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Fulltext Lifestyle interventions for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Ahmed IA, Mikail MA, Mustafa MR, Ibrahim M, Othman R

Saudi J Biol Sci, 2019 Nov;26(7):1519-1524.
PMID: 31762620 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2018.12.016

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multi-factorial disease and the most common of chronic liver diseases worldwide. The four clinical-pathological entities which are usually followed by NAFLD course include non-alcoholic steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The cornerstones of NAFLD management and treatment, however, are healthy lifestyles such as dietary modifications, regular physical activity, and gradual weight loss. At present, no drugs or pharmacological agents have been approved for long-term treatment of NAFLD. Therefore, lifestyle modification is considered the main clinical recommendation and an initial step for the management of NAFLD.
Fulltext Phylogenetic surveillance of travel-related Zika virus infections through whole-genome sequencing methods

Kamelian K, Montoya V, Olmstead A, Dong W, Harrigan R, Morshed M, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 Nov 11;9(1):16433.
PMID: 31712570 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52613-8

In 2018, the World Health Organization identified the Zika virus (ZIKV) as a pathogen that should be prioritized for public health research due to its epidemic potential. In this study, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of travel-acquired ZIKV infections was used to examine the limitations of phylogenetic analysis. WGS and phylogenetic analysis were performed to investigate geographic clustering of samples from five Canadians with travel-acquired ZIKV infections and to assess the limitations of phylogenetic analysis of ZIKV sequences using a phylogenetic cluster approach. Genomic variability of ZIKV samples was assessed and for context, compared with hepatitis C virus (HCV) samples. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the suspected region of ZIKV infection for one of five samples and one sample failed to cluster with sequences from its suspected country of infection. Travel-acquired ZIKV samples depicted low genomic variability relative to HCV samples. A floating patristic distance threshold classified all pre-2000 ZIKV sequences into separate clusters, while only Cambodian, Peruvian, Malaysian, and South Korean sequences were similarly classifiable. While phylogenetic analysis of ZIKV data can identify the broad geographical region of ZIKV infection, ZIKV's low genomic variability is likely to limit precise interpretations of phylogenetic analysis of the origins of travel-related cases.
Fulltext Current state of knowledge of basic life support in health professionals of the largest city in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Irfan B, Zahid I, Khan MS, Khan OAA, Zaidi S, Awan S, et al.

BMC Health Serv Res, 2019 Nov 21;19(1):865.
PMID: 31752855 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4676-y

BACKGROUND: Basic Life Support (BLS) is the recognition of sudden cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system, followed by resuscitation, and rapid defibrillation. According to WHO, Pakistan has one of the highest mortality rates from accidental deaths therefore assessment and comparison of BLS knowledge in health professionals is crucial. We thereby aim to assess and compare the knowledge of BLS in doctors, dentists and nurses.
METHODS: A multi-centric cross-sectional survey was conducted in Karachi at different institutions belonging to the private as well as government sector from January to March 2018. We used a structured questionnaire which was adapted from pretested questionnaires that have been used previously in similar studies. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS v22.0, where adequate knowledge was taken as a score of at least 50%. P
Fulltext An analytical model to minimize the latency in healthcare internet-of-things in fog computing environment

Shukla S, Hassan MF, Khan MK, Jung LT, Awang A

PLoS One, 2019;14(11):e0224934.
PMID: 31721807 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224934

Fog computing (FC) is an evolving computing technology that operates in a distributed environment. FC aims to bring cloud computing features close to edge devices. The approach is expected to fulfill the minimum latency requirement for healthcare Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. Healthcare IoT devices generate various volumes of healthcare data. This large volume of data results in high data traffic that causes network congestion and high latency. An increase in round-trip time delay owing to large data transmission and large hop counts between IoTs and cloud servers render healthcare data meaningless and inadequate for end-users. Time-sensitive healthcare applications require real-time data. Traditional cloud servers cannot fulfill the minimum latency demands of healthcare IoT devices and end-users. Therefore, communication latency, computation latency, and network latency must be reduced for IoT data transmission. FC affords the storage, processing, and analysis of data from cloud computing to a network edge to reduce high latency. A novel solution for the abovementioned problem is proposed herein. It includes an analytical model and a hybrid fuzzy-based reinforcement learning algorithm in an FC environment. The aim is to reduce high latency among healthcare IoTs, end-users, and cloud servers. The proposed intelligent FC analytical model and algorithm use a fuzzy inference system combined with reinforcement learning and neural network evolution strategies for data packet allocation and selection in an IoT-FC environment. The approach is tested on simulators iFogSim (Net-Beans) and Spyder (Python). The obtained results indicated the better performance of the proposed approach compared with existing methods.
Filling the gap of Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass) research on clinico-pathology and haemato-biochemistry in small ruminants: A review

