spp. composite particleboard phantoms were constructed. Photon attenuation characteristics were ascertained using gamma rays from Cs and Co.

Modelling and Image Reconstruction Evaluation of a Scintillation Camera with Silicone Photomultiplier.

Background: Recent research on photon detection has led to the introduction of a silicone photomultiplier (SiPM) that operates at a low voltage and is insensitive to magnetic fields.

Objective: This work aims to model a scintillation camera with a SiPM sensor and to evaluate the camera reconstructed images from gamma ray projection data.

Material And Methods: The type of study in this research is experimental work and analytical.

Combined perineal massage and warm compress compared to massage alone during active second stage of labour in nulliparas: A randomised trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of combined perineal massage and warm compress to the perineum (MassComp) compared to perineal massage alone during pushing in the second stage of labour in reducing perineal trauma requiring suturing in nulliparas.

Study Design: A randomised trial was performed in a University hospital, Malaysia from June 2020 to May 2021. 281 term nulliparas who were about to start pushing in the second stage of labour were randomised to combined perineal massage and warm compress or perineal massage alone to the perineum.

Dynamic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Model Within a Liver Phantom for Multimodality Imaging.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancer in the world, and the effectiveness of its treatment lies in its detection in its early stages. The aim of this study is to mimic HCC dynamically through a liver phantom and apply it in multimodality medical imaging techniques including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound.

Methods And Materials: The phantom is fabricated with two main parts, liver parenchyma and HCC inserts.

Chemical Characteristics, Motivation and Strategies in choice of Materials used as Liver Phantom: A Literature Review.

Liver phantoms have been developed as an alternative to human tissue and have been used for different purposes. In this article, the items used for liver phantoms fabrication are mentioned same as in the previous literature reviews. Summary and characteristics of these materials are presented.

Strengthening of RC Beams Using Externally Bonded Reinforcement Combined with Near-Surface Mounted Technique.

This study investigates the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened through the combined externally bonded and near-surface mounted (CEBNSM) technique. The externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) and near-surface mounted (NSM) techniques are popular strengthening solutions, although these methods often demonstrate premature debonding failure. The proposed CEBNSM technique increases the bond area of the concrete⁻carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) interface, which can delay the debonding failure.

Mechanics Model for Simulating RC Hinges under Reversed Cyclic Loading.

Describing the moment rotation (M/θ) behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) hinges is essential in predicting the behavior of RC structures under severe loadings, such as under cyclic earthquake motions and blast loading. The behavior of RC hinges is defined by localized slip or partial interaction (PI) behaviors in both the tension and compression region. In the tension region, slip between the reinforcement and the concrete defines crack spacing, crack opening and closing, and tension stiffening.

The Tension-Stiffening Contribution of NSM CFRP to the Behavior of Strengthened RC Beams.

Tension stiffening is a characteristic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams which is directly affected by the bond-slip property of steel bar and concrete interfaces. A beam strengthened with a near-surface mounted (NSM) technique would be even more affected by tension stiffening, as the NSM reinforcement also possess a bond-slip property. Yet assessing how much the tension stiffening of NSM contributes to the behavior of RC beams is difficult due to the fact that bond-slip effects cannot be directly incorporated into a strain-based moment-curvature analysis.