INSIGHTS @ MAHSA

Hypercholesterolemia is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Regular intake of Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic has been suggested to have beneficial impact on cholesterol levels. Garlic is a plant of the family Alliaceae. It is universally used as a flavouring agent and in traditional medicine to enhance physical and mental health. Unique organosulphur compounds found in garlic provide its characteristic flavour and odour and most of its biological activity. O ne of the sulfur-based compound, allicin is attributed to garlic cholesterol-lowering effects even though the exact mechanism of its action remains unclear.   The effect of garlic on blood lipids has been studied in numerous trials and also summarized in meta-analyses, with conflicting results. We critically reviewed and summarised the evidence on the effect of garlic on serum cholesterol. We carried out a comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, electronic publishing sites,...

Rakyat Malaysia perlu zahirkan kecintaan kepada negara dengan mengekalkan  perpaduan dan keharmonian negara yang berbilang kaum Pada 31 Ogos 2022, maka genaplah 65 tahun Persekutuan Tanah Melayu yang kini dikenali sebagai Malaysia mencapai kemerdekaan. Namun tempoh 65 tahun itu bukanlah dicapai dengan cara yang mudah kerana perjuangan nasionalis untuk membebaskan negara ini daripada cengkaman penjajah telah mengorbankan keringat dan air mata darah yang tidak terkira banyaknya. Namun begitu harus kita akui Malaysia pada masa kini terus menerus mencapai kemajuan daripada pelbagai bidang sama ada daripada aspek politik, ekonomi dan juga sosial. Dalam kita menikmati keamanan dan kemakmuran ini, adalah wajar bagi kita sebagai rakyat yang patriotik untuk mengimbas kembali liku-liku perjuangan nasionalis dahulu yang mencurahkan segalanya untuk membolehkan generasi kini menikmati kebebasan yang bersifat total tanpa diganggu gugat oleh kuasa luar.   Perhimpunan Persatuan- Persatuan Mel...

  Obesity can lead to hypertension and increase in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). SNA is one of the contributing factor to obesity induced hypertension. High fat diet-(Figure 1) induced visceral obesity, renal inflammation and injury that can lead to augmented renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). Blunting of the arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflexes because of inflammatory response seems to be the mechanism for the increase in RSNA.   We Investigated the impact of high fat style diet (HFSD) and loss of ovarian function on the low- and high-pressure baroreflex regulation of RSNA. We fed the ovary-intact and ovariectomised (OVX) Sprague Dawley rats for a period of 10 weeks. Mean blood pressure (MBP) as well as fasting blood glucose (FBG) were measured every 2 weeks. Similarly, 24h metabolic data collection that were also assessed for renal functional parameters every 2 weeks. Ovary-intact and OVX rats fed the ND or HFSD were anaesthetised for measurement of RSNA a...

Open and distance learning (ODL) is the term used to describe the provision of flexible educational options in terms of accessibility and variety of knowledge acquisition modes. Flexible here denotes the availability of choices for learning anywhere, anytime and anyhow while accessibility means opportunity available to everyone, freeing then from constraints of time and space. The term ODL is frequently used interchangeably with open learning, e-learning, mobile learning, distance teaching, adult education and correspondence education and many others when discussing non-conventional teaching and learning but these are not necessarily all the same. A programme of study is deemed as an ODL programme if more than 60% of the courses offered in the programme are conducted via open and distance learning. In order for a course to be considered as an ODL course, at least 80% of the student learning time (SLT) must be delivered via open and distance mode. This must be supported through regu...

Biotechnology may be defined as the use biological processes, organisms or systems to develop and create different products.  There are 5 main branches of biotechnology, ie Medical, Environmental, Industrial, Animal and Plant. Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough products and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes. There are tremendous research potential opportunities available in biotechnology field, evidenced by recent advancements in several sectors including medical, veterinary, agriculture, fermentation industry and pharmaceutical industries through biotechnology research. Research in Medical biotechnology leads to development of new innovative drugs and treatment for preventing and curing various diseases such as the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.  Research in Genome editing, microarray...

