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  1. Incidence and Prevention of Invasive Meningococcal Disease in Global Mass Gathering Events
    Muttalif AR, Presa JV, Haridy H, Gamil A, Serra LC, Cané A
    Infect Dis Ther, 2019 Dec;8(4):569-579.
    PMID: 31471813 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-019-00262-9
    INTRODUCTION: Mass gathering events involve close contact among large numbers of people in a specific location at the same time, an environment conducive to transmission of respiratory tract illnesses including invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). This report describes IMD incidence at mass gatherings over the past 10 years and discusses strategies to prevent IMD at such events.

    METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted in December 2018 using a search string intended to identify articles describing IMD at mass gatherings, including religious pilgrimages, sports events, jamborees, and refugee camps. The search was limited to articles in English published from 2008 to 2018. Articles were included if they described IMD incidence at a mass gathering event.

    RESULTS: A total of 127 articles were retrieved, of which 7 reported on IMD incidence at mass gatherings in the past 10 years. Specifically, in Saudi Arabia between 2002 and 2011, IMD occurred in 16 Hajj pilgrims and 1 Umrah pilgrim; serotypes involved were not reported. At a youth sports festival in Spain in 2008, 1 case of serogroup B IMD was reported among 1500 attendees. At the 2015 World Scout Jamboree in Japan, an outbreak of serogroup W IMD was identified in five scouts and one parent. At a refugee camp in Turkey, one case of serogroup B IMD was reported in a Syrian girl; four cases of serogroup X IMD occurred in an Italian refugee camp among refugees from Africa and Bangladesh. In 2017, a funeral in Liberia resulted in 13 identified cases of serogroup C IMD. Requiring meningococcal vaccination for mass gathering attendees and vaccinating refugees might have prevented these IMD cases.

    CONCLUSIONS: Mass gathering events increase IMD risk among attendees and their close contacts. Vaccines preventing IMD caused by serogroups ACWY and B are available and should be recommended for mass gathering attendees.

    FUNDING: Pfizer.

    Matched MeSH terms: Youth Sports
  2. Fulltext Synthesis and characterizations iron oxide carbon nanotubes nanocomposite by laser ablation for anti-microbial applications
    Al-Salih M, Samsudin S, Arshad SS
    J Genet Eng Biotechnol, 2021 May 18;19(1):76.
    PMID: 34003402 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-021-00161-y
    BACKGROUND: Environmental contamination by microbes is a major public health concern. A damp environment is one of the potential sources for microbe proliferation. Smart synthesis nanocatalytic coatings on surfaces, food, and material from different pathogen bacteria can inhibit using the Fe3O4/CNTs as anti-microbial growth can effectively curb this growing threat. In this present work, the anti-microbial efficacy of synthesis of a compound nanoparticle-containing iron oxide-multi-walled carbon nanotube was combined by laser ablation PLAL and explored the anti-bacterial action of colloidal solution of Fe3O4/CNTs NPs that was evaluated against bacteria which is classified as gram-negative (Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia), and also that is identified as gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenes (S .pyogenes) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) under visible light irradiation.

    RESULTS: Doping of a minute fraction of iron(III) salt (0.5 mol%) in a volatile solvent (ethanol) was carried out via the sol-gel technique. Fe3O4 was further calcined at various temperatures (in the range of 500-700 °C) to evaluate the thermal stability of the Fe3O4 nanoporous oxidizer nanoparticles. The physicochemical properties of the samples were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and UV-Visible spectroscopy techniques. XRD results revealed that the nanoparticles framework of Fe3O4 was maintained well up to 650 °C by the Fe dopant. UV-Vis results suggested that absorption property of combination Fe3O4/CNTs nanopowder by PLAL was enhanced and the band gap is reduced into 2.0 eV.