Muniandy KV, Chung ELT, Jaapar MS, Hamdan MHM, Salleh A, Jesse FFA

Toxicon, 2020 Jan 30;174:26-31.
PMID: 31989927 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.12.158

Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass) is a highly productive tropical grass that is widespread in some tropical countries due to its adaptation to a wide range of environments and soil types. However, a limiting factor for the use of this grass is its toxicity from steroidal saponins. Sporadic outbreaks of hepatogenous photosensitization in ruminants grazing on this grass have been reported. Sheep are more susceptible than other animal species and the young are more susceptible than adults. This review article will critically shed light on the B. decumbens profile, its toxic compounds, mechanisms, clinical responses, blood profile alterations, pathological changes, and acute phase responses related to signal grass intoxication. Further research is needed to integrate new findings on B. decumbens intoxication with previous preventive and therapeutic trials to minimize or remove its deleterious toxic effect.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir and Dasabuvir With or Without Ribavirin Regimen for Patients Infected With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 in Malaysia

Shafie AA, Abu Hassan MR, Ong SC, Virabhak S, Gonzalez YS

Value Health Reg Issues, 2020 May;21:164-171.
PMID: 31978690 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2019.09.005

OBJECTIVES: The combination of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin (PegIFN+RBV) is currently the gold standard in treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients in Malaysia and is reimbursed by the Malaysian authorities. This analysis evaluated the cost-effectiveness (CE) of the ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir with or without ribavirin (OBT/PTV/r+DSB±RBV) regimen as compared with the PegIFN+RBV or no treatment in chronic HCV Genotype 1 (GT1) treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients in Malaysia.
METHODS: A Markov model based on previously published CE models of HCV was adapted for the Malaysian public healthcare payer perspective, based on good modeling practices. Treatment attributes included efficacy, regimen duration, and EQ-5D treatment-related health utility. Transitional probabilities and health state health utilities were derived from previous studies. Costs were derived from Malaysian data sources. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3.0% per year. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of uncertainties around key variables.
RESULTS: Based on the analysis, patients treated with the OBT/PTV/r+DSB±RBV showed less frequent progression to compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related deaths when compared with standard care (ie, PegIFN+RBV or no treatment). At a price of MYR 1846/day, the OBT/PTV/r+DSB±RBV regimen is cost-effective over PegIFN+RBV and yields better outcomes in terms of life-years (LYs) gained and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) at a higher cost, which is still well below the implied willingness to pay threshold of MYR 384 503/QALY.
CONCLUSION: The OBT/PTV/r+DSB±RBV regimen is cost-effective for treatment naïve, treatment experienced, cirrhotic, and noncirrhotic GT1 chronic HCV patients in Malaysia.
Fulltext Neonatal melioidosis case reports-Lessons learned

Daim S, Barnad E, Johnny V, Suleiman M, Jikal M, Chua TH, et al.

Clin Case Rep, 2020 Jan;8(1):171-175.
PMID: 31998510 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.2584

In endemic regions, include melioidosis in the routine differential diagnosis of neonates with respiratory distress, and consider early empirical ceftazidime treatment for neonates with worsening respiratory distress.
Magnetic palm kernel biochar potential route for phenol removal from wastewater

Hairuddin MN, Mubarak NM, Khalid M, Abdullah EC, Walvekar R, Karri RR

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Dec;26(34):35183-35197.
PMID: 31691169 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06524-w

