MyMedR

Developmental rate, size, and sexual dimorphism of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae): its possible implications in forensic entomology

Zuha RM, Omar B

Parasitol Res, 2014 Jun;113(6):2285-94.

PMID: 24728523 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-3883-z

Cosmopolitan scuttle fly, Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) is one of the commonest forensic species recorded colonizing human corpse indoors and in concealed environment. The occurrence of this species in such environments provides a higher evidential value to assist estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) compared to other forensically important dipterans. However, developmental and size data of M. scalaris are still lacking and they are derived from a limited range of thermal values. The objective of this study is to develop the growth model of M. scalaris by emphasizing the size range of larvae and puparia at different constant temperatures. This species was reared in six replicates at eight varying constant temperatures ranging from 23 to 36 °C and cow's liver was provided as food source. Larvae and puparia were sampled at set time intervals and measured by their length and weight. Because interpretation of forensic entomological evidence is subject to application of different techniques, development of M. scalaris is expressed herein by using developmental table, length/morphological stage diagrams and linear/nonlinear estimation methods. From the findings, it is very important to highlight that sexual dimorphism of M. scalaris during post feeding larva and pupa stage could be observed based on size and developmental periods. Mean length and weight ratios of male to female puparia are approximately 0.8 and 0.3-0.5, respectively, indicating sexual dimorphism of this species. Developmental period in female are 4.0-11.4 h (post feeding larval stage), 3.7-24.0 h (pupal stage), and 3.0-20.1 h (total developmental period) longer in male. Due to this dimorphism, PMI estimation using M. scalaris post feeding larva or puparium specimens must be carried out carefully by to avoid inaccuracy and misinterpretation.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Medical students' experience of and reaction to stress: the role of depression and anxiety

Saravanan C, Wilks R

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:737382.

PMID: 24688425 DOI: 10.1155/2014/737382

Medical school is recognized as a stressful environment that often has a negative effect on students' academic performance, physical health, and psychosocial well-being. Previous studies have not identified differences between depressed and nondepressed and anxious and nonanxious medical students' experiences of stress or their reactions to stressors. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of depression and anxiety among a sample of 358 medical students attending a private university in Malaysia and to examine differences according to participants' gender, year of study, and stage of training (preclinical and clinical). Additionally, this study examined the extent to which stress predicts depression and anxiety, differences between depressed and nondepressed medical students' experiences of and reactions to stressors, and differences between anxious and nonanxious medical students' experiences of and reactions to stressors.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Social embeddedness as a mechanism for linking social cohesion to well-being among older adults: moderating effect of gender

Momtaz YA, Haron SA, Ibrahim R, Hamid TA

Clin Interv Aging, 2014;9:863-70.

PMID: 24904206 DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S62205

BACKGROUND: The positive effect of social cohesion on well-being in older adults has been well documented. However, relatively few studies have attempted to understand the mechanisms by which social cohesion influences well-being. The main aim of the current study is to identify social pathways in which social cohesion may contribute to well-being.

METHODS: The data for this study (taken from 1,880 older adults, aged 60 years and older) were drawn from a national survey conducted during 2008-2009. The survey employed a two-stage stratified sampling process for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediating and moderating analyses.

RESULTS: The proposed model documented a good fit to the data (GFI =98; CFI =0.99; RMSEA =0.04). The findings from bootstrap analysis and the Sobel test revealed that the impact of social cohesion on well-being is significantly mediated by social embeddedness (Z=5.62; P<0.001). Finally, the results of a multigroup analysis test showed that social cohesion influences well-being through the social embeddedness mechanism somewhat differently for older men than women.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study, in addition to supporting the importance of neighborhood social cohesion for the well-being of older adults, also provide evidence that the impact of social cohesion towards well-being is mediated through the mechanism of social embeddedness.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Estimation of stature by using lower limb dimensions in the Malaysian population

Nor FM, Abdullah N, Mustapa AM, Qi Wen L, Faisal NA, Ahmad Nazari DA

J Forensic Leg Med, 2013 Nov;20(8):947-52.

PMID: 24237796 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2013.09.006

Estimation of stature is an important step in developing a biological profile for human identification. It may provide a valuable indicator for an unknown individual in a population. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between stature and lower limb dimensions in the Malaysian population. The sample comprised 100 corpses, which included 69 males and 31 females between the age range of 20-90 years old. The parameters measured were stature, thigh length, lower leg length, leg length, foot length, foot height and foot breadth. Results showed that the mean values in males were significantly higher than those in females (p

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Characteristics

Fulltext Quantitative analysis and comparison of BMI among Han, Tibetan, and Uygur university students in Northwest China

Jingya B, Ye H, Jing W, Xi H, Tao H

ScientificWorldJournal, 2013;2013:180863.

