Browse publications by year: 2019

  1. Amirah M.S., Farahiyah S.K., Sugathan, S., Ohn, Mar S.
    MyJurnal
    Background: A systematic review reported a high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice during pregnancy. Earlier Malaysian studies related to it were based on Malay predominant populations.

    Objectives: The study objectives were to determine prevalence, types, aims, and associated factors of CAM use during pregnancy and the postnatal period among women who gave birth in a Malaysian tertiary hospital.

    Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among women who were admitted to the postnatal wards of “Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, Perak state, Malaysia” using a structured questionnaire, designed to collect data on the participants’ demography, details of CAM practice and their attitude towards its use.

    Results: The prevalence of CAM use among 134 respondents was 87.3%. The most commonly used method was naturopathy using abdominal hot stone application or massage as reported by 72% respondents. It was rated highly effective in improving circulation or recuperation by 90% of users. Herbal usage was reported by 36% and the commonest type was Indonesian traditional herbal medicine “Jamu”. The use of CAM was significantly low among Chinese respondents (P
  2. Vignesh, R., Theingi, M.M., Soe, San, Ooi, P.C., Ma, Nwet
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), commonly known as the ‘club foot’ is a developmental disorder of the lower limb that is related with socioeconomic difficulties. Ponseti method is considered as the most popular and successful method of treatment for CTEV children. This study was aimed to evaluate the severity and monitoring the progress of initial treatment of CTEV children.

    Materials and methods: Forty two patients with 58 idiopathic CTEV feet treated at a hospital outpatient clinic from January 2017 to February 2018 were included in the study. Ponseti method and Pirani score system were used and the results were calculated after wearing brace for three months duration at the end of serial casting.

    Results: The patients in the study were in the age range of 14 days to 12 months. The mean number of changing of casting was 7.2 times. Casts were changed 1.9 times more in the severe cases than mild cases. Thirty six (85.7%) cases needed percutaneous tenotomy. There was no need to perform tenotomy for the mild cases. The initial achievement rate was 90.5 % and there were 9.5 % relapsed cases because of incorrect wearing of the brace. Statistically significant score differences were seen before and after treatment (P-value
  3. Hussain, R.S., Davinder, S., Rahul, S., Ahmad, H., Aqila, M.N., Zharif, R.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: The incidence of dengue has risen dramatically high over the last few decades worldwide. Some three billion people are at risk of getting infected with dengue. In Malaysia the total number of dengue cases has been rising annually. In Perak, the number of cases for dengue fever and hemorrhagic dengue fever increased from 421 cases per 100000 population in 2012 to 1024 cases per 100000 in 2013 accounting for an increase of 143.2%. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, practice of preventive measures and effectiveness of health promotion related to dengue among residents of a village in Ipoh.

    Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted in 2015. Simple random sampling was applied to choose the samples.

