Browse publications by year: 2016

Intraocular distribution of topically applied hydrophilic and lipophilic substances in rat eyes

Abdul Nasir NA, Agarwal P, Agarwal R, Iezhitsa I, Alyautdin R, Nukolova NN, et al.

Drug Deliv, 2016 Oct;23(8):2765-71.
PMID: 26289215

Topical administration is the preferred route of drug delivery for ophthalmic ailments. However, poor permeation through ocular surface and significant systemic absorption, makes the topical drug delivery challenging. Furthermore, distribution of topically delivered drugs varies with their physicochemical properties and the type of formulation used. Hence, this study was done to understand the pattern of ocular drug distribution of topically applied hydrophilic and lipophilic substances in two different formulations.
Cardiomyogenic differentiation of human sternal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells using a combination of basic fibroblast growth factor and hydrocortisone

Hafez P, Jose S, Chowdhury SR, Ng MH, Ruszymah BH, Abdul Rahman Mohd R

Cell Biol Int, 2016 Jan;40(1):55-64.
PMID: 26289249 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10536

The alarming rate of increase in myocardial infarction and marginal success in efforts to regenerate the damaged myocardium through conventional treatments creates an exceptional avenue for cell-based therapy. Adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes, by treatment with 5-azacytidine, thus, have been anticipated as a therapeutic tool for myocardial infarction treatment. In this study, we investigated the ability of basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF) and hydrocortisone as a combined treatment to stimulate the differentiation of MSCs into cardiomyocytes. MSCs were isolated from sternal marrow of patients undergoing heart surgery (CABG). The isolated cells were initially monitored for the growth pattern, followed by characterization using ISCT recommendations. Cells were then differentiated using a combination of bFGF and hydrocortisone and evaluated for the expression of characteristic cardiac markers such as CTnI, CTnC, and Cnx43 at protein level using immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry, and CTnC and CTnT at mRNA level. The expression levels and pattern of the cardiac markers upon analysis with ICC and qRT-PCR were similar to that of 5-azacytidine induced cells and cultured primary human cardiomyocytes. However, flow cytometric evaluation revealed that induction with bFGF and hydrocortisone drives MSC differentiation to cardiomyocytes with a marginally higher efficiency. These results indicate that combination treatment of bFGF and hydrocortisone can be used as an alternative induction method for cardiomyogenic differentiation of MSCs for future clinical applications.
Fulltext Warping of the levator hiatus: how significant is it?

Dietz HP, Severino M, Kamisan Atan I, Shek KL, Guzman Rojas R

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol, 2016 Aug;48(2):239-42.
PMID: 26289617 DOI: 10.1002/uog.15728

OBJECTIVES: The levator hiatus is the largest potential hernial portal in the human body. Excessive distensibility is associated with female pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Distension occurs not just laterally but also caudally, resulting in perineal descent and hiatal deformation or 'warping'. The aim of this study was to quantify the warping effect in symptomatic women, to validate the depth of the rendered volume used for the 'simplified method' of measuring hiatal dimensions and to determine predictors for the degree of warping.
METHODS: This was a retrospective study utilizing records of patients referred to a tertiary urogynecological service between November 2012 and March 2013. Patients underwent a standardized interview, clinical assessment using the POP quantification system of the International Continence Society and four-dimensional translabial ultrasound. The craniocaudal difference in the location of minimal distances in mid-sagittal and coronal planes was determined by offline analysis of ultrasound volumes, and provided a numerical measure of warping. We tested potential predictors, such as demographic factors, signs and symptoms of prolapse, levator avulsion and levator distensibility, for an association with warping.
RESULTS: Full datasets were available for 190 women. The mean craniocaudal difference in location of minimal distances in mid-sagittal and coronal planes was -1.26 mm (range, -6.7 to 4.6 mm; P

MeSH terms: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography; Valsalva Maneuver; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods*; Young Adult; Tertiary Care Centers
Effect of honey on the reproductive system of male rat offspring exposed to prenatal restraint stress

