Background/Aims: In view of the differing sensitivity and specificity of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the non-English-speaking populations, we conducted the first validation study of the Malay version (M-MMSE) in Malaysia among 300 subjects (from the community and outpatient clinics). Methods: Three versions were used: M-MMSE-7 (serial 7), M-MMSE-3 (serial 3) and M-MMSE-S (spell ‘dunia’ backwards). Dementia was assessed using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. The optimal cutoff scores were obtained from the receiver operating characteristics curves. Results: Seventy-three patients (24.3%) had dementia and 227 (75.7%) were controls. Three hundred patients completed the M-MMSE-7, 160 the M-MMSE-3 and 145 the M-MMSE-S. All 3 versions were valid and reliable in the diagnosis of dementia. The optimal cutoff scores varied with each version and gender. In the control group, significant gender differences were observed in the patients with the lowest educational status. Increasing educational levels significantly improved the M-MMSE performance in both genders. Conclusion: All 3 versions of the M-MMSE are valid and reliable as a screening tool for dementia in the Malaysian population, but at different cutoff scores. In those with the lowest educational background, gender-adjusted cutoff scores should be applied.

Indonesia is a big country with multiethnic populations whose gastric cancer risks have not been elucidated. We performed a nationwide survey and obtained histological specimens from 1053 individuals in 19 cities across the country. We examined the gastric mucosa, the topography, the atrophic gastritis risk factors, and the gastric cancer risk scores. Almost half (46.1%) of the patients with dyspeptic symptoms had histological abnormalities; chronic (36.3%) and atrophic gastritis (28.9%) being the most frequent. Individuals of the Timor ethnicity had the highest prevalence of acute (52.6%) and chronic gastritis (68.4%), even those negative for H . pylori . Our topographic analysis showed the majority of patients had predominantly antral acute and chronic gastritis. A multivariate logistic regression model showed age (Odds ratio [OR], 1.107), Timor ethnicity (OR, 8.531), and H . pylori infection (OR, 22.643) as independent risk factors for presence of atrophic gastritis. In addition, the gastric cancer risk score was highest in those from Timor, Papuan, and Bugis ethnic populations. Overall, Indonesia is a low-risk gastric cancer country. However, several ethnic groups displayed severe gastric mucosa symptoms suggesting policy makers should focus on those ethnic groups to perform gastric cancer screenings and to eradicate H . pylori .

<p class="apa">The purpose of this study was twofold, i.e. to examine the extent to which students’ self-reported use of digital technology constituted meaningful and interpretable dimensions of the digital citizenship construct, and to test the adequacy of the construct in terms of its reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and measurement equivalence for male and female students. The sample consisted of 391 undergraduates from 15 institutions of higher education in Malaysia. The data were collected using a self-reported 17-item questionnaire measuring university students’ digital citizenship behaviours. The results of the study supported and extended the results of previous work on students’ behaviors when using digital technology. The study found evidence that students’ digital citizenship is a valid and reliable multidimensional construct, and the measurement is gender-invariant. The findings are useful in making evidence-informed decisions in choosing and developing instructional interventions to produce ethical and responsible technology users, and in informing future research in the area.</p>

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