Browse publications by year: 2023

  1. Hisamuddin ASB, Naomi R, Bin Manan KA, Bahari H, Yazid MD, Othman F, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2023;14:1132087.
    PMID: 37077809 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132087
    This study assessed the toxicity of lutein-rich purple sweet potato leaf (PSPL) extract in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods and study design: A total of 54 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. For the acute toxicity study, three rats in the acute control group were fed 2,000 mg/kg of PSPL for 14 days. The subacute toxicity study included six rats each in four groups administered 50, 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg for 28 days and observed for further 14 days without treatment in the subacute control and subacute satellite groups. Changes in body weight; blood biochemistry; hematological parameters; relative organ weight; and histological sections of the heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, aorta, and retina were observed for signs of toxicity. Results: The gradual increase in weekly body weight, normal level full blood count, normal liver and kidney profile, relative organ weight, and histological sections of all stained organ tissue in the treated group compared with the acute, subacute, and satellite control groups demonstrated the absence of signs of toxicity. Conclusion: Lutein-rich PSPL extract shows no signs of toxicity up to 2,000 mg/kg/day.
  2. Ahmad Saufi R, Aidara S, Che Nawi NB, Permarupan PY, Zainol NRB, Kakar AS
    Front Psychol, 2023;14:1137945.
    PMID: 37077854 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1137945
    Due to the higher attrition rate in higher education institutions (HEIs), the attraction and retention of top talents in higher education have become a challenge for human resource (HR) professionals. The primary area of discussion among business executives and HR professionals is how top talent can be retained and maintained. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of human resource management practises (HRMPs), oraganisational reputation (OGR), occupational prestige (OPP) and work-life balance (WLB) on turnover intention (TOI) of the academics working in HEIs. The study also aims to examine WLB as a mediator and job opportunity (JBO) as a moderator of the relationships mentioned above. Data collected through an online survey from 466 respondents were analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The findings of the study showed that OGR, OPP and WLB were negatively related to TOI. However, the impact of HRMPs on TOI was not direct; instead, it was mediated by WLB. The findings also demonstrated that WLB significantly mediated the relationship between OGR and OPP. Furthermore, the results also confirmed that JBO significantly moderated the relationship between WLB and TOI. The findings of the study provide guidelines for a comprehensive retention strategy and a holistic model of academics TOI that can assist HR professionals, policymakers and management in developing an effective strategic recruitment and retention plan.
  3. Ahmad R, Azman KF, Yahaya R, Shafin N, Omar N, Ahmad AH, et al.
    AIMS Neurosci, 2023;10(1):5-32.
    PMID: 37077958 DOI: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2023002
    This review aims to perform a bibliometric analysis of the research related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in schizophrenia and offer suggestions for further work. Based on the keywords used, our study retrieved 335 documents for further analysis using a combination of three bibliometric techniques: co-word analysis, document co-citation analysis, and bibliographic coupling. A general rising trend in the number of publications was found in BDNF and schizophrenia research. Researchers from China and the United States have mostly researched BDNF and schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry is the most prestigious journal in the field of BDNF and schizophrenia research. The main topics and important research areas are cognition and the involvement of BDNF as a neurobiological marker (pathogenesis, therapy monitoring, and risk factors). Future research is anticipated to concentrate on relevant subjects, such as factors that affect BDNF levels or are connected to BDNF dysfunction in schizophrenia, as well as animal models of schizophrenia, in addition to cognition in schizophrenia.
  4. Arafat HM, Omar J, Shafii N, Naser IA, Al Laham NA, Muhamad R, et al.
    Ann Med, 2023 Dec;55(1):2198256.
    PMID: 37078247 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2198256
    BACKGROUND: Among the world, the most frequently discovered and fatal cancer in women is breast cancer (BC). From the perspective of public health, estimating the BC risk linked to dairy intake may aid in comprehensive management. In epidemiological research data on the association between eating dairy foods and the risk of BC are conflicting. Therefore, we sought to assess the link between dairy food consumption and the development of BC.

    MAIN TEXT: To summarize and quantify the most recent findings on consuming milk or other dairy foods and the development of BC, we performed a systematic literature review. We checked through several databases for relevant publications published in English up to January 2022. Of the 82 articles identified, only 18 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Nine Prospective, seven Retrospective and two Cross-Sectional studies were finally identified.