    Results and discussion: Out of a total of 408 respondents, 61.3% and 74% obtained good scores in knowledge and preventive practice measures respectively. The highest misconceptions occurred on behavior aspects of the Aedes mosquitoes (46.6%) and availability of vaccinations for dengue (40.7%) while 65% of respondents allow fogging activities to be conducted at 2pm (noon). Significant associations were shown between types of occupation and knowledge (p=0.017), level of education and practice (p=0.022), previous exposure among family members and practice (p=0.016), and between knowledge and practice (p=0.011). In conclusion, despite having good knowledge about dengue and potential breeding sites of the Aedes mosquito, the number of dengue cases rising could be due to a quarter of population having poor preventive practices.
  4. Htwe, T.T., Anis, S., Nurul, A., Syuhada, A.M., Zafira, N., Ismail, S.
    MyJurnal
    Background: Sex determination can be done by the detection of drumstick-shaped nuclear appendage that is present in neutrophil leukocytes from peripheral blood smear of female subjects. Objectives: This study was conducted to identify a drumstick-shaped nuclear appendage on neutrophil leucocytes from peripheral blood smear and to analyse the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the test in gender determination. Materials and Methods: A total of 110 randomly selected blood smears (from 40 male and 70 female subjects) with age range from 19-22 years, were stained with Jenner-Giemsa stain. At least 100 well-stained neutrophils per slide were double-blindly studied by the observers.
    Results: Sixty-six out of 70 female subjects and 36 out of 40 male subjects were correctly identified. There was 4 false positive result on the male subjects and 4 false negative results on the female subjects in the detection of nuclear appendage. A 94.28% sensitivity, 90% specificity, 94.28% positive predictive value and 90% negative predictive value for the study was calculated. Conclusions: The identification and detection of nuclear appendage from neutrophil leukocyte is an easily applicable method that is useful as a screening method in sex determination. Overall, the method also has a high sensitivity, specificity and predictive values.
  5. Venkatesh, C.S., Wong, S.K., Hassan, A.K.R., Yan, Y.W., Chan, C.P., Ebernesan, B.
    MyJurnal
    Helicobacter pylori has been established as the pathogen responsible for various upper gastrointestinal conditions ranging from peptic ulcer disease to malignancies such as gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. In this study the prevalence of this organism among patients undergoing oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy as outpatients was investigated utilizing the rapid urease test of endoscopic gastric biopsies. Out of 278 respondents, we discovered that the prevalence was 40.3% with a slight female preponderance. Ethnic differences were also noted with a much higher (>40%) percentage of Indians and Chinese testing positive for the organism compared with the Malays (23.8%). A larger proportion of the respondents who had the organism were found to have positive OGDS findings compared with those who did not have the organism.
  6. Mah, K.K., Candlish, K.
    MyJurnal
    Second year medical students were presented with six scenarios, each representing a dilemma in ethics. All of these scenarios were linked to five options, each of which could represent a possible response to the dilemma, and the students were required to choose which one of these they most favoured. A computerized audience response system was used to individualize the procedure and to ensure participation of all students. Subsequently more information was given about the circumstances of each dilemma, and the same set of options was displayed, allowing another round of voting, whereby the students could change their minds if they wished. Then more information was given, and the voting repeated. The aim was to ascertain if providing information in three stages can aid the students in selecting the (undisclosed) responses favoured by the authors. The results indicated that, on the whole, provision of further information within an ethical dilemma does not enhance the students’ ability to discern what is right and proper and that in this group at least more effort must be put into the ethics instruction.
  7. Aziz SB, Karim WO, Brza MA, Abdulwahid RT, Saeed SR, Al-Zangana S, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Oct 23;20(21).
    PMID: 31652832 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215265