    CONCLUSIONS: Density functional theory (DFT) studies emphasize the introduction of Fe+ and Fe2+ ions by replacing other ions in the CNT lattice, therefore creating oxygen vacancies. These further promoted anti-microbial efficiency. A significantly high bacterial inactivation that indicates results was evaluated and that the mean estimations of restraint were determined from triple assessment in every appraisal at 400 ml which represent the best anti-bacterial action against gram-positive and gram-negative microbes.

    Matched MeSH terms: Doping in Sports
  3. Leptospirosis in "Eco-Challenge" athletes, Malaysian Borneo, 2000
    Sejvar J, Bancroft E, Winthrop K, Bettinger J, Bajani M, Bragg S, et al.
    Emerg Infect Dis, 2003 Jun;9(6):702-7.
    PMID: 12781010
    Adventure travel is becoming more popular, increasing the likelihood of contact with unusual pathogens. We investigated an outbreak of leptospirosis in "Eco-Challenge" multisport race athletes to determine illness etiology and implement public health measures. Of 304 athletes, we contacted 189 (62%) from the United States and 26 other countries. Eighty (42%) athletes met our case definition. Twenty-nine (36%) case-patients were hospitalized; none died. Logistic regression showed swimming in the Segama River (relative risk [RR]=2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.3 to 3.1) to be an independent risk factor. Twenty-six (68%) of 38 case-patients tested positive for leptospiral antibodies. Taking doxycycline before or during the race was protective (RR=0.4, 95% CI=0.2 to 1.2) for the 20 athletes who reported using it. Increased adventure travel may lead to more frequent exposure to leptospires, and preexposure chemoprophylaxis for leptospirosis (200 mg oral doxycycline/week) may decrease illness risk. Efforts are needed to inform adventure travel participants of unique infections such as leptospirosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  4. Use of UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy to monitor label-free interaction between molecular recognition elements and erythropoietin on a gold-coated polycarbonate platform
    Citartan M, Gopinath SC, Tominaga J, Chen Y, Tang TH
    Talanta, 2014 Aug;126:103-9.
    PMID: 24881539 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2014.03.043
    Label-free-based detection is pivotal for real-time monitoring of biomolecular interactions and to eliminate the need for labeling with tags that can occupy important binding sites of biomolecules. One simplest form of label-free-based detection is ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy, which measure changes in reflectivity as a means to monitor immobilization and interaction of biomolecules with their corresponding partners. In biosensor development, the platform used for the biomolecular interaction should be suitable for different molecular recognition elements. In this study, gold (Au)-coated polycarbonate was used as a platform and as a proof-of-concept, erythropoietin (EPO), a doping substance widely abused by the athletes was used as the target. The interaction of EPO with its corresponding molecular recognition elements (anti-EPO monoclonal antibody and anti-EPO DNA aptamer) is monitored by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Prior to this, to show that UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy is a suitable method for measuring biomolecular interaction, the interaction between biotin and streptavidin was demonstrated via this strategy and reflectivity of this interaction decreased by 25%. Subsequent to this, interaction of the EPO with anti-EPO monoclonal antibody and anti-EPO DNA aptamer resulted in the decrease of reflectivity by 5% and 10%, respectively. The results indicated that Au-coated polycarbonate could be an ideal biosensor platform for monitoring biomolecular interactions using UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. A smaller version of the Au-coated polycarbonate substrates can be derived from the recent set-up, to be applied towards detecting EPO abuse among atheletes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Doping in Sports/prevention & control
  5. Fulltext Influence of physical activity on bone strength in children and adolescents: a systematic review and narrative synthesis
    Tan VP, Macdonald HM, Kim S, Nettlefold L, Gabel L, Ashe MC, et al.