    CONCLUSIONS: Overall, dairy consumption was inversely associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. Future studies will help elucidate the role of dairy products in human health, and their use within a balanced diet should be considered.KEY MESSAGESThe effect of different types of dairy products, and possible dose-response relationships on BC risk remains unknown.Estimating BC risk associated with dairy consumption may help to take the decision-making of physicians and public health policy in developing preventive strategies to reduce its occurrence.This systematic review was conducted to assess dairy consumption and BC risk.Overall, inverse associations were found when looking at dairy consumption and BC risk.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dairy Products/adverse effects; Female; Humans; Milk; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors
  5. Taher MA, Tan WN, Chear NJ, Leong CR, Rashid SA, Tong WY
    Nat Prod Res, 2023 May;37(10):1674-1679.
    PMID: 35879820 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2103127
    This study aimed to assess the antimicrobial activity of endophytic Phyllosticta fallopiae L67 isolated from Aloe vera against diabetic wound microorganisms and characterise their active fraction for biologically important metabolites. The dichloromethane (DCM) extract exhibited the most significant activity with inhibition zones ranging from 11.33 to 38.33 mm. The minimal inhibitory and lethality concentrations of DCM extract ranged from 78.13 to 2500.00 µg/ml and 625.00 to 5000.00 µg/ml, respectively. The extract showed teratogenicity and lethality in the zebrafish model, where peritoneal and hepatic oedema occurred at 62.50 µg/ml, and no abnormality appeared at 31.25 µg/ml. The extract also inhibited more than 82% biofilm formation. Bioassay-guided fractionation on DCM extract yielded 18 fractions and the most active fraction was subjected to UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. Flavones, stilbenes, flavanonols, isoflavonoids, phenolic glycosides and phenol derivatives were detected. In conclusion, endophytic P. fallopiae possessed bioactive metabolites with significant antimicrobial activity against diabetic wound microorganisms.
    MeSH terms: Aloe*; Animals; Diabetes Mellitus*; Plant Extracts/pharmacology; Zebrafish; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  6. Aljarousha M, Badarudin NE, Che Azemin MZ, Aljeesh Y, Amer A, Abdul Rahim MAS
    Int Ophthalmol, 2023 Apr;43(4):1303-1316.
    PMID: 36156181 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-022-02528-7
    PURPOSE: To develop an Arabic version of OSDI for the Gazan population.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a convenience sample technique. The translation procedure included five stages: forward translation, revision of translation, backward translation, refinement of translation, and a final test of the pre-final version. The final sets of questionnaires were constructed using an online JotForm platform. The online platform was chosen to automatically calculate the questionnaire's final overall score. Overall, 260 participants were instructed to fill out the English and the Arab-OSDI version twice to conduct the reliability of the translated version and repeatability evaluation.

    RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 33.45 ± 11.74 years old. Cronbach's alpha for all items was greater than 0.80, except for the "blurred vision" and "deteriorating vision" items (0.77 and 0.74, respectively). The mean overall score difference between the English-OSDI and Arab-OSDI was 0.86 based on the Bland-Altman chart. For repeatability, no significant difference in the overall scores between the two repeats of the Arab-OSDI (p = 0.632). The Arab-OSDI overall score (sessions 1 and 2) has a clinical difference (bias) of 0.21. Using the varimax rotation method, only three factors (ocular symptoms, vision-related function, and environmental triggers) had eigenvalues greater than one in the structure of the Arab-OSDI.

    CONCLUSION: The Arab-OSDI is an appropriate, reliable, and repeatable tool for the determination of dry eye symptoms, ocular discomfort, and quality of life in the Gazan population. This version could remove the language barrier in answering OSDI items more easily.