The pollution of water resources due to the disposal of industrial wastes that have organic material like phenol is causing worldwide concern because of their toxicity towards aquatic life, human beings and the environment. Phenol causes nervous system damage, renal kidney disease, mental retardation, cancer and anaemia. In this study, magnetic palm kernel biochar is used for removal of phenol from wastewater. The effect of parameters such as pH, agitation speed, contact time and magnetic biochar dosage are validated using design of experiments. The statistical analysis reveals that the optimum conditions for the highest removal (93.39%) of phenol are obtained at pH of 8, magnetic biochar dosage of 0.6 g, agitation speed at 180 rpm and time of 60 min with the initial concentration of 10 mg/L. The maximum adsorption capacities of phenol were found to be 10.84 mg/g and Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models match the experimental data very well and adsorption kinetic obeys a pseudo-second order. Hence, magnetic palm kernel can be a potential candidate for phenol removal from wastewater.
Fulltext Synthesis of new isoquinoline-base-oxadiazole derivatives as potent inhibitors of thymidine phosphorylase and molecular docking study

Zaman K, Rahim F, Taha M, Wadood A, Shah SAA, Ahmed QU, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 11 05;9(1):16015.
PMID: 31690793 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52100-0

Here in this study regarding the over expression of TP, which causes some physical, mental and socio problems like psoriasis, chronic inflammatory disease, tumor angiogenesis and rheumatoid arthritis etc. By this consideration, the inhibition of this enzyme is vital to secure life from serious threats. In connection with this, we have synthesized twenty derivatives of isoquinoline bearing oxadiazole (1-20), characterized through different spectroscopic techniques such as HREI-MS, 1H- NMR and 13C-NMR and evaluated for thymidine phosphorylase inhibition. All analogues showed outstanding inhibitory potential ranging in between 1.10 ± 0.05 to 54.60 ± 1.50 µM. 7-Deazaxanthine (IC50 = 38.68 ± 1.12 µM) was used as a positive control. Through limited structure activity relationships study, it has been observed that the difference in inhibitory activities of screened analogs are mainly affected by different substitutions on phenyl ring. The effective binding interactions of the most active analogs were confirmed through docking study.
A new black fly species of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) (Diptera: Simuliidae) br />from Sulawesi, Indonesia

Takaoka H, Sofian-Azirun M, Chen CD, Halim MRA, Lau KW, Low VL, et al.

Zootaxa, 2019 Aug 05;4651(2):zootaxa.4651.2.12.
PMID: 31716918 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4651.2.12

Simulium (Gomphostilbia) marosense sp. nov. is described based on adults, pupae and mature larvae from Sulawesi, Indonesia. This new species is placed in the Simulium duolongum subgroup of the S. batoense species-group, representing the ninth member for the subgroup in Sulawesi. This new species is characterized by a narrow female frons and pupal gill with eight filaments, of which two filaments of the ventral pair are 1.9-3.0 times as long as the six other filaments. Taxonomic notes are provided to distinguish this new species from related species.
Fulltext Ethanol Extract of Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) Attenuates Tubular Injury Through Inhibition of Inflammatory Cytokines and Enhancement of Anti-Fibrotic Factor in Mice with 5/6 Subtotal Nephrectomy

Arfian N, Setyaningsih WAW, Anggorowati N, Romi MM, Sari DCR

Malays J Med Sci, 2019 Sep;26(5):53-63.
PMID: 31728118 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.5.5

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to inflammation, fibrosis and destruction of the renal architecture. Centella asiatica (CeA) is an herbaceous plant with anti-inflammatory effects. We aimed to elucidate the effect of CeA on inflammation, fibrosis, vascular remodelling and antifibrotic substances in a 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy (SN) model in mice.
METHODS: Mice were divided into three groups: sham operation (SO, n = 6), 5/6 SN for seven days (SN7, n = 7) and SN7 with oral CeA treatment (SN7-CeA, n = 7). At day 7, mice were euthanised, kidneys were harvested and stained with periodic-acid Schiff (for tubular injury and glomerulosclerosis) and sirius red (for fibrosis and vascular remodeling) staining. mRNA expression of prepro-endothelin-1, nephrin, E-cadherin, bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP-7), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were quantified using reverse transcriptase-PCR.
RESULTS: SN group demonstrated significant higher interstitial fibrosis, vascular remodeling, tubular injury and glomerulosclerosis (P < 0.01) compared to SO group. Meanwhile, in SN7-CeA demonstrated attenuation of vascular remodeling as shown by significant higher lumen area with lower Wall/Lumen area ratio compared to SN7. RT-PCR analysis showed up-regulation of nephrin, BMP-7 and E-cadherin mRNA expression (P < 0.05) and down-regulation of ppET-1 in SN7-CeA group compared to SN7 group (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: CeA may ameliorate renal injury in the SN model in mice.
Fulltext Sexual Abstinence and Associated Factors Among Young and Middle-Aged Men: A Systematic Review