    J. Bone Miner. Res., 2014 Oct;29(10):2161-81.
    PMID: 24737388 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.2254
    A preponderance of evidence from systematic reviews supports the effectiveness of weight-bearing exercises on bone mass accrual, especially during the growing years. However, only one systematic review (limited to randomized controlled trials) examined the role of physical activity (PA) on bone strength. Thus, our systematic review extended the scope of the previous review by including all PA intervention and observational studies, including organized sports participation studies, with child or adolescent bone strength as the main outcome. We also sought to discern the skeletal elements (eg, mass, structure, density) that accompanied significant bone strength changes. Our electronic-database, forward, and reference searches yielded 14 intervention and 23 observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We used the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool to assess the quality of studies. Due to heterogeneity across studies, we adopted a narrative synthesis for our analysis and found that bone strength adaptations to PA were related to maturity level, sex, and study quality. Three (of five) weight-bearing PA intervention studies with a strong rating reported significantly greater gains in bone strength for the intervention group (3% to 4%) compared with only three significant (of nine) moderate intervention studies. Changes in bone structure (eg, bone cross-sectional area, cortical thickness, alone or in combination) rather than bone mass most often accompanied significant bone strength outcomes. Prepuberty and peripuberty may be the most opportune time for boys and girls to enhance bone strength through PA, although this finding is tempered by the few available studies in more mature groups. Despite the central role that muscle plays in bones' response to loading, few studies discerned the specific contribution of muscle function (or surrogates) to bone strength. Although not the focus of the current review, this seems an important consideration for future studies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  6. Fulltext Industry sponsored youth smoking prevention programme in Malaysia: a case study in duplicity
    Assunta M, Chapman S
    Tob Control, 2004 Dec;13 Suppl 2:ii37-42.
    PMID: 15564218
    OBJECTIVE: To review tobacco company strategies of using youth smoking prevention programmes to counteract the Malaysian government's tobacco control legislation and efforts in conducting research on youth to market to them.
    METHODS: Systematic keyword and opportunistic website searches of formerly private internal industry documents. Search terms included Malay, cmtm, jaycees, YAS, and direct marketing; 195 relevant documents were identified for this paper.
    RESULTS: Industry internal documents reveal that youth anti-smoking programmes were launched to offset the government's tobacco control legislation. The programme was seen as a strategy to lobby key politicians and bureaucrats for support in preventing the passage of legislation. However, the industry continued to conduct research on youth, targeted them in marketing, and considered the teenage market vital for its survival. Promotional activities targeting youth were also carried out such as sports, notably football and motor racing, and entertainment events and cash prizes. Small, affordable packs of cigarettes were crucial to reach new smokers.
    CONCLUSION: The tobacco industry in Malaysia engaged in duplicitous conduct in regard to youth. By buying into the youth smoking issue it sought to move higher on the moral playing field and strengthen its relationship with government, while at the same time continuing to market to youth. There is no evidence that industry youth smoking prevention programmes were effective in reducing smoking; however, they were effective in diluting the government's tobacco control legislation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  7. Fulltext Musculoskeletal Corticosteroid Injection during COVID-19 Pandemic in Sabah: Is It Safe?
    Azwan Aziz M, Abu Hanifah R, Mohd Nahar AM
    Adv Orthop, 2021;2021:8863210.
    PMID: 33824767 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8863210
    Musculoskeletal corticosteroid injection is commonly used as an adjunct to help patients in pain management. In this current COVID-19 pandemic, many clinicians would differ from this treatment as steroid is considered an immunosuppressive drug and could risk the patient of developing severe adverse effects if contracting COVID-19. This is a retrospective study based in Sabah, Malaysia, examining the prevalence of COVID-19 infection following musculoskeletal corticosteroid injection from 1 December 2019 until 30 June 2020 in the sports medicine clinic and the orthopedic clinic. Patients who received musculoskeletal corticosteroid injection were called by telephone and asked about visits to the emergency department or government health clinic for influenza-like illness symptoms or severe acute respiratory infection that would require screening of COVID-19. Thirty-five patients who responded to the call were included, with mean ages of 47.9 years ± 15.1. 52% were male respondents, while 48% were female. 25% of them were diabetics, and 2.9% of them had a history of lymphoproliferative disorders. The mean pain score before injection was 6.74 ± 1.03 and after injection pain was 2.27 ± 1.63. In this study, there were 11.4% (n = 4) with minor complications of steroid injection, that is, skin discoloration. Nonetheless, there were no severe complications due to corticosteroids reported. There were no reported cases of COVID-19 among the respondents following corticosteroid injection. Musculoskeletal pain would affect a person's well-being and activities; thus, its management requires that careful consideration with risk-benefit analysis be made before administering musculoskeletal corticosteroid injection during COVID-19 pandemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports Medicine
  8. Cutaneous larva migrans in a beach volleyball player
    Krzywanski J, Kuchar E, Mierzynski R
    IDCases, 2021;24:e01084.