    MeSH terms: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Middle Aged; Quality of Life*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results; Arabs*; Young Adult
  7. Al-Nema M, Gaurav A, Lee VS
    Comput Biol Med, 2023 Apr 03;159:106869.
    PMID: 37071939 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106869
    In recent years, the PDE1B enzyme has become a desirable drug target for the treatment of psychological and neurological disorders, particularly schizophrenia disorder, due to the expression of PDE1B in brain regions involved in volitional behaviour, learning and memory. Although several inhibitors of PDE1 have been identified using different methods, none of these inhibitors has reached the market yet. Thus, searching for novel PDE1B inhibitors is considered a major scientific challenge. In this study, pharmacophore-based screening, ensemble docking and molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to identify a lead inhibitor of PDE1B with a new chemical scaffold. Five PDE1B crystal structures have been utilised in the docking study to improve the possibility of identifying an active compound compared to the use of a single crystal structure. Finally, the structure-activity- relationship was studied, and the structure of the lead molecule was modified to design novel inhibitors with a high affinity for PDE1B. As a result, two novel compounds have been designed that exhibited a higher affinity to PDE1B compared to the lead compound and the other designed compounds.
  8. Luckett R, Feldman S, Woo YL, Moscicki AB, Giuliano AR, de Sanjosé S, et al.
    Elife, 2023 Apr 18;12.
    PMID: 37070731 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.86266
    Cervical cancer has killed millions of women over the past decade. In 2019 the World Health Organization launched the Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy, which included ambitious targets for vaccination, screening, and treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted progress on the strategy, but lessons learned during the pandemic - especially in vaccination, self-administered testing, and coordinated mobilization on a global scale - may help with efforts to achieve its targets. However, we must also learn from the failure of the COVID-19 response to include adequate representation of global voices. Efforts to eliminate cervical cancer will only succeed if those countries most affected are involved from the very start of planning. In this article we summarize innovations and highlight missed opportunities in the COVID response, and make recommendations to leverage the COVID experience to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer globally.
    MeSH terms: Female; Humans; Papillomavirus Infections*; Early Detection of Cancer; Pandemics/prevention & control
  9. Kow CS, Hasan SS, Ramachandram DS
    Inflammopharmacology, 2023 Dec;31(6):3357-3362.
    PMID: 37071316 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01200-5
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vitamin C appears to be a viable treatment option for patients with COVID-19.

    METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin C versus comparative interventions in patients with COVID-19. The outcome of interest was all-cause mortality.

    RESULTS: The meta-analysis of eleven trials using a random-effects model revealed significant reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality with the administration of vitamin C among patients with COVID-19 relative to no vitamin C (pooled odds ratio = 0.53; 95% confidence interval 0.30-0.92). Subgroup analysis of studies that included patients with severe COVID-19 also produced findings of significant mortality reduction with the administration of vitamin C relative to no vitamin C (pooled odds ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval 0.26-0.84).

    CONCLUSION: Overall, evidence from RCTs suggests a survival benefit for vitamin C in patients with severe COVID-19. However, we should await data from large-scale randomized trials to affirm its mortality benefits.

