Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 59 in total

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  1. Azizi MMF, Lau HY, Abu-Bakar N
    J Biosci, 2021;46.
    PMID: 34544910
    Identification of plant variety and cultivar is pivotal in the agricultural sector due to the abundance of plant varieties and cultivars developed in many crop species. However, plant variety and cultivar identification via basic morphological features is problematic and challenging when differentiating closely related species not only due to their limited differences but also due to technical limitations of the process being time-consuming, labour-intensive and costly, and statistically imprecise information being available due to phenotypic plasticity. Therefore, it is imperative to have rapid and highly efficient techniques to mitigate these limitations. This review provides an overview and summarization of the development and application of molecular markers such as Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR), Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and DNA barcoding, High-resolution melting (HRM) and biosensor technology as potential tools in the identification of plant variety and cultivar.
  2. Wan Musa WZ, Abu Bakar NAF, Ahmad A, Naing NN
    Med J Malaysia, 2022 Jan;77(1):71-81.
    PMID: 35086997
    INTRODUCTION: High intakes of total fat are long known as a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but the association between fatty acids and CHD remains unclear. This scoping review aims to collate and analyze the association between types of fatty acid and risk of CHD.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review uses the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley. A total of 19 studies were selected from 9456 studies screened from the electronic databases.

    RESULTS: Majority of the studies reported no association between saturated fat (SFA) and monounsaturated fat (MUFA) with CHD. Meanwhile, seven out of 12 studies reported inverse association between polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and risk of CHD whilst 67% of the studies found that trans-fat intake was positively associated with CHD risk.

    CONCLUSIONS: This review finds that all the types of dietary fat have different effects on the risk of CHD. Nevertheless, intakes of healthy fat such as MUFA and PUFA in controlled amounts are expected to reduce CHD risk. In addition, the divergence of findings found between studies might be due to the methodological inconsistencies. More robust research is needed to determine the actual dietary determinants of CHD as it will provide important information for future development of dietary intervention.

  3. Abu Bakar N, Mat Salleh M, Ali Umar A, Shapter JG
    MethodsX, 2017;4:486-491.
    PMID: 29201649 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2017.11.008
    Silver nanoparticles deposited on quartz substrates are widely used as SERS substrates. The nanoparticles can be deposited directly from colloidal solution by dipping technique. However, the adhesion of the particles on the quartz surface is very poor. Normally the substrate is pre-treated with hydroxylation or silanisation process. In this paper, we have demonstrated that the application of the sequence pre-treatment hydroxylation and silanisation have improved the density of silver nanoplates desposited on the quartz surface. •Sequence hydroxylation and silanisation pre-treatment assists the deposition of the nanoplate on the surface.•Various immersion times of the quartz surface into the colloidal nanoplates determined size distributions and density surface of the nanoplates on the surface.
  4. Abu Bakar N, Lefeber DJ, van Scherpenzeel M
    J Inherit Metab Dis, 2018 May;41(3):499-513.
    PMID: 29497882 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-018-0144-9
    Clinical glycomics comprises a spectrum of different analytical methodologies to analyze glycan structures, which provides insights into the mechanisms of glycosylation. Within clinical diagnostics, glycomics serves as a functional readout of genetic variants, and can form a basis for therapy development, as was described for PGM1-CDG. Integration of glycomics with genomics has resulted in the elucidation of previously unknown disorders of glycosylation, namely CCDC115-CDG, TMEM199-CDG, ATP6AP1-CDG, MAN1B1-CDG, and PGM1-CDG. This review provides an introduction into protein glycosylation and presents the different glycomics methodologies ranging from gel electrophoresis to mass spectrometry (MS) and from free glycans to intact glycoproteins. The role of glycomics in the diagnosis of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) is presented, including a diagnostic flow chart and an overview of glycomics data of known CDG subtypes. The review ends with some future perspectives, showing upcoming technologies as system wide mapping of the N- and O-glycoproteome, intact glycoprotein profiling and analysis of sugar metabolism. These new advances will provide additional insights and opportunities to develop personalized therapy. This is especially true for inborn errors of metabolism, which are amenable to causal therapy, because interventions through supplementation therapy can directly target the pathogenesis at the molecular level.
  5. Dhamanti I, Leggat S, Barraclough S, Liao HH, Abu Bakar N
    J Patient Saf, 2021 Jun 01;17(4):e299-e305.
    PMID: 32217924 DOI: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000622
    OBJECTIVES: Incident reporting is one of the tools used to improve patient safety that has been widely used in health facilities in many countries. Incident reporting systems provide functionality to collect, analyze, and disseminate lessons learned to the wider community, whether at the hospital or national level. The aim of this study was to compare the patient safety incident reporting systems of Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia to identify similarities, differences, and areas for improvement.