    In this work, analysis of ion transport parameters of polymer blend electrolytes incorporated with magnesium trifluoromethanesulfonate (Mg(CF3SO3)2) was carried out by employing the Trukhan model. A solution cast technique was used to obtain the polymer blend electrolytes composed of chitosan (CS) and poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (POZ). From X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, improvement in amorphous phase for the blend samples has been observed in comparison to the pure state of CS. From impedance plot, bulk resistance (Rb) was found to decrease with increasing temperature. Based on direct current (DC) conductivity (σdc) patterns, considerations on the ion transport models of Arrhenius and Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) were given. Analysis of the dielectric properties was carried out at different temperatures and the obtained results were linked to the ion transport mechanism. It is demonstrated in the real part of electrical modulus that chitosan-salt systems are extremely capacitive. The asymmetric peak of the imaginary part (Mi) of electric modulus indicated that there is non-Debye type of relaxation for ions. From frequency dependence of dielectric loss (ε″) and the imaginary part (Mi) of electric modulus, suitable coupling among polymer segmental and ionic motions was identified. Two techniques were used to analyze the viscoelastic relaxation dynamic of ions. The Trukhan model was used to determine the diffusion coefficient (D) by using the frequency related to peak frequencies and loss tangent maximum heights (tanδmax). The Einstein-Nernst equation was applied to determine the carrier number density (n) and mobility. The ion transport parameters, such as D, n and mobility (μ), at room temperature, were found to be 4 × 10-5 cm2/s, 3.4 × 1015 cm-3, and 1.2 × 10-4 cm2/Vs, respectively. Finally, it was shown that an increase in temperature can also cause these parameters to increase.
    MeSH terms: Elasticity; Magnesium/chemistry; Mesylates/chemistry; Polyamines/chemistry*; Viscosity; Chitosan/analogs & derivatives*; Electrochemical Techniques/methods; Polyelectrolytes/chemistry*
  8. Othman NAF, Selambakkannu S, Abdullah TAT, Hoshina H, Sattayaporn S, Seko N
    Polymers (Basel), 2019 Dec 02;11(12).
    PMID: 31810361 DOI: 10.3390/polym11121994
    This paper investigates the selectivity of GMA-based-non-woven fabrics adsorbent towards copper ion (Cu) functionalized with several aliphatic amines. The aliphatic amines used in this study were ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA). The non-woven polyethylene/polypropylene fabrics (NWF) were grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) via pre-radiation grafting technique, followed by chemical functionalization with the aliphatic amine. To prepare the ion recognition polymer (IRP), the functionalized amine GMA-grafted-NWF sample was subjected to radiation crosslinking process along with the crosslinking agent, divinylbenzene (DVB), in the presence of Cu ion as a template in the matrix of the adsorbent. Functionalization with different aliphatic amine was carried out at different amine concentrations, grafting yield, reaction temperature, and reaction time to study the effect of different aliphatic amine onto amine density yield. At a concentration of 50% of amine and 50% of isopropanol, EDA, DETA, TETA, and TEPA had attained amine density around 5.12, 4.06, 3.04, and 2.56 mmol/g-ad, respectively. The amine density yield decreases further as the aliphatic amine chain grows longer. The experimental condition for amine functionalization process was fixed at 70% amine, 30% isopropanol, 60 °C for grafting temperature, and 2 h of grafting time for attaining 100% of grafting yield (Dg). The prepared adsorbents were characterized comprehensively in terms of structural and morphology with multiple analytical tools. An adsorptive removal and selectivity of Cu ion by the prepared adsorbent was investigated in a binary metal ion system. The IRP samples with a functional precursor of EDA, the smallest aliphatic amine had given the higher adsorption capacity and selectivity towards Cu ion. The selectivity of IRP samples reduces as the aliphatic amine chain grows longer, EDA to TEPA. However, IRP samples still exhibited remarkably higher selectivity in comparison to the amine immobilized GMA-g-NWF at similar adsorption experimental conditions. This observation indicates that IRP samples possess higher selectivity after incorporation of the ion recognition imprint technique via the radiation crosslinking process.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Copper; Ethylenediamines; Polymers; Polypropylenes; Reaction Time; Temperature; Trientine; 2-Propanol; Polyethylene
  9. Ahmed K, Jeffree MS, Hughes T, Daszak P
    Ecohealth, 2019 12;16(4):585-586.
    PMID: 31811598 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01462-y
    MeSH terms: Conservation of Natural Resources*; Environmental Pollution*; Humans; Global Health*; Ecological and Environmental Phenomena
  10. Kasinathan G, Kori AN, Hassan N
    Int J Gen Med, 2019;12:405-409.
    PMID: 31807052 DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S232254
    Background: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma that arises from the B lymphocytes. The four main subtypes of HL are the nodular sclerosing, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte rich and the lymphocyte depleted. Nodular sclerosis subtype accounts for majority of all classical HL, whereas lymphocytic depletion type accounts for less than 1%. The main objective of reporting this case is to share with the medical fraternity a rare presentation of abdominal lymphocyte-depleted classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