    MeSH terms: Humans; Vitamins/therapeutic use; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  10. Tawalbeh M, Mohammed S, Al-Othman A, Yusuf M, Mofijur M, Kamyab H
    Environ Res, 2023 Jul 01;228:115919.
    PMID: 37072081 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115919
    The rapid increase in the global population and its ever-rising standards of living are imposing a huge burden on global resources. Apart from the rising energy needs, the demand for freshwater is correspondingly increasing. A population of around 3.8 billion people will face water scarcity by 2030, as per the reports of the World Water Council. This may be due to global climate change and the deficiency in the treatment of wastewater. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies fail to completely remove several emerging contaminants, especially those containing pharmaceutical compounds. Hence, leading to an increase in the concentration of harmful chemicals in the human food chain and the proliferation of several diseases. MXenes are transition metal carbide/nitride ceramics that primarily structure the leading 2D material group. MXenes act as novel nanomaterials for wastewater treatment due to their high surface area, excellent adsorption properties, and unique physicochemical properties, such as high electrical conductivity and hydrophilicity. MXenes are highly hydrophilic and covered with active functional groups (i.e., hydroxyl, oxygen, fluorine, etc.), which makes them efficient adsorbents for a wide range of species and promising candidates for environmental remediation and water treatment. This work concludes that the scaling up process of MXene-based materials for water treatment is currently of high cost. The up-to-date applications are still limited because MXenes are currently produced mainly in the laboratory with limited yield. It is recommended to direct research efforts towards lower synthesis cost procedures coupled with the use of more environmentally friendly materials to avoid secondary contamination.
    MeSH terms: Adsorption; Ceramics*; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Humans; Waste Water*
  11. Jangjou A, Moqadas M, Mohsenian L, Kamyab H, Chelliapan S, Alshehery S, et al.
    Environ Res, 2023 Jul 01;228:115886.
    PMID: 37072082 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115886
    Intoxication with methanol most commonly occurs as a consequence of ingesting, inhaling, or coming into contact with formulations that include methanol as a base. Clinical manifestations of methanol poisoning include suppression of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal symptoms, and decompensated metabolic acidosis, which is associated with impaired vision and either early or late blindness within 0.5-4 h after ingestion. After ingestion, methanol concentrations in the blood that are greater than 50 mg/dl should raise some concern. Ingested methanol is typically digested by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and it is subsequently redistributed to the body's water to attain a volume distribution that is about equivalent to 0.77 L/kg. Moreover, it is removed from the body as its natural, unchanged parent molecules. Due to the fact that methanol poisoning is relatively uncommon but frequently involves a large number of victims at the same time, this type of incident occupies a special position in the field of clinical toxicology. The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in erroneous assumptions regarding the preventative capability of methanol in comparison to viral infection. More than 1000 Iranians fell ill, and more than 300 of them passed away in March of this year after they consumed methanol in the expectation that it would protect them from a new coronavirus. The Atlanta epidemic, which involved 323 individuals and resulted in the deaths of 41, is one example of mass poisoning. Another example is the Kristiansand outbreak, which involved 70 people and resulted in the deaths of three. In 2003, the AAPCC received reports of more than one thousand pediatric exposures. Since methanol poisoning is associated with high mortality rates, it is vital that the condition be addressed seriously and managed as quickly as feasible. The objective of this review was to raise awareness about the mechanism and metabolism of methanol toxicity, the introduction of therapeutic interventions such as gastrointestinal decontamination and methanol metabolism inhibition, the correction of metabolic disturbances, and the establishment of novel diagnostic/screening nanoparticle-based strategies for methanol poisoning such as the discovery of ADH inhibitors as well as the detection of the adulteration of alcoholic drinks by nanoparticles in order to prevent methanol poisoning. In conclusion, increasing warnings and knowledge about clinical manifestations, medical interventions, and novel strategies for methanol poisoning probably results in a decrease in the death load.
    MeSH terms: Methanol/metabolism; Methanol/toxicity; Child; Humans; Iran; Pandemics
  12. Wong LP, Alias H, Tan SL, Saw A
    Anat Sci Int, 2023 Sep;98(4):558-565.
    PMID: 37072599 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-023-00723-9
    The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a substantial impact on the Silent Mentor Programme (SMP), a programme in which members of the public may pledge their bodies to be used for medical training and research after their death. This study aimed to explore the conduct of body donations and simulation surgery training during the COVID-19 pandemic from the viewpoints of the committee members of the SMP and the next-of-kin of body donor pledgers. This study utilised a qualitative exploration method to seek an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon. In-depth individual interviews were carried out. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of themes. The COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is compulsory before accepting a body donation, and this resulted in the turning down of several donations. Being a donor is the final wish of pledgers and this turning down led to a negative emotional remorseful feeling in the next-of-kin of pledgers. From the perspective of students, it is feared that the conduct of the programme, particularly the home visit session being held online, has impeded teaching of humanistic values, compassion, and empathy, which is the prime philosophy of the programme. Previous to the pandemic, the programme ceremonies were well-attended, denoting the utmost respect and recognition of the mentors; however, travel restrictions due to the pandemic limiting in-person attendance resulted in ceremonies becoming less impactful. Continuous postponements of cadaveric dissection training also resulted in students missing training opportunities, hence potentially impairing their professional practice and humanistic values in the medical profession. Counselling interventions should be directed at easing the negative psychological impact on the next-of-kin of pledgers. As the COVID-19 pandemic may pose a significant impediment to achieving the educational outcomes of cadaveric dissection training, efforts to make up for these gaps are essential.
    MeSH terms: Cadaver; Dissection/education; Humans; Pandemics*
  13. Hasmukharay K, Ngoi ST, Saedon NI, Tan KM, Khor HM, Chin AV, et al.
    BMC Infect Dis, 2023 Apr 18;23(1):241.
    PMID: 37072768 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08206-y
    BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia is a major concern in the global healthcare system. However, data from Asian regions dealing with the singularity of this infection in older persons is lacking. We aimed to identify the differences in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of MRSA bacteremia between adults aged 18-64 and ≥ 65 years.

    METHODS: A retrospective study cohort was conducted at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) on cases of MRSA bacteremia from 2012 to 2016. Patient demographic and clinical data were collected for risk factors analyses.