Irfan M, Hussain NHN, Noor NM, Mohamed M, Ismail SB

J Sex Med, 2020 03;17(3):412-430.
PMID: 31955912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.12.003

INTRODUCTION: Sexual activity is an essential human need and an important predictor of other aspects of human life. A literature review was conducted to investigate whether sexual abstinence in young and middle-aged men is generally considered a deliberate, healthy behavior and whether it has other causes and consequences.
AIM: To review the prevalence and factors associated with sexual abstinence in young (10-24 years) and middle-aged (25-59 years) men.
METHODS: Studies were retrieved from Science Direct, PubMed, and EBSCOhost published from 2008 to 2019. The selection criteria were original population- or community-based articles, published in the English language, on sexual abstinence, and in young and middle-aged men.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: This article reviewed the literature on the proportions of and factors associated with sexual abstinence in young and middle-aged men.
RESULTS: A total of 13,154 studies were retrieved, from which data were extracted for 37 population- or community-based studies. The prevalence of sexual abstinence varied from 0% to 83.6% in men younger than 60 years. The prevalence of primary sexual abstinence was 3.4%-83.3% for young men and 12.5%-15.5% for middle-aged men. The prevalence of secondary abstinence for young men ranged from 1.3% to 83.6%, while for middle-aged men, it was from 1.2% to 67.7%. The prevalence of sexual abstinence decreased with increasing age in young men but increased with increasing age in middle-aged men. The significant factors reported were age, single status, poor relationships, low socioeconomic status, sex education, religious practices, caring and monitoring parents, and not using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. Although the variations in findings from different studies can be explained by different regions and cultures, the information cannot be generalized worldwide because of a lack of studies in Asian and Australian populations.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The studies on sexual abstinence in the future should use a consistent and standard definition, cover all sexual behaviors, and investigate all related factors.
STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: The restricted timeframe (2008-2019), English language, availability of full text, and variability in definition and time duration may be the sources of bias.
CONCLUSION: Young men had higher proportions of sexual abstinence than middle-aged men, and age, unavailability of a partner, lower educational levels, low socioeconomic status, conservative and religious conditions, and no or less knowledge about sexually transmitted infections were common predictors of sexual abstinence in most of the men. Although determinants of sexual abstinence were identified, further investigation of biological factors in men younger than 60 years is needed. Irfan M, Hussain NHN, Noor NM, et al. Sexual Abstinence and Associated Factors Among Young and Middle-Aged Men: A Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2020;17:412-430.
Fulltext The Double-Edged Sword of Urbanization and Its Nexus with Eco-Efficiency in China

Yue L, Xue D, Draz MU, Ahmad F, Li J, Shahzad F, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 01 09;17(2).
PMID: 31936543 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17020446

Urbanization has made tremendous contributions to China's economic development since its economic reforms and opening up. At the same time, population agglomeration has aggravated environmental pollution and posed serious challenges to China's environment. This article empirically investigates the impacts of China's urbanization on eco-efficiency, comprehensively reflecting economic growth, resource input, and waste discharge. We first measured the provincial eco-efficiency in China from 2005 to 2015 using the Super Slack-Based model (Super-SBM). We then constructed a spatial model to empirically analyze the effects of urbanization on eco-efficiency at the national level, and at four regional levels. The results indicated that the regional eco-efficiency in China has fluctuated, but is generally improving, and that a gap between regions was evident, with a trend toward further gap expansion. We observed an effect of spatial spillover in eco-efficiency, which was significant and positive for the whole country, except for the western region. The influence of urbanization on China's eco-efficiency exhibited a U-curve relationship. The changing trend in the eastern, central, and western regions was the same as that in the whole country; however, the trend exhibited an inverted U-curve relationship in the northeastern region. To the best of our knowledge, covering a time period of 2005-2015, this article is the first of its kind to study the impact of urbanization on eco-efficiency in China at both the national and regional levels. This study may help policy-makers to create sustainable policies that could be helpful in balancing urbanization and the ecological environment.
Renal ultrastructural alterations induced by various preparations of mefenamic acid