    A 47-year-old gentleman of Malay ethnicity with no known pre-morbidities, presented to the haematology unit with a 2-month history of night fever, loss of weight, malaise, anorexia and abdominal swelling. Abdominal examination revealed a periumbilical and lower epigastric swelling measuring 6x6 cms. The swelling was non-tender, firm in consistency and smooth on palpation. The Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) imaging revealed an enlarged mesenteric mass measuring 5.8x6.9x5.7 cm and multiple enlarged aorta-caval lymph nodes. The mesenteric tumour histology and immunohistochemistry were consistent with lymphocyte depleted HL. He completed six cycles of intravenous ABVD polychemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin (Adriamycin) 25mg/m2, Bleomycin 10mg/m2, Vinblastine 6mg/m2 and Dacarbazine 375mg/m2. The Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (FDG PET /CT) imaging post 2 cycles and 6 cycles of ABVD polychemotherapy showed complete metabolic response to chemotherapy.

    Conclusion: Lymphocyte-depleted classical Hodgkin lymphoma (LDcHL) is a rare entity and is mostly diagnosed at a later stage rendering it a disease with poor prognostic outcomes. Early detection and prompt institution of therapy is crucial in the management of this disease.

    MeSH terms: Anorexia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bleomycin; Dacarbazine; Doxorubicin; Ethnic Groups; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Sclerosis; Vinblastine; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  11. Wan-Mohtar WAAQI, Ab Kadir S, Halim-Lim SA, Ilham Z, Hajar-Azhari S, Saari N
    Food Sci Biotechnol, 2019 Dec;28(6):1747-1757.
    PMID: 31807347 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-019-00602-y
    In submerged-liquid fermentation, seven key parameters were assessed using one-factor-at-a-time to obtain the highest GABA yield using an industrial soy sauce koji Aspergillus oryzae strain NSK (AOSNSK). AOSNSK generated maximum GABA at 30 °C (194 mg/L) and initial pH 5 (231 mg/L), thus was able to utilize sucrose (327 mg/L of GABA) for carbon source. Sucrose at 100 g/L, improved GABA production at 646 mg/L. Single nitrogen sources failed to improve GABA production, however a combination of yeast extract (YE) and glutamic acid (GA) improved GABA at 646.78 mg/L. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C8:N3) produced the highest cell (24.01 g/L) and GABA at a minimal time of 216 h. The key parameters of 30 °C, initial pH 5, 100 g/L of sucrose, combination YE and GA, and C8:N3 generated the highest GABA (3278.31 mg/L) in a koji fermentation. AOSNSK promisingly showed for the development of a new GABA-rich soy sauce.
    MeSH terms: Aspergillus oryzae; Carbon; Fermentation; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Industry; Nitrogen; Sucrose; Glutamic Acid; Soy Foods
  12. Sim BNH, Joseph JP
    J R Coll Physicians Edinb, 2019 Dec;49(4):304-306.
    PMID: 31808458 DOI: 10.4997/JRCPE.2019.411
    Miller Fischer syndrome (MFS) is a variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome first described in 1956 and is characterised by the clinical triad of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and areflexia. However, since its discovery, forme fruste and overlapping syndrome have been described. A forme fruste of MFS implies an attenuated form where not all of the clinical triad are present. In this report, a case of MFS is highlighted that was mistakenly treated as posterior circulation stroke, as well as the challenges faced in reaching the correct diagnosis and hence the appropriate treatment.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Ataxia/diagnosis; Ataxia/etiology*; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Ophthalmoplegia/diagnosis; Ophthalmoplegia/etiology*; Reflex, Abnormal*; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/administration & dosage*; Miller Fisher Syndrome/diagnosis*; Miller Fisher Syndrome/drug therapy; Recovery of Function; Rare Diseases
  13. Robert Lourdes TG, Abd Hamid HA, Mohd Yusoff MF, Rodzlan Hasani WS, Mat Rifin H, Saminathan TA, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 10;31(7_suppl):44S-52S.
    PMID: 31522514 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519870663
    Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are handheld devices that deliver an aerosol by heating a solution made up of propylene glycol and/or glycerol with or without flavoring agents and nicotine. This nationwide cross-sectional survey examined factors associated with e-cigarette usage and reasons for its initiation among 13 162 Malaysian adolescents. Data from TECMA (Tobacco and E-Cigarette Survey among Malaysian Adolescents) were used. Nine percent of adolescents had used e-cigarettes in the past month. Males (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.36-4.95), 16 to 19 year olds (aOR = 2.64; 95% CI = 2.13-3.26), Malays (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.79-2.83), Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.61-3.15), and cigarette smokers (aOR = 13.16; 95% CI = 11.14-15.54) were more likely to use e-cigarettes. Three main reasons for e-cigarette initiation among adolescents were its taste and smell, experimentation, and popularity. Sale of e-cigarettes with or without nicotine to people aged younger than 18 years should be banned. Flavored e-cigarettes should also be banned since there is evidence suggesting increased appeal among the younger generation.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior/psychology*; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Flavoring Agents; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Risk Factors; Smoking/epidemiology; Socioeconomic Factors; Young Adult; Electronic Cigarettes/statistics & numerical data; Vaping/epidemiology*