Haron MN, Mohamed M

Andrologia, 2016 Jun;48(5):525-31.
PMID: 26289766 DOI: 10.1111/and.12473

Exposure to prenatal stress is associated with impaired reproductive function in male rat offspring. Honey is traditionally used by the Malays for enhancement of fertility. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of honey on reproductive system of male rat offspring exposed to prenatal restraint stress. Dams were divided into four groups (n = 10/group): control, honey, stress and honey + stress groups. Dams from honey and honey + stress groups received oral honey (1.2 g kg(-1) body weight) daily from day 1 of pregnancy, meanwhile dams from stress and honey + stress groups were subjected to restraint stress (three times per day) from day 11 of pregnancy until delivery. At 10 weeks old, each male rat offspring was mated with a regular oestrus cycle female. Male sexual behaviour and reproductive performance were evaluated. Then, male rats were euthanised for assessment on reproductive parameters. Honey supplementation during prenatal restraint stress significantly increased testis and epididymis weights as well as improved the percentages of abnormal spermatozoa and sperm motility in male rat offspring. In conclusion, this study might suggest that supplementation of honey during pregnancy seems to reduce the adverse effects of restraint stress on reproductive organs weight and sperm parameters in male rat offspring.

MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Genitalia, Male/pathology; Genitalia, Male/physiopathology; Honey*; Male; Organ Size; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/pathology; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/physiopathology*; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/prevention & control*; Reproduction/physiology*; Restraint, Physical/adverse effects*; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Stress, Physiological; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Dietary Supplements; Rats; Semen Analysis
Characterization of Pax3 and Pax7 genes and their expression patterns during different development and growth stages of Japanese pufferfish Takifugu rubripes

Akolkar DB, Asaduzzaman M, Kinoshita S, Asakawa S, Watabe S

Gene, 2016 Jan 1;575(1):21-8.
PMID: 26297555 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.08.031

Pax3 and Pax7 are the regulators and markers of muscle progenitors and satellite cells that contribute to the embryonic development and postembryonic growth of skeletal muscle in vertebrates, as well as to its repair and regeneration. However, information regarding them in vertebrate genome model, torafugu Takifugu rubripes, has remained unknown. Therefore, as an initial step, here we characterized Pax3 and Pax7 from torafugu and investigated their expression patterns during different developmental stages by RT-PCR. In silico analysis with the Fugu genome database (ver. 4.0) yielded two distinct genes each for Pax3 (Pax3a and Pax3b) and Pax7 (Pax7a and Pax7b). The 75th amino acid, glutamine (Gln75), from the N-terminus was replaced by proline in the paired box domain (PD) of Pax3a. One single cDNA clone encoding Pax3a had deletion of Gln75 in PD, suggesting the presence of alternatively spliced variants (Q+/Q-). This was further supported by identification of two adjacent alternative 3' splice acceptor sites which produce Pax3b Q+ (aagCAGGGA) and Q- (aagcagGGA) variants. Interestingly, torafugu Pax7a, but not Pax7b, had an insert encoding five amino acid residues (SGEAS) in a C-terminal region of PD in two out of three cDNA clones. Genomic analysis showed two alternate splice donor sites at exon 4 of Pax7a. In synteny analysis, torafugu Pax3a showed syntenic relationship with the corresponding regions in other teleosts only, whereas Pax3b and Pax7b showed high syntenic relationship with the corresponding regions of both mammals and other teleosts. RT-PCR revealed that expression of Pax3a and Pax3b transcripts was restricted to embryonic stages only, whereas those of Pax7a and Pax7b was continued to be expressed in larvae and importantly those of Pax7a were found in adult skeletal muscles. Therefore, Pax3 appears to be most important for primary myogenesis and Pax7 for secondary myogenesis and growth by hyperplasia in fish. In this regard, the transcripts of torafugu Pax3 and Pax7 genes might be used for further investigation as a marker for identification of muscle precursor cells during different phases of growth, and this ambiguity is the next target of our research.

MeSH terms: Animals; Exons/physiology; Alternative Splicing/physiology*; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism*; Takifugu/genetics; Takifugu/metabolism*; Muscle Development/physiology*; Fish Proteins/biosynthesis*; Fish Proteins/genetics; Paired Box Transcription Factors/biosynthesis*; Paired Box Transcription Factors/genetics
Current status of arsenic exposure and social implication in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia

Phan K, Kim KW, Huoy L, Phan S, Se S, Capon AG, et al.