    PMID: 33889485 DOI: 10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01084
    Athletes playing beach volleyball come into contact with sand and may contract skin parasites. We present a case of cutaneous larva migrans in a 20-year-old Polish female beach volleyball player. The athlete participated in The World Tour in Asia (China, Malaysia, Cambodia) a month before. In the beginning, her skin lesions were misdiagnosed as allergic reactions and treated with antihistamines. The disease in the form of a pruritic, migratory serpiginous skin eruption on legs was diagnosed during routine medical examination at the National Centre for Sports Medicine in Warsaw. She was treated successfully with albendazole and cetirizine. The skin lesions resolved entirely within two weeks.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports Medicine
  9. Fulltext A Study on the Nutritional Status of Physically Active Men in Kota Bharu
    Malays J Nutr, 2003;9(2):-.
    MyJurnal
    A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted to determine the nutritional status among physically active groups in Kota Bharu. The study population comprised 83 adult male athletes from 8 different types of sports (athlete group), 80 active men who exercised a minimum of 30 min per day for at least 3 times per week (exercise group), and 80 inactive men (sedentary group). All the respondents were aged between 18 to 44 years. Measurements taken from the respondents were anthropometric measurements, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, and serum total cholesterol (TC). The results showed that the combined prevalence of pre-obese (BMI 25.0-29.9) and obese (BMI ¡Ý30.0) was 21.7% in athletes, 29.9% in exercise group, and 47.5% in sedentary group. The mean (± SD) percentage of body fat in athletes was 15.7 ± 5.4%, which was lower compared to the exercise (18.9 ± 5.5%) and sedentary (20.6 ± 5.8%) groups. The incidence of waist-to-hip ratio above 0.9 in athlete, exercise and sedentary groups was 9.6%, 18.7% and 31.3%, respectively. The incidence of hypertension (SBP ¡Ý140 and/or DBP ¡Ý90 mmHg) was 13.2% in athletes, 17.5% in exercise group and 42.5% in the sedentary group. The TC values showed that the prevalence of “high risk” individuals (TC ¡Ý6.20 mmol/l) was also lower in athletes (20.5%), compared to the exercise (36.2%) and sedentary (47.5%) groups. The study revealed that individuals who are actively involved in physical activity, particularly in sport activities have better nutritional status compared to sedentary people. However, the nutritional status in the athlete and exercise groups was still unsatisfactory. The incidence of poor health status related to over nutrition in the active groups was rather high and needs attention from health professionals. Further studies are needed to determine nutritional practices among physically active groups.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  10. Fulltext BMI, BP, visual acuity and hearing status of Special Olympics athletes in Sarawak
    Toh, Teck Hock, Nurhilda Abdullah, Chua, Soh Yian, Muhamad Rais Abdullah, Islia Nahazatul, Chieng, Lee Ling
    Int J Public Health Res, 2011;1(2):66-71.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction Special Olympics (SO) Inc. is an organization for people with intellectual disability (ID) to actively engaging in Olympic-type sport and participating in competition. Special Olympic Inc. provides Healthy Athletes Programme (HAP®) in screening and providing health education to Special Olympic Athletes. Objective To study the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), visual acuity and hearing status of children and young adult with ID in Special Olympics Sarawak. Methods Health data were collected by trained health professionals under HAP®held in conjunction with Special Olympics Sarawak State Games on 17th and 18th April 2010 in Sibu. Health data collected were athletes' weight, BMI, BP, ear canal screen and hearing status (oto-acoustic emission, pure tone audiometry), as well as eye health and visual acuity, using guidelines set by HAP®. Results 195 athletes attended the State Games in 2010 of which 138 were screened. Significant number of athletes was considered overweight / obese (31.5% for children and 36.9% for adult). More than 20% of the adult athletes were hypertensive or at risk of hypertension. Sixteen percent of the adult athletes had hearing loss. More than half of the adult and children athletes never had eye checks, and a significant numbers of them had abnormal eye tests results. Conclusions Health screening conducted during the HAP® is a useful screening program in this population. Health data collected can bring awareness to athletes and their family, and corrective measures in hearing and visual impairment can be taken immediately.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  11. Fulltext Obesity and habitual physical activity level among staffs working in a military hospital in Malacca, Malaysia
    Ayiesah, R., Leonard, J.H., Vijaykumar, P., Mohd Suhaimy, R.