  14. Che Din N, Mohd Nawi L, Ghazali SE, Ahmad M, Ibrahim N, Said Z, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 Nov 28;16(23).
    PMID: 31795076 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234763
    This is a preliminary study to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) screening tool for use in the Malaysian setting. A total of 199 Malaysian adults were recruited for this study. After cleaning and normalizing the data, 190 samples were left to be analyzed. Principle component analysis using varimax rotation was then performed to examine various factors derived from psychometric tools commonly used to assess OCD patients. The screening tool exhibited three factors that fit the description of obsessions and compulsions from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition (DSM 5), as well as other common symptoms that co-morbid with OCD. The labels given to the three factors were: Severity of Compulsions, Severity of Obsessions, and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. Reliability analysis showed high reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.94, whereas convergent validity of the tool with the Yale Brown Obsessive-compulsive Scale-Self Report demonstrated good validity of r = 0.829. The three-factor model explained 68.91% of the total variance. Subsequent studies should focus on OCD factors that are culturally unique in the Malaysian context. Future research may also use online technology, which is cost-efficient and accessible, to further enhance the screening tool.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/diagnosis*; Severity of Illness Index; Reproducibility of Results; Comorbidity; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Self Report
  15. Drosopoulou E, Syllas A, Goutakoli P, Zisiadis GA, Konstantinou T, Pangea D, et al.
    Insects, 2019 Nov 28;10(12).
    PMID: 31795125 DOI: 10.3390/insects10120429
    Bactrocera carambolae is one of the approximately 100 sibling species of the Bactrocera dorsalis complex and considered to be very closely related to B. dorsalis. Due to their high morphological similarity and overlapping distribution, as well as to their economic impact and quarantine status, the development of reliable markers for species delimitation between the two taxa is of great importance. Here we present the complete mitochondrial genome of B. carambolae sourced from its native range in Malaysia and its invaded territory in Suriname. The mitogenome of B. carambolae presents the typical organization of an insect mitochondrion. Comparisons of the analyzed B. carambolae sequences to all available complete mitochondrial sequences of B. dorsalis revealed several species-specific polymorphic sites. Phylogenetic analysis based on Bactrocera mitogenomes supports that B. carambolae is a differentiated taxon though closely related to B. dorsalis. The present complete mitochondrial sequences of B. carambolae could be used, in the frame of Integrative Taxonomy, for species discrimination and resolution of the phylogenetic relationships within this taxonomically challenging complex, which would facilitate the application of species-specific population suppression strategies, such as the sterile insect technique.
  16. Zulkafflee NS, Mohd Redzuan NA, Hanafi Z, Selamat J, Ismail MR, Praveena SM, et al.
    PMID: 31795132 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234769
    Rice ingestion is one of the major pathways for heavy metal bioaccumulation in human. This study aimed to measure the heavy metal content of paddy soils and its bioavailability in paddy grain in order to assess the health risk. In total, 10 rice samples (50 g each) of paddy plants were harvested from the Selangor and Terengganu areas of Malaysia to assess the bioavailability of heavy metal (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Pb) using the in vitro digestion model of Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu. The bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations in rice samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The findings showed the bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations was decreased in the order Cr > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. Chromium was found to be the most abundant bioavailable heavy metal in cooked rice, which was the result of its high content in paddy soil. Hazard Quotient values for the bioavailability of the heavy metal studied were less than one indicating no non-carcinogenic health risks for adults and children. Meanwhile, the total Lifetime Cancer Risk exceeded the acceptable value showing a potential of carcinogenic health risk for both adults and children. The application of in vitro digestion model in assessing bioavailability of heavy metal produces a more realistic estimation of human health risks exposure. However, a regular monitoring of pollution in Selangor and Terengganu areas is crucial since the exposure of heavy metals through rice consumption poses the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk to the local residents.