    METHODS: We searched the official Web sites and homepages of the responsible leading patient safety agencies of the three countries. We reviewed all publicly available guidelines, regulatory documents, government reports that included policies, guidelines, strategy papers, reports, evaluation programs, as well as scientific articles and gray literature related to the incident reporting system. We used the World Health Organization components of patient safety reporting system as the guidelines for comparison and analyzed the documents using descriptive comparative analysis.

    RESULTS: Taiwan had the most incidents reported, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia. Taiwan Patient Safety Reporting (TPR) and the Malaysian Reporting and Learning System had similar attributes and followed the World Health Organization components for incident reporting. We found differences between the Indonesian system and both of TPR and the Malaysian system. Indonesia did not have an external reporting deadline, analysis and learning were conducted at the national level, and there was a lack of transparency and public access to data and reports. All systems need to establish a clear and structured incident reporting evaluation framework if they are to be successful.

    CONCLUSIONS: Compared with TPR and Malaysian system, the Indonesian patient safety incident reporting system seemed to be ineffective because it failed to acquire adequate national incident reporting data and lacked transparency; these deficiencies inhibited learning at the national level. We suggest further research on the implementation at the hospital level to see how far national guidelines and policy have been implemented in each country.

  6. Abu Bakar N, Sahimin N, Lim YAL, Ibrahim K, Mohd Zain SN
    Trop Biomed, 2023 Mar 01;40(1):65-75.
    PMID: 37356005 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.1.013
    Poverty, as proven by several studies, is a driving force behind poor health and hygiene practices. This review attempts to outline common communicable and non-communicable diseases that disproportionately affect Malaysia's 2.91 million low-income households. The current study also looks into the government's housing and healthcare programmes for this demographic to improve their health and well-being. The initial examination yielded incredibly little research on this marginalised community, with event reporting typically generalised to the Malaysian community as a whole rather than analysing disease incidences based on household income, which would better reflect povertydriven diseases. As a result, there is an acute need for more accurate information on the epidemiology of diseases among the poor in order to address this public health issue and provide conclusions that can drive policy designs.
  7. Junjia Y, Alias AH, Haron NA, Abu Bakar N
    Heliyon, 2024 Jan 15;10(1):e23587.
    PMID: 38192814 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23587
    Hoisting is an essential aspect of Industrial Building System (IBS) construction. Although research on hoisting safety in China has made strides to focus on "worker," "data," "task," "site," and "accident," there still needs to be more approaches based on multi-dimensional social system thinking. Therefore, the paper aims to fill this gap. We investigated 105 hoisting accidents in China and found that hoisting accidents occurred most frequently in China's southeast coastal region; truck-mounted cranes and tower cranes were the most common types of machinery involved in accidents; hoisting load off, capsizing of crane machinery, and workers falling from height are the three most common accident types; the average impact of a single hoisting accident is approximately RMB 2.43 million direct economic loss, 1.543 deaths and 0.829 injured. This study used three algorithms (Rindge regression, Lasson regression, and partial least squares regression) to explore the impact of deaths and injuries on direct economic losses. By combining Rasmussen's risk framework with the characteristics of hoisting construction, six risk domains and thirty-six safety risk factors were identified. Finally, we used AcciMap technology to construct a qualitative IBS hoisting management model, which exhaustively presents the systematic levels and propagation paths of the influencing factors by the PDCA method. The research helps academics explore strategies to improve the safety of hoisting construction in IBS. Moreover, the study outcomes can inform the policy-making process towards promoting healthy and sustainable construction development.
  8. Abu Bakar N', Hakim Abdullah MN, Lim V, Yong YK
    PMID: 35069762 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6098929
    Peptic ulcer disease is a multifactorial disorder and is the most significant public health concern nowadays. Previous study showed that essential oil extracted from Momordica charantia's seed exhibited gastroprotective effect. However, the evidence for the gastroprotective effect of its active compound, polypeptide K (PPK), remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the preventive effect of PPK against different experimental gastric lesions models in rats. The possible gastroprotective effect of PPK was assessed in hydrochloride ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models in Sprague Dawley rats and was further evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. Pyloric ligation experiments were used to investigate gastric secretion. Oral administration of PPK at all concentrations (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in total area of lesion in both hydrochloride ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models. The highest inhibition rate was seen in PPK dose of 50 mg/kg with 64.9% and 72.2% on hydrochloride ethanol and indomethacin models, respectively. Microscopically, PPK preserved the normal architectures of the gastric tissues from being damaged by hydrochloride ethanol and indomethacin. Further, in the pyloric ligation studies, PPK significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the ulcer area where the highest protection was exhibited by 50 mg/kg with 70% inhibition rate. Moreover, all concentrations of PPK also significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the gastric wall mucus secretion. Collectively, this study demonstrated the gastroprotective effect of PPK on hydrochloride ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models. The possible mechanism might be associated with enhanced mucus secretion and thus lowering the total acidity.