PMID: 24453807 DOI: 10.1155/2013/180863

To fully analyze and compare BMI among Han, Tibetan, and Uygur university students, to discuss the differences in their physical properties and physical health, and thus to provide some theoretical suggestions for the improvement of students' physical health.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Characteristics

Predictors of handgrip strength among adults of a rural community in Malaysia

Moy FM, Darus A, Hairi NN

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):176-84.

PMID: 24285778 DOI: 10.1177/1010539513510555

Handgrip strength is useful for screening the nutritional status of adult population as it is strongly associated with physical disabilities and mortality. Therefore, we aimed to determine the predictors of handgrip strength among adults of a rural community in Malaysia using a cross-sectional study design with multistage sampling. All adults aged 30 years and older from 1250 households were invited to our study. Structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, occupation history, lifestyle practices, and measurements, including anthropometry and handgrip strength were taken. There were 2199 respondents with 55.2% females and majority were of Malay ethnicity. Their mean (standard deviation) age was 53.4 (13.2) years. The response rate for handgrip strength was 94.2%. Females had significantly lower handgrip strength than males (P < .05). In the multiple linear regression models, significant predictors of handgrip strength for males were age, height, job groups, and diabetes, while for females, the significant predictors were age, weight, height, and diabetes.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Complete life cycle of a pennellid Peniculus minuticaudae Shiino, 1956 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) infecting cultured threadsail filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer

Ismail N, Ohtsuka S, Maran BA, Tasumi S, Zaleha K, Yamashita H

Parasite, 2013;20:42.

PMID: 24165196 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2013041

The complete life cycle of a pennellid copepod Peniculus minuticaudae Shiino, 1956 is proposed based on the discovery of all post-embryonic stages together with the post-metamorphic adult females infecting the fins of threadsail filefish Stephanolepis cirrhifer (Monacanthidae) cultured in a fish farm at Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The hatching stage was the infective copepodid. The life cycle of P. minuticaudae consists of six stages separated by moults: the copepodid, four chalimi and adult. In this study, the adult males were observed frequently in precopulatory amplexus with various stages of females however, copulation occurs only between adults. Fertilized pre-metamorphic adult females carrying spermatophores may detach from the host and settle again before undergoing massive differential growth into the post-metamorphic adult female. Comparison of the life cycle of P. minuticaudae has been made with three known pennellids: Lernaeocera branchialis (Linnaeus, 1767), Cardiodectes medusaeus (Wilson, 1908) and Lernaeenicus sprattae (Sowerby, 1806). Among the compared species, P. minuticaudae is the first ectoparasitic pennellid to be discovered to complete its life cycle on a single host without any change in infection site preferences between infective copepodid and fertilized pre-metamorphic female.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Characteristics

Fulltext Cardiovascular disease risk factors and socioeconomic variables in a nation undergoing epidemiologic transition

Rasiah R, Yusoff K, Mohammadreza A, Manikam R, Tumin M, Chandrasekaran SK, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2013;13:886.

PMID: 24066906 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-886

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related deaths is not only the prime cause of mortality in the world, it has also continued to increase in the low and middle income countries. Hence, this study examines the relationship between CVD risk factors and socioeconomic variables in Malaysia, which is a rapidly growing middle income nation undergoing epidemiologic transition.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Body mass index (BMI)-for-age and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among high school students in Tehran

Jalali-Farahani S, Chin YS, Amiri P, Mohd Taib MN

Child Care Health Dev, 2014 Sep;40(5):731-9.

PMID: 23952615 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12103

The study aimed to determine the association between body mass index (BMI)-for-age and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among high school students in Tehran.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Tobacco smoking and its association with illicit drug use among young men aged 15-24 years living in urban slums of Bangladesh

Kabir MA, Goh KL, Kamal SM, Khan MM

PLoS One, 2013;8(7):e68728.

PMID: 23935885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068728

Tobacco smoking (TS) and illicit drug use (IDU) are of public health concerns especially in developing countries, including Bangladesh. This paper aims to (i) identify the determinants of TS and IDU, and (ii) examine the association of TS with IDU among young slum dwellers in Bangladesh.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Pattern of suicides in 2009: data from the National Suicide Registry Malaysia

Ali NH, Zainun KA, Bahar N, Haniff J, Hamid AM, Bujang MA, et al.

Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2014 Jun;6(2):217-25.

PMID: 23857761 DOI: 10.1111/j.1758-5872.2012.00227.x

The National Suicide Registry Malaysia (NSRM) is a nationwide system that captures data on completed suicides in Malaysia from all forensic departments under the purview of the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Oppositional Defiant Disorder: prevalence based on parent and teacher ratings of Malaysian primary school children

Gomez R, Hafetz N, Gomez RM

Asian J Psychiatr, 2013 Aug;6(4):299-302.

PMID: 23810136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2013.01.008

BACKGROUND: This study examined the prevalence rate of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in Malaysian primary school children.
METHODS: In all 934 Malaysian parents and teachers completed ratings of their children using a scale comprising DSM-IV-TR ODD symptoms.
RESULTS: Results showed rates of 3.10%, 3.85%, 7.49% and 0.64% for parent, teacher, parent or teacher ("or-rule"), and parent and teacher ("and-rule") ratings, respectively. When the functional impairment criterion was not considered, the rate reported by parents was higher at 13.28%.
DISCUSSION: The theoretical, diagnostic and cultural implications of the findings are discussed

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in sexual activity among older married Malaysians

Momtaz YA, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R, Akahbar SA

Arch Gerontol Geriatr, 2014 Jan-Feb;58(1):51-5.

PMID: 24021247 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2013.08.003

Sexuality as an important part of life has not been well studied in Malaysia, particularly among older adults. The main aim of this study was to investigate the racial and socioeconomic differences in sexual activity among older married Malaysians. Data for this study consisting of 1036 older married adults aged 60 years and older were obtained from the nationwide community-based cross-sectional survey entitled "Determinants of Wellness among Older Malaysian: A Health Promotion Perspective", conducted in 2010. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 for Windows. The results showed that 57.3% (95% CI: 54.3-60.3) of the respondents (61.6% of men and 50.6% of women) had engaged in sexual intercourse during the last 12 months. The adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ethnicity and educational attainment were independently and significantly associated with sexual activity, after controlling for the possible confounding effects of chronic medical conditions and demographic characteristics. The findings from this study do support the notion that sexuality is a lifelong need and cultural teachings and formal education may have important role in maintaining the quality of sexuality in later life.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Overweight among primary school-age children in Malaysia

Naidu BM, Mahmud SZ, Ambak R, Sallehuddin SM, Mutalip HA, Saari R, et al.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2013;22(3):408-15.

PMID: 23945411 DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.2013.22.3.18

This study is a secondary data analysis from the National Health Morbidity Survey III, a population-based study conducted in 2006. A total of 7,749 children between 7 and 12 years old were recruited into the study. This study seeks to report the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) children in Malaysia using international cut-off point and identify its associated key social determinants. The results show that the overall prevalence of overweight children in Malaysia was 19.9%. The urban residents, males, Chinese, those who are wealthy, have overweight or educated guardians showed higher prevalence of overweight. In multivariable analysis, higher likelihood of being overweight was observed among those with advancing age (OR=1.15), urban residents (OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.36), the Chinese (OR=1.45, 95% CI: 1.19-1.77), boys (OR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.08-1.41), and those who came from higher income family. In conclusion, one out of five of 7-12 year-old-children in Malaysia were overweight. Locality of residence, ethnicity, gender, guardian education, and overweight guardian were likely to be the predictors of this alarming issue. Societal and public health efforts are needed in order to reduce the burden of disease associated with obesity.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Psychometric properties of the self-report Malay version of the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQLTM) 4.0 Generic Core Scales among multiethnic Malaysian adolescents

Ainuddin HA, Loh SY, Chinna K, Low WY, Roslani AC

J Child Health Care, 2015 Jun;19(2):229-38.

PMID: 24154841 DOI: 10.1177/1367493513504834

Adolescence is the potential period for growth and optimal functioning, but developmental issues like time of transition from childhood to adulthood will create stress and affect the adolescent's quality of life (QOL). However, there is a lack of research tool for measuring adolescent's QOL in Malaysia. The aim of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of the self-report Malay version of the pediatric QOL (PedsQL™) 4.0 Generic Core Scales in assessing the QOL of Malaysian adolescents. A cross-sectional study design using the 23-item self-report Malay version of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales was administered on a convenient cluster sampling (n = 297 adolescent) from a secondary school. The internal consistency reliability had Cronbach's α values ranging from .70 to .89. Factor analysis reported a six-factor structure via principal axis factor analysis. In conclusion, the self-report Malay version of the pediatric QOL 4.0 Generic Core Scales is a reliable and valid tool to measure the QOL of multiethnic Malaysian adolescents.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Prescribing of antidiabetic therapies in Ireland: 10-year trends 2003-2012

Zaharan NL, Williams D, Bennett K

Ir J Med Sci, 2014 Jun;183(2):311-8.