Jarrar QB, Hakim MN, Zakaria ZA, Cheema MS, Moshawih S

Ultrastruct Pathol, 2020 Jan 02;44(1):130-140.
PMID: 31967489 DOI: 10.1080/01913123.2020.1717705

Mefenamic acid (MFA) treatment is associated with a number of cellular effects that potentiate the incidence of renal toxicity. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential ultrastructural alterations induced by various preparations of MFA (free MFA, MFA-Tween 80 liposomes, and MFA-DDC liposomes) on the renal tissues. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a daily dose of MFA preparations for 28 days. Renal biopsies from all groups of rats under study were processed for transmission electron microscopic examination. The findings revealed that MFA preparations induced various ultrastructural alterations including mitochondrial injury, nuclear and lysosomal alterations, tubular cells steatosis, apoptotic activity, autophagy, and nucleophagy. These alterations were more clear in rats received free MFA, and MFA-Tween 80 liposomes than those received MFA-DDC liposomes. It is concluded that MFA-DDC liposomes are less potential to induce renal damage than free MFA and MFA-Tween 80 liposomes. Thus, MFA-DDC liposomes may offer an advantage of safe drug delivery.
Fulltext Analysis of Graphene Antenna Properties for 5G Applications

Sa'don SNH, Jamaluddin MH, Kamarudin MR, Ahmad F, Yamada Y, Kamardin K, et al.

Sensors (Basel), 2019 Nov 06;19(22).
PMID: 31698830 DOI: 10.3390/s19224835

The incoming 5G technology requires antennas with a greater capacity, wider wireless spectrum utilisation, high gain, and steer-ability. This is due to the cramped spectrum utilisation in the previous generation. As a matter of fact, conventional antennas are unable to serve the new frequency due to the limitations in fabrication and installation mainly for smaller sizes. The use of graphene material promises antennas with smaller sizes and thinner dimensions, yet capable of emitting higher frequencies. Hence, graphene antennas were studied at a frequency of 15 GHz in both single and array elements. The high-frequency antenna contributed to a large bandwidth and was excited by coplanar waveguide for easy fabrication on one surface via screen printing. The defected ground structure was applied in an array element to improve the radiation and increase the gain. The results showed that the printed, single element graphene antenna produced an impedance bandwidth, gain, and efficiency of 48.64%, 2.87 dBi, and 67.44%, respectively. Meanwhile, the array element produced slightly better efficiency (72.98%), approximately the same impedance bandwidth as the single element (48.98%), but higher gain (8.41 dBi). Moreover, it provided a beam width of 21.2° with scanning beam capability from 0° up to 39.05°. Thus, it was proved that graphene materials can be applied in 5G.
Fulltext Efficacy and safety of lavender essential oil (Silexan) capsules among patients suffering from anxiety disorders: A network meta-analysis

Yap WS, Dolzhenko AV, Jalal Z, Hadi MA, Khan TM

Sci Rep, 2019 12 02;9(1):18042.
PMID: 31792285 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54529-9

A systematic review and network-meta analysis (NMA) were performed to estimate significance of the anxiolytic effect of lavender essential oil taken as silexan capsules versus other comparators (i.e., placebo/paroxetine/lorazepam). The outcome of interest was Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). Weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated to estimate the treatment effect at the confidence interval of 95%. League tables were generated using treatment effect, for all pairwise comparisons, where WMD
Fulltext Effectiveness of the ColorApp Mobile App for Health Education and Promotion for Colorectal Cancer: Quasi-Experimental Study