  9. Abu Bakar N', Hakim Abdullah MN, Lim V, Yong YK
    PMID: 33976701 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5525584
    Momordica charantia (MC) is popular for its medicinal uses especially for treating diabetic-related complications. However, the antiulcer activity of essential oil derived from the seeds has not been systematically studied. This study aims to evaluate the gastroprotective activities of essential oil derived from the seed of MC induced by hydrochloride acid/ethanol (HCl/EtOH) and indomethacin and pylorus-ligation model. Gastric ulceration was induced by oral administration of HCl/EtOH solution or indomethacin on day 7 after animals have been pretreated with testing compounds. The first group received just distilled water and the second group received ranitidine (100 mg/kg). Groups 3, 4, and 5 received 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg of essential oil based on their body weight (10 mL/kg), respectively. Macroscopically, pretreatment of essential oil extracted from MC significantly decreased ulceration induced by HCl/EtOH and indomethacin in vivo. Microscopically, essential oil also significantly suppressed the formation of edema, epithelial disruption, and mucosa erosions. Moreover, essential oil significantly elevated the pH without decreasing the total acidity of the gastric juice and was able to increase the amount of adherent mucus compared to control. Current results provide scientific basis to the ethno-pharmacological usage of the MC in preventing ulcer formation induced by HCl/EtOH and indomethacin.
  10. Chan SN, Abu Bakar N, Mahmood M, Ho CL, Shaharuddin NA
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:973790.
    PMID: 25853138 DOI: 10.1155/2014/973790
    Phytocystatin, a type of protease inhibitor (PI), plays major roles in plant defense mechanisms and has been reported to show antipathogenic properties and plant stress tolerance. Recombinant plant PIs are gaining popularity as potential candidates in engineering of crop protection and in synthesizing medicine. It is therefore crucial to identify PI from novel sources like Curcuma longa as it is more effective in combating against pathogens due to its novelty. In this study, a novel cDNA fragment encoding phytocystatin was isolated using degenerate PCR primers, designed from consensus regions of phytocystatin from other plant species. A full-length cDNA of the phytocystatin gene, designated CypCl, was acquired using 5'/3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends method and it has been deposited in NCBI database (accession number KF545954.1). It has a 687 bp long open reading frame (ORF) which encodes 228 amino acids. BLAST result indicated that CypCl is similar to cystatin protease inhibitor from Cucumis sativus with 74% max identity. Sequence analysis showed that CypCl contains most of the motifs found in a cystatin, including a G residue, LARFAV-, QxVxG sequence, PW dipeptide, and SNSL sequence at C-terminal extension. Phylogenetic studies also showed that CypCl is related to phytocystatin from Elaeis guineensis.
  11. Sze TL, Abdul Aziz YF, Abu Bakar N, Mohd Sani F, Oemar H
    Iran J Radiol, 2015 Jan;12(1):e6878.
    PMID: 25793089 DOI: 10.5812/iranjradiol.6878
    Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a rare anomaly of the coronary artery. Patients with this condition are usually asymptomatic. However, cardiac failure may occur later in life due to progressive enlargement of the fistula. Diagnosis is traditionally made by echocardiogram and conventional angiogram. However with the advantage of new technologies such as computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography, the course and communications of these fistulae can be delineated non-invasively and with greater accuracy. We report a case of a left circumflex artery fistula to the coronary sinus which was suspected on echocardiogram and the diagnosis was clinched on ECG-gated CT.
  12. Sew YS, Aizat WM, Razak MSFA, Zainal-Abidin RA, Simoh S, Abu-Bakar N
    Data Brief, 2020 Aug;31:105927.
    PMID: 32642524 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105927
    The proteome data of whole rice grain is considerably limited particularly for rice with pigmentations such as black and red rice. Hence, we performed proteome analysis of two black rice varieties (BALI and Pulut Hitam 9), two red rice varieties (MRM16 and MRQ100) and two white rice varieties (MR297 and MRQ76) using label-free liquid chromatography Triple TOF 6600 tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our aim was to profile and identify proteins related to nutritional (i.e. antioxidant, folate and low glycaemic index) and quality (i.e. aromatic) traits based on peptide-centric scoring from the Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) approach. Both information dependent acquisition (IDA) and SWATH-MS run were performed in this analysis. Raw data was then processed using ProteinPilot software to identify and compare proteins from the six different varieties. In future, this proteomics data will be integrated with previously obtained genomics [1] and transcriptomics [2] data focusing on the above nutritional and quality traits, with an ultimate aim to develop a panel of functional biomarkers related to those traits for future rice breeding programme. The raw MS data of the pigmented and non-pigmented rice varieties have been deposited to ProteomeXchange database with accession number PXD018338.
