Prevalence and risk factors of long covid and its associated adverse work outcomes among workers in the manufacturing sector in Malaysia - a mixed-methods study protocol.

Background: The manufacturing sector in Malaysia has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is further exacerbated by Long COVID-19 symptoms among the manufacturing workers, which are proven to influence work performance and quality of life. Of note, there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding the burden of Long COVID-19 in the Malaysian manufacturing sector.

The potential of melatonin and its crosstalk with other hormones in the fight against stress.

Climate change not only leads to high temperatures, droughts, floods, storms and declining soil quality, but it also affects the spread and mutation of pests and diseases, which directly influences plant growth and constitutes a new challenge to food security. Numerous hormones like auxin, ethylene and melatonin, regulate plant growth and development as well as their resistance to environmental stresses. To mitigate the impact of diverse biotic and abiotic stressors on crops, single or multiple phytohormones in combination have been applied.

What drives Chinese youth to use fitness-related health information on social media? An analysis of intrinsic needs, social media algorithms, and source credibility.

Introduction: The role of social media in providing fitness-related health information has been widely discussed; however, there is a notable lack of research on fitness-related health information behaviors among youth within the social media context. This study aims to address this gap by integrating Self-Determination Theory (SDT)-based internal factors and external factors (social media algorithms and source credibility).

Methods: A voluntary sample of 600 participants, aged 15 to 29, was recruited.

Evidence of microcystin bioaccumulation and its effects on structural alterations in various shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Boone, 1931) tissues from shrimp aquaculture in the northern coastal region of East Java, Indonesia.

Microcystins are generated by diverse cyanobacteria in shrimp ponds marked by high nutrient levels. The study examined microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) in the pond water, gills, hepatopancreas, and muscle of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) from shrimp ponds on the northern coast of East Java and its effects on their histological structures. In shrimp ponds dominated by cyanobacteria particularly Microcystis and Oscillatoria, MC-LR levels were high.

Cytotoxicity assays for cancer drug screening: methodological insights and considerations for reliable assessment in drug discovery.

The importance of cytotoxicity assays in in vitro drug discovery investigations has led to their rising profile. Drugs and other substances can disrupt cell membranes, limit protein synthesis, and bind irreversibly to receptors, all of which lead to cell death in cancer cells. To precisely measure the cell death resulting from these damages, one must choose a cytotoxicity test that meets specific criteria.

Effects of active video games on mental health among college students: a systematic review.

Background: Mental health significantly impacts college students' academic performance and overall happiness. Active video games (AVGs) have gained popularity among college students due to their ample entertainment, and there is growing interest in utilizing them to address mental health issues. However, there has not been a comprehensive summary and systematic review of research on the effects of AVGs on college students' mental health.

Green-synthesised silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles from stingless bee honey: Morphological characterisation, antimicrobial action, and cytotoxic assessment.

This study investigated the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using an aqueous extract of stingless bee honey (SBH) as a reducing and stabilising agent. The rich compositions of SBH containing flavonoids, phenolics, organic acids, sugars, and enzymes makes the SBH extract an ideal biocompatible precursor for the NPs synthesis. Physicochemical characterisation of the synthesised NPs was performed using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FESEM, TEM, XRD, and FTIR spectroscopy.

Waste engine oil as a sustainable approach for asphalt rejuvenation and modification: A review.

The significant growth in road infrastructure worldwide over the last decade has resulted in a notable increase in the demand for asphalt binder. However, the utilization of asphalt binder in the road industry poses challenges to environmental sustainability and economic standpoints. The application of vehicular loads and exposure to environmental factors throughout the service life of roads contribute to the deterioration of binder properties, such as hardening and aging, ultimately leading to premature road failure.

Effect of functional training on fundamental motor skills among children: A systematic review.

Objectives: Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are the foundation of children's movement, requiring tailored training and guidance for development. As an emerging training method, functional training is optimistic in promoting the development of children's fundamental motor skills. However, current studies have not assessed the effect of functional training on fundamental motor skills.

Temporal disruption in tuberculosis incidence patterns during COVID-19: a time series analysis in China.

Background: Despite extensive knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) and its control, there remains a significant gap in understanding the comprehensive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB incidence patterns. This study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis in China and examine the application of time series models in the analysis of these patterns, providing valuable insights for TB prevention and control.

Methods: We used pre-COVID-19 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) data (2007-2018) to fit SARIMA, Prophet, and LSTM models, assessing their ability to predict PTB incidence trends.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Substrates Based on Photonic Crystal Embedded Bi-Metallic Nanoparticles for Leptospiral DNA Detection.

Leptospirosis is an acute bacterial febrile disease affecting humans and animals in many tropical and subtropical countries. This work presents an optimization of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates to probe vibrational spectroscopic detail from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The pathogenic gene of LipL32 was used as a biomarker.

CSQUiD: an index and non-probability framework for constrained skyline query processing over uncertain data.