Environ Geochem Health, 2016 Jun;38(3):763-72.
PMID: 26298061 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-015-9759-z

To evaluate the current status of arsenic exposure in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia, field interview along with urine sample collection was conducted in the arsenic-affected area of Kandal Province, Cambodia. Urine samples were analyzed for total arsenic concentrations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. As a result, arsenicosis patients (n = 127) had As in urine (UAs) ranging from 3.76 to 373 µg L(-1) (mean = 78.7 ± 69.8 µg L(-1); median = 60.2 µg L(-1)). Asymptomatic villagers (n = 108) had UAs ranging from 5.93 to 312 µg L(-1) (mean = 73.0 ± 52.2 µg L(-1); median = 60.5 µg L(-1)). About 24.7 % of all participants had UAs greater than 100 µg L(-1) which indicated a recent arsenic exposure. A survey found that females and adults were more likely to be diagnosed with skin sign of arsenicosis than males and children, respectively. Education level, age, gender, groundwater drinking period, residence time in the village and amount of water drunk per day may influence the incidence of skin signs of arsenicosis. This study suggests that residents in Kandal study area are currently at risk of arsenic although some mitigation has been implemented. More commitment should be made to address this public health concern in rural Cambodia.

MeSH terms: Adult; Arsenic/urine*; Cambodia/epidemiology; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Socioeconomic Factors*; Mass Spectrometry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/poisoning; Arsenic Poisoning/epidemiology*; Groundwater/chemistry; Drinking Water
Optimisation on pretreatment of rubber seed (Hevea brasiliensis) oil via esterification reaction in a hydrodynamic cavitation reactor

Bokhari A, Chuah LF, Yusup S, Klemeš JJ, Kamil RNM

Bioresour Technol, 2016 Jan;199:414-422.
PMID: 26298387 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.08.013

Pretreatment of the high free fatty acid rubber seed oil (RSO) via esterification reaction has been investigated by using a pilot scale hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) reactor. Four newly designed orifice plate geometries are studied. Cavities are induced by assisted double diaphragm pump in the range of 1-3.5 bar inlet pressure. An optimised plate with 21 holes of 1mm diameter and inlet pressure of 3 bar resulted in RSO acid value reduction from 72.36 to 2.64 mg KOH/g within 30 min of reaction time. Reaction parameters have been optimised by using response surface methodology and found as methanol to oil ratio of 6:1, catalyst concentration of 8 wt%, reaction time of 30 min and reaction temperature of 55°C. The reaction time and esterified efficiency of HC was three fold shorter and four fold higher than mechanical stirring. This makes the HC process more environmental friendly.

MeSH terms: Methanol/chemistry; Biotechnology/instrumentation; Biotechnology/methods*; Catalysis; Equipment Design; Esterification; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified/chemistry; Plant Oils/chemistry*; Pressure; Seeds/chemistry; Temperature; Hevea/chemistry*; Biofuels*; Hydrodynamics
Computational Analysis and In silico Predictive Modeling for Inhibitors of PhoP Regulon in S. typhi on High-Throughput Screening Bioassay Dataset

Kaur H, Ahmad M, Scaria V

Interdiscip Sci, 2016 Mar;8(1):95-101.
PMID: 26298582 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-015-0273-x

There is emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhi in pandemic proportions throughout the world, and therefore, there is a necessity to speed up the discovery of novel molecules having different modes of action and also less influenced by the resistance formation that would be used as drug for the treatment of salmonellosis particularly typhoid fever. The PhoP regulon is well studied and has now been shown to be a critical regulator of number of gene expressions which are required for intracellular survival of S. enterica and pathophysiology of disease like typhoid. The evident roles of two-component PhoP-/PhoQ-regulated products in salmonella virulence have motivated attempts to target them therapeutically. Although the discovery process of biologically active compounds for the treatment of typhoid relies on hit-finding procedure, using high-throughput screening technology alone is very expensive, as well as time consuming when performed on large scales. With the recent advancement in combinatorial chemistry and contemporary technique for compounds synthesis, there are more and more compounds available which give ample growth of diverse compound library, but the time and endeavor required to screen these unfocused massive and diverse library have been slightly reduced in the past years. Hence, there is demand to improve the high-quality hits and success rate for high-throughput screening that required focused and biased compound library toward the particular target. Therefore, we still need an advantageous and expedient method to prioritize the molecules that will be utilized for biological screens, which saves time and is also inexpensive. In this concept, in silico methods like machine learning are widely applicable technique used to build computational model for high-throughput virtual screens to prioritize molecules for advance study. Furthermore, in computational analysis, we extended our study to identify the common enriched structural entities among the biologically active compound toward finding out the privileged scaffold.