  13. Abdul Halim Chong FH, Md Salleh SN, Abu Bakar N, Ismail IN
    Singapore Dent J, 2019 12;39(1):41-52.
    PMID: 32910746 DOI: 10.1142/S2214607519500044
    Aim: This study evaluates perception toward facial appearance in dentofacial deformity and the need for orthognathic surgery among the public with and without dental backgrounds. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 12 facial photographs of cases with dentofacial deformity or malocclusion in varying severity was used. A hundred individuals were selected to answer the questionnaire. The perception of facial appearance (FAS), treatment need score (TNS), and knowledge regarding dentofacial deformity were used for the evaluation. Results: Significant differences were found between dental and non-dental when the respondents' knowledge in all the questionnaire items ([Formula: see text].05) was assessed. However, no significant difference was found in the mean of FAS and TNS in all the presented cases (normal, borderline, severe). Pearson correlation between perceived FAS and TNS was statistically negative for severe and normal cases, whereby a decrease in FAS for severe cases showed an increase in TNS, and an increase in FAS for normal cases showed a decrease in TNS. Conclusion: Respondents with dental background had sound knowledge of dentofacial deformity. A poorly attractive respondent with dentofacial deformity showed a greater need for orthognathic surgery.
  14. Abu Bakar N, Lau Yii Chung B, Smykla J, Karsani SA, Alias SA
    Environ Microbiol, 2021 Sep 16.
    PMID: 34528369 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15776
    Proteome changes can be used as an instrument to measure the effects of climate change, predict the possible future state of an ecosystem and the direction in which is headed. In this study, proteomic and GO functional enrichment analysis of six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolated from various global biogeographical regions were carried out to determine their response to heat stress. In total, 2,122 proteins were identified with high confidence. Comparative quantitative analysis showed that changes in proteome profiles varied greatly between isolates from different biogeographical regions. Although the identities of the proteins that changed varied between the different regions, the functions they governed were similar. Gene Ontology analysis showed enrichment of proteins involved in multiple protective mechanisms, including the modulation of protein homeostasis, regulation of energy production, and activation of DNA damage and repair pathways. Our proteomic analysis did not show any clear relationship between protein changes and the strains' biogeographical origins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
  15. Zainal-Abidin RA, Abu-Bakar N, Sew YS, Simoh S, Mohamed-Hussein ZA
    Int J Genomics, 2019;2019:4168045.
    PMID: 31687375 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4168045
    Recently, rice breeding program has shown increased interests on the pigmented rice varieties due to their benefits to human health. However, the genetic variation of pigmented rice varieties is still scarce and remains unexplored. Hence, we performed genome-wide SNP analysis from the genome resequencing of four Malaysian pigmented rice varieties, representing two black and two red rice varieties. The genome of four pigmented varieties was mapped against Nipponbare reference genome sequences, and 1.9 million SNPs were discovered. Of these, 622 SNPs with polymorphic sites were identified in 258 protein-coding genes related to metabolism, stress response, and transporter. Comparative analysis of 622 SNPs with polymorphic sites against six rice SNP datasets from the Ensembl Plants variation database was performed, and 70 SNPs were identified as novel SNPs. Analysis of SNPs in the flavonoid biosynthetic genes revealed 40 nonsynonymous SNPs, which has potential as molecular markers for rice seed colour identification. The highlighted SNPs in this study show effort in producing valuable genomic resources for application in the rice breeding program, towards the genetic improvement of new and improved pigmented rice varieties.
  16. Muid S, Abu Bakar NA, Abdul Rahman T, Tengku Ismail TS, Kholin SF, Suvorov AV, et al.
    Malays J Pathol, 2019 Dec;41(3):283-292.
    PMID: 31901913
    INTRODUCTION: Apart from inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, other key components in the development of atherogenesis include prothrombogenesis and oxidative stress. The effects of long-term confinement and isolation, exposure to radiation and different gravity forces during space travel could potentially increase the long-term risk of atherosclerosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study determining the status of prothrombogenesis and oxidative stress in six cosmonauts subjected to the longest duration of confined isolation period of 520 days in preparation for prospective undetermined manned space travel to Mars.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This collaborative research between the National Space Agency (ANGKASA), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia and Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), Russia was conducted at the Russian Academy of Sciences IBMP, Moscow, Russia. Six multi-national cosmonauts were assigned to live in a ground-based confined module for 520 days. Standard exercise and diet regime were instituted throughout the isolation phase. Six age, ethnic and gender-matched healthy, free-living ground controls were recruited in parallel. Serial serum and whole blood were analysed for biomarkers of prothrombogenesis [plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and homocysteine] and oxidative stress [oxidised low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA)].

