Body weight and nine body measurements were recorded on 79 mature Kedah-Kelantan cows at two locations. The Kedah-Kelantan is an indigenous cattle of Malaysia. A principal component analysis was used to study size and shape as indicated by the dependence structure among measurements. The total variation among measurements associated with the first principal component which was interpreted as a measure of general size was 40.8%. The second principal component contrasted cows tall at the withers, and deep at the chest with top line sloping downward and under line sloping upward from front to rear with those having less wither height and chest depth and straighter lines. This contrast accounted for 14.3% of the variation in body dimensions. The third principal component contrasted long, narrow, and deeper cows with a more compact type. This contrast accounted for 10.7% of the variation in body dimensions.
Pharyngeal micro-organisms of 131 Australian and Malaysian children and adults were compared by analysis of aerobic culture of throat swab specimens. Enteric Gram-negative bacilli were commonly isolated in small numbers from Malaysian adults whether they had sore throats (28%) or not (36%), but were detected in only 9% of Australian adults without sore throats and in only 12% and 4% of Malaysian children with and without sore throats respectively. In other respects microbiological findings were similar in the different groups of subjects studied. It is concluded that the pharyngeal carriage rate of enteric Gram-negative bacilli may differ substantially between different groups of normal individuals. Our findings also suggest that these micro-organisms do not have a pathogenic role in pharyngitis.
Data are presented from a long-term study of banded langurs in three contrasting rain forest habitats in Peninsular Malaysia. Results from different sites and months are used to correlate ranging patterns with food availability and other environmental variables. Day range lengths are correlated with availability of preferred foods; the degree of territoriality is related to the distribution and size of food sources and length of time for which any one of these produces favoured food items.
Results from a 6-year study of solar ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation measurements at the equatorial location of Penang (5 degrees N) are presented. On clear days, the diurnal flux reaches a very high dosage of about 3.0 x 10(-2) KWHM-2 around midday. The average daily total flux is in the range of 1.6 x 10(-1) KWHM-2 and does not change much seasonally. The high 83% cloud cover only reduces the incoming flux to about half. The radiation flux represents a lower limit of the incident UVA radiation applicable to much of the equatorial/tropical region.
Studies were carried out on the suppression of both exploratory and spontaneous locomotor activities in the mouse by a non-polar fraction from a methanol extract of the dried leaves of Psidium guajava. Shortly after intraperitoneal administration of this fraction, typical narcotic-like effects were observed, including catalepsy, analgesia, Straub tail, shallow respiratory movements and exophthalmos. The dose for 90% suppression of exploratory activity was between 3.3 and 6.6 mg/kg intraperitoneally and the onset of action was 6-8 min. The duration of activity was dose-dependent and, for a dose of 13.2 mg/kg given intraperitoneally, it was found to be more than 6 h. Qualitatively similar results on exploratory activity were obtained when the extract was administered orally. Doses of 3.3-6.6 mg/kg i.p. depressed spontaneous locomotor activity and tunnel running was curtailed. Higher doses abolished the spontaneous locomotor reflex action. A flavonoid compound or compounds appear to account for the activity seen.
Young sedentary adult males of Malay, Indian, and Chinese origin who had established continuous residence in tropical Malaysia and presumed to be naturally acclimatized to heat, were studied to evaluate their physiological responses to a standard heat stress test. The Malay and Indian races have evolved in hot and humid geographical zones, whereas the Chinese originated from a temperate area. Subjects exercised at 50% VO2max alternating 18 minutes walking and 2 min rest during a 2-h exposure to an ambient of 34.9 degrees C dry bulb and 32.1 degrees C wet bulb. Heart rates, core and skin temperatures, sweat rates, and oxygen uptakes were measured during the heat exposure. The subjects of Malay origin exhibited the least circulatory stress of the three ethnic groups. The data obtained on these long-term residents of a hot-wet climate and who were considered acclimatized to this environment were compared to experimental data obtained by other investigators and other ethnic groups.
A Danish woman aged 28 years who had travelled in the Far East developed cerebral symptoms with headache and visual disturbances. Migraine was suspected. Subsequent CT scanning revealed multiple processes and metastases were suspected. As the patient had travelled in the Far East 1 1/2 years previously, she was examined for neurocysticercosis. This diagnosis was established and the patient was successfully treated with praziquantel. On account of increased travelling activity, the possibility of neurocysticercosis should be borne in mind when dealing with patients with cerebral symptoms and relevant travelling histories.
The superovulatory response to gonadotrophin treatment during different months of the year was investigated in Kambing kacang goats, a tropical breed, in Malaysia. Sixty-three cycling does, fitted with progesterone impregnated intravaginal sponges for 17 days, received two days before sponge withdrawal, an intramuscular injection of either 10, 15 or 20 mg of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or 500, 1000 or 1500 iu of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG). The dose of FSH was divided into four decreasing daily doses and each daily dose was subdivided into two and administered at 07.00 and 19.00. Fifty-four does detected in oestrus were mated with fertile bucks. The ovarian response was determined by laparoscopy and eggs were recovered surgically five or six days after oestrus. The ovulatory response (mean +/- standard deviation) based on corpora lutea was higher in the FSH (13.4 +/- 8.4 corpora lutea per doe, n = 20) than the eCG-treated groups (6.4 +/- 5.1 corpora lutea per doe, n = 25) but the difference was not significant (P greater than 0.05). Does responded to gonadotrophins throughout the year with more than 50 per cent of does responding during the rainy months compared with less than 35 per cent responding during the dry months. This difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Egg recovery was better in the FSH (6.8 +/- 5.3 per doe, n = 20) than the eCG groups (3.0 +/- 3.8 per doe, n = 21) but the difference was not significant (P greater than 0.05).
We performed a hospital-based study to examine a hypothesis that indoor air pollution was associated with acute asthma in young children living in Kuala Lumpur City. A total of 158 children aged 1 month to 5 years hospitalized for the first time for asthma were recruited as cases. Controls were 201 children of the same age group who were hospitalized for causes other than a respiratory illness. Information was obtained from mothers using a standardized questionnaire. Univariate analysis identified two indoor pollution variables as significant factors. Sharing a bedroom with an adult smoker and exposure to mosquito coil smoke at least three nights in a week were both associated with increased risk for asthma. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that sharing a bedroom with an adult smoker (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.13, 3.21) and exposure to mosquito coil smoke (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.02, 2.93) were independent risk factors. Other factors independently associated with acute asthma were previous history of allergy, history of asthma in first-degree relatives, low birth weight, and the presence of a coughing sibling. There was no association between asthma and exposure to kerosene stove, wood stove, aerosol mosquito repellent, type of housing, or crowding. We conclude that indoor air pollution is an avoidable factor in the increasing morbidity due to asthma in children in a tropical environment.
Prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis was assessed in 1739 Singaporean children aged 9, 12 and 16 yr in three different ethnic groups. All subjects had resided since birth in Singapore, which has a tropical climate. The water supply was fluoridated in 1957 at a level of 0.7 ppm. In this sample, mouth prevalence was 82.6%, tooth prevalence was 66.9%, the community fluorosis index was at 1.96; 9.2% of children had severe fluorosis and 26.2% had moderate fluorosis. There were no significant gender or racial differences. Prevalences were higher than those reported in most other studies. Due to differences in indices used and methodology, comparisons could not be made directly with other studies.