    International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2013;12(1):53-58.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Obesity has been recognized as a major public health concern due to lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out to determine the status of body mass index (BMI) and habitual physical activity level among staffs working in Military Hospital, Malacca using Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire (HPAQ). Results: About 120 HPAQ were distributed and only 82 responded with 23(28%) of them males and 59 (72%) females, aged between 21 to 59 (40.52 ± 9.38) years old. Anthropometry analysis showed the mean weight of male respondents was 79.48 (± 16.33) and 70.95 (± 15.66) for the females. Body mass index (BMI) for males (33.61 ± 2.82) was almost similar to females ( 33.20± 2.95).The mean waist circumference of men was 93.26 (± 10.94)cm compared to 94.03 (± 11.98)cm in the females. Following categorization of BMI, 59% (n=48) are in the obese group, 24% (n=20) are overweight and only 17% (n=14) have an ideal body weight or normal BMI. Relationship between BMI and HPAQ demonstrated strong and significant correlation coefficient for habitual physical activity at work (r = 0.775, p < 0.001), sports (r = 0.735, p < 0.05) and leisure ( r = 0.713, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The staffs working in the Hospital demonstrated poor habitual physical activity which explains for the high incidence of obesity among the staffs. This requires measures to be taken to promote a healthier lifestyle among them.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  12. Fulltext Physical activity and sedentary behaviour among adolescents in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia
    Kee, C. C., Lim, K. H., Sumarni, M. G., Ismail, M. N., Poh, B. K., Amal, N. M.
    Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2011;7(1):83-93.
    MyJurnal
    Physical inactivity is strongly associated with obesity and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study using multistage random sampling was conducted to determine associations between demographic characteristics, sedentary behaviours and physical activity among adolescents. Data were collected from 785 (414 males and 371 females) Form four students attending 15 schools in Petaling District, Selangor using an adapted self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that more females (50.1%) were physically inactive compared to males (39.6%) (Adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-2.15). Physically inactive adolescents were less likely to participate in intramural/house league sports (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.19-2.44), school team sports (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.03-2.04) and individual physical activities outside school (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.11-2.12) compared to their physically active counterparts. Physically inactive adolescents were also less engaged in sedentary activities, such as television watching (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94), playing computer/video game (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.28-0.72), talking on the telephone/mobile phone text messaging (OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.32-0.69) and reading (OR:0.45, 95% CI: 0.24-0.86) compared to those who were physically active. In this study, physical activity coexists with sedentary behaviour in adolescents. Sedentary activities may not necessarily displace physical activity among youth. In addition, these data suggest that promoting organised sports in school and outside the school among youths may be a potential strategy for increasing physical activity in this population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  13. Fulltext Anthropometric correlates of motor performance among Malaysian university athletes
    Saidon Amri, Aris Fazil Ujang, Mohd Rozilee Wazir Norjali Wazir, Ahmad Naim Ismail
    Movement Health & Exercise, 2012;1(1):75-92.