    RESULTS: New cases of MRSA bacteremia showed a trend of increase from 0.12 to 100 admissions in 2012 to 0.17 per 100 admissions in 2016 but a drop was observed in 2014 (0.07 per 100 admissions). Out of the 275 patients with MRSA bacteremia, 139 (50.5%) patients were aged ≥ 65 years old. Co-morbidities and severity at presentation were significantly higher among older adults, including diabetes mellitus (p = 0.035), hypertension (p = 0.001), and ischemic heart disease (p 

    MeSH terms: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus*
  14. Low SR, Bono SA, Azmi Z
    Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2023 Jun;15(2-3):e12528.
    PMID: 37072907 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12528
    INTRODUCTION: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a chronic mood illness that typically develops in the first few months after giving birth. It affects 17.2% of women worldwide, and its deleterious consequences on infants, children, and mothers have elicited global public concern. Therefore, this paper aims to present an overview of the relationship between emotional support and PPD among postpartum mothers in the Asia region.

    METHODS: An extensive search using various keywords was conducted in Science Direct, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, JSTOR, Springer Link, and Taylor Francis. The screening process was compliant with the PRISMA guideline, while the quality of the selected studies was assessed using the QuADS tool.

    RESULTS: The analysis included 15 research from 12 different countries with 6031 postpartum mothers. A decreased risk of PPD for postpartum mothers is shown to be significantly correlated with greater emotional support, and vice versa.

    DISCUSSION: Asian women are less likely to seek emotional assistance than other mothers, which is influenced by culture. There needs to be more research on the impact of culture on postpartum mothers' emotional support. Additionally, this review hopes to raise awareness among the mothers' friends and family as well as the medical community to be more attentive to postpartum mothers' emotional needs and offer specialized assistance.

    MeSH terms: Asia; Child; Emotions; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Postpartum Period/psychology
  15. Ugwu CC, Hair-Bejo M, Nurulfiza MI, Omar AR, Aini I
    Open Vet J, 2023 Feb;13(2):171-178.
    PMID: 37073244 DOI: 10.5455/OVJ.2023.v13.i2.4
    BACKGROUND: Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) 8b and other serotypes cause inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in chickens. Specific detection of aetiologic serotype in mixed infection and vaccine failure could be difficult.

    AIM: The objective of this study was to develop a TaqMan probe-based qPCR method for the detection and quantification of the FAdV 8b challenge virus.

    METHODS: Forty-eight broiler chickens inoculated with live attenuated or inactivated FAdV 8b strains at day 1 of age either with or without booster at day 14 post-inoculation were used. The chickens were challenged with a pathogenic strain of FAdV 8b at day 28 of age. Liver and cloacal swabs were collected on days 7 and 14 post-challenge. Primers and probes were designed, specificity confirmed, and used to carry out qPCR amplification.

    RESULTS: The assay amplified the FAdV DNA challenge virus, but not that of the live attenuated virus. It could detect FAdV 8b DNA as low as 0.001 ng/µl in liver and cloacal swab samples. Copy numbers obtained indicate virus load and shedding.

    CONCLUSIONS: It shows that a selective detection of FAdV 8b within serotype is possible. It can be useful for rapid detection and diagnosis of the disease, virus quantification and differentiation within species, determination of vaccination failure, and efficacy especially the virus load in the target organ and shedding.