    MeSH terms: Biological Availability; Environmental Pollution/analysis*; Humans; Oryza/chemistry*; Soil/chemistry*; Soil Pollutants/analysis*; Risk Assessment; Metals, Heavy/analysis*; In Vitro Techniques
  17. Hashim H, Maruyama H, Akita Y, Arai F
    Sensors (Basel), 2019 Nov 29;19(23).
    PMID: 31795304 DOI: 10.3390/s19235247
    This work describes a hydrogel fluorescence microsensor for prolonged stable temperature measurements. Temperature measurement using microsensors has the potential to provide information about cells, tissues, and the culture environment, with optical measurement using a fluorescent dye being a promising microsensing approach. However, it is challenging to achieve stable measurements over prolonged periods with conventional measurement methods based on the fluorescence intensity of fluorescent dye because the excited fluorescent dye molecules are bleached by the exposure to light. The decrease in fluorescence intensity induced by photobleaching causes measurement errors. In this work, a photobleaching compensation method based on the diffusion of fluorescent dye inside a hydrogel microsensor is proposed. The factors that influence compensation in the hydrogel microsensor system are the interval time between measurements, material, concentration of photo initiator, and the composition of the fluorescence microsensor. These factors were evaluated by comparing a polystyrene fluorescence microsensor and a hydrogel fluorescence microsensor, both with diameters of 20 µm. The hydrogel fluorescence microsensor made from 9% poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) 575 and 2% photo initiator showed excellent fluorescence intensity stability after exposure (standard deviation of difference from initial fluorescence after 100 measurement repetitions: within 1%). The effect of microsensor size on the stability of the fluorescence intensity was also evaluated. The hydrogel fluorescence microsensors, with sizes greater than the measurement area determined by the axial resolution of the confocal microscope, showed a small decrease in fluorescence intensity, within 3%, after 900 measurement repetitions. The temperature of deionized water in a microchamber was measured for 5400 s using both a thermopile and the hydrogel fluorescence microsensor. The results showed that the maximum error and standard deviation of error between these two sensors were 0.5 °C and 0.3 °C, respectively, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method.
    MeSH terms: Diffusion; Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes; Hypochlorous Acid; Polyethylene Glycols; Polystyrenes; Temperature; Water; Hydrogels; Photobleaching
  18. Ismail SB, Noor NM, Hussain NHN, Sulaiman Z, Shamsudin MA, Irfan M
    Am J Mens Health, 2019 12 5;13(6):1557988319892735.
    PMID: 31795911 DOI: 10.1177/1557988319892735
    Erectile dysfunction is common in adult men, particularly those with hypertension and diabetes. The present study determines the effectiveness of angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) drugs on erectile function in hypertensive male adults. For this purpose, CENTRAL and MEDLINE and reference lists of the articles were searched. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected that compared ARBs with conventional therapy or no treatment in men of any ethnicity who were presented with hypertension and/or diabetes. A total four trials that had 2,809 men were included. Three trials reported adequate random sequence allocation, two reported adequate blinding. Attrition bias is low in one of the included studies. All three studies are of low risk of selective reporting bias. There was an improvement in sexual activity with ARBs (valsartan) (mean difference (MD): 0.71, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.66 to 0.76, I2 statistic = 0%). However, the erectile functions did not increase significantly in ARBs (losartan or telmisartan) treated men as compared to control or placebo (n = 203 vs n = 232; MD: 1.36; 95% CI: -0.97 to -3.69; I2 statistic = 80%). These results suggested that ARBs significantly improved sexual activity among hypertensive men. However, the erectile function was not significantly improved in ARBs treated men as compared to the control or placebo-treated. There were limited studies available. Hence, additional studies are needed to support findings from this review. ARBs should be considered when prescribing antihypertensive drugs to men.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Humans; Hypertension/diagnosis; Hypertension/drug therapy; Hypertension/epidemiology*; Erectile Dysfunction/diagnosis; Erectile Dysfunction/drug therapy*; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology*; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Comorbidity; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Patient Satisfaction/statistics & numerical data*; Internationality; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use*
  19. Hashim M, Radwan H, Hasan H, Obaid RS, Al Ghazal H, Al Hilali M, et al.
    BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2019 Dec 03;19(1):463.
    PMID: 31795984 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-019-2621-z
    BACKGROUND: Nutritional status of women during pregnancy has been considered an important prognostic indicator of pregnancy outcomes.