MeSH terms: Bacterial Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors*; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism; Bayes Theorem; Biological Assay/methods*; Computer Simulation*; Models, Molecular; ROC Curve; Salmonella typhi/genetics*; Regulon/genetics*; Computational Biology/methods*; Area Under Curve; Databases as Topic*; High-Throughput Screening Assays/methods*
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) among office workers in an academic institution, Malaysia - associations with asthma, allergies and office environment

Lim FL, Hashim Z, Md Said S, Than LT, Hashim JH, Norbäck D

J Asthma, 2016 Mar;53(2):170-8.
PMID: 26300213 DOI: 10.3109/02770903.2015.1077861

OBJECTIVE: There are few studies on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and respiratory symptoms among adults in tropical areas. The aim was to study associations between FeNO and selected personal factors, respiratory symptoms, allergies, office characteristics and indoor office exposures among office workers (n = 460) from a university in Malaysia.
METHODS: Information on health was collected by a questionnaire, skin prick test and FeNO measurement. Temperature, relative air humidity, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were measured in the offices. Settled dust was vacuumed in the offices and analyzed for endotoxin, (1,3)-β-glucan and house dust mites allergens, namely Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1) and Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f 1). Two-level linear mixed models and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the associations.
RESULTS: One-fourth (25.9%) of the office workers had elevated FeNO level (≥ 25 ppb) and 61.5% had HDM, cat, seafood or pollen allergy. Male gender (p < 0.001), current smoking (p = 0.037), height (p < 0.001) and atopy (p < 0.001) were associated with FeNO. The amount of vacuumed dust was associated with FeNO among atopic subjects (p = 0.009). Asthma and rhinitis symptoms were associated with FeNO (p < 0.05), especially among atopic subjects. In particular, a combination of atopy and elevated FeNO were associated with doctor-diagnosed asthma (p < 0.001), rhinitis (p < 0.001) and airway symptoms last 12 months (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Gender, smoking, height and atopy are important risk factors for elevated FeNO levels. A combination of allergy testing and FeNO measurement could be useful in respiratory illness epidemiology studies and patient investigations in tropical areas.
KEYWORDS: Adults; Malaysia; allergy; office; respiratory symptoms; rhinitis; tropical areas

MeSH terms: Asthma; Malaysia
Analysis of 40 weight loss compounds adulterated in health supplements by liquid chromatography quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry

Zeng Y, Xu Y, Kee CL, Low MY, Ge X

Drug Test Anal, 2016 Mar;8(3-4):351-6.
PMID: 26305055 DOI: 10.1002/dta.1846

In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) enhanced product ion (EPI) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 40 compounds with weight loss effect, including bisacodyl, phenolphthalein, and sibutramine and its metabolites, etc. They might be adulterated in health supplements to get prominent weight loss effect. The samples were analyzed using a Q-Trap 5500 coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a CORTECS ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) C18 column (100 mm x 2.1 mm x1.6 µm). Scheduled MRM was used as survey scan, MS2 spectra acquired in the EPI mode were used to perform library searching to increase the confidence of detection. Limits of detection were less than 10 ng/g for the majority of the analytes. A total of 447 weight loss products were tested in our laboratory in the past three years. Among these samples, 119 samples were found to be adulterated with one or more weight loss compounds, including sibutramine, its metabolites benzyl sibutramine and desmethyl sibutramine; phenolphthalein; bisacodyl; furosemide; liothyronine (T3); and thyroxine (T4). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drug release, preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetics relationships of alginate pellets prepared by melt technology

Bose A, Harjoh N, Pal TK, Dan S, Wong TW

Expert Opin Drug Deliv, 2016 Jan;13(1):143-54.
PMID: 26307229 DOI: 10.1517/17425247.2015.1080686

Alginate pellets prepared by the aqueous agglomeration technique experience fast drug dissolution due to the porous pre-formed calcium alginate microstructure.
A sustainable system of systems approach: a new HFE paradigm

Thatcher A, Yeow PH

Ergonomics, 2016;59(2):167-78.
PMID: 26307437 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2015.1066876

Sustainability issues such as natural resource depletion, pollution and poor working conditions have no geographical boundaries in our interconnected world. To address these issues requires a paradigm shift within human factors and ergonomics (HFE), to think beyond a bounded, linear model understanding towards a broader systems framework. For this reason, we introduce a sustainable system of systems model that integrates the current hierarchical conceptualisation of possible interventions (i.e., micro-, meso- and macro-ergonomics) with important concepts from the sustainability literature, including the triple bottom line approach and the notion of time frames. Two practical examples from the HFE literature are presented to illustrate the model. The implications of this paradigm shift for HFE researchers and practitioners are discussed and include the long-term sustainability of the HFE community and comprehensive solutions to problems that consider the emergent issues that arise from this interconnected world.