    MeSH terms: Animals; Chickens; Liver; Poultry Diseases*; Serogroup
  16. Ting A, Abidin CMRZ, Hamid NH, Azzam G, Salim H
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2023 Mar;34(1):185-218.
    PMID: 37065800 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2023.34.1.11
    Bagworm Metisa plana is one of the major pests in Malaysia's oil palm plantation, with infestation resulting in huge economical loss. Currently, the microbial profile of the bagworm has yet to be study. Understanding the biology of the pest such as the bacterial community is crucial as bacteria associated with insects often provide benefits to the insect, giving the insect host a better chance of survival. Here, 16S amplicon sequencing was used to identify the bacteria community of M. plana. Additionally, two comparisons were made, the bacterial communities between two larval stages (early instar stage and late instar stage) from outbreak area; the bacterial communities of late instar stage larvae from non-outbreak between outbreak areas. From this study, it was found that the bacterial community of M. plana consisted of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacterioidetes, Firmicutes and other minor phyla, with Proteobacteria being the most dominant phylum. Furthermore, bacterial genera of M. plana consisted of Pantoea, Curtobacterium, Pseudomonas, Massilia and other minor genera, with Pantoea being the most dominant. It was also found that the alpha and beta diversity in both comparisons were not significantly different. We present our data as a first insight towards the bacterial community of M. plana, paving a way towards understanding the biology of the bagworm M. plana.
  17. Asmat-Ullah M, Rozaimi R, Fazhan H, Shu-Chien AC, Wang Y, Waiho K
    J Vis Exp, 2023 Mar 31.
    PMID: 37067269 DOI: 10.3791/65039
    Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are commercially important crustacean species that can be found throughout the Indo-West Pacific region. During culture, the induction of ovarian maturation is important to meet the consumer demand for mature mud crabs and hasten seed production. Eyestalk ablation is an effective tool to enhance ovarian maturation in mud crabs. However, there is no standard protocol for the eyestalk ablation of mud crabs. In this study, two eyestalk ablation techniques are described: cauterization (the use of hot metal to ablate the eyestalk of an anesthetized crab) and surgery (the removal of the eyestalk using surgical scissors). Before eyestalk ablation, sexually mature females (CW > 86 mm) were anesthetized using an ice bag (-20 °C) with seawater. When the water temperature reached 4 °C, the ice bag was removed from the water. Flowing seawater (ambient temperature: 28 °C) was used for recovery from the anesthesia immediately after eyestalk ablation. Mortality did not occur during or after the process of eyestalk ablation. The eyestalk ablation protocol presented here accelerated the ovarian maturation of the mud crabs.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Brachyura*; Female; Water
  18. Klappenbach R, Lartigue B, Beauchamp M, Boietti B, Santero M, Bosque L, et al.
    Arch Osteoporos, 2023 Apr 17;18(1):51.
    PMID: 37067611 DOI: 10.1007/s11657-023-01241-x
    PURPOSE: The study aims to identify, describe, and organize the currently available evidence regarding hip fracture (HF) registries in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

    METHODS: We conducted a scoping review adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, Global Index Medicus, websites related to HF, and study references for eligible studies. Two reviewers independently performed the study selection and data extraction, including studies describing the use of individual patient records with the aim to improve the quality of care in older people with HF in LMICs.

    RESULTS: A total of 222 abstracts were screened, 59 full-text articles were reviewed, and 10 studies regarding 3 registries were included in the analysis. Malaysia and Mexico implemented a HF registry in public hospitals whereas Argentina implemented a registry in the private setting. The Mexican registry, the most recent one, is the only one that publishes annual reports. There was significant variability in data fields between registries, particularly in functional evaluation and follow-up. The Ministry of Health finances the Malaysian registry, while Argentinian and Mexican registries founding was unclear.

    CONCLUSION: The adoption of HF registries in LMICs is scarce. The few experiences show promising results but higher support is required to develop more registries. Long-term sustainability remains a challenge.

    MeSH terms: Aged; Argentina; Developing Countries*; Humans; Malaysia/epidemiology; Registries
  19. Siraz MMM, Das SK, Mondol MS, Alam MS, Al Mahmud J, Rashid MB, et al.
    Environ Monit Assess, 2023 Apr 17;195(5):579.
    PMID: 37067680 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11223-8
    Bangladesh is a rapidly developing country, which is vulnerable to various types of pollution due to the large-scale industrial and associated human activities that might potentially affect the locally harvested foodstuffs. Therefore, the transfer factor is an essential tool to assess the safety of foodstuffs due to the presence of natural radioactivity in environmental matrix and/or strata. This is a first study of its kind conducted in a well-known region for mango farming in Bangladesh, measuring the uptake of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) by grass and mango from soil to assess the ingestion doses to humans. The HPGe gamma-ray detector was used to determine the concentrations of NORMs in samples of soil (20), grass (10), and mango (10), which were then used to calculate the transfer factors of soil to grass and soil to mango. Average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in associated soil samples (47.27 ± 4.10, 64.49 ± 4.32, 421.60 ± 28.85) of mango and 226Ra and 232Th in associated soil samples (45.07 ± 3.93, 52.17 ± 3.95) of grass were found to exceed the world average values. The average transfer factors (TFs) for mango were obtained in the order of 40K(0.80) > 226Ra (0.61) > 232Th (0.31), and for grass, it shows the order of 40K (0.78) > 232Th (0.64) > 226Ra (0.56). However, a few values (3 mango samples and 3 grass samples) of the estimated TFs exceeded the recommended limits. Moreover, Bangladesh lacks the transfer factors for most of the food crops; therefore, calculation of TFs in the major agricultural products is required all over Bangladesh, especially the foodstuffs produced near the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2023.
    MeSH terms: Bangladesh; Poaceae; Humans; Radiation Monitoring*; Radioisotopes/analysis; Soil; Transfer Factor; Mangifera*
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