Yaacob NA, Mohamad Marzuki MF, Yaacob NM, Ahmad SB, Abu Hassan MR

JMIR Hum Factors, 2020 Feb 25;7(1):e15487.
PMID: 32130119 DOI: 10.2196/15487

BACKGROUND: Lack of knowledge and poor attitude are barriers to colorectal cancer screening participation. Printed material, such as pamphlets and posters, have been the main approach in health education on disease prevention in Malaysia. Current information technology advancements have led to an increasing trend of the public reading from websites and mobile apps using their mobile phones. Thus, health information dissemination should also be diverted to websites and mobile apps. Increasing knowledge and awareness could increase screening participation and prevent late detection of diseases such as colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the ColorApp mobile app in improving the knowledge and attitude on colorectal cancer among users aged 50 years and older, who are the population at risk for the disease in Kedah.
METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 100 participants in Kedah, Malaysia. Participants from five randomly selected community empowerment programs in Kota Setar district were in the intervention group; Kuala Muda district was the control group. Participants were given a self-administered validated questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes toward colorectal cancer. A mobile app, ColorApp (Colorectal Cancer Application), was developed as a new educational tool for colorectal cancer prevention. The intervention group used the app for two weeks. The same questionnaire was redistributed to both groups after two weeks. The mean percentage scores for knowledge and attitude between groups were compared using repeated measure ANCOVA.
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in age, sex, highest education level, current occupation, and diabetic status between the two groups. The number of smokers was significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group and was controlled for during analysis. The intervention group showed a significantly higher mean knowledge score compared with the control group with regards to time (Huynh-Feldt: F1,95=19.81, P
Validation of Egalitarian Education Questionnaire using Rasch Measurement Model

Rakami NMHN, Ismail NAH, Abu Kassim NL, Idrus F

J Appl Meas, 2020;21(1):91-100.
PMID: 32129771

This paper describes the process of assessing the unidimensionality and validity of egalitarian education (EE) items based on the Rasch measurement model. Egalitarian education was measured by a self-developed 5 EE items of Likert-scale format. The process of assessing the validity of EE items involved a collection of data from 400 Malay teachers, who are teaching in government school around peninsular of Malaysia where the measurement of construct validity for the overall EE items were established using Winsteps. Various Rasch measurement tools were utilized to demonstrate the true unidimensionality and validity measure of the EE items and in meeting the needs of the Rasch measurement model. The findings show that the validity and unidimensionality of EE items can be truly established and can satisfy the characteristics of the Rasch measurement model.
A 5-year evaluation of using stool-based test for opportunistic colorectal cancer screening in primary health institutions across Malaysia

Tamin NSI, Razalli KA, Sallahuddin SN, Chan HK, Hassan MRA

Cancer Epidemiol, 2020 12;69:101829.
PMID: 32998070 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2020.101829

INTRODUCTION: The immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) has been widely used for opportunistic colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in average-risk individuals seeking care from public health clinics in Malaysia. This study provides a 5-year outcome evaluation of such a practice.
METHODS: The findings for a few outcome indicators, ranging from the iFOBT uptake to the CRC and polyp detection rates, were generated from the data contributed by 583 public health clinics between 2014 and 2018. The trends in their changes were also evaluated.
RESULTS: The iFOBT uptake constantly increased over the years (p < 0.001), totaling 2.29 % (n = 127,957) as at 2018. Nearly 10 % (n = 11,872) of the individuals screened had a positive test result. Of those who underwent colonoscopy (n = 6,491), 4.04 % (n = 262) and 13.93 % (n = 904) were found to have CRC and polyps, respectively.
CONCLUSION: An uptrend in the CRC screening uptake was witnessed following the introduction of the iFOBT in public health clinics.
Fulltext Nexus between green finance and climate change mitigation in N-11 and BRICS countries: empirical estimation through difference in differences (DID) approach

Nawaz MA, Seshadri U, Kumar P, Aqdas R, Patwary AK, Riaz M

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Feb;28(6):6504-6519.
PMID: 32997248 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10920-y

Green finance is inextricably linked to investment risk, particularly in emerging and developing economies (EMDE). This study uses the difference in differences (DID) method to evaluate the mean causal effects of a treatment on an outcome of the determinants of scaling up green financing and climate change mitigation in the N-11 countries from 2005 to 2019. After analyzing with a dummy for the treated countries, it was confirmed that the outcome covariates: rescon (renewable energy sources consumption), population, FDI, CO2, inflation, technical corporation grants, domestic credit to the private sector, and research and development are very significant in promoting green financing and climate change mitigation in the study countries. The probit regression results give a different outcome, as rescon, FID, CO2, Human Development Index (HDI), and investment in the energy sector by the private sector that will likely have an impact on the green financing and climate change mitigation of the study countries. Furthermore, after matching the analysis through the nearest neighbor matching, kernel matching, and radius matching, it produced mixed results for both the treated and the untreated countries. Either group experienced an improvement in green financing and climate change mitigation or a decrease. Overall, the DID showed no significant difference among the countries.

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