PMID: 24013870 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-013-1011-1

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade there have been significant changes in the prescribing of antidiabetic therapies. It is of interest to know about these trends and variations in the Irish population so that future prescribing patterns can be estimated.

AIMS: To examine the trends in prescribed antidiabetic treatments, including variations across age, gender, socioeconomic status and regions in the Irish population over the last 10 years.

METHODS: The Irish national pharmacy claims database was used to identify patients ≥ 16 years dispensed antidiabetic agents (oral or insulin) from January 2003 to December 2012 through the two main community drug schemes for diabetes. The rate of prescribing per 1,000 population was calculated. Logistic regression was used to examine variations in prescribing in patients with diabetes.

RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the prescribing of fast and long-acting insulin analogues with a rapid decline in the prescribing of human insulin (p < 0.0001). Increased prescribing of metformin, incretin modulators and fixed oral combination agents was observed (p < 0.0001). Females and older aged patients were more likely to be prescribed human insulin than other insulins. Metformin was less likely while sulphonylureas were more likely to be prescribed in older than younger aged patients. Socioeconomic differences were observed in increased prescribing of the newer and more expensive antidiabetic agents in the non-means tested scheme. Regional variations were observed in the prescribing of both insulin and oral antidiabetic agents.

CONCLUSION: There has been an increase over time in the prescribing of both insulin and oral antidiabetic agents in the Irish population with increasing uptake of newer antidiabetic agents. This has implications for projecting future uptake and expenditure of these agents given the rising level of diabetes in the population.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Photogrammetric analysis of eyebrow and upper eyelid dimensions in South Indians and Malaysian South Indians

Packiriswamy V, Kumar P, Bashour M

Aesthet Surg J, 2013 Sep 1;33(7):975-82.

PMID: 24018869 DOI: 10.1177/1090820X13503472

The eyebrow and eyelid are important sexually dimorphic and ethnic features of the face. In cosmetic surgery, maintenance of these landmarks is important to obtaining satisfactory results.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Characteristics

Identifying factors associated with diagnostic concordance/discordance in oral lichen planus

Siar CH, Lim JS, Tang SP, Chia HS, Loh YM, Ng KH

J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2013 Oct;71(10):1688-93.

PMID: 23773425 DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2013.04.026

To identify factors associated with concordance and discordance between clinical and histopathologic diagnoses of oral lichen planus lesions.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Fulltext Review of Dengue hemorrhagic fever fatal cases seen among adults: a retrospective study

Sam SS, Omar SF, Teoh BT, Abd-Jamil J, AbuBakar S

PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2013;7(5):e2194.

PMID: 23658849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002194

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease endemic in many countries in the tropics and sub-tropics. The disease affects mainly children, but in recent years it is becoming more of an adult disease. Malaysia experienced a large dengue outbreak in 2006 to 2007, involving mostly adults, with a high number of deaths.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Factors

Validity and reliability of the Malay version of WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire

Saddki N, Sulaiman Z, Ali SH, Tengku Hassan TN, Abdullah S, Ab Rahman A, et al.

J Interpers Violence, 2013 Aug;28(12):2557-80.

PMID: 23508088 DOI: 10.1177/0886260513479029

The Women's Health and Life Experiences questionnaire measures the prevalence, health implications, and risk factors for domestic violence. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the Malay version of World Health Organization (WHO) Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire. Construct validity and reliability assessment of the Malay version of the questionnaire was done on 20 specific items that measure four types of intimate partner violence (IPV) act; controlling behaviors (CB), emotional violence (EV), physical violence (PV), and sexual violence (SV), which were considered as the domains of interest. Face-to-face interviewing method was used for data collection. A total of 922 women completed the interviews. The results showed that exploratory factor analysis of four factors with eigenvalues above 1 accounted for 63.83% of the variance. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that all items loaded above 0.40 and the majority of items loaded on factors that were generally consistent with the proposed construct. The internal consistency reliability was good. The Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.767 to 0.858 across domains. The Malay version of WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure of women's health and experiences of IPV in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Sex Offenses

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