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Fulltext HIV/AIDS knowledge level among undergraduate health science students in a private university, Malaysia

Amin S, Awang Z

Malaysian Journal of Medical Research, 2017;1(1):1-7.
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Globally, the spread of HIV/AIDS is a major public health challenge because of its pandemic magnitudes. Despite the fact that people of any age are susceptible to HIV, the younger population is more susceptible to be infected because of their lifestyle choices. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent of HIV/AIDS knowledge level among health science undergraduate university students as they play a primary role within the health care system of a country. A cross-sectional study was conducted by using a semi structured, self-administered, especially design questionnaire. Out of total one hundred fifty undergraduate university students, there were 96 males (64%) and 54 females (36%) with the age ranging from 19-25 years. All the students were able to write the acronym of HIV (100%) and AIDS (100%). Common routes of transmission and prevention measure were known by majority of the students. Students stated correctly regarding HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child through pregnancy (18.02%), delivery (15.31%) and breast feeding (11.30%) which was very low level of knowledge. Most of the medical, dental and physiotherapy students had correct knowledge on high risk populace for HIV/AIDS; like singles, intravenous drug user, multiple sex partners and commercial sexual partner. Regarding the preventive measure as hand washing, use of facial mask and sexual abstinent was correctly mentioned by only 31.34%, 34.02% and 28.01% total students respectively. However other safety measure like condom use, effectiveness of condom use, screening of blood was widely known by the students. However, regarding the knowledge on treatment issue of HIV/AIDS, majority of the students (85.30%) correctly knew that HIV/AIDS was not curable, whereas only 15.31% and 20.01% correctly knew that the treatment was very expensive and available respectively. So, this study focus the educational endeavors that could be broadened to emphasis on its general knowledge on HIV/AIDS.
Study site: Medical, Dental and Physiotherapy Faculties at a private university college in Malaysia.
The effect of ammonia on carbon nanotube growth using simple thermal chemical vapour deposition

Teh AA, Ahmad R, Kara M, Rusop M, Awang Z

J Nanosci Nanotechnol, 2012 Oct;12(10):8201-4.
PMID: 23421197

We report the use of a new precursor as active agents to promote the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in methane ambient using a simple thermal chemical vapour deposition method. The agents consist of ammonia and methanol mixed at different ratios and was found to enhance the growth of CNTs. The optimum methanol to ammonia ratio was found to be 8 to 5, whereby longer and denser CNTs were produced compared to other ratios. The result was found otherwise when the experiment was done solely in methane ambient. In addition, CNT growth on substrates coated with double layer Ni catalyst was improved in terms of quality and density compared to a single coated substrates. This finding is supported by Raman spectrometry analysis.
Defaulting from a new hypertension clinic in Malaysia

Burns-Cox CJ, Awang Z, Sushama PC

Med J Malaya, 1971 Dec;26(2):94-7.
PMID: 4260867
Fulltext High Expression of PXMP4 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues

Zhao MM, Awang Z, Jumuddin FAB

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2024 Feb 01;25(2):603-608.
PMID: 38415547 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.2.603

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the high expression of peroxisome membrane protein 4 (PXMP4) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical significance.
METHODS: The expression of PXMP4 mRNA in HCC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues was detected by Q-PCR, and the expression of PXMP4 protein was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The correlation of PXMP4 protein expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of HCC was analyzed.
RESULTS: The expression levels of PXMP4 mRNA and protein in HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (P < 0.05), and its high expression was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion and TNM stage (P < 0.05). Patients with high expression of PXMP4 had a poor prognosis (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The high expression of PXMP4 may promote the occurrence and development of HCC, and inhibition of PXMP4 may be one of the potential molecular targets for targeted therapy of HCC.
Fulltext Validation of the Malay version of the Inventory of Functional Status after Childbirth questionnaire

Noor NM, Aziz AA, Mostapa MR, Awang Z

Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:972728.
PMID: 25667932 DOI: 10.1155/2015/972728

This study was designed to examine the psychometric properties of Malay version of the Inventory of Functional Status after Childbirth (IFSAC).
Aging effects on physical and electrical properties of nano-structured MgZnO thin films for carbon nanotube applications

Ahmad R, Salina M, Mamat MH, Teh AA, Kara M, Rusop M, et al.