MeSH terms: Conservation of Natural Resources*; Humans; Human Engineering/methods*; Systems Analysis*
Patterns of Infection and Patterns of Evolution: How a Malaria Parasite Brought "Monkeys and Man" Closer Together in the 1960s

Mason Dentinger R

J Hist Biol, 2016 04;49(2):359-95.
PMID: 26307748 DOI: 10.1007/s10739-015-9421-8

In 1960, American parasitologist Don Eyles was unexpectedly infected with a malariaparasite isolated from a macaque. He and his supervisor, G. Robert Coatney of the National Institutes of Health, had started this series of experiments with the assumption that humans were not susceptible to "monkey malaria." The revelation that a mosquito carrying a macaque parasite could infect a human raised a whole range of public health and biological questions. This paper follows Coatney's team of parasitologists and their subjects: from the human to the nonhuman; from the American laboratory to the forests of Malaysia; and between the domains of medical research and natural history. In the course of this research, Coatney and his colleagues inverted Koch's postulate, by which animal subjects are used to identify and understand human parasites. In contrast, Coatney's experimental protocol used human subjects to identify and understand monkey parasites. In so doing, the team repeatedly followed malaria parasites across the purported boundary separating monkeys and humans, a practical experience that created a sense of biological symmetry between these separate species. Ultimately, this led Coatney and his colleagues make evolutionary inferences, concluding "that monkeys and man are more closely related than some of us wish to admit." In following monkeys, men, and malaria across biological, geographical, and disciplinary boundaries, this paper offers a new historical narrative, demonstrating that the pursuit of public health agendas can fuel the expansion of evolutionary knowledge.

MeSH terms: Animals; Biological Evolution*; Humans; Macaca mulatta; Malaria/history*; Malaria/transmission; Parasitology/history*; Plasmodium*; Primates; Zoonoses/history; Zoonoses/transmission; Disease Transmission, Infectious/history; History, 20th Century
The Tzu Chi Silent Mentor Program: Application of Buddhist Ethics to Teach Student Physicians Empathy, Compassion, and Self-Sacrifice

Santibañez S, Boudreaux D, Tseng GF, Konkel K

J Relig Health, 2016 Oct;55(5):1483-94.
PMID: 26311054 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0110-x

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Silent Mentor Program promotes the donation of one's body to science as a selfless act by appealing to the Buddhist ethics of compassion and self-sacrifice. Together, faculty, families, and donors help medical students to learn the technical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological aspects of medicine. Students assigned to each "Silent Mentor" visit the family to learn about the donor's life. They see photos and hear family members' stories. Afterwards, students write a brief biography of the donor which is posted on the program website, in the medical school, and on the dissection table. In this paper, we: (1) summarize the Silent Mentor Program; (2) describe findings from an assessment of medical students who recently completed a new version of the program in Malaysia; and (3) explore how healthcare settings could benefit from this innovative program.

MeSH terms: Buddhism/psychology*; Education, Medical/methods; Education, Medical/ethics; Empathy*; Ethics, Medical/education; Humans; Malaysia; Mentors; Tissue and Organ Procurement/ethics; Religion and Medicine*; Students, Medical/psychology*; Tissue Donors/psychology*; Tissue Donors/ethics; Mentoring/ethics*
Fulltext Sustained benefit from intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis

Raja J, Nihtyanova SI, Murray CD, Denton CP, Ong VH

Rheumatology (Oxford), 2016 Jan;55(1):115-9.
PMID: 26320139 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kev318