    RESULTS: There were significantly lower concentrations of PAI-1 and homocysteine in cosmonauts during confinement compared to the controls. There were no significant differences seen in the concentrations of biomarkers of oxidative stress during confinement but there was a significant percentage change increment for serum MDA in cosmonauts.

    CONCLUSION: Long-term confinement decreased the risk of prothrombogenesis and this could be attributed to the exercise and diet regime which includes omega-3 fatty acids supplementation given to the crew members during their confinement period. However, oxidative damage could not be excluded and may be attributed to the influence of psychological stress during this prolonged confinement.

  17. Nik-Nasir NM, Md-Yasin M, Ariffin F, Mat-Nasir N, Miskan M, Abu-Bakar N, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 15;19(24).
    PMID: 36554769 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416888
    Physical activity (PA) in the form of structured or unstructured exercise is beneficial for health. This paper aims to study PA levels across four domains according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and its associated factors. A total of 7479 Malaysian adult participants between 18 to 90 years old from the REDISCOVER study who completed the IPAQ were analyzed. PA was calculated as MET-min per week and were categorized according to insufficiently active, sufficiently active and very active. Multinomial regression was used to determine the association between sociodemographic, clinical factors and the level of PA. The mean age of the participants was 51.68 (±9.5 SD). The total reported physical activity in median (IQR) was 1584.0 (0-5637.3) MET-min per week. The highest total for PA was in the domestic domain which is 490 (0-2400) MET-min per week. Factors associated with sufficiently active or very active PA include Malay ethnicity, no formal education, elementary occupation, current smokers and high HDL. Whereas low income, male and normal BMI are less likely to participate in sufficiently active or very active PA. Intervention to encourage higher PA levels in all domains is important to achieve recommended PA targets.
  18. Khalid MKA, Nik Husain NR, Wan Mohammad WMZ, Idris N, Abu Bakar N
    Cureus, 2023 Aug;15(8):e44488.
    PMID: 37791203 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44488
    INTRODUCTION: The current inspection checklist for the assessment of food preparation areas in preschools in Malaysia has not been revised since 2012. The checklist's content needs to be improved to ensure relevant parameters are covered during preschool inspections.