    MyJurnal
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between anthropometric and motor performance and to determine the contribution of combined anthropometric dimensions on motor performance. A total of 225 male (n = 138) and female (n = 87) Malaysian university athletes aged
    between 18 and 28 years (M = 22.1, SD = 1.8) from 18 different team related sports and individual sports participated in this study. The subjects underwent anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI,% body fat, waist-hip ratio) and motor performance tests (grip strength - GS, back
    strength - BS, 7 level sit-up - SU7, 10m sprint - S10, 30m sprint - S30, sit and reach - SR, trunk extension test - TE, SEMO agility test - SEMO, vertical jump - VJ, standing long jump - SLJ, reaction time (audio) - RTa, reaction time (visual) - RTv, bleep test - Bleep, leg strength - LS, stork test– ST, and push-ups - PU). Descriptive analysis showed that anthropometric and performance difference between sports reflected the needs and requirements of the sports. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and multiple regression analysis showed that height, weight, BMI, % body fat, waist-hip ratio contributed positively or negatively on specific components of motor performance. Among male athletes, all anthropometric were found to be a significant contributor to strength, vertical jump, cardiovascular endurance, while among females, only % body fat and WHR contributed significantly to abdominal strength, vertical jump and trunk extension. Findings of the study suggested that anthropometric characteristics that contributed to motor performance should provide a scientific rationale in selecting and training of athletes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  14. Fulltext Review of ocular injuries in Malaysia
    Thevi T, Reddy SC
    Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2017;17(1):69-77.
    MyJurnal
    Ocular injuries or trauma to the eye can be caused by variety of objects resulting in a spectrum of lesions in the eye. We did a Pubmed/Google/Science Direct search to review the spectrum of ocular injuries in Malaysia. In our review, we included 28 papers providing information on ocular injuries which were published from Malaysia during the period 1991-2016 in different medical journals. Prevalence was more among males with an average age of 35 years. Among adults they were more common in the workplace but in children it occurred at home. Few wore protective glasses at work. The mode of injury was due to sharp objects hitting the eye, motor vehicle and domestic accidents, firecrackers, chemicals and rarer causes like superglue and durian fruit. Prognostic factors for outcome were the initial visual acuity, length of the wound, associated factors like hyphaema, intraocular foreign body and vitreous prolapse. Missing the diagnosis of perforation of the eyeball is possible without eliciting a proper history. Protective devices must be worn to prevent injuries. Display of health education charts showing the effect of injuries in the eye and their preventive measures in health centres, private hospitals, schools, factories and sports centres will increase the awareness of public about the ocular injuries. It is important to diagnose the tissues involved in ocular trauma by the general practitioners and primary care physicians and refer the patients to the Ophthalmologist urgently for treatment to salvage vision. Compensation mechanisms should then be put forth in terms of rehabilitation and for monetary loss.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  15. Fulltext Impacts of three different relaxation techniques on mood states among athletes
    Hazliza Razali, Rohayah Husain, Marhasiyah Rahim, Nor Najibah Endut, Khairi Che Mat, Nordin Simbak, et al.
    Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2017;17(2):49-58.