    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the pattern of gestational weight gain (GWG) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their risk factors among a cohort of Emirati and Arab women residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A secondary objective was to investigate pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and its socio-demographic correlates among study participants.

    METHODS: Data of 256 pregnant women participating in the cohort study, the Mother-Infant Study Cohort (MISC) were used in this study. Healthy pregnant mothers with no history of chronic diseases were interviewed during their third trimester in different hospitals in UAE. Data were collected using interviewer-administered multi-component questionnaires addressing maternal sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. Maternal weight, weight gain, and GDM were recorded from the hospital medical records.

    RESULTS: Among the study participants, 71.1% had inadequate GWG: 31.6% insufficient and 39.5% excessive GWG. 19.1% reported having GDM and more than half of the participants (59.4%) had a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. The findings of the multiple multinomial logistic regression showed that multiparous women had decreased odds of excessive gain as compared to primiparous [odds ratio (OR): 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05-0.54]. Furthermore, women with a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 had increased odds of excessive gain (OR: 2.23; 95%CI: 1.00-5.10) as compared to those with pre-pregnancy BMI 

    MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; United Arab Emirates; Cohort Studies; Body Mass Index; Diabetes, Gestational/ethnology*; Arabs*; Young Adult
  20. Cerin E, Conway TL, Barnett A, Smith M, Veitch J, Cain KL, et al.
    Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 2019 12 03;16(1):122.
    PMID: 31796075 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-019-0890-6
    BACKGROUND: The IPEN International Physical Activity and Environment Network Adolescent project was conducted using common study protocols to document the strength, shape, and generalizability of associations of perceived neighborhood environment attributes with adolescents' physical activity and overweight/obesity using data from 15 countries. Countries did not use identical versions of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (NEWS-Y) to measure perceived neighborhood environment attributes. Therefore, this study derived a measurement model for NEWS-Y items common to all IPEN Adolescent countries and developed a scoring protocol for the IPEN Adolescent version of the NEWS-Y (NEWS-Y-IPEN) that maximizes between-country comparability of responses. Additionally, this study examined between- and within-country variability, and construct validity of the NEWS-Y-IPEN subscales in relation to neighborhood-level socio-economic status and walkability.

    METHODS: Adolescents and one of their parents (N = 5714 dyads) were recruited from neighborhoods varying in walkability and socio-economic status. To measure perceived neighborhood environment, 14 countries administered the NEWS-Y to parents and one country to adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to derive comparable country-specific measurement models of the NEWS-Y-IPEN. Country-specific standard deviations quantified within-country variability in the NEWS-Y-IPEN subscales, while linear mixed models determined the percentage of subscale variance due to between-country differences. To examine the construct validity of NEWS-Y-IPEN subscales, we estimated their associations with the categorical measures of area-level walkability and socio-economic status.

    RESULTS: Final country-specific measurement models of the factor-analyzable NEWS-Y-IPEN items provided acceptable levels of fit to the data and shared the same factorial structure with five latent factors (Accessibility and walking facilities; Traffic safety; Pedestrian infrastructure and safety; Safety from crime; and Aesthetics). All subscales showed sufficient levels of within-country variability. Residential density had the highest level of between-country variability. Associations between NEWS-Y-IPEN subscales and area-level walkability and socio-economic status provided strong evidence of construct validity.

    CONCLUSIONS: A robust measurement model and common scoring protocol of NEWS-Y for the IPEN Adolescent project (NEWS-Y-IPEN) were derived. The NEWS-Y-IPEN possesses good factorial and construct validity, and is able to capture between-country variability in perceived neighborhood environments. Future studies employing NEWS-Y-IPEN should use the proposed scoring protocol to facilitate cross-study comparisons and interpretation of findings.

    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Humans; Surveys and Questionnaires/standards*; Residence Characteristics/classification*; Reproducibility of Results; Health Behavior; Exercise*; Walking*
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