J Nanosci Nanotechnol, 2012 Oct;12(10):8153-7.
PMID: 23421193

This paper addresses the growth of nano-structured MgZnO thin films by sol-gel spin coating method which will be used as a template layer to grow carbon nanotubes. The nano-structured MgZnO films were deposited on platinized (100) silicon substrates. In this work, we focused on the effect of aging and Mg content on the film structure and resistivity. Sols with Mg content of 10, 30 and 50 at.% were subjected to aging times of between 3 to 240 hours. Results from scanning (SEM) and field emission scanning electron (FESEM) microscopes and surface profiler (SP) showed that the sol aging increased the thickness, grain size and surface roughness for aging up to 240 hours. The energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) confirmed the element of Mg in the ZnO films. The electrical resistivity also increased with aging time as confirmed by four point probe method. The results suggest that appropriate aging of the sol is important for improving physical quality and electrical performance of MgZnO thin films derived from sol-gel technique.
Fulltext Happiness at work: A cross-cultural validation of happiness at work scale

Fitriana N, Hutagalung FD, Awang Z, Zaid SM

PLoS One, 2022;17(1):e0261617.
PMID: 34986180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261617

The idea of Happiness at Work is drawn from psychology and economic studies. It is often considered as a synonym with 'wellbeing' and defined as a state characterized by a high level of life satisfaction, a high level of positive emotions, and less negative emotions. This research aims to validate the Happiness at Work scale in the Indonesian context. In this study, the researchers conducted cross-cultural adaptation for the Happiness at Work scale following systematic procedures to produce the Scale of Happiness at Work in the Indonesian language. Afterward, the researchers evaluated the content validity with the help of professional judgment and measured the Content Validity Index at the item level and the scale level. Further, to examine the psychometric properties of the Happiness at Work scale, the researchers administer the questionnaire to a sample of 105 (35 male and 70 female) lecturers to conduct exploratory factor analysis to formulate the new dimensionality of the Happiness at Work scale. The results of Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated that Happiness at Work in the Indonesian context could be measured using four dimensions. To confirm that the extracted dimensions measure a single construct, the researchers administered the produced version to a sample of 370 (147 male and 223 female). Afterward, researchers conducted confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the validity and reliability of the measurement model. This research found out that the Indonesian version of Happiness at Work measurement is reliable and valid. Thus, this study may contribute to the happiness at work literature of non-western context. In conclusion, the Indonesian-Happiness at Work scale shows robust psychometric properties that can be used for further research.
Fulltext Validating an Instrument for Measuring Newly Graduated Nurses' Adaptation

Baharum H, Ismail A, Awang Z, McKenna L, Ibrahim R, Mohamed Z, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2023 Feb 06;20(4).
PMID: 36833559 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20042860

A long-established approach, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) is used to validate measurement models of latent constructs. Employing CFA can be useful for assessing the validity and reliability of such models. The study adapted previous instruments and modified them to suit the current setting. The new measurement model is termed NENA-q. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed the instruments of the NENA-q model formed a construct of the second order with four dimensions, namely organizational contribution (OC), academic institution contribution (AIC), personality traits (PT), and newly employed nurses' adaptation (NENA). Researchers administered the questionnaires to a sample of 496 newly employed nurses working in hospitals under the Ministry of Health (MOH) for the confirmation of the extracted dimensions. The study performed a two-step CFA procedure to validate NENA-q since the model involves higher-order constructs. The first step was individual CFA, while the second step was pooled CFA. The validation procedure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) found the model achieved the threshold of construct validity through fitness index assessment. The model also achieved convergent validity when all average variance extracted (AVE) exceeded the threshold value of greater than 0.5. The assessment of the composite reliability (CR) value indicates all CR values exceeded the threshold value of 0.6, which indicates the construct achieved composite reliability. Overall, the NENA-q model consisting of the OC construct, AIC construct, PT construct, and NENA construct for CFA has met the fitness indexes and passed the measurements of the AVE, CR, and normality test. Once the measurement models have been validated through CFA procedure, the researcher can assemble these constructs into structural model and estimate the required parameter through structural equation modelling (SEM) procedure.
Fulltext Critical Success Factors and Acceptance of the Casemix System Implementation Within the Total Hospital Information System: Exploratory Factor Analysis of a Pilot Study