    Relaxation technique is a method, process, procedure or activity that helps a person to relax. There are several methods of relaxation techniques that can be used proven beneficial to improve the individual state of relaxation. Relaxation can be performed individually or in a group. With suitable technique of relaxation, it will improve quality of life as well as emotional and physical. This study aims to investigate the impact of three different relaxation techniques, namely Autogenic (AGR), Progressive Muscle (PMR) and Music Relaxation (MR) on mood states among Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) athletes. Eighty UniSZA athletes aged between 18 to 25 years old were randomly assigned into four groups which were AGR, PMR, MR and control group. Each groups consisted of 20 subjects which were male and female athletes with multidiscipline of the sports involvement. The mood states were determined by Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) during pre and post-intervention. The subjects in the three intervention groups received relaxation training twice a week for four weeks, 30 minutes per sessions. While, a control group not received any relaxation training during the intervention time. Repeated measure ANOVA conducted showed that the two parameters in BRUMS significantly changes in post-intervention such vigour (F=16.083, p<0.0001) and confusion (F=3.412, p=0.022). Other negative mood scores showed no significant changes such; (anger; F=2.235, p=0.091, depression; F=0.960, p=0.416, fatigue; F=0.724, p=0.540, tension; F=16.083, p=0.913).The results of Pairwise Comparison revealed that the three types of relaxation techniques (AGR, PMR and MR) effective to enhance vigour (positive mood) score among the adult subjects. In this study, PMR was the most effective relaxation technique followed by AGR and MR to regulate the mood state among adults.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  16. Fulltext Psychometric properties of the malay language version of Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Questionnaire among knee osteoarthritis patients: a confirmatory factor analysis
    Zulkifli MM, Kadir AA, Elias A, Bea KC, Sadagatullah AN
    Malays Orthop J, 2017 Jul;11(2):7-14.
    PMID: 29021872 MyJurnal DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.1707.003
    Introduction: This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt a Malay version of Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and to evaluate its psychometric properties in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and Methods: The English version KOOS was translated into a Malay version using forward and backward translation process, followed by face validity and content validity. Two hundred and twenty-six knee OA patients attending the Outpatient and Orthopaedic Clinics, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital, completed the Malay version KOOS. Construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis and internal reliability assessment were performed. Results: The results showed that the original five-factor model with 42 items failed to achieve acceptable values of the goodness of fit indices, indicating poor model fit. A new five-factor model of 26 items demonstrated acceptable level of goodness of fit (comparative fit index= 0.929, incremental fit index= 0.930, Tucker Lewis fit index= 0.920, root mean square error of approximation= 0.073 and Chisquared/degree of freedom= 2.183) indices to signify a model fit. The Cronbach's alpha value for the new model ranged from 0.776 to 0.946. The composite reliability values of each construct ranged between 0.819 and 0.921, indicating satisfactory to high level of convergent validity. Conclusion: The five-factor model with 26 items in the Malay version of KOOS questionnaire demonstrated a good degree of goodness of fit and was found to be valid, reliable and simple as an assessment tool for symptoms, pain, activity of daily living, sports and recreational activity and quality of life for Malaysian adults suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

    Study site: Outpatient and orthopedic clinics, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM)
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  17. The effects of combined probiotic ingestion and circuit training on muscular strength and power and cytokine responses in young males
    Ibrahim NS, Muhamad AS, Ooi FK, Meor-Osman J, Chen CK
    Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2018 Feb;43(2):180-186.
    PMID: 29024599 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2017-0464
    To our knowledge, the efficacy of combined probiotic supplementation with circuit training has not been evaluated. Thus, we investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation combined with circuit training on isokinetic muscular strength and power and cytokine responses in young males. Forty-eight healthy sedentary young males were recruited and randomised into 4 separate groups: sedentary placebo control, probiotics (P), circuit training with placebo (CT), and circuit training with probiotics (CTP). Participants in the CT and CTP groups performed circuit training 3 times/week with 2 circuits of exercises from weeks 1-8 followed by 3 circuits of exercises from weeks 9-12. Participants in the P and CTP groups consumed multi-strain probiotics containing 3 × 1010 colony-forming units of Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. lactis, L. casei, Bifidobacterium longum, B. bifidum and B. infantis twice daily for 12 weeks. Measurements of body height and weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, blood samples, and isokinetic muscular strength and power were carried out at pre- and post-tests. Isokinetic knee strength and power in CT and CTP groups were significantly higher (P < 0.05) at post-test. In addition, interleukin (IL)-10 concentration was significantly increased (P < 0.0001) at post-test in P and CT but a trend toward significant increase in CTP (P = 0.09). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in IL-6. This study suggests that 12 weeks of circuit training alone and the combination of circuit training and probiotic consumption improved muscular performance while circuit training alone and probiotics alone increased IL-10 concentration.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  18. Characterisation and immunosuppressive activity of human cartilage-derived mesenchymal stem cells
    Sandrasaigaran P, Algraittee SJR, Ahmad AR, Vidyadaran S, Ramasamy R
    Cytotechnology, 2018 Jun;70(3):1037-1050.