Uncertainty of data, the degree to which data are inaccurate, imprecise, untrusted, and undetermined, is inherent in many contemporary database applications, and numerous research endeavours have been devoted to efficiently answer skyline queries over uncertain data. The literature discussed two different methods that could be used to handle the data uncertainty in which objects having continuous range values. The first method employs a probability-based approach, while the second assumes that the uncertain values are represented by their median values.

Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy (CUA) Among Malaysian Dialysis Patients: Clinical Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcomes.

Background Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) is a rare but debilitating disease affecting patients with kidney disease. Reported risk factors of CUA in the literature include female sex, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and vitamin K antagonists' (VKAs) usage. CUA prevalence in Malaysia is unknown and has not been reported before.

Complex Indirect Carotid-Cavernous Fistula With Contralateral Ophthalmic Manifestations.

A carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) involves an abnormal communication between the carotid artery and the cavernous sinus. For indirect CCF, it usually occurs in post-menopausal women. Contralateral symptoms for indirect CCF are rare.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news reports of contaminated food.

We present a case of a woman in her early 30s who developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms following exposure to news reports about instant noodles allegedly contaminated with a carcinogenic substance. The news triggered an overwhelming fear of ingesting harmful food associated with persistent and intrusive thoughts about contamination in this patient. As a result, she adopted extreme food avoidance behaviours and restricted her oral intake for 2 weeks, causing significant weight loss and anxiety.

Cold argon plasma-induced aggregated and non-aggregated structural changes in casein and peptidomic insights into allergenicity.

Casein (CN) is a common allergen that is challenging to avoid in modern foods. The effect of cold argon plasma (CAP) on reducing CN antigenicity was investigated, focusing on alterations in epitope structure and sequence. CAP mainly contains hydroxyl radicals (∙OH).

Exploring Chinese secondary students' behaviors towards online homework based on the UX model: Does homework completion relate to academic performance?

The benefits of online homework are widely acknowledged for student learning. Numerous studies have provided evidence supporting the notion that the completion of an adequate amount of traditional homework is associated with enhanced academic success. However, there are inconsistent conclusions on the effect of homework completion on academic performance among the students who were exposed to online homework, particularly in China.

Effects of problem-based learning on EFL learning: A systematic review.

Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) is a priority globally, but pedagogical methods do not always keep up with the evolving needs of learners. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an innovative pedagogical approach that facilitates students' self-regulated learning, thereby improving their English proficiency. The present systematic literature review therefore concentrates on the application of PBL methodology in improving students' English language proficiency.

Effect of traffic volumes on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of particulate matter: A comparative study from urban and rural areas in Malaysia.

Motor vehicles emit most Malaysian PAHs in particulate matter of 2.5 μm (PM2.5-bound PAHs).

The vascular effects of peppermint ( L) on aorta in a mouse model: an and computational study.

The present study examined the vascular effects of peppermint or mint () using an abdominal aortic rings model. Concentration-response curves for mint oil were generated after precontracting isolated mouse aorta with phenylephrine. The effect of different receptor antagonists and ion channel or enzyme inhibitors on the vasorelaxant potential of mint oil were studied.

Effects of Internet Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Internet Sleep Hygiene Education on Sleep Quality and Executive Function Among Medical Students in Malaysia: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Medical students are frequently affected by poor sleep quality. Since poor sleep quality has negative physiological and psychological consequences such as on executive function, there is an opportunity to improve sleep quality and executive functions using non-pharmacological intervention such as cognitive behavioural therapy.

Objective: The aim of this study therefore is to determine if improving sleep quality could improve executive functions in medical students with poor sleep quality by comparing cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) with sleep hygiene education (SHE) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Effects of positive education intervention on growth mindset and resilience among boarding middle school adolescents in China: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: The impact of a growth mindset and resilience on boarding middle school adolescents has received increasing attention from scholars. Nevertheless, research on how to intervene in the growth mindset, and resilience of boarding school adolescents needs further verification. The purpose of this study is to explore whether positive education intervention based on the PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement) model will help Chinese boarding middle school adolescents improve their growth mindset and resilience.

Extraction and characterization of sodium alginate from native Malaysian brown seaweed Sargassum polycystum.

Malaysian seaweed, particularly Sargassum polycystum, has potential for alginate production, yet an extraction protocol for this seaweed remains lacking. This study aimed to optimize the extraction process to maximize alginate yield while characterizing the physicochemical properties of the extracted alginate and its potential applications. An alkali-based extraction method was employed, with key parameters, including alkali concentration, extraction temperature, and time, carefully optimized to yield 30.

Navigating Diagnostic Complexities and Treatment Strategies of Moyamoya Syndrome: A Case Report.

Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) is characterized by progressive narrowing of intracranial arteries and the development of collateral vessel networks, often presenting with recurrent ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. MMS poses significant challenges in diagnosis due to its overlapping symptoms with other cerebrovascular conditions. Treatment aims to improve cerebral blood flow, reduce symptom frequency, and prevent future strokes.