OBJECTIVE: IVIG is known to confer significant benefit in rheumatologic conditions, including inflammatory myopathy. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of IVIG across different aspects of internal organ involvement in refractory active SSc, particularly the gastrointestinal (GI) system.
METHODS: SSc patients with overlap polymyositis who remained active and unresponsive to conventional disease-modifying agents and who subsequently received IVIG were identified. GI symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires. The Medical Research Council Sum Score for muscle strength and modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) were assessed. Serial measurements were undertaken at baseline prior to the first IVIG treatment and post-treatment in the most recent assessment.
RESULTS: Fifteen SSc patients were consecutively recruited into this observational study. The mean duration of IVIG treatment was 2.3 years, with treatment frequency ranging from every 6 weeks to 4 months. Compared with baseline, there was a significant reduction in gastro-oesophageal reflux frequency and intensity mean scores (P = 0.006 and P = 0.013, respectively). Significant improvement in the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) 2.0 score from a baseline mean score of 1.07 (s.d. 0.67) to 0.60 (0.46) (P = 0.002) was observed. There was regression in the markers of muscle disease with a reduction in the mean (s.d.) Medical Research Council sum score and the median creatine kinase level (P = 0.001 and P = 0.025, respectively). Significant amelioration of the mean basal modified Rodnan skin score from 21.5 (s.d. 13.8) to 10 (10.6) (P = 0.005) was observed.
CONCLUSION: IVIG may be a helpful adjunctive therapy in the amelioration of some key clinical aspects in refractory SSc. Sustained benefit from IVIG suggests a specific immunomodulatory effect on those with established SSc GI complications.
Study site: Royal Free Hospital, United Kingdom

MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gastrointestinal Diseases/drug therapy*; Gastrointestinal Diseases/etiology; Great Britain; Humans; Immunologic Factors/administration & dosage; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Retrospective Studies; Scleroderma, Systemic/complications; Scleroderma, Systemic/drug therapy*; Time Factors; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/administration & dosage*; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
Association of parental body mass index before pregnancy on infant growth and body composition: Evidence from a pregnancy cohort study in Malaysia

Zalbahar N, Jan Mohamed HJ, Loy SL, Najman J, McIntyre HD, Mamun A

Obes Res Clin Pract, 2016 09;10 Suppl 1:S35-S47.
PMID: 26321098 DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2015.08.002

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Parental body mass index (BMI) is strongly linked with the development of offspring overweight and obesity. However, there are a limited number of studies focusing on the association of parental body mass index before pregnancy on offspring growth and body composition in early life, particularly in developing countries.
METHODS: Data from the University Sains Malaysia (USM) Pregnancy Cohort which consists of 153 mother-offspring pairs were used. Data were collected using interview-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were also obtained. Multiple linear regression and generalised equation estimation (GEE) were used to examine the direction and impact of the association between parental BMI and child growth and body composition (weight for age, height for age, body mass index for age, weight for height and fat mass at age 2m, 6m, and 12m). Potential confounders, including validated measures of maternal diets and physical activity during pregnancy, were considered.
RESULTS: Of 153 parents, one-quarter of the mothers and 42.2% of the fathers, respectively, were overweight or obese before pregnancy. A significant association was found between maternal BMI and child's weight for height z-score (WHZ) and body mass index for age z-score (BAZ).
CONCLUSIONS: Having high pre-pregnancy BMI may increase BMI and WAZ of offspring in early life. Findings from this study emphasise the importance of monitoring maternal weight status, particularly before and during pregnancy and early life of offspring among Malaysians.

MeSH terms: Adipose Tissue; Adult; Body Composition*; Body Weight*; Fathers*; Female; Humans; Infant; Malaysia; Male; Mothers*; Obesity; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Cohort Studies; Body Mass Index*; Overweight; Pediatric Obesity/etiology*
Fulltext Stigma toward men who have sex with men among future healthcare providers in Malaysia: would more interpersonal contact reduce prejudice?

Earnshaw VA, Jin H, Wickersham JA, Kamarulzaman A, John J, Lim SH, et al.

AIDS Behav, 2016 Jan;20(1):98-106.
PMID: 26324078 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-015-1168-x

Men who have sex with men (MSM) living in countries with strong stigma toward MSM are vulnerable to HIV and experience significant barriers to HIV care. Research is needed to inform interventions to reduce stigma toward MSM in these countries, particularly among healthcare providers. A cross-sectional survey of 1158 medical and dental students was conducted at seven Malaysian universities in 2012. Multivariate analyses of variance suggest that students who had interpersonal contact with MSM were less prejudiced toward and had lower intentions to discriminate against MSM. Path analyses with bootstrapping suggest stereotypes and fear mediate associations between contact with prejudice and discrimination. Intervention strategies to reduce MSM stigma among healthcare providers in Malaysia and other countries with strong stigma toward MSM may include facilitating opportunities for direct, in-person or indirect, media-based prosocial contact between medical and dental students with MSM.

MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Discrimination (Psychology); Fear; Health Personnel/psychology*; Humans; Interpersonal Relations*; Malaysia; Male; Prejudice*; Stereotyping; Students, Dental/psychology*; Students, Medical/psychology*; HIV Infections/psychology*; Homosexuality, Male/psychology*; Social Stigma*; Homophobia
Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Malay version of the Short Sensory Profile

Ee SI, Loh SY, Chinna K, Marret MJ

Phys Occup Ther Pediatr, 2016 May;36(2):117-30.
PMID: 26325354 DOI: 10.3109/01942638.2015.1040574

AIMS: To translate, culturally adapt, and examine psychometric properties of the Malay version Short Sensory Profile (SSP-M).
METHODS: Pretesting (n = 30) of the original English SSP established its applicability for use with Malaysian children aged 3-10 years. This was followed by the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SSP-M. Two forward and two back translations were compared and reviewed by a committee of 10 experts who validated the content of the SSP-M, before pilot testing (n = 30). The final SSP-M questionnaire was completed by 419 parents of typically developing children aged 3-10 years.
RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha of each section of the SSP-M ranged from 0.73 to 0.93 and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) indicated good reliability (0.62-0.93). The seven factor model of the SSP-M had an adequate fit with evidence of convergent and discriminant validity.
CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the SSP-M is a valid and reliable screening tool for use in Malaysia with Malay-speaking parents of children aged 3-10 years. The SSP-M enables Malay-speaking parents to answer the questionnaire with better reliability, and provides occupational therapists with a valid tool to screen for sensory processing difficulties.
KEYWORDS: Cross-cultural adaptation; Short Sensory Profile; psychometric properties; sensory processing; validity
Remediation of Pb/Cr co-contaminated soil using electrokinetic process and approaching electrode technique

Ng YS, Sen Gupta B, Hashim MA

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2016 Jan;23(1):546-55.
PMID: 26330317 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5290-0

Electrokinetic process has emerged as an important tool for remediating heavy metal-contaminated soil. The process can concentrate heavy metals into smaller soil volume even in the absence of hydraulic flow. This makes it an attractive soil pre-treatment method before other remediation techniques are applied such that the chemical consumption in the latter stage can be reduced. The present study evaluates the feasibility of electrokinetic process in concentrating lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) in a co-contaminated soil using different types of wetting agents, namely 0.01 M NaNO3, 0.1 M citric acid and 0.1 M EDTA. The data obtained showed that NaNO3 and citric acid resulted in poor Pb electromigration in this study. As for Cr migration, these agents were also found to give lower electromigration rate especially at low pH region as a result of Cr(VI) adsorption and possible reduction into Cr(III). In contrast, EDTA emerged as the best wetting agent in this study as it formed water-soluble anionic complexes with both Pb and Cr. This provided effective one-way electromigration towards the anode for both ions, and they were accumulated into smaller soil volume with an enrichment ratio of 1.55-1.82. A further study on the application of approaching cathode in EDTA test showed that soil alkalisation was achieved, but this did not provide significant enhancement on electromigration for Pb and Cr. Nevertheless, the power consumption for electrokinetic process was decreased by 22.5%.

MeSH terms: Adsorption; Chromium/chemistry*; Electrodes; Environmental Pollution; Kinetics; Lead/chemistry*; Soil/chemistry; Soil Pollutants/chemistry*; Citric Acid/chemistry; Environmental Restoration and Remediation/instrumentation; Environmental Restoration and Remediation/methods*
Clinical and epidemiological differences in functional dyspepsia between the East and the West

Mahadeva S, Ford AC

Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2016 Feb;28(2):167-74.
PMID: 26331919 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12657

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common condition, affecting adults in both Western (North America and Europe) and Eastern (Asian) parts of the globe. The prevalence has been reported to range from 5% to 40%, largely due to variation from definition criteria and geographical location. Recent published reports in Western and Eastern populations separately indicate that differences in the epidemiology and clinical patterns of FD may exist. Such differences will have implications for the clinical management of and healthcare strategizing for FD at the local level.

MeSH terms: Adult; Dyspepsia; Europe; Gastritis; Humans; North America; Prevalence; Asian Continental Ancestry Group

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