  Research findings have shown that giving gadgets to children can cause various problems including social isolation and withdrawal, impatience, introvert, lack of emotional control and poor interpersonal communication skills. On the other hand, there are also research findings that underline the benefits of gadget use by children such as enhanced speaking listening and creative skills, better eye-hand coordination, increased decision making speed, promotes independent learning and much more. So the question then is how can ensure our children use gadgets appropriately without getting addicted, ie. having an obsessive/uncontrollable urge to use a gadget Here are some tips that you may find useful #1 Be A Role Model If you as a parent use gadgets all the time in front of children, it is difficult for them to understand why they should not use gadgets all the time as well. As the Malay saying goes, it would be like a crab teaching its young to walk straight. So, the first step is for...

  Educators must be well aware of mental health issues among students since they are often the closest to their students and the first-line of defence against any. Education experts recognize the implications of a student's mental health on learning and achievement, and there is much that can be done to support students with mental health problems. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one out of every five people suffer from a mental illness and most people wait until adulthood to seek help. The fact that 60 percent of students with mental illnesses do not graduate emphasizes the severity of the situation. One of the main factors contributing to mental illness according to the World Health Organization, is depression. Tragically, among people aged 15 to 29, suicide ranks as the fourth most common cause of death. Nowadays, students are heavily involved with social media such as Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter and they may be subjected to destructive comparisons, cyber- ...

  The Oxford Dictionary defines Education as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. The root word Educate means to teach, train or develop the knowledge, skill, mind or character through formal instruction, teaching or schooling. There is a common Malay proverb that is used to describe teaching children, ie “Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya”. In English this translates to “bending a bamboo should be done when it is a shoot”; because while a young bamboo shoot is pliant, a mature bamboo is rigid and cannot be bent This is related to the teaching and formation of children which should be done at an early age because their minds and character are still pliant. Young children are likened to a white canvas whereby, we paint them the way want them to be. Therefore, early childhood education is very important to help in developing behavior and character for their future. It is also related to the learning process, imparting ...

In an era of rising expectations for greater professionals of good accountability, the graduating student shall enter practice with a defined set of learning competencies and the ability to produce measurable outcomes that are reasonable and desirable. Unfortunately, the current education system is mostly defined by its input. In an input model curriculum, more emphasis is put on the amount of time a student spends “in seat” rather than the content that is actually learned. Having certain hours of particular subjects (i.e., X hours of pharmacology or Y hours of pathology) in the curriculum, had led to many overloaded curricula in professional programmes.   The traditional credit-hour system in measuring academic progress has been found to be ineffective to unveil students' real performance and competence to translate knowledge into improved quality of care [1, 2]. Due to this,   academicians and educationalists began to formulate customisable learning objectives incorporating ...

  After knowing that I have qualified for ASEAN University Games 2022, I’ve been consistently involved in training both physically and mentally. As it would be my first international meet, I was excited and felt challenged to demonstrate my skills in swimming. Being a trained swimmer, it is my passion to become a successful sportsman by showing my capabilities in competition arenas. The season has started quite well for me and I’ve been working on the things that I was lacking. This made me to feel more confident to move further to perform during the meet.  I had a positive mind-set and felt motivated during the sports event.   I believe it is the dream of every sportsman across the world to participate in international event. Moreover, I felt exited to prove myself as I was representing my country and my University. With this motivation and positive mind-set I knew what I should do. Being a Physiotherapy student, I always concentrate on maintaining my physical and ment...

The world is experiencing unprecedented challenges in the form of pandemics and extreme weather patterns but the indomitable spirit of the human race shines through with new technological, scientific and medical breakthroughs. Introduction of new technologies are making older ones obsolete, and this warrants continuous education and training of for staying current in any field of expertise and the importance of this is succinctly expressed in the words of Peter Drucker “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” At the Faculty of Health Sciences MAHSA University great emphasis is given for continuous education and training of staff to enhance knowledge and to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of physiotherapy, environmental health and medical imaging which is hoped to better clinical and academic teaching and ultimately ensure exceptional students learning ...