Mustafa NK, Ibrahim R, Aizuddin AN, Aljunid SM, Awang Z

JMIR Form Res, 2024 Oct 29;8:e56898.
PMID: 39470697 DOI: 10.2196/56898

BACKGROUND: The health care landscape is evolving rapidly due to rising costs, an aging population, and the increasing prevalence of diseases. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia implemented transformation strategies such as the Casemix system and hospital information system to enhance health care quality, resource allocation, and cost-effectiveness. However, successful implementation relies not just on the technology itself but on the acceptance and engagement of the users involved.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop and refine items of a quantitative instrument measuring the critical success factors influencing acceptance of Casemix system implementation within the Ministry of Health's Total Hospital Information System (THIS).
METHODS: A cross-sectional pilot study collected data from medical doctors at a hospital equipped with the THIS in the federal territory of Putrajaya, Malaysia. This pilot study's minimum sample size was 125, achieved through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire adapted from the human, organization, and technology-fit evaluation framework and the technology acceptance model. The pilot data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the Cronbach α assessed internal reliability. Both analyses were conducted in SPSS (version 25.0; IBM Corp).
RESULTS: This study obtained 106 valid responses, equivalent to an 84.8% (106/125) response rate. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.859, and the Bartlett test of sphericity yielded statistically significant results (P0.6, leading to the removal of 1 item for the final instrument for the field study. EFA ultimately identified 8 main constructs influencing Casemix implementation within the THIS: system quality, information quality, service quality, organizational characteristics, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, and acceptance. Internal reliability measured using the Cronbach α ranged from 0.914 to 0.969, demonstrating high reliability.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into the complexities of EFA and the distinct dimensions underlying the constructs that influence Casemix system acceptance in the THIS. While the findings align with extensive technology acceptance literature, the results accentuate the necessity for further research to develop a consensus regarding the most critical factors for successful Casemix adoption. The developed instrument is a substantial step toward better understanding the multidimensional challenges of health care system transformations in Malaysia, postulating an underpinning for future fieldwork and broader application across other hospitals.
Fulltext A Study on Microwave Absorption Properties of Carbon Black and Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 Nanocomposites by Tuning the Matching-Absorbing Layer Structures

Ibrahim IR, Matori KA, Ismail I, Awang Z, Rusly SNA, Nazlan R, et al.

Sci Rep, 2020 Feb 21;10(1):3135.
PMID: 32081972 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60107-1

Microwave absorption properties were systematically studied for double-layer carbon black/epoxy resin (CB) and Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4/epoxy resin (F) nanocomposites in the frequency range of 8 to 18 GHz. The Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via high energy ball milling with subsequent sintering while carbon black was commercially purchased. The materials were later incorporated into epoxy resin to fabricate double-layer composite structures with total thicknesses of 2 and 3 mm. The CB1/F1, in which carbon black as matching and ferrite as absorbing layer with each thickness of 1 mm, showed the highest microwave absorption of more than 99.9%, with minimum reflection loss of -33.8 dB but with an absorption bandwidth of only 2.7 GHz. Double layer absorbers with F1/CB1(ferrite as matching and carbon black as absorbing layer with each thickness of 1 mm) structure showed the best microwave absorption performance in which more than 99% microwave energy were absorbed, with promising minimum reflection loss of -24.0 dB, along with a wider bandwidth of 4.8 GHz and yet with a reduced thickness of only 2 mm.