    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and validate an observation checklist for assessing the hygiene and sanitation of food preparation areas in preschools.

    METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted in Kota Bharu Kelantan from March 2021 to February 2022. The development of the observation checklist was conducted in four stages: (1) the construction of domains and items from the existing literature, (2) content validation by six experts (using the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and the scale-level content validity index (S-CVI), (3) face validation by 10 experts (using the item-level face validity index (I-FVI) and the scale-level face validity index (S-FVI)), and (4) reliability analysis (using the intercorrelation coefficient (ICC)). Four assessors performed the reliability analysis at two preschools.

    RESULTS: The initial draft of the checklist contained three domains and 57 items: building and facility (10 subdomains and 38 items), process control (four subdomains and 12 items), and food handlers (one subdomain and seven items). The I-CVI scores for building and facility, process control, and food handlers were 0.97, 1.00, and 1.00, respectively, indicating good relevancy of items. The S-CVI value was 1.0 for all domains, showing good relevance of the items. The I-FVI above 0.8 and S-FVI values above 0.9 for all domains imply that the participants easily understood the checklist. The ICC for each domain was 0.847 (95% CI 0.716-0.902) for the building facility and 1.0 for process control and food handler, and the ICC for the three domains combined was 0.848 (95% CI 0.772-0.904). The final validated checklist consists of three domains with 57 items.

    CONCLUSION: The newly developed observation checklist is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the hygiene and sanitation of preschool food preparation areas.

  19. Abu Bakar N, Lau BYC, González-Aravena M, Smykla J, Krzewicka B, Karsani SA, et al.
    Microb Ecol, 2023 Dec 07;87(1):11.
    PMID: 38060022 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02311-w
    In understanding stress response mechanisms in fungi, cold stress has received less attention than heat stress. However, cold stress has shown its importance in various research fields. The following study examined the cold stress response of six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolated from various biogeographical regions through a proteomic approach. In total, 2541 proteins were identified with high confidence. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed diversity in the cold stress response pathways for all six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolates, with metabolic and translation-related processes being prominent in most isolates. 25.6% of the proteins with an increase in relative abundance were increased by more than 3.0-fold. There was no link between the geographical origin of the isolates and the cold stress response of Pseudogymnoascus spp. However, one Antarctic isolate, sp3, showed a distinctive cold stress response profile involving increased flavin/riboflavin biosynthesis and methane metabolism. This Antarctic isolate (sp3) was also the only one that showed decreased phospholipid metabolism in cold stress conditions. This work will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of cold stress response and adaptation in psychrotolerant soil microfungi, with specific attention to the fungal genus Pseudogymnoascus.
  20. Abu Talib R, Idris IB, Sutan R, Ahmad N, Abu Bakar N
    Iran J Public Health, 2018 Nov;47(11):1694-1702.
    PMID: 30581786
    Background: This cross-sectional was aimed to assess the prevalence of pre-pregnancy care services usage and its determinant factors among women of reproductive age in Kedah, Malaysia.

    Methods: Overall, 1347 respondents who attended 24 government health clinics, were chosen using systematic multistage random sampling. A validated self-administered questionnaire which consisted of sections including socio-demographic characteristics, social support, knowledge on pre-pregnancy care, perception on risk of pregnancy, health status, as well as intention and awareness on pre-pregnancy care services were distributed.

    Results: The prevalence of utilization of pre-pregnancy care services was still low i.e. 44.0%. Bivariate and multivariate analysis showed consistent significant level between all factors and pre-pregnancy care usage except for family planning practice. The factors that showed significant difference with the usage of pre-pregnancy care services were age of more than 35 (P<0.001), high education level (P<0.001), non-working mothers (P<0.001), multipara (P=0.001), awareness on the existence of pre-pregnancy care services in government health facilities (P<0.001), intention to use the services (P=0.0030), having medical illness (P=0.005), having social support (P=0.001), high knowledge (P<0.001), and positive perception (P<0.001).

    Conclusion: Low usage of pre-pregnancy care services can be improved through health screening on reproductive-aged women with positive determinant factors at the triage level in integrated clinics. Information and knowledge on pre-pregnancy services should be disseminated among community members through various means including roadshows and pre-wedding workshops.
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