    PMID: 29497876 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-017-0182-4
    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exert potent immuno-regulatory activities on various immune cells and also differentiate into various mesodermal lineages besides retaining a distinct self-renewal ability. Such exclusive characteristics had enabled MSCs to be recognised as an ideal source for cell-based treatment in regenerative medicine and immunotherapy. Thus, considering MSCs for treating degenerative disease of organs with limited regenerative potential such as cartilage would serve as an ideal therapy. This study explored the feasibility of generating human cartilage-derived MSCs (hC-MSCs) from sports injured patients and characterised based on multipotent differentiation and immunosuppressive activities. Cartilage tissues harvested from a non-weight bearing region during an arthroscopy procedure were used to generate MSCs. Despite the classic morphology of fibroblast-like cells and a defined immunophenotyping, MSCs expressed early embryonic transcriptional markers (SOX2, REX1, OCT4 and NANOG) and differentiated into chondrocytes, adipocytes and osteocytes when induced accordingly. Upon co-culture with PHA-L activated T-cells, hC-MSCs suppressed the proliferation of the T-cells in a dose-dependent manner. Although, hC-MSCs did not alter the activation profile of T cells significantly, yet prevented the entering of activated T cells into S phase of the cell cycle by cell cycle arrest. The present study has strengthened the evidence of tissue-resident mesenchymal stem cells in human cartilage tissue. The endogenous MSCs could be an excellent tool in treating dysregulated immune response that associated with cartilage since hC-MSCs exerted both immunosuppressive and regenerative capabilities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  19. Fulltext Predicting basal metabolic rates in Malaysian adult elite athletes
    Wong JE, Poh BK, Nik Shanita S, Izham MM, Chan KQ, Tai MD, et al.
    Singapore Med J, 2012 Nov;53(11):744-9.
    PMID: 23192502
    This study aimed to measure the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of elite athletes and develop a gender specific predictive equation to estimate their energy requirements.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports
  20. Fulltext What's in a Surname? Physique, Aptitude, and Sports Type Comparisons between Tailors and Smiths
    Voracek M, Rieder S, Stieger S, Swami V
    PLoS One, 2015;10(7):e0131795.
    PMID: 26161803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131795
    Combined heredity of surnames and physique, coupled with past marriage patterns and trade-specific physical aptitude and selection factors, may have led to differential assortment of bodily characteristics among present-day men with specific trade-reflecting surnames (Tailor vs. Smith). Two studies reported here were partially consistent with this genetic-social hypothesis, first proposed by Bäumler (1980). Study 1 (N = 224) indicated significantly higher self-rated physical aptitude for prototypically strength-related activities (professions, sports, hobbies) in a random sample of Smiths. The counterpart effect (higher aptitude for dexterity-related activities among Tailors) was directionally correct, but not significant, and Tailor-Smith differences in basic physique variables were nil. Study 2 examined two large total-population-of-interest datasets (Austria/Germany combined, and UK: N = 7001 and 20,532) of men's national high-score lists for track-and-field events requiring different physiques. In both datasets, proportions of Smiths significantly increased from light-stature over medium-stature to heavy-stature sports categories. The predicted counterpart effect (decreasing prevalences of Tailors along these categories) was not supported. Related prior findings, the viability of possible alternative interpretations of the evidence (differential positive selection for trades and occupations, differential endogamy and assortative mating patterns, implicit egotism effects), and directions for further inquiry are discussed in conclusion.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sports/physiology*
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